The Register Star is reporting a Columbia County Sheriff's deputy has been arrested and charged with taking photos of a woman and posting them on the Internet without her knowledge. On Tues., Dec. 30, New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation charged Thomas G. Bagnall, 27, of Hudson, with unlawful surveillance, a felony. Bagnall was arraigned in Livingston Town Court and sent to the county jail. He has been placed on unpaid leave by the Sheriff's Office. In August, a Germantown woman learned her nude photos were posted on the Internet. The photos in question were taken without her knowledge, so she contacted the state police to report the incident. It is alleged Bagnall took the photos from outside the woman’s residence, and subsequently posted them on the Internet.

Casey Seiler is reporting at Capitol Confidential after a critical letter from the Cuomo administration on the state of education in New York, Chancellor Merryl Tisch and the Board of Regents are firing back, saying much of what was outlined in the letter is actually under the control of the state Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The Chancellor's response details how New York is already working to fix the issues raised in the original letter. She also “proposes aggressive measures” on how to further the state’s progress in education reform. The 20-page response also urges Cuomo to look beyond the questions raised in the original letter when approving the $2 billion Regents State Aid Proposal for 2015-16, as education still desperately needs more funding from the state. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Kate Seckinger is reporting in The Daily Mail the Zoom Flume water park has been awarded a $50,000 grant funded by the state’s Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development. The grant will support a project to reconstruct the park’s entrance and the creation of at least three full-time positions. The grant proposal was prepared by the Greene County Department of Economic Development. Zoom Flume co-owner Denise Kerrigan said the plan has been in development for the past few years. Zoom Flume is open from mid June through Labor Day. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Keshia Clukey is reporting in the Times Union Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Mon., Dec. 29, signed a bill, effective immediately, requiring child-resistant packaging on all liquid nicotine sold in the state and banning the sale of the lethal substance to those under 18. Liquid nicotine is toxic in doses as small as a half-teaspoon, and even a small splash of the substance on children's skin can make them very ill, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Poison control centers nationwide have seen a sharp rise in calls related to the liquid refill for e-cigarettes. The number of exposures has more than doubled since 2013, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. More than half those reported in 2013 were in children under 6 years old. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Local publisher Columbia-Greene Media announced changes to its editorial team in the Tues., Dec. 30, editions of its newspapers. The company produces the "Register Star" and "The Daily Mail," as well as six weekly publications, two magazines and a shopper. Mary Dempsey, former staff writer and editor for publications in New Jersey and Connecticut, was named managing editor of the "Register Star" and "The Daily Mail." Lori Anander, editor of the "Windham Journal," has been promoted to the role of managing editor of the company's weekly publications. A newly created editorial arts team will be managed by Phil Finkle, Columbia-Greene Media's director of composition and IT. That group now includes Susan Chasney, formerly of the Troy Record. The company also announced Kate Seckinger has been hired as the newest Daily Mail reporter. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Casey Seiler is reporting at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo took action late Mon., Dec. 29, on more than 30 of the bills lingering on his desk. The approvals include a bill that would prohibits the sale of nicotine to minors, while the vetos included a high-profile rejection -- the dismissal of the governor’s own program bill to protect teachers for two years from professional consequences if they are rated “ineffective” or “developing” as a result of student scores on tests connected to the Common Core standards. The governor proposed the legislation last spring as a corrective to the implementation of the Common Core program. Since then, the pendulum has swung back — in part because the recently released teacher evaluation numbers showed New York’s teachers outperforming their students. “These temporary provisions do not fix the foundational issues with the teacher evaluation system,” Cuomo wrote of his own legislation in his veto message. “Given what we now know, it would make no sense to sign this bill and further inflate these already inflated ratings.” Read the full post at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 28F; low 18F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 27F; low 19F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook beginning Sat., Jan. 3. A storm system may bring significant amounts of snow and a wintry mix of precipitation to the region Saturday night into early Sunday, eventually changing to rain. There is still uncertainty about precipitation types and amounts. More information will become available in the coming days.

