MidHudson News reports that traffic increased on all five Hudson River bridges in 2021 over 2020. The Rip Van Winkle Bridge, linking Greene and Columbia counties over the river, went from over 5.1 million crossings in 2020 to almost 5.8 million in 2021. Likewise, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge went from 6.7 million to 7.6 million trips, the Mid-Hudson Bridge increased from 11.8 crossings to 13.3 million, the Newburgh-Beacon bridge increased from 21.3 to 24.4 million crossings, and the Bear Mountain Bridge went from 6.4 to 7.2 million crossings. 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, was a record year for traffic on the five bridges, and traffic remained below those levels in 2021. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Larry Rulison reports in the Times Union that National Grid won't be able to fully heat and power upstate homes and businesses with all-renewable fuel sources until 2050. And National Grid is not going all-electric, as environmentalists recommend, but will continue to rely on pipelines to transport bio-gas and green hydrogen. Bio-gas is generated largely from the off-gassing of cow manure at dairy farms. We see this as a more affordable pathway than all-electric," Rudy Wynter, National Grid's New York president said. Currently, heating homes and buildings generates 39 percent of all the greenhouse gas emissions in New York. The switch will be slow for National Grid too, as by 2030 National Grid will only get 20 percent of its heating gas from renewable sources. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Board of Education last week adopted a proposed $48.6 million budget for the 2022-23 school year, a 5.48 percent increase over the previous year. District voters will weigh in on the proposal on May 17. The spending plan includes a 1.85 percent tax levy increase, less than the state-mandated tax cap of 3.52 percent. The tax levy will raise $20.34 million in revenue. In an email message that accompanied the proposal, Catskill Superintendent Ronel Cook said the district would apply $3.36 million from its fund balance to reduce the tax levy. The administration’s goals in crafting the budget included maintaining pre-K and kindergarten programs at Catskill Elementary School and maintaining the same level of funding for books, supplies and materials for all students in the district. The seats currently held by Allan Couser, Patricia Dushane and Andrew Varone are up for re-election. Voters will also be asked to decide a proposition to fund the purchase of a new school bus and additional equipment for the district. "The proposition would allow the district to borrow 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 for field trips, after-school extracurricular activities and other special area student transportation needs that are not easily met through our contracted busing service,” Cook wrote. The district expects to receive $20 million in state aid during the next school year. District officials will hear public opinion on the 2022-23 annual budget on May 4 in the Catskill High School library. The annual budget vote and school board election will take place 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 17 in the in the high school library. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics New York Attorney General Letitia James issued an advisory Mon., Aprl 18, reminding landlords that they cannot raise rents if they accept or plan to accept funding from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. James' advice comes after state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul fortified the program with $800 million in replenished funds as part of the $220 billion state budget agreement. James said, “The rules are clear: Landlords who accept ERAP payments cannot raise rents for 12 months. This program was created to support struggling tenants and to keep New Yorkers in their homes during the pandemic. Landlords who accepted payments from the state yet are still raising rents are double dipping and breaking the law. I urge any tenant who accepted ERAP payments and received a new lease with rent increases from their landlord to contact my office." The state so far has distributed $2.1 billion in federal funding for renters behind on their rent, impacting 160,000 low and moderate-income households statewide. Landlords must also waive any late fees due on rental arrears covered by a payment from ERAP. At the same time, they cannot evict recipients of ERAP funding when their lease expires. The budget also included $125 million for the Landlord Rental Assistance Program for property owners whose tenants have not applied for aid. So far, the state has paid out 15,000 payments of more than $160 million for landlords. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting the Hudson Farmers’ Market marks its 25th anniversary this year, beginning Sat., Apr. 23, and continuing through November 19. The market will offer more than 30 vendors each Saturday in the county parking lot at 6th and Columbia streets in the city. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and parking is available in the lot adjacent the market and in the municipal lot behind St. John’s Church, at 6th and Union streets. Various events are scheduled during the 25th anniversary season, including a ribbon cutting with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce on May 7, the Family Scavenger Hunt with the Hudson Area Library on July 30, the second annual Tomato Fest on September 3, and the Halloween Bash on October 29. Information is available at Hudson Farmers' Market NY [dot] com. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Elle Kehres reports for Radio World that the Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, which is the union for broadcast tower climbers, and Storybuilt Media are releasing a feature-length documentary “Vertical Freedom,” about six communications infrastructure workers in the United States. Ky Nguyen is featured in the film, and said he had no experience before joining the industry. “I started as a climber and then just kept working my way up,” he said. “Then I became foreman and began project managing. I’m one of those types of guys where, if you want it done a certain way, you have to be with them, showing them, leading by example – so I’m climbing every day.” In 2012, a PBS Frontline documentary called "Cell Tower Deaths" reported that in the previous decade nearly 100 climbers were killed on radio, TV, and cell towers, a rate that is about 10 times the average for construction workers. The latest death was in December of Michael Vasquez, working for Broken Arrow Communications, when he fell from a communications tower in Arlington, WA. This industry documentary does not focus on those deaths and accidents, but hints at the issue. “The turnover rate is pretty crazy because not everyone can do it,” said Nguyen in "Vertical Freedom." “It takes a special type of crazy, a certain type of person, to want to be up that high working and traveling on the road. You know, you sacrifice not being home.”

