Today's daily headlines.

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

William J. Kemble reports in the Daily Freeman that a second court ruled on Oct. 29 that there should be a voting location on the Bard College campus. Republicans have tried for years to block a polling location on the Dutchess County college's campus, to make it less convenient for the students to vote. On Oct. 29 State Supreme Court Judge Maria Rose agreed with an earlier court decision to allow voting locations at the school’s Bertelsmann Campus Center as well as St. John the Evangelist Church at 1114 River Road. Bard College officials said this was a two-year, expensive effort by Dutchess County Republican Elections Commissioner Erik Haight to make it more difficult for students to cast ballots. “It is unfortunate that the county leadership has condoned, actively or through their silence, Commissioner Haight’s efforts to undermine democracy, even as he has now wasted well over $100,000 of taxpayer money over the past decade in failed attempts at voter suppression that have been repeatedly rejected by the courts,” Bard College Executive Vice President Jonathan Becker said. Haight could not be reached for comment. A four-judge panel wrote Rosa had properly determined that Haight’s decision “was arbitrary and capricious” and the court ruling had “properly directed” that both the college and church be used for the Nov. 2 elections. he Andrew Goodman Foundation, Election@Bard student group, student Sadia Saba, Vice President for Student Affairs Erin Cannan, and Bard College President Leon Botstein filed the lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Poughkeepsie. Nov. 2 is election day. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media has a rundown of the races in the Stuyvesant general election, Tue., Nov. 2. Two candidates are in the race for Stuyvesant Town Supervisor: Lee Jamison is challenging incumbent Ron Knott. Jamison, 71, has lived in Columbia County for 40 years. She is a psychiatric social worker and has spent her career working with people with developmental disabilities at Coarc and Camphill. She has served on the Columbia County Community Services Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Subcommittee. Jamison is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Jamison said the top issue facing Stuyvesant is the affordable, accessible, rural broadband. She said, the lack of service, "...affects economic development, job opportunities, health care, social justice, access to information and education." Knott, 66, has lived in the county for 62 years. He is a retired HVAC technician. Knott is running on the Republican and Conservative lines. He has served as supervisor for 10 years and before that he was a town board member for six years. Knott says the top issue facing Stuyvesant are the land use issues raised as the town continues to maintain an agriculture community. "We need to continue to update our zoning code to work with changing needs," Knott said. Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Stuyvesant Town Board: Mark Burch, Brian Chittenden, David Quinn and William Schneider. Burch, 48, has been resident of the county for 36 years. He is employed as a teacher and is running on the Democratic line. Burch previously served for two years on the county Environmental Management Council. He sees Infrastructure, including broadband access; assessments and taxes as the top issues in Stuyvesant. Quinn, 55, has lived in the county for 12 years. He is employed as the senior director of finance and business operations at The Olana Partnership. Quinn is running on the Conservative and Republican lines. He is the former Stuyvesant Fire District Commissioner. Quinn sees fiscal responsibility and broadband for town residents as the main priorities for Stuyvesant. Incumbent Schneider, 71, grew up in Hudson and has lived in Stuyvesant since 1987. He retired in 2014 as the principal at Ichabod Crane High School. Schneider is seeking his second term on the board. Schneider is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. He said the top issue facing Stuyvesant is broadband access for everyone. He is most proud of improving the town website and upgrading the town hall internet access. Incumbent Chittenden, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines, failed respond to repeated requests for information. Read both stories at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup a portion of Hervey Street in Durham will remain closed for at least another 10 days after heavy rains destroyed part of the roadway last week, according to Durham Town Supervisor Shawn Marriott. “Two eight-foot round culvert pipes became clogged with debris during the storm,” Marriott said. “The water has to go somewhere, so it eroded the earth above, below and around the pipes until the road gave way,” he added. The section of the road that is closed is between Sherwood Forest Road and Golden Hill Road where Cornwallville Creek runs underneath. Marriott said the town highway department is working hard to get the road reopened as quickly as possible. “Much like many other supplies, culvert pipes are back-ordered and difficult to obtain,” Marriott said. “Durham has waited upwards of six months for culverts to become available for other projects.” He said the Greene County Highway Department has loaned Durham two used culvert pipes, which will allow the town to get the road reopened much sooner. “Next spring, we will look to remove the used culverts and install an upgraded system to attempt to keep this issue from happening again," he said. The preliminary price tag for the repairs is $175,000. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media New York Attorney General Letitia James October 29, announced $4.4 million in refunds for customers that purchased tickets for shows and concerts that were later canceled due to COVID-19. James announced an agreement with Ticket Fulfillment Services, or TFS, along with five affiliated ticket resale websites for failing to provide the legally required refunds to more than 11,000 customers who bought tickets at the beginning of the pandemic. State law requires companies that facilitate ticket resales to guarantee refunds to customers in the event of a cancellation, according to James’ announcement. The AG's office said these companies collectively denied $4.4 million in refunds. Beginning in April 2020, TFS allowed five of its 11 affiliates to change its policy from providing customers with cash refunds for canceled events to one that instead gives a customer credit toward future ticket purchases. The AG’s office said the company also revised the online Terms of Services, but removed any reference to the policy change. TFS will now guarantee refunds regardless of the affiliate marketer’s ability or willingness to refund its consumer if the event was canceled. The company will also discontinue an affiliate’s right to sell tickets through its platform if that affiliate fails to offer or intends to deny a refund to a consumer. Anyone wishing to claim a refund is encouraged to contact customer support for the website they used to purchase their ticket. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the tollbooths on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge are scheduled to be torn down in the coming week, according to a New York State Bridge Authority spokesman. The bridge will convert to cashless tolling on November 1, with drivers passing under an electronic gantry to pay their toll. Vehicles with an E-ZPass will have the toll automatically deducted from their account. License plates will be photographed on vehicles without an E-ZPass and the registered owner will be billed by mail. The toll booths at the bridge are expected to be demolished shortly thereafter. “We expect to remove the tollbooths within a week after the November 1 launch date at the Rip Van Winkle,” said Public Information Officer Chris Steber from the Bridge Authority. “Eastbound vehicles will be proceeding in a single lane through what is now Lane 1.” Further work is expected at the toll plaza in 2022. “In the spring, we’ll begin paving and rehabilitating the toll plaza area to its final configuration,” Steber said. The tollbooths were constructed in 2003 and are not historic or replicas of prior tollbooths, the spokesperson added. “By removing them, we can ensure the roadway remains clear of obstructions,” he said. “It will also prevent motorists from mistakenly slowing down, thinking they need to stop at a tollbooth.” All five bridges under the jurisdiction of the Bridge Authority are shifting to cashless tolling by March 2022. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup Greenville High School's undefeated varsity boys soccer team goes up against Mechanicville for the Section 2, Class B finals on Mon., Nov. 1. Since their first sectional game of the season on October 20, the Spartans have taken down Ichabod Crane, Glens Falls and Cohoes. “The current group of kids is certainly spectacular,” says Coach Nate Forrest, “they have been responsive to any changes to tactics that I have purposed, come ready to work every practice and with their collective soccer IQ they are able to help provide feedback to me based on what they see on the field...” The boys have maintained a perfect record of 28 and 0 across the last two seasons, Forrest said. During that time, they outscored opponents with 132 goals for and only five against. This team this year includes seniors Liam Bowden, Evan Cotter, Bernard Davis, Joey Domermuth, Isaiah Edmonds, Cole Flannery, Peyton Gergen, Eric Heath, Jack Motta, Simon Uht, and Troy Wank; juniors Kaden Bensen, Benjamin Reinhard, Ellis Snyder, and Nicholas Trostle; and sophomores Joseph Davis, Harrison McAneny, and Caleb Motta. Forrest, in his eighth season as the varsity coach, said the game on Monday may be the biggest challenge the team has faced yet as they travel to the sectional final to face the Mechanicville Red Raiders, another undefeated team. The winner of that contest will move to the subregional contest. The game Monday starts at 4 p.m. at Colonie High School. Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper on the race for Kinderhook Town Supervisor between Democrat Matthew Nelson and Republican Timothy Ooms. Current town Supervisor Patsy Leader is not seeking reelection. Nelson, 42, was elected to the Ichabod Crane Board of Education in 2016 and has served as its president since 2018. He is employed as a commercial mortgage lender. In addition to this school board service, Nelson noted that his contributions to the community include service on the town’s Board of Assessment Review, his role as an active volunteer with the Columbia Friends of the Electric Trail and as an active parishioner at St. John the Baptist Church. He “has dedicated his life to public service and feels strongly about the important role that citizens play in making their communities stronger and better." Nelson is also a regional representative to the Capital Region’s