Aina de Lapparent Alvarez is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle that Berkshire County has a high community level of COVID-19, according to the newest weekly data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To determine the community level, the CDC uses a combination of the case rate per 100,000 people, the new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 hospitalizations and the percentage of beds in use by COVID-19 patients. As of Sept. 29, there were 238 new cases and 11 new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents and four percent of hospital beds in the county are in use by COVID-19 patients. Berkshire County is the only county in Massachusetts with a high transmission level, but neighboring Rensselaer and Columbia counties in New York, as well as Bennington County in Vermont also have high transmission rates. according to the CDC. The CDC recommends that in this situation people wear a mask indoors while in public, get tested when symptoms arise, and take additional precautions if at risk for severe illness. The CDC also recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. A booster shot for the Omicron variant was rolled out earlier this month and is available for those who have already had two boosters. According to CDC data, 76.5 percent of the population in Berkshire County has received at least one vaccine dose, while 61 percent are fully vaccinated. Read more in The Berkshire Eagle.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that motorists that use Route 23A in Greene County, between Haines Falls and Palenville, may experience delays caused by roadwork during the coming week, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. The work is scheduled to take place October 3 through 7, weather permitting, said Department of Transportation Region 1 public information officer Bryan Viggiani. Workers will be concentrated in the area of Horseshoe Bend, and will be trimming back trees and branches to enhance driver visibility. Alternating lanes of one-way traffic, controlled by flaggers, are planned for that stretch of Route 23A, while the work is underway. The speed limit through the work zone on Route 23A is 55 mph, but several safety signs suggest a speed of 10 mph through Horseshoe Bend. Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. The DOT is reminding drivers that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Up-to-date travel information is available by calling 511, going online to 511NY [dot] org, or downloading the 511NY mobile app. Read the full story at Hudson360 [dot] com.

Greene County hosts a household hazardous waste collection event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 9. While Greene County's webpage for the event does not include the location, the webpage for waste transfer stations in the county says it is at the Greene County Highway Department, 67 Scott Lane, in Athens. Anyone dropping off household hazardous waste must prove they are a county resident with a driver’s license or utility bill. Normal trash, and electronics and recyclables, will not be accepted. Residents must attend at times by their last names, with those with the first letter of their last name beginning with A-F allowed to drop off from 8-9 a.m., letters G-K from 9- 10 a.m., L-P from 10-11 a.m., Q-U from 11 a.m. until noon, and V-Z from noon until 1 p.m.

Today's daily news update.

