Massarah Mikati and Kathleen Moore report in the Times Union that a number of books and signs in the Bethlehem Public Library were defaced with vulgar right-wing political stickers last weekend. Library Director Geoffrey Kirkpatrick said a handful of stickers critical of President Joe Biden were found on covers of former President Barack Obama's book "A Promised Land" and Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility," and on a sign in the library's New York Times' Bestsellers section. The stickers read "FJB" and "Let's Go Brandon," both vulgar terms against the current president. The stickers were removed from the books in the southern Albany County library. "It's the first time we've seen it in quite a few years, probably a decade or more," said Tim Burke, executive director of the Upper Hudson Library System. "Not stickers so much, but flyers or pieces of paper advertising a particular radical viewpoint put in books about the Holocaust," he said. "There have been occasional instances of this over the country. Usually it’s driven by some political agenda. Many times it focuses on hate speech." Aside from the few stickers, no one is asking to ban any of the library's books yet. "We know that this current political climate has generated more material challenges across the country," Burke said. "We haven’t seen any in Upper Hudson at this point but we have been working with the libraries to be sure they’re prepared to respond to these challenges." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union the brother of the late Jason Jones has filed a wrongful death claim against the village of Catskill. The action taken by Justin Jones will preserve his ability to file a formal lawsuit on behalf of his brother's estate in the future. Jason Jones died on December 15, in a burn unit at a Syracuse hospital, 47 days after he was set alight when Catskill village police fired a Taser at him, causing critical lung damage. The state attorney general's office is investigating the incident, including the actions of the police officers who were captured on a police station video camera running away from Jones after he burst into flames. Jones, 29 years old, had doused himself with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in full view of the officers, moments before the electrodes fired from a Taser struck his torso. "Jason Jones was unarmed and not a threat to himself or others, and circumstances did not exist at the time to reasonably justify the shooting of the [Taser] by the village police officer into Jason Jones," the claim, filed by the Jones family attorney Kevin A. Luibrand, reads. "Prior to the police officer's shooting of the (Taser) ... Jason Jones had applied onto his body flammable alcohol-based liquid hand sanitizer. The police officer knew or had reason to believe that the electrical current of the (Taser) would ignite the flammable alcohol on Jason Jones' body." On the police station video, the police can be seen abandoning Jones when the flames ignited. Jones fell to the ground and was left to use only his hands to put out the flames that engulfed his upper body and head. Jones died after spending nearly seven weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at Upstate University Hospital. The Times Union consulted with a law enforcement official with extensive experience in police training who said the officers should have immediately tried to assist Jones when he caught fire, comparing it to the imperative to pull a suspect from a burning car if they crash during a vehicle pursuit. The attorney general's office investigation is ongoing. The Catskill Village Police have yet to reveal the identities of the officers involved. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Noah Eckstein is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Richard Wallace, the incumbent community representative on the Hudson Industrial Development Agency, was reappointed January 27, to serve another two years on that agency's board. Wallace and four other candidates for the seat made their appeals for support during a special meeting of the Hudson Common Council. The council members unanimously chose Wallace over former 2nd Ward representative Tiffany Garriga and 1st Ward representative Jane Trombley, Hudson Housing Authority Treasurer and former alderperson Rebecca Wolff, as well as attorney Julie Goldweitz. The IDA assists in the acquisition, construction, improvement and maintenance of Hudson’s industrial, commercial, renewable energy and recreational facilities. The first vote taken by the council was split four ways, but the second was unanimous for Wallace. Wallace currently serves as IDA Secretary. Goldweitz was the only candidate to not receive a vote, but Wallace encouraged her input and expertise at future IDA meetings. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

