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

Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman state Senator Michelle Hinchey, Assemblymember Kevin Cahill and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan next week will host a hearing to gather testimony from the people impacted by skyrocketing electric and gas bills. All three hosts have been strong critics of Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corp. and the utility’s billing practices including rising bills being sent to customers. All comments collected will be handed over to the state for use in its investigation of Central Hudson's customer information system implementation and the resulting billing errors. “This is an urgent issue for countless residents across Ulster County who have been severely impacted by the failed implementation of Central Hudson’s new billing system, which was compounded by unexpected and unprecedented bill surges,” Ryan said in a press release. As of late April 25, there were more than 3,000 comments posted on the Public Service Commission portal that was set up as part of the Central Hudson billing investigation. At least 11,000 Central Hudson electricity customers have experienced billing problems since September, Ryan said. The hearing will take place May 3, at Kingston High School. Ulster County residents without computer access or a valid email address who can not attend the public hearing may call (845) 443-8888 for assistance submitting public comment on the investigation. On April 11, Central Hudson announced electric bills were likely to increase again this month as supply charges to the utility have grown. Central Hudson delivery charges will rise in July, as well. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media former Catskill Savings Bank official, charity organizer, and community leader Roger Lane died last week at the age of 73. Lane was employed by The Catskill Savings Bank for 35 years and was the Human Resources Director when he retired. He then went on to work for the Catskill Central School District as a substitute teacher for the next 20 years. Born in 1948, Lane was a member of numerous local organizations, including 30 years with the Catskill Rotary Club. “Roger was a dedicated public servant to the people of Greene County,” Greene County Legislator Matt Luvera said. “...He will surely be missed by so many. My prayers to his family.” Greene County Legislator Linda Overbaugh said she knew Lane since childhood. She said Lane was a cherished member of the Catskill community. “He was just a great person and a great friend,” she said. Among his many activities and initiatives, Lane hosted a radiothon on WCKL-AM in the 1980s and 1990s during National Heart Month to benefit the National Heart Association. He also served as president of the Catskill Village Board of Trustees in the 1970s and was a member of the Catskill United Methodist Church for more than four decades. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media vandalism of the public bathrooms at Angelo Canna Town Park has prompted the Cairo Town Board to close the facilities part time. During the off-hours, the park's permanent restrooms have been vandalized a number of times, resulting in costly damage, Town Supervisor Jason Watts said at the board's April 20 public meeting. “We went through almost $1,000 worth of stuff,” Watts said. “Urinals, soap dispensers have been broken. There was feces all over the walls. We had cones stuffed in the toilet, rolls of toilet paper stuffed into them. It’s every time we turn around,” the supervisor said. Because the vandalism occurred inside the restrooms, it was not recorded on surveillance cameras. No arrests have been made. Watts proposed that after the bathrooms have been pressure washed, they be closed overnight going forward, but open during the day when the park is in use or when public events are happening. The board unanimously agreed to rent a port-a-potty at the cost of roughly $2,500 for year-round use. Read the full story at The UpStater [dot] com.

Susan Ashworth reports for Radio World that a new study by Nielsen shows many people listening to AM or FM stations in the United States are tuning in webstreams, rather than terrestrial signals. Streaming now represents 12 percent of total AM/FM radio listening of individuals aged 25-54, up from 9.2 percent in August 2021. In the pre-internet age, only people who lived near a radio station could listen, but now anyone in the world can hear a streaming station. But the Nielsen report showed that the majority of the AM/FM radio streaming audience resides in the home market. “Marketers can purchase time on AM/FM radio station streams knowing most of the audience is from that home market,” said Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer at Cumulus Media | Westwood One. At 83 percent, sports radio had the lowest percentage of streaming listeners who lived away from the station's tower site, perhaps as fans of the local team who now live elsewhere. Radio listeners in the northeastern United States are more likely to listen to their hometown station's online than western residents, the survey also showed.

Today's daily news update.

