Today's daily news update.

Darrell Camp reports for New York Now that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Feb. 27 to halt business transactions between New York state and Russia. That moves comes four days after Russian invaded Ukraine. “Russia and Putin have engaged in an unjustified and unprovoked attack on the sovereign nation of the Ukraine," the executive order from Hochul states. Hochul said the office of the state comptroller is also reviewing current state investments, to see if any are beneficial to Russia. “These are our fellow brothers and sisters. We worship with them, we go to restaurants with them, we celebrate their cultural festivals. They’re an important part of the fabric of New York State,” Hochul said. “So an attack on their country is truly an attack on all of us.” President Joe Biden has also levied sanctions against Russia since the invasion, Last week Hochul announced the newly-formed Joint Security Operations Center would monitor the possibility of Russian cyber-attacks on New York. Read more about this story at New York Now.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that New York's Inspector General Lucy Lang is creating a new position to coordinate investigations in prisons with the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. In 2021 about 60 percent of the complaints filed with the inspector general's office were related to the corrections department. "There is a tendency to respond to the complaints in front of us rather than looking at the whole universe," Lang said. "Given the working relationship, and given the internal talent, it seemed to me like there really was an opportunity to do something much bigger with our mandate to oversee corruption, fraud and abuse in DOCCS." In January Lang's office released a report that found drug tests in state prisons had been administered improperly, leading to the the potential improper discipline or extended sentences for roughly 1,600 inmates. Some of those inmates faced solitary confinement after improperly administered drug tests. There were "excessively punitive responses for people who it turns out, in fact, were not using drugs while they were incarcerated," Lang said. "That was the first investigation that I concluded when I came on as (inspector general). It reflected to me that ... we have actually a very strong working relationship with DOCCS, notwithstanding the fact that we are essentially their watchdog." The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision oversees 17,000 employees, at 52 detention facilities holding more than 30,000 incarcerated individuals, as well as overseeing the parole of more than 31,000 former inmates. "The appointment by the inspector general is expected to reinforce this historic working relationship, which has included regular information sharing, discussion of emerging issues and trends, and the promotion of best practices within the corrections system," the office said in a statement. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that a laboratory confirmed cases of bird flu in Dutchess and Ulster County, according to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County. A pheasant flock in Dutchess County and a backyard flock in Ulster County tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. Both flocks were killed to limit the spread of the virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that HPAI does not present an immediate public health concern to humans. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have ever been detected in the United States. Anyone who suspects HPAI in their flock should call the State Animal Health Diagnostic Center, at (607) 253-3900, or email poultryhealth@cornell.edu or call the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) toll-free at (866) 536-7593. Read more about this story in The Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

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

Michelle Del Rey is reporting for the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Feb. 27 that the state school mask mandate will end March 2, allowing children in New York to attend class without face coverings unless localities issue their own mandates. New York Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary Bassett joined Hochul at the press conference. The mask mandates at SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities will remain in effect. "My friends, the day has come," Hochul said. "This is a huge thank you to all the school districts, superintendents, the school boards, the administrators, the principals, the teachers, the parents and the children themselves. We stood together as a state." While masking in New York schools will no longer be required by the state, Hochul is also leaving it to localities to decide whether to continue mask mandates in schools. Some districts are expected to announce that they will not require masks, but will permit students and employees who want to continue wearing them to do so. Under the new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention metrics released Feb. 24, most of New York is either at low or medium risk for COVID-19 and federal officials no longer recommend indoor masking, including in schools, in areas of low to medium risk. Read the full story in the Times Union.

The Columbia County Democratic Committee on Feb. 25, announced its slate of endorsements for the 2022 elections. The CCDC met on Feb. 24, and conducted its annual endorsement meeting, considering candidates up and down the ballot. “This is an exciting year for Democrats,” said Sam Hodge, CCDC Chair, in a press release. “We have an incredible slate of candidates that are ready to work hard for our county.” The CCDC "enthusiastically and unanimously endorsed the hardest working, most effective and dynamic congressman in the United  States, Antonio Delgado," according to the committee's statement. The committee cited Delgado's "tireless" work to "...bring much needed money and services to CD19. He was voted most bi-partisan member of Congress. He has passed 18 pieces of legislature into law under both Republican and Democratic administrations, all of which were for the benefit of his constituents in CD19." The committee is also supporting incumbent state Senator Michelle Hinchey in the 48th Senate District, challenger Jamie Cheney in the 43rd Senate District, and Didi Barrett in her sixth consecutive 106th Assembly District race. Cheney is a small business owner, mother, and farmer. The committee also endorsed candidates in statewide races, supporting Kathy Hochul's run for governor, as well as Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin, Attorney General Letitia James, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. “We couldn’t ask for a better ticket,” said Hodge. “These are the leaders we need right now and CCDC is excited to begin the work to win.”

