Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star Columbia Memorial Hospital and the union representing its employees signed a new contract Tue., Apr. 5. In January, Columbia Memorial and Albany Medical Center announced an affiliation between the two hospitals, which would integrate clinical and administrative functions. The contract agreed to this week between the 1199 Service Employees International Union United Healthcare Workers East included a clause specifically protecting union jobs during mergers, acquisitions or affiliations, and also protects jobs from being subcontracted out for a period of 18 months. The contract is retroactive to the beginning of 2016, and will expire at the end of 2019. The union represents 207 registered nurses and 612 other employees at Columbia Memorial. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Greg Hudson is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greene County Council on the Arts fears that a six-month funding loss in 2017 could lead to the closure of the arts organization. Council Treasurer Jeff Friedman said the state is requiring organizations statewide to adjust their funding contract schedule from July to June, to the calendar year, January to December, to comply with state procurement law. However, current funding contracts would expire six months before the new January-to-December contract would go into effect, and a six-month funding gap would result. The Greene County Council would have to find a way to sustain itself for six months without the benefit of more than $100,000 in state funds. The council was told in February it has until the end of 2017 to implement the change. Council Executive Director Kay Stamer said the six-month, six-figure funding gap would be catastrophic for the organization. Friedman said services and programs hosted by the council may have to be stopped. The hope is for the Greene County Legislature to help the council by lobbying state lawmakers for funding to bridge the gap. Friedman said there's no plan in development at the state level to help, "...so we’re lobbying elected officials that when next year’s budget negotiations take place, that they put some kind of gap funding proposal in that budget.” Stamer remained optimistic. She said, “Hopefully with help from the Legislature and our colleagues across the state, we can sort this out. I expect us to survive.” NOTE: Wave Farm's WGXC receives funding from the Greene County Council on the Arts. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

William J. Kemble in The Daily Freeman reports that at the Onteora school district meeting April 5 in Ulster County, Student Government President Raegan Loheide said student government is polling students about changing the school's mascot name, "Indians." “We got comments about how something has to be done and how kids feel that we don’t have school spirit because ... our mascot is disrespectful,” she said, noting some students polled wanted to keep the name. The Freeman reports that the Onteora school board in January 2000 passed a resolution to stop using the Indians nickname and symbol, but voters in May of that year elected a school board that favored keeping the name, so the new board returned the Native American mascot, with residents voting in 2001 1,940 to 1,868 to keep the Indians nickname and symbol. In Greene County, the Coxsackie-Athens school also uses the Indians nickname. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that New York State Senator George Amedore (R-Rotterdam), who represents Greene, Ulster, Albany, Schoharie, and other counties, and Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, who represents Columbia and Rensselaer Counties, were at the Ted Cruz campaign rally April 7 in Scotia. Cruz spoke in the Mekeel Christian Academy gym for just under 30 minutes saying the media wants to see a race between two New York liberals, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Cruz currently is third to Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich in most polls of New York republicans. April 19 is the primary for both Democrats and Republicans in the state.

Jessica Huseman, Rosalind Adams and Daniela Porat report for ProPublica in The Albany Times-Union that New York is an exception to the rule in nursing. "Over the past 15 years nursing boards across the country have taken steps to tighten oversight of nurses, screening applicants more extensively before issuing licenses and instituting swifter, tougher sanctions for problem licensees. Not New York," they write in a long investigation. Nursing applicants do not undergo simple background checks or submit fingerprints in New York like many other states. The Office of the Professions, the regulating body, often takes no action when it finds out that other states or other New York agencies have disciplined New York nurses. New York does not do much disciplining of nurses either. In 2014, fewer than 350 licensees, which works out to 1 in 1,190 were penalized, while Ohio disciplined 1 in 167, and California 1 in 325. Read the full story from ProPublica in The Albany Times-Union.

Local weather forecast

Today: A chance of showers, mainly before 10 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 46. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 25.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SATURDAY: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 45. Saturday night, a slight chance of snow showers before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 22.
SUNDAY: Sunny. High near 44. Sunday night, a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 28.

Sunrise today: 6:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:30 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 13:03 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).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Thu., Apr. 7 (6:25). (Produced by Philip Grant.)