The Altamont Enterprise reports that the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District received a $5,000 grant to fund an Outdoor Wild Learning Space. The classroom will be located near the community garden and high tunnel on the Berne campus. Eight schools received awards from the Albany County Soil and Water Conservation District as part of its 2022 School Assistance Program. The goal at Berne-Knox-Westerlo, “is to create an inviting outdoor classroom space that is accessible to all students and shaded from full sun,” according to a press release from the conservation district. The area will be used during outdoor events, including at the Annual Ag Day hosted by the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Future Farmers of America. Read the full story at altamontenterprise [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

The Daily Freeman is reporting voters in the Third Judicial District appear to have chosen two Democrats and a Conservative to fill three open state Supreme Court justice positions. As of early Wed., Nov. 9, Democratic candidates Meagan Galligan and Sharon Graff, as well as Conservative candidate Thomas Marcelle, had received the most votes to secure 14-year terms on the bench, according to unofficial results. With 805 of 805 districts reporting, Galligan received 164,493 votes, while Graff received 162,909 and Marcelle received 162,803. Democrat Heidi Thais Cochrane trailed with 160,822 votes. Galligan, 41, is the Sullivan County district attorney and lives in the town of Forestburgh. She has been a member of the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office since 2009. Graff, 51, is the principal court attorney for Ulster County Supreme Court Justice Julian Schreibman and lives in Cottekill in Ulster County. Marcelle, 60, is a Cohoes City Court judge, as well as an acting Troy and Albany city court judge. He lives in Slingerlands, Albany County. The Third Judicial District includes Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Columbia County reported other election results:

Ancram - Town Justice (two elected)
Catherine Redlich (DEM, REP) wins with 631 votes, and Suzan Flamm (DEM) with 380 votes is also elected, while Richard Novik (REP) is nine votes short with 371 votes.

Austerlitz - Town Council
Christopher Schober (DEM) 703

Claverack - Town Justice
Michael H. Brandon (REP) 1,660

Kinderhook - Town Council
George J. Graham (REP, CON) 2,788

Livingston - Town Council
Fred Conte (Write-in) 257
James Kelly (Write-in) 152

Stockport - Town Justice
Malcolm G. Smalley (REP, CON) 746

Taghkanic - Town Justice
Robert Prochera (REP, CON) 327

New Lebanon - Prop 1 (Highway Superintendent)
Yes 449
No 595

Hudson - Prop 1 (Ward Boundaries)
Yes 1,328
No 383

Hudson - Prop 2 (Library Funding)
Yes 1,442
No 387

Claverack - Prop 1 (Library Funding)
Yes 1,656
No 907

Kinderhook - Prop 1 (Library Funding) Yes 2,546
No 1,621

Chatham - Prop 1 (Library Funding)
Yes 1,690
No 539

Germantown - Prop 1 (Library Funding)
Yes 666
No 321

Voters in Greene County had a number of local races — all but one uncontested — on the ballot, November 8. The county Board of Elections is reporting the following:

Greene County District Attorney
Joseph Stanzione (R,C) — 14,161 (99.61 percent)
Write-in — 55 (.39 percent)

Greene County Treasurer
Peter J. Markou (R, C) — 13,905 (99.66 percent)
Write-in — 48 (0.34 percent)

Greene County Coroner
Hassan J. Basagic, III (R, C) — 13,398 (52.04 percent)
Daniel F. Gulino (R, C) — 12,268 (47.65 percent)
Write-in — 80 (0.31 percent)

Greene County Coroner (To fill an unexpired term for one year)
Edward E. Brandt (R, C) — 13,184 (99.72 percent)
Write-in — 37 (0.28 percent)

County Legislator (District 1, Catskill) (To fill an unexpired term for two years)
Joseph J. Lucas, Jr. (R, C) — 2,802 (99.5 percent)
Write-in — 14 (.5 percent)

Cairo Town Board (To fill an unexpired term for one year)
Debra A. Bogins (R, C) — 1,944 (99.44 percent)
Write-in — 11 (.56 percent)

Catskill Town Justice
William R. Jacobs (R,C) — 2,780 (99.18 percent)
Write-in — 23 (.82 percent)

Greenville Town Justice
Kevin R. Lewis (R, C) — 1,338 (99.41 percent)

Halcott Town Supervisor (To fill an unexpired term for one year)
A. Innes Kasanof (D, R) — 138 (100 percent)

Halcott Town Board (To fill an unexpired term for three years)
Eric C. Fronckowiak (D, REP) — 137 (99.27 percent)
Write-in — 1 (.73 percent)