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics that for months, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has argued, through his attorney Rita Glavin, that he never sexually harassed any of the women who have accused him of inappropriate behavior. Less than a year after his resignation after 11 accusations of sexual harassment, he is now dipping into his campaign funds to pay for TV ads in an effort to restore his image. Cuomo will release a statewide TV ad attempting to repudiate the claims leveled against him. "The governor hasn't challenged the credibility of a number of them," Glavin said this month. "What they are alleging simply doesn't rise to the level of sexual harassment." The ad is expected to air statewide and the cost will exceed six figures. It is not clear what the content of the ads will be, and a spokesperson for Cuomo said multiple versions are being considered. In addition to the allegations of sexual harassment, Cuomo and his administration were accused of undercounting nursing home fatalities during the pandemic, as well as public accusations of bullying and a toxic working environment within his office. Some observers like Syracuse University Public Affairs Professor Grant Reeher say Cuomo's timing raises questions. "Frankly, this is another way in which Andrew Cuomo reminds me of Donald Trump — the inability to accept political defeat, political failure," he said. Cuomo resigned in August weeks after a report detailing allegations by 11 women of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. His image has been battered in the court of public opinion, but Marist pollster Lee Miringoff said the former governor still has a lot of work to do to convince voters. Miringoff said, "He has a very defined image — for good and for bad and the question is how does he reshape that? That's hard to do when he's been on the stage for as long as he has." Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

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.

Local Congressional representatives, and their opponents who want to replace them in elections later this year, weighed in on Twitter on Russia's invasion of Ukraine this week. On Feb. 22, Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat who represents New York's 19th Congressional District, Tweeted, "Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine constitutes a grave violation of international law and is an affront to Ukraine’s sovereignty. Together, our nation, NATO allies, and EU partners must hold Putin accountable.." Marc Molinaro, the Republican who wants to unseat Delgado, took the war as a chance to criticize the Congressperson. On Feb. 22 he Tweeted, "We have learned throughout history that silent appeasement from politicians like Antonio Delgado only leads to greater conflicts. We can do better. We must demand better from the Biden-Delgado administration." On Feb. 24 Paul Tonko, a Democrat representing the 20th Congressional District, Tweeted, "I strongly condemn Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attack of Ukraine, which is in clear violation of international law. As President Biden has stated, we must quickly implement a powerful response to target Putin and his cronies with serious, aggressive sanctions, and continue coordinating with our allies to fullest extent to uphold gobal peace." On the same day Liz Joy, the Republican hoping to replace Tonko in Washington D.C., called Putin's invasion "alarming and destructive." She made a rare break from former President Donald Trump by criticizing Putin and Russia, Tweeting, "These actions by Russia are making the world more volatile and must be stopped."

