Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Sept. 16 through Sun., Sept. 18:

Katie Kocijanski reported in the Register-Star Route 66 northbound, between Healy Boulevard to Route 9H may be reopened sooner than expected. Workers have been replacing a bridge over the Claverack Creek since March, on what was a busy thoroughfare, now with a slow detour northbound. “The bridge is still scheduled to be open by late October, with the possibility of occasional lane closures with alternating traffic during November,” state Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Gina M. DiSarro said. “The deck was poured last week and left to cure, work is expected to resume on Monday.”

Bethany Bump reported at Capitol Confidential state Sen. Cathy Young, a Republican from western New York, has introduced a bill that would require the state’s public colleges to ask student applicants if they were ever convicted of a felony. The legislation is a direct response to an announcement last week from the SUNY Board of Trustees that they would no longer ask the question. “Screening for violent felons is a critical aspect of the application process and is necessary to keep our students safe,” reads the justification in the bill memorandum. The measure does not currently have a sponsor in the Assembly and, according to Bump, is not likely to have life outside of the Senate.

The Chatham Courier reported state police last week conducted an "underage drinking initiative," in towns throughout Columbia County. Working with the police an underage customer attempted, but was unable to purchase alcohol at five businesses located in Ancram, East Chatham, New Lebanon and Valatie. Employees at four other establishments in Canaan, New Lebanon and Valatie failed the test and were charged with promoting the sale of alcohol to a minor. All were issued appearance tickets.

Julia Reischel reported in the Watershed Post the Woodstock Golf Club received a bomb threat on Thu., Sept. 15. The threat prompted an evacuation and road closures in Woodstock. The club was evacuated and roads near the club were closed for several hours. The Woodstock, West Hurley and Centerville-Cedar Grove fire departments responded to the scene, along with an explosive-sniffing dog from the Poughkeepsie Police Department. The incident remains under investigation.

Rick Karlin reported at Capitol Confidential the state Department of Environmental Conservation is requiring Global Companies to seek a new air emissions permit for planned changes at the company's Port of Albany unloading facility, rather than renewing their existing permit. The DEC ruling comes roughly a month after the federal Environmental Protection Agency cited the firm for potential air violations, and after a series of complaints by environmentalists and residents near the port. Global was hoping to amend its existing permit to allow for the construction of up to seven boilers that could be used to heat and facilitate the transfer of thick crude oil from tanker cars arriving at the port to barges on the Hudson River. The DEC listed a number of reasons in support of its decision, including worries about the fire hazards presented by the tanker cars, complaints from residents and benzene levels associated with the operation. DEC also said Buckeye Partners, another terminal operator at the port, must apply for a new permit, as well.

Greg Hudson reported for Columbia-Greene Media for the first time in nearly 15 years, Greene and Columbia counties, as well as the rest of Eastern New York, are on a drought watch. The Hudson Valley, New York City, Long Island and Adirondacks are also under a drought watch. A Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman said if water sources deplete further, a drought emergency or drought disaster can be declared. Under the drought watch, residents are strongly encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by turning off water while shaving, brushing teeth, taking shorter showers and only using appliances like washing machines and dishwashers when the machines are fully loaded. Water department officials in the village of Hunter last week issued a mandatory conservation notice to reduce strain on lower-than-desirable water source flow levels for the municipal water system. Forecasters predict no more than five days of rain through the end of October for the area.

