Larry Rulison is reporting in the Times Union Neil Golub, the executive chairman of Price Chopper's parent company, Wed., Nov. 30, declined to talk about a report that negotiations are underway with Albertsons to buy the Price Chopper and Market 32 supermarket chain for $1 billion. During a press conference held Wednesday at the museum of innovation and science in Schenectady Golub said the story being reported by various news outlets "surprised" him. "I don't comment on stuff like that, when you see nonsense articles coming from halfway across the country," Golub said. Albertsons Companies operates more than 2,200 stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia. The Idaho-based company includes Safeway, ACME Markets and Shaw's in its stable of food and drug retailers. Headquartered in Schenectady, Price Chopper has stores throughout the Northeast United States. Locally, Price Chopper stores can be found in Hudson, Catskill, Chatham and Saugerties. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Hudson Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton declared on Facebook Wed., Nov. 30, parking is free in the city during the month of December. “I hereby suspend the placing of coin(s) in the parking meters throughout the City of Hudson, which includes on-street and off-street meters” wrote Hamilton in a memo addressed to Police Commissioner Martha Harvey and Chief of Police Ed Moore. The meters on South Front Street at the Amtrak station, however, still need to be fed.

Local activists are organizing a protest in Greenport with the Standing Rock Solidarity Network on Dec. 1. Several Columbia County residents returned from the protests against a pipeline on Native American lands in North Dakota this week, and others are joining a Global Day of Action with the Greenport protest at TD Bank on Fairview Avenue. Protesters have been calling for TD Bank to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline. Locally, several similar pipelines are proposed to criss-cross the area, including the Pilgrim Pipeline that would run along the I-87 corridor through Albany, Greene, and Ulster counties to New Jersey. Click here to play a brief excerpt of an interview with one of the protest organizers, Molly Stinchfield. The protest is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the TD Bank, 177 Fairview Avenue.

Click here to download or play an interview with Molly Stinchfield, a Columbia County resident helping to organize the protest.

News10 in Albany reports that a New York Department of Environmental Conservation officer was shot in Gallatin in Columbia County Nov. 23 while investigating reports of potential illegal hunting activity. The DEC agent underwent surgery and is recovering. Officials have not yet detailed how the officer was shot near Silvernails Road, but one of the two hunters involved, Alan Blanchard, 55, of Gallatin, has now been charged with second-degree assault, a class D felony. The DEC released a statement: "DEC commends the two officers for their courage in the line of duty and thank them for their service. On behalf of all New Yorkers, our thoughts and prayers are with the wounded officer and his family." Read the full story at the News10 website.

Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential that on Nov. 29, for the second year in a row, Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation that would have created a tax credit for food donations by New York farmers to a food bank or emergency food program. The governor said the credit would be duplicative of existing tax benefits for charitable food donations and “it is nearly impossible to establish an accurate value for donated food.” “Just in time for the holidays, the season when we should be thinking of giving and the well being of others, Governor Cuomo has vetoed a bill that would help feed those in need,” Assemblyman Francisco Moya, D-Queens, said in a statement. “The Farm to Food bill was an opportunity to help our farmers fill our pantries and food banks so no family that has fallen on hard time is forced to make hard choices when putting food on the table.” Moya said he would introduce the bill again next year. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Bill Mahoney reports in Politico New York that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that may make requests under the Freedom of Information Law more expedient. Now, when government entities lose a lawsuit after denying a FOIL request, they have nine months to appeal a judge’s ruling. This bill shortens that period to two months. Cuomo vetoed a similar bill in 2015 and when government transparency advocates criticized the veto of this and another FOIL bill last year, saying the vetoes “call[ed] into question the governor’s commitment to transparency.” Cuomo then issued an executive order calling on the state to “adhere to the spirit” of the legislation. Read the full story in Politico New York.

Local weather forecast:

Today: A slight chance of showers before 7 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 50. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 35.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
FRIDAY: A slight chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny. High near 47. Friday night, a slight chance of rain showers before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., then a slight chance of snow showers after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 32.
SATURDAY: A slight chance of snow showers before 10 a.m., then a slight chance of rain showers between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 42. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 28.

