[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="159"] Breanna LaJoie[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="160"] Christine Bitting[/caption]

The Times Union is reporting State Police in Columbia County are asking for the public's help in finding two teens who disappeared from the Berkshire Girls home in Ancram. Christine Bitting and Breanna LaJoie were last seen at the home at 3:30 p.m. Wed., June 25. Bitting is 17. She stands approximately 5-foot-7, weighs 125 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. Bitting was last seen wearing white shorts, black boots and a grey/black tank top. Her family lives in Pine Plains. LaJoie is 15. She stands approximately 5-foot-2, weighs 100 pounds, and has brown eyes and hair. When last seen, she was wearing black leggings with a black stripe on the side and a black tank top. Her family lives in Troy. To see photos of the girls, go to newsroom [dot] wgxc [dot] org. State Police ask that you call (845) 677-7300, or dial 911 if you know anything about the whereabouts of the two teens.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 81F; low 56F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 80F; low 55F.[/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: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny. High near 82. Friday night, clear. Low around 57.

Forecast for the next three days:
Saturday: Sunny. High near 86. Saturday night, clear. Low around 60.
Sunday: Sunny. High near 85. Sunday night, mostly clear. Low around 62.
Monday: Mostly sunny. High near 86. Monday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 67.

Sunrise today: 5:21 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:36 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:14 hrs.

Town meetings
Today is the fourth Friday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.

CLERMONT Zoning Board of Appeals, 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 1795 Route 9, Clermont (537-6868).
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission (tentative) at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed "Democracy Now!" reports on the three Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt for reporting.
1 a.m.: Taran's Free Jazz Hour: William Parker Episode 18 of 2014 of two-hour free jazz show that airs on eight European radio stations and Wave Farm Radio and WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, in New York, in the United States. Click on title to access the playlist.
5 a.m.: The Shortwave Report: 20140627 This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, NHK World Radio Japan, Radio Havana Cuba, and The Voice Of Russia.

6 a.m.: The Michael Slate Show
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Tune in to local news, national headlines, regional events, music, and more. Hosted by Tom Roe live from Wave Farm. This week, two students from Durham Elementary discuss their last day of school this year. Also, Steve Bull previews "Cellphonia: Groundswell" this September at the Olana State Historic Site. The show will also tune in two local interviews from the Oral History Summer School in Hudson, previewing shows on WGXC in July. Tune in to hear about your neighborhood.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Feature Story News
7 p.m.: Guest DJ: The Music Maestro The Maestro returns to play a variety of jazz.

Joe Gentile and Kyle Adams are reporting in the Register Star heavy storms Wed., June 25, caused widespread flooding in Hudson and Greenport, while lightning exploded a steeple in Catskill and significantly damaged Columbia County 911's cell phone tower. Severe thunderstorms dumped as much as three inches of rainfall in three hours across portions of east central Columbia County early Wednesday night. As a result of the storm, Hudson's public works crews worked to maintain the sewage system and to make sure the roads were safe for travel, Mayor William H. Hallenbeck Jr. said. Heavy flooding was reported near Underhill Pond, and on Parkwood and Glenwood boulevards in the city's Fifth Ward. In Greenport sections of Fairview Ave. and portions of the Livingston Parkway rotary were reportedly under water Wednesday night. After the main cell tower at the Greenport headquarters of Columbia County 911 sustained a heavy lightning strike, the county emergency response unit was left to operate from its mobile command unit. Lightning also struck the steeple of the former Gospel Tabernacle Church, now Snap Fitness Center, on Main St. in Catskill. The strike sent debris flying down the block and forced the evacuation of nearby buildings. The steeple never caught fire and the rest of the structure remained intact. Read the full story in the Register Star.