William J. Kemble reported in the Daily Freeman a plan to improve the Route 9G corridor is set for public review by the Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council on Wed., Sept. 21. The section of road that is the focus of the plan has been the site of six fatal accidents since 2009. Under the proposal improvements would be made at nine intersections on both state Route 9 and River Road/county Route 103, as well as changes that impact sight lines of the roads. The proposed projects would completed over a 10-year period at an estimated cost of approximately 7 to 16 million dollars. According to officials, between 2009 and 2013 there were 212 vehicular accidents on Route 9G, 16 on county Route 103, and 21 on county Route 78/Broadway in Tivoli. The most common types of crashes include collisions with animals, rear-end accidents, vehicles running off the road, and pileups with parked vehicles. Recommendations in the management plan for the first year include work to improve the sight lines at the intersection of county Route 78 and state Route 9G. Officials are also considering changing the grade of Route 9G to improve sight lines in advance of the intersection. The plan also calls for developing a trail through the Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area to connect Bard College with Tivoli. The public review of the proposal will take place at 6 p.m., Wed., Sept. 23, in Red Hook Town Hall.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Showers likely before 1 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Some locally heavy downpours may cause ponding of water on roadways and poor drainage flooding of low-lying areas. Cloudy. High near 76. Monday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 60.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
TUESDAY: Sunny. High near 83. Tuesday night, mostly clear. Low around 56.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny. High near 78. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 52.

Sunrise today: 6:41 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:56 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 12:15 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the third Monday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today.
ATHENS Town Board meeting, 6:45 p.m. at community center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1052, ext. 2).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENE County Legislature Economic Development and Tourism Committee, Government Operations Committee; Finance Committee and Republican and Democratic caucuses, 6 p.m., in caucus room at 411 Main Street, Catskill (719-3200).
GREENVILLE Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at high school, Route 81, Greenville (966-5070).
GREENVILLE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 11159 Route 32, Greenville (966-5055).
HUNTER Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
PHILMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).
VALATIE Village Board meeting (rescheduled from Apr. 12), Village Hall, 3211 Church St., Valatie (758-9806).

Dan Udell recorded and uploaded this video of the Hudson Waterfront committee meeting in Hudson this week.

Fri., Sept. 16
Hudson 21, Ravena 6
Lake George/Hadley-Luzurne 62, Cairo-Durham 7
Chatham 28, Taconic Hills 0
Albany Academy 39, Ichabod Crane 0

Sat., Sept. 17
Coxsackie-Athens 41, Tamarac 6

Katie Kocijanski and Roger Hannigan Gilson report in the Register-Star that Hudson Police Commissioner Gary Graziano resigned Sept. 16 after a row with the mayor over his comments in a press release about the arrest of a community leader. Martha Harvey, executive director of the Hudson Pride Foundation, takes over the job immediately, Hudson Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton announced shortly after the resignation. “This is no surprise,” Graziano wrote in a press release about the arrest of Quintin Cross. “Given his track record, it was only a matter of time for this wannabe activist and so-called leader to prove, once again, who he really is and what he really stands for.” Cross was the second executive director of the Staley B. Keith Social Justice Center to be arrested this year. His arrest was Sept. 15 for fourth-degree grand larceny, a class E felony. Cross was also previously a Hudson alderperson who has been arrested before, and in this case allegedly used his ex-girlfriend’s ATM/Debit card without her permission. “The mayor went on to give me give her philosophy of why she did not like the comments I made in the Quintin Cross [press release], she then said to me ‘Gary, will you apologize or will you rescind your comments? And if not, I’ll have to ask you for your resignation,’” Graziano said. “I said to her, ‘under no circumstance will I apologize, nor will I rescind my comments, and you don’t have to ask me for my resignation, because here it is.'" He had pre-written his resignation, saying he believed the mayor might react to his comments. “Gary has dutifully served the city, and I am grateful for his many contributions, he will be missed,” Hamilton Martin said. “In my opinion, it is not our place, as public officials, to provide personal commentary on matters such as these.... Everyone who is arrested is entitled to due process, our personal commentary is irrelevant since it has no bearing on the case." Hours later, Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore said he was asked to take down the Hudson police Facebook page by the mayor due to the unregulated inflammatory and/or derogatory public comments there. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein will make an appearance at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 20 at the University at Albany according to 21st Congressional District Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, although Stein's site had no event listed as of Sept. 16. Stein will speak at SEFCU Arena in the Hall of Fame room. The event is free and open to the public. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Artforum reports that the American Dance Institute will rename itself Lumberyard, ahead of its move into a former lumber yard along Catskill Creek in Catskill. “Our expanded focus better reflects the artists we currently support and the changing, multidisciplinary direction of the contemporary dance and performance fields,” artistic director Adrienne Willis said. In June 2016, Lumberyard moved its headquarters to New York City from Rockville, Maryland, and presented programming at The Kitchen in Manhattan. By 2018, the Catskill performance and residency arts center is scheduled to open with Hudson Valley–based architect Richard Rothe of Rothe Engineering designing the four-building complex with a large theater, dance studios, housing for up to twenty artists, and administrative offices. Read the full story in Artforum.

