Steuben County Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister on May 20 approved the congressional and state Senate maps drawn up by a court-appointed expert, after a few changes to the maps released earlier in the week. There are now four different Congressional Districts for the upper Hudson Valley. The biggest change locally to the final maps is that Rensselaer County was moved from the Capital District district's 20th District, to Rep. Elise Stefanik's North Country district, the 21st. The 20th District loses Rensselaer County and gains Saratoga Springs, on the new maps. But Amsterdam, where current 20th District Congressperson Paul Tonko lives, was kept out of his own district, but he says he will still run for re-election there, in a rematch against Republican Liz Joy. The other big change locally, the Daily Freeman reports, is that Ulster County is still split between the 19th and 18th Congressional districts, but the city of Kingston will now lie entirely within the newly formed 18th Congressional District, while the towns of Wawarsing and Ellenville will now be split between the 18th and the newly formed 19th District. Current Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, faces Republican state Assemblyperson Colin Schmitt in the 18th District election in November. But first, Ryan is running in the 19th Congressional District special election to replace Antonio Delgado, who is expected to resign soon to become lieutenant governor. Ryan will face Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro in that special election. Then Molinaro will be in the general election for the 19th Congressional District against either Jamie Cheney, a Democrat from Rhinebeck, or political newcomer Josh Riley, of Ithaca, or Hudson resident Osun Zotique.

Noah Eckstein is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that the Hudson Zoning Board of Appeals has approved plans to convert the former Terry-Gillette Mansion on Union Street into a 30-room boutique hotel, cafe, and lounge. In March, five members of the ZBA voted unanimously to grant a zoning use variance to Montecito Venture Partners, an investment group focused on real estate development and hospitality. The area of Hudson where the building is located is considered a residential area, but because the hotel has its own on-site parking and received minimal complaints from neighbors, the ZBA approved the variance. The mansion building was constructed between 1850 and 1865, and it sold in the last century to the Hudson Elks Lodge around 1935. “I think all in all this is good for Hudson,” Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Lisa Kenneally said. “Tourists have no place to stay on the weekends. The company is very community-friendly, they were open to hearing ideas and didn’t want to change Hudson.” California-based Montecito Venture Partners owns Casa Cody, the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs, California, Silver Lake Church in Los Angeles, California, and Hotel Willa in Taos, New Mexico. "601 Union should make a fine hotel with ample parking already on site and only one residential neighbor,” Common Council President Thomas DePietro said. Note: DePietro is an active WGXC on-air volunteer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Lauren Stanforth is reporting for the Times Union that on May 20 the state Department of Health released information on two possible cases of monkeypox under investigation in New York City. The U.S. reported its first confirmed case in a Massachusetts resident two days before. The state is awaiting official confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is contact tracing for the case. Monkeypox is similar to smallpox in that it causes lesions all over the body and can lead to serious illness; one in ten people who contracted it in Africa died, according to the CDC. This particular pox virus was first discovered in the late 1950s in African lab monkeys; the first human case was found in 1970. Monkeypox was first reported outside of Africa in 2003. The CDC said it is tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported in early- to mid-May in several countries that do not normally report monkeypox, including in Europe. "Based on the limited information available at this time, the risk to the general public appears low," the state Health Department said when asked if monkeypox is something to worry about. It is considered a rare virus, and while it can be spread through respiratory droplets, contracting it demands very close contact with an infected person for an extended period of time. Read the full story in the Times Union.