 

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential New York state tied with Louisiana for 40th place in CNBC’s annual state rankings for the most, and least business-friendly states. Last year New York took 35th place. Georgia came in first this year; Rhode Island was ranked last. The cable business news channel lauded New York's education system and its level of innovation, but noted that high costs, including the cost of living and of doing business are repelling employers. For the cost of doing business they looked at income and property taxes, utility costs and wages among other items. Cost of living included housing, food and energy. New York also scored 43rd in the workforce category and 38th for infrastructure and transportation. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

 

The Daily Freeman is reporting unemployment rates in Mid-Hudson counties were sharply lower in May 2014 than in May 2013, according to data released this week by the state Department of Labor. Greene County's jobless rate last month was 6.4 percent, down from 8.1 percent in the same month a year earlier, the department said. The Columbia County unemployment rate fell from 6.1 percent in May 2013 to 4.8 percent in May 2014. Unemployment rates also fell in Dutchess, Delaware, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. The county with the lowest unemployment rate in the state last month was Tompkins, in the Ithaca area, at 4.1 percent.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 79F; low 61F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 80F; low 62F.[/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 Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by the National Weather Services in Albany remains in effect for northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts, east central New York and southern Vermont. There is a slight chance of mainly non-severe thunderstorms Thursday afternoon.

Today: Scattered showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 83. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Thursday night, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 8 p.m. and midnight. Patchy fog after 3 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy. Low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Friday: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny. High near 84. Friday night, a slight chance of showers before 9 p.m. Patchy fog after 3 a.m. Otherwise, mostly clear. Low around 57.
Saturday: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 87. Saturday night, mostly clear. Low around 57.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 83. Sunday night, partly cloudy. Low around 62.

Sunrise today: 5:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:36 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:15 hrs.

Town meetings
Today is the fourth Thursday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.

CHATHAM Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors .1 [point one] Committee at 1 p.m.,
Finance Committee at 2 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GERMANTOWN Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Palatine Park Road, Germantown (537-6687).
HUDSON Community Development and Planning Agency board meeting at 6 p.m., Common Council Economic Development Committee meeting at 6:45 p.m., City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
STUYVESANT Greenway Committee meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
WINDHAM Town Board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12 a.m. (midnight): Radio News: Police Need Warrant for Cell Phone Search From Free Speech Radio News: "The US Supreme Court handed down a unanimous ruling today that requires police to get a warrant before they can search the contents of an arrestee’s cell phone. The case, Riley v. California, stemmed from an incident in which police examined the digital data of the petitioner after his arrest during a traffic stop. Many digital and privacy rights advocates have been closely watching the case given its implications for Fourth Ammendment protections in the digital age. The court stated in its opinion that many Americans today “keep on their person a digital record of nearly every aspect of their lives.” For more on the ruling and its implications, FSRN’s Shannon Young spoke with Trevor Timm, Executive Director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation and legal analyst specializing in free speech and government transparency issues."
12:05 p.m. Radio Stew: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Aereo loses its case in the Supreme Court, perhaps dooming cloud computing, and certainly its transmitter scheme. Listen to many voices explain.

6 a.m.: The Michael Slate Show
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Local news, national headlines, regional events, music, and more.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: Prison Voices Project: The Prison Poetry Workshop The Prison Poetry Workshop is a public radio show, hosted by Rend Smith. The show travels across the country exploring the history and stories connected to the prison poetry literary form. In this episode, we visit with the state's prison poets and learn the extent to which time dominates their reality. Produced by Amanda Mummery.
3 p.m.: Radio Theatre: The Bat, Part One Produced at KSVR Studios at the radio station KSVR-FM in Mount Vernon, Washington. The actors are from the Skagit Radio Repertory Company. The producer is Joseph C McGuire. Written by Avery Hopwood and Mary Roberts Rhinehart and adapted for radio by Heather Elliott. Rhinehart was one of the authors of the cozy school of mysteries starting in the early 20th century. Before she wrote cozies she wrote mystery melodramas like the Circular Staircase and The Bat. The Bat features an old Dark house with a mysterious villain on the loose known as the Bat. Solving the problem of the Bat is a Spinster and her niece and host of quirky characters. Produced by Joseph C McGuire. Edited by Jay Charles. Performers: The Skagit Radio Repertory Company. Made with a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting.
3:30 p.m.: Kids' Brain Radio Live from the Catskill Community Center. Hosted by Matt Bua and Sam Sebren.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Katherine Moore, Stella Woo, Peter Pehrson Katherine Moore and Stella Yoo will discuss the Hudson River Exchange Summer Market scheduled to take place at the Hudson waterfront Sat., June 28. Peter Pehrson will talk about the decision to move his business, Stoddard Books, from Columbia St. to Warren St., and the development of the east end Hudson’s business district. Plus, news, weather, events, music and more. Hosted by Ellen Thurston and Tom DePietro, with Jake Ebel.
6 p.m.: Feature Story News

