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

Nia Hamm reports from New York News Connection for Public News Service that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to raise New York's minimum wage to $15 an hour is praised by many.

But the New York Farm Bureau says that kind of hike would plunge state farming businesses into the ground and cost an estimated $500 million in additional annual labor expenses.

Steve Ammerman, the bureau's public affairs manager, says markets determine the price of agricultural products, not farmers, who wouldn't be able to adjust their prices if their expenses increased because of a raise in the minimum wage.

"What our dairy farmers receive from milk is dictated by federal marketing order," he points out. "Our fruit and vegetable growers are competing against farmers in other states and other countries who have significantly lower labor costs. So they can't just increase their prices to make up for 70 percent increase in labor costs."

Ammerman says the bureau is against a minimum-wage hike. He points out that New York's average agricultural wage is $12.39 an hour and says this already puts farmers in the state at a competitive disadvantage.

Richard Oswald, agricultural correspondent for the Center for Rural Strategies, disagrees. He says many farmers now use machines to do what many farm workers once did.

So in the event of a wage hike, the machines would take some of the sting off of rising labor costs for farmers.

"A lot of what we do - even berry picking in those parts of the country where things like blueberries and raspberries and blackberries are grown - and even that has become more mechanized," he point out. "They use some pretty expensive machines to pick berries and they only involve maybe two or three people as operators."

Oswald says the Center for Rural Strategies supports fair treatment for labor as well as the right to a good living wage. He notes that many farms already pay their workers wages that aren't much less than $15 an hour.

Oswald also says many farms are run by families, and rely on the labor of the family, further reducing labor costs.

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

Nia Hamm reports from New York News Connection for Public News Service that the state of New York plans to revamp the way it trains child welfare caseworkers.

The Office of Children and Family Services has created a panel to make recommendations for how best to do it, following a federal audit of child-welfare outcomes in which New York did not fare well. However, Ontario County Commissioner of Social Services Eileen Tiberio, who sits on the panel, said it also was created to address the changing needs of the population, including the recent surge in opioid addictions.

"We had a significant jump in our foster care population here in Ontario County last year, specifically around heroin epidemics," she said. "That brings a whole different kind of attention to addiction and its implications for children, when their parents can't be adequate caretakers."

Tiberio said federal guidelines can conflict with the time it takes to find permanent homes for children whose parents are addicted but are seeking treatment, which can reflect poorly on a federal audit. She said the state hopes to begin the new training in 2017.

Tiberio said the panel also will make recommendations about ways caseworkers, with their various academic backgrounds, can all receive the same, most updated training through a streamlined process.

"Research is always coming out about what's most effective, what drives dynamics in families," she said. "It's always a good idea to take a look at this every once in a while, to make sure that we're capturing the information that we need to capture, and that we're training people in the most effective way."

She said the Children and Family Services field overall has a high turnover rate that can create significant backlogs for caseworkers, so the panel also will look at ways to retain more caseworkers.

Local weather forecast


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

Today: A chance of snow, mainly before 8 a.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 22.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. High near 41. Saturday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 26.
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 44. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 20.

Sunrise today: 7:03 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:15 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:11


PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the first Friday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Thu., Feb. 4 (6:21). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Jim Planck is reporting in The Daily Mail the organizers of Mountain Jam and the Taste of Country music festivals has released an economic impact report stating those two events bring nearly $15 million to the region. The report found that almost 87 percent of Mountain Jam attendees come from outside the region, while 80 percent of those who attend the Taste of Country event live elsewhere. Offsite spending for both events averages close to $500 per person. The report also showed that staging the two events at Hunter Mountain created approximately 150 full- and part-time jobs. The survey and report, commissioned by Townsquare Media, was prepared by Colorado Mesa University assistant economic professor Nathan Perry and his company, Perry Analytics. For the study, surveys were emailed to festival attendees and nearly 4,200 people responded. The results focus only on the money coming into the region from outside of Greene, Columbia, Ulster, and Dutchess counties. The data does not reflect any on-site expenditures at the festivals or any spending by local residents within the four counties. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman the state Department of Environmental Conservation is reporting a dramatic return of the juvenile Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River, but Riverkeeper is skeptical. The department says the population appears to have doubled from 2011 through 2015. The department disputed the theory that construction of the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge has caused widespread deaths of the primitive fish. In December, Riverkeeper said it planned to sue the state Thruway Authority and Tappan Zee Constructors for violating the Endangered Species Act over the bridge project. Riverkeeper alleged that prior to the project starting, there were no Atlantic sturgeon deaths in the river in 2008 and 2009, but once the bridge work began, the death rate drastically increased. A Riverkeeper spokesman noted the recently released DEC report refers only to juvenile sturgeon while Riverkeeper has been focusing on older, breeding fish. The fish was put on the endangered species list in 2012. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential the governor's office is warning New Yorkers of scammers at work during the early part of the tax season. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office issued a statement Wed., Feb. 3, advising that individuals have been calling taxpayers and tax preparers claiming to be with the federal and/or state Treasury departments. The callers posing as state agents encourage New Yorkers to hand over bank account information and a $250 fee in return for a larger sum of cash to be sent at a later date. They provide a phone number, address and confirmation code to appear legitimate. Another swindle involves tax preparers telling clients to pay Affordable Care Act penalties to them directly. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting in the Columbia Paper two local authorities are out of compliance with state law as a result of their failure to file one or more financial reports as required, according to a recently released report from the state Authorities Budget Office. Authorities are independent entities created by state or local governments to perform specific governmental tasks. According to the report, the city of Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency is delinquent with its annual report, which was due in March 2014. The Village of Valatie Local Development Corporation did not submit its budget, annual report or audit last year. In an email to the paper, Jason Nastke, president of the Valatie authority, apologized to the public for being out of compliance and said that following an ongoing audit, the corporation's financials will be posted immediately. The Valatie Local Development Corporation owns the US Hotel building and the Trolley Station on Main Street in the village. Nastke said once the hotel is sold, the authority will be dissolved. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

The Mid-Hudson News Network is reporting ridership on the Metro-North Railroad broke all records last year, with more than 86 million customers. That represents an increase of 1.6 percent in 2014, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The trend began in 2008 and was attributed at the time to high gas prices. However, gas prices have recently plummeted, yet the trend continues, said MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast. He said customers have responded to various improvements, such as more trains, running on time, new electric cars and expanded availability of real-time information. During the same period, ridership among non-commuters continued to increase faster than among commuters. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Local weather forecast


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

Today: A chance of showers, mainly before 7 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 48. chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 29.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 40. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 24.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. High near 41. Saturday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 27.

Sunrise today: 7:04 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:13 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:09


PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the first Thursday 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 Town Board informational planning and working session, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 2306 State Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
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 Wed., Feb. 3 (7:01). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Larry Rulison reported in the Times Union earlier this month that Charter Communications is being forced to spend approximately $15 million during the next few years to upgrade the cable TV and Internet system in and around Chatham as part of a deal with state regulators. The upgrades will cost about $6,000 per customer, and Charter must foot the entire bill. The upgrades are required as a condition of the state Public Service Commission’s approval last week of the company’s $55 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable. Charter currently only serves two small pockets of customers in New York, including approximately 14,000 customers in Plattsburgh and 2,500 customers in Chatham and other parts of Columbia County. The company's Chatham system is notoriously antiquated according to Rulison, with analog TV service that does not support video on demand, and no Internet. A Charter spokesman said as a result of the merger the Chatham customer base can be connected to Time Warner Cable's network. The Time Warner merger deal is still awaiting federal approval. Read the full story in the Columbia Paper.

