Brian Hubert is reporting for the Daily Freeman as of Sept. 3, the Napanoch Point wildfire was 75 percent contained and firefighters expect to have it fully contained by the end of the Labor Day weekend, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said. DEC spokesperson Lori Severino said the fire remained active as of Sept. 3, but officials lowered the estimate of acreage burned from 163 acres to 142 acres. Ulster County officials said the estimate of the area burned decreased after they received more accurate data. The latest reports had 75 percent of the fire under a manageable condition where it can not spread further, Severino said. The department said no homes or businesses have been affected by the fire. Severino said 129 people were working on the fire Saturday, down from nearly 200 the previous day. She said mutual aid continues from firefighters in departments in Dutchess County and as far away as Quebec in Canada. “Bulldozers and hand crews from multiple agencies will continue to build indirect and direct control lines,” a post on Ulster County’s Instagram page said Saturday afternoon. The post also said that state police helicopters will continue bucket drops to cool hot spots. The Napanoch Point fire is believed to have started on August 27 because of a lightning strike. The rain overnight on August 30, helped to slow the fire’s spread and allowed firefighters to construct control lines. Another wildfire at Minnewaska, the Stony Kill Fire, was contained as of Sept. 2, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said in a Facebook post. The Wurtsboro Fire in Sullivan County is now 100 percent contained with 75 acres burned, Severino said. The Minnewaska preserve remains closed at least through the Labor Day weekend. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

The village of Athens last week joined other municipalities in the Hudson Valley and imposed restrictions on water usage as the result of the ongoing regional drought. Village officials Sept. 2, notified residents that the lack of rainfall has resulted in seriously low water levels at the village reservoir. The Water Warning has immediately gone into effect. Mayor Amy Serrago has imposed mandatory limits on water use for a variety of purposes, including watering lawns, washing cars, pressure washing, and any other non-essential use. Those restrictions will remain in place until further notice. Under the rules, residents are strongly discouraged from planting new sod and are strongly encouraged to postpone planting of all new shrubs, flowers, trees, gardens and other landscaping until conditions subside. Water runoff is strictly prohibited. Residents are advised to eliminate the use of water to maintain ornamental fountains, artificial waterfalls, reflection pools and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes. And filling swimming pools, wading pools or hot tubs is forbidden. Officials put conditions at stage two, calling for increased public awareness and the enforcement of mandatory measures, such as watering restrictions. At the Water Warning stage, the village is expected to reduce the collective water demand by 30 percent. Read more at AthensVillageNY [dot] com.

Ted Remsnyder reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Breadfolks Bakery, an establishment that offered gourmet breads and pastries in Hudson, has closed its doors for good after two years of operation, according to an August 29, social media post from company owner Norman Jean Roy. Roy said the business, located in the 300 block of Warren Street, had run its course despite its success. “In the two years we’ve been open, we’ve served over 200,000 customers and made over 400,000 breads and pastries on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. While this may seem small by some bigger bakery standards, that’s a lot for our small bakery staff and our small town of Hudson.... Seeing our relentless line start 30 minutes before opening every day always left us in awe and made us grateful. ...” A fashion photographer by profession, Roy said Breadfolks had reached its business milestones sooner than anticipated and that he decided to close the bakery’s retail location and “focus all our energy on Breadfolks’ next chapter.” Lori Dardani, owner of Steiner’s Sports located across the street from the bakery, said she has seen the Hudson business community constantly change over the last five decades since her family purchased the bike and ski shop in 1971. “I’m not concerned,” Dardani said. “I think it was just their choice.” Jonathan Simons, the owner of Jonathan’s Computers, another bakery neighbor, said he would classify the Warren Street business scene as healthy. “If you are in Hudson on the weekends, then you see the large number of people that are out shopping and dining,” he said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

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Mid-Hudson News reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Ulster County Sept. 1 for an update on the wildfires that have burned at least 270 since starting last week. She said the fires may burn themselves out, and blamed them on climate change. Click here to play brief excerpt of Hochul speaking in Ulster County. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Columbia Memorial Health employees again made a point about the hospital's staff shortages with a protest in Hudson on Sept. 1. Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson and state Senator Michelle Hinchey joined hospital union employees asking for hiring more staff. “It’s not unusual to hear the term staffing shortages in today’s healthcare world. What is unusual here in Hudson at our local hospital is that units and clinics have had to close for a day or days due to no staff,” said Kim Gibson, a union organizer with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, who said that there are currently 328 open positions at the hospital and its offsites. “That is a large portion of the workforce,” she said. Last month New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wrote a letter to the hospital with a similar message. “Due to low wages and high turnover, CMH is operating at a staff vacancy of more than 200 bargaining unit members,” Gillibrand wrote. “This extreme understaffing has caused the closure of beds and clinics, decreasing the availability of the already limited health care services in the area.” CMH President and CEO Jay P. Cahalan agreed that "there is a shortage of health care workers" but said the hospital is not to blame. “The union will attempt to identify this shortage as a local issue, but we know and can demonstrate that it is a national issue and one that is especially acute in upstate New York hospitals,” Cahalan said. Read the full story at Porcupine Soup.

Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that hunting groups are criticizing Rep. Elise Stefanik for a bill she's co-sponsoring that would repeal a decades-old excise tax on firearms. The gun tax funds wildlife conservation and other environmental protections. “There wasn’t any consultation with sportsmen’s or sportswomen’s groups,” said Kaden McArthur, the government relations representative for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. The bill is more political theatre, than reality right now, as Democratic majorities in Congress are unlikely to pass the measure. Shortly after Democratic Rep. Don Byers of Virginia introduced a bill to impose a 1,000 percent excise tax on assault-style weapons earlier this year, Republicans introduced the Repealing Excise Tax on Unalienable Rights Now, act. “I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to eliminate this harmful tax that infringes on Americans’ ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Stefanik said. “Make no mistake, I will not allow the government to tax the constitutional right of hardworking Americans by marking up the price to exercise one’s Second Amendment rights.” The tax dates back to 1937, and generates $18 million annually for New York state and more than $400 million since 1939 for a range of wildlife habitat protection and restoration efforts as well as hunter safety programs. The Howl for Wildlife group, the National Wildlife Federation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Sportsmen’s Alliance are among the group's in opposition to Stefanik on the issue. Stefanik represents the 21st Congressional District that will include Rensselaer County beginning next year. Read the full story in the Times Union.

The Gas Buddy website reports that local prices for a gallon of gas have fallen below $4 a gallon at many stations for the first time in months. In Greene County, at least five gas stations are selling fuel for less than $4 a gallon, with the lowest price reported at $3.91 a gallon at the Citgo in South Cairo. There are also at least five stations in Columbia County below $4 a gallon, with the Citgo and Gulf stations in Hudson as low as $3.75 a gallon. Since earlier this year gas prices have risen globally, as has inflation, as the pandemic waned and Russia invaded Ukraine.

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Michael Gormley is reporting for Newsday that New York's new concealed-carry laws went into effect Sept. 1. Under the law, concealed firearms will be prohibited in churches, government buildings, bars, and other “sensitive zones,” including Times Square in New York City. The law mandates a multistep process to obtain a concealed-carry permit — applicants must take 16 hours of classroom instruction on firearms safety and two hours of live-firing on target ranges to show they can handle the firearm safely, among other requirements. The new measures were formulated in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down New York’s 100-year-old concealed-carry law. Gov. Kathy Hochul released details at an Aug. 31, news conference on how permit applicants, firearms owners and dealers must now operate. Hochul said anyone who carries a weapon into a gun-free zone will face a Class E felony, punishable by one to five years in prison. The governor said a person with a concealed-carry permit could be charged with a felony even if they inadvertently carried a weapon into a sensitive zone. They could also see their license revoked and their firearms seized. Among other requirements, an applicant will have to provide four character references, a list of former and current social media accounts for the last three years, and disclose the identity of his or her spouse, partner, or anyone else living in the same home. Applicants also will have to have an in-person interview with a licensing officer and the state has standardized and strengthened the required background checks to be sure they are thorough in every county. First Deputy Superintendent of State Police Steven Nigrelli promised “zero tolerance” for violations. “If you violate this law, you will be arrested. Simple as that,” Nigrelli said. Read the full story at newsday [dot] com.

