The Columbia Paper is reporting it was named the recipient of four statewide journalism awards presented the New York Press Association early this month. Photographer David Lee won a first place award in the Spot News Photos category, publisher Parry Teasdale received a second place award for editorials and Associate Editor Diane Valden received two awards -- third place for feature story writing, and an honorable mention for Spot News coverage. Overall 177 newspapers submitted more than 2,800 entries in the Better Newspaper Contest. The entries were judged by members of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. The Columbia Paper competed in Division 1, which includes papers from around the state with a circulation of up to 5,000 copies weekly. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

The Daily Freeman is reporting a forum to put the worldwide concern over climate change in a local context will held be this week in southern Columbia County. Residents and public officials will gather for two brief presentations followed by a discussion with regional climate experts about why the need to address climate change is urgent and what local communities can do about it. The program is organized by Columbia County Environmental Management Council representatives from Clermont, Germantown and Livingston. "Climate Change and How to Solve It," will be presented Sun., Apr. 24,, beginning at 4 p.m., at the Kellner Community Activities Center on Palatine Park Road, Germantown.

Bill Conners in the Poughkeepsie Journal reports that hunters killed 15 percent fewer deer in 2015 then the year before, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. In Dutchess County, the deer kill was down 25 percent. Conners says DEC wildlife managers blame the statewide falloff on the particularly harsh winter of 2014-15. The 203,000 deer killed statewide was 100,000 off the record year of 2002. Read the full story in The Poughkeepsie Journal.

Dick Nelson in the Register-Star reports that 14 bears were killed in Columbia County with 66 in Greene County, and 135 in Ulster County, during the 2015 hunting season. Ancram, Austerlitz, and Copake each were the scene of one kill, while in Chatham two bears were killed, and in Canaan, Hillsdale, and New Lebanon, three each. In Greene County, Ashland, had five kills; Athens, one; Cairo, nine; Catskill, eight; Durham, five; Halcott, three; Hunter, eight; Jewett, nine; Lexington, thirteen; New Baltimore, two; Prattsville, two; and Windham, one. Throughout the state, 1,715 bears were killed, the second-highest total ever. Read the full story in The Register-Star.

Local weather forecast

Today: Sunny. High near 61. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 36.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 73. Thursday night, a chance of showers, mainly after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 53.
FRIDAY: Showers likely. Cloudy. High near 70. Friday night, a chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 45.

Sunrise today: 6:04 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:43 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 13:39 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

PUBLIC MEETINGS

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

CATSKILL Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee meeting, 5 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature regular meeting, 6:30 p.m.; Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.; both at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENE COUNTY Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. in Room 427, County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting (tentative), 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
STUYVESANT Zoning Revision Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr., Stuyvesant (758-6248).

Is there now a war on solar energy? Or are towns regulating solar ahead of a rush of new installations? Cairo holds a public hearing May 2 on a solar moratorium, and Robert Cairns in The Watershed Post reports that Delaware County will tax commercial solar farms, by getting around state rules. The Delaware County Board of Supervisors voted April 13 to enter into “host community benefit” agreements for commercial solar installations. "The resolution circumvents state rules, which provide property tax exemptions for such installations for 15 years," Cairns writes. Michael Sabansky, the county's director of real property tax services, said that the state will soon be covered in solar panels. The New York State Public Service Commission wants 3,929 gigawatts of electric generation in New York state by 2020 and ten times that total by 2030. Sabansky said that 17,000 acres of solar panels would be needed by 2020 to reach the goal, with 170,000 acres of panels producing 39,290 gigawatts of generation by 2030 across New York. Read the full story in The Watershed Post.

Today (Tue., Apr. 19) is primary day in the state of New York. Voters affiliated with the Republican and Democratic parties go to the polls. Polls are open statewide from noon to 9 p.m. For information, contact either the Greene County Board of Elections at (518) 719-3550, or the Columbia County Board of Elections at (518) 828-3115. Any voters experiencing problems or issues at the polls are urged to call the Attorney General's hotline at (800) 771-7755 at any time between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., Tuesday.

Polling locations, by county and voting district follow.

COLUMBIA County

Ancram-1 | Ancram Town Hall, 1416 County Route 7
Ancram-2 | Ancramdale Fellowship Hall, 15 County Route 8, Ancramdale

Austerlitz-1 | Spencertown Firehouse, 1 Memorial Drive, Spencertown
Austerlitz-2 | Spencertown Firehouse, 1 Memorial Drive, Spencertown

Canaan-1 | Canaan Town Hall, 1647 County Route 5, Canaan
Canaan-2 | Canaan Town Hall, 1647 County Route 5, Canaan

Chatham-1 | Chatham Town Hall, 488 State Route 295
Chatham-2 | Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, 50 Woodbridge Avenue
Chatham-3 | Tri Village Fire Department, 111 County Route 13, Old Chatham

Claverack-1 | AB Shaw Fire House, 67 State Route 23
Claverack-2 | AB Shaw Fire House, 67 State Route 23
Claverack-3 | Philmont Area Senior Community Center, 93 Main Street, Philmont
Claverack-4 | Philmont Area Senior Community Center, 93 Main Street, Philmont
Claverack-5 | Churchtown Fire House, 2219 County Route 27, Churchtown

Clermont-1 | Clermont Town Hall, 1795 US Highway 9, Germantown

Copake-1 | Copake Town Hall, 230 Mountain View Drive, Copake
Copake-2 | Copake Recreational Center, 301 Mountain View Drive, Copake

Gallatin-1 | Gallatin Town Hall, 667 County Route 7, Pine Plains

Germantown-1 | Community and Youth Activity Building, 54 Palatine Park Road
Germantown-2 | Community and Youth Activity Building, 54 Palatine Park Road