On Jan. 31, 47 representatives in New York's Assembly and Senate signed on to a letter asking Gov. Kathy Hochul for more money for child care. "47 of us in the New York legislature just released this joint statement that says Hochul’s budget is inadequate on child care spending, and we need $5 billion for Universal Child Care. This is the moment," New York State Senator Jabari Brisport Tweeted. Locally, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, a Democrat, was the only representative to sign on to the letter. Democrat Assemblymember Didi Barrett did not sign on to the letter, nor did local Republican representatives including State Senator Daphne Jordan, Assemblymember Chris Tague, and Assemblymember Jake Ashby. In her proposed budget, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $70 million in federal money will be directed to "newly licensed, registered, or permitted child care programs in areas of the state without sufficient child care slots, known as child care deserts." But that $100 million program is part of last year's budget.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes on January 31, confirmed that he will not be filing criminal charges against former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. It had been alleged that Cuomo inappropriately touched a National Grid employee during a trip to Oswego County in May 2017. The former governor resigned in August after a report was released detailing inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment as alleged by 11 women. Oakes' office had been investigating the account by Virginia Limmiatis, a 55-year-old National Grid worker, who accused Cuomo of touching her chest during an event. "After a thorough review of the available evidence and applicable law, the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is not a sufficient legal basis to bring criminal charges against former-Governor Andrew Cuomo based upon the allegations of unwanted physical contact made by Virginia Limmiatis," Oakes said in a statement. "To be clear, this decision is based solely upon an assessment of the law and whether the people can establish a legally sufficient case under controlling precedent." Oakes also praised Limmiatis for coming forward with the initial allegation. He found Limmiatis to be "reliable and reasonable," and seemingly "motivated only by an earnest desire to do the right thing,... I commend her bravery and respect her courage." Oakes is the latest county prosecutor to not pursue criminal charges against the former governor. The Manhattan district attorney's office dropped its investigation of Cuomo, while Albany County District Attorney David Soares backed the dismissal of a forcible touching charge against him. Marianne Wang, an attorney representing Limmiatis, said, "Not every violation of law results in a criminal prosecution. This decision does not mean Cuomo acted appropriately or lawfully...” Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

From The Sanctuary for Independent Media, who run our partner station WGXC: "More than one in seven New Yorkers has a record of a criminal conviction, which keeps many from accessing basic opportunities like employment and housing. The Clean Slate NY campaign is fighting for a new law (S1553A/A6399) that will automatically clear a New Yorker’s conviction record once they become eligible. The civil damage a conviction record can inflict is often wide-ranging and enduring—permanently barring many individuals from basic opportunities like stable jobs, licenses to practice trades, and safe, secure housing. WOOC's Corinne Carey spoke with Cedric Fulton, the civil rights manager for the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition, a member of the Clean Slate New York Steering Committee about the campaign."

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Colby Itkowitz and Adrian Blanco report in the Washington Post that New York Democrats unveiled the redistricting maps for Congress on Jan. 30, and the proposal boosts the chances of Democrat Antonio Delgado in the 19th Congressional District. Democrats could win an additional three seats in Congress if the plan is voted on and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul later this week as expected. Delgado's 19th Congressional District adds Binghamton and Utica under the plan, moving the district from one that President Joe Biden won by 1.5 percent, to one where Biden won by 10 points. That comes at a bit at the expense of Democrat Paul Tonko's 20th Congressional District, which moves from a Biden plus-20.5 district to one where Biden won by 17.3 points, as parts of Albany County switch to the 19th District. New York lost one Congressional seat in the latest Census count. A 10-member, supposedly independent commission where eight members were appointed by partisan legislative leaders, could not reach a decision on district lines, so the legislature has taken over the process. “This is not a good night for New York Republicans,” said Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, which opposes partisan gerrymandering from either party. Democrats and Republicans had differing opinions on the redistricting proposals. “I’m thrilled with the maps that have come down, they listened to the public input the commission received, and I think that’s reflected in these maps,” said David Imamura, the Democratic chairman of the redistricting advisory commission. Nick Langworthy, chairman of the New York state Republican committee, said, “These maps are the most brazen and outrageous attempt at rigging the election to keep Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.” Read more about this story in the Washington Post.

This is a bipartisan, bicameral effort that I am proud to be a part of. Members of Congress should work to represent their communities, not to turn a profit. https://t.co/DAdVy6TVZX

