Today's daily news update.

WNYT reports that local doctors are seeing more patients with symptoms of three contagious diseases: COVID-19, the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and the flu. Dr. James Saperstone with Community Care Physicians in Guilderland said the outbreaks show the effectiveness of masking. The flu has not been a problem locally for several years, but now that most people are not wearing masks in public it has returned. Health care officials are urging everyone to get vaccinations for COVID-19 and the flu. The short supply of antibiotics and Motrin or Tylenol has made things worse for those suffering. Saperstone said, “We are beaten. It has been a really difficult fall, and I’ve been doing this for 42 years. It’s not that any of these viruses or illnesses are terribly severe, it’s just there’s so much of it.” Read the full story at WNYT.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. is now not the only New York utility being investigated for billing practices by the New York State Department of Public Service. New York State Electric & Gas Corp. and Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. are also being investigated for potential mismanagement of their utilities’ billing systems and protocols the New York State Department of Public Service announced on Dec. 28. “Ensuring customer bills are accurate is the singular responsibility of the utility, and this expanded investigation of RG&E and NYSEG will determine what went wrong and how will it be resolved,” said the Department Chief Executive Officer Rory M. Christian. “Our bottom line is simple: we hold utilities accountable for any billing errors and we will require the companies to hold customers harmless.” Like Central Hudson, the two other utilities have seen a significant spike in the number of complaints from customers. “As a result, Department staff commenced a review and an investigation related to a September 2022 change to the companies’ customer information and billing system,” the announcement from the overseers said. A report about Central Hudson was released on Dec. 15 by the Public Service Commission’s Office of Investigations and Enforcement and the Public Service Commission voted Dec. 15 to order Central Hudson to answer allegations contained in the report within 30 days. The Public Service Commission is deciding about “proceeding to determine whether the commission should pursue a civil penalty action against Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation for apparent failures related to the company’s new customer information and billing system,” a commission statement said. U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan, who represents the 19th Congressional District in 2022 and the 18th District in 2023, said on Dec. 28 that, “It is utterly disgraceful that hard-working New Yorkers are paying the price for utility companies’ incompetence.... I will not rest until any utility found to be ripping off customers or in violation of contract is held fully accountable.” State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat from Saugerties, made a similar comment, saying, “People have lost faith in their utility companies, but one thing is for certain—erroneous billing practices cannot be the new normal.... All utility companies must be held accountable to the New Yorkers they are bound to serve, and we will keep holding their feet to the fire to ensure that families can budget their monthly expenses, plan accordingly, and feel secure knowing what to expect from their utility bill.” The Public Service Department has heard about incorrect bills being sent to consumers or very late bills being sent from New York State Electric & Gas Corp. and Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. This year the number of consumer complaints against the two companies rose to more than 4,700, which is 60 percent more than the two previous years combined. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Amanda Burke reports in The Berkshire Eagle that the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission wants feedback from anyone who travels anywhere in Berkshire County. They are launching a Regional Transportation Plan Survey about getting around the Berkshires. Nick Russo. a senior transportation planner at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission said, “If you travel around Berkshire County, we want to hear from you." The online survey is available both in English and Spanish with links on the WGXC Newsroom, and must be filled out by the end of January. Survey results will help inform annual spending on infrastructure projects in Berkshire County that will range from $14.9 million to $34.2 million per year between 2022 and 2026. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily news update.