Mary Dempsey is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County Fair Manager Angelo Nero will step down from his role as manager of the Columbia County Fairgrounds. “I figured, at age 91, it was time,” Nero said. “... I’m going to miss it a lot, but I’ll probably volunteer and help out there.” Nero was named the organization’s first fair manager in 1988 and has served in that capacity for 34 years. Nero's successor will be Mike Mickle. Mickle’s grandfather and great-grandfather were both involved with the fair, dating back to the late 1800s, he said. “The fair is part of my family heritage,” Mickle said. “My grandfather, Philip Mickle, was past president and treasurer for years on the fair’s board. He also was the president of the [Columbia County] Agricultural Society in the 1960s and served as the president of the New York State Fair Association, too.” Mickle’s father William Mickle, who passed away last year, was a lifetime member of the fair as well, he added. Mickle, 60, holds a degree in advertising from The College of St. Rose and spent 30 years of his career working in advertising and marketing. He now runs a landscaping business and will take over from Nero in January. During his tenure, Nero helped expand use of the fairgrounds. “Over the years, we have built up the use of the fairgrounds,” he said. “We started using the fairgrounds for other things. We are now generating money.” When the fair isn’t being held, the grounds are open for private and public events. During the winter months, the property serves as rental storage space for recreational vehicles, boats, cars and trucks. Nero is currently serving as a trustee on the village of Valatie Board of Trustees and the treasurer of the Valatie Fire Department. He also serves on the fair’s board. Nero is a former Columbia County coroner, the former county EMS coordinator, and was mayor of Valatie for ten years. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting that the New York State Police has refused a request from the Daily Freeman to provide the names of troopers assigned to Troop F, which is part of a broader effort to report on the agency’s disciplinary records. In July, state police missed a self-imposed deadline to indicate if they would comply with the Freeman’s request for records under the state’s Freedom of Information Law. The agency’s blanket refusal came in an email this week when a request for the name and rank of all state police personnel patrolling in Ulster and Greene counties was refused. State police Major William H. Gorman wrote, “Please be advised that all State Police personnel are subject to transfer or reassignment to one of our various other troops, zones, stations, or units situated through the state at any given point in time. This makes it exceedingly difficult to identify the universe of ‘all troopers assigned to Troop F, Zone 3’ for the time period you identified.” He further noted that the information requested, “is exempt from disclosure under Public Officers Law Section 87(2)(f), as the release of that information could endanger the life or safety of the identified employees.” In December 2021, the Freeman submitted a request for “a record of complaints, lawsuits and investigations and their outcomes (including written and video records of such outcomes), whether or not they resulted in disciplinary action or reprimand, from 2019 to the present” from Troop F, Zone 3, under the state Freedom of Information Law.” Troop F, Zone 3, patrols Ulster and Greene counties. Disciplinary records for police, firefighters and corrections officers in New York were theoretically made more easily accessible as a result of a change in the law in response to nationwide demands for transparency concerning such records. Similar requests were submitted to the Kingston and Saugerties police, as well as the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, all of whom have complied. Like the State Police, the town of Ulster police has not complied with the same requests. On July 1, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the State Police for its alleged refusal to comply with a similar request submitted by that organization. The NYCLU suit charged state police with unlawfully denying requests for the full slate of records related to police misconduct now authorized to be disclosed. In the NYCLU case, the State Police has requested multiple extensions to file its opening brief, which is now due at the end of November. The troopers’ union has also filed a motion to intervene, which is pending. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper that the Valatie Planning Board's public hearing on an application from Seaboard Solar for a solar panel project on Running Creek Road, in Kinderhook and Stuyvesant, opened on September 15. Pedro Rodriguez, from Seaboard, based in New Milford, Conn., presented the plan at the meeting. The proposal calls for the use of about 65 acres of a 140-acre farm for solar panels. Rodriguez said Seaboard Solar will buy the land and has an agreement with the farmer to continue farming the parcel. Steve Wilson from Bohler Engineering presented images of what the site would look like with tree cover around the panels and how far the panels are from the nearest house. Several neighbors attended the hearing and expressed their concerns about the project. They questioned the decision to install them on what they called “prime farmland” and had concerns about chemicals from the equipment contaminating their water. There was also a discussion about the upkeep of the current solar panel farm on Route 9 and what the company would do with damaged panels. Residents also had concerns about the potential for fires at the installation. Rodriguez said in the 10 years he had been with the company there had never been a fire at any of their sites. He also said his company has created a decommissioning account for when the time comes to remove the panels in 25 or 30 years. The board adjourned the public hearing to be reopened October 20. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Songs played this past week on WGXC.

WGXC Morning Show
Mon-Sat, 9-10 a.m.
Oren Ambarchi, "Shebang" album
Scanner, "Listening" album
Paramore, "This Is Why" single
Air Waves with Cass McCombs, "The Dance" album
Dust Bowl Faeries, "The Changling" single
Amy Rigby, "Cut and Run" album