Today: Mostly sunny. High near 29. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 16.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday (New Year's Day): Mostly sunny. High near 31. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 21.
Friday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 37. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 26.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy. High near 36. Saturday night, rain, snow and sleet. Low around 31.

Sunrise today: 7:24 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:33 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:09 hrs.

Public meetings
Today is the fifth Wednesday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today.

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Sound as Weapon Sound as a weapon is explored here. Warning: Some of the material included has been used by agents for the United States to torture suspected terrorists. Songs include Dope's "Die MF Die" and "Take Your Best Shot," Eminem's "White America" and "Kim," the Barney & Friends theme song, Drowning Pool's Bodies, Metallica's "Enter Sandman," the Meow Mix commercial jingle, the "Sesame Street" theme song, David Gray's "Babylon," AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" and "Hell’s Bells," the Bee Gees' "Stayin’ Alive," Tupac's "All Eyez On Me," Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty," Neil Diamond's "America," Don McLean's "American Pie," Saliva's "Click Click Boom," Matchbox Twenty's "Cold," (hed)pe's "Swan Dive," Prince's "Raspberry Beret" and many others. Also tune in Gregory Whitehead's story "Project Jericho," about sound-as-weapon development. Plus, coverage of the recent use of the Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) used against protesters in the United States. Hear about how the CIA played "Panama" by Van Halen over and over again outside Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in order to coax Panamanian dictator, Manuel Noriega, out for capture. More about sound cannons, "silent weapon technology," and other sounds used against enemies.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show News, weather, events, music and more. Hosted by Michelle Lewis.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: @Issue: Predictions for 2015 A look back on 2014, and predictions and speculation on what is ahead in 2015. Hosted by Victor Mendolia with Debby Mayer. Mendolia is the chair of the Hudson City Democratic Committee; Mayer is a member of the committee, representing the city's Third Ward. She is also a reporter with "The Columbia Paper."
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News
7 p.m.: WGXC 2014 Highlights On-air moments from the past year, including segments from "Sugar Shack Jukebox," "Between the Lines," "The Score," "The Tiki Bar," "Mambo Italiano," "LunarMoss," "Wall to Wall," "Battlefield Earth" and the "Honeygun Power Hour."
10 p.m.: WGXC New Year's Eve Party Live broadcast. WGXC 90.7-FM & The Half Moon are pleased to present their second annual New Year's Eve celebration. Music from The Voodoo Revue, featuring local musicians, including Bobby Previte, Arone Dyer (voice), Tony Kieraldo (keys), Otto Hauser (drums), Jonathan Talbott (violin), Terence Murren (bass),and special guest from Vienna, Fabian Rucker (sax). Following midnight, Marc Anthony Thompson (of "The Honeygun Power Hour") will DJ until the wee hours. 

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors okayed three new labor agreements with county unions, Mon., Dec. 29. Memorandums of agreement were ratified for new contracts with sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers and county employees in the United Public Service Employees Union. A fourth contract with the Columbia County 911 employees union was approved by the board earlier this month. The contracts will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2014. The agreements do not include raises for 2014, but will include wage hikes in 2015 and 2016. Although the memorandums of understanding were approved Monday, the specific terms of each contract must be finalized. Union representatives expect that process to take a few weeks. Read the full story in the Register Star.

The Associated Press is reporting the minimum wage in New York will increase from $8 to $8.75 an hour on New Year’s Eve. The hourly wage could rise further if lawmakers pass another increase during the 2015 legislative session. Supporters of a higher wage are calling for a $10.10-per-hour minimum and want to give cities like New York the authority to raise it even more. Opponents say another wage hike could increase labor costs and prompt employers to cut jobs. The wage hike was one of a series of increases approved by the Legislature in 2013. Minimum wage is set to increase again on Dec. 31, 2015, to $9 per hour. The increase this year will impact an estimated 700,000 workers.