In the analog era of broadcasting, television stations transmitting on Channel 6 could also be heard on 87.7-FM. WRGB-TV in Albany, for instance, used to be heard on both Channel 6 television, and 87.7-FM, on radio receivers that could be tuned below 88. But since the full-power television stations switched to digital broadcasts, now all that is heard on FM there is static. In July 2021, all of the remaining analog low-power television stations, except 13, were required to convert to digital. That means there is just static on the dial, or pirate radio stations, on 87.7-FM around the country, except for 13 stations. That could change. The Broadcast Law Blog reports that the Federal Communications Commission has issued a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for its June 8 open meeting on a proposal to authorize low-power TV stations operating Channel 6 to continue to provide an analog audio stream on FM radios at 87.7. The broadcast industry calls these stations "Franken-FMs," since they are both television and radio stations. More importantly, the FCC proposal also asks for comments about whether, with the elimination of most Channel 6 television stations broadcasting audio on 87.7-FM, the frequencies 82-88 MHz could be used for more radio stations in geographic areas where it is not currently used for TV services. So, in Albany, where you could once hear the audio from the Channel 6 TV station, a new FM radio station could possibly be broadcasting in a few years.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup that the Windham-Ashland-Jewett school district went into lockdown on May 19, after a reported stabbing. However, according to a statement from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the building was locked down “briefly to address a student altercation.” And while police and EMS were dispatched to the school, no patient was transported. The sheriff’s office did not provide details, but sources say that a high school student was injured, but not seriously. A high school student was subsequently removed from the school grounds and is now facing several charges in Greene County Family Court, according to the sheriff’s office. Due to their age, the student's name is not being released. The Sheriff’s office said in a statement that investigators believe this was an isolated incident and there is no current threat to students or staff. The investigation remains ongoing. Windham-Ashland-Jewett reported an enrollment of 301 students during the 2020-21 school year; 83 percent of the student body is white. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media nationwide, children ages 5 to 11 will now be eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccination, but Greene County is holding out for more information before deciding on a course of action. The COVID-19 Community Level is considered to be high in both Columbia and Greene counties by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 65.5 percent of Greene County's population age 5 and older is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. In Columbia County, that rate is about 78.5 percent. “I don’t know if that’s going to be something that a pediatrician has to make a decision on versus public health but at this point, we would have no plan to establish a pod,” Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said on May 20. Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said, “We found we had great success at AB Shaw and at the Chatham Fire House because we were able to segregate the kids and they didn’t have to see other kids getting the shot at both locations. So we are planning on contacting both of those firehouses again to see if we can run pods there, specifically for those 5 to 11.” Adults who are age 50 or older and received a first booster shot at least four months ago or people 12 or older and are moderately or severely immunocompromised, and received a first booster shot at least four months ago are eligible for a second booster shot. New York State will issue guidance on the booster for 5 to 11-year-olds in the near future, Gov. Kathy Hochul said after the CDC announcement. During the pandemic more than 4.8 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 15,000 have been hospitalized and more than 180 have died. “Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 and its severe consequences, and it is safe,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Denis Slattery is reporting for the Daily News Steuben County Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister on May 20 approved the congressional and state Senate maps drawn up by a court-appointed expert. The new districts were finalized one month after the state’s highest court rejected the maps drawn up by Democrats. “Unfortunately some people have encouraged the public to believe that now the court gets to create its own gerrymandered maps that favor Republicans,” McAllister wrote in his approval filed near midnight. “Such could not be further from the truth. The court is not politically biased." Thousands of letters poured into the court calling on the judge to amend the maps before finalizing them. The maps created by the Democrats would have given the party an advantage in 22 of the state’s 26 congressional districts. Now, the newly proposed lines include eight competitive districts. The new lines will be in place for the next decade. New York’s congressional and state Senate primaries were rescheduled to August 23. Assembly and gubernatorial primaries are still scheduled for June 28. A federal lawsuit attempting to combine the state’s primaries in August was filed on May 19, by the League of Women Voters. That suit argues the Board of Elections unlawfully certified primary ballots for statewide races, including the governor’s race, since candidates collected signatures based on the now defunct congressional maps. Democrats could initiate another legal challenge against the new maps, further complicating the process and adding to the uncertainty surrounding the state’s primaries. Read more in the Daily Freeman.


Today's daily news update.