BantuNauts Raydio
Sundays, 9-11 a.m.
Nuri - Asfer
G'Sparks aka Spilulu ft. DJ Meji - Babalaze
Timaya ft. Don Jazzy - I Concur
Vee Mampeezy ft Uhuru, Dj Maphorisa, & Dj Buckz - Sele
Akon ft. Olamide - Scammers
Ol' Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis - Got Your Money (Stavros Martina & Kevin D Remix)
Kelis - Milkshake (Robin Roij Remix)
J. Balvin and Skrillex - In Da Getto
Os Banah - Kapri
Oumou Sangari - Wele Wele Wintou (Neter Supreme Re-split)
Saweetie - Fast (Motion)
Curtis J ft. Tomie Boy - Check Your Balance
MHD ft. Tiakola - Pololo
Olamide - Rock
Diamond Platnumz - Kamata
Willy Paul ft. Size 8 Reborn - Lenga
Innoss'B ft. Rebo - NO NO
Dhee ft. Arivu - Enjoy Enjaami
Willie Hutch " Brothers Gonna Work It Out (Joey Negro Return of The Mac Mix)
Grover Washington Jr. - Summer Song / Tom Of Finland - Summerjam
Sandy Turnbull - Feelin Me
Oscar P - FELA Chant
Nuri - Yiri
Marnei - War is War
Jovi - Nivaquine
Khaligraph Jones & Msupa S - Watajua Hawajui
Costa Titch ft. Riky Rick & DJ Maphorisa " Areyeng
Yuni Wa - Reasons (Remix)
(3rd Set / Africa Pump It Up Mix)
Zuchu - Nyumba Ndogo
Jagwa Music - Jumba Bovu
Guchi - Jennifer
Njelic & Boohle ft. De Mthuda, Sa Muziqal Chef - Wamuhle
DBN Gogo, Blaqnick & MasterBlaQ feat. Mpura, M.J & Ama Avenger - Khuza Gogo
Black Coffee ft. Bucie - Superman

"What's The Frequency, Kenneth?"
Thursdays, 2-3 p.m.

Control Judy and The Jerks Music To Go Nuts. Thrilling Living Rec 2022 03:29
Living Torch 2 Kali Malone Living Torch . Portraits GRM Rec 2022 15:02
Wouldn't Have To Hurt Claire Rousay Wouldn't Have To Hurt. Mended Dreams Rec 2022 07:50
Sharp Turn Why Bonnie 90 In November. Keeled Scales Rec 2022 03:54
Unbecoming Eli Winter Eli Winter. Three Lobed Rec 2022 08:21
12:30 The Mamas And The Papas single. Dunhill Rec 1965 03:26
For What It's Worth (2018 Remaster) Buffalo Springfield single. Atlantic Rec 1966 02:39
Those Fabulous Sixties The National Lampoon National Lampoon Radio Dinner. Blue Thumb Rec 1971 01:46
Become The Lies The Soft Moon Exister. Sacred Bones Rec 2022 04:29
Backup Maya Hawke Moss. Mom+Pop Rec 2022 03:17
Sunny Lazy Cool Clem Salvataggio Summer Mixtape. Ganache Rec 2022 03:30
Gold Line Awe Young Jesus ft. Tomberlin Shepherd Head. Saddle Creek Rec 2022 03:47

Vital Weekly 1353:
Mondays, 2-3 p.m.
0000 Tune
0014 Tomotsugu Nakamura - Mistletoe
0330 Jecek Doroszenko - Bodyfulness
0640 Vertonen - _are you comfortable__
0947 Luca Forcucci - Room
1258 Massimo Discepoli - Temporary Answer
1608 Lasse Marhaug - Insomnia Theatre for a Lost Electrician
1917 Claudio De Pina - Two Études for Organ: No. 1, Harmonies
2228 Edward Sol - Spitz In The Eyepit
2538 Tetuzi Akiyama & Ryotaro Miyasaka
2848 Jason Kahn - Latvian Classical Radio
3158 Jim Haynes - Variant, number four
3507 Junji Hirose & Otomo Yoshihide - Second Scene
3817 Amidea Clotet - No ni ná
4126 Forbes Graham - Forming Those Battle Plans
4437 Tetuzi Akiyama & Leo Okagawa
4747 Brackenbury Bianco - O Frondens Virga
5058 Vomir & White Widow - Asbestos Devotion
5410 Tune

