Voting this year ends today, Nov. 2, with town posts, countywide positions, five statewide ballot propositions, and a few state Supreme Court seats at stake. Voting began Oct. 23 this year, and ends today with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.. Absentee ballots in this year's election can be mailed in through Nov. 2. One change in this election: A new state law passed in 2021, restores the right to vote for a person convicted of a felony upon release from incarceration, regardless of if they are on parole or have a term of post-release supervision. If a convicted felon is not incarcerated, they are now eligible to register to vote in New York.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a lockout of all buildings in the Ichabod Crane school district on November 1, lasted approximately 30 minutes. A lockout means there was thought to a possible threat outside of the school, The threat that gave rise to district officials taking the action in Kinderhook on Monday was later determined to be false. “Our high school principal was notified by a parent of a possible threat to the campus,” Ichabod Crane School Superintendent Suzanne Guntlow said. “Out of an abundance of caution, while we investigated with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office we put the buildings on lockout.” The lockout keeps students in the buildings and prevents visitors from entering, Guntlow said. “It was first thing this morning; it only lasted about half-an-hour,” she said. The superintendent said she could not reveal any other details about the incident. The tip was shared by a parent with the high school principal and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office investigated, she said. The county Sheriff’s Office deferred all questions to the school district. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media two candidates will face off in the November 2 general election for Coeymans Town Supervisor: Incumbent Republican George McHugh and Democrat Cindy Rowzee. McHugh, 56, is a lifelong resident of Albany County. He is an attorney by profession and is seeking his second consecutive term. He previously served as town supervisor from 2000 to 2001. McHugh served in the U.S. Army for 30 years and retired honorably with the rank of colonel in 2017. He is running on the Republican and Conservative lines. McHugh believes the top issue facing the town of Coeymans "continues to be striking the proper balance between being a great place to work and also being a great place to live and raise a family. Just like in our own personal lives, Coeymans must strike a balance. The balance in this case being between developing industry and job creation, while at the same time maintaining a healthy and safe environment so that our children and young people choose Coeymans as a place to live and raise families." Rowzee, 45, has lived in the county for more than 10 years and currently resides in the village of Ravena. She has served as the Town of Coeymans Clerk for nearly four years; her term expires December 31. Rowzee is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Rowzee believes the top issue facing the community is the lack of economic development. "If we are able to bring in more small businesses many other problems will fix themselves. More businesses will bring less vacant buildings, less crime, a more beautiful 9W corridor and Main Street, more sales tax revenue, more property tax revenue, more residents and an improved quality of life," she said. Read the full story story in The Ravena News-Herald

Robert Gavin is reporting for the Times Union  the United States Supreme Court November 1, issued a decision vacating a New York appellate court decision in a lawsuit brought by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany that challenged the state's mandate that required employers to offer abortion services as part of health insurance benefits. The diocese challenged a 2017 regulation that included what opponents argued was an excessively narrow religious exemption. “We are gratified and grateful that the Supreme Court has recognized the serious constitutional concerns over New York state’s heavy-handed abortion mandate on religious employers,” Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said in a statement. The bishop said he was “confident that ... the unconstitutional regulatory action taken by New York state will ultimately be completely overturned as incompatible with our country’s First Amendment guarantee of religious liberty.” The case will be reconsidered. The decision was credited to Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, members of the court's conservative majority. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the area. Spectrum News reports that in Pittsfield, in Western Massachusetts, the rate of cases is the highest it’s been since April. There are now 34 positive cases per 100,000 people there, and the positive test rate is also climbing, up to 3.6 percent. There are now 108 actives cases of COVID-19 in Pittsfield, which is also the highest since April. The Daily Freeman reports a smaller uptick in cases in Dutchess and Ulster counties. In Ulster County there were 458 with COVID-19 as of Oct. 31, up seven from the day before. Ulster County reported 284 coronavirus cases Oct. 29, up 17 from the the day before. In Columbia County, officials reported 12 new cases Oct. 30, and 11 more Oct. 29. Greene County, with a smaller population, announced more new cases than that, with 18 more on Oct. 29. In Albany County, officials announced another death Nov. 1. But the number of cases there dropped to 52, down from 83 new cases reported on Oct. 31, the Times Union reports.

Nick Reisman reports for Spectrum News that New York's court system is backed up because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is not because of court workers not getting vaccinated. Chief Judge Janet DiFiore says "almost 100 percent of our judges and professional staff" have submitted either proof of vaccination or a medical/religious exemption. But the mix of in-person trials and video conferencing during the pandemic has slowed the courts down. On Nov. 1 DiFiore said court officials were asking state leaders to put "modifications to the current social distancing rules" to increase trial capacity, even in the face of persistent case counts locally. "Now, we are all aware that the pending dockets in some of our courts have grown in response to the extended impact of the pandemic on court operations. But we cannot, and of course, we will not, use the public health crisis as an excuse for mounting backlogs in those courts," she said. "We have an obligation to move and resolve cases efficiently and promptly, and we are determined to get back to the outstanding progress that we were making under the Excellence Initiative to manage our dockets efficiently and effectively." Read more about this story in Spectrum News.

Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the day after an Oct. 21 letter from Hudson First Ward Alderperson Jane Trombley to Mayor Kamal Johnson “insisting” Hudson Corporate Counsel Cheryl Roberts recuse herself from matters involving A. Colarusso and Sons, Roberts agreed. Roberts is also executive director of the nonprofit Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice. That nonprofit got a land donation from Colarusso in May for the development of a “wellness hub.” Roberts said the claims of conflict are “unfounded” but still agreed to recuse herself in any matters involving the company, which works on many projects for the city. Trombley said, “That was it. Not that there was any wrongdoing, not that it affected her decisions. But the appearance just was way too close for my taste.” A. Colarusso and Sons runs a sand and gravel mine, stone quarry, and blacktop plant in Greenport. “If there was a conflict, I would have recused myself long ago,” Roberts said in a statement. “There is nothing secret about the proposed land donation.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Today's daily headlines.

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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."