Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that the new state Senate district lines released this week by the court-appointed special master. The new maps have some incumbents moved out of their districts, and has other candidates switching their previously announced plans. State Senator Michelle Hinchey, for instance, currently represents the 46th District. But Hinchey is based in Saugerties, and the 46th District, under the new maps, is now moved to Albany County, and other areas farther north. So, instead, Hinchey has announced she will compete in the 41st District, which under the new maps covers all of Ulster and Columbia counties, and the northern half of Dutchess County. Currently, Republican Sue Serino of Hyde Park represents that district, and Jamie Cheney, a Democrat from Rhinebeck, was set to oppose her. Now Hinchey and Cheney face each other in the August primary election, before the general election in November. Republican Rich Amedure was running against Hinchey in the 46th District. Republican Daphne Jordan currently represents the 43rd District, which will now represent all of Rensselaer County, a tiny portion of northeast Albany County, and southern Washington County. Greene County will get a new representative, switching from the 46th District to the 51st District. Republican Peter Oberacker, from Schenevus, is the incumbent there, with the new district similar to the new 19th Congressional District, stretching west to Binghamton. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman .

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County resident Emily Nooners tore down two White Lives Matter banners over Interstate 90 on May 14. The banners read, “Stop White Replacement” and “Wake up White New Yorkers.” The Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center both call the White Lives Matter group racist. “I’m driving down the highway and I just see these banners up and I immediately felt sick,” said Nooners. “I almost didn’t believe that that was what it had said because from a distance it was quite small. I just kind of notated where I thought it was, being familiar with the area. Then I saw a second one, and I was like, Oh yeah, we’re going to get those. I could just not fathom the idea that some people would have to drive under them.” One of the banners was on the overpass in Chatham and the other on the overpass near Exit B1. “I had no idea that at the very same time that I had been compulsed to cut these down the shooting was happening in Buffalo,” Nooners said. “I returned to my house around 2:40 p.m., which means I was pulling those banners down just before and during. Which I didn’t find out until later in the evening.” Ten people were killed and several others wounded by a gunman in Buffalo who posted on online screed with the same conspiracy theory about white replacement mentioned in one of the banners. “I have a really sick feeling. The shooting happened in Buffalo. These signs were posted along 90, and 90 is the route that leads to Buffalo,” Nooners said. “Some people kind of thought that maybe it might have been a trail. It’s just uncomfortable to think about the proximity, it’s so close to our community, it’s disturbing.” Read more about this story in HudsonValley360.com.

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Patricia R. Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro will face off in a race for a seat in Congress that will cease to exist after December. They both said on May 17, they will run in a special election for the 19th Congressional District once U.S. Rep Antonio Delgado resigns to become lieutenant governor. Ryan is a Democrat and from Gardiner. He announced his candidacy in a video posted to social media. Molinaro, a Republican from Red Hook, announced his candidacy in a telephone interview with the Freeman. The 19th Congressional District will no longer exist as currently configured on December 31. On Mon., May 16, Ryan announced his candidacy for the newly created 18th Congressional District, which now covers much of central and southern Ulster County, all of Orange County and all but the southeastern portion of Dutchess County. Molinaro announced the very same day that he will run for the newly created 19th Congressional District, a district in which he does not live and includes none of Dutchess County. The U.S. Constitution requires a member of Congress to live in the state, but not necessarily the district they represent. Ryan said he will run in a special election in August, but no special election has yet been called by Gov. Kathy Hochul; the timing of a special election is dependent on when Delgado resigns. In order for a special election to be held on August 23, the same day congressional and state senate primary contests will be held, Delgado must resign between May 25 and June 4. If he resigns outside that timeframe a special election would have to be held on a date separate from the August 23 primary election. If he fails to resign by June 30, no special election will be held and the seat will remain vacant. Read more in the Daily Freeman.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia County has reported its first COVID-related deaths in more than two months. According to information released by the Columbia County Department of Health, there have been three COVID-related deaths during the past five days, the first since March 3. “All three were elderly individuals,” Columbia County Department of Health director Jack Mabb said. “One was in an assisted living facility.” He said two of the three had been vaccinated. The first two deaths were reported late last week, and the third on May 16. Columbia County has recorded 144 COVID-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, with 21 of those deaths occurring in 2022. The county’s rate of new COVID-19 cases is in the high-risk category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We are in a different place now, even though we’re in the high-risk,” Mabb said. As of Monday, the county reported 91 new positive cases, the highest number reported by the department since January. “We ended up with 91, but that’s still the highest number that we’ve had in quite a while,” Mabb said. He said it is unlikely the county’s COVID numbers will go down in the near future. “Dr. Fauci this morning was on TV imploring people, ‘Please don’t think that we’re done with this.’ And I think that’s exactly right. People aren’t wearing masks, they are not socially distancing, they are going about their business, they’re done with it....," he said. Mabb said there are currently 20 county residents hospitalized because of the virus, one in the intensive care unit. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics state lawmakers on May 17 moved legislation meant to aid people who have been wrongfully convicted in court in addition to measures meant to aid immigrant New Yorkers in the legal system. The items are being pushed at the end of the legislative session as lawmakers ponder a potential package of criminal justice law changes. One bill would change how people who have been wrongfully convicted are able to return to court and clear their name based on evidence that was not available to them at trial. The proposal is yet to be voted on by the full Assembly or state Senate. Meanwhile, lawmakers on the Assembly Codes Committee approved a measure intended to ensure immigrant New Yorkers facing criminal charges have access to immigration advice. The bill protects immigrants' procedural rights and will prevent wrongful deportations. Having already passed the Senate, it should be brought to a vote immediately in the Assembly so the governor can sign it into law. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Radio World reports that at its May 19 meeting the Federal Communications Commission is set to allow FM broadcasters to use computer modeling software for their directional antennas. Currently, FM radio stations using directional antennas must provide physical measurements to verify their directional pattern. So stations, or more often antenna manufacturers have to build a full-size mockup of the antenna or a scale model, which is very expensive. WGXC, for instance, needs a directional antenna for a signal that is sandwiched between the Christian station WPGL north of Schenectady, and New York City's WFUV, and hemmed in by the Catskill and Berkshire mountains. But technology has improved since WGXC first went on the air in 2011, and after this proposal is approved stations can instead submit computer-generated proofs of FM directional antenna patterns instead of the more expensive models. FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said that this draft order would, “decrease regulatory costs and bring our FM regulations in line with other broadcast services.” Read more about this story at Radio World.