Noah Eckstein reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on May 31 Hudson's Common Council holds a special meeting to vote on changing the city’s ward boundaries. In February the Legal Committee voted unanimously to recommend the “least change” option for ward reapportionment in the annual update of the ward boundaries. Under the proposal, 75 residents from the 1st Ward move to the 3rd Ward and 40 residents from the 3rd Ward switch to the 4th Ward. If voters approve in a November referendum, the changes would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. “The point is that some people are going to wake up and find out they are in a new ward,” Common Council President Thomas DePietro said. “I don’t know if that is a big deal or not.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that the unemployment rate continues to fall in New York. In April, unemployment fell from 4.6 percent to 4.5 percent, the state Department of Labor announced May 19. New York added 23,600 jobs in the private sector in April, a 0.3 percent increase. Last April, New York's unemployment rate was much worse, at 7.7 percent. But the state still is not as employed as the rest of the country, where there is a national 3.6 percent unemployment rate. If you remove New York City, though, the state's rate is better than the national rate, at 3.1 percent. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

MidHudson News reports that health officials announced another 1,474 people in the Hudson Valley/Catskills region tested positive for COVID-19 on May 18, the State Health Department said. That announcement included another death, in Westchester County. Columbia County added 33 new cases, and Greene County added 26 more. The entire area is considered at high risk of COVID-19 spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means wearing masks indoors is recommended, so that more people do not catch the virus, and so there will be fewer deaths in the future to report. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

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Patricia R. Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman Kingston Common Council Majority Leader Rita Worthington has called for a public apology for the lack of any reference to the role of black people in the city’s history during its recent 150th-anniversary celebration. Mayor Steve Noble May 18, acknowledged the failure and called for a task force “committed to correcting the record and telling the inclusive story that Kingstonians deserve." In a “letter of disappointment," Worthington said she was struck during the anniversary event by the lack of any mention of black Americans, or their contributions to the city. “More than any other group in this country’s history, black Americans have served generation after generation, in an overlooked but vital role: without idealistic and patriotic efforts of black Americans our democracy would likely look very different,” Worthington said in the letter. She said at the May 13 celebration at City Hall, there were displays of 19th-century archival documents, guest speakers and historical re-enactors who spoke about the contributions made by various ethnic groups, including the Italians, Irish and English, but there was no mention of the contributions by African Americans. “Unfortunately, through omissions, downright errors, and inaccurate interpretations, not everyone enjoys the perks of civic belonging or gets a fair shake in historical accounts,” Worthington wrote. “African Americans built the plantations of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and likely the railroads and brickyards that run through the City of Kingston." In a statement, Noble admitted the city failed to include mention of African-American contributions to the city’s history. He said Worthington was not the only person to express disappointment over the omission. “I not only understand this disappointment and agree that the program overlooked black experiences, as well as our area’s Indigenous history, I see this moment as an important call to action,” Noble said. Noble has asked the director of the city’s arts and cultural affairs to help convene a task force to examine and correct the record. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Steve Barnes is reporting for the Times Union Albany TV reporter Ken Screven died May 18, at Albany Medical Center Hospital, following long struggles with multiple health problems. He was 71 years old. Screven was the first black man hired to work as a reporter for a Capital Region television station and was on the air for more than 30 years before spending the time since his retirement denouncing racism, bias, and bigotry. Most people knew Screven from his presence in their living rooms as a reporter for CBS6/WRGB, where he worked from 1977 until his retirement in 2011. He was also a prominent member of the LGBTQ community. In a statement, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan called Screven a trailblazer, citing his coverage of HIV/AIDS and a three-part series for CBS6, that traced his family's lineage back to a great-grandfather's grave in a segregated cemetery in Screven County, Ga. The series won an award for best documentary from the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Porcupine Soup the Catskill Farmers’ Market is back. After a three-year hiatus, the weekly market will open at 10 a.m. on May 29, in the parking lot located behind the Greene County Office Building at 411 Main Street. More than 20 vendors have signed up to participate. The market will be held every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October 9. “We’re pretty excited to be able to provide village, town and county residents — and visitors — with fresh and high-quality products that are grown, raised and produced by local farmers and artisans,” Catskill Farmers Market Committee Vice President Elliott Matos said. When the farmer's market was running years ago in Catskill, it changed locations many times, from on Main Street, to parking lots, and Catskill Point. Other farmers' markets are held in Coxsackie on Wednesday; Lexington every other Saturday; Windham on Saturday; Tannersville on Saturday; Freehold on Thursday; East Durham on the second and fourth Saturday; the Blackthorne Resort in East Durham on Sunday; and Purling on Monday. Read the full story at porcupine soup [dot] com.

