Patricia R. Doxsey in the Daily Freeman compares Marc Molinaro and Pat Ryan, the two candidates running in a special election Aug. 13-23 to serve in Antonio Delgado's 19th Congressional District seat for the final week's of his term. Molinaro, a Republican, is currently the Dutchess County Executive, and Ryan, a Democrat, is the Ulster County Executive. Molinaro is well-known locally, holding public office since he was 18, first as a village of Tivoli trustee, then as its mayor, then as a county legislator, state assemblyperson, and now county executive. He also lost a bid for governor against then Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018. “My entire life, and I do not apologize for it, has been about trying to make government function for the people,” Molinaro said. “I want Congress and Washington to function for the people of Upstate New York.” Ryan is a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran who has been Ulster County executive since 2019 after losing to Delgado in 2018's crowded Democrat Congressional primary election. “What I think the American people need and deserve right now are patriots, patriots who understand the existential nature of the threat to our democracy. When you look at other Americans storming our Capitol and willing to take away our fundamental rights and that’s what I’m standing up for,” Ryan said. Molinaro does not often talk about his party's position on the attempted coup on Jan. 6, 2021, nor about his party's views on abortion, instead focusing on inflation. “I’m running at this important moment because I believe the district, the residents in this community in upstate New York deserve somebody who is going to leverage every resource, every experience, and every relationship on their behalf to deliver real results, just as I have done every day of my adult life,” Molinaro said. Ryan, contrasts his career with Molinaro's. “We’ve got plenty of career politicians in Washington, what’s missing are real leaders, leakers with backbone, leaders who have put their life on the line for our country, who built successful businesses, who brought people during difficult and trying times and ultimately leaders who deliver,” Ryan said. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Maura Rosner reports for Columbia-Greene Media that 10,000 tires still remain at Coxsackie's Green Tire Recycling even though that is more than the 1,000 allowed, and the company has only paid $750 of $2,250 in fines for violations. And all of the tires were supposed to be removed more than a year ago. Town Supervisor Richard Hanse sounds frustrated, and says he wants the state Department of Environmental Conservation to revoke a permit the department issued for tire storage at one of the company's two locations. Owner Shane Foster claims he is shipping the tires to India to recycle them back into oil. “So far, I’ve been shipping the tires to India in overseas containers that cost $2,500,” Foster said. “The reason for shipping to India is that they are extracting oil from the tires to eliminate landfill waste. They are essentially converting the tires back into oil.” He also claims that "COVID-19 is the reason that the tires piled up so much. I think what we are doing is good for the environment. Everyone’s talking about the tires so negatively. However, I feel eliminating landfill waste is a positive thing.”

Mid-Hudson News reports that the City of Beacon has added an all-electric car to its fleet that currently includes four hybrid police vehicles. And the hybrid cars are being charged by renewable energy. “We are producing about 70 percent of the electricity that the city uses including for recharging these cars at our solar facility. We are also going to be expanding how much solar energy we produce by putting an installation on our highway garage early next year,” City Administrator Chris White said. Beacon's solar energy The solar power from an array on top of the former city landfill. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

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Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup three brothers from Greenville are being celebrated as heroes for saving the life of a man trapped in a burning car. Peter Liquari IV and Nickolas Liquari, both 14, and their brother Dylan Liquari, 7, were honored by the Greenville Volunteer Fire Company on August 9, for their courage and life-saving actions following a crash on State Route 32 on Aug. 7. Four people were injured when a sedan and a minivan collided, and fire department officials said it could have turned fatal if not for the Liquaris. “Without them, it would have been a much different situation,” said Clifton Powell, Jr., chair of the Greenville Fire District Board of Commissioners. Around 7:45 p.m. the boys were headed home for dinner from South Westerlo with their dad, Peter Liquari III, when they came upon the accident near the Albany County line. The crash had just happened, and first responders were not yet on the scene. One of the vehicles was engulfed in flames and the driver was pinned inside. Their father ran to a nearby house in an effort to get water to put out the fire. But when they noticed he needed help, all three boys jumped out of the car and formed a bucket brigade. “They kept the fire from spreading into the driver’s compartment,” Powell said. “If they didn’t throw water on that car the driver wouldn’t have made it,” said Greenville Fire Chief Kip Drollette. Powell said he cannot remember a time locally when heroes as young as the Liquaris saved someone’s life. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the installation of a box culvert, slated to begin on, August 22, will close county Route 18, also known as Fish and Game Road in Claverack, in the coming weeks, said Ray Jurkowski, Columbia County Public Works commissioner. A box culvert is a reinforced concrete structure used in drainage and road work. The installation is part of a federally funded project, Jurkowski said. Although Fish and Game Road will be open for local traffic while the roadwork is happening, motorists will be prohibited from traveling through the work zone. The project requires an 8-mile detour for drivers. Orange detour signs, which are currently covered by black plastic, have been installed along the detour route. The area where the box culvert will be installed is just west of Tishauser Road, Jurkowski said. The section of Fish and Game Road that will be closed to through traffic is located between Route 9H and Tishauser Road. Although work begins August 22, the box culvert is not scheduled to arrive at the scene before the first week in September. The project is expected to be completed by the end of September. Construction crews are expected to be back at Fish and Game Road to install a second box culvert in 2023, Jurkowski said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Harrison Gereau is reporting for News10 [dot] com coming on the heels of the recent heat wave across the region, the Farmer’s Almanac has released its winter weather forecast for 2022-23. According to the Almanac, “significant shivers” are ahead for upstate New Yorkers, spelling out a colder winter than last year, but January is the worst-looking month this winter by far. According to the Almanac, the region should expect heavy rain and snow for the eastern two-thirds of the country, followed by one of the coldest arctic air outbreaks in years, from January 16 to 23. Lows hitting 40 degrees below zero are forecasted for the Capitol Region. “A cold December and a very cold January might make readers in the northeast shake and shiver,” the Farmers’ Almanac wrote. “But February will bring milder temperatures that should make winter seem more bearable.” The publication’s Managing Editor, Sandi Duncan, said there will be a good amount of snow to accompany those frigid temperatures in the northeast. “...We are saying it’s going to be very cold. The outlook is calling for some unseasonably cold conditions and (a lot) of snow,” Duncan said. Read more at news10 [dot] com.