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MidHudson News reports what could be a rare sign that the roaring Hudson Valley housing market could be slowing. In Ulster County in the first three months of this year the number of single-family home sales dropped 23.7 percent from those sold in the first quarter of last year, according to the Ulster County Board of Realtors. In January, February, and March, 373 homes were sold in Ulster County this year, compared with 489 during the same period last year. But two other statistics may show the housing market is still heated: the average selling price rose by 16.7 percent, going from $390,037 in the first three months of 2021 to $435,818 this year. And the number of days a house remained on the market remained about the same with 61 in 2021 and 62 in 2022. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that law enforcement officers investigating the death of Catskill activist Scott Meyers still can't figure out the password to the video recording system that may have recorded his death. Myers, 68, was stabbed to death in his apartment at 39 West Bridge St. apartment last November, and Carrie Weiser, 32, of Catskill is in the Greene County Jail, charged with his murder. “No updates yet,” Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione said last week about the case. A Greene County Grand Jury in December indicted Weiser on second-degree murder, a class A-1 felony, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon charges. Meyers and Weiser had drinks at a local brewery the night of his death, and then went to his apartment. She says she does not know what happened that night. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Michelle Del Rey reports in the Times Union that Republican candidate Liz Joy raised $146,575 from individuals during the year’s first quarter, while incumbent Democrat Paul Tonko raised just $84,637. Since the beginning of 2021, Joy has raised $457,185 in individual donations, while Tonko raised $409,110. “Our campaign continues to beat expectations and raise more money each quarter. We outraised (Tonko) again in individual contributions for the third quarter in a row, which shows the level of support we have from people who live and work in the 20th district,” read a statement provided by Joy's campaign. The Republican Joy lost to the Democrat Tonko by a 62 percent to 38 percent margin. Redistricting has made the district slightly better for a Republican, but it is still considered a safe seat for Democrats. Tonko's campaign did not comment for the story. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