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Flash Flood Warning for northwestern Greene County and southern Schoharie County until 1 a.m., Thurs., June 26. At 8:55 p.m., Wed., local law enforcement officials reported flash flooding from showers and thunderstorms in the Gilboa area. Additional heavy rain and flash flooding is possible in the larger warned area. Locations in the warning include, but are not limited to Livingstonville, Summit, Middleburgh and Breakabeen. Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding. If flash flooding is observed act quickly. Move to higher ground to escape flood waters. Do not stay in areas subject to flooding when water begins rising. Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. Do not attempt to cross swiftly flowing waters or waters of unknown depth. The water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely. Turn around, don't drown. A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="289"] Kirsten Gillibrand, left, takes the
oath of office from Federal Court of Appeals
Judge Roger Miner (right) in 2007.
(Times Union staff photo by Cindy Schultz)[/caption]

Joe Gentile is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors County Government Committee Tues., June 24, voted unanimously to have the renovated county courthouse in Hudson named in honor of the late Judge Roger Miner, senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Board Chairman Pat Grattan said once renovations are complete an official dedication ceremony will be held. Miner began his legal career in Hudson. He served as Columbia County District Attorney from 1968 to 1975. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagen to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1985. In 1987, Miner was one of three candidates on the shortlist for the U.S. Supreme Court. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Arthur Cusano is reporting in the Register Star the town of Greenport celebrated the opening of its new community center and police station Mon., June 23, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new facility at 500 Town Hall Drive includes a senior center and a county-run senior nutrition center. It will also be used by the town’s Historical Society and Garden Club. The building houses a new police station on the lower level, and it will be used as an official polling place during elections. The center is located directly across the street from Town Hall. The building was previously used as a dance studio and private apartment. The total cost of the conversion project was more than a half million dollars. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Casey Seiler is reporting at Capitol Confidential the Partnership for Educational Justice Tues., June 24, announced its plans to legally challenge New York's teacher tenure laws, including the foundational "last-in, first-out" protection. The decision comes in the wake of the recent Vergara state court decision in California. The New York case will include six families as plaintiffs, including one family from Rochester and others from downstate. The group alleges the current system helps keep ineffective and even dangerous teachers in the classroom. The Partnership for Educational Justice is a newly formed nonprofit headed by former CNN anchor Campbell Brown and her husband, Republican adviser and commentator Dan Senor. Senor also sits on the board of StudentsFirstNY, an education reform group that includes charter school entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz. The law firm Kirkland & Ellis will represent the plaintiff pro bono, and the legal team will include Jay Lefkowitz, a former Bush White House counsel. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 83F; low 67F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 83F; low 63F.[/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 Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by the National Weather Services in Albany remains in effect for northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts, east central New York and southern Vermont. There is a chance of thunderstorms all day, Wed., June 25. Any thunderstorm that does form will likely move from southwest to northeast around 30 mph. Thunderstorms could contain gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Ponding of water is possible on roadways and areas of poor drainage.

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy. High near 83. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Wednesday night, showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Cloudy. Low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 85. Thursday night, patchy fog after 2 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy. Low around 61.
Friday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny. High near 84. Friday night, patchy fog. Low around 58.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly sunny. High near 85. Saturday night, partly cloudy. Low around 61.

Sunrise today: 5:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:35 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:15 hrs.

