Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that seven environmental groups are asking New York lawmakers to make it easier to buy an electrical vehicle in the state. In 2014, New York lawmakers blocked electric vehicle makers from operating independent car dealerships in the state. Only Tesla was grandfathered in, and allowed to operate five direct sales dealerships. Now the New York League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Advocates New York, Environmental Entrepreneurs, the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Sierra Club, and the Natural Resources Defense Council want that to change. “There is a critical need to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and we can take immediate action through the rapid adoption of zero-emissions vehicles across New York State,” said Julie Tighe, the president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “If New York wants to continue being leaders in the fight against climate change, we need to increase the number of (zero emissions vehicles) on the road dramatically." The state Assembly plan a hearing on transportation issues and electric vehicles next session, and may discuss direct sales of electric vehicles then. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Ted Remsnyder reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the lack of affordable housing is looming over the entire Hudson Valley, and now the Greene County Legislature is considering spending $350,000 to in the Village of Tannersville to help employees of the region’s ski resorts find a place to live. The $350,000 in funding to assist with planning, development, and acquisition costs for a workforce housing project would come from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. The money would go to a Hunter Foundation proposed development of 80 units of one-to-three-bedroom housing in Tannersville. Republican legislators Patty Handel, from Durham, and Matthew Luvera, from Catskill, delayed approval of the funding Nov. 8, asking for more information for a special meeting on Nov. 15. The entire region has an affordable housing crisis, with fewer buildings available to rent or buy, more units taken off the market as short-term rentals, few hotel rooms incentivizing more short-term rentals, and an influx of new residents. Under capitalism, the lack of supply, and increased demand causes prices to increase. “The Airbnbs have been progressively increasing up there, which is taking away the housing stock that’s available,” Greene County Legislature chair Pat Linger said. “But certainly since the pandemic started it’s at a crisis level.” Hunter legislator Larry Gardner agreed. “The situation is dire now,” Gardner said. “We have a terrible lack of supply of housing. This is not the norm, it’s a huge aberration. This isn’t some market force where housing is a little bit too high and too expensive on the mountaintop. This housing that we need for the business community and the community as a whole doesn’t exist.” Catskill Republican legislator Michael Bulich did not think the legislature should help solve the problem. “Our state income taxes are going to fund this, you’ve got federal taxes that are going to fund some of this, where does it end?” he said. “The labor situation will not go away just because we have some housing.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Andrea Macko reports at Porcupine Soup that six neighbors are suing the Blackthorne Resort, the Town of Durham, and the New York State Department of Health in an Article 78 lawsuit alleging that the Greene County resort was illegally allowed to add to its RV park. “The RV Park on the property has been developed by Blackthorne without proper permitting from the Town, DOH, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,” the lawsuit states. Blackthorne constructed two bathhouses and a dump station for the estimated 400-site RV park. The lawsuit alleges the town of Durham failed to publish supporting documents about Blackthorne’s application for the bathhouses, and gave it approval with minimal environmental scrutiny. “Petitioners claims stem, in part, from a scheme between the Town and Blackthorn to bypass the New York State’s Environmental Quality Review Act and New York’s Open Meetings Law,” the lawsuit states. Greene County Legislator Patty Handel is a co-owner of the resort, but said she would not comment until the lawsuit is over. A court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3 in Greene County Court with Hon. Adam Silverman, a judge for the New York State Court of Claims. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that on Nov. 10 the office of state Attorney General Letitia James publicly released the transcripts of interviews with the women who have accused former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct, and other witnesses in the four-month investigation of those allegations. Cuomo as governor requested the investigation last winter and resigned soon after the Aug. 3 report by outside attorneys hired by the attorney general's office. The transcripts include Cuomo saying, "I have no recollection of touching a woman on her butt.... May it have happened accidentally? Incidentally? Yes. But I don't have any recollection of purposefully touching a woman on the butt." The attorney general's office including an audio recording of Cuomo singing "Do You Love Me" by The Contours to one of the women accusing him of sexual harassment. On the transcipt, Cuomo says, "I don't even know that song," when denying he had ever sung it to the woman. Cuomo's attorney, Rita Glavin, has been calling for the public release of the transcripts for weeks. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that the Greene County District Attorney’s Office now has in its possession the surveillance footage of the October 30 incident at the Catskill police station. In that incident, Catskill resident Jason Jones was allegedly set alight when unidentified police officers used a stun gun on him inside the station. “We’re taking a look into the whole case to see if there’s anything to investigate,” Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione said. Jones’ family is also waiting to review the security camera footage, their attorney, Kevin Luibrand of the Luibrand Law Firm in Latham, said. Stanzione confirmed November 8, that his office had obtained the surveillance recording from police department and that investigators are examining the recording. The contents of the recording could play a major role in how or if the investigation moves forward, the DA said. It is alleged that Jones, 29, entered the Main Street police station at around 1:30 a.m. on October 30, and doused himself in hand sanitizer. Police say he then became hostile, turning on the officers on duty. Jones is currently being treated at the Clark Burn Center at SUNY Upstate Medical Center Hospital in Syracuse for his injuries. Stanzione said his office has been unable to obtain an update on Jones’ condition, which was listed late last week as serious. Luibrand, Jones’ attorney, said this week that he had no update on his client's condition to provide. The DA’s office is not placing a timetable on the completion of the investigation, Stanzione said. “...It’s whatever time is necessary. We just do that based on the nature of the information we receive.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Larry Rulison is reporting for the Times Union the CEO of General Electric Corporation, Larry Culp Jr. has announced his plan to break-up the company into three parts, a move that will likely have serious implications for GE's Capital Region operations, as well as the future of the company's historic Schenectady campus, where several thousand people work. Culp, a turnaround specialist renowned for reshaping companies and unlocking shareholder value, announced November 9, that he plans to spin off GE’s health care and energy businesses as standalone publicly traded companies. That would leave what remains of GE to become essentially an aviation company. The news of the breakup plan sent GE shares up more than 5 percent to $114 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock later settled at around $112.50 by midday. GE shares are up 29 percent for the year. The impact in Schenectady and in Niskayuna remains to be seen. GE employs between 3,000 and 4,000 people in Schenectady County. GE Healthcare has a digital X-ray machine assembly plant in North Greenbush with 125 workers that will eventually become part of the health care spinoff, planned for 2023. The General Electric Co. was formed when Thomas Edison merged his Edison General Electric Co. with a competing firm in 1892. It became one of the most important and iconic manufacturing and technology firms in history. Over the next 130 years, the company would make everything from power plants and light bulbs to MRI machines and jet engines. Schenectady has been the company's home since the 1920s. During World War II 40,000 people worked there. On Tuesday, local economic development officials were still in the process of assessing the potential impact of the break-up plan. Read more in the Times Union.

Steve Hughes reports in the Times Union that disputed absentee ballots that may be evidence in a State Police investigation will decide who is the next mayor in the city of Rensselaer. Republican incumbent Mayor Michael Stammel leads Democratic challenger, former Mayor Richard Mooney, by 11 votes after some of the absentee ballots in this fall's election were counted. Of the 212 absentee ballots counted on Nov. 8, Republican Election Commissioner Jason Schofield said 129 were challenged by one side or the other side. More ballots may come in by the Nov. 9 deadline, and then the election board will examine the challenged ballots beginning 10 a.m. Nov. 12. Both Democrats and Republicans have made allegations that the other side abused the practice of someone authorizing another person to pick-up and submit their sealed absentee ballot to the board of elections. As of Nov. 3, 53 of the 64 absentee ballots received by elections officials from others in Rensselaer came from Republican operatives. State Police are currently investigating these allegations, and asking anyone with information about election fraud in Rensselaer to call 518-786-2440. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman is reporting Veterans Day is Thu., Nov. 11. The Daily Freeman has a rundown of how various services and offices will be affected.
• Amtrak: Regular schedule
• Banks: Closed
• Greene and Dutchess county offices: Closed
• Federal offices: Closed
• Financial markets: Open
• Metro-North: Regular schedule
• Hudson and Cairo libraries: Closed
• Mail delivery: None
• Schools: Closed
• State offices: Closed
• Trailways: Regular schedule
Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

Steve Hughes reports in the Times Union that the Albany County Legislature voted 28-10 Nov. 8 to amend its Human Rights Law to prevent employment discrimination based on hairstyles. Wearing turbans or headwraps is now protected in Albany County. The change came after Democrat Norma Chapman said one of her constituents in the West Hill area of Albany told her that she was forced to remove her head wrap at work and was ridiculed for how her hair looked. “I had to bring it to the body because they were being discriminated against through their jobs,” Chapman said. Some Republicans were opposed to the change. “There is a state law that deals with this and I think that if this a problem, it should be amended at the state level,” Paul Burgdorf said. The legislature had headwear on its mind during the meeting, also approving a measure requiring helmets for residents who ride electric scooters or bicycles with a fine of up to $100. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Joseph Spector reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that the Federal Trade Commission signed off on the merger of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets on Nov. 8. Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets first announced the planned merger in February 2021. Price Chopper/Market 32 is based in Schenectady and operates 130 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores, employing 18,000 people. Based in Williamsville, Tops Markets operates 162 grocery stores; they are the largest private, for-profit employer in western New York with more than 14,000 associates. In Greene County, Tops has stores in Greenville, Tannersville and Coxsackie. Price Chopper has a store in Catskill. The Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorney General's office are mandating that the company sell off 12 stores to ensure competition in those parts of New York. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The Troy Record reports that Nov. 11, Veterans Day, is the latest free fishing day from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “We thank all of New York’s veterans for their service to our county and hope that the upcoming free fishing day provides an opportunity to spend time with family and friends or even the chance to introduce someone new to the sport,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “This year, anglers can expect expanded fishing opportunities throughout the State thanks to our recently implemented Trout Stream Management Plan and take advantage of a catch-and-release trout season on inland trout streams.” The state’s new catch-and-release trout stream season opened on Oct. 16 and runs through March 31. During this season, anglers must use only artificial lures and immediately release trout they catch. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

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Kate Lisa is reporting for Johnson Newspaper Corp six upstate correctional facilities will close next winter after union officials representing state corrections staff met with the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision leaders early November 8. The six prison facilities to permanently close in early 2022 include Downstate Correctional, in Fishkill, Dutchess County; Ogdensburg Correctional, in Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County; Southport Correctional, Pine City, Chemung County; Rochester Correctional, Monroe County; Willard Drug Treatment Campus, Seneca County; and Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility, in Mineville, Essex County. DOCCS spokesperson Thomas Mailey said, “New York state continues to be at the forefront of some of the nation’s most progressive criminal justice reforms by spearheading smart and fair policies that have resulted in a drastic decline in the incarcerated population.” Mailey said DOCCS had carefully reviewed operations at 50 correctional facilities statewide for potential closure. The review was based on a variety of factors including, physical infrastructure, program offerings, facility security level, specialized medical and mental health services, the proximity of other facilities and more. “If people have been paying attention to the past decade of poor decisions made by our elected leaders in Albany, today’s news shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone,” New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association President Michael Powers said in a statement. “The state’s progressive policies are costly and need to be funded somehow. Sadly, it’s at the expense of the hard-working men and women of NYSCOPBA.” As of November 8, the total incarcerated population in state correctional facilities was 31,469, a reduction of more than 12,700 people since Jan. 1, 2020, and a 56 percent decline since 1999, Mailey said. DOCCS will offer impacted employees voluntary transfer or priority employment at other facilities and state agencies following the closure, and does not anticipate related layoffs, he said Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Ravena News-Herald is reporting New York Assemblymember Chris Tague is asking his constituents in the 102nd Assembly District to take a new survey issued by the New York State Public Service Commission to evaluate the availability, quality and pricing of broadband internet service statewide for households and businesses. Constituents are requested to complete both the internet speed test and the survey on the Public Service Commission’s website to help the PSC develop a detailed internet access map and produce a report of findings and recommendations. The commission’s report will be submitted to the governor as well as Senate and Assembly leaders in May 2022. Those officials will then be able to act upon its recommendations to improve internet service in underserved areas. Residents should go to empirestatebroadband [dot] com, take the speed test, followed by the survey. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Read the full story in The Ravena News-Herald.

The New York State Office for the Aging on Mon., Nov. 8, released a presentation recognizing 90 senior honorees statewide for their volunteer service in celebration of Older New Yorkers' Day. Four community volunteers from Columbia and Greene counties were recently honored by the NYSOFA . Barbara Caldara of Earlton, Pat Collins of Chatham, Duncan MacPherson of Freehold and Shirley McThenia of Stockport were nominated by their respective county Offices for the Aging for recognition. A registered nurse, Caldara stepped up to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic. She created a spreadsheet of volunteers, assisted at weekly testing sites, and began contact tracing in Greene County. She spent days working in full PPE on the front lines to help public health staff. She has also recently been assisting with vaccine administration in multiple roles. Collins has been a regular volunteer for the Columbia County Office for the Aging's Meals on Wheels program since 1997, delivering meals in the Chatham area. A cancer survivor, she is also a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and has also helped patients with transportation to medical and treatment appointments. MacPherson helped his recently widowed neighbor with her daily routines, including housekeeping when she experienced health issues. He continues to help as a community volunteer while also continuing as a caregiver. In her 30-plus years of volunteerism, McThenia has been an active member of the Columbia Memorial Hospital Auxiliary since 1989, serving in all capacities, including a six-year period as president. She currently oversees the hospital’s patient/registration desk and schedules the volunteers who manage it. She also volunteers her time at "The Second Show," the Warren Street thrift store operated by the hospital auxiliary, is an active member of the Stockport Fire Department, and a key fundraiser for the Stockport Youth Program. Statewide, more than 935,000 people age 55 or older contribute roughly 495 million hours of service to their communities annually. This translates into a yearly economic output of $13.8 billion. Read more at aging [dot] ny [dot] gov.