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Ted Remsnyder reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Greene County has halted eminent domain proceedings against Hunter Mountain owners, after an agreement was reached on a right-of-way issue. On July 20, the Greene County Legislature voted for a resolution to begin eminent domain proceedings because Vail Resorts, the Colorado resort company that owns the Hunter tourist destination, was not responding to efforts from the county to replace a culvert that carries county Route 83 over the Shanty Hollow Brook in Hunter and an adjacent pedestrian bridge. But on Aug. 8, Greene County Highway Department Superintendent Scott Templeton told the Greene County Legislature during a Public Works Committee meeting that an agreement was reached with the Vail Resort company on Aug. 3. “Our right of way consultants and Vail Resorts came to an agreement,” Templeton told the Legislature. “They mailed the agreement out to Vail and we should be getting a signed right-of-way clearance from them within days.” Hunter Mountain Resort General Manager Russ Coloton said, “I’m pleased to have this easement done.... Hunter Mountain values our relationship with the county, and it is important to us to collaborate on projects like this one.” The work to repair leakage and minor concrete deterioration on the culvert will take place next year. “We never want to go through eminent domain,” Templeton said. “That’s the last resort, so it’s good that we actually got an agreement.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Several local Republican politicians denounced a court-approved search warrant of former President Donald Trump's Florida home that the Federal Bureau of Investigation carried out on Aug. 8. Republican candidate for governor Lee Zeldin, who as a member of Congress voted against certifying the results of the fair 2020 presidential election, wrote on Twitter, "Unprecedented raiding of a former President’s home and without any explanation. With each passing hour, only more questions mount. So far, this reeks of abuse, partisanship, and illegitimacy. The burden is on the White House and DOJ to fully account instantly for this action." The White House reported they knew nothing of the search, which a court approved. The FBI chief, Christopher Wray was appointed by Trump. Mid-Hudson News reports that Republican State Assemblyperson Colin Schmitt, who is running for Congress in the 18th Congressional District, said, “The unprecedented raid of President Trump’s residence has raised significant questions about the politicization of the FBI that must be fully and transparently answered by the Department of Justice.” Typically, law enforcement officials don't warn targets of search warrants, and only explain their reasons to the court. Liz Joy, a Republican candidate for the 20th Congressional District, also incorrectly claimed that White House officials were involved in the search. "The Biden Administration has gone utterly rogue and has fully weaponized Government agencies to do the same. Americans need to stand up and vote for common sense leaders that respect our American values and freedoms on November 8th. We must restore our beloved Country," Joy wrote on Twitter. And Rep. Elise Stefanik, the Republican who represents the 21st Congressional District, also misled citizens with her statement that blames the current president, who had nothing to do with the search. "There must be an immediate investigation into Joe Biden and his administration’s weaponizing of the FBI & DOJ against Biden’s political opponents," Stefanik wrote on Twitter.

CNN reports that former President Donald Trump refused to answer questions and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights at a scheduled deposition with the New York attorney general on Aug. 10. "Under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution," Trump said in a statement. Trump has previously denounced anyone who took the 5th Amendment, saying, “You see the mob takes the Fifth... If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” New York Attorney General Letitia James' office is investigating whether the Trump Organization misled lenders, insurers, and tax authorities by providing them misleading financial statements. Posting on social media the former president said Aug. 10 that the investigation is "a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history! My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!" The Fifth Amendment says,."No person shall ... be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." Read more about this story at the CNN website.