Jessica Bakeman is reporting at Capital New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state education leaders are planning a more aggressive push for school district mergers in 2015, arguing the reorganization of the state’s 700 districts would cut costs and increase educational opportunities for students. Lawmakers and stakeholder groups have offered policy proposals that aim to encourage mergers, such as using state aid to ease tax increases that would result for some districts. However, the major barrier to mergers is popularity. Combining school districts requires approval from residents in each affected community, and recent precedent suggests that voters just don’t want to do it. Since 2010, 17 of 19 school district merger attempts have failed. Read the full story at Capital New York.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 31F; low 20F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 30F; low 20F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: Mostly sunny. High near 32. Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 16.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: Partly sunny. High near 31. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 15.
Thursday (New Year's Day): Mostly sunny. High near 31. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 22.
Friday: Partly sunny. High near 36. Friday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 26.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:32 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:08 hrs.

Public meetings
Today is the fifth Tuesday of the month.
WGXC is unaware of any recurring public meetings scheduled for today.

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Rewind 2014 Highlights of the best radio sounds and stories of the year. "Radio Wonderland," with Joshua Fried remixing NYC radio on Hudson Valley frequencies, interrupts the proceedings for a half hour at 10:30 a.m. Hear from Steve Bull, William Basinski, John Cleater, Liv Carrow, Chris Forsyth, Dan Seward, Nicholas Collins, Sonny Rollins, John Anderson, Tom Skarimbas, Dan Braverman, and many others.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show News, weather, events, music and more. Hosted by Mr. “Peetie Pete” Lievense.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

Some of the stories that made the news, Fri., Dec. 26 through Mon., Dec. 29:

Arthur Cusano is reporting in The Daily Mail Greene County has failed to turn over to the state more than $66,000 worth of property abandoned for more than three years, according to a report released by the New York State Comptroller's Office Sun., Dec. 28. In a letter to Greene County Treasurer Peter Markou earlier this month, the Comptroller's Office provided a list of 18 properties that should have been handed over in accordance with the state's abandoned property law. In an interview with the paper, Markou acknowledged the properties had not been turned over as required. He said the issue is now being addressed. The Treasurer's Office has begun the process of contacting the parties involved in each case. Markou said many of the 18 properties cited by the Comptroller's Office are still in litigation.

Siobhan (shiv-ON) Barton reported in the Register Star plans for a group of new apartment buildings on the east side of Joslen Boulevard were presented to the Greenport Planning Board, Tues., Dec. 23. The project is an extension of Joslen Commons, the senior living facility located at 540 Joslen Blvd. The plan calls for the construction of six, two-story apartment buildings and would be called Joslen Commons Luxury. Plans for the development of a 66-unit facility on the other side of Joslen Boulevard are currently before the Planning Board, as well. The Greenport Gardens proposal would provide housing to mental health consumers, in addition to affordable housing for county residents.

The Daily Mail reported a New York City woman died Sun., Dec. 28, after falling from a chairlift at the Hunter Mountain ski resort, according to the state police. The 44-year-old resident of Brooklyn died at approximately 2 p.m. The accident is under investigation.

Chelsea Diana is reporting in the Albany Business Review as of Jan. 1, it will be illegal in New York state to throw away electronics, including computers, video game consoles, flat-screen TVs, with the normal trash or recycling. The final part of New York’s 2010 electronics recycling law takes effect Thursday, making it illegal for consumers to throw “e-waste” away. Heavy metals, acids and other hazardous materials will be kept out of the soil and drinking water if folks take their used e-waste to an electronics recycler. Violators will be charged a $100 fine for each infraction.

Matthew Hamilton reported at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sent a letter Fri., Dec. 26, to the state Gaming Commission and Gaming Facility Location Board urging it to consider awarding a fourth casino license, this one for the Southern Tier. Because only three licenses were recommended by the board earlier this month, an additional license could go to another proposal. The letter comes after the Cuomo administration announced Dec. 17 a ban on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, which would have helped the Southern Tier economically. Criticism ran high that the economically-depressed Southern Tier was being ignored as part of the governor’s efforts to transform Upstate New York. Cuomo said in the letter he would hope that opening up another license would renew and invigorate other developers to step forward with proposals.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 36F; low 24F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 37F; low 25F.[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

READ TEMPERATURE IN HUDSON: On thermometer in Studio A.

