Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Catskill Town Board voted on Dec. 5 to settle with Walmart over a tax dispute. Walmart wanted to lower their real estate tax assessment, and in the settlement the town agreed, reducing the assessed value of the Catskill store from $10.5 million to $8.8 million in 2024. The vote to settle was 3-to-2, with Dawn Scannapieco and Paul Vosburgh, Jr. voting against the settlement. Scannapieco said, “I feel like big businesses like Walmart receive so many breaks as it is, and a lot of small businesses could benefit more.... The revenue needs to be made up somewhere, and it’s going to be our hardworking citizens that have to make it up.” The story does not say just how much less the Walmart tax bill will now be. Catskill Town Assessor Audrey Higbee said, “It’s a pattern for them to file every three years against small towns.... It’s an opportunity for them to reduce their property values.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon reports for Columbia-Greene Media that citizens in Athens can go solar now that the Village of Athens is partnering with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Solstice Solar on a community solar farm. The company has six solar farms that serve Central Hudson customers in the area. Residents participating in the program use energy generated by the solar farms to lower electric bills, as much as a 10 percent decrease in electricity bills. Village Trustee Josh Lipsman said, “It’s a win-win-win situation.... It’s good for the environment, and good for residents because they get a 10 percent reduction in their energy bill, and a sign on bonus.” The program also gets Athens closer to a clean energy community designation from New York State's Energy Research and Development Authority. Only so many Athens residents can fit in the program, so anyone interested should contact the village soon. Lipsman said, “It’s not limited to the number of people, but the kilowatt capacity of the farm.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro and state Assemblyperson Chris Tague are complaining about a shortage of milk cartons. Molinaro, a Republican who represents the 19th Congressional District, said, “supply chain problems at one of the two major manufacturers of milk cartons in the United States.... has caused schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions in Upstate New York to forgo serving milk.” Molinaro wrote to the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, asking him to use “any means at his disposal to swiftly provide relief and prevent a disruption like this from happening again.” Molinaro also said, “We saw how disruptive the baby formula shortage was.... If this supply chain disruption persists, it’s going to cause real harm for young people and local farmers.” Tague, a Republican who represents Greene and Schoharie counties, said, “There are obvious solutions like opting for recyclable plastic bottles or dispensers and cups, but the anti-milk Democrats aren’t even attempting to implement these options. How we handle this shortage will set a precedent for the availability of milk in schools, and right now, it is not going in the right direction.” No Democrats have come out against milk. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Greene County’s Health Services Committee made a dire warning about emergency medical services, and commissioned a study to find a solution. The committee unanimously approved a resolution that said, in part, “The future of the EMS system as it currently stands is in jeopardy of collapsing due to rising costs and staffing issues.” The mountaintop towns in particular want a countywide ambulance service. The resolution also said, “Several town supervisors have reached out to the county and voiced their concerns regarding the rising costs and staffing issues." The town of Hunter says its emergency responder costs are up $250,000 this year. Making the problem worse, emergency calls are up in Greene County from 7,323 calls in 2020, to 8,672 times in 2022. The full legislature will vote on approving the resolution and and hiring an independent group to study the issue at its next regular meeting on December 20. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Rep. Marc Molinaro appeared on the television show "Capital Tonight" on Dec. 6 and spoke about what he wanted to hear at the Republican presidential debate that night. Here is a short excerpt of what Molinaro said. Click here to play or download the Molinaro excerpt..

News10 in Albany reports that the flu is now so prevalent in New York State that mask requirements for certain healthcare workers are now in effect. New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald announced that unvaccinated healthcare workers must now wear masks in hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, certified home health agencies, long-term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, licensed home care service agencies, limited licensed home care service agencies, and hospices. This week flu cases are up flu cases are up 34 percent in New York. McDonald said, “We have now declared that flu is prevalent in New York State, which means health care personnel who are not vaccinated against the flu this season need to take extra precautions and wear a mask in health care facilities, as they are exposed to sick patients and come into close contact with those most vulnerable to the flu.... Everyone 6 months of age and older should get the flu shot as it is the best way to protect yourself and will lessen the symptoms if you do get sick. It’s not too late; get your flu shot today.” Read more about this story at News10 in Albany.

Today's audio daily news update.

