Click here to play or download an audio version of this report.

Andrea Sears is reporting for Public News Service a record number of criminal convictions were overturned last year both nationally and here in New York. Of the 149 people exonerated across the country in 2015, 17 were in New York prisons, second only to Texas where 54 were found to be falsely convicted. That may not seem like a lot, but Lonnie Soury, founder of the website FalseConfessions.org, says it's just the tip of the iceberg. "Even the federal Justice Department did a study once and said between 5 and 10 percent of the people in prison are wrongfully convicted,” he states. “So if there's two-and-a-half-million people in prison, even 5 percent would be 125,000." A review by the National Registry of Exonerations found that 58 of those exonerated last year had been convicted of homicide, five had been sentenced to death and, on average, those falsely convicted had spent 14 years in prison. Many false convictions are gained through official misconduct. In Brooklyn, the district attorney's office has been reviewing scores of convictions involving former police Detective Louis Scarcella. Soury has reviewed those cases and believes judges and prosecutors clearly knew the detective was lying. "To allow tainted testimony and tainted evidence from prosecutors, to allow that to go before jury after jury after jury is an abomination," he stresses. New York City has paid out more than $24 million to settle lawsuits for wrongful convictions based on Scarcella's police work. More than 1,700 false convictions have been overturned since 1989, and the annual number of exonerations has doubled since 2011. But Soury says there is still a lot of resistance to change. "Prosecutors need to be held accountable for, not their mistakes, but for their actions,” he states. “I like to say, wrongful convictions don't happen by mistake." Brooklyn is one of about two dozen jurisdictions nationwide that now has conviction integrity units to review possible wrongful convictions.

The Hudson schools hold an election on a capital project, and the Austerlitz fire district votes on a new truck on Feb. 9. The Hudson schools vote is from noon to 9 p.m. at the John L. Edwards School in Hudson; the Greenport Pumper Co. No. 1 Fire House in Greenport; the Claverack Fire House in Claverack; the Stockport Town Hall in Stottville; and the Livingston Town Hall in Livingston. That vote is on the sale of Claverack School building, and whether to issue bonds to pay for improvements to the Hudson High School, M.C. Smith Intermediate School, and John L. Edwards School, and construction of an addition to the M.C. Smith Intermediate School. In Austerlitz, the vote about the fire truck purchase is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Spencertown Fire House, 1 Memorial Drive, in Spencertown.


The full public notices for each election are below.