Sunrise today: 7:05 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:24 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:18 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS


Today is the first Thursday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

ANCRAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 1416 County Rte. 7, Ancram (329-6512).
ASHLAND Planning Board meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 12094 Route 23, Ashland (734-3636).
AUSTERLITZ Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 812 Route 203, Spencertown (392-3260).
CAIRO Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).
COPAKE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE-ATHENS Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at middle school, 24 Sunset Boulevard, Coxsackie (731-1850).
COXSACKIE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meeting (tentative), 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
STOCKPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2787 Atlantic Ave., Stottville (828-9389).

The Motherboard website first noticed Nov. 29 that The Internet Archive, an organization that archives the internet to preserve it for public use, is now fundraising to create a full backup in Canada in order to protect the digital library from possible censorship. The now U.S.-based nonprofit organization has cataloged petabytes worth of web pages and say they archive 300 million new web pages each week. They operate The Wayback Machine, a website which anyone can use to find older versions of most web pages. "The history of libraries is one of loss,” they wrote in the announcement this week, saying the archive abroad wouldn’t be subject to potential new censorship laws. “[Donald Trump’s election] was a firm reminder that institutions like ours, built for the long-term, need to design for change,” the Archive said in an online post. “For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions.” The Internet Archive also said they will need "millions" of dollars of donations to backup the archive. In just a few weeks as president-elect, Trump has already wondered aloud on Twitter whether he should jail and/or revoke the citizenship of Americans participating in free speech. “Somebody will say, ‘Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech,'” Trump said during the campaign. “These are foolish people.” He has also proposed changing libel laws. The Internet Archive currently hosts all sorts of controversial material that could be targeted if new censorship laws go into effect in America.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Wed., Nov. 30 (9:05). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Mon., Nov. 28, signed a law that allows the city of Hudson to levy a tax on short-term or vacation rentals. The law was passed by the city in 2015, and will now take effect. Under the law, anyone renting accommodations for less than 30 days in duration, including those offered through the websites Airbnb and VRBO, are subject to a 4 percent tax and must register with the city clerk. However, owners renting out a single room at their primary residence, which has the same entrance they use will not be subject to the tax. Hudson Third Ward Alderman John Friedman, the architect of the new regulation, said the law would generate income for the city from visitors, and take the financial burden off those paying property tax. "The idea was to raise revenue in a manner that was not tied to people’s property," he said. A portion of the proceeds from the tax will be used to promote tourism in the city. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Paul Kirby is reporting in the Daily Freeman Ulster Savings Bank has been accused of discriminating against African Americans in its mortgage practices. The Fair Housing Justice Center filed suit in the U.S. District Court in White Plains November 4, following a two-year investigation into the bank's lending practices. The Manhattan-based non-profit center alleges the bank is acting in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act, a law intended to protect a buyer or renter of a residence from discrimination. According to the complaint, Ulster Savings Bank loan officers, at various locations, "repeatedly offered less-favorable and lower loan packages and options to African Americans than to their white counterparts, even as the African Americans presented with higher income, more cash savings, lower monthly liabilities and better credit scores than those white counterparts." In one of several similar instances, an African-American tester was told he qualified for a maximum loan amount that was $200,000 less than his white counterpart. The complaint also alleges loan officers appeared to guide African Americans toward communities with higher percentage minority populations, while guiding potential white borrowers toward locations with proportionately whiter populations. When contacted, Ulster Savings Bank Chief Executive Officer William Calderara declined to comment on the allegations contained in the complaint, but said the Kingston-based bank, “is very proud of our history and serving our community.” He said the became aware of the allegations only after the lawsuit was filed and “will look into” the accusations. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

The Times Union is reporting national supermarket chain Albertsons is said to be negotiating to purchase Schenectady-based Price Chopper for roughly $1 billion. The story was first reported by Reuters late Tue., Nov. 29. Unidentified sources told Reuters that it is still possible for the talks to fall through. Albertsons and Price Chopper declined to comment. Price Chopper spokesperson Mona Golub said Tuesday night, "We don't comment on rumors." Albertsons Companies operates more than 2,200 stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia. The Idaho-based company includes Safeway, ACME Markets and Shaw's in its stable of food and drug retailers. Two years ago Price Chopper owner Golub Corporation announced it would convert its approximately 130 stores to the Market 32 brand and its plans to invest $300 million over the next five years. Price Chopper has stores throughout the Northeast United States. Locally, Price Chopper stores can be found in Hudson, Catskill, Chatham and Saugerties. Read the full story in the Times-Union.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $6.3 million for to nine projects to help protect 2,764 acres of at-risk farmland in the Capital Region, including $2.3 million to the Columbia Land Conservancy in Columbia County. Cuomo announced the Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program at the Capital Region Sustainability Conference Nov. 29 in Schenectady. "The continued strength of New York’s agricultural industry is essential to our economy,” Governor Cuomo said. “This funding will support the next-generation of Capital Region farmers, preserve our natural resources, and continue to strengthen the industry for generations to come.”