FAR LEFT: The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page.
MIDDLE TEMP: Cairo from Weather Underground page.
FAR RIGHT: Catskill from Weather Underground page.

Local weather forecast
Today’s forecast is specific to Catskill, in Greene County:

Today: Mostly sunny. High near 40. Monday night, partly cloudy. Low around 18.

Forecast for the next three days:
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High near 30. Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 16.
Wednesday: Partly sunny. High near 30. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 18.
Thursday (New Year's Day): Mostly sunny. High near 32. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 21.

Sunrise today: 7:23 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:31 p.m.
Length of the day: 9:08 hrs.

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

COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors year-end meeting, 3 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12:05 a.m.: Radio Stew: Deep Listening Five hours of talks and performances from the Deep Listening Conference.

6 a.m.: Background Briefing with Ian Masters Inside breaking international and national news. A radio program featuring international and national news, expert guests, policy makers and critics with analysis and insight on national security, foreign and domestic policy, political, cultural and social issues. This program goes far beyond the headlines and deep under the radar to bring forward truths unheard in the American media.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show News, weather, events, music and more. Hosted by Mr. “Peetie Pete” Lievense.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. National, daily, independent, award-winning news program providing audiences with access to people and perspectives rarely heard in the U.S. corporate-sponsored media.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
11 a.m.: Zoom: Trepanation Exercise No. 2 This is the last one for 2014.... I wish we could go back and edit the disordered portions! Let's keep an ear to the ground and listen carefully to hear the melting ice. And let's listen carefully for the hatching of the eggs. Let us cut off the fat and ooze forth the wonder and beauty of nature! Let us dispense with upright walking as a mode of transportation for a spell. This one is for those that kill their own food! Happy New Year to all! Hosted by Tyson Hauf.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: WGXC Evening News

Tobiah Black reports in The Columbia Paper that New York Senator Charles Schumer was in Chatham Dec. 20 at the Columbia Land Conservancy headquarters in Chatham. Schumer said that legislative action is necessary to aid the conservancy efforts because the “forces of preservation never have the money that the forces of anti-preservation have.... Preserving the beauty of the county… not only keeps our lives nice… it’s an economic shot in the arm." Other speakers at the event included CLC Executive Director Peter Paden and Karen Ross, a landowner from New Lebanon who has donated easements to her farm, Andy Bicking, director of public policy for Scenic Hudson, and Ethan Winter, New York conservation manager for the Land Trust Alliance. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

One of the stories with a large impact on the WGXC listening area in 2014 was the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline. Here is a tally of local media coverage of the Pilgrim Pipeline proposed to run from Albany to New Jersey, running through land near the New York State Thruway (I-87) through Albany, Greene, and Ulster counties locally. The 178-mile pipeline would carry Bakkan crude oil to New Jersey, and refined material back to Albany. While the pipeline largely stays near the Thruway, in Greene County, the proposed project veers east of Route 9W west of Sleepy Hollow Lake in Athens, and then back near the interstate around Leeds-Athens Road. After Catskill, the pipeline veers west of the interstate briefly around Cauterskill Road. Follow the links below for links to all the stories written locally about the Pilgrim Pipeline.

The Daily Freeman=17
The Daily Mail (Catskill)=0
Albany Times-Union=10
Watershed Post=0
Poughkeepsie Journal=1
WGXC Newsroom=8
[caption width="550" align="aligncenter"] From Pilgrim Pipeline website.[/caption]

Local News
Local news Click here for news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., Dec. 28. PLAY AUDIO (2:55)

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Acra, in Greene County.

• Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44, and a low around 24.

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35, and a low around 19.

• Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 28.