Town meetings
Today is the fourth Wednesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


ATHENS Village meeting at 7 p.m. at Community Center, 2 First St., Athens (945-1551).
CAIRO at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 512 Main St., Cairo (622-3120).*
COLUMBIA COUNTY Public Works Committee at 6 p.m. at County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson.
HUDSON Common Council Public Works Committee meeting at 5:30 p.m.; Legal Committee meeting starts at 6:15 p.m at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUDSON Development Corporation meeting (tentative) at 12 p.m. (noon) at 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
KINDERHOOK Historical Committee meeting at 7 p.m., Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
12:05 p.m. Radio Stew: Radio-Controlled Drone Strikes on Americans A memo released details the U.S. legal rationale for killing its own citizens with a radio-controlled drone.
1 a.m.: Vital Weekly: Fibreforms Episode 937 of weekly experimental new music show, by folks formerly behind Staalplaat. Click on title for playlist 937.
2 a.m.: FFFoxy Podcast: A Line in the Sand On this episode of the FFFoxy Podcast (#39), we delved into the latest collaborative endeavor from a core group of artists that have been long-time favorites of ours on the show: Nathan McLaughlin, Joe Houpert, Cody Yantis, and Josh Mason. For the past two years, they have been working on an ambitious series of releases under the banner A Line in the Sand that encompasses a range of artists, labels, formats, and mediums, all in an effort to foster a sense of community and to create purposeful music and art together. While all of these guys have collaborated together in some capacity prior to this, we had a chance to interview each of them – together in pairs as you will hear – to find out what distinguished this project from others and what the creative process was like throughout. We were also fortunate enough to get to speak with Chris Koelle, the talented artist/illustrator that contributed the elaborate portrait drawings and overall design to tie things together visually for each of the releases.

6 a.m.: The Michael Slate Show
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Local news, national headlines, regional events, music, and more.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
10 a.m.: The Right Opinion: Don Moore Hudson Common Council President Don Moore will discuss Hudson-related issues. Hosted by Ed Fertik.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show: Dean Riddle Master gardener and landscape designer Dean Riddle will be in the studio to answer questions about gardening. Plus, news, events, weather, music and more. Live from the Catskill Community Center. Hosted by Harry Matthews.
6 p.m.: Feature Story News
7 p.m.: All Hopped Up (and Ready to Go): 20140625 Hosted by Tony Fletcher.

Kyle Adams is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greene County Legislature has taken a position against a proposed modification to the Clean Water Act. In a resolution passed last week, lawmakers alleged the regulation will burden farmers with “costly and time-consuming permitting and regulatory protocols." Greene County Legislator James Hitchcock accused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers of wanting to expand the definition of the existing Clean Water Act. The Maplecrest Republican said under the agency's proposal, “a large puddle in a field, a typical farm field, could be considered navigable waters." He called the rule "EPA overreach at its worst." Legislators and agricultural groups fear the changes will require many public works projects and farm activities to go through the permitting process required under the Clean Water Act, which is expected to increase costs to farmers, and to taxpayers, as well. The public comment period for the proposed rule is open until Oct. 20. For more information, go to water [dot] EPA [dot] gov.

Joe Gentile is reporting in the Register Star the Columbia County Board of Supervisors Airport Committee is now in the process of deciding what its next steps should be. Earlier this month, the FAA reclassified the Ghent airport, allowing the runway safety zone to be reduced from 1,000 to 300 feet. The county now may only need a little less than 14 acres of land to implement its runway safety plan. Committee chairman Art Bassin said the committee first needs to know what aerial navigation easements are needed, and how much they are appraised for, before initiating a conversation with Carmen Nero, the adjacent property owner. Nero previously rejected the county’s offer to purchase 16 acres, and 90 acres of aerial navigation easements for $629,000. Bassin said ultimately the county will pay Nero what the experts say the property is worth, nothing more. Read the full story in the Register Star.

Lauren Stanforth is reporting in the Times Union during a five-year time span, school-age children who were classified as homeless almost doubled in New York state. The trend was driven by the recession and family displacements due to Tropical Storm Irene and Superstorm Sandy. More than 2,000 school-age children in the four-county Capital Region were classified as homeless during the 2012-2013 year, according to data reported by the state Education Department. The city of Albany's levels more than doubled what they were before the recession hit in late 2008. The statistics include not only children who are living in motels, shelters, campgrounds and abandoned buildings, but those who are temporarily living with others, with or without their parents. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 82F; low 56F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 82F; low 49F.[/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 for northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts, east central New York and southern Vermont. There is a chance of mainly non-severe thunderstorms all day Tues., June 24, mainly north and west of the Capital Region. Any thunderstorm that forms will move west southwest to east northeast around 30 mph. Thunderstorms could contain localized heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

Today: Partly sunny. High near 88. Tuesday night, a slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy. Low around 65. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Forecast for the next three days:
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Cloudy. High near 83. Wednesday night, showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Cloudy. Low around 67.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. High near 83. Thursday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 62.
Friday: Mostly sunny. High near 81. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 60.

