Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that a trial date has not yet been set for the woman charged in the November 2021 stabbing death of Catskill resident Scott O. Myers. Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione said last week his office is still working through the discovery phase of the case. Discovery is the formal pretrial process of exchanging information about witnesses and evidence that happens between the parties in a criminal matter. Carrie Weiser, 33, of Catskill has been charged with Myers' death. She is currently remanded without bail pending trial. Weiser is represented by Hudson attorney Michael Howard. Police allege that Weiser killed Myers, 68, by stabbing him with a knife on the left side of his neck, severing his carotid artery. Police were called to Myers' apartment at 39 West Bridge Street in the village at approximately 12;15 a.m. on November 17, 2021. When they arrived, police found Myers with a lethal stab wound; he eventually succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Weiser was arrested by State Police less than two hours later. Little is known about the circumstances surrounding the fatal assault. Myers and Weiser had gone to dinner at a local brewery earlier in the evening and ended up at Myers’ apartment, but what happened after that has not been publicly disclosed. The grand jury indicted Weiser on charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. She pleaded not guilty to the charges. Myers was a local social activist. Read the full story at porcupine soup [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media that a recent wave of vandalism at Vanderbilt Town Park in Greenville left park benches suspended 10 feet above the ground and picnic tables standing on end against the playground slides. “We had additional vandalism in the park over the last couple of days,” Town Supervisor Paul Macko said on October 13. “Someone took all the picnic tables and stacked them up on top of the swing set. I don’t know how they did it.” The vandalism was discovered by town board member Richard Bear last week when he went to the park to check on an unrelated project. State police are investigating, Bear said. The park furniture is made of solid wood and is quite heavy. “We were very surprised — we were shocked,” Bear said. “We couldn’t believe they could get them that high in the air. They are very heavy. ...One of the benches was broken on the bottom and one of the tables had a board that was broken, but it’s all been repaired and put back in the park,” he said. Several park signs were also vandalized. Macko said, “And a bunch of kids had a report card burning party on the nature trail. A woman tried to put out the fire and had to call the fire department.” Macko said the troopers are talking to a few kids because some of the report cards failed to burn fully, so names were left visible. Read the full story at TheUpStater [dot] com.