Sunrise 7:23 a.m.
Sunset 4:31 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 11:37 A.M. Next Day
Mercury 8:21 A.M. 5:16 P.M.
Venus 8:32 A.M. 5:40 P.M.
Mars 9:51 A.M. 7:54 P.M.
Jupiter 8:05 P.M. 10:05 A.M.
Saturn 4:30 A.M. 2:15 P.M.
Uranus 11:56 A.M. 12:35 A.M.
Neptune 10:32 A.M. 9:21 P.M.
Pluto 7:40 A.M. 5:06 P.M.

WGXC Programming

Radio Stew: Classical Riots
Dec. 28, 2014: 1 a.m. – 4:30 a.m.
Radia: Remix
Dec. 28, 2014: 4:30 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.
CounterSpin: Rebecca Gordon, David Sirota
Dec. 28, 2014: 5:30 a.m. – 6 a.m.
Mambo Italiano: 78 RPMS (pt.2)
Dec. 28, 2014: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Chelsea Diana in the Albany Business Review reports that as of Jan. 1, it will be illegal in New York state to throw away electronics -- computers, video game consoles, flat screen TVs -- with the normal trash or recycling. The final part of New York's 2010 electronics recycling law takes effect Thursday, making it illegal for consumers to throw "e-waste" away. Heavy metals, acids, and other hazardous materials will keep out of the soil and drinking water if folks take their used e-waste to an electronics recycler. Violators will be charged a $100 fine for each infraction. Read the full story in the Albany Business Review.

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sat., Dec. 27. PLAY AUDIO (2:46)

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Acra, in Greene County.

• Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 47. There is a 30 percent chance of showers Saturday night, mainly after 2 a.m.

• Sunday: A chance of showers, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44, and a low around 26.

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 34.

Sunrise 7:20 a.m.
Sunset 4:26 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 5:32 A.M. 3:37 P.M.
Mercury 8:01 A.M. 4:46 P.M.
Venus 8:25 A.M. 5:23 P.M.
Mars 10:06 A.M. 7:52 P.M.
Jupiter 8:38 P.M. 10:38 A.M.
Saturn 4:57 A.M. 2:44 P.M.
Uranus 12:27 P.M. 1:07 A.M.
Neptune 11:03 A.M. 9:51 P.M.
Pluto 8:10 A.M. 5:36 P.M.

WGXC Programming

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="176"] U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer in 2007.
(Photo by David Shankbone, via Wikipedia.)[/caption]

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says he lacks assurance that safety concerns over the proposed 178-mile Pilgrim Pipeline are being adequately addressed. The New York Democrat spoke about the pipeline plan during an appearance in Kingston this week. His visit focused largely on the dangers of transporting crude oil by train. Asked if he viewed the pipeline as a suitable alternative to rail transport, Schumer said, “Pilgrim Pipeline is something that, bottom line, it has to be done in a safe environmental way, and I haven’t seen the plans that would allow that to happen at this point. ...I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’d have to see the plans to make sure it’s safe.” The Pilgrim proposal calls for shipping Bakken crude from Albany to Linden, N.J., through a pipeline that would roughly follow the Thruway corridor. Refined crude products would be returned to Albany via a parallel line. The governments of several local towns, including Rosendale, New Paltz, Woodstock and Rhinebeck, have taken formal stands against the Pilgrim proposal. Officials in Rosendale, New Paltz and the town of Ulster have said they lack sufficient firefighting resources to handle potential emergencies along the pipeline route. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Scott Waldman in Capital New York reports that dozens of property owners in Delaware, Schoharie, and Chenango counties received legal condemnation notices from a pipeline company this week, according to a group that advocates for the owners. The reports says that Williams Companies filed condemnation notices against 73 property owners on the 30-inch Constitution pipeline path near I-88 that will carry natural gas from Pennsylvania, according to Bob Nied, a member of the board of directors for the Center for Sustainable Rural Communities. The owners associated with the group have so far refused the company access to their land. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission received conditional approval for the pipeline earlier in December, and the project still needs water permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A Williams spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment. Read the full story in Capital New York.