Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson City Hall was closed Tue., Nov. 23 and will also be closed on Wednesday due to COVID-19. The building, at 520 Warren St., will remain closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday and Friday. “In response to recent COVID-related staffing issues, and in the interest of the health of staff and citizens, city hall will be closed today and tomorrow, Nov. 23 and 24, 2021, to accommodate for a deep cleaning of the building,” according to a statement released by city officials. As of November 22, the Columbia County Department of Health reported 52 new COVID cases countywide, bringing the total to 203 active cases. The city previously had to delay recycling pickup to November 26 after a COVID outbreak. Superintendent of Public Works Rob Perry has advised residents to hold on to their recyclables until Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Perry said he postponed the recycling pick-up to be proactive. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Galvan Foundation, Tue., Nov. 23, announced on its Facebook page, its plans to restore the Hudson Community Theater building to create Hudson Forum. The project is supported with a $900,000 Empire State Development Grant. "This project provides needed entertainment and economic opportunities for the entire community. Hudson Forum is planned as a regional theater with flexible performance space and room to fit 400 seated attendees and many more for standing room only events," according to the foundation's social media post. The space will be adaptable for a range of various performances including plays, musicals, film screenings, concerts, lectures, and community events. The building at 614-620 Columbia Street on Hudson's north side was sold to Galvan by the Marina Abramović Institute for Preservation of Performance Art on August 31. Abramović had planned to convert the old theater into a performance art space, but the project never came to fruition. The 16,665-square-foot building was built in the mid-1920s. It once housed a movie theater, a disco called Arthur’s Court and, later, indoor tennis courts and an antiques market and warehouse.

The Daily Freeman is reporting unemployment rates in the communities of the Mid-Hudson Valley and Catskills were generally lower in October than a month earlier, and all were well below the rates reported in October 2020, when the labor market was just starting to recover from its COVID-related losses, the state Department of Labor reported November 23. The October 2021 unemployment rate in Greene County, was 4.3 percent, down from 4.5 percent in September and 5.7 percent in October 2020, according to the labor department. The jobless rate in Columbia County remained unchanged from the previous month at 3.3 percent, but was down from 4.3 percent one year before. The October rate in Ulster County was 4 percent, down from 4.2 percent in September, and in Dutchess County, the jobless rate was 3.9 percent, down from 4.2 percent the previous month. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Noah Zweifel reports in the Altamont Enterprise that a solar project in the southern Albany County town of Knox that was narrowly blocked earlier this year is back, in a nearby location. The original proposal failed before the Knox Planning Board when member Debra Nelson, who would have cast the deciding vote to approve the project, when a family emergency pulled her away from the vote. The project's developers, RIC Energy, said they learned from the first defeat. “We received a lot of feedback from the town planning board,” RIC project manager Christopher Ross said, “and so we did look for another site better suited for solar based on that feedback. It did not fall on deaf ears; let’s put it that way,” he said of the criticism. Now the company wants to build a five-megawatt solar facility at 1953 Thompsons Lake Road, on a 66-acre parcel that is currently open fields and shrubland. Read more about this story in the Altamont Enterprise.

