Today's daily news update.

Anna Gronewold reports for Politico that on Nov. 22 Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a partial cryptocurrency mining ban. The bill is the first-in-the-nation temporary pause on new permits for fossil fuel power plants that house proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining. “I am signing this legislation into law to build on New York’s nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the most aggressive climate and clean energy law in the nation, while also continuing our steadfast efforts to support economic development and job creation in upstate New York," Hochul said. The bill also includes a study by the state Department of Environmental Conservation of the impacts of the cryptocurrency mining industry on the environment. A super PAC funded by Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of recently failing cryptocurrency exchange FTX, spent up to $1 million on Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado's primary election campaign, the New York Post reported. At least one business group denounced Hochul's bill signing. “The Business Council does not believe the legislature should seek to categorically limit the growth and expansion of any business or sector in New York,” the group said in a statement. “We plan to further engage and help educate them regarding this industry and the benefits it provides to the local, regional and state economy.” Environmental groups, on the other hand, cheered the signing. "This first-in-the-nation law should set the standard for every other state where crypto miners are coming in, extracting resources, and wreaking havoc," said Liz Moran of the group EarthJustice. Read the full story at Politico.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Amtrak won't say when exactly its service up the Hudson Valley to Montreal will resume. That has Rep. Elise Stefanik upset. "Families throughout upstate New York and the North Country seeking to utilize passenger rail services deserve certainty on when service will resume, especially before tourist season begins, not continued ambiguity from Amtrak," Stefanik, a Republican, wrote to in a letter to the corporation Nov. 22. Amtrak shut down early in the COVID-19 pandemic and has previously said it could resume in spring 2023. "We’re actively engaged with our congressional delegations regarding the return of Adirondack service and continue to work with the appropriate Host Railroads operation agreements," Amtrak spokesperson Jason C. Abrams said in a statement. Amtrak restarted The Maple Leaf service to Toronto in June and the Cascades service to Vancouver, British Columbia, in September. Stefanik represents the 21st Congressional District, from Rensselaer County to the Canadian border. She voted against the federal infrastructure bill that included additional resources for future Amtrak improvements. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Columbia County had the lowest unemployment in the Hudson Valley in October, at just 1.9 percent. That was down from 2.9 percent a year ago, and 2.4 percent in September. Greene County, by contrast, was at 2.5 percent in October, down from 3.1 percent the month before, and 3.7 percent in October 2021. Dutchess and Ulster counties, meanwhile, were both at 2.2 percent unemployed in October. Statewide in October, the rate of joblessness was 3.4 percent, down from 4.3 percent in October 2021. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Today's daily news update.

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Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that more than two years after mechanic Harold Handy was badly beaten during a July 4th party at the Kinderhook home of a Columbia County sheriff's deputy, jury selection is set to begin November 28, in the trial of his alleged assailants. Deputy Kelly Rosenstrach; her husband, former gym owner Alex Rosenstrach; IRS agent Bryan Haag; and contractor Corey Gaylord were indicted on gang assault charges in the case, which sent Handy to the hospital in the early hours of July 5, 2020. Columbia County Judge Richard Koweek dismissed the top charges against all four in December 2021, but each of them still faces a felony charge of unlawful imprisonment, as well as various misdemeanors. The trial will begin Monday, then recess for December 8 and 9 before resuming on December 12, according to Paul DerOhannesian [Deh-ROH-hann-eesian] II, Haag's attorney. Handy's then-fiancee alleged in a deposition that Alex Rosenstrach punched Handy three times in the face and put him in a choke hold after the mechanic tried to participate in a martial arts demonstration at the party. As Handy and his fiancee tried to leave the party, Alex Rosenstrach attacked the man again. According to the deposition, several partygoers allegedly joined Rosenstrach in beating Handy and Kelly Rosenstrach warned Handy's fiancee to not call the police. Handy's fiancee was eventually allowed to call paramedics, who arrived at the party with on-duty sheriff's deputies. The deposition was given under oath, but counsel for the defendants were not able to challenge her account. In a recent interview, DerOhannesian said on the night of the assault, his client was "clearly acting in response to a threat," adding that Haag was not present for many of the alleged events that night. Handy claimed his injuries required surgery to insert a metal plate into his face, but the DA's office was never able to produce the medical documents to substantiate the claim. That led to Koweek's dismissal of the top counts as charged by the grand jury. The charge of unlawful imprisonment, if proven, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Read more in the Times Union.