Mike Gwizdala reports in the Troy Record that Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik made her first official tour of Rensselaer County with a visit to Herrington Farms in Brunswick earlier this week. The area is switching from territory represented by Democrat Antonio Delgado in the 19th Congressional District, to part of Stefanik's 21st Congressional District in this year's approved redistricting plan. “It’s great to be here in the Town of Brunswick and Rensselaer County. Agriculture is a huge priority of mine since I’ve represented the north country. I represent thousands of hard-working dairy farmers and this is going to continue to be a priority in the next Congress. We have the farm bill coming up in the next Congress. So my office is known for working with our local stakeholders, working with our agriculture leaders to deliver results that they need, because it is the lifeblood, it is the backbone of our local upstate and north country economy,” Stefanik said. “For the new voters in Rensselaer County, you should know that I am a worker who is always laser-focused on delivering results to you. Whether it’s helping our veterans, helping our seniors, I have a record of making sure that your priorities and your concerns have a seat at the highest levels of government,” Stefanik said. Last year the Republican from Schuylerville objected to certifying the results of the 2020 election just hours after a riotous mob broke into the U.S. Capitol and attempted to overthrow the government. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that on Feb. 25 Bridie Farrell ended her campaign for the 21st Congressional District seat now held by Republican Elise Stefanik. Farrell was among several Democrats who are seeking to replace Stefanik in Washington D.C. Apparently, Farrell was counting on Democrats in the legislature to draw different district lines. "After closely reviewing the new district maps that emerged from the state legislature’s redistricting process, I’ve decided to end my race for the U.S. House of Representatives," said Farrell, a former U.S. speed skater. "New York’s 21st district now has a 23-point Republican advantage instead of the eight point margin it had when I launched my campaign. I no longer see a path to victory for a Democrat in this race." The new lines include the northern half of Rensselaer County in the 21st District. Democrat Ezra Watson, a technician who lives in Wilton; Matt Castelli, a former CIA and counterterrorism official who lives in the Town of Saratoga; and attorney Matt Putorti of Whitehall, are the other Democrats so far announced for a June primary election. Republican Lonny Koons will challenge Stefanik in the primary election. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that state and Rensselaer County officials are still searching for the source of the PFOA/PFOS contamination around the Algonquin Middle School. While they are still looking for the source of the pollution, a filter system is being installed on the school water system. About a year ago the toxic "forever chemicals" were found in tests of the Poestenkill school’s drinking water. “At this time, DEC has not identified a potential source of the contaminants impacting groundwater at the Algonquin Middle School water supply or private drinking water supplies in the area, and additional field activities are being developed and implemented. DEC and DOH will continue to keep the community informed throughout the process,” DEC reported Feb. 25. The Hudson Valley has poisonous drinking water from these chemicals in several sites. The Columbia County Health Department this month reported that the water supplies for the village of Valatie and New Lebanon High School have tested at PFOS levels above New York state’s maximum contaminant level. In Cairo, the drinking water at the elementary school and in the town are contaminated after years of firefighters testing foam to put out blazes that was made with the chemicals. Contamination in Hoosick Falls and Newburgh are also well known. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting for the Daily Freeman the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Opioid Response as County Law Enforcement, or ORACLE, initiative has now been nationally recognized for its effort at treating substance abuse, the department said this week. ORACLE was selected by The Rural Justice Collaborative and the National Center for State Courts, along with 18 other programs nationwide “as one of the country’s most innovative rural justice programs and will serve as a model for other communities across the country,” according to a press release. ORACLE is a crisis-intervention and recovery response program based out of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office. The response team includes crisis intervention team officers, a mental health and substance use social worker, two peer recovery advocates and a high-risk care manager. The program provides direct assistance to those who overdose and works with government agencies, law enforcement organizations and others to coordinate a variety of services provided by state and county-level health departments, including social services and child services. Sheriff Juan Figueroa said in 2020 that ORACLE was an attempt to do things differently in Ulster County law enforcement. “What we were doing just wasn’t working,” Figueroa said. “Arresting people — it wasn’t working.” He said his office has transformed into a new organization when it comes to people who struggle with drugs. “Don’t get me wrong,” Figueroa said. “We’re still going to arrest drug dealers. … Our mindset has changed. The whole country has changed.” The three-phase program includes opioid addiction education in the community, a confidential hotline for anyone struggling with opioid addiction, and a medication-assisted opioid treatment program for people incarcerated in the county jail. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup a New York City man was rescued last weekend after coming dangerously close to falling headlong from Kaaterskill Falls. Shortly after noon on February 20, Forest Ranger Katherine Fox received a report of someone stuck on the ice roughly seven feet from the edge of the falls. Department of Environmental Conservation Lieutenant Anthony Glorioso and Environmental Conservation Officer Lucas Palmateer also responded. Palmateer found the man and threw him a rope to stop him from sliding over the edge, according to the DEC. Fox then set up a static line, tied an improvised seat harness to the uninjured 56-year-old man, and secured him to the line. Fox then helped the man work his way back to safety. Fox, Glorioso, Palmateer, and members of the Greene County Sheriff's Office then helped the man back to his vehicle at the trailhead. The rescue took less than two hours. Kaaterskill Falls has been the site of an estimated 200 fatalities in the past 200 years. Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

At 4 p.m. on Feb. 26, WGXC will announce the 2021 WGXC Programmer Awards live on the radio at 90.7-FM. This year both WGXC volunteer programmers and WGXC Sustaining Supporters voted on their favorite WGXC programs, hosts, and other categories. Here are the nominees, the top five vote getters in each category, listed alphabetically. The show will be hosted by Neva Wartell, Maria Manhattan, Justin Maiman, Dan Seward, and Tom Roe.

