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Lana Bellamy reports for the Times Union that some business owners are upset because Central Hudson wants to raise rates 16 percent on the average residential electric bill and 19 percent on the average natural gas bill to pay for system upgrades. The Public Utility Law Project, a consumer advocacy group, filed a motion in October to block the rate increase, citing an ongoing Public Service Commission investigation into Central Hudson billing errors. And many local politicians are against the rate increase, with Rep. Pat Ryan showing up with the business owners and activists at a Jan. 26 press conference in Kingston. Ryan said, “Central Hudson’s proposed double-digit rate increase is blatant corporate greed." Central Hudson spokesperson Joe Jenkins said the company is working to resolve all its customers’ concerns in a timely fashion, and said, “That is why we have scheduled two additional customer service events in the coming months that give an opportunity to customers who have come to us through their elected officials to discuss any lingering concerns they may have." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that State Sen Michelle Hinchey, who represents Greene County, and much of Columbia, Ulster, and Dutchess counties, led a rally at the state Capitol Jan. 29 asking for an expansion of the state’s Healthy School Meal program to provide free breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students in the state. Hinchey said, “Every student, family, school, and community in New York should have the opportunity to benefit from School Meals for All, and we won’t stop fighting until we deliver a permanent, universal program.” Hinchey's office said that 347,000 students in 1,200 schools got access to free school meals in the 2023-2024 school year, but 321,000 students in 650 schools could have used those meals too. Hinchey said, “Since we expanded Healthy School Meals last year, the transformative progress we expected is unfolding in communities across New York State.... More students have gained access to free breakfast and lunch, and with that, we’re actively breaking the stigma of food insecurity, keeping kids healthy, and helping them learn better, all while saving families money every week.” Massachusetts, Vermont, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Michigan now have universal school meal programs. Legislators recently returned to Albany and are considering next year's budget. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that a Catskill shop selling cannabis is now waiting for a state license, after the Village of Catskill Planning Board last week approved their application for a retail store on a commerical strip off State Route 9W. The Catskill Roots store will open in a 2,020-square-foot concrete garage. The Juice Branch, currently on West Bridge Street in Catskill, is opening in another building on the property. New York has been slow to give out licenses for retail stores, almost three years after recreational cannabis was legalized. Albany and Rensselaer counties have the nearest local cannabis stores at this time. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

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Four local school systems are considering consolidating their football teams. In Columbia County, Hudson schools are talking about merging with Chatham High's football program, and in Greene County Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that Greenville is considering a football merger with Coxsackie-Athens schools. At a Board of Education meeting earlier in January Greenville Athletic Director Denise Wickham said, “As you may recall, I was up here talking about this before COVID and we were talking about getting into a three-way merger with Catskill, Cairo, and Greenville.” For the last two years, Hudson’s varsity football team has prematurely ended its seasons because it could not sustain the minimum number of players required. Hudson's Athletic Director Shawn Briscoe said at a school board meeting that “Chatham is more than just considering it as an option.... They are really considering it.” Schools could split the annual average cost of $49,000 for fielding a modified and varsity team. But Greenville's Wickham said, “The merger deadline for this is February 1.... So, if this is something that Greenville is considering then we need to make a decision soon.” Locally, the Catskill and Cairo-Durham schools have already merged their football programs.

Phillip Pantuso reports in the Times Union that before this year's primary election, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is adding Josh Riley to its “Red to Blue” program for “top-tier candidates” who could retain or flip competitive swing districts in the House of Representatives. Riley lost to inbumbent Republican Marc Molinaro in 2022, and Ballotpedia says faces fellow Democrats Dan Buttermann and John Cerullo are also running against Riley in a primary election in June for the 19th Congressional District seat. Buttermann previously ran for the state Assembly. Riley, an attorney in the private and governmental sectors, lost by 1.5 points to Molinaro in 2022, flipping the New York seat to Republicans, and helping them get a very narrow majority in the House. So far, Molinaro has raised $2.2 million and Riley has $2 million in new campaign funds. Riley said of the backing, “Local, state and national leaders are backing our campaign because they know upstate New York will decide control of the House, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.... While career politician Marc Molinaro is selling us out to the special interests buying his votes, I’m fighting to strengthen the middle class, protect Social Security and defend a woman’s right to choose. Voters are ready for change, and that’s why we will win this November.” Voting in the primary election is in June, unless delayed because New York state still has not drawn the Congressional District lines. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that average gasoline prices were up and flat across the Mid-Hudson Valley last week, with not many areas reporting falling prices, according to GasBuddy. In Ulster County, gas remained the same at $3.07 a gallon, while Dutchess saw a two-cent increase to $3.16. In Greene County, gas prices jumped a nickel to $3.06 cents-per-gallon, while Columbia County customers saw prices dip a penny to $3.12. The New York state average was up 1.5 cents per gallon to $3.22, but still down 10.8 cents per gallon from a month ago and down 31.2 cents from last year. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

