Josefa Velasquez and Dan Goldberg are reporting at Politico New York the state health department will launch New York's medical marijuana program Thu., Jan. 7, even as three of the five companies awarded a license to grow and distribute the drug say they will not have all their dispensaries open on time. The program will launch exactly 18 months after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act into law. Access to medical marijuana remains a concern, however. The program calls for 20 dispensaries located statewide, but licensees are having trouble getting all their dispensaries up and running. And patients still do not know how much the drug will cost because the health department has not yet set the price. When asked about pricing and the identification cards patients are slated to receive, JP O'Hare, spokesman for the state Department of Health, said the details on the program “will be released shortly.” Read the full story at Politico New York.

Marie J. French is reporting in the Albany Business Review that Hudson-based Columbia Memorial Health has finalized a broad affiliation agreement with Albany Medical Center. Albany Med is the second-largest health care provider in the Albany area and one of the area's largest private employers. The affiliation focuses on integrating care for patients who get services from both organizations, bringing care closer to patients and the efficient use of information technology. Columbia Memorial CEO and President Jay Cahalan said the arrangement provides both institutions with a greater ability to do long-range planning together. Both health care systems will maintain separate boards, executive leadership, medical staff and employees. The first joint meeting of the two boards will take place, Mon., Jan. 11. The partnership comes at a time when health care systems are facing increased pressure from government initiatives to reduce costs and improve quality of care. Read the full story in the Albany Business Review.

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman Rhinebeck town officials have reached an agreement with Red Wing Sand and Gravel. That agreement requires the mining company go through a local appeal process before filing any legal challenges to recently adopted zoning amendments. “It sort of suspends the time period by which they can file a suit under (state) Article 78 in order to encourage them to go through the administrative process,” town Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia said. The Town Board in September voted to adopt a revised zoning map that officials said reflects comprehensive plan language about limiting mining to approved locations. Town Board members began working on the zoning amendments in 2011 after learning that language in the town’s 2009 comprehensive plan called for limiting mining to current operations, but a map produced by Dutchess County showed mining would be allowed on entire parcels. Efforts to simply update the map drew objections from Red Wing Sand and Gravel. Read the full story in the Daily Mail.

Local weather forecast


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

Today (New Year's Day): Sunny. High near 25. Wind chill values as low as -9. Tuesday night, clear. Low around 10.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
Wednesday: Sunny. High near 38. Wednesday night, mostly clear. Low around 13.
Thursday: Mostly sunny. High near 41. Thursday night, partly cloudy. low around 25.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:37 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:13


PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the first 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 Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GHENT Town Board organizational meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Offices, 2306 Route 66, Ghent (392-4644).
HUDSON Conservation Advisory Council meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
ICHABOD CRANE Central School District Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at Ichabod Crane High School, 2910 Route 9, Valatie (758-7577).
LEXINGTON Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m., at Municipal building, 3542 Route 42, Lexington, (986-6303).
LIVINGSTON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m., at Town Hall, County Rte. 19, Livingston (851-9441).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Mon., Jan. 4 (6:20). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Jan. 1 through Sun., Jan. 3

John Mason reported in the Register-Star as one of its last act of the term, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors awarded raises to 97 non-union county employees, including 59 managers, last week. The employees will receive an annual 2.25 percent salary hike thanks to a resolution passed by the full board. The resolution covered part- and full-time, managerial and non-managerial employees from various departments. The supervisors did not include themselves in the measure. Outgoing board chairman Pat Grattan said the non-union raises would cost the county about $139,000, compared to $625,000 for the bargaining unit. The county has approximately 1,100 union employees, about 11 times the number of employees who received the year-end raises.

The Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline group announced this weekend it will hold a planning meeting Wed., Jan. 6, beginning at 7 p.m. at the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem. Community members are invited to attend and discuss the logistics and format for a January 23 public forum about the proposed Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline. The Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline group was formed in 2014, and is focused on opposing the Northeast Energy project. If constructed, the pipeline would cut through the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem's property. The 133-mile pipeline would connect gas wells in Pennsylvania to facilities in the Schoharie County town of Wright, and then traverse Massachusetts.

The public hearing on the proposed public nuisance law in Cairo will be re-opened at 7 p.m., Mon., Jan. 4. The public hearing began Dec. 7. At that time then-Town Supervisor Ted Banta said the law was designed after complaints of trash and discarded mattresses on or near Main St. were received by town officials. Enforcement of the new law would fall to local police and the town Code Enforcement Officer. The measure spells out 12 specific examples of what is considered a public nuisance. Problems mentioned during the first public hearing included a growing heroin problem, various health hazards and neglected homes.