Today's daily news update.

Luke Parsnow and Kate Lisa are reporting for State of Politics on May 16 the court-appointed special master charged with drawing New York's new congressional and state Senate maps released a preliminary draft of the new boundaries the state will have for the next decade. Carnegie Mellon University Fellow Jonathan Cervas as special master drew lines for the state's 26 House seats, with 15 leaning Democratic, three leaning Republican and eight falling into the 45-55 percent competitive range. The new map splits up 15 counties compared to 34 county splits under the Legislature's plan that was struck down in April by the state's highest court for unconstitutional gerrymandering. The biggest changes from the maps drawn by state Democratic lawmakers in February include the 22nd District in Central New York and the 19th District in the Hudson Valley. The 19th now extends from Columbia County to Broome County and Cortland County. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado. He has said he will resign and be sworn in as the state's next lieutenant governor, but has not said when. Republican Marc Molinaro, currently the Dutchess County Executive, said May 16 he will continue his campaign for the 19th Congressional District, even though he now lives outside of the new district. The 21st District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, extends south to include all of Montgomery and Schoharie counties and north to include Saratoga County. "The map maintains Democratic strongholds in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, and also maintains a Southern Tier district," said Jeff Wice, senior fellow at the N.Y. Census & Redistricting Institute at New York Law School. "Overall, the districts are very compact across the state. The downstate districts are very compact." Greene and Columbia counties, though, are split from the Capital District, and paired with far-off Binghamton and Ithaca. MidHudson News is reporting the new 18th District now includes Orange County, southern Ulster, and most of Dutchess County. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced on Twitter that he will run for that seat rather than competing in the 19th District, where he had previously entered a primary election. State Senator James Skoufis, also a Democrat, tweeted that he is “seriously considering” a run for the new district seat. Republican Colin Schmitt previously announced he was running for this seat, and confirmed he still would after the new maps were announced. The new 17th District would encompass much of the lower Hudson Valley and incumbent Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney will run in that district. Rep. Paul Tonko's Amsterdam home is now in Stefanik's 21st District, rather than the 20th District he now represents, so he will also be running in a district where he does not live. Republican Liz Joy opposes him in the 20th District. Primaries for U.S. House and state Senate races were pushed back to Aug. 23. The primary election for the statewide offices and state Assembly races will take place June 28.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on May 9 the State Office for Renewable Energy Siting issued its notice of incomplete application for the Shepherd’s Run Energy Project in Copake. Hecate Energy, the developer behind the planned 22-acre, 60-megawatt solar farm, now has to complete a long list of items for approval. “On hearing that ORES has marked the application incomplete the town of Copake is cautiously optimistic.,” Copake Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said. “We are hopeful that this means they will actually require Hecate to make the changes recommended by the Working Group. The burden is on ORES to convince the town that they are not just a rubber stamp. The State has claimed that ORES will listen to citizens’ concerns. Now let them prove it.” Hecate project developer Alex Campbell said, "I don’t have data on how many applications have been deemed incomplete, but we’re just going to work through the deficiencies hat they found to submit a response.” The proposal for the large solar farm has seen much opposition in Copake. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

MidHudson News reports that swastikas and racially charged graffiti have been turning up in Hyde Park, in Dutchess County. Last week in the Pine Brook Estates neighborhood swastikas were spray-painted on the streets, street signs were damaged, and other signs stolen, according to Dutchess County Legislator Ben Geller. A Hyde Park Police Department detective in investigating, and police patrols in the area have been increased. "Hate has no home in Hyde Park. I’m beyond disgusted at the bigotry and repeat vandalism in this neighborhood,” Geller said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hyde Park Police Department at 845-229-9340 or email them to HydeParkPoliceTips@hydeparkny.us. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Today's daily news update.