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

Lauren Stanforth is reporting for the Times Union New York is the only state in the U.S. with multiple counties at high risk for COVID-19, according to the most recent data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, there are now 10 counties in the high-risk category: Broome, Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tioga and Wayne. The information comes as the state has identified two highly contagious omicron sub-lineages that are making their way through Central New York and surrounding regions where the spread is most prevalent. In comparison, only one other county in the continental U.S. is at high risk of COVID-19 and it is in Kansas. Most counties nationwide are at low risk. However, there is evidence of increased risk in New England, with much of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont also now in the medium-risk category. Albany and Rensselaer counties, Berkshire County in Massachusetts and Bennington County in Vermont were also at medium risk as of April 17. The CDC's designation recommends that those in high-risk areas wear a mask indoors and get tested if symptoms develop. Medically vulnerable people are advised to take additional precautions to avoid infection. Hospitalizations in New York, while slightly increasing, are still very low compared to the omicron surge in January. The state noted late last week that in Central New York, where coronavirus spread is greatest, "use of therapeutics is up considerably," reporting an increase in the use of a drug called Paxlovid and the doubling of the use of Molnupiravir. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the village of Coxsackie experienced four water main breaks last week as crews worked around the clock to repair them. Mayor Mark Evans announced on April 14, that during the previous 36 hours three water main breaks had occurred on Bailey Street, with an additional break on John Street. The mayor said village highway employees worked two straight overnight shifts and a full day that Thursday to make the repairs. He said service was restored on Bailey Street as of April 15. Evans noted that water service had to be turned off because the break would not allow the village to sustain service given the amount of water loss that was occurring. “We get 20 to 25 water breaks a year and our guys are really good at fixing them,” Evans said. “They usually have them fixed in an hour or two. Unfortunately, we get a rash of them at times, especially in the spring when the frost comes out of the ground. So this is really kind of commonplace, unfortunately. We get a series of them usually. So hopefully that’s it for this spring, but you never know.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting for The Columbia Paper Hudson schools officials March 5, presented a $54.1 million budget for the 2022-23 school year at a meeting of the Hudson Board of Education. District voters will be asked to ratify the spending plan on May 17. Voters will also be asked to elect five of the board’s seven members. The $54.1 million plan represents a 3.6 percent, or $1.9 million, increase over the district's current budget of $52.2 million. The proposal assumes $26 million in state aid and requires a $25 million tax levy. Forty-eight percent of the district's proposed revenue will come from state aid. The tax levy increase could be as high as 4.57 percent, according to state law, but Superintendent Lisamarie Spindler previously promised to keep the increase under the maximum allowed. The transportation costs are up 10 percent because of the rising costs of labor and fuel. Teacher retirement costs will increase 22 percent, but total employee benefits are up only 1.6 percent. Health benefits are expected to increase by less than 1 percent. Tuition for students with disabilities placed out of the district will increase by 14 percent and the district will spend $333,000 to hire new social workers. On May 17, HCSD voters go to the polls in Hudson, Greenport and Claverack. Information is available at HudsonCSD [dot] org. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Adi Robertson reports for The Verge that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been fought with tanks, planes, ships, and humans, and also with radio waves, as a battle of information over the internet, television, and radio. And while the U.S. has banned selling almost anything to Russia, a few radio-related products are now allowed for export to Russia to help in the information war. The US Department of the Treasury is exempting telecommunications services from the sanctions against Russia. Advocacy groups for anti-war protesters inside Russia predicted that blocking internet services would cut off Russian activists’ access to the outside world. So the Department of the Treasury is allowing "services, software, hardware, or technology incident to the exchange of communications over the internet, such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, chat and email, social networking, sharing of photos, movies, and documents, web browsing, blogging, web hosting, and domain name registration services." Access Now, one of the group's advocating for Russian activists, applauded the decision. “U.S. internet communication technologies are key for human rights defenders and independent media to report on and fight Russian and Belarusian governments’ aggression in Ukraine,” said the group's tech legal counsel Natalia Krapiva. Internet backbone providers Lumen and Cogent and Mailchimp operator Intuit ended their service in Russia before the sanctions were approved. Slack only blocked access from Russia after the sanctions hit. The Ukraine government has asked for more than it has gotten so far. Ukraine wanted DNS overseer ICANN to revoke Russia's access to the Domain Name System, but was turned down. ICANN said a revocation, blocking Russia from the rest of the world, could have “devastating and permanent effects on the trust and utility of this global system.” The Russian government has not been acting in kind, as they have been blocking major global services such as Facebook and Instagram in a wide-ranging crackdown on free speech of any kind. Read more about this story at The Verge.

Here is this week's Hudson Valley Congressional Report from WGXC, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives of the Hudson Valley in Congress and the candidates who want to replace them. Current Democrat Reps. Antonio Delgado, Paul Tonko, and Sean Maloney vote with the positions of President Joe Biden 100 percent of the time, according to the fivethirtyeight.com website. Republican Elise Stefanik voted with Biden's positions 18 percent of the time. Click here to listen to this report.

Cloey Callahan reports in the Times Union that Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has backed off, for now, his plan to give $12.5 million in taxpayer money for a minor league baseball stadium. This comes after the state was going to give almost a billion dollars in taxpayer money to the billionaire owners of the Buffalo Bills for a new stadium. Gov. Kathy Hochul eventually lowered that number somewhat, but still gave the billionaires a lot of taxpayer money. In Dutchess County, Molinaro backed off and redirected $9.5 million of the stadium money for housing needs. Molinaro, a Republican, is running for Congress, trying to unseat Democrat Antonio Delgado, and likely did not want the stadium money criticism lingering over his campaign. “This should have been the case from the get-go,” Dutchess County Minority Leader Yvette Valdés Smith said. “Our county needs so much assistance. Our housing market has really boomed, but it has really hit us hard as communities. There are a lot of renters in my own district … trying to buy their first home and simply cannot. Prices have really gone up.” Last month, Molinaro was defending the money for the stadium. “If there was one industry impacted the most by the closures of the economy, it was tourism,” Molinaro said. “In the case of Dutchess Stadium, it’s the tourism destination for thousands and thousands of people every night for most of the year.” Now, though, he is talking about the housing shortage. “It’s a real crisis for ordinary families. Compound that with highest rate of inflation in years, high mortgage rates, it’s a challenge," he said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Maury Thompson reported in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise that Hudson Valley Democrats in Congress voted April 1 to decriminalize cannabis in the United States, while Republican Elise Stefanik voted against the measure. “The soft-on-crime approach to this legislation would incentivize bad actors and transnational criminal organizations to flood our communities with drugs,” Stefanik said in a statement. Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents Albany County and much of the rest of the Capital Region in New York's 20th Congressional District, co-sponsored the legislation. The bill, HR 3617 removes cannabis from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substance Act. NY-21 Democratic congressional candidate Matt Putorti, who is trying to replace Stefanik in Congress, said he supported the legislation. Liz Joy, a Republican trying to replace Tonko in NY-20, Tweeted her opposition, writing, “Glad to see that they have their priorities straight with everything else going on in our nation and the world.” Read more about this story in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

