The Times Union rounds up some reports from the massive snowstorm that covered the Hudson Valley on March 14. Heavy, wet snow was caused breaking branches and tree falling, some on utility wires, knocking out power to thousands of homes, especially in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Dutchess counties. The East Durham and Earlton fire departments lost power during the storm but were still operational. Law enforcement warned roads were impassable, making it difficult to get to stranded vehicles. The region saw around 5 to 11 inches by midday on March 14, with heavier snow in the higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service in Albany. The southern Adirondacks, Mohawk and Schoharie valleys and Catskills saw around 10 to 16 inches, while the Berkshires and Green Mountains got the most, from 2-to-2½ feet. There were 16 inches in Knox in southern Albany County, and 13.5 inches in Hunter, on the mountaintop in Greene County. Greene County Emergency Manager Dan King urged residents to stay home "so the road crews could do their work." High winds are forecast until March 15, and many side roads will not be cleared until then. In Syracuse, a Delta Air Lines plane veered off a paved surface as it taxied for takeoff on March 14. No one was injured and the airport remained open. Tannersville Mayor Lee Mcgunnigle called the storm "pretty significant," and said it created "some heavy work for the municipality." The weather here was such big national news that The Weather Channel had correspondents with many live shots from Poughkeepsie and the Berkshires during the storm. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Nancy Kern reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Greene County Industrial Development Agency has reached a tenative agreement to extend the tax break for the natural gas-fired electric generation plant Athens Gen for another 20 years. If the tentative agreement holds, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes will mean Athens Gen makes annual payments of more than $5 million to the county with increases every five years for the next 20 years. But not all local residents are fans of Athens Gen or giving tax breaks to large companies. Cairo resident Mary Finneran called Athens Gen, “one of the top three toxin emitters in the state.” The Greene County Industrial Development Agency meets March 29 to discuss this issue and others. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media that Coeymans planning/zoning board of appeals attorney Andrew Brick resigned Feb. 27, and some town board members are upset. In his letter of resignation, Brick said that Coeymans Town Supervisor George McHugh asked him to resign. “You informed me that the town had received correspondence from a law firm retained by the Nolan Propane Company alleging a bias in my representation of the planning board/zoning board of appeals,” Brick wrote to McHugh. “Not having been afforded a copy of such correspondence, I cannot comment upon any specific allegations contained therein, but I can state this — I stand behind each and every statement made, position taken, opinion offered, recommendation suggested and piece of legal advice provided to the planning board/zoning board of appeals during my tenure as their attorney. Each and every one. Clearly, I cannot continue to effectively represent a board when its own chairman has chosen to hire legal counsel to publicly attack my integrity and professionalism. Nor am I comfortable representing any town entity without the support and confidence of the town board, which you informed me I no longer possess.” But Town Councilmember Stephen Schmitt said that Brick does have the support and confidence of the town board. Schmitt said, "When he writes that he doesn’t have the support of the town board, it brothers me because I didn’t share that opinion. I think he was an exceptional attorney and I don’t think he should be the one resigning.” Schmitt asked McHugh for an explanation as to why Brick was asked to resign. McHugh cut him off, saying, “I’m not going to explain anything. Is there any other discussion?” Then the town board voted to hire the Albany-based law firm Tabner, Ryan & Keniry. Read more about this story at TheUpstater.com.

Today's daily news audio update.

Click above to download or play the "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Winter Storm Warning through 8 a.m. Wed., March 15. The National Weather Service says that, "Heavy, wet snow [is] expected. Total snow accumulations of 12 to 24 inches with localized totals of two to three feet across the higher terrain of the eastern Catskills and Helderbergs. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph" can be expected. The National Weather Service also warns that, "Travel will be very difficult to impossible, including the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. The weight of the heavy wet snow on tree branches will result in power outages. Snowfall rates will exceed two inches per hour at times, especially... Tuesday morning. Strong winds will also result in very low visibility, especially Tuesday into Tuesday night."

Gov. Kathy Hochul warned New Yorkers to be safe during a very intense storm that is expected to dump one to three feet of snow locally from now through March 15. Hochul said on March 13 that, "This will be a dangerous storm. Please stay off the roads for your own safety. Stay in your homes, also for the safety of these incredible men and women throughout Upstate New York who will be giving up their time, working around the clock to make sure that the roads are plowed." PLAY BRIEF EXCERPT OF HOCHUL. Hochul put a State of Emergency into effect at 8 p.m. on March 13. Most local schools are closed March 14 because of the snow storm, including the following:
Averill Park
Berkshire Community College
Berlin
Cairo-Durham
Catskill
Chatham
Columbia-Greene Community College
Coxsackie-Athens
Emma L. Miller Memorial School
Ichabod Crane
East Greenbush
Germantown
Grapeville Christian School
Greenville
Hawthorne Valley School
Hudson (Board of Education Meeting postponed to March 16.)
Hunter-Tannersville
Lee
Lenox
New Lebanon
Pine Plains
Pittsfield Public Schools
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk
RPI College
Schodack
Taconic Hills
Windham-Ashland-Jewett

Also, Greene County Transit is closed, There is no transportation, no public buses running in Greene County. COARC Adult Transportation in Columbia County buses are not running. Dutchess County has issued a state of emergency. The state's state of emergency means no Daily Mail or Register-Star newspapers will be delivered, and the HudsonValley360.com website will be free.