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Voters statewide go the polls May 17, to cast their ballots in the annual school board elections and district budget votes. Andrea Macko reports that in Greene County, all six school districts have proposed spending plans for the 2022-23 school year that fall below their state tax caps. If any budget is rejected by the voters, the district can resubmit the original spending plan or submit a revised proposal to voters on June 21. If that budget is also rejected, the district must adopt a contingency budget with a 0 percent tax levy increase.

Greene County
The Cairo-Durham School District is proposing a $35.18 million annual budget that carries a tax levy increase of 2.9 percent. The district is also looking for voters to approve three additional propositions: the purchase of six school buses at a cost not to exceed $686,000; the creation of a Capital Reserve Fund; and an $848 increase to the annual appropriation for the Cairo Public Library. Voters will select candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education each carrying three-year terms. Information at CairoDurham [dot] org.
The Catskill School District is proposing a budget of $48.6 million that carries a projected tax levy increase of 1.85 percent. The Board of Education has also proposed a separate proposition that would allow the district to bond up to $400,000 over a five-year period to replace aging maintenance and grounds equipment, as well as purchase a 16-passenger school bus. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at CatskillCSD [dot] org.
The Greenville School District is proposing a budget of $33.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.25 percent. Voters will be asked to decide on a $700 increase for the Greenville Public Library and a $563 increase for the Rensselaerville Library. There will be a proposition to authorize the district to bond up to $1.2 million to purchase eight new buses and two vans as part of its fleet replacement plan. And, voters will be asked to approve the district to create a new capital reserve fund to be capped at $2 million. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at Greenville [dot] K12 [dot] NY [dot] us.
The Coxsackie-Athens School District is proposing a budget of $34.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.92 percent. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at CACSD [dot] org.
The Windham-Ashland-Jewett School District is proposing a budget of $13.26 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.76 percent. Voters will also decide on a capital project not to exceed $5,655,000. Voters will be selecting one Board of Education member to five-year terms. Information at WAJCS [dot] org.
The Hunter-Tannersville School District is proposing a budget of $14.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.36 percent. Voters will be asked to authorize the district to acquire school buses at a maximum cost of $73,000 from the Bus and Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund, and to authorize the acquisition of a transportation vehicle at a maximum cost of $39,000, also from the Bus and Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund. Voters will be asked to select one Board of Education member to fill five-year terms. Information at HTCSD [dot] org.

Columbia County
Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham School Board is proposing a budget of $33.62 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.75 percent. The board also adopted a separate proposition that would create a Capital Reserve Fund allowing the district to set aside up to $5 million over a 10-year period to fund future improvements to the district’s facilities. Voters will be asked to select four Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at ChathamCentralSchools [dot] com.
The Germantown School Board is proposing a budget of $16.9 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.69 percent. Voters will also be asked to select two Board of Education members to fill four-year terms. Information at GermantownCSD [dot] org.
The Hudson School District is proposing a budget of $54.13 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2 percent. Voters will be asked to select five Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at HudsonCSD [dot] org.
The Ichabod Crane School District is proposing a budget of $46.6 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.3 percent. The board is also asking for the approval of a $444,000 bus proposition, providing for the purchase of three new 72-passenger buses and one new 29-passenger bus. There is also a proposition to continue having a student non-voting member on the board. Voters will be asked to select three Board of Education members to serve three-year terms. Information at IchabodCrane [dot] org.
The New Lebanon School Board is proposing a budget of $12.9 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.3 percent. There is also a proposition on the ballot for the purchase of two 66-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $251,000. Voters will also be asked to select three Board of Education members. Information at New LebanonCSD [dot] org.
The Taconic Hills School District is proposing a budget of $39.68 million budget with a projected tax levy increase of 1 percent. There are also propositions on the ballot for purchasing three school buses at a maximum cost of $393,500 and authorizing the board to reconstruct various district buildings and sites with incidental costs of $691,000. Voters will be asked to select four Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at TaconicHills [dot] K12 [dot] NY [dot] US.

