Cloey Callahan is reporting for the Times Union Danskammer Energy announced November 24, its intention to appeal the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s decision to deny an air permit for its new natural gas-fired power plant near Newburgh. The DEC in October struck down the company's proposed project in the mid-Hudson Valley, saying it did not comply with New York’s new climate law. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was adopted in 2019 and calls for sharp reductions in the use of fossil fuels, such as the natural gas that would power the Danskammer facility. “We believe DEC is holding Danskammer to standards that don’t even exist because the Climate Action Council has yet to issue guidance on what it means to be consistent with the state’s new climate law,” said Bill Reid, CEO of Danskammer Energy, in a press release. The energy company had been seeking authorization to construct a new power generation facility near Newburgh in Orange County and submitted its application to the DEC in December 2019. “...[The] DEC’s decision to deny our Title V Air Permit was unjustified, and not in the best interests of New York residents or their future power needs,” Reid said. Other groups, including Orange County Partnership, the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, expressed support for Danskammer Energy’s decision to appeal. The DEC’s decision in October came after a comprehensive review of Danskammer’s application and supporting materials, as well as more than 4,500 public comments received on the project between June and September of this year. Danskammer estimates that its proposed natural gas-fired combined-cycle power generation facility could provide up to 600 megawatts of power. Read the full story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman rounds up what is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Banks: Closed
County Offices: Closed
Federal offices: Closed
Financial markets: Closed
Mail delivery: None
Metro-North: Saturday schedule on Thursday; expanded Saturday schedule on Friday
Schools: Closed
State offices: Closed
Trailways: Regular schedule.

Today's daily news update.

The Daily Freeman reports that Ulster County announced two more deaths from coronavirus on Nov. 23, and the number of active cases there has tripled since Nov. 4. Ulster County reported 736 cases, more than three times the county’s Nov. 4 total of 240. Dutchess Countyon Nov. 23 reported a one-day increase in active cases from 724 to 731. Columbia County's health department reported 52 more cases on Nov. 22, and 28 more on Nov. 23. Those numbers are closer to what the county reported in January, when vaccines were just becoming available. Hudson City Hall was closed Nov. 23 because of a COVID-19 outbreak, and will stay shut down through Nov. 26. Across the Hudson River the numbers are growing too, with Greene County Public Health reporting Nov. 19 195 active cases, including 54 new reports in the prior two days. “I’m always concerned about the numbers,” Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said. “We do seem to be paralleling the counties around us. I think that people are tired of COVID and they’re relaxing and maybe we’re not wearing masks as often as we should. We’re just tired of it. Everybody wants to go back to normal. But it’s safe to say that COVID is not going away. It’s not going to ebb down slowly, slowly. I’m not sure if it’s mutating, which is causing it to hold on.” Greene County Legislator Chair Patrick Linger,said the county is not planning to take any action, even with the increased number of cases locally. “Not at this point,” Linger said. “We’ve held other vaccine clinics recently that only had from 2 to 11 people that showed up. That’s a waste of resources as far as I’m concerned. People can schedule an appointment at just about any pharmacy to get their vaccine. So when we put forth the effort to do a clinic and only a couple of people show up, that’s not the best use of our resources.” The only specific action Greene County officials are taking take in the face of the rising cases counts is words. “You walk into a store and probably 80 percent of the people aren’t masked up,” Groden said. “That’s where you should be masked up, where mass levels of people are gathered. Just throw a damn mask on, will you please? Don’t take the chance, because I’ve seen a lot of people with it and it sucks.”

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that Hudson's Common Council voted unanimously last week to enact a tough anti-eviction law because of the current local housing crisis. Claire Cousins of the Hudson-Catskill Housing Coalition said the law "is an acknowledgment of the crisis that our community is currently in.... We believe that our City understands what is at stake, and is taking the necessary steps to make Hudson an equitable, fair place for people to remain citizens in." Landlords will now bring eviction proceedings in front of a city judge in the rapidly gentrifying community of 5,900. Tenants can now only be evicted for legitimate reasons outlined in the law, and if nonpayment of rent is the issue, they cannot be kicked out if the rent is being raised more than five percent in a year. Landlords get an exemption on the five percent rule if improvements are made to the property. Hudson's Common Council passed a similar law before, but Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson vetoed that effort, saying he wanted to give tenants more rights. Similar so-called "Good Cause" eviction laws have passed recently in Albany, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie. Of these four cities, Hudson's version of the law is the only one that does not allow landlords to remove tenants if the property is being sold. "What we're seeing is a lot of people buying property, displacing tenants and flipping them for a higher price," Johnson said. A housing report issued earlier this year.said Columbia County housing prices rose 40 percent in 12 months. Hudson will hold a public hearing on the law next month before Johnson can sign the bill into law. NOTE: Johnson is a WGXC volunteer programmer. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Emilia Teasdale reports for The Columbia Paper that both the Scenic Hudson activists and the Germantown Town Board oppose plans to construct a mooring for barges in the Hudson River near the town. The mooring would cover nearly an acre in size, for up to six large barges. They could be empty vessels waiting to be filled with loose sand and gravel at quarry docks in Catskill and Hudson, or full and awaiting transport, Scenic Hudson says. The group is particularly concerned that the mooring will be seen from the Olana State Historic Site. “The view from Olana’s front porch, a place frequented by many visitors, includes the Hudson River, as well as a direct view of the proposed barge mooring site,” which would be a “discordant element… and could be present for extended periods of time. In light of these impacts and the overwhelming opposition to the proposal from Germantown residents, whose riverfront park is very close to the mooring site, Scenic Hudson has recommended consideration of an alternative location — the large dock at the former Atlas Cement plant, about 1.3 miles south of the quarry jetty in Catskill,” Scenic Hudson says. New York State Marine Highway Transportation, a tug and barge operation from Troy, said that the docks at the quarries at Peckham in Catskill and Colarusso in Hudson are “narrow sections of the river immediately adjacent to the Navigation Channel. The proximity to the nav-channel does not afford a safe berth for multiple barges.” So the new mooring would provide a “lay-berth for barges while waiting for berth availability at the quarry’s loading facility.” On November 9, the Germantown Board passed a resolution saying that the mooring “may interfere with boating associated with the New York State Boating Launch at Lasher Park, may delay or complicate first responders’ marine responses and training” at the park as well as cause bank erosion. Read more about this story in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily headlines.

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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.

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

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.