On March 13 Gov. Kathy Hochul juggled two storms, with several feet of snow headed to New York, and a banking crisis potentially spreading from coast to coast. California Silicon Valley Bank and New York’s Signature Bank both failed last week, and Gov. Kathy Hochul met with Democrats and Republicans March 13 in an attempt to steady investor nerves. Hochul, a Democrat, said, "Our view was to make sure that the entire banking community here in New York was stable, that we can project calm, that this is a time when we could manage a certain narrow situation and to make sure that that did not get any worse and that was what our objectives were." Republican Marc Molinaro, who represents the 19th Congressional District said, "Last night I received a bipartisan, bicameral briefing from federal regulators, and this morning, joined a call with Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York Congressional Delegation to discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. My main focus is ensuring the issues facing these banks do not spread to Main Street."

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that New York Republicans brought back Ed Cox on March 13 for another term as their state chair. Local Assemblyperson Chris Tague, who represents Greene and Schoharie counties, failed in his bid to win the post. Tague was cryptic in his concession. "If we do our jobs, it will be a foundation for the next generation of Republican leaders," Tague said. "No one person is bigger than our party." Cox replaces Nick Langworthy as chair, the man who replaced Cox four years ago. After winning the chair, Cox said, "We need to build the party to a place where we can challenge the Democrats who have supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature and elect the officials we need so we're a strong second party and stand up for the things we believe in." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that a mysterious group calling itself American Opportunity is backing Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed $227 billion budget plan with TV and digital ads and mailers. But the group does not have to reveal its identity or who is providing the money until this summer, because of the tax code for a 501(c)(4) non-profit group. No one from the group would go on the record and identify the source of the funding, saying only, "American Opportunity is a 501(c)(4) established to promote social welfare and policies, and it has registered in New York state as a grassroots lobbying entity.... Our report in July will disclose contributions, as required by state law." Hochul and the legislature need to pass a budget by April 1. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger is the latest local official to call for more federal regulation of railroad companies. Metzger said, “There is the maintenance of the tracks, the trestles; they don’t have enough maintenance staff, CSX, and they are really not doing the work that they need to be doing.” Metzger wants action from both Congress and the rail industry to avoid an accident in the Hudson Valley similar to the one in Ohio in February. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Liz Montgomery reports in Porcupine Soup that New York's annual statewide ban prohibiting residential brush burning begins March 16 and continues through May 14. Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "This winter was warmer and drier than most, but regardless of the winter weather, we are always at a greater risk of wildfires in the spring.... This ban helps protect our communities, natural resources, and the Rangers and other firefighters who extinguish the fires. We're encouraging all New Yorkers to think about safety first, before starting a potentially dangerous fire." Locally, the towns of Hunter, Jewett, Lexington, and Windham are designated "fire towns" where open burning is prohibited year-round. Violators of the open burning regulation can get a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Upstate Films is adding some shows with captioning at its Starr Cinema in Rhinebeck and Orpheum Theatre in Saugerties. Select screenings each Thursday will feature open captions beginning March 16. Upstate Films said of the new feature, "We hope to create more welcoming spaces for our friends who are deaf or hard of hearing, along with those learning to read or watching movies in their non-native language." Read more about this story at the Mid-Hudson News website.

Today's daily news audio update.

Click above to download or play the "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

A massive snow storm is expected to begin on March 13 and continue March 14, dumping more than a foot of snow on most parts of the WGXC listening area. The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Winter Storm Watch from 2 p.m. March 13 through 8 a.m. March 15. The National Weather Service warns that, "Heavy wet snow [is] expected. Total snow accumulations of 10 to 20 inches with up to 25 inches in the higher terrain of the northern and eastern Catskills [possible].... The storm is expected to produce heavy wet snow and strong winds Monday night into Wednesday leading to power outages and difficult to impossible travel conditions." WTEN in Albany reports that a snow emergency has been declared in the Village of Catskill, and a parking plan for snow removal will be initiated at 8 p.m. on March 13. While the television station is reporting that news, the Village of Catskill website does not mention anything about the snow emergency.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. said on March 9 that electric rates are about to go up again. Beginning March 13, electric rates will increase to 13.7 cents per kilowatt hour, up from 11.8 cents per kWh in February, according to Joseph Jenkins, the utility’s director for media relations. “While our winter has been warmer than expected overall, the region experienced a burst of cold early in February, placing some mild upward pressure on the electric supply market,” Jenkins said in a statement. Before that, the price was 14.3 cents per kWh in January, 13.7 cents per kWh in December, 16.1 cents in November, 16.93 cents in October, 13.06 cents per kWh in September, 8.32 cents in August, 5.83 cents in July, 4.18 cents in June, and 6.12 cents last May. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

The Troy Record reports that Amtrak will reopen the Adirondack line by April 3. The upstate rail service between Montreal and New York City has been suspended for more than two years due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Adirondack Line includes stops in Plattsburgh, Whitehall, Ticonderoga, Rensselaer, Port Henry, and Rouses Point. New York Senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Elise Stefanik all attempted to take credit for the announcement, with separate press releases. In Fiscal Year 2019 Amtrak’s Adirondack line had 117,490 riders, a 5.1 percent increase compared to the year before. Read the full story in the Troy Record.

On March 12 the Twitter account of rock star Bruce Springsteen posted, "Due to illness, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band's concert at MVP Arena in Albany on Tuesday, March 14 has been postponed. We are working on rescheduling the date so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled show." With a major snowstorm predicted for March 13 and 14, it is likely the show would have been postponed anyway.