— Antonio Delgado (@DelgadoforNY19) January 30, 2022

Rep. Antonio Delgado on Jan. 30 joined those calling for a ban on members of Congress trading stocks while in office. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from Virginia, and Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, last year introduced a measure to ban members of Congress from trading stocks after revelations that several Republicans used insider knowledge during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic to buy stocks in companies likely to do well through the outbreak. The bill got little traction until Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, came out against the proposal. That incited support, from both sides of the aisle. There is now a similar bill in the Senate, and momentum to pass something. The bills would require members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children, to place their stocks in a blind trust while the member is in office. Lawmakers often have access to privileged information, and these bills would attempt to quash efforts to make money on that insider knowledge. "This is a bipartisan, bicameral effort that I am proud to be a part of. Members of Congress should work to represent their communities, not to turn a profit," Delgado said in a Jan. 30 Tweet.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that Greene County businesses had $1.1 billion in sales in 2021, a large increase from the year before. That meant record sales tax revenue for the county, an 18 percent increase of about $6.5 million. Greene County Deputy County Administrator Warren Hart attributed the increase to changes in buying habits and an alteration in the tax code. In 2019 the state counted sales tax by where to item was purchased, but switched in 2020 to where the buyer is located. Since Greene County lacks large commercial centers, malls, or giant shopping districts, and since many people did more shopping at home during the pandemic, the increase was notable. Plus, Greene County has seen more second homeowners moving in, also increasing sales. The county's total value of all taxable property rose more than five percent between 2020 and 2021, according to figures from the state Comptroller's Office. Fueled by new home owners, Greene County also had the most municipalities in the Capital Region with highest income growth between 2018 and 2019, with Lexington in seeing a 36.2 increase in gross income. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Noah Eckstein is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council at a special meeting Jan. 27, unanimously approved a Tourism Board grant of $16,500 to support a monthly gallery crawl in the city. Ellen D’Arcy Simpson, Susan Eley, and Jeremy Bullis, all Hudson gallery owners, came up with an idea to have local businesses extend their hours on the second Saturday of each month as a way to stimulate the local economy. Some of the money will go toward minimizing the need for self-transportation for tourists who wish to stay in Hudson and ski at Windham Mountain. For the weekend of Feb. 12, the Wick Hotel in Hudson is offering a discounted stay rate to anyone interested in booking an integrated ski-and-stay package. The Common Council authorized Mayor Kamal Johnson to enter into a contract with Johnston Transportation to provide two school buses for tourists to visit Windham Mountain. It is hoped this initiative will drive added foot traffic to the Second Saturday Gallery Crawl, and to restaurants and shops throughout the city. “I don’t see any downside to this,” said 4th Ward Alderprson Theo Anthony. First Ward Alderperson Art Frick agreed the venture is important for the city, but he also said more could be done. “Moving forward with plans like this I would love to see us explore things that are more economically viable to a greater number of people,” Frick said. Simpson noted there are 25 art galleries in Hudson, giving the city the largest concentration of galleries on a single street in the Hudson Valley. “We’re pivoting and figuring things out as we go,” she said. Note: Johnson is a WGXC volunteer on-air programmer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the Farm Laborers Wage Board at the state Department of Labor January 28, backed a proposal to lower the overtime threshold for agriculture businesses from 60 hours to 40 hours a week. The decision in favor of a phased-in overtime plan was praised by labor advocates, but sharply opposed by organizations that represent farmers. Lowering the overtime threshold could benefit the workers on farms with higher pay. But the New York Farm Bureau and other agriculture-aligned business groups argue the move would hurt smaller producers, lead to higher food prices and out-of-state products while also reducing the number of people they can employ. "Changing the overtime threshold to 40 hours a week for farmworkers in New York means that these workers will be limited to 40 hours, due to simple farm economics," said Grow NY Farms, a coalition of organizations opposed to the change. "This is not a win for farmworkers that self-proclaimed worker advocates will claim." Labor advocates, on the other hand, say farm workers deserve to be paid the same way as everyone else, and get overtime wages after 40 hours of work in a week. The change will not take effect until 2024 and would be phased in over eight years. Some officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, are discussing ways of offsetting the cost of the overtime move through tax credits. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