The Daily Freeman reported the state Office of General Services is soliciting bids for work at the Hudson Correctional Facility. The work, described as "various security improvements" to Building 62, is estimated to total $6.5 million. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Dec. 22, signed an executive order directing all minors be removed from adult prisons statewide. The Hudson facility is expected to be transformed to house 16- and 17-year-olds. It will also serve as a reception and classification center for all youth entering the state prison system. New York is the only state other than North Carolina to prosecute and jail 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Cuomo's order last month directs that teenagers be housed separately, but young people will continue to be prosecuted and sentenced as adults under state law.

The Columbia Paper reported Columbia-Greene Community College will hold instant admissions days, Thu., Jan. 7 and Tue., Jan. 12. Rachel Kappel, acting director of admissions said in a press release the school is simplifying the application process. She said, “We can eliminate the wait, and students [will] leave that day with a clear idea of whether they are accepted or not.” Participants who bring an official transcript, and who do not require a placement test or information session, can be accepted on the spot. Admissions counselors and financial aid staff will be on hand. Information is available by calling (518) 828-4181, extension 5514, or by visiting mycommunitycollege [dot] com.

Charlie Holmes reported in The Daily Mail Bridge Street Theatre celebrated the unveiilng of its new marquee Sat., Jan. 2. Theatre president John Sowle, director and vice president Steve Patterson, board members and various local officials, attended the event in the village of Catskill, which included remarks by U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, state Sen. George Amedore and Assembly member Pete Lopez. “We are incredibly thrilled that this time has come. We’ve been wanting a marquee forever and just didn’t have the funds to do it,” Sowle said. He acknowledged and thanked the Greene County Legislature, Michael Temlin and Sawyer Chevrolet for the funding that made it happen.

Local weather forecast

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for east central New York and southern Vermont. As a result of an arctic cold front moving through the region, wind chills could approach advisory levels Monday night into early Tue., Jan. 5.


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

Today (New Year's Day): Mostly sunny. High near 20. Monday night, mostly clear. Low around 5. Wind chill values as low as -7.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
Tuesday: Sunny. High near 25. Wind chill values as low as -4. Tuesday night, mostly clear. Low around 16.
Wednesday: Sunny. High near 38. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 22.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:36 p.m.

LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:12


PUBLIC MEETINGS

See list at wgxc.org/events.

The public hearing about the public nuisance law proposed for the town of Cairo will be re-opened Jan. 4 at the town's monthly meeting. Local Law No. 11 of 2015 was discussed at a public hearing Dec. 7, where then-Town Supervisor Ted Banta said the law was designed after complaints of trash and discarded mattresses on or near Main St. were received by town officials. Enforcement will fall to local police and the town Code Enforcement Officer, if the law is approved. The measure spells out 12 specific examples of what is considered a public nuisance. Banta said the law would improve the quality of life. He said, “This law gives the town jurisdiction to deal with the problems that have been brought to our attention.” Problems mentioned during the public hearing included a growing heroin problem, various health hazards and neglected homes. The Cairo Town Board meets at 7 p.m. Jan. 4.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Sun., Jan. 3 (2:45). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

The Village of Catskill posted the following notice Jan. 2 in The Daily Mail:

