Today's daily news update.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that allowing customers to take alcoholic drinks as part of a takeout order from restaurants apparently is not happening in New York this year. The Democratic majority in the legislature did not include the measure in their budget proposals this year, and Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowleded on March 14 the issue would not pass this year. "I want to make sure that happens," she said of a permanent extension of the alcohol-to-go provision. "We'll find the right place to get it done. This is something New Yorkers are excited about." Restaurants were allowed to sell to-go alcohol in New York during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but now lobbying efforts from bars and liquor stores may have changed some lawmakers opinions. "This is to help businesses. This is to help them recoup money they lost during the pandemic," Hochul said. "This is a lifeline for them. I don't want to cut off that lifeline that our businesses are begging for and I want to get it done before the end of session." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that the Town of New Baltimore and Village of Tannersville are getting millions of dollars in loans and some grant money for water infrastructure projects from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation. On March 14, the state organization announced $1,875,733 in long-term, interest-free financing and a $111,712 grant for wastewater system upgrades for the Town of New Baltimore and $2,249,788 in long-term, interest-free financing and a $534,835 grant to rehabilitate the Tannersville water treatment plant, arsenic removal treatment for the Rip Van Winkle Well, additional groundwater source capacity, replacement of aged water mains and meters, and rehabilitation of the existing water storage tank in Tannersville. In a press release, Governor Kathy Hochul explained the water funding source. "With a surge in funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and historic investment in clean water initiatives in my Executive Budget, we will work together with local governments to modernize New York's water infrastructure to protect public health and the environment and help ensure a robust economy," Hochul said. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Tracy Ziemer reports in the Times Union that a 157-acre property for sale in Old Chatham would set a record for the highest residential sale in Columbia County if the owners received their $15 million asking price. The property at 47 White Bridge has eight bedrooms and nine-and-a-half baths in a building from 1775. The main farmhouse, though, has been updated with radiant flooring, a large kitchen, several wood-burning fireplaces. The Times Union says right now Columbia County's most expensive residential real estate is a 90-acre Kinderhook estate known as “Folly Farm” that sold in 2019 for $8 million. In August 2021, a 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom home in Valatie came close, selling for $6.25 million. Meanwhile, the Hudson Valley has an affordable housing crisis, with higher prices driving long-time residents out of the market. 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.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 19th and 20th Congressional seats in New York. Current Democrat Reps. Antonio Delgado and Paul Tonko vote with the positions of President Joe Biden 100 percent of the time, according to the fivethirtyeight.com website. Click here to listen to this report.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that seven members of New York's congressional delegation are endorsing tuition assistance for people in prison. But Reps. Antonio Delgado and Paul Tonko, who represent citizens locally, are not on the list to end a decades-long ban on tuition for prisoners. Reps. Ritchie Torres, Nydia Velazquez, Greg Meeks, Jamaal Bowman, Grace Meng, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, and Mondaire Jones, are backing Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposal to extend higher education courses for people in New York prisons. Proponents argue that re-establishing access for people in prison to the Tuition Assistance Program would reduce recidivism, increase the job opportunities out of prison, and help narrow a racial inequality gap. "Allowing incarcerated students to benefit from TAP is a long overdue and straightforward action that builds opportunity, promotes equity, strengthens democracy, and affirms our commitment to racial justice in New York state," said the lawmakers in a letter they all signed. Nationally, Congress has already lifted a ban on Pell Grant eligibility for people in prison after a 25-year ban. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

