Katie Kocijanski is reporting in The Daily Mail the acquisition of the former St. Patrick's Central Catholic High School by the Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties is now on hold. In a recent meeting with village officials, MHA was briefed on three zoning-related options for the property. The association can request a zoning variance, a special use permit or a change in the zoning law. Association Executive Director Jeff Rovitz said the options are under consideration, but no decision has yet been made. Until the association makes that decision, the village must wait. “We asked them for a timely response on what they would like to do going forward,” said Catskill Village President Heather Bagshaw. Rovitz said if the purchase goes through, the building will require more than $2 million in renovations. The association's plan for the building calls for the consolidation of six or seven of its Greene County locations. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Register-Star has a rundown of upcoming construction projects in Columbia County. Beginning May 18, the bridge that carries Columbia County Route 19 over a tributary to the Klein Kill in Livingston will be closed while culvert replacement work is done. The bridge is expected to be closed for two to three months. A posted detour will traverse County routes 19 and 8, and Route 9. The replacement of four other county bridges or large culverts will also begin within the coming weeks. The Dinehart Bridge in Copake and the large culvert carrying Columbia County Route 24 over Indian Creek in Canaan, will both be replaced beginning in early June. The Dean Bridge in North Hillsdale will also be replaced, and construction is slated to begin in late June. A major culvert and sidewalk replacement project under a section of Main Street in Germantown will begin immediately after the July 4 holiday. The county Department of Public Works will post local, off-site detour routes for use by local traffic for each of these projects. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Casey Seiler is reporting at Capitol Confidential the Communications Workers of America has endorsed 19th Congressional District candidate Democrat Zephyr Teachout and Democrat state Senate candidate Sara Niccoli. The union is currently locked in a bitter month-long strike against Verizon. The endorsement was made Thu., May 12, at the Verizon picket line in Cairo. On Wed., May 11, Teachout’s Democratic opponent Will Yandik announced the endorsement of two Woodstock officials, longtime supervisor Jeremy Wilber and Town Board member Laura Ricci, as well as Ulster County Legislator John Parete. One of the largest unions in New York, CWA has more than 1,800 active members in the 19th Congressional District. Union representatives said many of its members are already volunteering to knock on doors and phone bank on behalf of Teachout. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential.

While the U.S. Congress has yet to investigate the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, Kinderhook-based Congressperson Chris Gibson wants to hold hearings over the water in Rensselaer County. in Capitol Confidential that Gibson is asking the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to investigate the PFOA contamination of drinking water in Hoosick, Hoosick Falls, and Petersburgh. “Critical questions regarding the actions of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, New York State Department of Health, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation remain unanswered,” the congressman wrote. “Regrettably, the New York Legislature has changed course and now will not conduct oversight hearings on what went wrong and why, after stating they would be holding hearings in the matter. This has only increased frustration and concern amongst many of my constituents and myself that our regulatory agencies are not facing the necessary and appropriate oversight of their agencies.” Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Debby Mayer reports in The Columbia Paper that the Germantown Planning Board says a retail store on Route 9G could have a negative environmental impact in the town. The story does not indicate exactly how a retail store, in this case a proposed Dollar General, would have a negative environmental impact in Germantown, but the Germantown Planning Board voted unanimously April 28 to give the project a Positive Declaration for the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process. Like other retail outlets in Germantown, the proposed 9,100-square-foot store would have a parking lot, lighting, signage, a loading area, and landscaping. There will be public meetings in the next few weeks on the issue, the story says. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

The Daily Freeman reports that Dean Skelos, the former Senate majority leader, a Republican, in Albany, was sentenced May 12 to five years in prison and a $500,000 fine for extortion, fraud, and bribery. Earlier in the month former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in a similar corruption case. Despite that news, legislators in Albany have done little this session to reform ethics or transparency. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Bill Mahoney in Politico New York reports that a few different names topped the list of spending by lobby groups in Albany in 2015. The pro-tax credit Invest in Education Coalition, the labor union New York State United Teachers, and charter school advocates Families for Excellent Schools topped the list of lobbyist spending. Two groups intent on changing votes on the 421-a tax credit, the New York City and Vicinity Carpenters Labor Management Corporation and the real estate-backed Putting New Yorkers to Work, were fourth and seventh in spending. Only the teachers union had been on previous top ten lists of lobbyist spending in Albany. Read the full story in Politico New York.

Local weather forecast

Today: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m. The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook through Friday night, saying there is a slight chance of non-severe thunderstorms during the afternoon, especially south of Albany. High near 65. Friday night, a chance of showers, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 49.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SATURDAY: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Increasing clouds. High near 69. Saturday night, a chance of showers, mainly before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 41.
SUNDAY: A slight chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny. High near 52. Sunday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 37.

Sunrise today: 5:34 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:08 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 14:33 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

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

HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission meeting, 10 a.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER public meeting about the possible repeal of two local laws, 6:30 p.m. at Mountain Top Library, 6093 Main St., Tannersville (589

Gizmodo reports that Senator Ron Wyden will introduce legislation next week that would roll back the government's new broader hacking power granted by the Supreme Court in April. The "Rule 41" allows federal judges to grant warrants to the FBI to use what they call “Network Investigative Techniques.” Anyone who has had their computer invaded would call that malware, and the government can use that malware on 10 or 10,000 computers, no matter the jurisdiction of those computers. And the rule allows judges to give warrants to search the computers of victims of cybercrime, even if that person isn't a suspect. “By compromising computer systems, it could leave it open to other attackers. What if the government has to turn off the computer’s protections to search it?,” Wyden told Gizmodo. “So if the government is out there turning of millions of security features in order to search computers, my view is that there could be some serious security threats.” Wyden's legislation will be just one sentence, saying that the changes to rule 41 will not go into effect. Congress has six months to pass such a measure before the rule change takes effect.

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Chris Moyer of Hudson Valley Distillers introduces listeners to the distillery and discusses the national award they just won with Ellen Thurston and Tom DiPietro, from the May 12 "WGXC Afternoon Show."

Photo of PS21 from villageofchatham.com.

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Judy Grunberg, PS21 (Performance Spaces for the 21st Century) executive director discusses the 2016 season and Phase 2, the organization's ongoing building project, with Ellen Thurston and Tom DiPietro, from May 12.

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Columbia County Treasurer PJ Keeler and county controller Ron Caponera discussed county finances and what's new in county government with hosts Holly Tanner and Justin Weaver on May 11 on "Something to Talk About."

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Laura Marx of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Michael Cole, director of community services in Columbia County, will talk about the "Save Lives" video, from May 11 "WGXC Afternoon Show" hosted by Vern Cross, Rainer Blue, and Kamal Johnson.