Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the state of New York is set to receive $4 million from the federal government to help expand the mental health care workforce statewide after a two-year public health crisis that has drawn attention to the need to invigorate the field. The money is intended to support students who are underrepresented in mental health degree programs at New York's public colleges and university campaigns. Both the State University of New York and City University of New York systems will get $2 million to support tuition assistance, paid internships and stipends for minority students and students who speak multiple languages. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "This partnership will provide incentives for underrepresented students to enroll or remain in mental health programs — helping diversify our future workforce and ensure that all communities are well-served by our public health care system." The hope is minority health care providers will be able to provide more support for meeting the needs of underserved populations in the state and diversify the workforce. "At SUNY, we are not only educating and training the future professionals of the mental health field, but also recognizing the need for those professionals to represent the wide array of people they will be serving," said Deborah Stanley, the interim chancellor of the State University of New York. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Mid-Hudson News reports now that Pat Ryan has been elected to Congress, candidates are lining up for a special election fill out his term. Johanna Contreras, the current deputy Ulster County Executive, will take over his job as interim Ulster County Executive. A December special election will decide who will serve out the remainder of Ryan’s term as county executive, which expires Dec. 31, 2023. So far three Democrats have made public statements expressing interest in running for the job. Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher said on Aug. 24 that she is definitely running for the role. Former State Senator Jennifer Metzger and Deputy County Executive Mark Rider have also said they may start a campaign to become Ulster County Executive. So far, no Republicans have announced intentions to run for the office. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News.

Jessica Piper, Ally Mutnick, and Bill Mahoney report at Politico that high turnout from Democrats in the special election for the 19th Congressional District fueled Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan's victory. Ryan will fill out the final weeks of Antonio Delgado's term. Ryan won with 51.1 percent of the vote, about 1.5 percentage points ahead of Joe Biden’s 2020 performance in the district, but several points behind Delgado’s margin that year. But Politico reports that, "In six of the seven counties fully inside the district boundaries, the share of Democratic voters who cast a primary ballot was higher than the share of overall registered voters who voted in the special election — suggesting Democrats turned out at higher rates than Republicans or independents." Democrats are mostly crediting the Supreme Court, which lets states ban abortion, with the higher turnout. “People are seeing every election matters,” said state Sen. Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat from Saugerties. “The decisions over the last few months have really reengaged people and worked them up to what is at stake right now. And it’s not business as usual.” Republicans see something else, pointing to Ryan underperforming Delgado. “Any Democrat celebrating holding a seat they won last cycle by double digits is in for a rough November,” said Michael McAdams, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “We will continue to remind voters Democrats are responsible for historic price increases, surging violent crime, and a southern border that has been completely overrun by drug cartels and human smugglers.” Read the full story at Politico.

Columbia-Greene Media reports that there have been several overdoses and one fatality this week in Greene and Columbia counties, Greener Pathways Program Director Carl Quinn said. A Hudson-Greenport area man died, and there were overdoses in Greenport, Hudson, Cairo, and a possible overdose in Catskil, according to Quinn. That could indicate a local drug supply contaminated with fentanyl. Greener Pathways distributed Narcan and fentanyl test strips on Aug. 23 at Greenport Town Park and Public Square in Hudson. Anyone witnessing an overdose, should call 911 immediately. Anyone with questions or needing help can call Greener Pathways at 518-291-4500 or text to 518-822-7437, Twin County Recovery Services Greene Clinic at 518-943-2036, Columbia Clinic at 518-828-9300, Columbia County Mental Health Center at 518-828-9446, Greene County Mental Health Center at 518-622-9163, Mobile Crisis Assessment Team at 518-943-5555, Columbia Greene County Pathways To Recovery Helpline at 877-467-3365, Youth Clubhouses of Columbia & Greene County at 518-491-2432. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Clarence Fanto in the Berkshire Eagle reports on how the current drought will affect the fall foliage. The experts asked say the colorful leaves this year could be delayed and less vibrant. In Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for instance only 0.80 inches of rain have fallen so far this month, far short of the three-inch long-term average for the first 24 days of August. The U.S. Drought Monitor has much of the Hudson Valley in a moderate or severe drought. “It’s not going to be a great fall for observing leaf colors,” AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines said. He said for colorful leaves, "You need beneficial rains, you don’t want it really hot, but we’ve struck out on those.” Fall foliage expert Jim Salge at Yankee Magazine was more optimistic. “With the warmer weather and the drought, we’re expecting a shorter than usual season, that’s a guarantee, and plenty of red colors, more likely than not,” Salge said. “Reds are beautiful, some of our best foliage years have been abnormally dry years.” But if the drought continues, leaves are likely to turn brown prematurely and dry out. “Species such as maples that provide the most brilliant displays are more sensitive to drought than other species,” said Karen Lombard, director of stewardship and restoration for Massachusetts at the Nature Conservancy. Read more about this story in the Berkshire Eagle.