Hudson Schools Election
Feb 9, 2016: 12pm - 9pm A special election of the qualified voters of the City School District of the City of Hudson, Columbia County, New York will be held at the following polling places in the School District: School Election District No. 1: John L. Edwards School, 360 State Street, Hudson, New York; School Election District No. 2: Greenport Pumper Co. No. 1 Fire House, Route 23B in the Town of Greenport, Hudson, New York; School Election District No. 3: Claverack Fire House, Route 23, Claverack, New York; School Election District No. 4: Stockport Town Hall, Village of Stottville, New York; and School Election District No. 5: Livingston Town Hall, Livingston, New York; on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, between the hours of 12:00 o'clock noon and 9:00 o'clock p.m., for the purpose of voting on the following Resolutions of the Board of Education: PROPOSITION 1 (Sale of Claverack School Building): Resolution dated September 14, 2015 adopted by the Board of Education, authorizing the sale of the Claverack School Property, subject to referendum, and delegating certain powers in connection therewith to the President, the Superintendent of Schools, the District Clerk and/or the Business Manager of the City School District of the City of Hudson. PROPOSITION 2 (Proposed 2016 Capital Project): Bond Resolution dated December 14, 2015 adopted by the Board of Education; a resolution authorizing the issuance of serial bonds of the City School District of the City of Hudson in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $18,495,000 pursuant to the Local Finance Law to finance the 2016 Capital Project, with an estimated maximum cost of $19,995,000, including improvements to the Hudson High School, M.C. Smith Intermediate School and John L. Edwards School and construction of an addition to the M.C. Smith Intermediate School; authorizing the levy of taxes, such tax to be levied in annual installments in payment thereof in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by the Board of Education taking into account State Aid available therefor; authorizing the expenditure of such sums for such purpose; authorizing the expenditure of $1,500,000 from other available funds of the District to pay a portion of the cost of the Project; and delegating certain powers in connection therewith to the President of the Board of Education. The ballots will be in substantially the following form: PROPOSITION 1 Shall the Sale to Jeffrey Gibson (or his assignee) of the premises and improvements at 621 Route 23B in the Town of Claverack, Columbia County, New York, for a minimum purchase price of $380,000.00, be approved? Yes ______ No ______ PROPOSITION 2 Shall the bond resolution entitled "BOND RESOLUTION DATED DECEMBER 14, 2015; A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF SERIAL BONDS OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF HUDSON IN AN AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $18,495,000 PURSUANT TO THE LOCAL FINANCE LAW TO FINANCE THE 2016 CAPITAL PROJECT, WITH AN ESTIMATED MAXIMUM COST OF $19,995,000, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HUDSON HIGH SCHOOL, M.C. SMITH INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL AND JOHN L. EDWARDS SCHOOL, AND CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITION TO THE M.C. SMITH INTERMEDIATE; AUTHORIZING THE LEVY OF TAXES, SUCH TAX TO BE LEVIED IN ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS IN PAYMENT THEREOF IN SUCH YEARS AND IN SUCH AMOUNTS AS SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TAKING INTO ACCOUNT STATE AID AVAILABLE THEREFOR; AUTHORIZING THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH SUMS FOR SUCH PURPOSE; AUTHORIZING THE EXPENDITURE OF $1,500,000 FROM OTHER AVAILABLE FUNDS TO PAY A PORTION OF THE COST OF THE PROJECT; AND DELEGATING CERTAIN POWERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION" be approved? Yes ______ No ______ The School District, acting as lead agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and the applicable regulations promulgated thereunder (SEQRA), has completed its environmental review and, on December 14, 2015, has duly issued a negative declaration and has determined that the implementation of the unlisted action as proposed will not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts; NOTICE is also given that a copy of the text of such propositions may be obtained by any resident in the District during the fourteen days immediately preceding the Special Election, except Saturday, Sunday, or Holidays, at each of the school houses in which school is maintained, and the Business Office located at the Hudson High School, 215 Harry Howard Avenue, Hudson, New York, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (EDST). NOTICE is also given that pursuant to Section 2606 of the Education Law personal registration of voters is required and no person shall be entitled to vote at said meeting whose name does not appear on the register of said School District or who does not register as hereinafter provided, or who is not registered to vote under the provisions of Article 5 of the Election Law. NOTICE is also given that for the purpose of preparing registers of the qualified voters of the City School District of the City of Hudson, Columbia County, Hudson, New York, the Board of Registration will meet at the John L. Edwards School, 360 State Street, Hudson, New York, on January 25, 2016, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Only those qualified voters who are not registered under permanent personal registration on or before the last registration day found on the original or duplicate register or records or list furnished by the Board of Elections and have not voted at an intervening school district election shall be required to present themselves personally for registration. Such register, prepared pursuant to Section 2606 of the Education Law, will thereafter be filed in the office of the Clerk of the District where it will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District prior to the election during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on each of the five (5) days prior to and the day set for the election except Saturdays and Sundays. NOTICE is also given that applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk, Leslie Coons, City School District of the City of Hudson, District Offices, 215 Harry Howard Avenue, Hudson, New York 12534. If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the Clerk no later than 4:00 P.M. prevailing time, seven days before the special election. If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than 4:00 P.M., prevailing time, one day before the special election. A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued shall be available for public inspection in the office of the District Clerk during regular office hours from 8:00 to 4:00 P.M. on each of the five days prior to the day of the vote (excluding Saturday and Sunday). An absentee ballot must reach the office of the District Clerk not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of such special district meeting. Dated: December 14, 2015 By Order of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Hudson, Columbia County, New York.