Nina Schutzman reports in The Poughkeepsie Journal that a new report from United Way of New York says nearly 40 percent of Dutchess County families, and 45 percent of Ulster County families, struggle to make ends meet. April Messina, for instance, who recently moved from Poughkeepsie to Ulster County, says her family-of-four makes just too much to qualify for food stamps, but not enough to live comfortably. "There are so many people like me," said Messina. "When I see the (poverty) statistics, I don't really believe it. I feel like I struggle more" than people who make less money but qualify for more public assistance. While the unemployment rate is very low in the Hudson Valley currently, the United Way also rated Dutchess and surrounding counties as "poor" for housing affordability. "We wanted to put a face on the people who" are working but their wages don't allow them to meet their basic needs," said Reg Foster, United Way of New York State president and CEO. "We don’t have ready-made solutions ... but this isn’t the end for us." Read the full story in The Poughkeepsie Journal.

The Albany Times-Union reports that Metro-North has made little progress implementing GPS-based positive-train control in the quarter ending Sept. 30, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Metro-North trained more employees on the system, which is designed to automatically stop a train before certain accidents occur, but did not install it on any tracks. Recent train accidents in New York and nearby have put more attention on the slow installation of the safety measure, and Federal investigators have said the lack of the system was a contributing factor in at least 25 crashes over the last 20 years. Metro-North is supposed to install the system by 2018. "Metro North and LIRR have aggressively and diligently moved forward to fully implement PTC on both railroads before the Congressionally mandated deadline," said Tom Prendergast, the chairman of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

Jimmy Vielkind at Politico New York reports that "the four men in a room" met Sunday to decide the course of New York's next legislative session. But press representatives for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, and Jeff Klein, head of the Senate's Independent Democratic Conference, declined to comment on the meeting or even say where it took place. So the governor's recent comments about wanting open, transparent ethics reform is the only hint of what come from the next legislative session. Democratic state legislators are meeting in the first week of December to make plans, and Republicans follow the next week. Read the full story at Politico New York.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Widespread dense fog throughout eastern New York and western New England until 9 a.m. Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 4 p.m. High near 53. Wednesday night, rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 a.m., then showers likely, mainly between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Low around 43.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: Partly sunny. High near 52. Thursday, mostly cloudy. Low around 34.
FRIDAY: A slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Partly sunny. High near 47. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 32.

Sunrise today: 7:04 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:24 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:19 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS


Today is the fifth Wednesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Budget Workshop, 6 p.m. at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COLUMBIA GREENE Mental Hygiene Network meeting, 10:30 a.m. at Columbia County Human Services Building, 325 Columbia St., 2nd Fl. Conference Room, Hudson (622-9163).

The Hill reports that another net neutrality critic has been added to the Federal Communications Commission landing team for the president-elect, with Roslyn Layton joining Jeffrey Eisenach and Mark Jamison. All three work for the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank. All three are against the net neutrality rules, which require internet service providers to treat all web traffic the same. “The FCC's recent actions and the White House's intervention is inconsistent with a stable, evidence-based regulatory approach,” Layton wrote about net neutrality in a 2015 op-ed co-written with Jamison. “The situation distracts the FCC from its mission-critical responsibilities, such as the upcoming incentive auction to get more spectrum in the marketplace and meet consumers’ increasing demand for wireless technologies.” Earlier this month, Layton wrote a Tech Policy Daily op-ed urging the Trump administration to promote international broadband and take on Chinese apps. “As my forthcoming research on the mobile app economy shows, the Chinese succeed in making significant mobile app innovation without having explicit open internet rules,” Layton wrote. “This contradicts the regulatory dogma and suggests that policymakers should rethink their assumptions about how internet innovation works.”

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Tues., Nov. 29 (3:29). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)