"Afrosonic Taxi"
Mondays, 10 a.m.
1. Yamore by Salif Keita feat. Cesaria Evora (Mali/Cape Verde)
2. Wongororo by Oliver Mtukudzi (Zimbabwe)
3. Ngane Yakwethu by Tu Nokwe (South Africa)
4. Issake Shango by Kekele (Congo)
5. Obugwambo by Essence Kasozi (Uganda)
6. Gato Morena by Tito Paris (Cabo Verde)
7. Adinna by Mounira Mitchala (Chad)
8. Fety by Tarika (Madagascar)
9. Othiawene by Eyuphuro (Mozambique)
10. Adje Dada by Angelique Kidjo (Benin)
11. Mali ya Mungu by Mose Se Sengo "FanFan" (Congo)

Deep Threes
Mondays, noon-2 p.m.
The Trouble Makers - Noah Haidu - Slipstream
Ruby - Autumn Joy Sedum - Ruby
Twilight Byte - ComputeHer - Modemoiselle
Slipwok - Kupa - Bit Pairat
Repository II - Abby Lee Tee - Herbert's Archive
A Pale Red Dot - Graham Reynolds - Fun With Sounds & Patterns
Devotion - Joel Corelitz - Gorogoa (Original Soundtrack)
Penderecki: Anaklasis - Warschauer Philharmonisches Orchester, Andrzej Markowski - Psalmen David & Other Works
Busted - Tyler Bates - Guardians of the Galaxy
One Scar Is Not Enough - Frederik Wiedmann - Hangman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Intellect - Grachan Moncur II - The New Wave In Jazz
Post-Industrialism - Modular Moose - Winter in a Forsaken City
Cherenkov - Devilenz - Desdemona
Silver Dew, Golden Grass - Andreas Vollenweider - Dancing with the Lion
Iceberg Variation II - Christine Webster - Iceberg the Drift
Prep Gwarlek 3B - Aphex Twin - Drukqs
Where Do You Feel at Home - Verneri Pohjola and Mika Kallio - Animal Image
Take It Easy - Masahiko Sato - Belladonna
Hare Krishna (King Britt Funke Remix) - Tony Scott - Verve Remixed
Homeward Bound Suite: Kyrill - Frederik Kster, Die Verwandlung & Philharmonisches Orchester Hagen - Homeward Bound Suite
The Homecoming - John Williams - War Horse

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.

The Daily Freeman reports that new Congressperson Pat Ryan introduced his first bill in the House of Representatives after nine days in office. Ryan, a Democrat filling in the final weeks of Antonio Delgado's term in the 19th Congressional District, introduced the “Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act.” The bill would allow access to abortion medication through telehealth even in states that ban abortion, and would create a Congressional report on other ways to expand access to reproductive health care. “A woman’s right to choose is one of this country’s foundational freedoms, and there is no place for government interference in these private medical decisions, yet extremist state lawmakers are restricting access to FDA-approved abortion medication and even threatening to open Americans’ mail to stop the delivery of doctor-prescribed healthcare services,” Ryan said in a press release. “This legislation would ensure that women across the country can access this safe and effective medical treatment.” Over half of all abortion care in the U.S. comes through medication, with a two-dose regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol approved for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. This year at least 20 states have proposed bills to restrict or ban access to those abortion pills, which were approved more than two decades ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and other new bills would force women to get those medications from a doctor in person. Ryan beat Republican Marc Molinaro in a special election to fill in the final weeks of Delgado's term, and many political observers said his support for abortion rights was a key part of that campaign. Now Ryan is running for the new 18th Congressional district against Republican Colin Schmitt in November, while Molinaro faces Democrat Josh Riley in the new 19th Congressional District. Schmitt did not respond to requests for comment. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