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Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting for the Times Union the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association, a group working to develop a rail trail through eastern Dutchess and Columbia counties has received a $375,000 state grant to plan the trail's next leg. The Harlem Valley rail trail was first conceived of in the mid-1980s. It currently stretches along the foothills of the Taconic Mountains from Wassaic in Dutchess County north to Copake Falls in Columbia County. “We are thrilled to be the recipient of this important grant, which will further our goal of a continuous, paved trail from Wassaic to Chatham,” said Dick Hermans, chair of the association. “We are excited to be creating new partnerships in the communities that this section of trail will pass through.” The grant and matching funds should make the project shovel-ready, but additional funds must be raised to cover the cost of the trail's construction. The final concept is a 46-mile continuous trail from Wassaic to Chatham, 26 miles of which are already in place. The grant will be used to design a section beginning in the village of Philmont. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Raymond Pignone is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the CommCare system, a method used to support case investigations early in the COVID-19 pandemic, will end Dec. 29, as local health departments phase out COVID-19 case investigations, according to the New York State Department of Health. Effective January 1, the Greene County Public Health Department will no longer call positive COVID-19 cases, according to the department’s website. Final calls to COVID-positive people will be made Thursday by the Columbia County Department of Health, Public Health Director Jack Mabb said. CommCare is an electronic medical records system adopted in late summer 2020 by several health departments in the region, including Greene and Columbia counties, as the pandemic reached its peak. The system came under fire for the method and detail of questioning critics believed invaded privacy and yielded little useful information. “It was good once the bugs were worked out,” Mabb said. “But it’s going to go away this week because there’s no reason for it now. With all the variants and changes in the virus in the last year, there’s no way for us to collect all the data. It’s a remnant of a very difficult time.” Rensselaer County was the only Capital Region health department to opt out of the system and refused to go back. For information, the Columbia County Department of Health can be reached by calling 518-828-3358 during business hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. In Greene County, residents are asked to contact the Greene County Public Health Department by calling 518-719-3600 during regular business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher is urging residents of that county to let officials know about voids in broadband service before billions in federal and state funding are distributed to fill the areas where the network is lacking. The Federal Communications Commission has created a map, which is out for public review, showing areas not served by broadband service and Gallagher would like residents to participate in the process. “We want to make sure that anything that is not represented appropriately in the map that we file a challenge for it,” she said. “Ulster County is going to be filing a bulk challenge, but we also heard that it is important to have individuals and businesses, individual property owners, file their own challenge. So, we are hoping that people will take a look at the map and file a challenge if the federal government doesn’t have their broadband status correct.” Gallagher has created a county Citizens Commission for Digital Inclusion that had identified more than 1,100 properties not served by broadband and wants to ensure they are in the federal report. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that the Rensselaer County Republican elections commissioner will plead guilty to federal criminal charges on January 11 in a vote fraud investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. For Jason T. Schofield it will be his second conviction in the federal investigation by the FBI focused on the harvesting of absentee ballots in elections over the past two years in Rensselaer County. Danielle Neroni, Schofield's attorney, said on Dec. 28, "He is scheduled for a change of plea and with his change of plea he will be resigning from his position." The newspaper says a source tells them that Schofield will cooperate in the wide-ranging investigation into election fraud in the county, according to his plea agreement. This won't be the first guilty plea in this investigation. former Troy city councilperson Kimberly Ashe-McPherson, a 61-year-old Republican, pleaded guilty in June to fraudulently submitting absentee ballots in last year's primary and general elections. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The New York State of Politics website runs down some of the changes in state law that go into effect Jan. 1. There are two pocketbook issues: the gas tax holiday expires on New Year's Eve, so in any counties participating prices will rise. But New York's minimum wage will go up to $14.20 an hour for workers outside of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. There are some election law changes, with voter registration allowed until 10 days before an election beginning next year. And the words "independence" and "independent" won't be allowed in political party names next year, bringing an end to the Independence Party. Cosmetics tested on animals will not be allowed to be made or sold in New York too, among, several other new laws. Read the full story at New York State of Politics.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that the Bavarian Manor Country Inn in Purling is now under new management. “For the past 91 years patrons, friends and family have come to the Bavarian Manor making memories that have spanned multiple generations,” now former owner Stan Oldakowski said in a statement on behalf of the Bauer-Oldakowski families. Restauranteur Garrett Doyle, who also purchased the East Durham landmark Furlongs, now Five Furlongs Tavern, on State Route 145 in 2021, is the new owner of the Bavarian Manor Country Inn. “The hotel will continue in capable hands with new energy,” Oldakowski said. Oldakowski's wife Suzanne Bauer-Oldakowski passed away in 2017. Her grandparents, Karl and Anna Bauer, from Bavaria, Germany, bought the property in 1931. Her parents, William and Johanna Bauer, also ran the 80-seat restaurant and 18-room hotel. Macko writes, "According to Five Furlongs Tavern, the cuisine at Bavarian Manor is staying German and a menu is forthcoming. A soft opening is slated for Friday, December 30 starting at 3 p.m. with cocktails, appetizers, and music. Rooms are already available for booking." The story does not say how much the restaurant and hotel were sold for. Read the full story in Porcupine Soup.

Today's daily news update.