Austerlitz Special Election Feb 9, 2016: 6pm - 9pm Spencertown Fire House 1 Memorial Drive | Spencertown, New York 12165 a special election of the qualified voters of the Austerlitz Fire District, Columbia County, New York, will be held at Spencertown Fire House, 1 Memorial Drive, Spencertown, New York 12165, in said Fire District, on the 9th day of February, 2016, between the hours of 6:00 o'clock P.M. and 9:00 o'clock P.M., Prevailing Time, for the purpose of voting by ballot on the adoption or rejection of the following resolution: BOND RESOLUTION DATED DECEMBER 28, 2015. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF A FIRE TRUCK FOR THE AUSTERLITZ FIRE DISTRICT, COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK, AT A MAXIMUM ESTIMATED COST OF $450,500, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF NOT EXCEEDING $250,500 BONDS AND THE EXPENDITURE OF $200,000 AVAILABLE CURRENT FUNDS OF SAID FIRE DISTRICT TO PAY THE COST THEREOF. BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Fire Commissioners of Austerlitz Fire District, Columbia County, New York, as follows: Section 1. The purchase of a fire truck for the Austerlitz Fire District, Columbia County, New York, including apparatus and incidental costs, is hereby authorized at a maximum estimated cost of $450,500. Section 2. The plan for the financing of the aforesaid maximum estimated cost is as follows: a) By the issuance of not exceeding $250,500 bonds of said Fire District hereby authorized to be issued therefore pursuant to the provisions of the Local Finance Law; and b) By the appropriation and expenditure of $200,000 available current funds of said Fire District hereby authorized to be expended therefore. Section 3. It is hereby determined that the period of probable usefulness of the aforesaid specific object or purpose is twenty years pursuant to subdivision 27 of paragraph a of Section 11.00 of the Local Finance Law. Section 4. The faith and credit of said Austerlitz Fire District, Columbia County, New York, are hereby irrevocably pledged for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds as the same respectively become due and payable. An annual appropriation shall be made in each year sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on such bonds becoming due and payable in such year. There shall annually be levied on all the taxable real property in said Fire District a tax sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on such bonds as the same become due and payable. Section 5. Subject to the provisions of the Local Finance Law, the power to authorize the issuance of and to sell bond anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance and sale of the bonds herein authorized, including renewals of such notes, is hereby delegated to the Fire District Treasurer, the chief fiscal officer. Such notes shall be of such terms, form and contents, and shall be sold in such manner, as may be prescribed by said Fire District Treasurer, consistent with the provisions of the Local Finance Law. Section 6. All other matters except as provided herein relating to the bonds herein authorized including the date, denominations, maturities and interest payment dates, within the limitations prescribed herein and the manner of execution of the same, including the consolidation with other issues, and also the ability to issue bonds with substantially level or declining annual debt service, shall be determined by the Fire District Treasurer, the chief fiscal officer of such Fire District. Such bonds shall contain substantially the recital of validity clause provided for in Section 52.00 of Local Finance Law, and shall otherwise be in such form and contain such recitals, in addition to those required by Section 51.00 of the Local Finance Law, as the Fire District Treasurer shall determine consistent with the provisions of the Local Finance Law. Section 7. The validity of such bonds and bond anticipation notes may be contested only if: 1) Such obligations are authorized for an object or purpose for which said Fire District is not authorized to expend money, or 2) The provisions of law which should be complied with at the date of publication of resolution are not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication, or 3) Such obligations are authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. Section 8. This resolution shall constitute a statement of official intent for purposes of Treasury Regulations Section 1.150-2. Other than as specified in this resolution, no monies are, or are reasonably expected to be, reserved, allocated on a long-term basis, or otherwise set aside with respect to the permanent funding of the object or purpose described herein. Section 9. Upon this resolution taking effect, the same shall be published in summary in Register Star, which is hereby designated as the official newspaper of said Fire District for such purpose, together with a notice of Fire District Secretary in substantially the form provided in Section 81.00 of the Local Finance Law. Section 10. This resolution is adopted subject to approval at a special election of said Fire District to be held on the 9th day of February, 2016. * * * * * The polls will be kept open for the purposes of voting during the aforesaid hours, and the proposition will be in substantially the following form, to wit: PROPOSITION Shall the resolution entitled: "BOND RESOLUTION DATED DECEMBER 28, 2015. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF A FIRE TRUCK FOR THE AUSTERLITZ FIRE DISTRICT, COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK AT A MAXIMUM ESTIMATED COST OF $450,500, AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF NOT EXCEEDING $250,500 BONDS AND THE EXPENDITURE OF $200,000 AVAILABLE CURRENT FUNDS OF SAID FIRE DISTRICT TO PAY THE COST THEREOF", duly adopted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of said Fire District on the 28th day of December, 2015, be approved? Pursuant to subdivision 4 of Section 179 of the Town Law, every elector of the Town who shall be a registered voter (registered with the Board of Elections on or before the twenty-third day before the special fire district election) of the Town and who shall have resided in the Fire District for a period of thirty days next preceding the election which is the subject of the notice shall be qualified to vote upon such proposition. Dated: Spencertown, New York December 28, 2015 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF AUSTERLITZ FIRE DISTRICT, COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK BY: BRENDA L. OAKES Fire District Secretary.