Today's daily news update.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the latest wave of COVID-19 cases is breaking now across the country, and throughout the Hudson Valley. On Nov. 22, Columbia County announced 49 new coronavirus cases, with 33 new cases announced Nov. 20, and 50 new cases Nov. 19. Those are numbers not seen since last January, when vaccines were just becoming available. “It’s obviously not just Columbia County, it’s the whole region,” Mabb said. “We’re just seeing this dramatic, huge spike.” The main difference between COVID-19 cases last January and now is that many children are being infected. About 18 percent of the county’s cases Nov. 22 were in young people. “A significant portion of these positives are students,” Mabb said. “We’re seeing more positive students this year than we did last year. I think it’s about the Delta variant and about how contagious it is.” Cases are also being caused by few folks wearing masks. “It’s only going to get worse with the holidays in general,” Mabb said. “I think a lot of people have just thrown caution to the wind, and they’re just doing their thing. Thanksgiving for many people will be a holiday in which there’s no social distancing and certainly you don’t expect people to wear a mask in their own home or their living room when they’re welcoming their family, but I do think people who view themselves as particularly vulnerable should probably think about those things.” The county is not changing any policies or regulations even with the rising cases counts. They are offering vaccinces, booster shot offered at Columbia- Greene Community College from 3-6 p.m. Dec. 2, 1-3 p.m. Dec. 3, and 1-3 p.m. Dec. 10 , for those who register on the Columbia County Department of Health website. There are also vaccines for children 5 to 11 years old available from 3-6 p.m. Nov. 29 at the Claverack Fire Department. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo may have resigned in disgrace, but lawmakers in Albany are still discussing his impeachment. Currently, state legislatures are debating whether they have the constitutional authority to impeach someone who has already left office. On Nov. 22, the state Assembly issued a 45-page report by a private law firm outlining Cuomo's wrongdoing including 11 allegations of sexual harassment, misleading the public about COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, and using public resources to write a book. "I hope this report helps New Yorkers further understand the seriousness of the allegations that have been made and serves to guide us to a more ethical and responsible government," Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine said in a statement. "New Yorkers deserve no less.” Lawyers from Davis Polk & Wardwell, who issued the report, say lawmakers can no longer impeach Cuomo. Some lawmakers disagree, and are still asking for impeachment. "It's what the families are pushing for, which is fully accountability — and they deemed that impeachment is a critical part of that process," said Assemblyperson Ron Kim. "Because we've invested so much money already, we should see it through." Cuomo's camp says the report is wrong. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials continue to investigate Cuomo's actions as governor. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said the report should be used law enforcement to "ensure that accountability is finally achieved." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper that Copake won't block cannabis retail stores, but might not allow consumption lounges, or smoking bars. “This is a great opportunity for tax revenue,” said Lindsay LeBrecht of Copake Lake. “Now everybody goes to Great Barrington. We should get our fair share and opt-in to cannabis.” State lawmakers legalized cannabis in New York in April, and sales are expected to begin next year after final regulations are set. Municipalities have until Dec. 31 to opt-out of retail stores, and/or consumption lounges. Copake Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said public comments on the issue “show strong support" for cannabis sales there. Mettler and town board members Jeffrey Judd and Richard Wolf voted to allow cannabis sales in Copake, while Stosh Gansowski voted against, and Terry Sullivan abstained. A public hearing for a law to opt-out of allowing on-site consumption sites will be held at 6:45 p.m. prior to Copake's December 9 Town Board meeting. Read more about this story in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily headlines.

