Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union New York’s K-12 public schools will see a substantial drop in enrollment for the second year in a row, according to data just released by the state Education Department. The public school system lost 60,000 students in the past year alone. However, the 2021-22 data reported by districts could change considerably before final enrollment is reported later this year due to a number of factors, including, students transferring out of districts or dropping out. The pandemic appears to have accelerated a steady decrease in public school enrollment since 2011-12. In 10 years, enrollment has fallen 8 percent statewide, from just under 2.7 million to 2.45 million — a loss of more than 212,000 students. The Southern Tier is on track to see the deepest enrollment losses in the state for the second consecutive year, losing 4.7 percent of its student population in two years. In the Capital Region, Greene, Schoharie and Columbia counties saw the steepest declines. The number of Greene County K-12 students dropped 7.4 percent in two years, while Schoharie and Columbia County saw enrollment losses of just over 6 percent during the same time period. The only New York region that appears to have gained public school students in the last two years is the North Country. State education officials said it's unclear why the public school population has fallen in two years. "While there may be a variety of pandemic and non-pandemic-related factors for the enrollment decline, we cannot speculate on what specifically caused the decline," Education Department spokesperson Emily DeSantis said. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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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."

MidHudson News reports that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul still has not decided if she will name a new Dutchess County Sheriff. Former Sheriff Butch Anderson passed away in late 2021 and, in his absence, Undersheriff Kirk Imperati has been serving as the acting sheriff. But Hochul has been talking about appointing someone else until the November election. In Newburgh on Feb. 23 Hochul said, “Our team has been speaking to the local leadership, interviewing individuals, and trying to make the right decision with respect to that election, but we understand there is an opportunity to name an individual to fill the vacancy but also there is the other option of letting the process play out... We’re working on it as we speak – we really are.” Imperati responded to that comment saying “I agree with the Governor and I should remain in the position and let the voters of Dutchess County decide who the next sheriff is in November.” Recently, though, Democrat Jillian Hanlon declared for the Democratic nomination to run against Imperati in November, so Hochul might appoint her to help her election chances. a href="https://midhudsonnews.com/2022/02/24/governor-continues-to-vet-potential-dutchess-sheriff-candidates/">Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Kathleen Moore reports for the Times Union that you might not believe this next news story. Jason Houle, the store manager at a Saratoga County butcher shop, did not believe the legal papers he was served with. “I had to actually call the Albany (federal court) clerk’s office to confirm it was legit,” he said. The legal papers came because Houle is being sued in federal court for asking a customer to put on a mask in the midst of a deadly global pandemic. On Dec. 17, during a state mandate requiring people to wear masks indoors in public, David Kwiat was asked to put on a mask in the butcher shop. “I said, 'Do you have a mask?' He said no; I said, 'I can provide you with a mask if you like,'” Houle said. “It was pretty non-confrontational.” Kwiat asked for his business card and left the store. Now Houle says he thinks the lawsuit was always the plan. “He was looking for that,” Houle said. Kwiat released a statement: "Forcing healthy people to wear masks is illegal, immoral, ignorant and criminal,” Kwiat said in the statement. “This fight is for those that can’t stick up for themselves and has nothing to do with money and everything to do with our God given rights." Houle guesses it might be about money. “And I don’t have a quarter of a million dollars, which is what he’s asking for,” Houle said. “And he’s pretty well-off.” Before and during the pandemic, stores have refused service to customers who do not wear shirts or shoes, and the state government mandated the store customers wear a mask as well. Houle doesn't have much of an opinion on the issue. “I’m very indifferent,” the butcher shop manager said. “But I do have staff who have concerns, (and) I’ve lost staff over it. I had people who said, 'I can’t work on the front line any more, I have underlying health conditions.'” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Republican Lee Zeldin Wed., Feb. 23, announced the selection of New York City Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito as his preferred candidate for lieutenant governor. The state GOP convention will take place next week. Zeldin made the announcement in Manhattan, outside of One Police Plaza, saying Esposito's decision to run for lieutenant governor is "bad news for the criminals who think these streets belong to them." Zeldin's choice comes as public safety issues are a priority for anyone seeking statewide office this year. A Siena College poll this week found 91 percent of voters polled believe crime and public safety are serious or very serious concerns. Democrat Tom Suozzi (SWah-zee), who is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul in a Democratic primary for governor, has also called for changes to the state's bail reform legislation, as has Mayor Eric Adams in New York City.  Esposito's bid for lieutenant governor makes her the latest candidate for the job. Suozzi last week selected former New York City Councilmember Diana Reyna as his preferred running mate. "I will fight for the future of our state, the future of my niece and nephews and the future of all New York's children," Esposito said. In New York, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in party primaries and the winners are later joined on a ticket in the general election. Mismatches can occur. The GOP field for governor in recent days has grown in the days leading up to the Republican convention. Zeldin faces former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, former Trump administration official Andrew Giuliani and businessman Harry Wilson for the Republican nomination. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting as of Tue., Mar. 1, all five of the New York State Bridge Authority's bridges will be cashless. Beginning at midnight on March 1, the Mid-Hudson Bridge over the Hudson River, connecting Highland to Poughkeepsie, will transition to a cashless toll system. The system is already in use on the Bear Mountain, Newburgh-Beacon, Kingston-Rhinecliff, and Rip Van Winkle bridges. Motorists will no longer have to stop at a toll booth but will instead drive non-stop under gantries with sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images. Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged to their accounts and vehicles without those tags have their license plate images captured and a toll bill is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the planned relocation of the Catskill Academy, a Questar III program, to Durham will allow the Catskill Central School District to open up a half-dozen classrooms for district programs. The academy's current home is a wing of Catskill High School that was built 11 years ago. That space will be available for district use for the first time starting in the fall. With the recent donation of the Durham Elementary School to Questar by the Cairo-Durham school district, the academy program will have a new home. The academy is a program for students with special needs and is open to students enrolled in any school district located in Greene and Columbia counties, said Questar III District Superintendent Gladys I. Cruz. The superintendent said that moving the program should be beneficial to both Questar and the Catskill district. On February 10, Catskill launched an online community survey for feedback from district residents on how to best utilize the free space the district now has available. The survey asks respondents if they would support using the space to develop an alternative or credit recovery program for struggling students; and if they would support using the newly open space to develop a more supportive program for students who could excel in a smaller learning environment. The survey finishes up by inviting residents to submit their ideas for use of the space. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

