Bill Williams, Kate Lisa and Natasha Vaughn are reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Catskill village resident Jason Jones, 29, was set alight when village police used a stun gun on him as he stood inside the Main Street police station on Sat., Oct. 30. The episode prompted an inquiry by the Greene County District Attorney's Office and investigators are now looking into video footage of the incident. Jones was originally taken to Albany Medical Center, but he is now being treated at the Clark Burn Center at SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital in Syracuse. As of Fri., Nov. 5, he remained in serious condition. “His condition is very serious,” said his attorney, Kevin Luibrand, of Latham. It is alleged that Jones walked into the Catskill Police station at approximately 1:30 a.m., Oct. 30. Police said he then doused himself with hand sanitizer, a potentially highly inflammable substance, and became confrontational with the officers on duty. Jones appeared to be intoxicated when he walked into the station, police said. “It’s a horrible incident to have happened in Catskill,” Catskill Police Chief David Darling said. The Catskill Police station is equipped with security cameras inside and outside the building, the chief said. “We understand there are video recordings of what happened,” Luibrand said. “We’ve requested the preservation of the video recording. I expect some opportunity to review it.” Darling declined to comment further on the situation, citing the ongoing investigation. Luibrand also declined to speak about the details of the investigation. District Attorney Joseph Stanzione declined to comment on whether criminal charges would be filed against anyone involved in the incident, saying that his office is in the early stages of the investigation. The Jones family told Luibrand they will not make a public statement at this time. “The only timeline we’re on right now with the family is to get him recovered — that’s all the family is focused on,” Luibrand said. Jones is a 2010 Catskill High School graduate. He excelled as an athlete on the basketball and track teams. Jones threw shotput and discus, and in May 2009, he won the Patroon Conference title in shotput and discus. Catskill Central School District superintendent Ronel Cook said, “I do not know all of the particulars regarding this unfortunate situation. Nevertheless, Mr. Jones is a Catskill graduate. Anyone who graduates from this fine institution is considered a member of the Catskill family. I wish Mr. Jones a speedy recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with him.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting for the Daily Freeman a state corrections officer has been charged with violating the constitutional rights of a person incarcerated at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in southern Dutchess County, federal prosecutors said November 5. Aaron Finn, of Hyde Park, was charged in a federal indictment with “deprivation of civil rights under color of law” for an incident alleged to have happened in March 2020. According to the indictment, Finn struck the man who was in DOCCS (Department of Corrections and Community Supervision) custody multiple times and “thrashed” the man's body and head while he was restrained. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement that Finn “willfully used excessive force amounting to cruel and unusual punishment against a restrained [person]….” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, “...Today’s indictment underscores that incarceration should not result in undue loss of human dignity. Unfair and illegal abuses to those serving their debt to society cannot, and will not, be tolerated by this office.” Finn faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He resigned from DOCCS in February 2021. Read more in the Daily Freeman.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that Albany County District Attorney David Soares says that his office was still "in the middle" of investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo when Sheriff Craig Apple announced a criminal complaint. Soares office now says that criminal complaint is "potentially defective" and that he has turned over potentially "exculpatory" evidence to Cuomo's defense counsel. Judge Holly A. Trexler on Nov. 5 granted a request from Soares for a 60-day extension for Cuomo to make his first court appearance on the misdemeanor forcible touching charge. Soares wrote to the judge that Apple "unilaterally and inexplicably filed a complaint in this court. Unfortunately the filings in this matter are potentially defective in that the police-officer-complainant failed to include a sworn statement by the victim such that the people could proceed with a prosecution on these papers." Apple on Nov. 5 said his office followed proper procedures, and had included the alleged victim's oath in the court filing. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup the Cairo Town Board November 4, adopted the town's $5.9 million spending plan for 2022, on a vote of 3 to 1, with one member abstaining. The vote followed a public hearing. Board member and town supervisor elect Jason Watts was the lone dissenting vote. Current Supervisor John Coyne, and board members Stephen Kralovich, and Mary Jo Cords voted for the plan while Tim Powers abstained. The 2022 tax levy increase stays under the state's 2 percent tax cap and increases town property taxes by 21 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The budget appropriates $3.4 million for the general fund and $1.8 million for the highway fund, in addition to special districts. The total amount to be raised by taxes is $4.5 million. “We’re going to have to go up in taxes. I’ve come to that conclusion,” Watts said during a budget meeting last week. “We’re not going to be able to get anything done unless we go up in taxes....I want to go over the tax cap,” he said. Coyne responded, “I don’t want to go over the tax cap. Look at the people in our community. We are one of the poorest communities in the state.” One of the issues cited by Watts was how the town was going to pay for paving the walkway at Angelo Canna Town Park. “There is no money in here for any of that to be done,” Watts said. Under an agreement with Greene County, the town would need only to supply materials for the walkway, Coyne said, and the estimated cost of blacktop is $75,000. Powers abstained from voting on the budget, arguing the town board should have more oversight on how the Cairo Public Library board uses the money. The discussion became heated at times before Coyne reminded everyone that the purpose of the hearing was to discuss the budget and that library operations could be addressed at a later date. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that the tollbooths at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge were torn down Nov. 3. Drivers with EZ-Passes are charged by an overhead gantry with the cashless tolling equipment on the west side of the bridge, and those without are sent a bill, after the gantry takes a photo of their license plate. Not all of the toll takers have been laid off. “While there will no longer be toll collecting staff in physical booths, some of the toll collecting and bridge operations staff at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge have transitioned to new part-time and full-time security technician positions to staff the facility during the same hours that the bridge was staffed prior to going cashless,” the Authority explained. “These staff members will maintain many of the operational functions that were performed by toll collecting operations staff, such as assisting with emergency response and on-site security monitoring.” The roadway transformation won't be complete until the spring. The roadway at the bridge entrance and exit on the west side of the Hudson River will be straightened then, but the transit authority has not said if the 25 mph speed limit there will remain, or if the 40 mph speed limit on the rest of the bridge will go into effect where the toll booths used to be. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that on Nov. 4 a judge sent Christopher Baldner, a state trooper from Greene County, back to jail for the murder in the death of an 11-year-old girl. Ulster County Judge Bryan Rounds denied bail for the state trooper, who ended a high-speed chase by ramming his vehicle into another car, killing the girl. Baldner’s attorney, Jonathan Ingrassia, requested Baldner be released on $100,000 bail and house arrest. But Rounds said, “based on what’s been presented here today, the court … finds that the least restrictive means necessary to ensure the return to court is to remand the defendant without bail.” Baldner faces a minimum sentence of 15-years-to-life and a maximum sentence of 25-years-to-life in state prison if convicted of second-degree murder. An Ulster County grand jury indicted the state trooper on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment after the Dec. 22, 2020 crash that killed Monica Goods. Her father, Tristan Goods, was pepper sprayed by Baldner during a traffic in Ulster County on the New York State Thruway. He then sped away, with Baldner following, and eventually, ramming the car. Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Gashi said, "The evidence from the cars will show that this was an intentional ramming and that (Baldner) instead of braking to avoid the collision, accelerated 100 percent into the back of the Goods’ vehicle and after hitting it the first time, nine seconds later he hit them a second time." Gashi suggested the state trooper could have followed Goods, called for backup, or shut down the Thruway. “Instead, he chose to intentionally ram the Goods’ vehicle two times within nine seconds and that is what caused the death of Monica Goods,” she said. And Baldner did this before, and was also indicted on charges of three counts of reckless endangerment for using his police car to ram another vehicle on the Thruway in September 2019. A grand jury concluded Baldner rammed motorist Jonathan Muthu’s 2018 Dodge Caravan, causing the driver to crash into a guardrail, then rammed the stopped vehicle. He could be sentenced to two and one-third to seven years in state prison for that incident. Baldner's lawyer said the state trooper has “deep connections” in the community, including a wife and children in Greene County, when asking for bail. More than a dozen members of the Police Benevolent Association, the state police union, attended the proceeding near supporters of Goods, including the Rev. Kevin McCall, founder of the Crisis Action Center in New York City. As the court session ended, McCall yelled out “murderer,” and later said he was prompted to yell out because of “the racist overtones that was inside the courtroom from the union and those that were inside the courtroom rolling their eyes and smiling and laughing. That’s why I screamed out, ‘he’s a murderer.’ Because that’s what he is.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Nov. 4 a multi-year study to assess the effects of climate change on New York. "Climate change is here, it's real and no state has felt its impact more than New York," Hochul said. "From hurricanes like Sandy and Ida, to seven feet of snow in Buffalo, we have seen our weather continue to grow more extreme each year. As we continue to rebuild in the wake of this pandemic, we must take a hard look at how climate change will impact our future and this study will serve as a key roadmap in informing how we can build a thriving New York in the midst of these challenges." Just in the past several months, there have been several times when over six inches of rain fell locally in a 24-hour period, two times from remnants of former hurricanes passing through the Catskills. The study will look into the state's vulnerability to such storms, and how to prepare for further complications from a warming environment. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Noah Zweifel is reporting for The Altamont Enterprise at the conclusion of an especially combative election year, the Republican candidates in Berne's contested contests this week defeated all of their Democratic opponents, according to the unofficial election results. The upcoming absentee ballot count is likely to deliver the GOP an official victory. In the supervisor race, Republican Dennis Palow, currently the town’s deputy supervisor, beat Democrat Peggy Christman, 589 votes to 562. For full-term town board seats, appointed board member Leo Vane and newcomer Thomas Doolin both won. In all, the Republicans won about 55 percent of votes to the Democrats’ 45 percent. For a two-year town board seat, left vacant because of a resignation, Republican-backed Democrat and current town clerk Anita Clayton beat Democrat Tim Lippert, 648 to 499. In the highway superintendent race, Republican incumbent Randy Bashwinger won with 622 votes, besting Democrat Barbara Kennedy with 531. For town clerk, Republican Kristin Francis beat Jean Guarino, 614 to 525. In the uncontested town justice race, the Democratic incumbents, Albert Raymond and Alan Zuk, each received slightly more than 800 votes total. For tax collector, another uncontested Democrat, Debra Flagler prevailed, but 101 people wrote in Republican Kim Collins' name. For assessor, uncontested incumbent Democrat Melanie Bunzey will remain in office. Berne Democratic Committee Chairman Kevin Crosier seemed shell-shocked after the results were released, according to Zweifel. After running down a list of some of the major scandals that have occurred in the five years since the GOP started gaining control of the town government, he said, “I mean, everything they’ve touched, they’ve messed up. Maybe people think that’s good government." Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media firefighters from eight companies battled a fast-moving fire November 3 that destroyed a Hunter residence used as a short-term rental, Hunter Fire Chief John Laveglia said. The two-story, five-bedroom log home, at 196 Pine Lane, was listed on Airbnb, Laveglia said. Eight Greene County fire companies responded to fight the fully involved blaze for hours. No one was present in the home when the fire broke out, Laveglia said. Greene County 911 dispatched the Hunter Fire Company to the scene at approximately 10:30 p.m. A neighbor reported the fire after smelling smoke and seeing flames coming from the house. Crews battled the fire for nearly five hours. There were no reported injuries to firefighters, Laveglia said. The Greene County Cause and Origin Team is investigating the cause, but it is not believed to be suspicious, the chief said. The house is a total loss. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on November 4, endorsed Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin's campaign for governor, calling it a "historic opportunity" for the state. "This historic American state can finally get a leader who will lower its record-high taxes, who is small-business oriented, who will create jobs, and who stands with police!" Gingrich said in a statement. "That’s why I am proud to wholeheartedly support Lee in his mission to Save New York once and for all. ...” Gingrich served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999 and was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 2012. Zeldin, a Long Island House member, has been dubbed the "presumptive nominee" by the state GOP committee after winning a straw poll this summer. However, he will face several rivals for the nomination next summer, including former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, former Trump White House aide Andrew Giuliani and activist Derrick Gibson. Zeldin also voted against certifying the presidential election results on Jan. 6, even though there was no proven fraud. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that COVID-19 vaccinations for children between the ages of 5 and 11 begin next week in Ulster County. Children can get their first Pfizer shot at the former Best Buy store in the Hudson Valley Mall between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 and between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Nov. 13. Appointments must be made at vaccinateulster.com and children must be accompanied by parents in order to give their consent. Meanwhile, COVID-19 case counts are still up in Greene and Columbia counties. Columbia County reported 10 new cases Nov. 4, and 26 new cases Nov. 3 with 85 active cases. Greene County reported 12 new cases Nov. 4, and 39 new cases on Nov. 3.

Today's daily news update.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law Nov. 3 to study whether there should be more education programs in state prisons. "When incarcerated individuals reenter society, it's critical we ensure they are prepared and ready to forge a path for themselves and their families," Hochul said. "By embarking on a detailed study of how we can improve education for those who are incarcerated, we will be able to identify and implement the programs and resources necessary for ensuring those who are reentering society have the best shot at success. This not only benefits the individual and their families, but the community at large, as well." A nine-member panel appointed by Hochul and the majority and minority parties in the Assembly and Senate, will make recommendations on the issue. In 2014, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported a plan to provide access to college courses for people prison, until he backed off after a bipartisan backlash. Then in 2017 the Cuomo's administration spent $7 million on colleges providing courses to people in prison to reduce recidivism. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Bill Williams reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on Nov. 1 an inmate at Coxsackie Correctional Facility beat on a corrections officer, who was taken to Albany Medical Center, union officials said Nov. 2. The officer was treated for swelling on the right side of his face, a small cut under his right eye, and abrasions on his elbow and shoulder, according to James Miller, director of public relations for the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association. The attacker was only identified by Miller by his previous crime: he is serving a three-year sentence for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a firearm. State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision never releases the names of correction officers nor inmates involved in altercations. Union officials implied they could predict this attack, and wanted to place the prisoner in solitary confinement before the incident, as they used the attack to bash the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement, or HALT, Act passed in March, which went into effect Nov. 1. The new law prohibits incarcerated people in special populations from being sentenced to solitary confinement and limits their keep-lock placement to 48 hours. Bill Williams reports for Columbia-Greene Media

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that little is being done to protect the world's first known forest found in Cairo in Greene County. So far, officials are applying for a few grants, and discussing concrete barriers. Cairo had been seeking a Community Development Block Grant in March to fund a feasibility study, but gave up after the state employee the town was communicating with lost their job, according to Cairo resident Joe Hasenkopf, who leads the town committee in charge of preserving the site. Now State Senator Michelle Hinchey wants to help Cairo apply for a State and Municipal Facilities Grant to protect the historic site. Currently "a ring of boulders and a layer of gravel that mostly covers the fossils" is the only protection from the ATV riders who speed past the site that's on town property. Hasenkopf says the town wants to install about 1,100 feet of concrete Jersey barriers with 6-to-8 feet of fencing on top. Scientists from SUNY Binghamton and Cardiff University in England "discovered" the former Cairo quarry in 2009, and published their findings in Current Biology in December 2019. Over 150 specimens from the Cairo site are in the New York State Museum. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily headlines.

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