Lana Bellamy reports for the Times Union that the MacArthur Foundation has named Sky Hopinka, an assistant professor at Bard College, a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. He will receive an $800,000 no-strings-attached stipend known as a "genius grant." The award is given to "extraordinarily talented and creative" people as an investment in their potential, according to an October 11, news release from Bard. Hopinka is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and a descendant of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño [Lou-eh-SAYN-oh] Indians. His work has been shown at numerous film festivals, including Sundance, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Chicago Underground Film Festival. He was also an inaugural fellow at Forge Project, the Indigenous-focused arts organization in Taghanic, which recently announced a partnership with Bard to support Indigenous studies. The MacArthur Foundation in a statement praised Hopinka's ability to layer imagery, sound and text to "create an innovative cinematic language." Prospective fellows are nominated anonymously by leaders in their respective fields and an anonymous selection committee considers the submissions. Fellowship recipients learn they have been chosen via a phone call from the MacArthur Foundation before the public announcement. Artist Paul Chan, a 2003 Bard alumnus, was also named a MacArthur fellow this year. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Current Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko, from the 20th District, votes with the positions of President Joe Biden 100 percent of the time, according to the fivethirtyeight.com website. Republican Elise Stefanik, currently representing the 21st District, votes with Biden's positions 19.3 percent of the time. Democrat Pat Ryan just began representing the 19th District, and has yet to be included in the rankings. Click here to listen to this report.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Democratic congressional candidate Josh Riley holds a 5 point advantage over Republican Marc Molinaro in the 19th Congressional District race, according to a Spectrum News/Siena College poll released October 6. The poll found Riley with 46 percent of the vote compared to Molinaro's 41 percent, within a 5 percentage-point margin of error of a survey of 470 likely district voters from September 25 to 28. The congressional seat includes parts of the Hudson Valley, Southern Tier and Central New York and is among a handful of House districts in New York that could determine control of the chamber in the November midterm elections. The poll showed Riley with more support from independent voters than Molinaro, 46 to 40 percent. A majority of voters have no opinion of or do not know enough about Riley, a first-time candidate. According to the poll, a majority of voters in the district hold an unfavorable view of President Joe Biden and Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat is in a close race against Republican candidate Lee Zeldin. The majority of voters in the district do not like the direction the country is heading. The cost of living and inflation concerns were cited by 52 percent of survey respondents as the top issue in the race, followed by threats to democracy at 31 percent and abortion at 28 percent. “We’re encouraged by today’s poll results, but taking nothing for granted,” said Riley Campaign Manager Coby Eiss. “... Voters are ready for a change from professional politicians like Marc Molinaro, and Josh is running to bring new leadership that puts people over profits.” Molinaro's campaign manager Will Dawson, however, declined to say much other than the campaign was focused on Election Day not polls. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Democratic congressional candidate Josh Riley claims his campaign raised more than $1.6 million in the third quarter and has more than $1 million cash-on-hand for the final weeks of the election. Voting begins Oct. 29 and ends Nov. 8 this year, with new Congressional districts because of redistricting. Riley is running in the new 19th Congressional District against Republican Marc Molinaro, who has yet to announce his recent fundraising totals. “We are proving that a people-powered campaign can beat one bankrolled by corporate PACs and special interests,” said Riley. A recent Siena Poll, conducted between September 25 and 28, showed Riley with a five-point lead over Molinaro, but within the polls margin of error. "The margin of error here is so immensely large that it's plainly silly to use this (or any similar poll) to suggest someone 'leads' or 'trails' five plus weeks before an election, especially when you factor in the number of undecided voters too," WSKG reporter Vaughn Golden wrote on Twitter about the poll. The poll did give Riley a 52-to-44 percent lead, outside of the poll's margin of error, in Greene, Columbia, and Ulster Counties. Molinaro is from Dutchess County, which is not in the new 19th Congressional District. Riley lives in Broome County, in Central New York, which was added to the district in redistricting. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Tyler A. McNeil reports in The Daily Gazette that Rep. Paul Tonko has declined to participate in another debate this election cycle. Tonko will not agree to a debate hosted by The Daily Gazette Oct. 19 in Schenectady. Liz Joy, Tonko's Republican opponent, has said she would participate in this event, and at least two other debates. But Tonko has only agreed to one, with public television station WMHT on Oct. 27. “Congressman Tonko looks forward to the debate he has already accepted on Oct. 27 to further demonstrate to voters his record on growing the Capital Region economy, fighting for reproductive rights and repairing democracy after his opponent organized a bus trip to the Jan. 6 insurrection,” said Tonko campaign spokesperson Sean Magers. Joy, meanwhile, criticized Tonko for ducking so many debates. “It’s disgraceful that a career politician since 1976, Paul Tonko, refuses to accommodate the request of The Daily Gazette,” Joy said. In 2020, when also running against Joy, Tonko would only agree to one debate. The 20th Congressional District election begins Oct. 29 and now includes Rensselaer County. Read the full story in The Daily Gazette.

Here is a roundup of the biggest environmental stories locally this week from the WGXC Newsroom. Click here to download or play this week's environmental news from WGXC.

Liz Montgomery is reporting for Porcupine Soup Coxsackie village officials are pondering the use of their eminent domain power to acquire the old American Valve Manufacturing Company property at 170 Mansion Street. Cleanup of the 15-acre Superfund site ended nearly 20 years ago and the village is again looking at the property, this time for use as a dog park and other municipal uses. According to county property records, American Valve is still the owner. Mayor Mark Evans said at a public hearing in September, the vacant land has been remediated, but digging is restricted to no more than three feet, thereby limiting what can be done with the property. The village is looking to use six acres on the northern side of the parcel. A three-year state Superfund remediation of the site was concluded in early 2004 after then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued American Valve to finance the cleanup of the lead and toxic solvents left behind when the business was relocated to North Carolina. From 1920 until 1988, American Valve operated a valve manufacturing and assembly business at the location, leaving the parcel contaminated by lead, and the toxic solvent perchloroethylene that tainted the soil and groundwater. According to Evans, should any future remediation be required at the site, the state of New York is responsible. “The contamination will be there forever, but the issue is if it starts to percolate to the surface the village is not held liable,” Evans is quoted as saying. When a developer was interested in purchasing the property for housing a few years ago, Evans said residents along Mansion Street and Spencer Boulevard appealed to officials to obtain the property. “...In order to move forward, the village has to have some type of stated purpose for obtaining the land,” Evans said. “Thus far, the village is working under a dog park or some other type of municipal benefit. That’s where the Village is headed.” A second public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Oct. 11. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Fernando Alba reports for Syracuse [dot] com that a drought watch for most of upstate New York was lifted as of Oct. 8, state officials said. Columbia, Greene, Albany, Rensselaer, and Schoharie counties are among the 34 counties that returned to normal designations, according to a state Department of Environmental Conservation news release. Recent rainfall and higher levels of ground and surface water led to the watch being lifted, according to the DEC. The DEC continues to encourage New Yorkers to limit water waste by fixing leaks and choosing efficient water fixtures, officials said. Dutchess, Nassau, and Ulster counties are still under drought watch — the first of four drought advisories issued by the DEC. Water restrictions are not in place for the counties under a watch, but residents are encouraged to conserve water by watering lawns only when necessary, raising lawnmowers to keep grass longer and using a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks. In August, 49 counties from western New York to the Hudson Valley were under a drought watch. Read the full story at Syracuse [dot] com.

Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that the Village of Athens was chosen along with 26 other municipalities to participate in a state program to upgrade wastewater infrastructure facilities. "The State's Asset Management Program advances resources and expertise to help municipal leaders establish robust programs to maintain and upgrade essential wastewater infrastructure systems," Governor Kathy Hochul said on Oct. 7. "By evaluating flood resilience needs, these local asset management programs will help our communities mitigate the effects of climate change and better prepare for the future." Funding for the program comes from New York's Clean Water Infrastructure Act. Read more about this story at the Porcupine Soup website.

Today's daily news update.

New York State of Politics reports that on Oct. 13 lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop Donald Trump's company from selling or transferring assets without court approval. Lawyers for James say that shortly before she filed a lawsuit against the Republican in September, Trump incorporated a new company in Delaware named Trump Organization LLC in an effort to avert scrutiny. “Beyond just the continuation of its prior fraud, the Trump Organization now appears to be taking steps to restructure its business to avoid existing responsibilities under New York law," lawyers for James wrote in their Oct. 13 court filing. Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, said no court oversight is unnecessary. “We have repeatedly provided assurance, in writing, that the Trump Organization has no intention of doing anything improper," Habba said. “This is simply another stunt which Ms. James hopes will aid her failing political campaign." The lawsuit James filed last month, James' office accused Trump of regularly misleading banks and others about how much assets such as his golf courses and other real estate were worth. Read the full story at New York State of Politics.

The Troy Record reports about Albany COunty's proposed $756.8 million budget for next year. That is a proposed 5.9 percent increase over last year’s budget. Because of new construction and increased valuations on existing real estate, the effective tax rate would be $3.17 per $1,000 next year, down from $3.45 per $1,000 this year. “As families continue to struggle with historically high inflation and as the Federal Reserve looks to continue raising interest rates, we must be prepared for a possible economic downturn in the future. That’s why I’m proud to present another fiscally responsible budget plan that holds the line on taxes now for the tenth year in a row, without making cuts to our workforce or the innovative programs and services that our residents rely on each day,” Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said in a press release. Now the proposed budget will move through the legislature beginning with the Audit and Finance Committee annual review of the budget beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 19. Read the Troy Record for the full story.

Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.’s electric supply prices are now four times higher than they were four months ago. The current price per kilowatt hour from Central Hudson is now 16.93 cents. In June the cost was 4.18 cents per kilowatt hour. But Central Hudson's natural gas prices have gone down. On Oct. 3, Central Hudson was charging 78.8 cents per 100 cubic feet, down from 97.8 cents per 100 cubic feet. “A number of international, national and regional forces continue to create volatility from month to month within the energy supply markets,” the utility said. Anthony Campagiorni, senior vice president of customer services and gas operations said, “We understand rising supply prices can create confusion and stress surrounding utility bills for our customers and we are working closely with our regulators to find ways to keep them as low as possible." Central Hudson is under investigation by the Public Service Commission and a Senate committee for billing practices and complaints about customers’ bills. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

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Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting for the Daily Freeman that the flyers left illegally last week inside a number of Rosendale mailboxes and on car windshields in the New Paltz Plaza parking lot directed their recipients, via URL codes, to White Lives Matter and another Nazi-identified social media website. However, contrary to what the Ulster County Sheriff's Office said last week, the distribution was not limited to a “handful” of Rosendale addresses, and they included an image of Adolf Hitler and are blatantly anti-Semitic. One post on the site to which one flyer links says “‘Nazi’ just means ‘person not interested in sex with kids or attending urine themed homosexual orgies until festering boils break out all over your body.'” Another flyer linked recipients to the White Lives Matter Official site on Telegram. The Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes White Lives Matter as “a neo-Nazi group that is growing into a movement as more and more white supremacist groups take up its slogans and tactics.” New Paltz Police Chief Robert Lucchesi said the department had reported the incident to the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Ulster County. David Drimer of the Jewish Federation of Ulster County and a member of the Ulster County Human Rights Commission, said he believes the distribution was the work of James Sheeley, KKK grand wizard of New York and New Jersey. Deputy County Executive Chris Kelly said Ulster County is “forming a Task Force for Preventing and Responding to Domestic Terrorism.” The flyer distribution in Rosendale is under investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Joseph Sciutto declined to categorize the flyers as “racist or white supremacist,” but his boss, Sheriff Juan Figueroa, called their message “despicable” calling the flyers “offensive.” Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