Josepha Velasquez is reporting at Politico New York Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders by 21 points among New York Democrats in the race for the White House, according to a Siena Poll released Mon., Feb. 8. At the same time, Clinton does slightly worse than the Vermont senator in head-to-head match-ups against the top six Republican candidates. However, according to the poll, almost half of New Yorkers, including two-thirds of Democrats, think Clinton will be the next president. Although among Democrats under the age of 35 are evenly divided between Clinton and Sanders, those over the age of 55 favor Clinton by 31 points. On the Republican side, 34 percent of those polled support Donald Trump. He holds a wide lead, over GOP rivals Sen. Marco Rubio Sen. Ted Cruz by 18 percentage points, statewide. Trump's lead over the full GOP field shrinks drastically upstate, where he leads the pack by only four points. The poll of more than 900 registered New York state voters was conducted between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3. Read the full story at Politico New York.

Local weather forecast


Today’s forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County:

Today: A chance of snow showers, mainly before 11 a.m. Cloudy. High near 33. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Tuesday night, a chance of snow showers. Cloudy. Low around 24. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WEDNESDAY: A chance of snow showers. Cloudy. High near 37. Wednesday night, a chance of snow showers. Cloudy. Low around 20.
THURSDAY: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 26. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 10.

Sunrise today: 6:58 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:20 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:211

PUBLIC MEETINGS

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

CATSKILL Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
CHATHAM Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-3262).
COXSACKIE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727).
LEXINGTON Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 3542 Rte. 42, Lexington (989-6476).
STOCKPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2787 Atlantic Ave., Stottville (828-9389).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Mon., Feb. 8 (6:11). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Feb. 5 through Sun., Feb. 7

Mid-Hudson News Network reported U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney has endorsed Zephyr Teachout for the Democratic nomination to succeed Kinderhook Republican Chris Gibson in the 19th Congressional District. “Zephyr Teachout knows how to get along with people,” Maloney said, during a media event held Fri., Feb. 5, in New Paltz. Town of Livingston Councilman Will Yandik announced last week that he would challenge Teachout in the June primary election. He was endorsed by the Columbia County Democratic Committee last weekend. The 19th Congressional District includes all of Ulster, Greene and Columbia counties, most of Dutchess County and some or all of seven other counties.

The Daily Freeman reported the state Department of Environmental Conservation is warning that iced over bodies of water may not be safe to walk on due to the late start of winter and the recent warm temperatures and rain. According to a statement released by the DEC, ice is not as thick as it typically would be in early February. Large water bodies remain completely open or only have ice in shallow bays, even in the Adirondacks and the surrounding North Country. Authorities advise anyone planning recreational activities on ice to refrain from using motor vehicles on the ice and to check ice thickness near the shore before venturing further out. People should also carry spikes, flotation devices and a throw line for self-rescue, the DEC said.

Diane Valden reported in the Columbia Paper on the many pending court cases against Salvatore Cascino. The 76-year-old Westchester County resident owns a 300-acre property along the east side of Route 22 in Copake, where he has 18 years of violations of federal, state and town laws for illegal dumping, building and excavating. Since Feb. 5, 2014 the town of Copake has been awaiting a decision from Acting State Supreme Court Judge Jonathan Nichols on two contempt of court charges. A judge directed Cascino to remove a steel bridge, a stone wall and the illegal fill he dumped in and along the Noster Kill. Cascino was also ordered to restore other work on his property, as he never got the proper permits to make the changes. An attorney involved in the case said it is unclear why Nichols has not yet made a decision.

Katie Kocijanski reported in the Register-Star Greene County Legislator William Lawrence has proposed the county pass legislation to establish an animal abuse registry. Lawrence introduced the idea during a meeting of the Legislature's Public Safety Committee last week. The Cairo Republican said the county has had its share of animal abuse. He is basing the proposed Greene County legislation on the law passed in Ulster County, which, among other things, prevents abusers from adopting additional animals. Under the law, the definition of abuse varies, from something as minimal as leaving a dog unattended, outside, tied to a tree, to seriously injuring or killing an animal.

