Congressman Chris Gibson will take questions from fifth graders at Ichabod Crane Middle School, in the LGI Room, 2910 Route 9, Valatie at 8:45 a.m. Friday morning.

Civil Service Employees Association President Danny Donohue responded to the story reported in the WGXC Newsroom and many other outlets about the opening of Dept. of Motor Vehicle Call Center at Greene Correctional Facility in Coxsackie. Donahue represents the sort of folks who are not in prison and who might work jobs at call centers. "While not a new program, using prisoners to do the work of Department of Motor Vehicle employees is a bad idea generally and even worse considering the current economy," Donohue said in a press release. "At a time when thousands of New York families are struggling to find jobs and pay their bills, New York State has decided to help prisoners develop 'marketable skills' rather than make appropriate and necessary jobs available to law abiding citizens who would then pay their taxes, spend their paychecks and contribute in the local community. CSEA can only remain skeptical about claims of taxpayer savings from this scheme when security and close supervision costs are considered."

W.T. Eckert in The Daily Mail reports on Project Hope, which has been providing crisis counseling in the towns and villages most affected by Tropical Storm Irene since Oct. 13. The article states that Project Hope has received funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will continue its support efforts until the one year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene. Support groups set up by the project are currently being held at Beth’s Cafe on Main Street in Prattsville on Tuesday nights at 5:30 p. m. and the Masonic Lodge on Main Street in Windham on Thursday at 6 p.m. Anyone in need of support or interested in joining a support group, contact Project Hope team leader Phil Jackson at (518) 641-8734. Read about Project Hope's Phase Two in The Daily Mail.

Weather right now
Hosts: Please announce the current temperature in Hudson, which is in Studio A in Hudson. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air. The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; the two others are Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.

Please credit the above temperatures: From the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; and from Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.
On the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page, when the computer at Hawthorne Valley is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information live from Harlemville. Check dates and times at bottom of image to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was last turned off. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Cairo, in Greene County.
The National Weather Service issued a Wind Advisory for Greene, Columbia, and all surrounding counties from 6 a.m. Friday through midnight. Winds could gust as high as 49 mph. Besides the wind, the NWS predicts Thursday in Cairo there will be rain, and snow showers before 4 p.m., then a chance of snow showers. High near 38. Friday night those snow showers should end before 9 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. The weekend forecast is cold:
• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24, low around 8.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 25, low around 9.
• M.L.King Day: Sunny, with a high near 30.

Town meetings today
Today is the second Friday of the month.
HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission at 10 a.m., 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
SATURDAY MEETING
ANCRAM The Ancram Town Board holds a special meeting to review the financial control processes and the 2011 books of the Town Court, Town Building Department, and the Town Clerk/Tax Collector, and conduct any other business that comes before the Board. 10 a.m. at Ancram Town Hall, 1416 County Route 7, Ancram. 518-329-6512.

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:19 a.m./ 4:50 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 10:03 p.m. / 9:31 a.m.

Today's big games
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: New York Knicks 83 at Memphis Grizzlies 94
Schedules
NFL SUN: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers, 4 p.m.

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Fri. Jan. 13:
• "Pure Moods," Noon-2 p.m.: Shannekia McIntosh plays all sorts of music.
• "Guest DJ," 7-9:30 p.m.: Chris Bishop plays music.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
The information below are options of pre-recorded material hosts can choose to play.

Audio clips to play


New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A_OFF_PSA_20120122 Ghent Playhouse auditions

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a report sharply critical of the state agency overseeing the delivery of services to the developmentally disabled, The New York Times reports.. Last year The New York Times ran a series of articles about abuse, neglect and financial mismanagement in the state’s system of caring for developmentally disabled people. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration undertook a reform effort intended to address decades of mismanagement in the system. Danny Hakim of The Times says today's report questions its efforts to reform the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons With Disabilities. The commission is supposed to oversee much larger state agencies that care for the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. The report found the Commission lacks independence from the governor’s office, failed to account for how it is spending public money and has broken several requirements of federal law. Read the article in The New York Times

Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports on a plan to renovate an old farm property in Round Top into a Hindu retreat. Vishwa Dharma Mandalam, an orthodox Hindu church and nonprofit religious organization based in Manhattan, presented its plan to rehab the former Winding Brook Farm at a public hearing on Tuesday. The organization has owned the farm on Hearts Content Road since 2009. The organization doesn't plan to build any new structures but it wants to renovate an existing residence and use it as a boarding house. Barns on the property would serve as a yoga studio and storage. The current septic system on the property will be upgraded to accommodate a maximum of 50 people. The site plan is currently before the Cairo Planning Board. It will have to be reviewed by the Greene County Planning Board because the property lies along a county road. Read about the plan in The Daily Mail.