With the Supreme Court overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision earlier this year, views on abortion have been center stage in every election in America since, and that continues this fall in the new New York 19th Congressional District contest between Republican Marc Molinaro and Democrat Josh Riley. Molinaro lost a special election for the old version of the district in August to Democrat Pat Ryan, and many political observers wrote that Democratic turnout was up in that race because of the abortion issue. Riley has been clear that he supports abortion rights, and his campaign website says, "Women’s healthcare decisions are women’s healthcare decisions, not the government’s." Molinaro's campaign website avoids the issue completely in the "policy" section. Molinaro has said he opposes most abortions after 17 weeks. “I don’t want government in the specific decision making that women will have to make, I don’t,” Molinaro said at a Sept. 1 town hall meeting with voters in Endicott, in Broome County. “But I also want to be respectful of the fact, at some point there ought to be some limitation, except in the case of life of the mother, rape and incest.” His 17-week limit is very close to the 15-week abortion ban that South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham recently proposed. Just after Molinaro lost to Ryan he appeared on the right-wing Newsmax network, which has reported conspiracy theories and lets guests incorrectly state that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen," and he was asked about the abortion issue. Click here to play or download short excerpt of Molinaro on Newsmax.

WSKG reports that just about a month before voting begins, the candidates for the new 19th Congressional District still have not agreed to debate. Democrat Josh Riley agreed to a debate with WSKG, a public television and radio station working with the League of Women Voters of Broome and Tioga Counties, but Republican Marc Molinaro did not. “I understood from yesterday that he had declined the WSKG debate which I had accepted. So, we’ll have to see what other invitations we have,” Riley said on Sept. 25. Molinaro says he has agreed to a debate hosted by Spectrum News and two candidate forums, not debates, one with the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, and another with the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce. “I’m guessing it’s just scheduling issues, but three debates seems like a reasonable number to have across a district this size,” Molinaro said Sept. 23, even though he has agreed to only one debate, and two candidate forums. Voting begins Oct. 29 and ends Nov. 8. Read more about this story at the WSKG website.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican Colin Schmitt outlined their differences on the abortion issue at an Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce “meet the candidates” breakfast Sept. 27. The two are competing for the new 18th Congressional District seat in November. Ryan, the former Ulster County Executive was just elected to be the 19th Congressional District Congressperson for a few weeks, filling in after Antonio Delgado resigned to become lieutenant governor. Schmitt is a two-term Republican assemblyperson from Orange County. Ryan was dismayed about the Supreme Court overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision earlier this year. “I feel pretty strongly this goes squarely against who we are as a country, who we are as a nation,” Ryan said. Then Schmitt said he is pro-life, so in favor of banning abortion, and then falsely claimed that Ryan would permit taxpayer-funded abortion up to the moment of birth and would prohibit parental notification laws. Instead, Ryan said he would reinstate the framework that Roe v. Wade created and called Schmitt’s mischaracterization, “kind of embarrassing, frankly.” The full videos of Schmitt and Ryan speaking at the event are on the WGXC Newsroom. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports for the Daily Freeman that Republican Congressional candidate Marc Molinaro is now opposing the United States sending military aid to Ukraine to fight off the invasion from Russia. “I believe that as a country we have met our financial obligation to support Ukraine resistance,” Molinaro said. Russia invaded Ukraine in February without provocation, and is accused of many human rights violations. Since the invasion Finland and Sweden have moved to join the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as fears of Russia invading other countries has spread. The United States has sent Ukraine approximately $15.2 billion in military aid since President Joe Biden took office. “I think the president ought to marshall freedom-loving democratic societies around this world to more aggressively isolate, freeze and make abundantly clear to Vladimir Putin that he is a criminal, is a tyrant and America and democracies around the world do not accept his incursion, his invasion or his continued military efforts in Ukraine,” Molinaro said. The Republican candidate for the 19th Congressional District did not say how he would do that. Molinaro is running against Democrat Josh Riley for the new 19th Congressional District, which voting beginning Oct. 29 and ending Nov. 8. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that less than three weeks after being sworn in, Democrat Pat Ryan passed his first bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 29. Ryan's bill would give access to VA home loans to those National Guard and reserve forces conducting active duty for training or in training pipelines for specialized areas. The “Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act” passed 296-127, a rare bipartisan vote, and now heads to the U.S. Senate. The Veterans Health Care Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 left out National Guard service members and reservists conducting active duty for training or entering into a longer training pipeline, and this bill would close that loophole. “There’s some guardsmen and women who were and weren’t eligible even though they were serving in the same battalion, in the same unit, in the same place. It shouldn’t matter,” said Ryan, who was elected in a special election for New York's 19th Congressional District after Democrat Antonio Delgado resigned to become lieutenant governor. “This is really addressing that and righting that wrong.” Ryan was sworn in Sept. 13, and faces another election this fall, but he is running in the 18th Congressional District, after the lines were redrawn. “I feel tremendous pride I’m able to help the veterans on something so important,” Ryan said. “This is really important, especially given the intersection of rising home prices and veterans’ homelessness.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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 that a New York State Supreme Court judge has ordered a tire dump on State Route 81 to be shut down. But as of Sept. 19, six days after the deadline set by the court for all tires to be removed, tires still cover portions of the property. On Aug. 30, Justice Richard Mott signed an order against Green Tire Recycling, permanently prohibiting them from operating a tire dump business at 1113 and 1131 State Route 81 in Climax. The dump contains thousands of tires and according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, does not have a permit to operate despite its ongoing operation since 2020. Mott’s made his ruling after the town of Coxsackie took steps to close the dump, contending the facility is in violation of New York State Property Maintenance Code, New York State Fire Code, Coxsackie Town Code, and Coxsackie Town Zoning Law. Property owners Corey Mergendahl, Sharon Lampman, and Shane Foster had until July 29 to respond to the complaint, but none of them appeared or submitted a response. The trio also failed to respond to notices of violation from the town of Coxsackie that were sent this spring. Their inaction ultimately led to the town taking the matter to state Supreme Court. The town will next seek court-ordered sanctions. Specifically allowing the town of Coxsackie and/or the DEC to remove the tires, refuse, junk and garbage, then adding the cost of that cleanup to the property tax bill owed to Greene County. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Larry Rulison is reporting for the Times Union that the Port of Albany is saying "no" to $29.5 million in federal funding for the construction of a $350 million wind turbine tower manufacturing facility on the Hudson River. Walking away from the award will speed up the permitting process after falling behind schedule. The grant was allocated to the Port of Albany by the U.S. Department of Transportation and has been in jeopardy since the summer when the port clear-cut more than 80 acres of waterfront land in the town of Bethlehem without federal permits. In early 2022, a group of more than 20 Glenmont residents sued the port and the town of Bethlehem for clearing 80 acres of land on the Hudson River for the project allegedly without providing proper notification to local homeowners. At its monthly meeting on September 28, port officials said they were withdrawing the grant application with the DOT, thereby allowing the project to move forward more quickly, which must be completed by the end of next year. It is unclear how the port will replace the funding, which was supposed to pay for infrastructure at the Hudson River site, known as Beacon Island. The port bought Beacon Island several years ago in anticipation of constructing the facility, which is being built for Equinor and its equipment manufacturing partners, Marmen and Welcon. The Norwegian energy company Equinor is building several wind farms off the coast of Long Island. Port officials said by dropping the grant request, the DOT's Maritime Administration, will no longer hold back the federal permitting process that will now be led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Read the full story at TimesUnion [dot] com.