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MidHudson News reports that Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan gave his "State of the County" address Feb. 23, saying the county is in a strong position to grow and prosper in the years to come. Click here to download or play an excerpt of Ryan's speech. Ryan also said the county would make “bold, generational investments” in housing, mental health, and addiction recovery services. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Massarah Mikati reports in the Times Union that 2021 was the safest-ever hunting season for New Yorkers, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC reported Feb. 22 that the 2021 hunting season included nine hunting-related shooting incidents, and one human fatality. That's the lowest number of shooting incidents since record-keeping began in 1949. All nine shooting incidents involved experienced hunters, with an average of 40 years of experience. One was a 69-year-old Greene County man with 50 years hunting experience who on Dec. 10 who was injured after his gun was leaning against an ATV and started to fall. He reached for it and was shot in the foot. The DEC said the shooting incidents could have been avoided if the hunters followed safety protocol. The single human fatality involved a hunter who was not wearing any fluorescent orange or pink and was killed by a hunting partner. This year the DEC mandated hunters wear more fluorescent orange or pink to avoid such incidents. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that 22.2 percent of wage and salary earners in New York are enrolled in a union, the second highest rate in the country. The U.S. Department of Labor reported union membership in New York grew from 22 percent in 2020 to 22.2 percent last year. The national average is 10.3 percent of wage and salary workers enrolled with a labor organization. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Winter Storm Watch from 10 p.m. February 24 through 10 p.m. February 25 for areas south of Albany and Rensselaer counties.. Six to 12 inches of snow are expected. "Snowfall rates could exceed an inch per hour at times from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday," according to the National Weather Service. "Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute."

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

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Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media that a mass food distribution event will take place at the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk campus, at 2025 Route 9W in Ravena, on Feb. 24. Catholic Charities, the event organizer, is asking for volunteers to help out. The distribution will be hosted by the district's unions. Volunteers are needed to help with the packing and distribution of food items. Volunteers are asked to arrive at the school campus at 8:45 a.m. the morning of the giveaway, February 24. Foods to be handed out include fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other food items. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and will run while supplies last. Organizers ask that food recipients not arrive before 10 a.m. to lessen traffic. Recipients who are driving are asked to stay in their vehicle. Those who are walking should practice physical distancing. Everyone is asked to please wear a mask. Potential volunteers as asked to email volunteer [at[ CCRDA [dot] org. Read the full story at TheUpStater [dot] com.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that the town of Cairo has qualified for $1.6 million in state-financed, interest-free loans for water infrastructure projects for the town’s completed well water project. Gov. Kathy Hochul on February 15, announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors had approved $41 million in funding that includes low-cost loans and previously awarded grants for municipalities, including the funds set aside for Cairo. The town qualified for more than $1.6 million in long-term, interest-free financing to develop additional groundwater source capacity, to improve the park well site and existing finished water storage tank, and more. Town Supervisor Jason Watts noted the funding was not a new source of revenue. “We already received that money and we just finally got the 2019 report done,” he said. Watts said the town now has a payment schedule in place to pay off the interest-free loan. In January 2019, the town awarded a water infrastructure bid to FP Kane Construction in Vestal, Broome County, and the firm was paid $2.9 million. In May of that year, Kane began work on the town’s water main, water tower and hydrants. In total, the price tag for the project was more than $3.7 million. Watts said since the money for the project has already been spent, he wasn’t sure how the town would fund potential repairs to the well, which he said is not working. “It was never put in properly,” the supervisor said. “Someone’s got to fix this. Someone’s got to explain to me why it’s not working. ..." The story does not mention the PFOS "forever chemical" found in the town's drinking water recently. The PFAS, or per- and polyfluroalkyl substances, form a group of contaminants, including PFOA and PFOS, that accumulate in the human body and cause cancer and thyroid problems. Firefighting foam was used for many years at a training center near Cairo's town water well in the Angelo Canna Park, and is blamed for the PFOS contamination. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melissa Hale-Spencer is reporting for The Altamont Enterprise Guilderland is looking to follow the lead of its neighbor, Bethlehem, in giving tax breaks to residents who commit to leaving their land open. The town board will hold a hearing on the local law on March 15. “We want to make sure we have as many tools as possible to preserve open space ...,” Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber said. He told the town board last week that Guilderland is the third or fourth municipality in New York to get this legislation. He noted that the local law, once passed, would apply just to town tax breaks, not to county or school taxes; school taxes are the most significant. Once the law is adopted Guilderland's five school districts will be asked to provide the same tax relief. “But they don’t have to,... It’s going to take a little bit of effort to reach out to these school districts and get them to understand the importance of the open space,” he said. Guilderland’s bill includes four levels of commitment, each with a different percentage of tax exemption; the longer the time commitment to keeping the land open, the greater the tax break, from a 50 percent tax break for a commitment of 15 to 29 years to a 90 percent tax break for a perpetual commitment. Some believe the proposal would shift the tax burden to other residents, but Barber asserted, “It is not." He said this is because land values typically increase. Board member Laurel Bohl said, “This is a great plan that could help a lot of residents and lower your tax bill.” Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.