Current reports that in October last year South Dakota Public Broadcasting hired Stel Kline, who is transgender and uses they/them pronouns. They lasted at the radio network through April this year. “My position has been terminated despite being told there was nothing for me to improve on at a recent quarterly review,” Kline wrote April 18 on Twitter. “I was told the reasoning is that I am not objective and have a problem with authority." The working relationship did not begin well. An announcement of Kline's hiring in SDPB’s member magazine was to include the use of they/them pronouns and a reference to Kline’s drag name. But Current obtained an email from Fritz Miller, SDPB director of programming and communication, objecting to that. “I’m suggesting that we dump the ‘they’ pronouns and use their last name throughout the article,” Miller wrote. “… I understand and appreciate that Stel is comfortable with sharing that information, and is doing what they can to live their true self, but I fear that the more hate-mongering segment of our population will seize upon this stuff and make it the issue du jour.” Kline says, “Through this very first day on the job, it was just glaringly evident to me that personal bias clouds judgment in this workplace.” In January 2022 during a quarterly review, Cara Hetland, SDPB’s director of journalism content, told Kline that they had nothing to improve upon in their performance. But when Kline was fired, Hetland said their retweet of a Dec. 1, 2021, message by an NPR journalist was an example of inappropriate social media use. That Tweet was about a Supreme Court hearing about a Mississippi abortion law, that included a picture of a sign with text stating “women are not the only people who get abortions.” Previously Kline had been told to share their experiences as a trans person in South Dakota on social media. In another Tweet Kline wrote, “In my interview I was very clear that as a trans person I am unable to be impartial about attacks on my humanity. Objectivity is not a static identity, but when wielded as such becomes the language of those with the most power.... Declaring someone not objective is a selective practice used effectively to exclude POC / queer journos.” Read more about this story at Current.

Today's daily news update.

Steve Hughes reports in the Times Union that Democrats Andrea Smyth and Craig Apple, and Republican Jake Ashby plan to run for the new New York State Senate District 43 seat this year. The new district includes includes Colonie, in Albany County, all of Rensselaer County, and parts of Washington County. Apple lives in Colonie, and also has a home in Rensselaer County, and is currently Albany County Sheriff. Smyth, ran and lost an election for Rensselaer County executive in 2017, and is executive director of the New York State Coalition for Children's Behavioral Health. Ashby currently is the 107th District Assemblymember. Apple reported $586,450 in his campaign account in his most recent filing with the state Board of Elections. Last October Apple filed a misdemeanor complaint on the charge of forcible touching against former governor Andrew Cuomo, but in January Albany County District Attorney David Soares asked a judge to dismiss the complaint. Republican Daphne Jordan used to represent Rensselaer County in the state Senate, but lives in Halfmoon, and is switching to that area's proposed 44th district, where she will take on fellow Republican incumbent Jim Tedisco. That district covers all of Saratoga County and the eastern part of Schenectady County, which includes Niskayuna. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports in New York State of Politics that the League of Women Voters sued May 19 to combine the state's primary elections that are currently scheduled weeks apart. Currently, there will be State Assembly and statewide primaries on June 28 and primary elections for the state Senate and congressional races on Aug. 23. That could cost taxpayers as much as $30 million for each election. The lawsuit seeks to have all voting on Aug. 23. “The State Board of Elections, apparently with the support of the leaders of both major political parties, put in place a deliberately exclusionary electoral regime for statewide offices designed to limit further competition in the primary and from independent candidates in the general election," said Laura Ladd Bierman, the executive director of the League of Women Voters. "Our suit requests the Court to order the postponement of the statewide primary from June 28 to August 23, 2022 – the same date as State Senate and Congressional primaries -- and extend the deadline for gathering signatures for both the party primaries and independent candidates seeking to qualify for the general election.” A judge ruled the initial new district maps for Congressional and state Senate seats were gerrymandered, and a court-appointed special master drew new maps, but the delay meant those elections could not happen in time for June 28. Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.