Ted Potrikus reports on the All Otsego website that while Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat representing the 19th Congressional District and Republican Marc Molinaro, who wants to replace Delgado in the November election, are on the same side of a state issue they have no say in, and Molinaro still managed to create an argument in their agreement. Both Delgado and Molinaro are against New York farm workers getting overtime pay after 40 hours of work a week, like almost all other workers receive. Instead, they both want New York to retain an antiquated law that keeps farm workers from overtime wages until they work 60 hours in a week. “Agriculture already faces a growing labor crisis, and lowering the farmworker overtime threshold to 40 hours puts farm operations in New York State at serious risk,” Delgado says. “Many farmers and producers have expressed concerns that the resulting increase in costs will put them out of business.” Molinaro agreed with Delgado on the issue, but still tried to disagree with him. “Antonio Delgado waited till the cows came home to address this issue, an 11th-hour appeal opposing the proposed Farm Workers Overtime, with the knowledge that the budget will contain a tax credit to mitigate the cost,” Molinaro said. Neither gets any say on the issue, as New York State's Farm Laborers Wage Board decided to lower the farmworker overtime threshold from 60 hours per week to 40 hours per week, and Gov. Kathy Hochul is currently contemplating rejecting the board's decision. There will be no federal vote on the issue, nor one in Dutchess County. Read more about this story on the All Otsego website.

Axios reports that a national Republican group is backing Marc Molinaro over Antonio Delgado in New York's 19th Congressional District election this fall. The Congressional Leadership Fund announced backing for Molinaro last week, among seven new endorsements. "I think that people are frustrated and fearful ... that the policies out of Washington and Albany are making life more expensive, and ... making us less safe," Molinaro said. "We hear it everywhere we go."

On April 7, all four Hudson Valley Congressional representatives voted for the "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act," to block energy imports to the country that invaded Ukraine and continues to commit war crimes there. Only two Democrats and seven Republicans voted against the bill. On April 6 Democrats Delgado, Tonko, and Maloney voted to "find Peter K. Navarro and Daniel Scavino, Jr., in Contempt of Congress for Refusal to Comply with Subpoenas Duly Issued by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol." The Republican Stefanik voted to allow Navarro and Scavino to not comply with a Congressional subpoena.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that local law enforcement officers are warning residents of Columbia County of an increase in thefts of catalytic converters from parked vehicles. State police in Livingston are looking into numerous complaints of stolen catalytic converters from cars and trucks throughout the county, said Aaron Hicks, public information officer for state police Troop K. The majority of the thefts are centered in the Ghent and Philmont areas, but the number is rising in other places as well, said Beau Duffy, director of information for the state police. Duffy said state police are not investigating similar cases in Greene County. The catalytic converter is part of car's exhaust system and a functional catalytic converter is essential for any vehicle to pass safety and emissions inspections. Hicks said the thefts are happening at all hours of the day and vehicles parked close to roadways or have high-valued catalytic converters are more likely to be targeted. Trucks, which are higher off the ground, are at greater risk for theft because the converters are easier for thieves to reach. The Toyota Prius is a favorite target of thieves. Catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium and rhodium, all expensive precious metals. An ounce of platinum is priced at $1,000, while palladium is more than $2,300 and rhodium, which is extremely rare, costs more than $20,000. State police strongly encourage vehicle owners to always to lock their vehicles and park in well-lit conspicuous locations. The public can assist in preventing these thefts by remaining vigilant and reporting any signs of suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement, whether it is a person, vehicle or noise, Hicks said. Information is available by calling the New York State Police at 845-677-7300. For emergency response, call 911, Hicks said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.