Kinderhook Town Board meetings will air on the local public access TV channel, according to Barbara Reina of the Register Star. K-Town supervisor Patrick Grattan pointed out the new video camera at Tuesday night's town board meeting Monday night. He said the meetings will also soon be available on the town's website. Grattan was recently sworn in as Chairman of the new Columbia County Board of Supervisors. He told the meeting the broadcasts were part of an effort to increase public awareness of local government. He also welcomed new members Timothy Ooms, Deborah Simonsmeier to Kinderhook's town board. Read the article in the Register Star.

The Register Star's Tom Casey reports that Valatie is looking for a new Town Clerk. The board announced that it will begin accepting applications for the position, which was abruptly vacated by Donna Schneider. She resigned on December 20. Interim Clerk Jason Nastke told the paper that rumors that Schneider was forced out were not true, and that there was no “missing money or financial issues.” The deadline for applicants is Jan. 31. The board also adopted new parking fines for the Village. Valatie will impose a $10 fine for parking tickets, as well as a $30 fee charged for every 30-day period in which a ticket is not paid. Read the article in the Register Star.

Doron Tyler Antrim and Tom Casey of The Daily Mail report that police called off searching the cold waters of the Hudson River for a man who jumped from the middle of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge earlier today, but will resume the search Thursday morning. A command center was set up at the boat in Hudson. Police on the bridge said the victim jumped from the pedestrian walkway on the south side of the span. State police said this is already the third possible suicide off a New York Bridge this month. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Copake Town Councilman Robert Sacks will be in Las Vegas, Thu., Jan. 12, and will also be at the Copake Town Board meeting at 7 p.m., thanks to internet technology. Sacks will use the Skype application, an internet audio and video communicator, to attend the meeting at 230 Mountain View Road, according to a public notice in the Register-Star.

State of the City 2012


"The Hudson State of the City 2012" from Hudson Common Council President Don Moore.

Weather right now
Hosts: Please announce the current temperature in Hudson, which is in Studio A in Hudson. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air. The temperature on the far left is from the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; the two others are Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.

Please credit the above temperatures: From the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page; and from Cairo and Catskill Weather Underground pages.
On the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page, when the computer at Hawthorne Valley is turned on, the Hawthorne Valley Farm Weather Page reports weather information live from Harlemville. Check dates and times at bottom of image to see whether reports are live or from when the computer was last turned off. Please properly credit any other local temperatures you announce on the air.

Local weather forecast
Today's forecast is specific to Hillsdale, in Columbia County.
The National Weather Service predicts Thursday in Hillsdale there will be rain, freezing rain, and sleet, becoming all rain after noon. High near 39. Thursday night there is chance of rain, mainly after 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. The weekend forecast:
• Friday: Rain showers likely before 1 p.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow showers, then a slight chance of snow showers after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Overnight low around 16.
• Saturday: A slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26, a low around 4.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 16, a low around -1.
• M.L.King Day: Sunny, with a high near 25.

Town meetings today
Today is the second Thursday of the month.
CHATHAM The Village of Chatham Board of Trustees holds a public hearing to discuss the changes at the intersection of Main Street and Hudson Avenue. The regular monthly board meeting will immediately follow. 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
COPAKE Town Board meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mountainview Road, Copake (329-1234).
GALLATIN Town Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 667 Route 7, Ancram (398-7519).
GREENE COUNTY Finance & Audit committee meets at 5 p.m. at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENE COUNTY State Senator James Seward (R/C/I–Oneonta) is touring his senatorial district to outline his legislative agenda, as the new session in Albany begins. Seward will highlight the need for additional economic development initiatives, mandate relief, education aid reform, and continued flood recovery at 2 p.m. at the Greene County Office Building, 4th floor, Room 430, in Catskill.
KINDERHOOK Planning Board Workshop meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
LIVINGSTON Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 119 County Route 19.
RENSSELAERVILLE Rensselaerville Hydrofracking Committee meeting. At 7 p.m. at Rensselaerville Town Hall, 87 Barger Road, Medusa.
STUYVESANT Organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m., Town board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TANNERSVILLE Village trustees meet at 7 p.m. in their Village Hall on Route 23A.
WINDHAM Town board meets at 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

The skies above
SUNRISE/SUNSET 7:19 a.m./ 4:49 p.m.
MOONRISE/MOONSET 8:54 p.m. / 9:01 a.m.

Sports scores and schedules
(Hosts: Read scores in the a.m. only, and schedules in the p.m.)
Scores
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers 79, New York Knicks 85
NBA: Dallas Mavericks 90, Boston Celtics 85
Schedules
NBA: New York Knicks at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.

