Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that on March 18 Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $10 million in state funding to develop workforce and senior housing at the former Cold Spring House hotel site in Tannersville. The Hudson Valley and New York State are in an affordable housing crisis, and few new housing units have been built locally recently. In Tannersville, a former hotel at 55 Spruce Street will be replaced with a 56-unit workforce housing development, including 15 units of senior housing developed by the non-profit community development corporation RUPCO. Hochul said, “The only way to address New York’s housing crisis and bring down costs for families is to keep building and preserving homes in every region of our state.... With this funding, we are pushing forward with our agenda to unlock New York’s housing potential, and we will keep working closely with the Legislature to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to safe, stable, and affordable homes.” RUPCO released a statement that said, “With the Hunter Foundation and Windham serving as economic engines in Greene County, there is employer demand to have workers reside in proximity to their places of employment. However, due to the high cost of single-family homes and the limited supply of rental units targeted toward local workers, employees can’t realistically afford to live where they work.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that state lawmakers in both the Senate and Assembly are now working out budget proposals with the April 1 deadline for approval getting near. Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed a $233 billion spending plan, but the legislature always has their own agendas. On March 18, state Senator James Skoufis said, “We’re in the midst of budget negotiations.” Legislators often miss the April 1 deadline, but the budget usually passes soon after in Albany. Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.

Cassie Abel reports for HudsonValley360.com that three candidates are competing for two two-year terms as village trustees in the Athens election this week. Democrats Gail Lasher (an incumbent) and Joey Dillberg are campaigning as Democrats, while Jessica Vermilyea is running on the Republican line. Lasher is also Deputy Mayor, and seeking an eighth term as village trustee. Dillberg work as a heavy equipment operator in construction. For the last five years, Vermilyea has been a member of the Athens Fire Department Board of Directors. Voting ends March 19. Polls are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Athens on March 19. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Mid-Hudson News reports that while many villages have elections on March 19, voting in New York’s Presidential primary election begins March 23 and continues through April 2 this year. Analysts have said both Democrat Joe Biden, and Republican Donald Trump, have wrapped up their nominations, but the primary voting continues. Voters must be registered by March 23 to vote in this election. New York is a closed primary state, so you must be enrolled as a member of a party to vote in that party’s primary. To register to vote, individuals should contact their county board of elections. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Mid-Hudson News reports that local members of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement protested outside of three Hudson Valley McDonald’s locations on March 16. The group is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice, and equality protested at McDonald’s to denounce the parent company’s agreement with its Israeli franchisee. The group said, “Palestinian BDS National Committee calls on all supporters of Palestinian rights to escalate the global boycott of McDonald’s until the parent company: Terminates its agreement with its Israeli franchisee over its support for Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.” The local protests were in Kingston, New Paltz, and Wappingers Falls. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that the soap opera at Catskill High School continues this week, with the teacher and musical director of the school play back in school, and Marcus McGregor, the choreographer of the play, fired. Almost daily protests have been held outside the school for almost two weeks, after the district suspended teacher Michelle Storrs-Ryan and High School Principal Junait Shah after an incident where the musical director joked about putting tape on a students mouth, and the student jokingly put tape on their mouth. The principal was suspended after investigating the incident and not taking any action. Students welcomed Storrs-Ryan back on March 18. The Catskill High School musical "Cinderella" was originally scheduled for last weekend, but was postponed by the district to April 12-14 because of the brouhaha. Protesters are now circulating a new petition for signatures that says, in part, “We (the undersigned) have lost confidence in the ability of Superintendent Dan Wilson to perform his duties and therefore request the board acts on the community's wishes to dismiss the superintendent in a no confidence vote immediately.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Cairo-Durham schools closed their Middle School/High School campus early on March 18 because of a water issue. After students began arriving for school, the district released a statement that said, they, "will be Emergency Releasing at 9:25 this morning due to a water issue on the campus. Students will be sent home on their bus routes. If you would like to pick up your child please plan to be here at the 9:25 dismissal. There will be no PM BOCES. We apologize for any inconvenience."