MidHudson News is reporting the Republican-controlled Dutchess County Legislature on Tue., Oct. 11, voted in favor of a Domestic Partner Registry, brought to their attention by Dutchess County Clerk Brad Kendall. The law was proposed two previous times, but never made it through the legislature. Kendall said, ”Establishing a registry now would allow those whose long-term relationships have been acknowledged in other jurisdictions to be recognized in their new county of residence. It will also allow partners to participate more fully in joint financial and medical decision-making.” He noted that many partnerships registered in New York City have relocated to Dutchess County. The Democratic minority singled out the two Republicans who voted against the law. In a statement, they said, “Invoking religious rhetoric, Republican Legislator Lisa Paoloni...voted no saying the law would 'de-legitimize the sanctity of marriage,' and Republican Legislator Allen Surman ...also voted no, sayng, “If you are in a committed relationship, marriage is definitely the best way to go.” Any Duchess resident, aged 18 or older, who has been living with their partner for at least one year is eligible to apply for the registry. Either or both of the partners can choose to terminate, even if one does not agree to the termination. New York City, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties, as well as some municipalities in Nassau County have established similar domestic registries. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Mike Goodwin is reporting for the Times Union the city of Albany is the top place to live in the state of New York, according to U.S. News and World Report's latest ranking of best places to live in the U.S. Overall, Albany ranked 21st in the survey's annual catalog of top American metropolitan areas. U.S. News notes that homes in Albany sell for "less than the national median sale price" and the average income is higher than the national average. The story promotes life on Lark Street, noting the heart of the city's Center Square neighborhood features small businesses, galleries, churches and "wine shops featuring New York state vintages." The magazine also highlights Albany's proximity to the Adirondacks and Catskills as well as its architecture, both its residential brownstones and the State Capitol and the Empire State Plaza. Albany bested Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo and New York City in the rankings. Huntsville, Ala., was rated the best place to live in the U.S., followed by. Colorado Springs, Colo., Green Bay, Wisc., Boulder, Colo., and San Jose, to round out the top five. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that in a year of multiple state primary election dates and a special Congressional election, Greenville voters go back to the polls again Dec. 6 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Scott M. Ellis Elementary School to consider a $14.5 million capital project. The school board will present their case for passing the large budget on Oct. 17, Nov. 19, and Nov. 29 at the school. The new construction projects include $11.3 million in spending at the elementary school, $2.4 million for the middle school-high school, and $1.4 million in "alternate scope considerations." The school board says they will not have to raise taxes for the project, with 70 percent coming from the state and the rest from the district’s capital reserve fund. The project would improve the condition of the roof and ventilation systems, enlarge the art department, and make other classroom improvements. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Pete DeMola reports in the Times Union about how the Albany tradition of mailing out checks just before an election continues this year. New York is mailing out child and earned income tax payments to about 1.8 million citizens, the state Department of Taxation and Finance said Oct. 11. The average payment of the checks is $270 to relieve pandemic and inflation-related expenses. “We’re delivering these relief checks to hardworking New Yorkers who’ve been feeling the pinch of inflation,” Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Amanda Hiller said. Voting begins this year Oct. 29 and continues through Nov. 8. So far, 360,000 checks have been sent to possible voters. An anonymous state worker said the timing with the election was a coincidence. "Culling through the data put us at the time frame," a spokesperson for the state Department of Tax and Finance said. "It was more so deadlines to get those checks out to homeowners. School and property taxes were due, so we wanted to process those first." Read the full story in the Times Union.

New York's latest foliage report details leaves reaching peak color change locally. "In Greene County, foliage is peaking in Windham and should remain so through the weekend, with almost total change and very brilliant red, orange, yellow, and purple leaves. Peak foliage will arrive in the Town of Catskill, with very brilliant yellow and orange leaves, along with bright touches of red," the report says. "In Ulster County, reports from Kingston predict foliage at midpoint of change with more than 50% transition and bright green, yellow, and orange leaves.... Columbia County spotters in Old Chatham are predicting near-peak to peak leaves this weekend with up to 80% change and very brilliant ginger, tangerine, canary yellow, paprika, chili, peach, and scarlet leaves. Foliage should be around midpoint of change in Hudson, where spotters expect 50% change and average to bright green-yellow and orange leaves, along with splashes of red.... Foliage will be near peak throughout Rensselaer County with a good mix of bright fall colors. Look for 70-80% foliage change in the northern and eastern parts of the county, and 55-65% change in the southern and western portions." See New York's foliage report for more information .

Today's daily news update.

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