Closings and delays for Thu., Oct. 27

Cairo-Durham Central School District | All afterschool activities are cancelled, including the elementary school "Trunk or Treating" event.  All students will be dismissed at regular dismissal times.
Greenville Central School District | Open. No afternoon activities and no after school events.
Hunter-Tannersville Central School District | Closing early at noon (12 p.m.); elementary school at 2 p.m.; middle school/high school at 1:40 p.m. No after school programs. No afternoon BOCES. No afternoon activities. No after school events.
Red Hook Central School District | All after school activities have been cancelled.

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star the city of Hudson is months behind in processing parking tickets because attorney Ken Dow is unable to handle the number of tickets being contested. Dow has served as the city's attorney since January, when he was appointed by Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton. Third Ward Alderman and Police Committee Chairman Henry Haddad said it currently takes six months to process a contested parking ticket. He said, "The problem is people are calling the [parking] ticket office, and they’re not getting a satisfactory answer, because there is no answer because there’s nothing going on." The city’s former attorney had several people working with him to deal with the contested tickets, Haddad said. "There’s nothing wrong with Ken [Dow’s] ability, he’s a thoughtful lawyer and he has the city’s best interests in mind," he said, but the workload is too much for one person to handle. Mayor’s Aide Lisa Walsh said the mayor was thinking about appointing someone to deal with the contested tickets. "Clearly the city attorney has a lot on his plate," she said. Walsh did not make the specifics of the proposed hire clear in her comments, and neither she or the mayor returned repeated calls for more information, according to Gilson. Dow declined to comment. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Greg Hudson is reporting in The Daily Mail construction has begun on a Mavis Discount Tire franchise in Greenville. The project was delayed by months of discussion about site plan details, including building design. Town Supervisor Paul Macko (MAC-oh) said the plan received planning board and code enforcement approved this month, and crews broke ground last week. The project took more than two years to get the go-ahead after developers pitched a design the planning board said clashed with Greenville's Comprehensive Plan. Macko praised developers and designers for working with the town to develop a design that fit the community. "They did a nice job of coming up with something new," he said. The store will be located in the parking lot of the Tops Plaza on Route 32. Once the foundation for the building is poured, crews will construct the building’s exterior as quickly as possible. Macko said, "They want to be done in three months." he said. The store is expected to open in February 2017. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Wed., Oct. 26, announced funding for recreational trails in the Capital Region and the Hudson Valley. Twenty-two communities and organizations were awarded more than $250,000 in matching grants through the Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program. According to a released statement, "These projects will improve public access to natural and cultural resources, provide greater connectivity between communities, and enhance the visitor experience at trails and open spaces throughout the Hudson River Valley." The town of Kinderhook received $3,000 for the Kinderhook Trail Connection to the town park; the Columbia Land Conservancy was awarded $7,500 for interpretive signage at the Greenport Conservation Area; the town of Saugerties was given $15,000 for the Eve’s Point to Bristol Beach connecting trail; the town of Red Hook received $20,000 for the village to village connector trail; and, the town of Rhinebeck was awarded $4,000 for a trailhead pavilion in the community park. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.

While there is national chatter and some polling evidence that some Republicans will not back their party's presidential candidate Donald Trump, there is no sign of any local defections. Hudson Valley Republican candidates John Faso, George Amedore, Elise Stefanik, and other officials not up for election this year, are backing Donald Trump. The New York Times reports that John Faso, running for the 19th Congressional District against Democrat Zephyr Teachout, has simultaneously voiced disagreement with Trump, said he supports the Republican ticket, and refused to say if he will pull the lever for the Republican. “I’m not voting for Hillary Clinton,” he said. “As a husband and father I was simply outraged and appalled,” about Trump’s boasting about grabbing women’s genitals, which he called, “wholly inappropriate for someone running for public office.” At an Oct. 25 debate, Democrat Sara Niccoli repeatedly linked State Sen. George Amedore to Trump, saying Amedore has "demonstrated lock-step allegiance" to Trump's values. A September Siena College poll had the Republican leading Democrat Hillary Clinton among upstate voters, but a more recent Siena poll, taken after the videotape of Trump commenting about groping women was released, showed him behind among upstate voters. Former Gov. George Pataki, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary, may be the lone exception, writing on Twitter, "He needs to step down," after the Trump videotape was released. U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, from Kinderhook, has taken a different tack, not responding to repeated media requests since August for comment on the presidential race, according to The Daily Freeman.

The Mid-Hudson News Network reports in The Daily Freeman that the Hudson Valley Film Commission is hoping that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign legislation to give Mid-Hudson counties the same 40 percent film tax credit as counties north and west of Albany. Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, and Greene counties currently offer 30 percent tax credits to filmmakers, but that rises to 40 percent if Cuomo signs the bill within 10 days. Hudson Valley Film Commission founder and Director Laurent Rejto was ready with an anecedote in favor of the bill. “I will give you a perfect example. There was a recent film starring two very big Hollywood actors and the film is supposed to take place at Bard and Vassar (both colleges in Dutchess County),” he said. “They ended up shooting the film at Sarah Lawrence (College in Westchester County) because they were able to save that eight to 12 percent.” State Sen. George Amedore (R-Rotterdam) sponsored the bill in the State Senate. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman..

Rick Karlin reports in Capitol Confidential that the special commission possibly recommending a pay hike for New York lawmakers, will now not meet until after election day. The Commission on Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Compensation rescheduled the meeting from Oct. 27 to Nov. 10. Legislators have not had their $79.500 salary increased since 1999, but talk of raies is unpopular with voters. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Claire Hughes reports in Capitol Confidential that New Yorkers who need to purchase individual health insurance policies, can do so through the NY State of Health website from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31. In New York, premiums will increase by an average of 16.6 percent, and financial assistance has also increased, according to state officials. Wellcare dropped its private health coverage, affects fewer than one percent of customers in the state exchange. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Today is Day 9 of the WGXC Dead Air 2 Resurrection 2016 Fall Pledge Drive. During the coming days, WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $20,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call 518-697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Light snow or a brief wintry mix of snow to rain is expected before 3 p.m., then sleet between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., followed by rain and sleet after 4 p.m. High near 35. Rain and sleet will continue until midnight, Thursday. Then a chance of rain between midnight and 1 a.m., and a chance of drizzle after 1 a.m. Low around 35.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
FRIDAY: Mostly cloudy. High near 44. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 35.
SATURDAY: Isolated showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 58. Saturday night, isolated showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 44.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:54 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:30 hrs.


PUBLIC MEETINGS

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

ATHENS Town Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at community center, 2 First Street, Athens (945-1052).
CHATHAM Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
CHATHAM Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-1651).
COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Insurance Sub-committee meeting, 9 a.m.; Finance Committee at 2 p.m., both at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE Town Board meeting, 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727)
GHENT Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Community Development and Planning Agency meeting (tentative), 1:30 p.m. at 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
WINDHAM Town Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news headlines for Wed., Oct. 26 (8:59). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

more details