WINNERS IN BOLD

FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO SHOW
• "Bound By Books" hosted by Georgia Jassy, Jada Pernetti, Fatheah Jannat, Mashuda Sultana, and Emilia Ortiz (ages 8-20), and Emily Chameides from the Hudson Area Library.
• "Crawl Out From the Fallout" hosted by Andy French.
• "The Hudson Cafe" hosted by Maria Manhattan.
• "The Jazz Disturbance" hosted by Cheryl K.
• "WGXC Afternoon Show" Drive-Time edition hosted by Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson, Ed Mack, Jayden Cross, Indya Cross.

MOST CREATIVE WGXC SHOW 2021
• "Battlefield Earth" hosted by Dan Seward.
• "Clubhouse Radio" hosted by members of the Catskill Clubhouse.
• "Dim the Lights With Jenny and Amanda" hosted by Amanda Lees and Jenny Ghetti.
• "Mirage Station/Your Heart Touches My String" hosted by Mayuko Fujino.
• "WGXC Afternoon Show" Drive-Time edition hosted by Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson, Ed Mack, Jayden Cross, Indya Cross.

BEST WGXC ON-AIR MOMENT 2021
WGXC hosts returning to the studio. wins.

WGXC PROGRAMMER THAT YOU MOST WANT TO HANG OUT WITH
• Selha (CeCe) Graham, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays with Tom DePietro.
• Amanda Lees, "Love Motel" with Anya Kanevskaya, and "Dim the Lights With Jenny and Amanda" with Jenny Ghetti.
• Maria Manhattan, "The Hudson Cafe."
• Justin Maiman, "Ginger Radio Hour."
• Neva Wartell, "Music for the Masses."

MOST UNPREDICTABLE WGXC HOST
• Selha (CeCe) Graham, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays with Tom DePietro.
• Ed Mack, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Drive-Time edition with Vern Cross, Kamal Johnson, Jayden Cross, Indya Cross.
• DJ Paddy Boom, "Vinyl Freedom" 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from noon to 2 p.m.
• Dan Seward, "Battlefield Earth" Tuesdays 10 p.m. to midnight.
• Sam Sebren, "Everything Is Real Radio Hour" Second Sundays of the month, from 6 to 8 p.m.

FORMER WGXC HOST YOU MISS THE MOST
• Effie Asili, "In The Cut"
• Lincoln Mayorga, "Monday Musical Matinee"
• Lunar Moss, "Lunar Moss"
• Karen Schoemer, "The Schoemer Show"
• Ellen Thurston, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays with Tom DePietro.

BEST WGXC RADIO VOICE THAT IS NOT PHILIP GRANT
• Cheryl K., "The Jazz Disturbance," Sundays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and "Situation Fluxus" Thursdays at 10 a.m.
• Anya Kanevskaya, "Rock and Roll High School" with Peter McPartland, and "Love Motel" with Amanda Lees.
• Amanda Lees, "Dim the Lights with Jenny and Amanda," and "Love Motel with Anya Kanevskaya.
• Jahnessa Hope Mackey, "Slap of Reality" Sundays 9-11 a.m.
• Maria Manhattan, "The Hudson Cafe"

WGXC SHOW YOU'D MOST LIKE TO BE A GUEST ON
• "Dim the Lights With Jenny and Amanda" hosted by Amanda Lees and Jenny Ghetti.
• "Ginger Radio Hour," hosted by Justin Maiman.
• "The Hudson Cafe" hosted by Maria Manhattan.
• "Mostly Singles," hosted by Michael Wilde.
• "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays with Selha (CeCe) Graham and Tom DePietro.

BEST 2021 ALBUM FROM LOCAL ARTISTS
• Ross Goldstein, "Chutes and Ladders"
• Rodney Alan Greenblat, "2 Just B"
• Jaded Azurites, "Fourthwrite"
• Joe McPhee, "Route 84 Quarantine Blues"
• Rambutan, "Parallel System"

WGXC HOST WHO DID THE MOST TO HELP LOCAL COMMUNITY
• Vern Cross, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Drive-Time edition with Ed Mack, Kamal Johnson, Jayden Cross, Indya Cross.
• Tom DePietro, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Thursdays with Selha (CeCe) Graham.
• Kamal Johnson, "WGXC Afternoon Show" Drive-Time edition with Vern Cross, Ed Mack, Jayden Cross, Indya Cross.
• Tom Roe, "Turn On The News," Thursdays 3 p.m.
• The Rev. Kim L. Singletary, "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" Sundays 8-9 a.m.