WGXC Program Notes
Special Programming Thu. Jan. 12:
• "Radio Theatre," 3 p.m.: Spike Jones, Steve Earle, and Dan Seward?
• "WGXC Afternoon Show," 4-6 p.m.: Richard Roth and Ellen Thurston co-host from Hudson.

Audio clips for WGXC programmers
This information is not meant to be read on-air.
The information below are options of pre-recorded material hosts can choose to play.

Audio clips to play


New PSAs/STATION IDs
• A_OFF_PSA_20120122 Ghent Playhouse auditions

Audio headlines for top of the hour
• 5 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 6 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 7 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 9 a.m.: WGXC News 9:03 PLAY CLIP also International Network News (INN), through Audioport 2:56
• 4 p.m.: International Network News (INN), through Audioport
• 5 p.m.: Free Speech Radio News headlines, through fsrn.org
• Midnight: International Network News (INN), through Audioport

The National Weather Service in Albany issued a Winter Weather Advisory for tonight through 9 a.m. Thursday morning. There could be one or two inches of snow, but also, sleet, ice, freezing rain, and wind. Higher elevations could receive 2-4" of snow, and more ice. A changeover to cold rain is likely after 9 a.m. Thursday.

Rick Karlin in The Times-Union's Capitol Confidential blog reports that both sides of the high-impact hydraulic fracturing gas drilling debate descended on Albany to submit boxes of comments and letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation in time for the Wed., Jan. 11 public comment period deadline. On Tuesday, opponents and proponents of the controversial form of natural gas drilling held dueling press conferences at the Capitol. The DEC will review the comments as part of their effort to decide if New York should allow hydro-fracking. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Bokonon at the Nippertown! blog posted this video of Steve Earle performing at Club Helsinki in Hudson this past Sunday, Jan. 8. The song may be called, “I’m Thinking ‘Bout Burning the Wal-Mart Down.” Earle, who lives part-time in Ulster County, is also an actor, who starred in "The Wire" and "Treme" on HBO. Read the full review in Nippertown!

Mitt Romney won the Republican presidential primary, and Barack Obama won the Democratic contest, Tuesday in New Hampshire. The overall delegate count so far in the Republican race:
• Mitt Romney, 18
• Ron Santorum, 11
• Ron Paul, 10
• Jon Huntsman, 2

Steve Ference at YNN television reports on the new Department of Motor Vehicles Call Center at the Greene Correctional Facility in Coxsackie, where 50 inmates are expected to handle 55,000 calls per month. Inmates get paid 46 cents to $1.14 an hour and get their own housing unit. The DMV saves $3.5 million annually by having inmates take these jobs instead of civilians, who would make much more per hour. New York State Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Fischer said, "Everybody deserves a second chance and this is the kind of program that gives people that second chance." Read the full story at YNN.

Fernanda Santos in The New York Times reports that New York is one of three states the federal government has added to a watch list because it has not complied with goals it set when applying for financial assistance through the federal "Race to the Top" funding program. U.S. Education secretary Arne Duncan said that despite “significant progress,” New York had “hit a roadblock” in recent months, failing to track student records across school districts and failing to adopt a new system to evaluate the work of teachers and principals. "In the short term, I call on the State Department of Education, local school districts and the union leadership to expedite their negotiations on a teacher evaluation system to prevent the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. "Over the long term, we need to overhaul the system and change the law on the books. The Assembly-led legislation in 2010 protected the teachers union at the expense of the students and instituted a system that was destined to fail." Read the full story in The New York Times.

State Senator James Seward (R/C/I–Oneonta) will be in Catskill, Thurs., Jan. 12, at the Greene County Office Building in Catskill. Senator Seward is touring his senatorial district to outline his legislative agenda, as the new session in Albany begins. Seward will highlight the need for additional economic development initiatives, mandate relief, education aid reform, and continued flood recovery at 2 p.m. at the Greene County Office Building, 4th floor, Room 430, in Catskill.

Doron Tyler Antrim in The Daily Mail reports that Catskill will not repair the historic Black Bridge, and instead will dig a tunnel for the sewer line that the bridge currently carries over the Catskill Creek. The bridge, a pedestrian span that is also the last surviving part of the Catskill Mountain Railroad, was closed in 2010 after repairing the sewer line found the bridge was falling apart. On Monday at a Village meeting, the board unanimously voted give up on the bridge, as the tunnel will cost $200,000, while repairing the bridge was expected to exceed $1 million. “We just can’t afford to fix the Black Bridge,” Trustee Pat McCulloch said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.