Shaniece Holmes-Brown reports in the Times Union two more Albany County COVID-19 deaths. A man in his 60s died April 22, and a woman in her 90s died April 26, officials said. Albany County also announced 133 new infections for a total of 589 coronavirus cases there. “Our infection rate continues to rise at an alarming rate, and we are likely not detecting the full level of community spread as many at-home COVID tests go unreported,” Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said. “Albany County’s average percent positive rate has jumped from 3.3% to 13.5% over the last month.” On April 24, the Capital Region infection ratewas 13.5 percent. There are 31 patients with the virus in Albany County hospitals. “Sadly, as the virus spreads more and more, hospitalizations rise and we see more deaths, and my condolences go out to the families who lost loved ones over the last few days,” said McCoy. Also on April 26, Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that from June 1 to Dec. 31 the state of New York is giving up its share of the 16-cent-per-gallon gas sales tax to consumers. Local counties have the option to give consumers their share during the same time period, but so far Ulster County is the only one giving up their tax revenue. As of April 25, gas prices in the Capital Region, according to the Gas Buddy website, were above $4 per gallon for regular, ranging between $4.13 to $4.29. Some county officials don't want to give up the revenue the gas tax brings them. Rich Crist, spokesperson for Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, said in an email that, “There have been some discussions with county and local officials about the gas tax issue, but there is a concern over whether residents would actually see a drop in the price at the pumps and if funds would be taken from needed services and efforts to keep property taxes stable." Greene, Columbia, and Albany County officials have also not taken any action to give their share of the gas tax back to consumers. Albany County officials say they are trying to figure out whether the tax can be cut through a resolution or if they have to pass a local law. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Larry Parnass reports for The Berkshire Eagle that train service between Pittsfield, Massachusetts and New York City begins July 8. So far, that service is just a Friday afternoon four-hour trip from Penn Station in Manhattan to Pittsfield and a return Sunday afternoon. “This has been years in the making,” said state Sen. Adam Hinds, a Democrat from Pittsfield. Massachusetts officials are providing $240,000 to underwrite operations, a $30,000 fee for a program director, and $100,000 for marketing. “Western Massachusetts and the Berkshire region offer a whole host of cultural and recreational opportunities during the summer and we hope this pilot service will encourage even more visitors to this part of our state,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement provided by the state Department of Transportation. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily news update.

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

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media tolls on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge are set to increase beginning May 1. The toll hike will impact all five of the bridges under the jurisdiction of the New York State Bridge Authority, including the Rip Van Winkle, Bear Mountain, Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson and Kingston-Rhinecliff bridges. The toll charged for drivers with E-ZPass tags will be less than for those without a tag who are billed by mail. Cars, pick-up trucks and motorcycles with an E-ZPass tag will pay $1.55, up 10 cents from the current rate of $1.45. Those billed by mail will pay $2, up a quarter from the existing $1.75 rate. Commercial vehicles will pay more, as well. Only drivers traveling east on the bridges are charged a toll. “As part of a four-year, phased-in toll revision that started in 2020, rates will be increasing on May 1, 2022, and for a final time on May 1, 2023,” according to the New York State Bridge Authority. The present rates have been in effect since May 1, 2021. The Rip Van Winkle Bridge is a 5,041-foot span that was first opened July 2, 1935, and it connects Greene and Columbia counties. Read more at TheUpStater [dot] com.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media voters in the Coxsackie-Athens school district will be asked May 17, to approve a proposed $34.7 million budget for the 2022-23 school year. The school board adopted the proposal at its April 12 meeting. The spending plan represents is an increase of just under $712,000, or 2.09 percent, over the current year's budget. The tax levy will increase 2.92 percent in the coming year. Board of Education President Michael Donahue said Ryan Palmer, the district’s administrator of business and finance, crafted the budget with input from the administration, with the school board also launching its own budget committee to help shape the plan. The proposed budget includes funding for the addition of five paraprofessionals, a full-time counselor, a seasonal groundskeeper, a full-time teacher for grades 7-12 and a full-time fitness room coordinator. The school board president said he hopes the community will support the spending plan when they go to the polls next month. “It’s been a positive experience and I hope that the folks that vote agree with us and pass it and we can go ahead,” Donahue said. “We’re adding people and there have been some years where you’re not in that position and you’re looking at where to cut. That’s really tough to look at that. But we’re not in that position.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the top concerns of most New York voters are crime and the economy, from government spending to taxes, inflation and honesty in government, a Siena College poll released April 25, found. Poll respondents were supportive of the changes made by lawmakers and the governor to the state bail law that expanded the circumstances under which cash bail will be required. While voters backed those changes, they were mixed on whether the changes would help reduce crime. Voters also gave Gov. Kathy Hochul low marks on various issues, including her pledge to restore trust in government and provide effective leadership while also rejecting her push for state funding for a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. Respondents support the suspension of the gasoline tax, by a margin of 73 to 16 percent. They are also supportive of takeout alcohol sales, 50 to 38 percent. And the poll found support for a $4.2 billion bond act for shoring up environmental infrastructure, 52 to 24 percent. But 63 percent of voters oppose spending $600 million in state taxpayer money to build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills in western New York; only 24 percent support it. Hochul's own favorability rating has not changed since March: 44 percent of voters hold a favorable view of her; 34 percent do not. And she remains better known than her rivals in the gubernatorial race. The survey of 806 registered voters was conducted from April 18 to 21. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Do you remember a few months ago, the airline industry was up in arms about 5G cell service? The Brookings Institution had a headline in November saying, "Will 5G mean airplanes falling from the sky?" The Federal Aviation Administration objected to the Federal Communications Commission’s authorization of 5G networks on planes. Their concern was that the 5G radio signals would interfere with the radio altimeters used in automated aircraft landings. The airline industry also mimicked the broadcast industry, who have been saying for years that pirate radio stations would bring down planes by interfering with the radio reception in the controls. Anyone who listened to the radio might have been justified in scoffing at this argument, since there never has been a proven case of a pirate radio station bringing down an aircraft, nor did the expansion of 5G cell service onto planes in the United States this year cause any accidents. But, with more study, there might be something to this argument. It turns out that airplanes have been using really bad radio receivers. Poorly designed receivers were meant for an age before 5G, as the altimeters on some passenger planes fail to filter out signals from nearby spectrum, Politico reports. And there are poor radio receivers in all types of equipment in many industries, not just on planes. As new technologies such as driverless cars and telemedicine use additional bandwidth, the old timey radio receivers in the new technology can't cope. As a result, “large amounts of valuable spectrum lie fallow, spectrum reallocations are contentious, and users of spectrum lack legal certainty,” the office of Republican FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said in a statement. His Democratic colleague, Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC Chair, agrees. “If we want to be efficient, we also have to think about the other end. We have to think about receiving.” Last week the FCC commissioners voted unanimously to open an inquiry into the issue. They might embrace voluntary receiver standards, to get companies to upgrade their gear, or they could impose more controversial regulatory mandates. About 20 years ago the commission explored, but decided against, setting standards for all sorts of radio receivers to withstand interference from cell phone signals. Of course, the industries' business sides do not want any regulations, and some corporations are now saying the FCC does not have the authority to regulate receivers. David Grossman, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Consumer Technology Association, says, “Congress has not ever explicitly outlined FCC authority around regulation of receivers.” The FAA, after the 5G implementation, is now also considering developing new standards for radio altimeters, according to then-Administrator Steve Dickson at a House of Representatives hearing in February. “At some point you just get more and more and more people, and more and more and more services, in this spectrum; you just can’t do it,” said former FCC official Dale Hatfield, who is now executive fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “You’ve got to begin to take up on receivers. It’s inevitable.”