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Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman Johanna Contreras, the current deputy Ulster County Executive, is now poised to become the county executive through December. Contreras was appointed deputy in January, and will now assume the role after the current executive, Pat Ryan, won the August 23, contest for the 19th Congressional District seat. Ryan will next face Republican state Assemblymember Colin Schmitt in a race for the newly-drawn 18th Congressional District seat, in November. Contreras previously worked in the Office of Management and Budget in New York City, most recently serving as the assistant director for education. She holds a master’s degree in urban policy analysis from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at The New School. In a statement issued August 24, Contreras said she was ready to serve. “The results of last night’s Special Election for the NY-19 Congressional seat are in the process of being certified. After they are certified and County Executive Ryan becomes our Congressman, I will be ready to take the oath of office to become Acting County Executive through this transition period,” Contreras said. “Until then, I am thrilled to congratulate Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and to continue my work as his Deputy.” In July, Ryan said he had amended the line of succession for executive, putting Contreras at the top of the list to succeed him if, for any reason, he could not fulfill the duties of the office. In line behind Contreras is Deputy County Executive Christopher Kelly, followed by county Director of Economic Development Tim Weidemann. The Ulster County Democratic Committee will hold a nominating convention in mid-September to choose a candidate to run for county executive if Ryan is elected to Congress. An exact date will be determined by the end of this week, according to Chair Kelleigh McKenzie. The December special election would decide who would serve out the remainder of Ryan’s term as county executive, which expires Dec. 31, 2023. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Bill Williams reports for Columbia-Greene Media that a stolen vehicle was recovered safely and the man accused of stealing it was taken into custody with the help of modern technology last weekend, Lt. Mark Dunspaugh of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said August 24. The stolen vehicle, a 2019 Chevrolet Spark, was equipped with a GPS-enabled security system that allowed police to track and stop the vehicle. On Aug. 20, at around 7 p.m., Columbia County sheriff’s deputies Steven Rose and Connor Graziano were sent by county dispatch to School Street in Chatham after learning that a vehicle had allegedly been taken, about 30 minutes before it was reported stolen, Dunspaugh said. Deputies were able to contact the security company and request help locating the vehicle. Within minutes the car was found, traveling south on Route 66 in the area of Highbridge Road in Chatham. When deputies caught up to the vehicle, the driver did not stop so they asked the security company to turn off the car's engine and it came to an abrupt stop in the village of Chatham. A short foot pursuit occurred and the man was taken into custody. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, driving while intoxicated and driving without a license. He was released with appearance tickets returnable to Chatham village court. The security device installed in the vehicle used both GPS as well as wireless phone technology in the location process. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting buses will replace trains on the Wassaic Branch of the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Valley line from September 12 through November 20 while track work is underway, the railroad announced on August 24. Regular service will operate between Grand Central Terminal and Southeast. A detailed bus schedule is now being finalized and will be available soon. Information is available online at new [dot] mta [dot] info. Read more at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Democrat Pat Ryan's victory in a special election that ended Aug. 23 over Republican Marc Molinaro got international attention. The Guardian newspaper wrote that "The election took on outsized national importance and became a testing ground for both parties’ campaign strategies. Ryan made the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights a centrepiece of his campaign, mobilising Democrats outraged by the ruling. Molinaro focused on crime and soaring inflation that voters say is their most pressing concern." Ryan defeated Molinaro 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent, in the final election of the current 19th Congressional District. The new district stretches farther west to Binghamton and Ithaca, where the new nominee, Josh Riley, hails from. Riley faces Molinaro in the general election for the new 19th Congressional District in November. Ryan, the incumbent in NY19, will instead run for Congress in the new 18th Congressional District against Republican Assemblyperson Colin Schmitt. Ryan's victory, to fill the final week's of Antonio Delgado's seat, is being taken as a good sign for Riley and other Congressional Democrats in November. "There have been four first-past-the-post special House elections since [the Supreme Court decision overturning federal abortion rights], and Democrats have outperformed their expected margins in those elections by an average of 9 points," the Fivethirtyeight.com website wrote. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighed in too on Aug. 24 saying, “Republicans should be very, very, very scared this morning about their prospects.” And Dave Wasserman from the Cook Political Report wrote on Twitter on Aug. 24 about his newsletter that analyzes state, federal and presidential elections that, "In May, the Cook Political Report's House outlook was a GOP gain of 20-35 seats. Based on recent developments, we've revised our outlook to a 10-20 seat GOP gain, with Dems maintaining control not out of the question."

