Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that the Catskill school district wants input on future plans at a community forum at 6 p.m. Jan. 18 in the school library. The meeting is especially for community members that do not have children in the district or parents who cannot attend the parent forum that is part of the planning process for the district's long-range strategic plan. There's also a parent forum at 5 p.m. January 24 in the Catskill High School Library before the Board of Education meeting. Dr. Dan Wilson, superintendent of schools said, “I am delighted to share with you an exciting initiative that will shape the future of our school district: the creation of a Long-Range Strategic Plan in collaboration with the Capital Area School Development Association." Students get to weigh in at meetings on Jan. 31. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

WNYT reports that the group New Yorkers for a Fair Economy Coalition have the Amazon warehouse in Schodack at the top of a new list of the most dangerous in New York state. The Amazon warehouse in Schodack, in Rensselaer County, had an injury rate of nearly 19 per 100 workers, or nearly one injury for every five workers, according to the group. That would be 165 workers with a serious injury in a single year. Neighbors filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the warehouse in 2019 before it opened, and employees unsuccessfully attempted to unionize last year, with the union organizer saying she received an intimidating call about the warehouse. Read more about this story at WNYT.

From WOOC: "Tuesday January 16, Gov. Kathy Hochul released the proposed 2024-25 state budget. This is the official start to negotiations with the legislature over a final budget, which is supposed to be adopted by April 1, the start of the state’s fiscal year, but last year went a month late. With all of the state legislators up for re-election this year, there is more pressure to adopt an on-time budget. WOOC's Mark Dunlea helped us to understand what was proposed."

Today's audio daily news update.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Art Omi sculpture park in Ghent begins its $60 million construction project this spring, building 18 art pavilions and a visitor center in the 190-acre site. Part of that is being paid for by a $2 million grant through the state’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative and a $5 million grant from the New York state Council on the Arts. Ruth Adams, co-executive director of Art Omi with Jeremy Adams, said, “The Pavilions, envisioned as an international arts haven, will beckon visitors to experience unique architectural expressions and legacy art exhibitions and will offer exposure to world-class art collections. This transformative project not only fosters creativity and diversity but also solidifies Art Omi as a beacon that will attract tourists, locals and art enthusiasts worldwide.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Maria M. Silva reports in the Times Union that a Bard College faculty member and research scholar, and his wife will receive the American Psychological Association's 2024 International Humanitarian award for their work providing mental health support, psychological education, and research in Afghanistan. The psychologists Sayed Jafar Ahmadi and his wife, Zeinab Musavi provided counseling for victims of trauma, bombings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and earthquakes in Afghanistan for two decades. The award recognizes “extraordinary humanitarian service and activism by a psychologist or a team of psychologists, including professional and/or volunteer work conducted primarily in the field with underserved populations.” The couple founded the Behrawan Research and Psychology Services Organization in Afghanistan to provide counseling services to victims of war, to educate future psychologists, and to conduct research. Ahmadi said in a statement, “The contributions of Behrawan have not only saved lives but also restored hope and resilience in communities facing adversity.... We hope that our legacy serves as an inspiration to psychologists and humanitarian organizations worldwide, emphasizing the profound impact that psychological services can have in times of crisis.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Porcupine Soup reports that officials from the Greene County Bancorp, Inc. will ring the bell to close the Nasdaq stock exchange on January 22. January 22 is the local bank’s 135th anniversary and 2024 is the bank's 25th year as a publicly traded company on Nasdaq. Greene County Bank President and CEO Donald Gibson said, “We’re grateful to all of the people who have contributed to the company’s remarkable growth since our humble little bank in upstate New York went public in 1999.” The bank has 18 branches across the Hudson Valley and Capital Region with its assets rising from $151 million in 1999 to more than $2.6 billion today. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