Robin K. Cooper is reporting for the Albany Business Review Redburn Property Services, a construction arm for the prolific regional developer by the same name, has been sued by four black laborers over allegations of systemic discrimination. The workers claim Redburn and five supervisors nicknamed them the "felony crew" and regularly referred to them using racial slurs. Tony Gentry, Joseph Sherman, Abdullah McPherson and Shakeem Taylor claim they were denied promotions, paid lower wages than their white co-workers, and were often not paid for all of their work. Hired at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the men allege Redburn foremen and supervisors denied them masks, respirators and other gear despite ordering them to work at dusty and hazardous construction sites. The four plaintiffs are seeking unpaid wages as well as damages for harassment, discrimination and unlawful termination, as well as compensatory and punitive damages. Jeff Buell, a principal of Redburn Development Partners, said the company is taking the complaint seriously. "The allegations in the complaint are incredibly difficult to read and fly in the face of our core values," Buell wrote late last week. "We have immediately launched an internal investigation but given the seriousness of the allegations, we are in the process of engaging outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation. ... Our company and its leaders remain committed to a workplace free of harassment and discrimination." Besides Redburn Property Services, other defendants named in the lawsuit are supervisors and foremen Erik Smith, Chris Colwell, Justin Kramer, Michael Levit and John Barnes. Redburn Property Services is the construction and property management arm of Redburn Development Partners, one of the largest real estate developers in the region. Redburn was responsible for the $10-million conversion of the former candle factory on Cross Street in Hudson's 1st Ward, transforming it into the 55-room hotel called The Wick. Read more at biz journals [dot] com.

David Lee is reporting for The Columbia Paper the retirement of one of the most celebrated caisson horses of the U.S. Army was announced November 11, at the Equine Advocates Rescue and Sanctuary in Chatham. Sergeant York served for 25 years as the riderless horse for military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery including services for former President Ronald Reagan and General Colin Powell. A citation marking the occasion was composed by Governor Kathy Hochul and read out by Equine Advocates President and Founder Susan Wagner. Columbia County Veterans Service Agency Director Gary Flaherty also spoke. The Caisson Platoon is part of the Third Infantry. The horses chosen must have an imperturbable temperament and be black or gray in color. Born in 1991, Sergeant York is a standardbred race horse who had a brief racing career under the name Allaboard Jules before joining the Army in 1997. Read more in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily news update.

Kevin Frey reports in New York State of Politics speaks with Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, recently elected to represent New York’s 19th Congressional district. Republican Molinaro claims the midterm results show Americans want leaders to work together, taking away Democrats control of the House of Representatives. “It is our responsibility not only to provide the checks and balances and results here in Washington, but I think also to speak up when Albany acts in a way that New Yorkers don’t feel is appropriate for them,” Molinaro said. New York was key for Republicans flipping the House, with four districts switching from Democrats after the votes were counted. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Diane Valden reports in the Columbia Paper that officials in Copake amended the Copake Zoning Code on Nov. 10 to regulate “the time, place and manner of the operation of licensed adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries.” Copake officials previously voted to allow retail cannabis sales in the Columbia County town. Councilmember Stanley “Stosh” Gansowski said cannabis sales should be in agricultural districts. “I believe they should be on working farms.... Bringing in places to sell [cannabis] will change the character of the town,” he said, adding that only one dairy farm remains in Copake and there were six when he took office several years ago. “Let the farms be able to support themselves.” Empire and Langdon farms in Copake grow cannabis. But Ken Down, attorney for the town’s Planning and Zoning boards, said according to town code “you can’t do retail in an RU (Agricultural and Rural Residential) district,” and that state law prohibits farms from retail sales. “You cannot raise and sell on the same property,” Dow said. Instead, councilmembers voted 4-0, with Gansowski abstaining, to restrict cannabis sales to these locations:
• Hamlet Business (HB) located in Craryville around the County Route 7, Craryville Road, Route 23 intersection, and a section of Route 23, east and west of the intersection; West Copake around the county routes 7 and 7A triangle area; Copake, along Main and Church streets and in Copake Falls along a section of State Route 344.
• Highway Business (HW-B) located on County Route 7A, north and south of the Copake hamlet; sections of Route 22 from the Copake Veterinary Hospital to Route 344 and further north from approximately Yonderview Road north to the old Roe Jan School.
• Mixed Use (MU) located in the vicinity of the Roe Jan Library and in the area of Catamount on Route 23.
Cannabis sales are expected to begin in New York before the end of the year, and there are currently no applications for dispensaries before the Copake Planning Board, although there were some earlier inquiries. Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