Sharon Udasin is reporting for The Hill that the state of New York will require all new vehicles purchased beginning in 2035 to be zero-emission models, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced September 29. “We’re really putting our foot down on the accelerator and revving up our efforts to make sure we have this transition — not someday in the future, but on a specific date, a specific year — by the year 2035,” Hochul said at a press conference in Westchester County. Hochul announced a series of new electric vehicle initiatives for the state, and said that 35 percent of new cars will need to be zero-emission by 2026, and 68 percent by 2030. All new school buses purchased must be zero-emission by 2027, with the entire fleet meeting those standards by 2035, the governor said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation will be expediting its regulatory process to implement related legislation signed by Hochul last year, which would allow the state to realize those goals. Under the state’s Drive Clean Rebate program, residents can qualify for an up to $2,000 rebate in all 62 counties. The state has already issued more than 78,000 rebates and spent more than $90 million on the programs, according to the governor. Hochul also announced that the New York Power Authority just installed its 100th high-speed electric vehicle charger, as part of the state’s EVolve NY statewide charging network. Any battery-powered EV can charge at these stations in as little as 20 minutes. New York state will receive $175 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law’s $5 billion allocation for EV charging networks. Read more at TheHill [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said this week that hospitalizations related to the coronavirus have reached a low for the year in his county. There were nine people in area hospitals Sept. 29, with three in the Intensive Care Unit and one person on a ventilator. But at the same time, total cases were at 129, down slightly from the Sept. 11 high of the summer of 152 cases. “I think it’s reasonable to say at this point that the higher-than-expected positive cases we’ve had over the summer months will continue on into the fall and likely increase with all of us moving inside more,” Mabb said. “I hope this downward trend in hospitalizations continues. Maybe this is confirmation of what we’ve been told by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others that the variants we’re seeing now may be more contagious but less virulent.” Of the current new cases 47 residents and 13 staff had tested positive from the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing/Barnwell in Valatie. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

The Troy Record reports that Rep. Paul Tonko and local environmental groups and advocates recently celebrated at Schodack Island State Park the House passage of his New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act. The bill would invest $20 million annually to improve water quality, and increase public access to the rivers. “Our waterways stand as economic drivers while also reflecting and upholding our rich history,” Tonko, a Democrat, said. “The New York-New Jersey Watershed is America’s most populated, driving tourism and serving as a community treasure for millions of visitors and residents alike. Despite this, our Watershed remains underfunded and without key federal assistance, leaving it in greater danger from pollutants and at increased risk for floods that threaten public health, ecosystems, and industries." Tonko failed to pass what was previously called the "Hudson-Mohawk River Basin Act," but at least got the renamed measure through the House of Representatives this year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. “This legislation is a key part of funding research and scientifically-backed efforts that will make New York’s waterways more resilient to climate change," said Jonathan Kramer, President of the Hudson River Foundation. Tonko faces a rematch with Republican Liz Joy this fall for re-election in the 20th Congressional District. The Troy Record has the full story.

Mike Goodwin reports in the Times Union that Hurricane Ian will probably not impact the upper Hudson Valley much. After moving inland Sept. 30 in South Carolina, the storm is predicted to head northwest, and then back east into the Atlantic Ocean. A Canadian high-pressure system dropping into the United States is expected to keep it away from our area. "Right now, the high pressure is winning," Andrei Evbuoma, a weather service meteorologist based in Albany, said on Sept. 29. If anything, a few rain showers could hit the southern Hudson Valley from what will then be remnants of the once-powerful hurricane. Of course, the storm has surprised forecasters a few times so far, so the predictions could be wrong. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that state Senator Michelle Hinchey pinned Liberty Medals on three young Greenville brothers who saved the life of a man trapped in a burning car in August. Peter IV and Nickolas Liquari, both 14, and their brother, Dylan Liquari, 7, got the highest civilian honor that a New York resident can receive from the State Senate for their heroic or humanitarian acts. The three brothers “demonstrated the type of courage that most of us would like to think we would exemplify in a moment so dire, but few actually could,” said Hinchey. On the night of August 7, 2022, Peter Liquari III and his three sons drove up on a car crash on Route 32 in Greenville. When their dad failed to get a garden hose to reach the burning car, the boys formed a bucket brigade to control the flames until first responders arrived and saved the man’s life. “The level of selfless bravery and quick-thinking heroism these brothers, and their dad, displayed was nothing short of exceptional," Hinchey said. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News.