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Gwynne Hogan and Brigid Bergin report in Gothamist that the state Assembly issued its report investigating wrongdoing by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Nov. 22. The report says Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, used public resources for his own benefit while writing his book, and misled the public about the deaths of nursing home residents from COVID-19. The report says state employees claimed to have volunteered their time for Cuomo's book, but devoted many hours during work days to the project that netted Cuomo millions of dollars. Investigators from the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP said Cuomo’s office ignored most of their subpoenas for documentation and attempted to disrupt certain aspects of the probe. “[They refused] to comply in any meaningful way with the Committee’s requests and subpoenas, despite public pledges of his cooperation on numerous occasions,” the report said. Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s campaign spokesperson, called the report “hypocritical, revisionist,” and said it was politically motivated. “Any report that uses the Attorney General’s politically biased investigation as a basis is going to be equally flawed,” Azzopardi said. “The truth will come out.” Read more about this story in Gothamist.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County officials are considering making the Office of Emergency Management an independent department. It is currently a part of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The proposed shift has some county Democrats concerned. “This is a proposal that hasn’t been studied,” Columbia County Democratic Committee Chair Sam Hodge said. “And there’s been no analysis done. There’s been no discussion of a transition process and we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, we’re in the middle of an emergency. So the lack of forethought, I find really troubling.” Hodge alleges the change was proposed now because incumbent Republican David Bartlett's re-election bid failed this month, according to Hodge. “Their candidate lost [the sheriff's race] decisively and now, out of nowhere, they want to cut a quarter of a million dollars from the budget and take away important responsibilities from the sheriff’s control,” he said. Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murell said the budget for Emergency Management is $139,000. “Mr. Hodge is saying $250,000 would be ripped out of the Sheriff’s Department,” Murell said. “It’s actually $139,000, of which $65,000 is going to stay with the Sheriffs Department,” he said. Murrell said the board is talking about transferring $70,000 for the Emergency Management Office. “There’s no defunding anything as the funds will continue to be used as already designated,” Murell said. All county-level emergency coordinators who are not part of emergency management, such as the fire coordinator, EMS coordinator and 911 director are in support of the change, the chair said. “At this point, if I had a say in it as sheriff, I wouldn’t want anything removed at this point,” said Sheriff-elect Don Krapf. “I’d like to review more data on this and make a data-driven decision, and find out what the effects for the safety of this community are, what the effect on the budget is, how these assets are going to be allocated. There’s a lot of things to be reviewed, and for it to happen this quickly I don’t think would be well thought out.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Porcupine Soup is reporting the Cairo-Durham Central School District has hired John Bergin as its new director of facilities. He was appointed last month. “John comes to us with a wealth of experience in facilities management,” said Cairo-Durham Superintendent of Schools Michael Wetherbee. Bergin worked previously as the assistant director of facilities at Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County. He was also a property manager for multiple estates where he was responsible for maintenance and repairs. In his new job, Bergin will oversee the care, operation, and maintenance of district buildings and grounds, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitation, electrical, and plumbing systems, and more. He will also manage maintenance and custodial personnel. Bergin is also responsible for ensuring compliance with state, local, and federal regulations. Bergin succeeded Kevin Lawton, who served as Cairo-Durham’s Facilities Director for more than 17 years before his retirement. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Cloey Callahan is reporting for the Times Union the budget carrier Norse Atlantic Airways has filed paperwork to fly between Newburgh and Oslo starting in the summer of 2022, but those plans have not yet been approved. Norse Atlantic, with a leased fleet of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, hopes to fill the gap left by Norwegian Air, which offered affordable nonstop flights between New York Stewart International Airport and Ireland before suspending that service in March 2019. The new transatlantic budget airline applied this year to the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to fly from Stewart to Oslo, in addition to service between Oslo and Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. Norse Atlantic is also planning direct service between Oslo and Paris and London. The company announced its proposal on October 1, on Instagram. And one week ago Norse Atlantic announced it would open its U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. “We strongly believe that there is a need for a new and innovative airline serving the low-cost intercontinental market with modern, more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient aircraft as the world gradually reopens,” said CEO Bjørn [b-ee -Y-OH-R-N] Tore Larsen in an August press release. When asked to comment on Norse Atlantic’s plans to provide service out of Stewart, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said, “We currently do not have any announcements or updates.” The airline did not respond to direct requests for comment. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Lauren Stanforth reports in the Times Union that COVID-19 is roaring back in upstate New York. Albany County, for instance, announced on Nov. 21 its sixth straight day with a COVID-19-related death. And new daily positive tests in Albany County are also in the triple digits. "With the holiday season underway, I am afraid we will continue to see this and a greater spike in new infections,” said Albany County Executive Dan McCoy in a statement. Albany County is now at 5.2 percent of tests coming back positive. While that number is high, compared to some other New York counties it is good news. Two weeks ago only one rural New York county had a seven-day percent positive test average of more than 10 percent. As of Nov. 21, 12 New York counties have more than 10 percent of tests coming back positive, including Washington County, which had the highest rate at 13.5 percent. "Many of our recent cases are originating from inside workplaces (employee to employee transmission), full household/family spread and at events held indoors in close quarters," Washington County officials said. Columbia County, meanwhile has seen numbers rise from 38 on Nov. 17 to 50 on Nov. 20, and 33 on Nov. 21. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Larry Parnass reports in the Berkshire Eagle about seven reason why some workers in Berkshire County in Massachusetts are not returning to work. Just like in the Hudson Valley, and much of the United States, there are many help wanted signs in store windows. Parness breaks down the reasons why employers are having a difficult time filling those positions: • Some are waiting out the pandemic. Some, especially with health conditions, do not want to risk catching COVID-19.
• Some want to work on their own terms. Economists are calling the current trend “the Great Resignation,” as more workers in the U.S. voluntarily left their jobs in September than ever before according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Some believe the money’s not worth the hassle. The Food Labor Research Center at the University of California-Berkeley reports that 75 percent of people polled said they had left the food industry during the pandemic because of low wages.
• Some are retiring early. Heather Boulger, of the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board, said, “They just decided that they want more flexibility — and don’t want that level of stress anymore.”
• Some lack child-care. Boulger thinks this is why as many as one-third of local workers are now out of the workforce.
• Some are willing to make do with less income, and savings. “Eventually, those savings are going to be thinned out, and that’s when we’ll see more people coming back to work,” Boulger says.
• Some are relying on unemployment benefits. “That’s not the whole answer,” Laura Brennan, of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, says. “We cannot blame this all on unemployment benefits.” But many of those benefits ended in September and October. “We expected that people would be beating down our doors,” Boulger said. “It’s been a slow trickle.” Read more about this story in the Berkshire Eagle.

William J. Kemble reports in the Daily Freeman that Saugerties town officials last week approved a $14.21 million 2022 budget carrying a 6.5 percent increase of $867,524 with most of the increase coming from ambulance expenses. The $11.65 million property tax levy means an 8.78 percent increase of $940,000. Resident Susan VanWagenen was not happy that her taxes will go up. “You would have to be living under a rock if you aren’t feeling the financial pinch already, so there’s no need to make a point of how much more we are spending for basics like food and gas,” she said. “Heating fuel is projected to increase this winter by 30 to 55 percent. …We are going to be paying more for everything and most people will not be taking home more pay.” Ambulance service costs are up 65 percent to $1.32 million, mostly to pay for personnel to take on calls when there is the need for a third crew member. Elected officials are getting a raise too, from five percent for the town supervisor and more than four percent for town board members to just over three percent for the two town justices. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily headlines.

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