Halcott Town Board (To fill an unexpired term for one year)
Samantha Ann Bouton (D, R) — 140 (100 percent)

Hunter Town Justice
Marysusan Timpson (D) — 529 (56.52 percent)
Write-in — 407 (43.48 percent)

New Baltimore Town Justice
Anthony C. Konsul, Jr. (R, C) — 1,138 (99.48 percent)
Write-in — 6 (.52 percent)

Prattsville Town Board (To fill an unexpired term for three years)
Mason C. Chase (D) — 127 (39.69 percent)
Kenneth J. Aurigema (R) — 193 (60.31 percent)

Chris Bragg reports in the Times Union that Republicans made gains in both the state Senate and Assembly in this fall's election but whether Democrats in the Senate retain a two-thirds "supermajority" is still in dispute. At least two close races that have not been called yet will decide if the supermajority remains. In the Assembly, Democrats will hold on to their supermajority. Since 2020, Democrats in the Senate and Assembly have held a supermajority, with enough votes to overturn a veto from the governor. That power has gone unused so far with former governor Andrew Cuomo and current leader Kathy Hochul. Republicans picked up between five and seven seats in the Assembly this year. Still-undecided elections in Brooklyn and Syracuse will determine if the Democrat supermajority remains in the state Senate. Locally, because of redistricting, Republican incumbent Sue Serino, was running against another sitting lawmaker, Democratic state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, and Hinchey won, picking up a seat for Democrats. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

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

Updated: 1:30 p.m.

Here are the results for most of the major local and state elections. Democrats doing well, except for several Congressional elections where Republicans flipped two Hudson Valley districts. And voters in Catskill overturned the town board, and voted to allow cannabis lounges. Here are the results:

NEW YORK GOVERNOR
Democrat Kathy Hochul, the incumbent, beat Republican Lee Zeldin to become New York's first elected female governor. Many news organizations called the election for Hochul, who gave a victory speech, where she said, DOWNLOAD OR PLAY HOCHUL EXCERPT. But Zeldin, who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results, would not concede, saying, “We have been crushing the Election Day vote across the entire state," and that, “it’s going to be a little frustrating for members of the media” to not call the race just yet. Zeldin also said: DOWNLOAD OR PLAY ZELDIN EXCERPT.

MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR
Democrat Maura Healey was declared the winner early in the evening by the Associated Press over Republican Geoff Diehl. Healey becomes the first female governor in Massachusetts history, and the nation's first openly lesbian governor.

NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL
Democrat Letitia James, the incumbent, defeated Republican Michael Henry by roughly 54 percent to 46 percent.

NEW YORK COMPTROLLER
Democrat Thomas DiNapoli, the incumbent, defeated Republican Paul Rodriguez, by a margin close to 57 percent to 43 percent.

U.S. SENATE
Democrat Chuck Schumer was declared winner early in the evening by the Associated Press over Republican Joe Pinion by about 56 percent to 43 percent. Schumer was Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate, and the early results indicated he may keep that post.

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
NY18
Democrat Pat Ryan led Republican Colin Schmitt by about 2,000 votes with 90 percent of precincts reporting, and absentee ballots still outstanding in an exceptionally close race that may decide control of the House of Representatives. Update: Lana Bellamy is reporting for the Times Union Ryan addressed his supporters in Kingston around 2 a.m., Wednesday, announcing Schmitt had called to concede the race. With all election districts reporting by 1:30 a.m., Ryan had 131,301 votes to Schmitt's 129,128, a margin of 49.4 percent to 48.6 percent.

NY19
Republican Marc Molinaro led Democrat Josh Riley by about 6,000 votes with 95 percent of the vote reported. Molinaro appeared to have an insurmountable lead. Riley refused to concede, saying, DOWNLOAD OR PLAY RILEY EXCERPT.

NY20
Democrat Paul Tonko, the incumbent, defeated Republican Liz Joy. by about 55 to 45 percent.

NY21
Republican Elise Stefanik, the incumbent, defeated Democrat Matt Castelli with 58 percent of the vote, to 42 percent for Castelli. Stefanik, who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results, spoke after announcing her victory. DOWNLOAD OR PLAY STEFANIK EXCERPT. Castelli also spoke after conceding defeat. DOWNLOAD OR PLAY CASTELLI EXCERPT.

STATE SENATE
41st District
Democrat Michelle Hinchey, with 72,149 votes, defeated Republican Sue Serino, with 65,599. Both were incumbents, but forced to face each other because of redistricting.

43rd District
Republican Jake Ashby leads Democrat Andrea Smyth with 60,837 votes of 51.32 percent to 53,967 votes for Smyth, at 45.52 percent.