Ghent-1 | Mary E. Dardess Elementary School, 50 Woodbridge Ave, Chatham
Ghent-2 | Ghent Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent
Ghent-3 | West Ghent Community Center, 1041 County Route 22, Ghent

Greenport-1 | Greenport Community Center, 500 Town Hall Drive, Greenport
Greenport-2 | Becraft Pumper No.2, 257 County Route 14, Greenport
Greenport-3 | Greenport Community Center, 500 Town Hall Drive, Greenport

Hillsdale-1 | Hillsdale Fire House, 9387 State Route 22, Hillsdale
Hillsdale-2 | Hillsdale Fire House, 9387 State Route 22, Hillsdale

Hudson 1-1 | St. Mary's Academy Building, 301 Allen Street
Hudson 2-1 | St. Mary's Academy Building, 301 Allen Street
Hudson 3-1 | St. Mary's Academy Building, 301 Allen Street
Hudson 4-1 | Columbia County Office Building, 401 State Street
Hudson 5-1 | Hudson Central Fire Station, 77 North 7th Street
Hudson 5-2 | Hudson Central Fire Station, 77 North 7th Street

Kinderhook-1 | McNary Center, 6 Sylvester Street
Kinderhook-2 | McNary Center, 6 Sylvester Street
Kinderhook-3 | Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, Valatie
Kinderhook-4 | Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, Valatie
Kinderhook-5 | Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, Valatie
Kinderhook-6 | Ichabod Crane Central School, 2910 US Highway 9, Valatie
Kinderhook-7 | Ichabod Crane Central School, 2910 US Highway 9, Valatie
Kinderhook-8 | Ichabod Crane Central School, 2910 US Highway 9, Valatie

Livingston-1 | Livingston Town Hall, 119 County Route 19, Livingston
Livingston-2 | Elizaville Fire House, 1575 County Route 19, Livingston

New Lebanon-1 | Immaculate Conception Church, 732 US Highway 20, New Lebanon
New Lebanon-2 | Immaculate Conception Church, 732 US Highway 20, New Lebanon

Stockport-1 | Stockport Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 128 County Route 25, Stockport
Stockport-2 | Stockport Volunteer Fire Company No. 1, 128 County Route 25, Stockport

Stuyvesant-1 | Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive
Stuyvesant-2 | Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive

Taghkanic-1 | Taghkanic Town Hall, Route 82W

GREENE County

Ashland | Town Hall, Route 23

Athens-1 | Senior Citizens Building, 2nd & Warren sts.
Athens-2 | W. Athens Lime St. Fire Co, 921 Schoharie Turnpike
Athens-3 | Senior Citizens Building, 2nd & Warren sts.
Athens-4 | W. Athens Lime St. Fire Co, 921 Schoharie Turnpike

Cairo-1 | Cairo Public Library, 512 Main Street
Cairo-2 | Cairo Public Library, 512 Main Street
Cairo-3 | Cairo Public Library, 512 Main Street
Cairo-4 | Cairo Public Library, 512 Main Street
Cairo-5 | Cairo Town Hall, 512 Main Street
Cairo-6 | Cairo Town Hall, 512 Main Street
Cairo-7 | Cairo Town Hall, 512 Main Street

Catskill-1 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-2 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-3 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-4 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-5 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-6 | Washington Irving Senior Center, 15 Academy Street
Catskill-7 | Catskill Fire Company, Central Avenue
Catskill-8 | Catskill Fire Company, Central Avenue
Catskill-9 | Kiskatom Fire House, Route 32
Catskill-10 | Palenville Fire House, 719 Route 32A
Catskill-11 | Leeds Fire House, 970 Route 23B
Catskill-12 | Leeds Fire House, 970 Route 23B
Catskill-13 | Catskill Fire Company, Central Avenue
Catskill-14 | Kiskatom Fire House, Route 32

Coxsackie-1 | Coxsackie Village Building, 119 Mansion Street
Coxsackie-2 | Coxsackie Village Building, 119 Mansion Street
Coxsackie-3 | Coxsackie Village Building, 119 Mansion Street
Coxsackie-4 | Earlton Fire House, Route 81
Coxsackie-5 | Coxsackie Village Building, 119 Mansion Street
Coxsackie-6 | Coxsackie Village Building, 119 Mansion Street

Durham-1 | E. Durham Fire House, Route 145
Durham-2 | E. Durham Fire House, Route 145

Greenville-1 | St. John the Baptist Church Hall, 4983 Route 81
Greenville-2 | St. John the Baptist Church Hall, 4983 Route 81
Greenville-3 | St. John the Baptist Church Hall, 4983 Route 81

Halcott | Grange Hall, Route 3

Hunter-1 | Tannersville Village Hall, Main Street
Hunter-2 | Hunter Village Hall, Main Street
Hunter-3 | Haines Falls Fire House, Route 23A
Hunter-4 | Tannersville Village Hall, Main Street

Jewett | Municipal Building, Route 23C

Lexington-1 | Municipal Building, Route 42
Lexington-2 | Municipal Building, Route 42

New Baltimore-1 | New Baltimore Fire House, Gill Road
New Baltimore-2 | Town Hall, Route 51
New Baltimore-3 | Medway-Grapeville Fire House, Route 51
New Baltimore-4 | Town Hall, Route 51

Prattsville | Town Hall, Route 23

Windham-1 | Windham Wastewater Plant, 491 South Street
Windham-2 | Windham Wastewater Plant, 491 South Street

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Tue., Apr. 19 (7:56). (Produced by Philip Grant.)