Michael Ryan is reporting in The Daily Mail the long-delayed Prattsville Commons project is moving forward, and developers hope to break ground this spring on the convenience store and gas station. The facility will offer gasoline and diesel fuel, and the store will sell standard items, according to Prattsville Commons partner Al Creazzo. Creazzo appeared at a recent Prattsville Planning Board meeting and presented a proposed subdivision of the property being used for the project, located on the west side of the Route 23 bridge over Schoharie Creek, just past Fairlawn Cemetery. The subdivision was approved, but blueprints must now be okayed by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The project has been on hold for several years, dating back to 2010 when the town gave conditional environmental approvals. Creazzo said he and his partners, Sam and Vince Nativo, will spend an estimated $1 million on the project, connecting to the town’s sewer system, tapping a private well. “We’re looking to invest in the community and have a successful venture. This has been in the works for a while,” he said. Creazzo expects Prattsville Commons to open by Labor Day. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential state Republican Chairman Ed Cox officially announced Tue., Feb. 2, the party will hold its convention this year in Buffalo on March 4. The party said the primary purpose of the convention will be to select its candidate to challenge U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. County chairs, committee members, elected officials and candidates will also gather to discuss the upcoming presidential primary. Presidential campaign representatives will be in attendance, the party said. In its press release, the state committee highlighted Buffalo's long history with the Republican Party. The Buffalo Convention of the National Republican League in 1848 laid the groundwork for establishing the party and one of the earliest Republican State Conventions was held in Buffalo in 1888.

John Mason is reporting in the Register-Star the village of Philmont is losing its only bank. Depositors were notified Sat., Jan. 30, that Key Bank, located at 120 Main St., will be shuttered, as of April 29. A bank representative said several factors are considered when a decision to consolidate is made, including customer use of the branch, possible access to other branches and customer banking service preferences. Mayor Clarence "Skip" Speed was not surprised at the news. Speed said the village had some experiences with Key Bank and moved its business to the Bank of Greene County. Village Trustee Doug Cropper said he had not heard anything positive about the bank closing in April. Lorraine Jones, a resident at Richardson Hall, which is located less than a block from Key Bank, has lived all of her 81 years in Philmont. She said the entire village is upset about the bank closing. Jones said, "It's going to be very different for everybody. I was at the senior center and they're up in arms. Nobody knows what to do about it. This village has mostly old people in it — it's very, very difficult for everyone." Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential the state Assembly Tue., Feb. 2, talked paid leave again, debating for the fifth time legislation that would extend 12 weeks of paid time off to employees who cannot work because they are caring for a sick relative or newborn child, or dealing with issues that arise from a family member's military service. The debate comes as Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing his own family leave proposal. As for why the Assembly would take the legislation up now rather than wait for the budget deal, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie expressed some concerns about Cuomo’s proposal as it stands. Heastie said it is sometimes good to have multiple options for legislation available to the public at the same time. “If we just waited and waited and waited, we could end up getting a version of the bill that may sound good on the surface but not really do what the families of this state need,” he said. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Local weather forecast

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the region, Wed., Feb. 3. Rainfall may be heavy at times late Wednesday morning into the afternoon ahead of a cold front, which may result in localized areas of pore drainage flooding.


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

Today: Rain, mainly after 7 a.m. High near 53. South wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Wednesday night, rain before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 1 a.m.. Low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: Partly sunny. High near 47. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 27.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 38. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 26.

Sunrise today: 7:06 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:12 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:06

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Tue., Feb. 2 (6:08). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Katie Kocijanski writes in The Daily Mail on the efforts by CSX Corporation to keep the rail lines, and the communities around them, safe. Trains carrying oil cars routinely traverse Greene and Columbia counties, sometimes through densely populated areas. A CSX spokesperson said, “Safety has always been the highest priority for CSX Corp. Over the last two and a half years, we have redoubled our safety efforts for our shipments." The company has increased the frequency of track inspections, has reduced the speed limit on the tracks and is now sharing more information with local first responders on how to respond to a crude oil accident. The company has also created the mobile app, CSX Rail Respond. The app provides information to firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel about hazardous materials being transported. The app also makes recommendations on how to property respond to an incident. Other safety measures in effect include the installation of more efficient braking systems on trains and stronger tank cars for specific substances. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the amount of oil transported by train in this country has increased by approximately 5,000 percent in the last six years. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The Mid-Hudson News Network is reporting the number of drivers using E-ZPass on the five Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority has increased steadily during the last 15 years. In 2001, E-ZPass usage on the spans was at 45 percent. It is now nearly 70 percent. Since 2010, general traffic on the bridges has increased by 1.5 million crossings, and revenue is up by $9 million. One-third of the revenue collected on the five bridges is from commercial vehicles. Among the five bridges, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge on Interstate 84 is the busiest. The other four bridges are the Rip Van Winkle, Kingston-Rhinecliff, Mid-Hudson and Bear Mountain.