On March 13, all four local Congressional representatives voted to block the Tik Tok app from operating in the United States. Both Republicans Elise Stefanik and Marc Molinaro, and Democrats Paul Tonko and Pat Ryan, voted for the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," which passed 352-to-65. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, an affiliate of the Chinese government. This bill would make it unlawful for China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea to own or operate an app or website in the United States.

On March 12, Catskill Superintendent of Schools Dan Wilson released a statement to parents and the community delaying the school play. Instead of this weekend, the "Cinderella" musical will be performed on April 12, 13, and 14. The play is being delayed because Choral director Michelle Storrs-Ryan and Catskill High School Principal Juniat Shah were both suspended by the school’s superintendent following a complaint about the music teacher jokingly handing Scotch tape to a student during a rehearsal when several cast members would not stop talking. The student said, as a joke, she placed a piece of tape over her mouth and continued talking. The principal was suspended for not taking action, but was reinstated March 12. Shah, though, is the teacher organizing the play, and since she has not been reinstated, the production was not able to meet its intended date. There have been protests from students and community members almost daily since the two were suspended almost two weeks ago. Wilson has refused to speak about the issue, and in his announcement of the play's delay only wrote, "We have made this decision with careful consideration to ensure that the production meets the highest standards and that all involved have the best possible experience."

Mid-Hudson News reports that a juvenile who lives in Massachusetts has been charged by police after sending threatening text messages to a 17-year-old girl and her friends in the City of Hudson. The suspect sent messages threatening to “stab all of ur friends” and “I’ll jump u in school,” and sent images of a knife and a black long rifle. An Hudson Police, and eventually, Massachusetts State Police, led to a warrant search at a residence in Massachusetts where police recovered the rifle and knife. Hudson Police Chief Mishanda Franklin said, “This incident is a stark reminder of the importance of swift and collaborative action in ensuring the safety of our community." Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.

Kevin Frey reports at New York State of Politics that last week Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed a budget bill that largely maintains Amtrak’s operational funding, after Republicans had threatened to slash $1 billion from Amtrak's budget. Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews said, “Overall, this is not a bad outcome considering where we started.... If you compare this to the bill that was circulating last summer and into the fall - which would have been just disastrous on all counts and it was effectively a kill Amtrak bill - this is much, much better.” Mathews gives credit, in part, to New York’s freshmen Republicans, who publicly asked for the Amtrak funding to remain in place. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.

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

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that on March 11 the choreographer for Catskill High School’s spring play said that there’s “no way” the musical will be ready for its scheduled debut on March 15 after the director was suspended two weeks ago pending a school investigation. Marcus McGregor, the musical’s choreographer, said, “I’m not going to put the kids up there (on Friday) — they’re already stressed..... If they’re not ready, it’ll just make them more stressed.” Choral director Michelle Storrs-Ryan and Catskill High School Principal Juniat Shah were both suspended by the school’s superintendent following a complaint about the music teacher jokingly handing Scotch tape to a student during a rehearsal when several cast members would not stop talking. The student said, as a joke, she placed a piece of tape over her mouth and continued talking. Shah was suspended for not properly investigating the matter, but has since been reinstated. There have been almost-daily protests, some attended by hundreds of students and parents, outside of the school for the past two weeks, and a Catskill Board of Education meeting March 13 is expected to be packed. As for the student production of "Cinderella" planned for this coming weekend, McGregor said, “We’re not ready. This is not going to happen, there’s no way it’s going to happen this weekend. … It has to be postponed." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon in HudsonValley360.com writes that the Chatham Town Board voted unanimously on March 7 to approve a six-month moratorium on solar projects. Town Supervisor Donal Collins said, “We want to make sure there’s regulation that reflects the wishes of the community and our dedication for the preservation and protection of farmland and natural resources." Small, 25-kilowatt solar farms will still be allowed. Collins said, “This moratorium speaks to larger installations above and beyond our current threshold." The town will use the time to develop better solar regualtions. Town board member Rick Werwaiss said, “I think six months is aggressive, but doable if we really put our foot to the floor." Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Carrie Weiser's trial, for the murder of Scott O. Myers, will begin next month, according to Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione. An undisclosed evidentiary issue delayed jury selection last in November. Myers was an outspoken local activist. Stanzione said, “There have been several conferences between defense counsel, my office, and Judge [Charles] Tailleur. All discovery issues are to be resolved by the end of this month and a trial will be confirmed for a date in April 2024." Few details about the Catskill case have been released since the November 26, 2001 murder. Weiser faces 15 years to life in prison, charged with second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Read more about this story for Porcupine Soup.