There aren't too many times the entire Hudson Valley delegation in the House of Representatives votes the same way, but they did March 9 on the "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act." Republican Elise Stefanik and Democrats Antonio Delgado, Paul Tonko, and Sean Maloney all voted for the measure, which passed 414-17. The bill to cut off American oil funds from Russia after their invasion of Ukraine was opposed by two far-left Democrats, Ilhan Omar and Cori Bush, and 15 far-right Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, and Paul Gosar.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that dairy farms have been complaining recently about having to pay overtime wages to workers, the kind that grocery store employees get. Now they also want New York City not to ban chocolate milk because they say they will sell less of the dairy product. And they have Democrats such as Rep. Antonio Delgado and Republicans such as Assemblymember Chris Tague on their side. “It is critical that children have access to school meals that support their growth and wellbeing,” Delgado said in a statement. “I am deeply concerned by attempts to ban flavored milk from New York City Schools. This would limit access to the life-enhancing nutrients within milk and negatively impact our dairy farmers, producers, and agriculture partners across New York.” Delgado and other New York state members of the Congress have signed a letter objecting to the removal of chocolate milk from New York City schools. They include Republicans Elise Stefanik, John Katiko, Tom Redd, Claudia Teeney, Chris Jacobs, and L:e Zeldin and Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney. “Studies have shown that reducing or eliminating the availability of flavored milk in schools has led to overall decreased milk consumption and increased food waste,” the letter said. “In fact, a study of Oregon schools by Cornell found total daily milk sales declined by 9.9 percent when flavored milk was removed from the cafeteria and was associated with 6.8 percent fewer students eating lunch.” Tague agreed. “Cold, refreshing chocolate milk with a school lunch is a small, timeless joy that has carried students through the challenges of academia for decades,” Tague said in a statement. “The thought of taking this small treat from our children, along with significant revenue from our dairy farmers, is incredibly callous and reeks of nanny-statism.” The elected officials did not tout chocolate milk as better nutrionally for children, but instead focused on sales of milk for dairy farmers. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Caleb Guerrido is reporting for the Legislative Gazette state Sen. James Tedisco has announced new legislation, with 12 of his Republican colleagues, requiring an official investigation into the more than 15,000 nursing home-related deaths that occurred in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another measure would designate March 25 as a day of remembrance for the lives lost to COVID statewide. Recently, the new Health Commissioner Mary Bassett advocated for a forward-looking approach for the current administration, but some Republicans are not ready to move on just yet. “This push isn’t about living in the past. It’s about ensuring the health and safety of all New Yorkers now and in the future,” said Sen. Sue Serino, a Republican member of the Aging Committee. “Dr. Bassett showed a complete disregard for these 15,000 New Yorkers, when she said during her recent confirmation hearings that she will not look back, or in her words, unravel, what happened with the former administration.” Both bills are currently in committee. Read the full story in the Legislative Gazette.

The Daily Freeman is reporting a proposal to bring “affordable, convenient, electric micro-transit, on-demand through a mobile app” to the city of Kingston and Ellenville has been selected as a phase one awardee in a statewide grant program. The Ulster Connect proposal was awarded a phase one grant through the New York Clean Transportation Prizes’ “Clean Neighborhoods Challenge,” according to a press release. The proposal will be the first mobility service of its kind in Ulster. It is a joint initiative between the county, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Family of Woodstock, and Via. Via is a company that builds software to enable its customers to transform their transportation systems into digital networks. The plan is still in the planning stages, according to information from the county executive’s office. The Ulster Connect micro-transit app will make it possible for users to book a ride to a location within the Kingston and Ellenville region using Via’s algorithms. The users will be directed to a “virtual bus stop” within a short walking distance, allowing for quick, efficient, shared trips that provide more flexibility than traditional public transit fixed routes and schedules. Users without smartphones will be able to book a ride through a call center. Ulster Connect is one of 17 projects announced through phase one of the competition and is now eligible to compete for up to $85 million in grand prizes under phase two. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics advocates for home care workers in New York are applauding the inclusion of a pay raise provision for those workers as part of the legislative budget proposals to be released this week. The first step toward a worker pay hike was included in the spending plans backed by Democrats in the state Assembly and Senate. “New York faces the worst home care shortage in America — and this crisis has left tens of thousands of aging adults and disabled people without care and forced them into dangerous nursing homes," said Ilana Berger, the co-director of the New York Caring Majority, a coalition formed to back the pay raise. "The facts are clear: permanent, fair wages will keep home care workers from continuing to flee the sector. If New York pays home care workers a fair wage, the state can quickly wipe out the home care shortage, keep aging adults and dsiabled people safe at home, and save the state money." A home care worker shortage could be worse in the coming decades as the state's population of people age 65 and older will increase by 25 percent in the next 19 years. The number of adults over the age of 85 is projected to increase by 75 percent. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