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

The Times Union reports that a fifth child has succumbed to the flu in New York is a disturbing reminder of the need to get a shot this season, the state's health commissioner said on Dec. 27. The death in New York was just one of 47 pediatric death cases reported nationwide. “One pediatric flu death is already too many,” Dr. Mary T. Bassett said in a statement late Dec. 27. “With yet another death being reported in New York, we urge every New Yorker, parent, and guardian to get themselves and their children their flu shot immediately. It is not too late to get the most important protection for yourself and your family possible against becoming seriously ill.” The Health Department recommends that everyone, aged 6 months and older, get the flu shot. The department's new flu surveillance report, containing data through December 17, shows that 217,094 flu cases have been reported across the state's 62 counties to date, including 61 outbreaks in acute care and long term care facilities. Outside of New York City, lab-confirmed flu cases are up four percent. Confirmed cases in the city dropped 19 percent, while overall hospitalizations were down three percent as of the week of December 17. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been 12,000 deaths nationwide attributed to the flu so far this season. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Sarah Taddeo is reporting for the Poughkeepsie Journal workers upstate will see an increase in the minimum wage in the new year, as part of the state’s effort to secure a $15 hourly wage for everyone. As of December 31, workers outside of New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County will be paid $14.20 an hour as part of an incremental increase schedule set by lawmakers. New York City and other downstate areas have already reached the $15-per-hour threshold after several annual increases. Fast-food workers statewide already make $15 per hour. Some lawmakers are now pushing for the state to go further, citing high inflation rates and the high cost of living in metro areas. Lawmakers have put forward a bill that would raise the minimum wage in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County to $21.25 per hour over a three-year period, from 2024 to 2026. The plan would have the rest of the state reach $20 per hour in 2026, and $21.25 by the following year. A version of the bill was proposed in the Legislature in 2021, but it failed to move. “$15/hour just isn’t cutting it in New York City anymore,” Jumaane Williams, New York City’s Public Advocate and a former candidate for New York governor, said on Twitter in November. “As the cost of living increases, our pay should, too.” But business leaders are wary of the legislation, saying it would compound the overhead small businesses faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and in its aftermath. “How lawmakers could consider adding another expense to small business’ bottom lines is unfathomable,” the National Federation of Independent Businesses New York state director Ashley Ranslow said. Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Clarence Fanto is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle the owners of the historic Blantyre estate in Lenox, Mass., are taking the next step to complete major renovations to the 25-room resort, which has been closed for 13 months. Developer and historic preservation specialist Clark Lyda and co-owner Ken Fulk, an interior designer and preservationist, will seek approval of revisions to the first phase of the project at a Zoning Board hearing to be held in January. The estimated cost of the renovation is more than $10 million, Lyda said, and would include exterior and interior work, cosmetic improvements and landscaping. “It’s a big, ambitious project, there’s a lot of work to be done,” Lyda said. The existing permit covers a major expansion of the resort including the addition of 45 rooms in a new hotel and spa building and five four-unit townhouses, bringing the total for the resort to 90. The resort will remain closed until late 2023 when the restoration of the mansion is completed, Lyda said. Blantyre is one of the grand Berkshire cottages built during the Gilded Age. It was constructed in 1902 by Robert Paterson, a wealthy New York City businessman and is named for his mother's ancestral home in Scotland. Blantyre was transformed into a hotel in the 1940s and sits on almost 88 acres. Lyda said the mansion was in far worse shape than expected when he purchased it in November 2021 for $15 million. The property was formerly owned by the daughter of the late Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick of Red Lion Inn and Country Curtains fame. Read more in The Berkshire Eagle.

Commercial Carrier Journal reports about how the Federal Communications Commission's expansion of citizens band radio from AM and single-sideband to include FM frequencies will impact truckers and others who use CB radios. Currently the 40 channels on CB radios are on the 11 meter band, from 26.965 MHz to 27.405 MHz, considered AM radio. Upper and lower single-sideband modes can be selected on higher-end CBs among those 40 channels to provide improved AM transmissions with greater power and range. The FM frequencies being added will come in clearer. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley says that FM frequencies will provide an “improved signal to noise ratio (about 25dB) with regards to man-made interference” over the current AM frequencies. “This is going to bring a lot of good things for professional users of the CB radio band like truckers because a lot times when the skip’s really rolling and the [solar] cycle is at its peak, sometimes it can interfere with truckers communicating up and down the highways. FM is really going to cut that down,” amateur radio expert Matt Kaskavitch. FM signals won't travel as far, but will be much clearer. “[FM] is going to provide for better clarity of signal and better short-range communication without having to worry about people from all over the country and really all over the world when the cycle is at its peak interfering as you’re trying to talk a few miles up and down the interstate,” Kaskavitch said. Read the full story in the Commercial Carrier Journal.

Today's daily news update.