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Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budgetannounced on Jan. 16 proposes repealing a state “potency tax” on cannabis products. The tax was meant to make more money for the state from sales of high potency cannabis, while store owners say it sends consumers looking for cheaper prices from unlicensed vendors. New York state has been slow to roll out legal stores in the two-and-a-half-years since cannabis was legalized. Many illegal stores have been open at the same time. Hochul wants to replace the potency tax with a wholesale excise tax of nine percent, which would be charged to consumers in addition to the state and local retail excise taxes of nine and four percent, respectively. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, a Rochester Democrat, also wants to repeal the potency tax and said, "I think we also need to look at other states like Colorado that have actually had a lower tax rate than New York but has realized higher revenues. … If we’re able to really increase the volume of sales overall, even though it’s a lower tax rate, it’s better than losing it to the illicit market where we get nothing.” Allan Gandelman, president of the Cannabis Association of New York, said, “It’s definitely a big win to revise that potency tax and make it a flat tax.... I have to run the numbers and see what that (9 percent excise tax) looks like, but honestly, right now, anything is better than the potency tax because that thing was completely untenable.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Luke Parsnow reports at New York State of Politics that Rep. Elise Stefanik told the other Republicans running for president to drop out of the race after her man, former President Donald Trump, trounced all comers in the Iowa primary election on Jan. 15. Trump took 51 percent of the votes in Iowa, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 21 percent, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with just above 19 percent, and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at just under eight percent. Stefanik said, “As I have said for over a year, President Trump will be our Republican nominee and will defeat Joe Biden in November. I am calling on every other candidate - all of whom have no chance to win - to drop out so we can unify and immediately rally behind President Trump so that we can focus 100 percent of our resources on defeating Joe Biden to Save America.” Stefanik represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, and is the chair of House GOP conference, the third highest ranking Republican in Congress. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Hudson Rabbi Daniel Fried died Jan. 12 at the age of 78. He led Congregation Anshe Emeth and served for 43 years at the Hudson synagogue. Fried and his wife, Denise, have two children, according to Congregation Anshe Emeth's website. Arlene Levinson, president of Congregation Anshe Emeth, said, "I can't wrap my head around the impact he had on the community.... Rabbi Fried has been around for the birth of babies, bar mitzvahs, weddings, and funerals. What I learned from him was that he was passionate and dedicated to the community. The synagogue, and this community, have been his life." Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

From WOOC: "Retired National Weather Service Meteorologist Hugh Johnson spoke with [WOOC's] Sina Basila Hickey about snow formation, how conditions change snow, and what a snow squall means. [Johnson] also reports that we need to bundle up on this upcoming weekend."

Today's audio daily news update.

Today's audio daily news update.

Social media was flooded locally last weekend with images of water flowing over Dutchman's Landing in Catskill and parts of Athens, Coxsackie, and Hudson after a second round of heavy rain and snow melt. Sara Rizzo reports at News10 that Frank Guido’s Port of Call in Catskill was flooded on Dec. 18 and again on Jan. 10. This year was the first that the Dutchman's Landing restaurant planned to stay open year-round, but now it is closed until spring. Guido said, “I have 50 people working there.... That’s why we wanted to stay open year round, so we didn’t have to lay off people.” Guido said they hadn’t finished cleaning up from the first flood when the second flood battered the restaurant. The Port of Call has flooded many times in recent years including in 2011 during Hurricane Irene when they had to tear down and rebuild. The restaurant flooded again during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and also in 2020, and on Christmas Day in 2022. Guido is not thinking about moving in the face of the floods. He said, “I’ve always had waterfront restaurants. I’ve had them since 1981.... To me, this is the best spot. We’re right on the Hudson, you see the boats go by. You can’t replace that location.” Read more about this story at News10.

Phillip Pantuso reports for the Times Union that the $7 billion Hudson Valley Credit Union announced it acquired the $592 million Catskill Hudson Bank. Catskill Hudson Bank customers will eventually be transferred to the larger Hudson Valley Credit Union. The deal still needs regulatory and shareholders’ approvals, which might not come until the second half of the year, with the two banks planning to fully integrate within 12-18 months. The credit union serves consumers and businesses in Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Ulster, and Westchester counties. Catskill Hudson has 11 branches and three offices in Sullivan, Orange, Ulster, Saratoga, and Albany counties. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that on Jan. 12 the Catskill Rotary announced $15,000 for a Columbia-Greene Community College scholarship fund named after former member Roger Lane. He died on April 22, 2022 at the age of 73. The Catskill Rotary said in a statement, “Roger was a 40-year member of Catskill Rotary and our guiding light. He was active in many aspects of the Catskill community including his church, school, and village board. He was also a Navy veteran.” Columbia-Greene Community College President Dr. Carlee Drummer said the scholarship will go to nursing students because of Lane’s love for the nursing team who assisted with his own medical care. Drummer said, “The nursing faculty will be just thrilled.... I cannot thank the club enough for this.” The club and college hope to award at least one $500 scholarship each year indefinitely from the fund. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Today's audio daily news update.

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