Regional Economic Development Council and a longtime board member of the state Rural Housing Coalition. Nelson wants to preserve the character and feel of the town. He understands that positive growth and development will ensure a strong and stable community for all residents. He is running on both the Democratic and Kinderhook United ballot lines. Ooms, 54, has served on the town board since 2012, and as deputy supervisor since 2020. Ooms is endorsed by both the Republican and Conservative parties. He is a dairy farmer and partner in A. Ooms and Sons Dairy in Valatie. “It has been a pleasure serving on the town board for the past 10 years, and the past two years as deputy supervisor. ... As a dairy farmer and business owner, my tenure on the town board, deputy supervisor, and the chairmanship of numerous other committees, I have the experience necessary for the position. Having served on the board, I am most proud of being part of the team that has lowered taxes without cutting any services to the town," he said in a statement. "We have also acquired Martin H. Glynn and repurposed it into spacious community center, ..." Ooms said the board is currently working on updating the town's failing water infrastructure and improving its website for better communication. In addition to the race for supervisor, there are two town board seats on the ballot: incumbent Debbie Johnson and Sean Casey, currently a member of the Valatie Village Board, are running on the Republican and Conservative lines; Jill Mescia and Melissa Miller are running on the Democratic and Kinderhook United lines. Also on the ballot is unopposed incumbent Town Justice Lisa M. Mills, running on the Republican and Conservative lines. And current town Highway Superintendent John Ruchel, running on the Democratic and Republican lines, is also unopposed. Kinderhook voters will also be asked to vote on a library funding proposal Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily news update.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul on Oct. 28 signed three bills intended to close loopholes in the state's gun laws. The new laws prohibit the sale of anonymous "ghost guns," prohibit making or possessing real weapons made to look like child's toys, and prohibit the possession of unfinished gun frames and receivers by anyone other than a licensed gunsmith. "We're just getting started, and we're not going to stop until we know that every New Yorker feels safe and secure, and that individuals do not feel that their only option in life is to turn to crime," Hochul said. Two other bills focused on researching gun violence were also delivered to her on Oct. 27, but she has not yet signed those into law. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Raymond Pignone rounds up election information for Columbia-Greene Media about the nine candidates from Catskill running for four seats on the Greene County Legislature. Neva E. Wartell is running on the Democratic and Working Families, and is a WGXC volunteer programmer. She says she is running for her first elective office on a “Greene New Deal" with key issues key issues including "housing, food and health care; expanding our infrastructure; creating viable employment; and revitalizing our agricultural sector." Linda Overbaugh is an incumbent running on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines. Overbaugh is a former real estate broker and business owner, and says when asked what the top issue in the county is: "I look for ways to provide essential services and use county resources for desirable economic growth." Matthew Luvera is an incumbent running on the Republican and Conservative lines, and the newspaper does not disclose that they distribute his video program. He says "promoting business growth, local history and tourism to benefit Greene County" is the top issue in the election. Jack Keller is an incumbent on the Republican and Conservative lines. He is a former owner of Pitstop Discount Beverages and worked in advertising for Young Broadcasting, Clear Channel, and Turner Broadcasting. Asked about the top issue in the campaign, he responded: "I have worked cooperatively with village, town and county officials and I will continue to do that." Jeff Friedman is the Executive Director of Greene County Chamber of Commerce running on Democrat and Catskill United lines. He says the top issue is, "The need for a comprehensive and well-executed economic development plan to create good paying jobs, sustainable industries that are resilient and positioned for future growth and will help attract families to come live and work here." Melanie Flannery is running on the Working Families line, but did not provide the newspaper with any information about her campaign. Doreen Davis is a former Catskill Town Supervisor and retired pharmaceutical executive running on the Democrat and Catskill United lines. She says, "If we examine the communities around us; Coxsackie, Athens, Cairo, Greenville, you will see significant investment either through work with the federal or state government or through the attraction of private investors," while Catskill waits for action at the thruway exit site. Monique Chestnut is running on the Democrat and Working Families lines, but did not provide any information to the newspaper. Michael Bulich is an incumbent, and the owner of the Bulich Mushroom Farm, running on the Republican and Conservative lines. He says the top issue in the election is "standing with property owners and business owners over government growth."