Randy J. Stine at Radio World breaks down the results from the TechSurvey from Jacobs Media showing the COVID-19 pandemic lowering the amount of radio listening. The 12 percent drop in radio listening in the past year is mainly due, the survey reports, to less time spent in cars. “Since COVID, listening less in the car and lifestyle changes are the top reasons people are listening less to the radio,” said Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media. Many people now work from home, who did not before, and others have changed jobs or professions since the pandemic began. While some are listening to the radio less, others surveyed said they now had a stronger bond with their favorite local station. “In a strange sort of way, some radio stations have actually benefitted from COVID in terms of making that closer connection to their audience when they needed it most,” Jacobs said. Folks surveyed felt a stronger bond, mostly, to local stations. “Overall, the local piece turns out to be a very important factor here,” Jacobs says. Read more about this story at Radio World.

Today's daily news update.

Michelle Del Rey reports in the Times Union Rep. Elise Stefanik, a North Country Republican, used the same replacement theory in Facebook ads last fall that the racist Buffalo mass-shooter allegedly cited numerous times in his online screed. Several media descriptions of the shooter's post say he believed in the discredited theory that white Americans are being replaced by foreign migrants. Stefanik's ad said, "Radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION. Their plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington." Even though the language in Stefanik's ad was nearly identical to racist replacement theory chatter online and on Tucker Carlson's Fox TV show, her spokesperson denied the link. "We've never been in favor of 'replacement theory,' " said Alex deGrasse, Stefanik's spokesperson. He added that the congresswoman, "has never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." According to the National Immigration Forum, the replacement theory, "states that welcoming immigration policies — particularly those impacting nonwhite immigrants — are part of a plot designed to undermine or 'replace' the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries." The New York shooter traveled from the Binghamton area to a predominately Black area of Buffalo where he shot 11 Black and two white citizens, killing ten. America has welcomed migrants since forming in 1776, and only Native Americans would be here without immigration. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

MidHudson News reports that scammers often attempt to take advantage of tragedies, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. On May 15, James issued a warning to New Yorkers to watch out for potentially fraudulent charities created in the wake of the racist terror attack in Buffalo. James suggests that anyone who wants to make a donation to assist victims of the shooting should first consult the office’s charitable giving tips before donating. “In the wake of tragedies, like the horrific shooting in Buffalo, scammers often take advantage of acts of kindness for personal gain,” said James. “As New Yorkers from every corner of the state show their support and solidarity with the Buffalo community, I urge them to be careful of sham charities and make sure they give to trustworthy organizations and groups. I join the whole Buffalo community and the entire state of New York in mourning this senseless, hate-filled act of terror.” The attorney general’s website, charitiesnys.com includes financial reports of legitimate charities. Anyone who believes an organization is misrepresenting its work, or that a fundraising or charitable scam is taking place, should contact the Charities Bureau at charities.complaints@ag.ny.gov. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Emily Brown and Rebecca McCray report in New York Focus that New York prisoners are losing their right to regularly receive care packages by mail or in person from family and friends. The new policy right now is for eight prisons, but is a pilot program meant to expand to all New York prisons. Family and friends will not be allowed anymore to bring loved ones packages of food when they come to visit or to send them through the mail. And they also can’t send more than two non-food packages per year. And everything else must be purchased and sent through private companies willing to ship to prisons. “Am I going to be prevented from getting winter clothes if I get a book from my mom in the summer?” asked Jeremy Zielinski, who is currently incarcerated at Attica. Acting Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Anthony Annucci said in a memo that the new policy is a response to, “an increase in violence and overdoses due to the introduction of contraband through the package room, specifically, illicit drugs and weapons.” Contraband, though, gets to inmates in multiple ways, and limiting mail won't do anything to stop corrections officers from bringing drugs, weapons, and other contraband into prisons and jails. While many cases of corrections officers smuggling contraband for prisoners are in the public record, an investigation into the similar limiting of mail by Texas corrections officials in 2020 showed no impact on the amount of drugs circulating in that state's prisons. In 2018, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo halted a similar policy called the “Secure Vendor Package Program,” which limited packages to coming from vendors with limited selections with prices as much as 130 percent higher than on the outside. “I did 12 years in prison. My whole time in prison, I’ve never received a package from a vendor,” says Michael Capers, who was incarcerated at Upstate, Franklin, and Fishkill Correctional Facilities. “And the reason being is because it’s too expensive. So my family, I told them I’d rather have nothing than to make them pay extra money.” The new policy will end one program from a Germantown farm. Jalal Sabur, founder of Sweet Freedom Farm in Germantown, set up farm stands at the Fishkill and Attica prisons, where they hand out fresh food for visitors to give to inmates. “Now, no one can actually bring those packages in,” Sabur said. “So that whole program that we’ve been doing, we can’t do anymore.” Read more about this story in New York Focus.

Today's daily news update.