PERSON OR ORGANIZATION THAT DID THE MOST FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY IN 2021
• Catskill and Hudson Free Fridges
• Tiffany Garriga
• Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition
• Fred Longberg-Holm
• Little Free Libraries and Susan Simon

MOST WEBSITE PAGE VIEWS 2021
1) "Hudson Valley Word of Mouth," Interviews with folks around the Hudson Valley hosted by Julia Joern.
2) "All Things Cage: Conversations about John Cage" hosted by Laura Kuhn.
3) "Your Voice Touches My String," Music performed solo with one string instrument and/or voice hosted by Mayuko Fujino.
4) "Overlooked," Overlooked and under-heard jazz, improvisational, and other fringe music hosted by Rob Saffer.
5) "Vinyl Freedom," Digging in the Crates hosted by DJ Paddy Boom.

MOST WEBSITE PAGE VIEWS AUDIO FILES 2021
1) Ricardo Iamuuri Robinson: BLACKBODY, WHITE NOISE
2) "Poet Ray'd Yo" Charles Bernstein episode hosted by Christopher Funkhouser.
3) "Office Hours" 2019 project with Food New York.
4) "Hudson Valley Word of Mouth" Kostas Anagnopoulos of Pidgin segment. Interviewed by Julia Joern.
5) Catskill activist Scott Myers discusses the latest news about the Greene County Jail in 2019. Interviewed by Tom Roe.

SPECIAL WGXC VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMER INITIATIVE AWARD
Mayuko Fujino from "Mirage Station" and Nick D'Amore from "Radiant Point" and Jeff Economy from "Snackpoint Charlie" for starting a new music sharing system among programmers.

CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that most people in the United States live in areas where those who are healthy do not need to wear masks indoors. Still, 28 percent of Americans live in a county where they need to wear masks indoors. Previously, CDC pointed to levels of coronavirus transmission within communities as a key metric for restrictions and recommended that people in areas with high or substantial levels of transmission -- about 99 percent of the population -- should wear masks indoors. "We're in a better place today than we were six months ago, six weeks ago, six days ago," U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement to CNN. "Now it's time to focus on severity, not just cases, of COVID. Because of all the hard work that's been done and the many tools we've developed to tackle COVID, we can ease the guidance on mask use — not everyone in every place needs to wear a mask." Since the CDC's message is not crystal clear, expect many people to just hear the part about not wearing masks anymore. Read more about this story at CNN's website.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that on Feb. 24 Dutchess County Democrats unanimously picked retired deputy Jillian Hanlon, the first openly transgender person in the office’s history, as the Democratic candidate for sheriff. Former Sheriff Butch Anderson passed away in late 2021 and, in his absence, Undersheriff Kirk Imperati has been serving as the acting sheriff. Gov. Kathy Hochul has hinted she may appoint someone to fill out the term, but has not acted so far. Hanlon retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 2021 after a 24-year career, and now becomes the first woman in the county’s history to run for Dutchess County Sheriff. If she wins, she would be the first transgender sheriff in the country and only the second female sheriff in New York. “It’s an historic campaign and it’s time to change the ‘old boys network,'” Hanlon said Feb. 25. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

The Daily Star reports that Assemblyperson Chris Tague, a Republican from Schoharie who represents Greene County, was appointed this week as vice-chair of the Joint Conference Committee. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve in this role and get to work to address the challenges facing the people of the 102nd Assembly District and New York state as a whole,” Tague said in a press release. “As always, it will be my mission to ensure our state government works for all New Yorkers, from the rolling hills of Schoharie County to the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. I want to thank Leader Will Barclay and all of my colleagues in the Republican Assembly Conference for their vote of confidence in my abilities. I look forward to continuing to work alongside them to make our state the most safe, prosperous and free place it can be.” Read more about this story at The Daily Star.

Today's daily news update.

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

Closings and delays for Fri, Feb. 25:

Closings in Columbia County:
COARC Adult Transportation | Open. No transportation.
Columbia Opportunities | Closed. All buildings closed.
Columbia-Greene Community College | Closed. Classes cancelled.
Little Wonders Early Childhood Education Center | Closed.
O.K. Kids | Closed.

Closings in Greene County:
Greene County Transit | Closed. No buses running.
Ulster-Greene ARC (Catskill) | Open.; no transportation. No buses running.
UMC Daycare Norton Hill | Closed.