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

Justin Izzo and Bernadette Hogan report for New York State of Politics that the Department of Justice said Jan. 26 that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo subjected more than a dozen female employees to "a sexually hostile work environment." An investigation conducted with the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York found that Cuomo repeatedly “subjected at least thirteen female employees” of the state to “non-consensual sexual contact; ogling; unwelcome sexual comments; gender-based nicknames; comments on their physical appearances; and/or preferential treatment based on their physical appearances.” The Department of Justice also said that Cuomo’s senior staff retaliated against four of the women he harassed. Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin called the announcement, “nothing more than a political settlement with no investigation.... The DOJ ‘investigation’ was based entirely on the NYS Attorney General's deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and misleading report.... At no point did DOJ even contact Governor Cuomo concerning these matters.” Current Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "The moment I took office, I knew I needed to root out the culture of harassment that had previously plagued the Executive Chamber and implement strong policies to promote a safe workplace for all employees, and took immediate action to do so.... I am pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has acknowledged the significance of those efforts, and look forward to partnering with them as we continue to build upon that success." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

On social media Jan. 28 local activist Dan Udell announced, "the passing of our dearest Mary Elizabeth Udell on Friday, January 26, 2024. She died peacefully among her family." The couple have been active community members in the Hudson Valley since moving to Taghkanic in 2002. A few year later the couple launched Hudson Reads, a program where volunteers read to middle school children who need extra tutoring, and the Video Generation Club, where they trained young people to record community meetings and events on video. The Udells worked with WGXC to get the recordings of local town meetings and community events on the radio. Mary Udell also volunteered with Black Arts and Culture Festival every year, operating a exhibition tent for visual artists and published a yearly guide book of summer activities for low income youth, "Hudson is a Summer Festival." There was no announcement about any services.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that Cornwallville's Gavin’s Irish Country Inn is for sale. The resort has been one of the Durham-area live music venues for six decades. Bernadette Gavin Palmieri and her husband Brian Palmieri are third generation owners, and Bernadette said, “My husband Brian and I just feel it is the time to sell, if possible, due primarily to financial loss over the past few years due to payroll increases, taking on an additional mortgage, and inflation of goods." In February of 2022, the couple also reopened the old Saloon of East Durham on Route 145 as an Irish café, pub, bakery, and gift shop named Nellie’s after Bernadette’s grandmother, which has been for sale since last summer. The resort now for sale is listed for $4.25 million for 40 acres with a motel with 56 units, two single-family homes, a bar, a dining hall, a restaurant, a commercial kitchen, an outdoor pool, an outdoor stage, outdoor seating areas, and a playground. Bernadette Gavin Palmieri also said, "our children are at a critical age and we want to have that time with them that has been lost trying to save our business these past few years during the pandemic.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Democrat Pat Ryan is representing the 18th Congressional District, Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko represents the 20th District, and Republican Elise Stefanik represents the 21st District. Click here to listen to this report.

Diana Glebova reports for The New York Post that, campaigning for Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Jan. 20, Rep. Elise Stefanik said she would be “honored” to be his vice-president. Stefanik, who currently represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, said, “He’s going to make the right decision. I trust him to make the right decision for him. So he’s going to look for qualities that he thinks are important.... I’d be proud to serve in a Trump administration in any capacity.” Volunteers for Trump chanted "VP" after her remarks at one New Hampshire campaign stop for the former president. Read more about this story in The New York Post.