The Catskill High School Leadership Greene Club on Mon., Mar. 14, hosted the Catskill Village Board candidates for a student led Meet the Candidates event. The live event, held in the high school library, featured all six candidates responding to questions developed by the students. Each candidate was also given two-minute opening and closing remarks.

Today's daily news update.

The Daily Star reports that Nicholas Chase, a substitute teacher in Delaware County, announced March 10 his candidacy for state Assembly representing the Democratic Party in the newly drawn 102nd district, composed of Greene and Schoharie Counties, as well as parts of Albany, Delaware, Otsego, and Ulster Counties. Republican Chris Tague from Schoharie currently holds the seat. Chase is running as a Democrat. “I was raised on a small farm in Delaware County. When the pandemic hit, I found employment in a field that needed employees badly, education," Chase said. "My employment there has inspired me to run for this office. As a state, we have a lot to fight for. I’m running because I’d like to ensure that life in Central (New York) works for my students, post-high school.” As a teacher, he used his campaign announcement to talk about children. First and foremost, we want to navigate our state out of this pandemic, and rectify the educational, societal, and economic impacts it has unleashed on us. We want our children to have access to broadband internet to bolster the quality of their education. We want our farm kids to be able to inherit their farms, work hard to put food on our table, and make a comfortable profit while doing so. We want our children to grow up knowing that they can go to the doctor without fear of how they’re going to pay for it. Most importantly, we want our children to see people with morals and compassion leading the way to a better future for all of us. We all want the same thing, a better place for all of us to live and raise our families, let’s put our differences aside and work for it,” he said. Read more about this story at The Daily Star.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that New York stopped recreational and commercial shad fishing in the Hudson River in 2010. Now the state Department of Environmental Conservation has a plan to return shad populations in the Hudson River to numbers similar to the 1940s. Then, commercial and recreational fishing could be allowed again. Called "the poor man's salmon," shad are born in fresh water, live in the oceans, and return to rivers to spawn. Overfishing shad in the Hudson River first led to regulations in 1861, when fishing net restrictions and fishing seasons were first implemented. The DEC says there have population collapses three times since. Now the DEC plans habitat restoration, industrial regulation, and the monitoring of shad populations to bring the fish back to the Hudson River. "There was once a nearly infinite number of fish in the Hudson River ... what we have today are just shadows," Riverkeeper's George Jackman said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. says the residential price for electricity in the Mid-Hudson region will be 46 percent less per kilowatt hour this month. “Continued volatility in the energy markets are prompting swings in electricity and natural gas prices,” the utility said in press release. “Central Hudson’s residential price for electric supply has fallen 46 percent, from 21.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) in February to 11.6 cents per kwh in March, effective March 11. As previously announced, natural gas prices rose 24 percent, from 73.9 cents per hundred cubic feet in February to 91.6 cents per ccf in March, effective March 1,” the company added. The company warned energy prices will stay high this year because of the "recovering economy, energy supply constraints, strong energy demands and global events." Central Hudson spokesperson Joseph Jenkins said it is difficult to estimate bills this month. “We’re not able to do direct bill impacts because March is a transition month, where customer usage varies greatly (as can the weather),” Jenkins said. “The electric rates we distributed today (March 11) will begin to impact billing today and moving forward. That being said, not all of our customers are on the same billing cycle. Depending on when you receive your bill, the supply rate you’re charged is a blend of the two months’ rates.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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