Maura Rosner reports for Columbia-Greene Media that new housing may be coming to Durham as the Durham Town Board approved several new subdivisions. Town Supervisor Shawn Marriott and council members Joan Breslin, Lisa Cirillo and Ed Kerrigan have voted in favor of four new subdivisions in the town. The entire Hudson Valley is in an affordable housing crisis, as longtime residents are being forced out because they cannot afford the rising costs of renting an apartment or purchasing a home. Many wealthy New York City residents moved north during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving up prices. In April the Durham Town Board also gave preliminary approval for a 12-home subdivision on 95 acres in the hamlet of Cornwallville. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Kate Lisa is reporting for nystateofpolitics [dot] com. cesarean births take place in New York at more than twice the rate recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a rate of 34 percent, New York ranks 12th in the country for deliveries by C-section. Surgical births can be necessary to save the lives of mother and child, but many occur out of convenience, inadequate communication or education with the patient and implicit bias. Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Democrat from Scarsdale, is sponsoring four pieces of legislation to improve the state's surgical birth and maternal mortality rates. One was recently signed into law requiring hospitals to post the last five years of data surrounding maternity procedures, like C-sections and episiotomies, on their website. Making the data public will help pregnant women to make informed decisions and lead to improved related policy and research. The rate of cesarean births and risks are significantly higher among black women and people of color, and the maternal mortality rate for black women was more than four times greater than white women in 2018, according to the state Health Department. Black babies are four to six times more likely to die than white babies. Paulin continues work on two pieces of legislation that failed to progress this session to create a cesarean births review board to lower the rate in New York and require a health provider to provide written communication about the risks to each woman who schedules or has a cesarean delivery. Another one of Paulin's bills currently awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature would provide a premium reduction for physicians and licensed midwives who complete a midwifery or obstetrics risk management course. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed the measure in 2019 and Hochul has not indicated if she will sign the measure. “The path to progress on maternal mortality must address racial disparities in outcomes through an integrated approach that spans the entirety of the health care system," State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, stressing that DOH is working with community partners to address the issue. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

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Congressional special election and primary election results from the Hudson Valley:

• NY19 Congressional District special election: Democrat Pat Ryan won against Republican Marc Molinaro. Ryan received 65,995 votes, over Molinaro's 63,137 votes with 95 percent of the vote in. Ryan will serve the final weeks of Antonio Delgado's term, and at the same time run for the new 18th Congressional District seat against Republican Assemblyperson Colin Schmitt. Ryan spoke to supporters after the win was announced. CLICK HERE TO PLAY OR DOWNLOAD EXCERPT OF RYAN SPEECH.

• NY18 primary: Democrat Pat Ryan won two elections in one day, this one with 95 percent of the vote in, with Ryan at 29,400 votes; over Aisha Mills, at 3,532 votes; and Moses R. Mugulusi, at 719 votes. Democrat Ryan faces Republican Schmitt in the general election.

• NY19 primary: Josh Riley defeated Jamie Cheney. With 95 percent of the vote reported, Riley had 32,117 votes to Cheney's 18,436 votes. Cheney Tweeted in concession, "I fully support Democratic nominee Josh Riley and look forward to helping him beat anti-choice Marc Molinaro and keep the House blue this fall." Democrat Riley and Republican Molinaro square off in the general election.

• NY20 primary: Democrat Paul Tonko defeated Rostislav Rar, with 17,846 votes for the incumbent Tonko and 2,358 for Rar. Tonko has a rematch from 2020 with Republican Liz Joy, who attended the rally at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 2, 2021, in the general election.

• NY21 primary: Matthew Castelli, with 18,926 votes, beat Matt Putorti, with 4,401 votes. Democrat Castelli runs against Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik in November.

Matt Martinez is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle contract talks between the Pittsfield Public Schools and the union representing its bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries, paraprofessionals and custodians have stalled a week before classes resume on Sept. 1. The Pittsfield School Committee last week tabled discussion of possible agreements between the district and the Pittsfield Federation of School Employees, saying it had not been notified the contracts had been ratified by the rank and file. Unions representing the schools' teachers and administrators had their agreements approved already for the coming year. William Cameron, the chair of the Pittsfield School Committee, said the committee placed the contracts on the agenda because members hoped to hear from the unions “at the 11th hour.” The unions and school district chose to enter mediation in April, after eight months of little to no progress in negotiations. Mediators identified key issues to resolve and worked to get them addressed; however, the contracts remain unsigned. Union representatives were not available for comment. While Cameron declined to identify specific issues that arose during mediation, he said that employee compensation has remained a key factor. Multiple attempts to reach the union for comment were unsuccessful. The School Committee may now need to call a special meeting to get the agreements settled before students return. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

The Daily Freeman is reporting county unemployment rates in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Catskills were higher in July from what they were in June and much lower than the rates of July 2021, the state Department of Labor reported August 23. The July 2022 unemployment rate in Greene County was 3.6 percent, up from 3.3 percent in June and down from 5.1 percent a year ago. In Columbia County, the jobless rate was 2.9 percent, up from 2.6 percent in June and down from 2.9 percent in July 2021. Elsewhere in the region, according to the state labor office, jobless rates in July 2022 were:

• 3.4 percent in Ulster County, up from 3.1 percent in June
• 3.3 percent in Dutchess County, up from 3.1 percent in June
• 3.5 percent in Orange County, up from 3.2 percent in June
• 3.2 percent in Sullivan County, up from 3 percent in June
• 3.9 percent in Delaware County, up from 3.5 percent in June

The highest jobless rate statewide in June was 9.1 percent in the Bronx. The lowest rate was 2.6 percent in Hamilton County. Statewide the jobless rate was 4.8 percent in June. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.