Luke Parsnow reports for New York State of Politics that Josh Eisen announced on Dec. 5 that he will run for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. Eisen is a Westchester County businessperson who unsuccessfully ran for New York's 17th Congressional District in 2020. Eisen said, "Kirsten Gillibrand has been there for many many years and I think it's time now for there to be a different approach to how we deal with business, regulation, and ultimately it's about how we think about communities and big government and I am from the camp of people who strongly believe that big government be always questioned." The Gillibrand campaign released a statement Dec. 5 complaining about “his long, troubling and well-documented history of stalking, harassment, misogyny and racism.” In 2016, Eisen was arrested in New York City and charged with stalking his ex-business partner's wife. Gillibrand used to live outside of Hudson, and represented the 19th Congressional District before moving to the Senate. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Joshua Solomon reports for the Times Union that new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson helped Rep. Elise Stefanik raise $1 million during an event at a Manhattan steakhouse over the weekend. The money is going to Stefanik's efforts to get $100 million for Republicans running for Congress in New York next year. Republicans flipped several seats in the 2022 election, helping to give them a now four-seat majority. Johnson said, “I will be back in New York often to ensure we work to raise the funds necessary to protect and expand our House Republican majority.” Stefanik is expected to give the $100 million to the campaigns of New York House Republicans Anthony D’Esposito, Andrew R. Garbarino, Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, Nicole Malliotakis, Marc Molinaro, Brandon Williams, Nick Langworthy, and Claudia Tenney. Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley, and flipped that seat from Democrats in 2022. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Jared Gans at The Hill reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul has set a special election for former Rep. George Santos for Feb. 13. Hochul said, “As Governor, I have the solemn responsibility to call a special election to ensure the voters of Long Island and Queens once again have representation in Congress.... Members of Congress provide critical constituent services, serve as a link to federal agencies, and advocate on behalf of the constituents who sent them to Washington. I look forward working with the next representative for the 3rd Congressional District on the issues facing New Yorkers.” Santos is a Republican, and Republicans now control the House of Representatives by only four votes. Santos faces 23 felony charges including counts of wire fraud, identity theft, and campaign finance violations. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the special election as a “toss-up” without candidates announced yet. Local political party bosses will choose the candidates. Read more about this story at The Hill.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Molly Burke reports in the Times Union that former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney's new book was released on Dec. 5, including pointed criticism of local Rep. Elise Stefanik. Cheney's “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” says Stefanik was once a “reasonable and thoughtful” member of Congress, but that “she had undergone a dramatic transition into a Trump sycophant over the past 18 months..... There was no longer any difference between her and members like Matt Gaetz.” And Cheney mentions a conversation she had with Stefanik after a Donald Trump impeachment vote. Cheney wrote, “(Stefanik) told me that, because of my vote to impeach, people were writing letters to the editors of her local papers criticizing her and asking why she hadn’t taken the same ‘principled’ stand I had.... That seemed less my problem than hers. Many of us who had known Elise since before she abandoned all principle were curious how she had lost her sense of right and wrong.” Alex DeGrasse, a spokesperson for Stefanik, said, “Literally no one in upstate New York or the North Country cares what the Pelosi puppet Liz Cheney has to write or say. Not then. Not now. Not ever.... She is a deeply troubled psychologically sick person. Good riddance.” Cheney is a longtime conservative, who rarely shared an opinion with Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Stefanik represents New York's 21st Congressional District, including Rensselaer County. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Diana Pineiro-Zucker reports in the Daily Freeman that animals found in “somewhat deplorable conditions” is the latest problem at the long-closed Friar Tuck Resort property on state Route 32 in Catskill. A wounded donkey was removed from the property and someone working there was arrested, authorities announced on Dec. 5. State Trooper Steve Nevel said, “Farm animals were discovered without enough feed and in somewhat deplorable conditions. No animals were physically abused nor did they appear to be malnourished.” Employee Li Binghui, 57, of Elmhurst, was charged with five misdemeanor counts of torturing or injuring animals/failure to provide sustenance. There were “a variety of goats,” chickens, a peacock, a turkey and a donkey on the property. The town of Catskill has been working to clean up the former resort property for at least ten years. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

News10 in Albany reports that Kinderhook's leaders and history buffs gathered at the gravesite of former U.S. president Martin Van Buren.on what would have been his 241st birthday on Dec. 5. Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States, was born in Kinderhook in the late 1700s and returned to the town after he was president. Van Buren was president from 1837-1841, after serving previously as Andrew Jackson's vice president. He was also New York's Attorney General, Senator, and Governor. Read more about this story at News10.

Today's audio daily news update.

Bernadette Hogan reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul is reviving her plan for affordable housing that failed in the legislature last year. Some critics said her ambitious housing proposal to buil 800,000 new homes within 10 years was so big that it failed. But not enough is being done to actually build affordable housing locally or throughout the state. Zach Steinberg, Senior Vice President of Policy at trade association, the Real Estate Board of New York, said, “We were creating about 20,000 units a year over the last couple of decades.... And we think based on looking at data from the Department of Buildings and Building Congress…is that we’re on track for about 11,000 new housing units to get started this year.” Steinberg blames the legislature for not renewing or replacing 421a, the now-expired incentive program that got developers to build affordable units. He says, “The absence of this program has really led to a serious decline in the number of housing units we’re creating.” But some in the legislature disagree. State Sen. Jabari Brisport said, “I think we can do much better by directly having government invest in creating new affordable housing through, like, a social housing model.” Almost everyone agrees that the lack of affordable housing is a major problem, both locally, where only in Hudson is there even a discussion about building affordable housing, and throughout the state. Spokesperson for Gov. Hochul Avi Small said, “Like 73 percent of New Yorkers, Gov. Hochul believes housing affordability is a major problem. The housing crisis is pushing New Yorkers out-of-state to Connecticut and New Jersey that have built thousands more homes over the last decade than New York has." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that members of the Dutchess County Conservative Party are upset with Republicans there for putting forth a proposal for the Dutchess County Legislature to increase their own salaries. The Republican majority approved a 68 percent pay raise at a recent meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature’s Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee. Nine Republicans and one Democrat voted for the large pay raises, while three Democrats voted against just days after the latest election. Conservative Party Chair Don Minichino said, “The same old political justifying comment by Legislator Will Truitt that it’ll attract good candidates is a load of you-know-what. It doesn’t work that way and history can prove it.” Minichino then compared the Dutchess Republicans to Democrats in Albany who voted themselves a 29 percent raise recently. All the Republicans voting for the pay raise were previously endorsed by the Conservative Party. Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.