Sunrise today: 5:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:35 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:15 hrs.

Town meetings
Today is the fourth Tuesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors County Government Committee Meeting, 5 p.m at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
GREENPORT Planning Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Greenport Town Hall, Town Hall Drive, Hudson (828-4656).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
6 a.m.: Background Briefing Hosted by Ian Masters.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Local news, national headlines, regional events, music, and more. Tom Roe hosts live from Wave Farm.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
11 a.m.: Classic Country Show: 20140624 Hosted by Tanya Blue
12 p.m. (noon): Duquesne Whistle: 20140624 Hosted by Doug Clow.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Feature Story News
7 p.m.: Radio Warfare: 20140624 Hosted by Tim Livingston.

Some of the stories that made the news, Fri., June 20 through Mon., June 23:

The Daily Freeman reported employment was stronger in much of the Hudson Valley in May 2014 than it was in May 2013, according to data released last week by the state Department of Labor. Non-farm employment last month, compared to May 2013, was up by 200 jobs (1.4 percent) in Greene County, and up by 200 jobs (less than 1 percent) in Columbia County. The state-designated Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area had the region’s most robust growth, reporting a gain of 1.3 percent. Non-farm jobs include all private-sector and government positions that are not in agriculture.

Joe Gentile reported in the Register Star Victim Impact Panels could return to Columbia County for the first time in nearly 10 years. The groups were created as a way to help individuals convicted of drunken driving from repeating the offense. A large cross-section of people attend the sessions, and are effective in getting across the point that DWI has far-reaching effects. Reginald Crowley, coordinator of the STOP DWI program has reached out to the District's Attorney's Office, the county Sheriff's Office and the Hudson Police Department to help hash out the logistics for bringing the panels back.

Audrey Matott reported in The Daily Mail the Cairo-Durham Central School District has now officially instituted its summer school program for grades K through 12. The Board of Education approved the program at a special meeting, Thurs., June 19. However, there is a difference of $12,000 between the estimated cost of the program and the actual cost presented to the board Thursday. Superintendent Mary Fassett promised the discrepancy would be explained. A recording of the full June 19 Board of Education meeting can be found at wgxc.org/archives.

Jordan Carleo-Evangelist reported at Capitol Confidential state Sen. Kathleen Marchione has been named one of S.C.O.P.E.’s two legislators of the year for her opposition to the SAFE Act. The western New York-based Shooter's Committee On Public Education also honored Utica-area Assembly member Claudia Tenney. Marchione represents the 43rd Senate District, which includes all of Columbia County. The first-term Republican has been a vocal opponent of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's 2013 gun control legislation, which requires owners of assault weapons to register them with the state. Most New Yorkers support the law, but upstate voters oppose it. S.C.O.P.E. lauded the senator for her sponsorship of two bills that would repeal the law.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="162"] (clearwaterfestival.org)[/caption]

The Associated Press reported the Clearwater Festival was held at Croton-on-Hudson over the weekend, the first of the annual music and environment program to be held following the death of founder Pete Seeger. Folk artists Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, Holly Near, Dar Williams and others performed together to honor Seeger. Sets were planned that centered on music of the Weavers and Almanac Singers, and others highlighted the banjo, which Seeger frequently picked in concert. The two-day festival was expected to draw around 25,000 people.

Weather right now


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="128"] Cairo: High 82F; low 56F.[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125"] Catskill: High 82F; low 49F.[/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: Sunny. High near 84. Monday night, partly cloudy. Low around 59.

Forecast for the next three days:
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 85. Tuesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Low around 65.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy. High near 82. Wednesday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 64.
Thursday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 80. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 62.

Sunrise today: 5:19 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:35 p.m.
Length of the day: 15:15 hrs.