WNYT reports on the state announcement of the first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses in New York, announced on Nov. 21. “This is a monumental moment and it represents the last leg of the cannabis supply chain that requires licensure,” said Tremaine Wright, the chair of the Cannabis Control Board. But none of the retail locations just announced are in the Hudson Valley. A court ruling earlier this month delayed the board from approving dispensaries in the Hudson Valley because of a legal dispute over licensing criteria. So cannabis sales, expected to begin before the end of the year, may not start then locally. New York legalized recreational use of cannabis in March 2021, but has been building the infrastructure and laws for retail sales since then. Read more about this story at the WNYT website.

Today's daily news update.

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Heather Bellow reports for The Berkshire Eagle about how the various elements of GE's proposed Upland Disposal Facility for PCB contaminated sludge will affect the health of residents in Lee, Mass., and is now under consideration by the Lee Board of Health. GE is looking to dispose of the sediment in the Berkshires to avoid the $200 million cost to ship it out of state to a facility licensed to accept toxins such as PCBs. The board held an adjudicatory hearing on November 19, in the Lee Middle and High School auditorium. The board's involvement was prompted by the Housatonic River Initiative's appeal of the current cleanup in federal court. If the board decides the dump will be a health threat, other questions arise. The board says state law gives them the ability to stop the dump project if it is found to violate local laws, while the federal Environmental Protection Agency says it cannot. The board of health has collected technical and other expert documentation to help it decide, and will allow 30 days for the submission of more testimony and other pertinent information that relates specifically to the threat to human health posed by the dump. Neither GE representatives nor EPA officials were present at the hearing, though the EPA has referred the board to its record, GE is another story. The board stated that GE’s lack of participation will be taken to infer it “has no evidence” that the dump will not be a hazard to the community. At the hearing, residents of Lee and other communities brought up a host of unknown risks, including the lack of proper data that could forecast problems, the potential impact on the drinking water reservoir and possible airborne contamination after the sludge is deposited in the dump before it is capped. The management and transport of the contaminated mud have not been addressed by GE, but are of great concern to residents and experts alike. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup that effective Nov. 21, both of Greene County's ski resorts were open for business, with the opening of Windham Mountain. Nearby Hunter Mountain opened on November 19. “Our mountain operations team has been hard at work to blanket the West Peak and we'll have top-to-bottom skiing and riding for you on Whistler and Wolverine, as well as The Wall and Whistler Chute,” Windham Mountain reported. Meanwhile, in Columbia County, the Catamount Ski Resort in Hillsdale remains closed. In a statement posted to its website on November 21, the resort said snowmakers are continuing to make snow on both sides of the resort. "It looks like a warming trend is headed our way, so snowmaking is likely shutting down later today for the moment. We'll continue to make snow as temperatures allow and will update the site with opening-day information as it becomes available. ..." Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the city of Hudson is looking for a dog control officer. The Common Council is currently accepting applications for the position, which pays $7,200 per year. The term of office will run through the 2023 calendar year, beginning January 1. The dog control officer is charged with making random, twice-weekly visits to the Hudson Dog Park to confirm the canine patrons are properly licensed and is also on call 24 hours a day to round up stray, abandoned or unaccompanied dogs found on the street or other public property. The city’s dog control officer is also tasked with assisting the Hudson police, when necessary, and issuing tickets to dog owners who have failed to get a license for their dogs. Under state law, dog control officers can issue tickets and serve summonses. The deadline to apply for the dog control officer position is December 12. Interested candidates are asked to include a cover letter explaining why they want to be the dog control officer, a written proposal for dog control services for 2023, and a resume detailing relevant work and education history. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that after a weekend when police thwarted an attack on New York City Jewish communities and five people were shot and killed at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado, New York State Police are expanding surveillance and protection for at-risk communities, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said. "I have directed the New York State Police to ramp up monitoring and increase support for communities that are potential targets of hate crimes," Hochul said. "Here in New York, we will not tolerate violence or bigotry toward any community. We stand united against hate — today and every day." Two men were arrested in New York City this weekend after making threats toward the New York Jewish community and a house of worship, and a Colorado man was taken into custody after killing five. State police officials said they wanted to stop the next hate crime before it happens. "The State Police will work in close coordination with our state, local and federal partners to keep all our communities safe from violence," Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli said. "We appreciate the resources and support from Governor Hochul to help us accomplish this mission." Read the full story at New York State of Politics.