Today's daily news update.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County Board of Supervisors has approved $175,000 in funding to maintain the county Mobile Crisis Assessment Team. The team is charged with assessing people and connecting them to appropriate services. It is made up of a mix of licensed professionals and paraprofessionals with a full-time staff of six and about 20 total staff members. The team works with the backing of the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties. Greene County will also fund the program by contributing $175,000, according to a statement from the Board of Supervisors. Funding for the team was previously provided through the state, but was discontinued at the end of 2021. Columbia County’s portion of the funding comes through the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act. The Mobile Crisis Assessment Team has served 6,115 people since it was established in 2015, team director Katherine Oldakowski said in a statement. That amount includes 3,059 people from Columbia County and 3,056 individuals from Greene County. Oldakowski said, “We’ve been dispatched just about 4,000 times for in-person assessments. We maintain a 93 percent diversion rate from unnecessary hospitalization. We maintain a 99 percent diversion rate from further police intervention.” The team not only aids people with mental health issues, but it also responds to calls from those with substance abuse issues as well. The Mobile Crisis Assessment Team can be reached at 518-943-5555. The line is staffed 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media two candidates will face off in the Ravena village mayoral election on Tue., Mar. 15. Incumbent Bill Misuraca is seeking his third term. He is a Republican, but did not secure the GOP endorsement during the January caucus. Misuraca was then nominated by the Democrats and his name will appear on the Democratic line. The name of challenger Dominic Ruggeri, also a Republican, will appear on the GOP line Tuesday. Misuraca is a lifelong resident of Ravena and graduated from Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School in 1990. He is the owner and operator of the Halfway House Tavern on Main Street in the village. The business has been in his family for 106 years. Misuraca is coming to the end of his second four-year term and is seeking a third. He said the village has much to be proud of. “We are on a roll,” he said. “We have managed to secure well over $7 million in grants to improve our infrastructure, wastewater retention and disposal, and we have some of the best rates and marks for our water quality in the state, so I am very proud of that. More recently, we received a grant for nearly $200,000 to improve [Mosher] park, ....” If re-elected, Misuraca said securing funding for infrastructure improvements would be at the top of his to-do list, plus continued efforts at economic development. This is Ruggeri's first mayoral bid; he previously ran for village justice. He has worked in the Human Services field for more than 30 years and is currently employed as the director of residential services for the non-profit organization Equinox, Inc., in Albany. He oversees residential housing for adult clients with a mental health diagnosis and teens in the Youth Transitional Living Program. Ruggeri has lived in the village for 11 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in business from Southern Vermont College. He is running for office because he wants to see [a] change in the village. “...Taxes have gone up, and there is not much economic development that I have seen. I have seen little stuff here and there, but there is not a lot for the village residents. I want to get things back to where they were years ago. It’s not where it’s supposed to be,” Ruggeri said. He wants to secure funding to support small businesses and draw new businesses into the area. If elected, another top priority would be to create a community center to offer daycare and afterschool programs on a sliding scale based on household income to be affordable for working parents, he said. Improving infrastructure is also vital, he said. Read the full story at TheUpStater [dot] com.

Porcupine Soup is reporting after a two-year hiatus, the Greenville St. Patrick's Day Parade will return March 19 when the Greenville Irish American Club once again hosts its annual event. The parade, now in its 47th year, has not taken place since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the 19th, marchers will line up at 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, on State Route 81. The parade will step-off at 1 p.m., and then head down State Route 81 into town. Greenville’s parade is traditionally held on the Saturday after St. Patrick’s Day. According to historic records, a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held as early as March 17, 1601 in what is now St. Augustine, FL.  That city’s parade celebrates 422 years this month. The first New York City celebration was held in 1762. The annual corned beef and cabbage dinner hosted by the Durham Task Force will be held on March 17 at the Blackthorne Resort. Information is available on the Task Force's Facebook page. Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.