The audio daily news update.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that because of New York's new matching campaign contributions, there may be more viable primary election challenges this year. Claire Cousin, for instance, has mounted a primary challenge to Democrat Assemblyperson Didi Barrett in the 106th Districtr, the includes much of Columbia and Dutchess counties. Cousin, a Columbia County supervisor from Hudson, said, “It didn’t seem doable,” before the new campaign finance law. New York is now giving matching contributions for donations under $250 from donors who live in a candidate's district. Cousin, who also has the backing of the Working Families Party, said, “It’s sending a clear message that folks like myself have a more fair opportunity to run a competitive race." Barrett, though, is not participating in the public campaign finance program, which comes with a many potentially costly regulations. Working Families Party co-Director Jasmine Gripper said, “The public financing system really gives us a chance to neutralize the power of big money in our politics and outside influence that has had an oversized presence in our democracy.” Jay Jacobs, the state Democratic Party chair, said the program can “enhance the opportunity for challengers.... But the idea behind it was to make the system at least a little bit fairer.... And I think it’s going to do that.” In Ulster County, an insurgent is coming at an incumbent from the center. Gabi Madden, a former staffer for Assemblyperson Kevin Cahill and state Sen. James Skoufis, is trying to unseat the first-term Democratic Socialist Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha. Madden said, “I’m relying on the matching funds program.... That’s what is making me a competitive candidate in this race.” And Shrestha is also using the program, saying they have shifted to looking for small-dollar financial support from residents in their district. She said, “It does make them a little bit more invested in our race.... Because many people are not necessarily used to the idea of giving money unless they’re a political junkie. That’s been an interesting experience to see play out in real life.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon reports for HudsonValley360.com that on March 6 the Hudson Industrial Development Agency approved the sale of an 8.61 parcel of land in Hudson's North Bay to the Columbia Land Conservancy for one dollar. The sale is subject to a final survey of the property to create the deed. F. Michael Tucker, president and CEO of the Columbia County Economic Development Corporation, said, “This was a great opportunity for the Industrial Development Agency to assist Columbia Land Conservancy with its mission in a way that will result in expanded opportunities for Hudson and its visitors." Since 2011, the Columbia Land Conservancy has proposed that Hudson’s North Bay transform into a wetland, forest habitat and bird sanctuary, as well as a public education and recreation area for city residents. The sale links Charles Williams Park in Hudson to the Greenport Conservation Area. Columbia Land Conservancy President Troy Weldy said, “The broader vision is that we can create a regionally significant hiking trail that the high school and running clubs can use.... Our goal is to help people in downtown Hudson, kids, anyone of any age, access nature.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Larry Rulison reports in the Times Union that developers plans to build warehouses on industrial sites in Feura Bush and Selkirk in southern Albany County. Both locations are near the I-87 Thruway and the CSX train tracks. The Feura Bush project would be a 114,000-square-foot building, and a 60,000-square-foot facility is being proposed for River Road in Selkirk. Both projects are going through the site plan approval process with the town of Bethlehem, and both are in highly industrialized locations, surrounded by rural land. Read more about this story in the Times Union.