The Daily Freeman added a brief video on YouTube showing former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and congressional candidate Zephyr Teachout in New Paltz Sept. 16. Teachout faces Republican John Faso on the ballot in November.

A longer video below.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Saturday night the rain should begin, with a low around 63.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SUNDAY: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, with a high near 75. Sunday night the showers should continue, with a low around 62. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

MONDAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 p.m., with a high near 74.

Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper that the Copake Town Court needs a stenographer. A reporter showed up at 9 a.m. Sept. 14 to cover the jury trial of Salvatore Cascino but Town Justice Glenn Schermerhorn said the trial was postponed due to the lack of a court stenographer. While the town has a digital recording system, it requires a stenographer for transcripts and to read back testimony. Meanwhile, Cascino, who has a long history of illegal dumping, building, and excavating at his Copake Valley Farm, sits in a Columbia County jail over allegedly trucking loads of leaves from downstate, and dumping them on his property, a misdemeanor charge with a possible penalty between $3,750 and $37,500. It may be another two weeks before Copake can get a stenographer to hold the trial. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Katie Kocijanski reports in The Register-Star that Route 66 between Healy Boulevard to Route 9H may be back, at least with one-way traffic, next month. Workers have been replacing a bridge over the Claverack Creek for months on what was a busy thoroughfare, now with a slow detour northbound. “The bridge is still scheduled to be open by late October, with the possibility of occasional lane closures with alternating traffic during November,” DOT Public Information Officer Gina M. DiSarro said. “The deck was poured last week and left to cure, work is expected to resume on Monday.” Read the full story in The Register-Star.

Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called upstate New York “a death zone” on Sept. 15 and said that he can win New York in the election in November. “When we go up there, we get these massive crowds of people that are looking for change and they’re looking for hope,” Trump said on Talk 1300’s “Live from the State Capitol.” “And I said, ‘Why can’t we win, as an example, New York?’ And, by the way, if we won New York, the race is over. But why can’t we win New York? And it polls well.” Recent polls of the state show Democrat Hillary Clinton beating Trump by between 12 and 30 points. One recent poll did show Trump ahead of Clinton in New York 48-36, if you remove New York City and its suburbs from the results. “I’m going to play New York very heavy,” he said. “Look, it’s my place. This is where I live. I love the people. I think they love me. Based on the primaries, it was one of the biggest margins ever won by that number. So I’m going to play New York very hard, and, you know, maybe something can happen. So far, Trump has not held any New York campaign events since the primary, canceling one upstate appearance last month. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Tim Tulloch reports in The Altamont Enterprise that at the Sept. 13 Knox town board meeting Town Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis bullied Town Clerk Tara Murphy over two words that only he remembers saying. Murphy said the next day, “I was not given the respect that should be given to an elected official.... he spoke right over me….I feel I am owed an apology.” Lefkaditis claimed that he used the term "suggested changes" at the Aug. 3 Knox meeting, but when Murphy transcribed an audio recording of the meeting, all members “were in agreement” with her. The kerfuffle is because Lefkaditis went ahead and sent the town newsletter in his own name, after town board members voted 4-to-1, with Lefkaditis the lone dissent, to make the town newsletter report about meetings to come from the board, rather then the supervisor. That was among the "suggested changes" that Lefkaditis now says did not happen. Councilman Eric Kuck said the newsletter from the supervisor sent local residents reads like “something from a political campaign.” Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news headlines for Fri., Sept. 16 (9:31). (Produced by Philip Grant.)