Noah Zweifel reports in the Altamont Enterprise that the town of Knox in Albany County celebrates its bicentennial this year, with the town spending $4,000 on events from the end of February into August. Feb. 28 is the official 200th anniversary of the town's formation, and Knox holds a proclamation ceremony at the Town Hall that day. There's also an essay contest in March when local students will write about a favorite object in the Knox Historical Association's museum. There will also be a pageant and quilt show in April, and bicentennial activities at the Pucker Street Fair, on June 17 and 18. The celebration concludes with a barbecue fundraiser at the Knox Reformed Church on Aug. 5, and a car show, live music, and fireworks on Aug. 6. Read more about this story in the Altamont Enterprise.

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Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union Rensselaer County was served with a federal grand jury subpoena on Feb. 8, seeking materials from the Rensselaer County Board of Elections, as the FBI investigation into the handling of absentee ballots in 2021 and 2020 continues to expand. Federal authorities are looking to obtain absentee ballot documents and communications of various Rensselaer County officials. The subpoenas were served five days after FBI agents seized the mobile phones of county Operations Director Richard W. Crist and Jim Gordon, the county's director of purchasing and a political ally of county Executive Steve McLaughlin. The phones were seized on the morning of February 3, and took place the same day McLaughlin appeared in Rensselaer County Court for a pre-trial conference in an unrelated criminal case involving the alleged theft and misuse of campaign funds. McLaughlin has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges. The State Police also have been conducting a separate investigation of alleged ballot fraud in the city of Rensselaer's mayoral race last November. Multiple county officials, most of them tied to the Republican Party, have retained legal counsel as FBI agents have been conducting interviews during the past several months. Gordon's role in gathering absentee ballots at a Lansingburgh apartment complex is a focus of the FBI's investigation. Crist's involvement with absentee ballots in the Rensselaer mayoral race has also been examined by the State Police. The county GOP leadership said it was unaware of any fraudulent activity by the party during the 2021 election, and that party members had simply taken advantage of a directive from the state Board of Elections that allowed individuals to use absentee ballots if they did not want to vote in person due to the pandemic. Crist, a longtime Republican operative and McLaughlin confidant. who serves as his spokesperson, has declined to respond to questions for more than a month. Gordon also previously declined to comment. Read more in the Times Union.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Cairo town officials are moving forward with a plan to convert a former martial arts facility into a community center. In November, the town purchased the former Dojo Martial Arts and Fitness Academy on Route 32 with plans to convert it into a senior center, and as a location for the town’s ambulance service. During the Cairo Town Board’s February 7 meeting, it unanimously approved a pair of resolutions to hire the Albany-based Barton and Loguidice engineering consulting firm to apply for grants to fund the senior center and to prepare a project site plan. The board authorized $5,500 to the firm for grant writing, $4,600 for interior layout design, $1,200 for asbestos abatement and $1,900 for lab analysis. “We need to knock down some walls, redo the electric and put in a kitchen,” Town Supervisor Jason Watts said. “It would be a community center where they could do Meals on Wheels and the seniors can come in and we’ll put a TV up and have some games there that they can do. We’ve talked about putting some gardens outside for people to work with.” According to Watts, Barton and Loguidice said if they could secure a grant, it could be for more than $1 million. "...That would put us right where we need to be to start really moving forward. A kitchen is going to be $70,000 to $80,000. Just by ourselves, we might be able to afford to do the community part with the help of the county. The ambulance part might have to wait because we definitely don’t have the money for that. But we do have to do something,” Watts said. There is no timeline for when the center could be completed, board member Tim Powers said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media five months after the village of Ravena passed a law banning the feeding of wildlife within the village, ducks continue to be drawn to the area. Large flocks of the waddling waterbirds can still be seen on local streets, especially in the Faith Plaza parking lot on Route 9W, where there are sometimes dozens sitting and walking around the lot. In September, the village board adopted a measure prohibiting the feeding of wildlife, including waterfowl, in an attempt to discourage the birds from congregating in the village. They were causing property damage and creating a public health concern, village officials said at the time. The “Wildlife Feeding Law for the Village of Ravena” outlaws the feeding of all wildlife, with the exception of songbirds. Anyone in Ravena looking to feed a songbird must do it in a feeder that stands at least 4 feet from the ground, according to the law. At the village board meeting last month, a resident noted that the shopping plaza continues to draw ducks by the dozens in spite of the local law. Management at the Shop ‘N’ Save supermarket has posted signs asking customers not to feed the animals. Ravena Mayor Bill Misuraca said, “If the people didn’t feed them, they would leave. That is the bottom line.” Village officials have been unsuccessful in getting the state to relocate the ducks, the mayor said. Officials have also contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency that protects endangered species, to no avail. “These things (the ducks) are federally protected,” Misuraca said. Deputy Mayor Nancy Warner said she has been contacted by people who have seen others feeding the ducks, but she advised them to call the police instead so they can enforce the law. Read the full story at TheUpstater [dot] com.