Town meetings
Today is the fourth Monday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.


CATSKILL Village board meeting at 7 p.m. at Firehouse near Catskill Commons (Wal Mart) (943-3830).
COLUMBIA COUNTY Board of Supervisors’ Economic Development Committee meeting, 5 p.m.; Airport Committee meeting, 6 p.m., at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
HALCOTT Town meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 813 Route 3, Halcott Center (845-254-9920)
HUDSON Common Council Police Committee Meeting, 6 p.m. at City Hall; Fire Committee Meeting at 6:45 p.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
PHILMONT Local Development Corp. meeting at 7 p.m., Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
STUYVESANT Planning Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).

The day ahead on WGXC 90.7-FM
6 a.m.: Background Briefing Hosted by Ian Masters.
7 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show Local news, national headlines, regional events, music, and more. Tom Roe hosts live from Wave Farm.
8 a.m.: Democracy Now! hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
9 a.m.: WGXC Morning Show continues.
4 p.m.: WGXC Afternoon Show
6 p.m.: Feature Story News

Michael Ryan in the Windham Journal reports that after two months waiting, the Windham Town Supervisor Stacy Post continues to deny a FOIL request for a copy of a statement she read into the record at a town board meeting on April 24. Post has changed locks on the doors of the town hall, and last week the board voted to change those locks again, so everyone else could have access too. State police searched the municipal building and Post's house on March 21, seizing a computer from Post's desk.
No other details have been confirmed about the raid. Read the full story in the Windham Journal.

Local News
Local news from Wave Farm‘s WGXC 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley, New York for Sun., June 22. PLAY AUDIO (1:23)

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

• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77, a low around 53.

• Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81, and a low around 61. South wind 6 to 9 mph.

• Tuesday: There is a 20 percent chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.

Sunrise 5:19 a.m.
Sunset 7:35 p.m.
Other celestial rises/sets
Moon 2:10 A.M. 4:11 P.M.
Mercury 5:25 A.M. 7:55 P.M.
Venus 3:28 A.M. 5:55 P.M.
Mars 2:08 P.M. 1:30 A.M.
Jupiter 7:13 A.M. 10:06 P.M.
Saturn 4:45 P.M. 3:04 A.M.
Uranus 1:31 A.M. 2:17 P.M.
Neptune 12:04 A.M. 10:59 A.M.
Pluto 8:59 P.M. 6:32 A.M.

WGXC Programming

Two Gun Man
June 21, 2014: 11 p.m. – June 22, 2014: 1 a.m.
CounterSpin: Ross Caputi, Brian Jones
June 22, 2014: 5:30 a.m. – 6 a.m.

Kyle Adams reports in The Daily Mail that the Greene County Chamber of Commerce named WRIP (97.9-FM) "Small Business of the Year" June 19. The station, broadcasting from Windham since 1998, stood out in the area in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, said GCCC board member Lorraine Emerick. “Running on generator power and caffeine, WRIP connected neighbors and friends during and after the storm.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Mid-Hudson Cable has dropped Al-Jazeera English, its only non-entertainment-oriented cable news channel. The channel, previously AL Gore's Current TV, had been Channel 173 on Mid-Hudson Cable until recently. Mid-Hudson also reports it is having trouble picking up the WYNA (channel 9 and 609) signal, and have been advised by the station's engineer that WYNA is running on low power while working on a transmission problem. (Note: Mid-Hudson Cable is an underwriter on WGXC.)

The Guardian in London reports that The New York Metropolitan Opera this week cancelled the international simulcast of John Adams' opera "The Death of Klinghoffer," due to "an outpouring of concern" that it "might be used to fan global anti-semitism." Locally, Time Space Limited in Hudson simulcasts the Mets' opera, but not this one. "I'm convinced that the opera is not anti-semitic," said Peter Gelb, general manager for the Met. "But I've also become convinced that there is genuine concern in the international Jewish community that the live transmission of "The Death of Klinghoffer" would be inappropriate at this time of rising anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe." The 1991 opera depicts the Palestine Liberation Front's 1985 hijack of an Italian cruise ship. The 69-year-old Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish-American tourist, is murdered in the hijacking. Read the full story in The Guardian.