STATE ASSEMBLY
106th District
Democrat Didi Barrett, the incumbent, got 29,766 votes, or 54 percent to Republican Brandon Gaylord's 25,298 votes, about 46 percent.

102nd District
Republican incumbent Chris Tague leads Democrat Nicholas Chase 33,661 to 18,701.

Ballot Propositions STATEWIDE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND ACT
Passed by a wide margin.

CATSKILL CANNABIS PERMISSIVE REFERENDUM
YES 1,644 39.28 percent
NO 2,541 60.72 percent
No wins, with a citizen initiative overturning the Town of Catskill board's decision against cannabis lounges. The lounges will now be allowed because of this vote.

NEW LEBANON PROPOSAL TO MAKE THE TOWN SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS AN APPOINTED OFFICE
The measure was defeated on a vote of 595 to 449.

PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE WARDS OF THE CITY OF HUDSON
The measure to revise the borders of the existing five wards of the city was passed 1,328 to 383.

PROPOSALS TO INCREASE LIBRARY FUNDING
Measures to increase funding for the Hudson, Claverack, Kinderhook, Chatham and Germantown libraries all passed by wide margins at each location.

NOTE: All results are unofficial until certified by the county boards of elections.

Today's daily news update.

Chris Gelardi reports at New York Focus that internal prison records show that Anthony Annucci, the longtime acting commissioner of the New York state prison agency, ordered the illegal shackling of thousands of incarcerated people to desks for hours a day against his department’s public regulations. The Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act went into effect across the state on March 31, placing numerous restrictions on prisons’ and jails’ use of solitary confinement. The law bars placing restraints on residents of certain units while they’re participating in out-of-cell activities. Prison staff can make case-by-case exceptions if they conduct an “individual assessment” that determines that an incarcerated person poses a “significant and unreasonable” safety risk. But three weeks after the HALT law went into effect, Annucci wrote a memo ordering facilities to “utilize restraints any time an incarcerated individual is … participating in out-of-cell programming,” which often lasts for several hours. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says all facilities except the Hudson and Adirondack state prisons are acting under Annucci’s memo, which has likely affected over 5,000 people. Prison officials say that not following the law is actually following the law. “After careful consideration of circumstances surrounding the significant increase in violence, including serious injuries to staff and incarcerated individuals, the Acting Commissioner issued the memo,” DOCCS told New York Focus about Annucci’s memo. The department said the memo “comports with HALT and the Department’s responsibilities.” But Julia Salazar, the legislator who sponsored the HALT law, says Annucci’s order is illegal. “This is clearly a violation of the law as written,” she said. Read the full story at New York Focus.

Nick Reisman reports for Spectrum News that U.S. District Court Judge Glenn Suddaby in Central New York on Nov. 7 gave a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking officials from requiring people to submit social media information when applying for a concealed carry permit. The judge's injunction also limited the ability to bar legally carried guns in places such as bars and public parks. New York's new concealed carry law took effect on Sept. 1 after lawmakers rushed a package of changes to the pistol permit application process after a Supreme Court ruling struck down a century-old law against concealed guns in the state. Read more about this story at Spectrum News.

The Troy Record reports that New York is holding a statewide Free Fishing Day on Nov. 11, to coincide with Veterans Day. “We are casting out a line for all of New York’s veterans with this Free Fishing Day as a way to honor those who served,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release. “Thanks to our extensive conservation efforts to protect our natural resources and environment, New York continues to provide outstanding fishing opportunities for anglers of all skill levels and abilities. This free fishing day will provide a great opportunity for our brave individuals who have served to protect our democracy and our freedoms to enjoy one of New York State’s many world-class fishing locations.” On Free Fishing Days, anglers do not need a fishing license, but all other fishing regulations are in effect. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

Today's daily news update.