Audrey Matott reported in The Daily Mail Tammy J. Sutherland has been appointed superintendent of the Greenville Central School District, effective immediately. The appointment was made only a few months after long-time schools chief Cheryl Dudley retired. During that time Sutherland served as interim superintendent. She has been with the district for a total of 30 years, and previously served for more than a decade as Assistant Superintendent for Business. In a statement released following the meeting, Thu., Feb. 4, the Board of Education expressed confidence in Sutherland's qualifications and her dedication to the district. The board opted out of conducting an outside search because it concluded Sutherland was the best candidate for the district's top spot. The board said her “...combined integrity, dedication and experience, as well as her demonstrated leadership" would serve the community well.

Michael Ryan reported in the Windham Journal Lexington is moving forward with its new wastewater treatment system. The Lexington Hotel last week was the first building to get fitted for the system. However, the connection to the finished pipeline will not be made until spring, pending approvals from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The department is funding the $9.1 million project. The new system will eventually link 47 residences and businesses within the hamlet. Work on the operations facility, located along Route 42, must be completed. That building contains control panels and computers for the leach field pods and filtration units, a lab area, pumps, a backup generator and storage space.

Local weather forecast


Today’s forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County:

Today: Mostly cloudy. High near 33. Monday night, a chance of snow. Cloudy. Low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
TUESDAY: A chance of snow. Cloudy. High near 33. Tuesday night, a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy. Low around 24.
WEDNESDAY: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 37. Wednesday night, a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 21.

Sunrise today: 7 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:19 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:18

PUBLIC MEETINGS

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

ASHLAND Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, Main Street, Ashland (734-3636).
CANAAN Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1647 Co. Rte. 5, Canaan (781-3144).
CATSKILL Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at the Firehouse, 1 Central Ave. (behind Walgreens) (943-3830).
CLAVERACK Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 91 Church St., Mellenville (672-7911).
COPAKE Environmental Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature committee meetings, 6 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENPORT Town Board special meeting, 5 p.m. at Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Dr., Greenport (828-4656).
GREENVILLE Town Board special meeting, 7 p.m. at Greenville Town Hall, 11159 Route 32, Greenville (966-5055).
HUDSON City School District Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at Hudson High School library, 215 Harry Howard Ave., Hudson (828-4360).
HUNTER Village Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Village Hall, 7955 Main St., Hudson (263-4020).
NEW BALTIMORE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 3809 Rt. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
PHILMONT Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
PRATTSVILLE Town meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Sun., Feb. 7 (2:55). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper attempts to keep up with the many pending court cases against Salvatore Cascino, including a pending decision. The 76-year-old Westchester County resident owns a 300-acre property along the east side of Route 22 in Copake, where he has 18 years of violations of federal, state, and town laws for illegal dumping, building, and excavating. Cascino was found guilty of both civil and criminal contempt in 2009, and pled guilty to one count of felony second degree offering a false instrument in June 2012. Since Feb. 5, 2014 the Town of Copake has been waiting for a decision from Acting State Supreme Court Judge Jonathan Nichols on two other contempt of court charges. A judge has directed Cascino to remove a steel bridge, a stone wall, and the illegal fill he dumped in and along the Noster Kill. Cascino was also ordered to restore other work on his property, as he never got the proper permits to make the changes. Valden reports, "Attorney Meyers said by phone this week that he has had several conversations with the judge about the matter but remains at a loss to explain why no decision has been rendered." Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Jesse McKinley in The New York Times reports that on Feb. 6 Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced several measures to reduce so-called conversion therapy in the state, a practice that claims to change same-sex attraction in some people but is widely disputed by scientists. Cuomo's actions through the State Financial Services Department mean insurers in New York are prohibited from covering the cost of conversion therapy for anyone under 18, and also would prohibit the use of Medicaid to pay for conversion therapy and bar the State Office of Mental Health from providing conversion therapy to minors. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Local weather forecast


Today’s forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 40, and a low around 25.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
MONDAY: There is a 20 percent chance of snow showers Monday, turning to 50 percent at night with a high near 35, and a low around 20.
TUESDAY: There is a 40 percent chance of snow showers, with a high near 31.

Sunrise today: 7:01 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:17 p.m.



DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Sat., Feb. 6 (2:35). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

Bryan Rowzee in the Ravena News-Herald reports that Coeymans is now crafting a resolution against the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline project for vote this month. At the Jan. 28 Coeymans Town Council meeting, Coeymans Town Councilman Jim Youmans noted Ravena recently came out against the pipelines, proposing creating a similar resolution in Coeymans. The proposed project is two 178 mile-long pipelines, one would transport crude oil south while the other would carry refined products north, largely along the I-87 from Albany to Linden, New Jersey. "I have a problem when a private for-profit company takes land from people," Youmans said, noting he's heard concerns about the pipeline removing a foliage buffer from the highway, and a pool built in the early 1970s. Currently, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the Thruway Authority have announced they are jointly reviewing the project's environmental impact. Read the full story in the Ravena News-Herald.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Feb. 5 that New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies will increase patrols and sobriety checkpoints Feb. 6-8 to deter, identify, and arrest impaired drivers during Super Bowl weekend. Last year, State Police made 31 impaired driving arrests and issued more than 1,000 tickets, with more than 100 DWI and DWAI arrests, five DWAI drug-only arrests, 82 other arrests, and nearly 1,100 tickets being issued from county law enforcement in New York.

Local weather forecast


Today’s forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County:

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 38, and a low around 28.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38, and a low around 18.
MONDAY: Partly sunny, with a high near 32. There is a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 5 p.m.

Sunrise today: 7:02 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:16 p.m.



Rick Karlin in The Albany Times-Union reports that after the prison escape in Dannemora last June, Albany legislators continue to hold hearings to prevent another massive manhunt. At a budget hearing Feb. 4 Acting Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Anthony Annucci said correctional officers may soon be using pepper spray, and New York prisons are buying portable metal detectors to look for homemade knives. They also want to reduce the use of canned goods, as the sharp metal lids can be turned into weapons. But Richard Matt and David Sweat, the escapees, didn't need weapons, as they snuck out, and weren't found for weeks in a search that cost $25 million. Annucci told lawmakers that the Inspector General's office has become the Office of Special Investigations. Manhattan Democratic Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell wasn't impressed with the new oversight office. "I went out and bought some skinny jeans but that doesn't mean I'm skinny," he said. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Fri., Feb. 5 (7:48). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star Dan Nilsson, a respected restaurateur and beloved Hudson resident has died. State police confirmed the death, Wed., Feb. 4. Nilsson was the owner and chef at DA|BA, a popular restaurant on Warren Street, for eight years. Nilsson was an accomplished chef. He was nominated for the James Beard Award for best chef in the Northeast in 2011. He appeared on the popular “Guy’s Grocery Games,” hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri, in 2014. Nilsson was the son of Ulf Nilsson, a former professional hockey player, who played with the Winnipeg Jets and the New York Rangers. His friend, Robert Caldwell, owner and operator of Musica on North 4th Street in Hudson, said Nilsson was "brilliant at many things, generous and creative and he cared about the community in a big way." Nilsson is survived by his wife and three children. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail after years of anticipation and planning the groundbreaking for a sewer system serving Leeds will soon happen. Delaware Engineering project manager Mary Beth Bianconi told Catskill town board members Tue., Feb. 2, the last remaining easement for the project’s pump station locations will be finalized this week. That means the building can begin, she said. Bianconi said a separate contract for the sewer lines is also moving forward. Comments on the project from the state Department of Environmental Conservation are expected soon. If everything stays on schedule, the project is expected to be completed by the end of the 2017 construction season. The board set a public hearing for Feb. 17 on the sewer use law. That law contains the sewer district's rules and regulations, including guidelines for connections. The audio of the full February 2 Catskill Town Board meeting is available online at wgxc.org. Simply go to wgxc.org/archives and search for "Catskill Town Board."

Emilia Teasdale is reporting in the Columbia Paper approximately 100 Ichabod Crane teachers, teaching assistants and other employees showed up for a meeting of the Board of Education, Tue., Feb. 2. The district is currently in negotiation with its teachers' union over a new contract. However, when union president Karen Vecellio spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, she said nothing about those negotiations, but chose instead to describe what district teachers do for students without compensation. That list of voluntary contributions included writing grant applications, organizing fundraisers, and leading after-school clubs. Her comments were made in conjunction with a board conversation about the proposed 2016-17 school budget. Superintendent George Zini announced the tax levy increase for the coming year would be 0.67 percent. Zini said the budget will increase by nearly half a million dollars. As things currently stand, the district is short $469,000. Zini told the board he will know how much state aid the district will receive next year in time for a review of the spending plan at the April board meeting. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.