Mid-Hudson News reports that dozens of members of Jewish Federations of Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange counties thanked Rep. Pat Ryan for his continued work to free hostages still being held by Hamas, including Americans and the families of Hudson Valley residents last week. Ryan, a Democrat representing the 18th Congressional District, has seen weekly protests at his Kingston office calling for him to support a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. Nearby Republican Marc Molinaro in the 19th Congressional District has not seen similar protests or letters of support, even though he also does not back a ceasefire. The local members of the Jewish Federations gave Ryan a ‘thank you’ letter with 400 signatures from local constituents. The letter also said, “as the number of anti-Semitic incidents continues to increase at an alarming rate, we applaud your continued efforts to root out hate from the Hudson Valley.” Rondavid Gold, president of the Jewish Federation of Ulster County, called Ryan a, “true champion of the Hudson Valley Jewish community.” Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that. Rep. Pat Ryan again said on Jan. 23 that Central Hudson should not get its rate approval request approved by the Public Service Commission. On Jan. 24, Central Hudson's proposed double-digit rate request went before an Albany evidentiary hearing. Before that, Ryan said in a statement, “Hudson Valley families are feeling the pressure of making ends meet – Central Hudson has absolutely no business raising rates, especially after years of systemic failures." Central Hudson is asking the New York Public Service Commission to increase electric rates by 16 percent and natural gas rates by 19 percent. The utility claims that would add roughly $1 a day to the “typical” electric customer and $1 a day to the “typical” natural gas customer. The Public Service Commission is not expected to decide on the rate increase until the second quarter of the year. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Rep. Elise Stefanik has had a week in national headlines. Salon reports Stefanik, who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, called the cancellation of the Jan. 22 trial proceedings in writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation trial against Donald Trump "blatant election interference." After a juror called in sick, the judge wanted to continue but Trump attorney Alina Habba asked for an adjournment. So Stefanik is calling Trump's attorney's motion to delay the trial "blatant election interference." Stefanik was also mentioned by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who spoke on Jan. 22 about Trump talking about her, after her name was floated as a possible vice-president. PLAY OR DOWNLOAD SHORT EXCERPT FROM JIMMY KIMMEL.

Mid-Hudson News reports that protesters who want Rep. Pat Ryan to back a ceasefire in the war in Gaza repeatedly interrupted his speech at the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast on Jan. 24. Protesters waved signs outside of the event, and inside they shouted over his speech. Mid-Hudson News got video from the protesters of the interruptions. PLAY OR DOWNLOAD EXCERPT OF PROTESTERS YELLING. Pro-Palestinian protesters have regularly marched outside Ryan's Kingston office calling for a ceasefire. Republican Rep Marc Molinaro, from the neighboring 19th Congressional District, holds similar views of the conflict as Ryan, but is not seeing as many protesters at his events or offices. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Today's audio daily news update.

Bill Mahoney reports for Politico that it is a Congressional election year, and in New York, the district lines are still not drawn. In December, a state Court of Appeals threw out the current lines, and gave the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission a Feb. 28 deadline to produce new draft congressional districts. Candidates begin collecting petitions to run for the still-unknown districts on Feb. 27. But local boards of elections have said they would prefer the districts be made public by around Feb. 1. The commission still needs to come up with the new district lines, and the legislature has to vote to accept them. But the commissioners who are deciding the new district lines have not scheduled a public meeting since a planning one was held a few days after Christmas. Common Cause New York executive director Susan Lerner said, “Conducting business behind closed doors is unacceptable.... Open your doors to the people. The people who live in congressional districts deserve a say in who will represent them.” The judges ruled in their December decision that the commission is not required to “conduct any solicitation of public commentary beyond what it has done previously.” It is possible that the Congressional primary is delayed, as in 2022, when the court ordered new district lines to be drawn, the primaries moved from June to August. Read more about this story in Politico.

Tessa Bentulan reports for WNYT that the Rensselaer County Legislature unanimously voted this week to set up a new registry for drug dealers. The registry will be a list tracking where convicted drug dealers in the county are living, similar to a sex offender registry. Rensselaer County District Attorney, Mary Pat Donnelly. said, “I think what I want the community to know is: this is your elected legislators’ response to what we hear time and time again out in the community: what can we do about these drug dealers? How can we keep these drugs out of our communities?” The registry will include 16-year-olds and up, even though the state's new Raise the Age law changed the age that a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 in criminal cases in New York state. Read more about this at WNYT.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Thomas Cole’s painting "View Near Catskill" sold Jan. 18 for more than half a million dollars at Christie’s auction house in New York City. An undisclosed buyer paid $504,000 for "View Near Catskill." The painting, created in 1828 and 1829, shows the plateau of Jefferson Heights in the foreground and Kaaterskill High Peak and Roundtop Mountain. Cole is considered to be the first major American landscape painter, and The Thomas Cole House in Catskill celebrates his work. "View Near Catskill" was originally owned by General Stephen Van Rensselaer III, a U.S. congressperson, president of the Albany Institute, and a founder of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Today's audio daily news update.

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