Meg Britton-Mehlisch is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle all but one of the members of the Pittsfield, Mass. Police Advisory and Review Board resigned in recent days after learning the board would not be permitted to review the result of the police department's internal investigation into the use of force in the fatal shooting of Miguel Estrella. Former board Chair Ellen Maxon said that she, Michael Feldberg, Erin Sullivan, Dennis Powell and Marie Richardson had tendered their resignation in an email to Mayor Linda Tyer, the Pittsfield City Council and police department. Lt. Col. Thomas Grady, with the Berkshire County sheriff's office, recently joined the board as its law enforcement representative, and is the last remaining member. “My hope would be that the institutional pressures on forming a board like this would allow for important input from the community,” Maxon said. Tyer said that while she understands the board members’ frustrations, she said they should not have been under any illusions about what was within the panel’s powers — and what was not. Maxon said that while the mayor's response to the group resignation was short, she hopes the city council will look into the reasons for the resignations and speak with the former members. The city solicitor's office determined that the advisory board did not have the authority to review the police department's Force Investigation Report in the Estrella case, taking the position because a formal complaint on the shooting was never filed with the police department. Estrella was shot and killed by a Pittsfield police officer in March after police were dispatched twice to his apartment building. Estrella had been injuring himself. Friends said he was suffering a mental health crisis. City residents have indicated they want answers and systemic change following the Estrella killing. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman the Red Hook Town Board has amended local traffic regulations to include a truck route map to keep vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more off of local roads unless they have a destination on a restricted thoroughfare. During a public hearing on August 29, Town Supervisor Robert McKeon said the regulations were requested by residents who have grown impatient with large trucks taking shortcuts through their neighborhoods between state highways. The new truck routes include the entire lengths of U.S. Route 9, state Route 9G and state Route 199 within the town boundaries; parts of County Road 56, also known as West Kerley Corners Road; as well as portions of County Road 80, also known as Lasher Road. The adopted resolution notes the routes were created to conform with recommendations in the town Centers and Greenspaces Plan. The measure also stated there has been a budget impact from repairs needed to maintain local roads because of the truck traffic. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

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Mid-Hudson News reports that despite rain on Aug. 30, the wildfires in Ulster County continue to spread. The Napanoch Point fire has now burned an estimated 270 acres, The Stony Kill fire in Minnewaska State Park Preserve, though, is now 95 percent contained, according to Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan. “A rainstorm last night did not extinguish the Napanoch Point fire, however it did slow the fire’s spread and is buying firefighters more time to put in containment lines,” an Ulster County official said. Winds on Sept. 1 won't help contain the fires. Firefighters from Quebec are joining the containment efforts on Sept. 1, and Greene County firefighters from Kiskatom, Athens, Earlton, and New Baltimore are also helping. The Napanoch Point fire is believed to have started as a result of lightning strikes. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News and at Porcupine Soup.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Sept. 1 it is prioritizing Josh Riley's election campaign against Republican Mac Molinaro in New York's 19th Congressional District. The DCCC said they, "are invested in providing New York’s 19th Congressional District and Riley, a top-tier candidate, the organizational and fundraising support needed to continue developing a strong campaign and keep NY-19 blue." Previously Democrat Antonio Delgado represented the district before he resigned to become lieutenant governor. Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Molinaro in a special election to fill out the final week's of Delgado's term. But redistricting has changed the 19th Congressional District boundaries, and Molinaro no longer lives in the district. Most political prognosticators are calling the election a toss-up. Molinaro, meanwhile, was in Greene County Aug. 30 at a protest at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility urging state lawmakers to repeal legislation that limits the use of solitary confinement to 15 days for inmates. “Policies out of Albany have made it more dangerous for COs all across the state of New York and by extension, more dangerous for us as a state,” Molinaro said. “These men and women feel disrespected and they feel ignored. They’ve seen politicians make decisions that undermine the job that these officers are expected to do.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

There may be more gunshots heard now, as hunting seasons for squirrel and Canada goose begin on September 1 in upstate New York, and the early bear and antlerless deer seasons begin Sept. 10 in certain areas of the state. "Early hunting seasons are a great opportunity to mentor and introduce new hunters to hunting," Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "Early bear, antlerless deer, and September goose seasons are all designed to reduce or stabilize wildlife populations in particular areas. By participating in these seasons, hunters help manage wildlife populations toward socially and ecologically desirable levels while enjoying time outdoors with family and friends." All upstate areas are open for hunting Canada geese from Sept. 1 through 25. The early bear season that begins Sept. 10 includes much of the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, while the antlerless deer season is in much more limited areas. Go to the DEC website for more information about the September hunting season.

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Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union that a visitor from the Bronx, who did not know how to swim, was rescued by bystanders August 28, at Kaaterskill Falls in Greene County. According to a state Department of Environmental Conservation report, forest rangers received a call at 1:15 p.m. reporting a person struggling in the middle pool below the falls. The 27-year-old person wandered into a deep section of the pool and could not stay above the water. Other visitors pulled the person out, and the individual, after being evaluated by rangers, walked out. They were taken by ambulance to Columbia Memorial Health in Hudson. Kaaterskill Falls, a steep and dramatic waterfall located in the Catskills outside of Tannersville, has been the site of several deaths over the years. Most occurred when a visitor slipped and fell or drowned in the pool at the bottom of the cascade. There have been enough problems at the site that the DEC in 2017 opened a new lookout area above the falls, which allows for safer viewing since visitors do not have to navigate the treacherous trail from Route 23A. Read the full story in the Times Union.