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MidHudson News is reporting that Governor Kathy Hochul, on August 8, signed legislation sponsored by state Senator Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat from Saugerties, to help low-to-moderate income seniors cover the costs of emergency home repairs through the Residential Emergency Services to Offer Home Repairs to the Elderly, or RESTORE, program. Two companion bills were also signed to expand property tax relief for seniors and first-time homebuyers. The RESTORE program is available statewide. It helps seniors remain living independently and safely in their homes by funding needed structural, electrical, plumbing, and heating repairs, accessibility modifications, and appliance replacements. Hinchey’s bill, supported by the Rural Housing Coalition, improves the RESTORE program by increasing the maximum cost allowed per project to $20,000 and extending the construction deadline for projects to 60 days. The other pieces of legislation signed by the Governor this week include bills to expand tax relief for New York homeowners. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting for the Times Union that a man fell to his death in Durham after being pulled over by a state trooper late on August 8. Christopher Stanton, 40, a resident of Hunter, was found lying at the bottom of a ravine after running from the traffic stop. Stanton was operating his pickup truck when a trooper pulled him over at the intersection of County Route 67 and O'Hara Road in Durham just after 11:30 p.m. for a vehicle and traffic violation, according to State Police. Stanton ran from his vehicle into the woods on the west side of the road. The trooper followed and eventually found Stanton at the bottom of a steep rock embankment. State Police spokesperson Trooper Steven Nevel said the chase was "very brief. ...[Stanton] ran into the wood line and that was it." The trooper heard moaning and was able to locate the man. Stanton was conscious after the fall and during his rescue, talking to troopers and EMS personnel, according to Nevel. The trooper administered first aid until Greenville EMS, Greene County Paramedics, and the Sheriff's Office arrived and transported him to Albany Medical Center via helicopter, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. Read more at Times Union [dot] com.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is continuing its investigation into an alum spill on August 7, at the Catskill village water treatment facility in Coxsackie. The spill resulted in a fish kill in the nearby Potic Creek. According to the DEC, approximately 1,500 gallons of aluminum salts, or alum, leaked from a broken pipe. That leak has since been repaired. DEC Fisheries employees were at the creek Aug. 8, removing fish and assessing the situation. The flow of the creek is at a trickle and the sediment left by the alum has not moved, the agency stated. Potic Creek is not a public drinking water source, and the DEC emphasized there is no public health threat from the spill. “The facility is currently cleaning up impacted water from its settling ponds and lagoons to ensure that it is not discharged and there are no further impacts to the creek,” the DEC stated. “In the meantime, alum does not bioaccumulate, so other wildlife that may feed on the dead fish are not impacted.” The DEC’s investigation is ongoing. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

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Ted Remsnyder reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the town of Copake is continuing its lawsuit against the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting regulations, as a large solar energy projects is proposed for the town. Copake is the lead petitioner for a group of 11 towns and conservation organizations appealing a previous court ruling allowing the regulations. Almost everyone agrees that the planet is warming, and that renewable energy is better for the environment than fossil fuels, which often come with payments to countries that harbor terrorists or have a history of human rights violations. But many communities are reluctant to host large renewable energy projects in their backyards. Here, the Copake lawsuits seeks to nullify the state Siting Office’s regulations and require the state agency to launch a new rule-making process that takes other factors into account. “Our clients respectfully disagree with the lower court’s ruling,” said the lawsuit's attorney Ben Wisniewski. “We believe the appellate court on a fresh review will agree that ORES failed to take a hard look at its regulations and how they can adversely impact the environment. We also believe the appellate court will acknowledge that ORES failed to issue any relevant standards for when it can waive local law, thereby violating the powers of local government.” The appeal was filed Aug. 2, a day after the Hecate Energy company provided a revised application to the state for the proposed Shepherd’s Run project, a 60-megawatt solar farm that would be built on a 220-acre parcel on Route 23 and Route 7 in Copake and Craryville if approved. The suit alleges that the the Siting Office’s regulations were written by a consulting firm, Tetra Tech, which is paid by New York State for design and siting services on renewable energy projects. The story only quotes those opposed to the state's regulations who are also opposed to renewable energy projects in their backyards. It does not quote anyone from the state, nor any renewable energy advocates. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Steve Hughes reports for the Times Union that on Aug. 8 the Albany County Legislature voted for a law requiring gun stores in the county to hang signs warning about how firearms in homes lead to an increased chance of suicide and domestic violence. All 27 Democrats voted for the Albany County Commitment to a Safe Society bill, and all eight Republicans voted against. “This is a commonsense measure at the county level to address gun violence, and if this warning sign prevents just one suicide, accidental death, or domestic violence death it will be worth it,” Legislator Dustin Reidy said in a statement. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy would not say whether he would sign the bill into law. Republicans did not offer amendments to the bill in committee, but did at the last moment before the vote, though that amendment, stressing that illegal guns were more dangerous, failed to pass. Read more about this story in the Times Union.