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Nick Reisman reports in New York State of Politics that a group of state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul are far apart on child care proposals. Hochul's budget proposal includes expanding child care access for up to 100,000 families in the state. The governor would increase eligibility for aid to 200 percent above the federal poverty line to 225 percent. And Hochul wants $75 million in funding to increase pay for the child care workers. But some Democratic lawmakers want to institute universal child care in New York, which would cost about $5 billion. Child care is essential to the growth of our communities. For our families to thrive and our economy to be healthy, we need to ensure that everyone has access to quality child care. We need to make sure that program providers and teachers are being compensated for the important work and service they provide for New York's families," said Stevie Vargas, campaign coordinator, Alliance for Quality Education. "AQE stands with parents, providers, and child care teachers in calling on New York State to invest $5 billion for universal child care." Several lawmakers are discussing the proposal, but it is unknown if it has the support to pass this year. "The legislature has the opportunity to provide quality care and early education to children regardless of income level with universal child care — the question is, will they work to create a system which leaves out protections for some children, or work toward a compassionate system for all?" said Matthew Mackey, a member of Citizen Action of New York in the Hudson Valley. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

William J. Kemble reports in the Daily Freeman that Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden is on the warpath against New York City buying property in the Catskills to protect the quality of its drinking water. New York City gets its drinking water from 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes spread across a nearly 2,000-square-mile watershed in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains. New York City's Department of Environmental Protection buys property to limit reservoir contamination from stormwater runoff. “The DEP practice of just blindly acquiring property … stops development in the mountaintop towns and then it drives up the prices of any property that is left,” Groden said. So the Greene County Legislature unanimously adopted a resolution designed to limit the ability of the DEP to purchase more land in Greene County. But Greene County legislators didn't get this idea themselves. The resolution they passed is identical to one supported in December by the Olive Town Board in Ulster County. The resolutions both ask the state to allow lease agreements, which allow development on properties while also meeting standards to protect the reservoir system. Kemble does not quote anyone besides Groden, nor anyone in favor of protecting the quality of New York City drinking water. William J. Kemble reports in the Daily Freeman asking the state to adopt rules that would keep New York City Department of Environmental Protection from taking properties out of circulation in perpetuity in an effort to meet watershed rules intended to limit reservoir contamination from stormwater runoff.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that car crashes involving deer have doubled in the first weeks of 2022 from last year in the Town of Cairo according to the Police Department there. “Last year, January 1 thru February 9, 2021 Cairo Police responded to 25 total crashes with 9 of them involving deer,” the department stated. “This year, January 1 thru February 9, 2022 Cairo Police have responded to 40 total crashes with 19 of them involving deer.” Only one of those car-deer crashes involved inju “Be alert and drive safe, we have observed deer herds of 10 or more crossing the roads at one time,” the department noted. “Remember, if you see one deer, there are more deer nearby.” Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup tensions ran high at a meeting of the Cairo Town Board meeting February 7, as the result of a heated discussion about the Cairo Public Library. Diana Benoit, a member of the library Board of Trustees, spoke about a lengthy Facebook post written in November by town board member Tim Powers, alleging mismanagement of the town's largely taxpayer-funded public library. In particular, he was especially critical of the salaries paid to library employees, including $70,000 for the library director as well as the governance structure of the library. Powers is of the opinion that the library should be under the full control of the town board and within the town structure. The library board of trustees responded to the content of the social media post, in an effort to address the "inaccuracies and lies" contained therein. Benoit wanted to read the board's response aloud during the meeting on Jan. 7, but Town Supervisor Jason Watts initially intervened to stop her. Watts said Town Attorney Tal Rappleyea advised against reading the letter in public session because he considered it to be a personnel issue. According to Watts, Rappleyea said he would be the person to answer Benoit's questions, but that was involved a car accident on the way to the meeting and would not be able to attend. Benoit questioned why the matter should be discussed behind closed doors when it all started with a social media post intended for the public to read. A heated exchange occurred between Benoit and Powers, with Powers accusing the library board of publishing a letter that was “nothing more than a witch hunt and disparaging comments against a town councilman.” Some members of the public expressed support for reading the letter. “Just read it, go ahead and read it,” Watts finally said. After reading both Powers' original post and the trustees' response, there were questions, especially around the unauthorized $2,400 in legal fees expended by Powers during his investigation. However, Watts was determined to shut down the discussion and the meeting, saying, “We are going to move forward with Cairo. Everything is out in the open now.” A link to Powers' original social media post and the library Board of Trustees' response can be found on the WGXC Newsroom page. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media the economic impact of a major wind-power project at the Port of Coeymans was the focus of the January meeting of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Community Business Association. The forum featured officials from Carver Companies, which owns the port, and a representative from the New York State Energy Research and Development, to discuss how the project will impact the area. The offshore-wind project, announced by state officials in October, is the largest offshore wind supply chain contract award in the state’s history at $86 million. Orsted Offshore North America and Eversource Energy signed the contract in the fall with Riggs Distler and Company to build advanced foundation components for wind turbines at the port. Peter Lion from NYSERDA said following the presentation that the project is expected to create 115 jobs in the Port of Coeymans in the skilled trades including electricians, carpenters, concrete masons, operating engineers, ironworkers and laborers. Lion said, “This project will help us reach our Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals — decarbonization, implementation of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind — but it’s also bringing in jobs and investment.” Work at the port is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022, and the actual assembly of the components will probably happen during the first or second quarter of 2023. Read the full story at The Upstater [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting an audit released last week by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that the New York Power Authority has failed to install electric vehicle chargers where they are most needed. The state of New York has nearly 50,000 registered electric vehicles and nearly half of the state’s counties have no NYPA-installed charging stations. The state’s plan to increase the number of public charging stations was meant to incentivize the use of electric vehicles, reduce carbon emissions, and address the climate change movement. The Charge NY program was launched in 2013 as a statewide network of up to 3,000 public and workplace charging stations to be ready in five years. It was followed in 2018 by Charge NY 2 [point] 0, which called for the installation of 10,000 public charging stations by the end of 2021. That same year, the authority also announced EVolve NY, a $250 million project to put high-speed chargers at airports and along major highways. Despite the allocation of significant funding, NYPA has fallen short of fulfilling its goals, according to DiNapoli. As of June 2021, only 277 public charging ports or one for every 168 electric vehicles registered in the state, had been installed. An additional 221 workplace charging ports were put in place at the authority's own facilities and at facilities operated by businesses receiving power from NYPA’s power programs, but they are only available to employees. “Compared to what was promised, the rollout of electric vehicle chargers has been a disappointment so far,” DiNapoli said. “Since encouraging more drivers to switch to electric cars is a part of the state’s strategy for lowering emissions, we have a long road ahead. NYPA needs to look at our recommendations, deliver on its commitments, and get this program headed in the right direction.”  The entire report can be found at OSC [dot] state [dot] ny [dot] us. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

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David Robinson reports in the Democrat and Chronicle that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Feb. 9 an end to New York's indoor mask mandate for businesses on Feb. 10. Masking requirements will remain in New York's schools through at least early March. "New Yorkers this is what we’ve waited for; tremendous progress after two long years, but we’re not done," Hochul said, adding local officials and businesses can still enforce indoor mask mandates. "This fight is not over. We’re not surrendering. This is not disarmament," Hochul added, noting New Yorkers who still want to voluntarily wear masks should continue to do so. New York's mask mandate was set to expire Feb. 21. Hochul said officials will reconsider the school mask mandate in early March, looking at COVID-19 data on infections, test positivity, hospitalizations and other factors. "There will not be one number that says, 'yes or no,'" Hochul said. Currently, only 38 percent of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least the first of Pfizer-BioNtech's two-dose vaccine series. Massachusetts announced it is lifting its mask mandate in K-12 public schools effective Feb. 28. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend mask use in many public indoor settings. Read more about this story in the Democrat and Chronicle.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that a group of residents in the Town of Catskill are attempting to overturn the Town Board decision prohibiting cannabis lounges there. Catskill's Town Board voted 3-1 on Dec. 29 to opt out of allowing cannabis lounges, while allowingdispensaries. Residents challenging the decision get to directly vote on whether to permit the cannabis facilities if enough they gather enough signatures for a referendum. Sara Pickens Verdon is organizing the effort to overturn the decision. "It's more than just the revenue (from cannabis), it's about bringing people to our shopping areas all around the town ... Catskill has a lot to offer — we're not trying to be a destination for cafes or dispensaries, but we're trying to add another aspect to the town," Verdon said. The citizens need signatures from 20 percent of registered voters in the town by Feb. 15 to force the referendum on the November ballot. So far they have about 300 of the 426 signatures needed, according to Verdon. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that the Republicans suing to overturn New York's Congressional redistricting are expanding their lawsuit to include the lines for state Senate seats. “An amended petition has been submitted to the Steuben County Supreme Court in Harkenrider v. Hochul," said Misha Tseytlin and Republican former state Sen. George Winner, attorneys for the 14 plaintiffs in the redistricting lawsuit. "If accepted by the Court, the Amended Petition would add a challenge to the constitutionality of the state Senate districts, including those adopted under the law signed by Governor Hochul last week.” Republican opponents of the redistricting maps claim the district lines unfairly favor Democratic candidates, and many good-government organizations and redistricting experts agree. Decisions from the court should come quickly, as arguments are scheduled for Feb. 24 and petitioning for ballot access begins in March. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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