Today's daily news update.

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

Sharon Udasin is reporting for The Hill that the state of New York will require all new vehicles purchased beginning in 2035 to be zero-emission models, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced September 29. “We’re really putting our foot down on the accelerator and revving up our efforts to make sure we have this transition — not someday in the future, but on a specific date, a specific year — by the year 2035,” Hochul said at a press conference in Westchester County. Hochul announced a series of new electric vehicle initiatives for the state, and said that 35 percent of new cars will need to be zero-emission by 2026, and 68 percent by 2030. All new school buses purchased must be zero-emission by 2027, with the entire fleet meeting those standards by 2035, the governor said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation will be expediting its regulatory process to implement related legislation signed by Hochul last year, which would allow the state to realize those goals. Under the state’s Drive Clean Rebate program, residents can qualify for an up to $2,000 rebate in all 62 counties. The state has already issued more than 78,000 rebates and spent more than $90 million on the programs, according to the governor. Hochul also announced that the New York Power Authority just installed its 100th high-speed electric vehicle charger, as part of the state’s EVolve NY statewide charging network. Any battery-powered EV can charge at these stations in as little as 20 minutes. New York state will receive $175 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law’s $5 billion allocation for EV charging networks. Read more at TheHill [dot] com.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that less than three weeks after being sworn in, Democrat Pat Ryan passed his first bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 29. Ryan's bill would give access to VA home loans to those National Guard and reserve forces conducting active duty for training or in training pipelines for specialized areas. The “Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act” passed 296-127, a rare bipartisan vote, and now heads to the U.S. Senate. The Veterans Health Care Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 left out National Guard service members and reservists conducting active duty for training or entering into a longer training pipeline, and this bill would close that loophole. “There’s some guardsmen and women who were and weren’t eligible even though they were serving in the same battalion, in the same unit, in the same place. It shouldn’t matter,” said Ryan, who was elected in a special election for New York's 19th Congressional District after Democrat Antonio Delgado resigned to become lieutenant governor. “This is really addressing that and righting that wrong.” Ryan was sworn in Sept. 13, and faces another election this fall, but he is running in the 18th Congressional District, after the lines were redrawn. “I feel tremendous pride I’m able to help the veterans on something so important,” Ryan said. “This is really important, especially given the intersection of rising home prices and veterans’ homelessness.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Liz Montgomery is reporting for Porcupine Soup that the world-famous dive team, Adventures with Purpose, a group dedicated to solving missing person cases, was in Greene County this week, hoping to provide information helpful to the family of Audrey May Herron. “Adventures with Purpose is in Catskill diving and searching for my mom,” Sonsia Rae Marie Elliott told the Facebook group “Missing mother of three.... Audrey May Turk Herron” on September 28. The group travels nationwide and since its founding in 2019 has solved 24 missing person cases. The group provides its services free to families. Elliott posted to the Facebook group late on Sept. 29: "Adventures with Purpose called me this afternoon and they have concluded their searches for my mom today. All bodies of water along my mom's known route home as well as every possible alternate route home were looked at. ... Neither my mom nor her jeep were found." Elliott continued, "Please do not be sorry for us! We are feeling grateful. This is super helpful information because we can rule out the theory that she went off the side of the road accidentally on her way home from work. The current investigator on my mom's case is highly motivated to solve it and I am hopeful that he will." Last month marked 20 years since Herron disappeared. Elliott, Herron’s oldest child, was only 10 years old at the time. The Freehold mother of three was last seen driving west on State Route 23 in Catskill around 11 p.m. on August 29, 2002. A nurse, Herron had just finished a shift at the former Greene County Long Term Care in Jefferson Heights. She was reported missing by her family the next morning. Neither Herron nor her black 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee have ever been found. Anyone with any information is urged to call State Police in Catskill at 518-622-8600. Read the full story at Porcupine Soup [dot] com.