Katie Kocijanski is reporting in The Daily Mail the town and village of Catskill are considering the consolidation of its code enforcement offices. The Village Board voted to move forward with the joint proposal at its June 22 meeting. As the first step, the two boards will split the cost of a $4,000 feasibility study. That study will be conducted by the Laberge Group, an Albany-based engineering firm. The village and town now maintain separate code enforcement offices, employing three people. The municipalities hope to be reimbursed for the cost of the study by the Department of State’s 2016 Local Government Efficiency Grant Program. Village Clerk Betsy Cothren said if the results of the study are implemented, the town and the village will be reimbursed. “No money will be awarded if the study results are not put in place,” she said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

John Mason is reporting in the Register-Star the Wick Hotel at 41 Cross St. in Hudson, could be completed as early as the spring 2017. Redburn Development received its final approval for 40,800-square-foot, 55-room boutique hotel from the Columbia County Industrial Development Agency late last month. A closing is planned for the end of this month, and the interior demolition is scheduled to begin in August, with construction to start in September. The city Industrial Development Agency approved Redburn’s request for a 10-year payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the condition that the county IDA agree to administer it. Redburn will do the demolition and asbestos removal, and the building will then be handed over to a yet to be chosen construction company. The hotel will be owned by Redburn Development of Troy, and managed by Prestige Hospitality Group of Albany. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman a wildlife rehabilitator based in Greene County is praising New York state for revising rules covering human interactions with bald eagles. She is also warning that the national bird's comeback could be threatened if the new guidelines are not heeded or if food consumed by eagles becomes contaminated. She said the incidental feedings bring the risk of parasites. And “that can contaminate the water, and if you contaminate the water, you can contaminate the eagle,” said Missy Runyan, founder of the FFF Wildlife Center in Hunter. The new guidelines require a minimum 330-foot buffer zone around nests, and a construction ban within a quarter mile of an eagle nest, if there is no visual buffer. Runyan also warns about lead bullets and the fragments that result from hunting the animals that eagles eat, such as deer, coyotes, woodchucks and raccoons. The bald eagle population in New York has increased from one nesting pair in 1970 to 254 pairs in 2014. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

The Town of Catskill will hold public hearings July 20 on new solar regulations for the town, and a bond issue. At the Catskill town meeting July 5 (streamed live online through wgxc.org), members voted unaimously for the 6 p.m. July 20 public hearing on the solar issue. Cairo, Coxsackie, Jefferson, Saugerties, Greenville, and many other towns have held public hearings recently over new rules for commercial solar installations. Because of the new rules, solar companies are looking for land to host panels, and are approaching local residents. Many towns want to regulate the power companies, and Catskill's planning board prepared a proposal to be discussed at the July 20 public hearing. Click here to play or download a 24-second excerpt of Catskill Town Supervisor Doreen Davis talking about the planning board's solar proposal during the meeting. Listeners can hear the entire meeting by clicking here on the WGXC Newsroom.

Addy Baird and Josefa Velasquez at Politico New York reports that they think Lyme disease, "has been driving the conversation in the race to replace Rep. Chris Gibson." Gibson, (R-Kinderhook), ran his successful 2014 re-election campaign largely on his championing of Lyme legislation in an otherwise do-nothing Congress. Now, Politico says, both major party candidates in the 41st Senate district in the Hudson Valley, "have made Lyme disease a central part of their campaigns." Lyme disease is caused by tick bites, and the northeast is where it is most prevalent. Republican John Faso, a former Assembly minority leader who is running for Gibson's seat, has told reporters, “I’m going to talk and address the issues as Chris Gibson has done on things like Lyme disease." Read the full story in Politico New York.

Jeannette Wolfberg in The Columbia Paper attempts to explain Hudson's intricate Common Council voting rules where one Fifth Ward vote “weighs” 364 under the city’s weighted vote system, while one First or Fourth Ward vote weighs 95. If you are confused, so are the folks from the Fair & Equal movement who are organizing to bring equal voting to each member of the council. The group is proposing new ward boundaries with equal populations through a referendum in November. If approved by voters, the new rules would take effect after the 2017 election, in 2018. The group is currently attempting to get signatures on petitions by July 6 for the November referendum. Press liaison Beth Kanaga, Kevin Hannan of Hudson Forward, Ted Gramkow, and Steve Dunn spoke in favor of the measure at a June 23 Hudson Area Library meeting. “A powerful consideration in redistricting is whether it would dis-empower racial minorities,” said Third Ward Supervisor Don Moore at the June 23 meeting. Dunn replied, “In our map, the Second Ward, which has the highest minority population,” has an advantage in the current system. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

The Town of New Baltimore in Greene County, and the village of Ravena, and the Hamlet of Coeymans in Albany County are under water restrictions. Sprinklers are not allowed at any time until further notice, and hand-held watering of gardens and flowers is limited to from 7 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

The Mid-Hudson News Network reports in The Daily Freeman that the North-South Lake Campground in Haines Falls in Greene County gets upgraded electric and water service at the South Lake pavilion thanks to a July 1 announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo tourist improvements in the Catskills and the Adirondacks. In Ulster County the Kenneth L. Wilson Campground is getting a new a nature trail including a pedestrian bridge and an observation platform, hand launch for paddlers, 0.25-mile observation trail with a footbridge, fishing access site, and picnic area. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Sunny. High near 92. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 67.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Partly sunny. High near 92. Thursday night, scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy. Low around 69
FRIDAY: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 82. Friday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 p.m.

Sunrise today: 5:26 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:34 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 15:07 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the first Wednesday 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).
COPAKE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).
GHENT Planning Board application night, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature Health Services, County Resources and Public Safety committee meetings, 6 p.m. at County Building, Caucus Room, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3255).
GREENPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Drive, Greenport (828-4656).
HUDSON Common Council Youth and Aging Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Arts, Entertainment and Tourism Committee meeting, 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
JEWETT Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at municipal building, 3547 Co. Rte. 23C, Jewett (263-4646).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
PRATTSVILLE Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).
STOCKPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2787 Atlantic Ave., Stottville (828-9389).
VALATIE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church St., Valatie (758-9806).

Image from Apple's patent.

9-to-5 Mac reports that Apple just received approval for a patent on a technology that would disable locally a phone’s video and camera capabilities. A small sensor sends infrared signals containing encoded data that could disable a smartphone or tablet’s camera or microphone functions. An image in the patent paperwork shows how this technology could be used to prevent unwanted recording during concerts. But police in countries all over the world could also use it to block recordings of their actions, and there are many other applications for the technology. "An infrared emitter can be located in areas where picture or video capture is prohibited, and the emitter can generate infrared signals with encoded data that includes commands to disable the recording functions of devices. An electronic device can then receive the infrared signals, decode the data, and temporarily disable the device’s recording function based on the command," reads the patent. The FCC is no fan of jamming devices, and Apple has not revealed how, or if, it will employ the technology.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Tue., July 5 (2:59). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)