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

Phillip Pantuso reports for the Times Union that the Dutchess County Board of Elections may not have time to establish a polling site at Vassar College before the general election is complete, because the county’s Republican elections commissioner misinterpreted the state Supreme Court order last week that the campus must have a polling place. "He’s effectively run out the clock," said Perry Grossman, supervising attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project, which coordinates election protection efforts in New York, including in this case. The Republican commissioner, Erik J. Haight, was named as a defendant in a petition filed last week by the League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region, a Vassar College student, and a Vassar professor. The college has more than 1,000 registered voters, thereby requiring a polling place be located on or near campus, according to state election law. The petition accused Haight of stonewalling Vassar’s attempts to coordinate a voting site with the county Board of Elections. Late last week state Supreme Court Justice Christie L. D’Alessio ruled in the petitioners’ favor. Democratic elections Commissioner Hannah Black, among others, interpreted the ruling to mean the Vassar location would be an additional voting site for the three election districts the college includes. But Haight said the decision designated the Vassar location as a replacement for other sites in all three districts. Then late Nov. 4, Haight’s attorney, David Jensen, filed an appeal of D’Alessio’s decision. D’Alessio clarified the situation early Nov. 7, entering an order stating her ruling "explicitly granted petitioner’s requested relief in its entirety, specifically the designation of a polling site on the Vassar College campus. There was no request for replacement or removal of any other polling site." Haight has a history of making it more difficult for college students in Dutchess County to vote, including past efforts at Bard College, the Culinary Institute of America, Marist College, and now, Vassar College. Asked late Nov. 7 to clarify if the Board of Elections would install a polling place on Vassar’s campus, Haight responded: "My intention is to follow the order now that the lower court judge has cleaned up her muddy decision from last week. It may be impossible but only if the Democrats drag their feet." Read the full story in the Times Union.

Larry Parnass reports for The Berkshire Eagle that Berkshire Health Systems announced November 7 that it will no longer require its 3,000-member workforce to receive the bivalent booster against the coronavirus. “We are withdrawing the bivalent booster requirement put in place on October 24, effective immediately,” the statement said. “We continue to strongly recommend that all BHS employees and patients be vaccinated with the bivalent booster dose in order to best protect their own health.” The mandate drew fire, including an online petition signed by 890 people accusing the company of bullying workers. In its statement, the nonprofit said that while data on the effectiveness of the booster shows it to be effective at greatly reducing the severity of illness, “it may be less effective at preventing transmission of the virus.” For that reason, masking and other measures will be needed in the months ahead to contain the spread of COVID-19, the health system said. It operates Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, and other satellite programs. The petition said that some BMC workers objected to earlier mandates, after vaccines appeared in 2021, but went along. “Many of us went against our values, some of us suffered terrible long-term health consequences and many of us left the company due to the BMC’s failure to take medical and religious exemptions seriously,” the petition said. Opponents also cited the fact that the bivalent booster is not effective at reducing transmission of the disease — a point BHS conceded in its statement Nov. 7. The company said its COVID-19 policies are designed to protect employees and the public, based on “the latest scientific information, laws, regulations, and guidance from public health agencies, and other important factors.” The hospital said that newer coronavirus variants, including BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and BA.4.6, are likely to be prevalent in the region this fall and winter. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Mid-Hudson Processing and Distribution Center at Stewart Airport is one of 10 postal facilities nationwide to be designated by the Postal Service as a sorting and delivery center as part of a 10-year plan to modernize the delivery network. As part of the plan, carrier operations will move, where feasible, to new sorting and delivery centers that have better infrastructure and adequate space, docks, conveyors and material handling equipment for more efficient operations, a postal spokesperson said. Postal retail units, including P.O. Box service, will stay in operation, but carrier operations will shift to the Stewart center and others like it around the nation. The Postal Service said the model will “greatly improve our transportation utilization by reducing transportation entirely. Additionally, it will allow postal delivery routes to be revamped to make them more efficient and cost-effective.” The initiative will also make it possible for the Postal Service to use more battery electric vehicles. The conversion process will take time with the first sorting and delivery center operational in Athens, Georgia. More than 100 new locations nationwide will be evaluated. Read the full story at Mid-HudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Rebekah F. Ward reports in the Times Union that the super rich are attempting to sway the outcome of the governor's election this fall with political action committee spending doubling in final two weeks of the election. Billionaire cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder is running ads about surging crime in New York to scare voters to Republican Lee Zeldin, while James Dolan, the rich man who owns Madison Square Garden, had his super PAC spend $560,000 on television, radio, and digital ads backing Democrat Kathy Hochul just under two weeks before voting ends. Dolan is betting on Hochul's support of a $7 billion redevelopment of Penn Station to boost his own business. And two state teachers unions also added $500,000 each last month into a pro-Hochul group called Progress NYS. Meanwhile, Save Our State NY and Safe Together New York, two groups supported by Lauder, have spent over $15 million for Zeldin. "This is the first of what I would call a modern election, an independent expenditures-driven election. I think this is the way it’s going to be going forward," said John Kaehny, executive director of good-government group Reinvent Albany. The Times Union says that Lauder alone accounts for nearly a third of the money raised to help Zeldin get elected. In 2018, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo recieved over $4 million in unlimited outside spending, and this year's election has already been injected with more than five times that amount. Read the full story in the Times Union.