VILLAGE OF CATSKILL WATER DEPARTMENT NOTICE OF HIGH TRIHALOMETHANE LEVELS

Catskill Village Water System - December 2015
Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals that includes chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and chlorodibromomethane. Trihalomethanes are formed in drinking water during treatment by chlorine, which is the most commonly used disinfectant in New York State. Chlorine reacts with certain acids that are in naturally-occurring organic material (e.g., decomposing vegetation such as tree leaves, algae or other aquatic plants) in surface water sources such as rivers and lakes. The amount of trihalomethanes formed in drinking water during disinfection can change from day to day, depending on the temperature, the amount of organic material in the water, the amount of chlorine added, and a variety of other factors. Drinking water is disinfected by public water suppliers to kill bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illnesses. For this reason, disinfection of drinking water by chlorination is beneficial to public health. Some studies suggest that people who drink chlorinated water (which contains trihalomethanes) or water containing elevated levels of trihalomethanes for long periods of time may have an increased risk for certain health effects. For example, some studies of people who drank chlorinated drinking water for 20 to 30 years show that long term exposure to disinfection by-products (including trihalomethanes) is associated with an increased risk for certain types of cancer. A few studies of women who drank water containing trihalomethanes during pregnancy show an association between exposure to elevated levels of trihalomethanes, and small increased risks for low birth weights, miscarriages and birth defects. However, in each of the studies, how long and how frequently people actually drank the water, as well as how much trihalomethanes the water contained is now known for certain. Therefore, we do not know for sure if the observed increases in risk for cancer and other health effects are due to trihalomethanes or some other factor. The individual trihalomethanes chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane cause cancer in laboratory animals exposed to high levels over their lifetimes. Chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane are also known to cause effects in laboratory animals after high levels of exposure, primarily on the liver, kidney, nervous system and on their ability to bear healthy offspring. Chemicals that cause adverse health effects in laboratory animals after high levels of exposure may pose a risk for adverse health effects in humans exposed to lower levels over long periods of time. The Village of Catskill is currently in the process of relocating the chemical feed injection points to further optimize the water filtration process and that a more comprehensive flushing program should reduce the amount of time the water spends in the distribution system which should result in fresher water for customers. Consumers having questions on any of the above can contact CRAIG ROWELL, Water Treatment Plant Operator at 518-945-1839 or the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Emilia Teasdale in The Columbia Paper talks with Town of Kinderhook Supervisor Patrick Grattan (R) as the Columbia County Board of Supervisors choose a new chair. “I want to thank everybody for the opportunity to be chairman of the board for four years,” Grattan said in a interview. Stockport Supervisor Matt Murell (R) was nominated last month to fill his spot, with the Jan. 4 vote expected to go his way, as Republicans hold the majority. Grattan crowed about getting the Board of Supervisors’ meetings recorded and played back on a local cable TV public access channel. He also listed better tax collection, and the privatization of the Pine Haven Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Philmont as major accomplishments. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Local weather forecast


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

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Sunday night there is a 20 percent chance of snow showers before 3 a.m. The snow could be heavy at times. Partly cloudy, with a low around 15.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 18, and a low around 3.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 20, and a low around 13.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:36 p.m.



DJ Earworm's annual mash-up of the year in pop music, for 2015.
Next week, David Bowie releases "Blackstar."

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Sat., Jan. 2 (3:45). (Produced by Tom Roe.)

The inconsistent 1560-AM frequency in Catskill may be back broadcasting soon, as Family Broadcasting filed an application before the Federal Communications Commission Dec. 2 to transmit 250 watts during the day and 12 watts at night on WCKL. Family Broadcasting and Media's "Special Temporary Authority" application before the FCC has been "accepted for filing." WCKL returned to the air after years of dormancy in 2011 with a mix of religious and local programming. But the station did not last long, and since 2013, static or loops of pre-recorded audio have most-often played on the frequency. Family Broadcasting and Media is run by Love Church Inc. of Greenport, according to the Albany Times-Union. Previously, WCKL was owned by the Black United Fund of New York. On Jan. 1, the station could be heard on 1560-AM.

The Columbia Paper reports about a new study released by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College. “Drone Sightings and Close Encounters: An Analysis,” studied 921 radio-controlled incidents in the national airspace between December 2013 and September 2015. There were 327 incidents in which drones presented some level of hazard to manned aircraft, and 90 of those involved commercial jets, according to coauthors Dan Gettinger and Arthur Holland Michel. “We are looking to furnish stakeholders and the public with a reliable, data-driven guide to the potential risks posed by drones to manned flight,” Gettinger said. The Center for the Study of the Drone was founded in 2012, to expand the public’s understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with the development and proliferation of unmanned technologies. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $10 million in Public Safety Answering Points operations grants throughout New York, with local counties each getting around $150,000 to improve 9-1-1 emergency response and dispatching. “In an emergency, every second counts,” Governor Cuomo said. “With these investments we’re helping to ensure our first responders have resources they need and access to the most-up-to-date technology available in order to better respond to New Yorkers in their moment of need.” Locally, here are the totals:
Albany $233,382
Columbia $160,509
Delaware $154,732
Dutchess $165,211
Greene $151,052
Rensselaer $177,913
Schoharie $149,001
Ulster $154,511

Local weather forecast


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

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34, and a low around 24.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 35, and a low around 18.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 21, and a low around 6.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:35 p.m.



DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local headlines and weather for Thu., Dec. 31 (6:37). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Jeff Waggoner in Capitol Confidential reports that state workers who blow the whistle at their workplace will be protected under a bill signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week. Whistleblowers no longer must first notify their supervisors of potential improper activity. "I anticipate continuing discussions with the legislature in the 2016 session regarding any additional legislative changes that may be warranted,” Cuomo said in a press release. The union’s president, Wayne Spence, called the bill a “PEF legislative victory.” The union said possible whistleblowers may not feel comfortable reporting to a superior they believe is also corrupt. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential, a Times-Union blog.