Today's daily news update.

Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess and William K. Rashbaum report in The New York Times that a judge ruled April 25 that former President Donald Trump is in contempt of court, and must pay $10,000 a day until he complies with a subpoena seeking financial documents. Trump's lawyers claim they have turned everything over already, while lawyers from New York's attorney general’s office said that Mr. Trump had declined to turn over documents in response to eight separate requests. Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, said she will file a sworn statement detailing every step that was taken to locate potential documents, and that she will appeal the ruling. “All documents responsive to the subpoena were produced to the attorney general months ago,” Habba said. “This does not even come close to meeting the standard on a motion for contempt.” But Judge Arthur F. Engoron called Habba's legal arguments that all materials had been turned over “woefully insufficient” and “boilerplate.” In January, the attorney general's office concluded that the Trump Organization had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” financial practices in New York. Read more about this story in The New York Times.

Joshua Solomon reports for the Times Union that the state legislature returned April 25 from a two-week holiday break with only 19 days left in its session. Gov. Kathy Hochul said that affordable housing, mayoral control of city schools in New York City, and the “Clean Slate Act” should be at the top of their agenda. The Clean State Act would expunge certain criminal records to help former inmates get employment. The Hudson Valley, and much of the state, are struggling with an affordable housing crisis, with sky-high prices and demand forcing long residents out of their apartments. This week 537 bills will go before committees, including proposed laws related to the environment, elections, cryptocurrency, and evictions. The "Clean Slate" is hung up on Hochul's request for more years to elapse after time served before an individual could have their record expunged for certain crimes. "I found that to be unacceptable," said state Sen. Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn who sponsored the bill. But, he said, he is "cautiously optimistic that we will get this across the finish line." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced the opening of the Hudson Valley segment of the New York State Birding Trail April 21, with 39 locations on public lands throughout six counties. "Spring is a fantastic time of year to visit one of the many sites on the newest segment of the New York State Birding Trail," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "The Hudson Valley region, with its stunning and historic parks and public lands, unique hawk watches, and sweeping Hudson River views, provides a unique and special birding experience for anyone interested in getting started in this fun, accessible activity." Locally, these sites are part of the trail: Olana State Historic Site, Clermont State Historic Site, Lake Taghkanic State Park, Stockport Wildlife Management Area, and the Taconic State Park's Harlem Valley Rail Trail, all in Columbia County, and the Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area in Dutchess County. "From mountain forests to marshes and rivers, the Hudson Valley boasts an incredible variety of habitat that is critical to the health of birds and people. Nearly 200 species of both migratory and non-migratory birds have been identified in our 270-acre marsh alone. Audubon and our affiliated chapters are thrilled to welcome visitors to this newest segment of the New York State Birding Trail, where you can paddle in amidst waterfowl, and hike out to the tune of songbirds," said Scott Silver, Director of the National Audubon Society's Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary based in Garrison.

Today's daily news update.