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that the Department of Environmental Conservation claimed on Oct. 28 that there would be no long-term environmental effects from a massive scrapyard fire the day before at the Port of Coeymans. An air quality warning was issued for Columbia County on October 27, because of smoke from the large scrap metal fire at Eastern Metal Recycling. The fire department in Hudson was dispatched to Columbia Memorial hospital because of the smell of smoke, which turned out to be from the Coeymans fire. “DEC coordinated with state and local fire crews to monitor the scene and contain runoff from firefighting efforts,” a DEC statement read. “No long-term impacts to the environment are anticipated.” The Town of Coeymans released its own statement, explaining how officials thought the fire began. “The fire started in a scrap metal pile consisting of crushed cars, appliances, and light scrap metal. It is suspected that a battery in one of the crushed cars had shorted and started the fire. The fire originated deep in the scrap pile and spread throughout the pile. There was not any activity in the area at the time of the fire, no hot work or welding,” the statement said. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Today's daily headlines.

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

Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Jonah E. Bromwich are reporting for The New York Times that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was charged October 28, with groping a female aide’s breast “for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires,” according to a criminal complaint filed in Albany City Court. The complaint was based on allegations made by one of many women whose accusations of sexual harassment against Cuomo formed the basis of a state attorney general’s report that eventually led to his August resignation. Cuomo, who has spent time living on Long Island since his resignation, will now be required to appear in court in Albany on Nov. 17 to be arraigned on a charge of forcible touching. The criminal complaint centers on an alleged interaction between Cuomo and an aide in the governor’s residence in Albany on Dec. 7, 2020. The charge caught Albany District Attorney David Soares by surprise. He said in a statement that, “like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn” about the complaint filed by the county’s sheriff, Craig Apple. In such investigations, prosecutors and local police departments typically work together in initiating the criminal process. Cuomo’s personal lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement the governor had “never assaulted anyone” and described Apple’s motives as “patently improper.” She criticized him for not communicating with the district attorney and accused him of effectively pronouncing the governor guilty at a news conference earlier this year before an investigation by his office had concluded. “This is not professional law enforcement,” she said. “This is politics.” Forcible touching is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. It is not an unusual charge, and it can be brought in cases in which prosecutors are unable to prove that touching was done for sexual purposes. Read the full story in The New York Times.

Chris Bragg reports in the Times Union that Zephyr Teachout, who voters in New York's 19th Congressional District have seen on the ballot three times recently, is running again next year, for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Teachout previously ran for governor in 2014, losing to incumbent Andrew Cuomo; for Congress in 2016, losing to Republican John Faso; and losing a four-way primary for attorney general in 2018. On Oct. 28 the Fordham Law professor registered a campaign committee to raise money to run for attorney general again. Current Attorney General Letitia James intends to run for governor against incumbent Kathy Hochul, making room for Teachout's campaign. There have been reports about others considering a run for attorney general, including Queens State Sen. Michael Gianaris, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Democrats Tiffany Garriga [Gae-REEH-guh] and Abdus Miah [Aahb-doose ME-yah] are competing for the Hudson 2nd Ward supervisor seat. Garriga [Gae-REEH-guh], 43, has lived in Columbia County for 20 years. She is employed as an office manager and business owner and is the co-founder of two organizations. She is also vice-chair of It Can Happen To You, a criminal justice reform organization. Garriga has been the Hudson Common Council Majority Leader for seven years and is serving as the 2nd Ward Alderperson. Her name appears on the Working Families line. The top issue facing the city is ADA compliance, Garriga said. She is proud that citizens will now have the ramp they have been requesting for years in the park at Promenade Hill, off of Front Street. "I am very proud that I managed to have the money secured and allocated for the ramp. ... I am also happy and proud of helping to secure housing in the city [as well as] support for housing in the city," Garriga said. "The people in the 2nd Ward know I am an elected official that they can rely on." Incumbent Miah [ME-yah], 60, has lived in the county for 25 years. He is employed as a front-end associate at the Home Depot Catskill store. His name appears on the Democratic and Conservative ballot lines. Miah previous served as the 2nd Ward Alderperson for 11 years and has held the 2nd Ward seat on the Board of Supervisors for four years. "Many people in the U.S. are facing the economic and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community people are out of work and struggling to afford adequate food and pay the rent, etc. I will work with the county to support and help our communities like donating food, medical supplies, supporting local businesses, check-in on seniors or the disabled in your neighborhood, and so on," Miah said. His other issues of concern: Public safety, housing affordability and job availability. "I believe I will be a good supervisor because of my previous political background as well as my work on the diversity/minority peoples in the community. I am one of the candidates who has more experience, has been more dedicated, serving many years in the Hudson community in so many areas," Miah said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Hudson Hall, October 28, announced the return of Winter Walk, this year marking its 25th anniversary. The yearly celebration will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 4, and feature an assemblage of outdoor attractions, "including locally grown music, art, dance and family fun," according to a press release. Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb says, "Given the high number of partially or fully vaccinated residents in our county and state, we are in a totally different place than we were in 2020. Winter Walk is an event that many look forward to each year and one that promotes community spirit and good will. With the focus on outdoor activities, we look forward to celebrating Winter Walk's 25th Anniversary on December 4." Hudson Hall has also announced the winners of the Winter Walk 25th Anniversary Artist Grant Program. Created to honor the diversity, ingenuity and perseverance of Hudson’s creative community, the $15,000 in grant funds given to artists and creative teams provides financial support to help create work to be featured at the December 4 event. Recipients of the 25th Anniversary Winter Walk Artist Grants include: Artschatz, Diata Diata International Folkloric Theater, Dmitry Wild, Flow Chart Foundation, the Hudson Festival Orchestra, Jonah Bokaer Choreography, sound artist MMS, experimental jazz group Microfauna and others. The Hudson Opera House produced its first Winter Walk in 1997 to help bring foot traffic back to Warren Street after a long period of decline. Today, Winter Walk covers the full mile-long stretch of Hudson’s main street, and beyond, on the first Saturday in December. Voted Best Winter Community Event numerous times, Winter Walk kicks off the holiday season by highlighting the shops, galleries and restaurants and artistic community behind the city’s creative economy. Read more at hudsonhall [dot] org or phone (518) 822-1438.

Today's daily news update.