The world is in its third year of a deadly virus that has taxed healthcare workers like no others. At the same time, some members of Congress, including Paul Tonko locally, have signed on to a letter to get the federal government to cap nurses pay. HealthAffairs.org reports that, "An unprecedented number of nurses are retiring early and exiting the workforce or quitting their hospital employment to return as employees of staffing agencies." Tonko and the other representatives see rising wages for nurses as a problem. "We are writing because of our concerns that certain nurse-staffing agencies are taking advantage of these difficult circumstances to increase their profits at the expense of patients and the hospitals that treat them," the letter to White House COVID-19 Response Team Coordinator Jeffrey Zients says. The almost 200 Congressional representatives signing on to the letter are a mixed lot, with far-right figures such as Elise Stefanik, conservative Republican Liz Cheney, centrist Democrat Tonko, and liberal Ilhan Omar all in favor. Nurses, however, mostly do not want their salaries capped. There is evidence that nursing wages are up, like in many other fields with high demand for workers. The American Health Care Association last year sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, urging the FTC to protect consumers from anti-competitive and unfair practices regarding agency staffing. Tonko, who represents all of Albany County and other parts of the Capital District, was not joined by Hudson Valley Democrats Antonio Delgado nor Sean Maloney in signing the letter.

The Berkshire Eagle is reporting WinterFest is coming back to the city of North Adams, Mass., after a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2021. The downtown festival, with ice skating, wagon rides and ice sculpture, will take place on February 19. The event will include a farmers market, a craft fair, a campfire, ice sculpture carving and, weather permitting, playing in the snow at Colegrove Park, said Suzy Helme, the event's coordinator. Plus horse-drawn wagon rides up and down Main Street and the city's skating rink will offer free admission and rentals. Because of the continuing pandemic, there will not be the usual chowder cook-off. "Unfortunately that's one of the more popular events," Helme said. "We will have to have fun without it this year." More information will be available on the North Adams Tourism Facebook page, Helme said. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media parents from the Germantown Central School District January 28, protested outside the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in response to the reassignment of school resource officers. The deputy changes will take place January 31. An online petition against the sheriff's actions has been signed by nearly 1,200 people. Columbia County Sheriff Donald J. Krapf and Undersheriff Jaqueline Salvatore met with about two dozen parents and community members in the parking lot, who were there to voice concerns about the changes. Deputy Ted Blank has been the school resource officer assigned to Germantown since the spring of 2020. “For us, we want our children’s safety. And part of that safety is having a trusting adult that works to earn their trust and make them feel safe in the school...," said Cheryl Werner, the protest organizer and mother of two. Suzette Haas, also the mother of two Germantown students, said, “There is no one better equipped right now to deal with safety issues at Germantown than our current SRD. He knows the building like the back of his hand. ...If there is an emergency, he has the best ability to deal with it.” Krapf, who took office on January 1, said his department has been reevaluating many programs and reviewing data. “The resident deputy program was never meant to be a permanent program, having a resident deputy in one school for an unlimited amount of time,” he said. “I think it’s important that they see other schools, that they see how other districts work.” The protesters questioned the wisdom of making a change in the middle of the school year and several asked the sheriff to hold off until the end of the year. Krapf said there were certain things the parents did not understand, and he would not speak to them about personnel. "...This is something we feel is necessary at this time. And unfortunately, Monday this is going to happen. I can’t tell you for how long, it may be a very short duration,” he said. Salvatore added, “We’re not saying it’s going to be permanent. We don’t know how long it’s going to be, that’s what we’re saying...” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union the Legal Aid Society has taken legal action against the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in an effort to secure a court order compelling the agency to release an expert's report on the high rate of suicides in the state's prisons. The petition was filed this week in state Supreme Court in Albany. "Over the past several years, the suicide rate inside DOCCS prisons has soared, far exceeding national averages," the petition alleges. "In 2019 alone, the suicide rate inside DOCCS prisons was 88 percent higher than the national average." The petition also notes that at least 30 percent of the suicides that occurred in state prisons in 2019, "occurred in solitary confinement, and the rate of suicides in solitary in New York’s prisons was 10 times the national prison suicide rate." People of color made up 65 percent of the deaths by suicide in solitary confinement. When Legal Aid requested the DOCCS commissioned report by Lindsay Hays, a national expert on suicide prevention, the agency issued a blanket denial of the request, contending the report contains Hayes' "opinion, advice and recommendations," making it exempt from disclosure. The department also asserted the report constitutes "inter/intra-agency materials which are not final agency policy or decisions, statistical or factual tabulations, external audits, or instructions to staff that affect the public." But the society argues that "given the staggering number of suicides in DOCCS’ prisons, and given Hayes’ unquestioned expertise in this field, the public interest in Hayes’ report is substantial." The Legal Aid Society is the nation's oldest legal services organization, providing free assistance to low-income individuals and families. Read the full story in the Times Union.