Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that the Correctional Association of New York gave mixed reviews in audits to two state prisons in Naponoch, in Ulster County, with allegations of abuse and inmates reporting spotty access to essential services. The group talked with the prison population and staff members, and observed prison conditions. One-third of inmates said they had witnessed or experienced some form of physical or verbal abuse, although positive reports of staff treatment were higher than in other similar prisons. There were 10 reports of Ulster County prison staff using the “n-word” while addressing inmates. Jennifer Scaife, the association’s executive director. Jennifer Scaife, the the Correctional Association of New York's executive director, said, “Our visits to Ulster and Eastern (state prisons) highlighted many promising practices and programs that should be replicated in facilities across the state.... Nevertheless, a number of (the associaton's) findings related to the provision of basic services highlight the persistent challenges faced by (the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision), challenges that are hardly unique to Ulster and Eastern.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

WNYT reports that the Columbia-Greene Humane Society is waiving adoption fees in December. An anonymous donor is covering all adoption fees. That includes cats, dogs, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Read more about this story at WNYT.

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Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that an analysis about the universal basic monthly income program in Kingston found that participants reported improved financial health, an increased sense of self-worth, and an enhanced quality of life. The analysis was conducted by the University of Pennslyvania. There is a similar program in the city of Hudson. Former Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who now represents the area in Congress, initiated the program. Participants received a guaranteed monthly income of $500 a month for 14 months, with the amount decreasing in each of the last three months of the program. The report said, “Findings from the pilot indicate that despite the extraordinary stressors of the global pandemic and unprecedented, nation-wide inflation, the treatment group held steady or improved in many of the primary outcomes measured, while these same outcomes declined for the control group. Although the treatment group exhibited minor declines in specific areas such as psychological distress, on average they experienced greater improvements in financial health, physical health, housing, and food security compared to the control group. Further, these stable and positive trends among GI recipients held steady even after the cash disbursements... ended.” Leah, who received $500 a month, said, “[Before the program] I wouldn’t have gone to the doctors because — I had always, you know, going back to like the things that I cut out. Like doctor’s appointments. I didn’t even think about doctor’s appointments because I just was like, whatever. You know, I don’t need to get my teeth cleaned.” The study found 50 percent of those in the program were employed full-time at the start, compared to 32 percent in the control group. At the end of the program, 59 percent of the recipients were employed full-time while only 47 percent were in the control group. Current Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, “We now have measurable data from our own county indicating that cash assistance helps reduce poverty and its associated risks and harms while enabling our residents to gain more agency and control over their lives." Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that State Route 23A in Hunter and Tannersville will be resurfaced from Route 296 to Scribner Hollow Road, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced on Nov. 28. $1.1 million out of a $100 million funding package will go to the mountain road in Greene County. Hochul said, “From a devastating blizzard to historic flooding, we are living in a time of record-breaking weather events which have left many roads across New York State in need of repair and rejuvenation.... This $100 million will lengthen the lifespan of dozens of roads across the State, making them more resilient in the face of future extreme weather conditions.” The resurfacing work will happen in the spring of 2024. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Jack Arpey reports in New York State of Politics that last week New York's Court of Appeals ruled that bicyclists have the same rights as motor vehicle drivers in traffic stops. The court ruled that traffic stops associated with bicycles should require the same standard for police as automobile stops. Daniel Lambright, senior staff attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said, “Biking is often thought of as a leisurely activity but it’s becoming more integrated into the daily lives of individuals.... It’s important to protect them and make sure they aren’t being stopped on a whim by an officer with a mere suspicion.” Peter Kehoe, executive director of the New York Sheriff’s Association, disagreed with the court, saying, “Even though their intuition tells them something is wrong, there isn’t enough probable cause or reasonable suspicion to stop that person, so they can’t stop them.” Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that Assemblyperson Sarahana Shrestha met on Nov. 21 with top executives of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. and explained her opposition to proposed rate increases. She said, “At our in-person meeting, I explained our position for why we want to see a rate decrease.... Our constituents feel more helpless than angry at this point, and while we recognize other sources of economic pressure, especially housing, we reiterated to CEO Capone that a rate increase would worsen people’s trust in Central Hudson.” Central Hudson wants the New York Public Service Commission to approve their request to increase electric rates by 16 percent and natural gas rates by 19 percent. The company is under investigation by the Department of Public Service because of billing problems. Central Hudson spokesperson Joseph Jenkins said of the meeting with Shrestha that, “The two discussed many of the key initiatives that Central Hudson is working on now, including the implementation of our monthly meter reading plan and the current performance metrics of our billing system." Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

The Ancram Opera House is the last local opera house to give up its name. In early American history the Preservation League of New York State says, "The opera house was not only a venue for theater and cultural activities, but also functioned as the heart of a community and a gathering place to relax and socialize." In 2017, the Hudson Opera House abandoned the name, switching to Hudson Hall. Now the Ancram Opera House announced on Nov. 25 that the Ancram Opera House will now be called the Ancram Center for the Arts. They said they made the change because they are also using a neighboring building to the Ancram Opera House, which they call The Annex. Their social media statement about the change said, "The expansion underway has inspired this pivotal change, aligning our identity more closely with our vibrant array of performances and community events. While celebrating a rich heritage, Ancram Center embraces a forward-looking approach to enriching the region through the arts for years to come."

Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that Susan Lisbin, a Catskill resident and one of the Ceramics Open Studio students at Columbia-Greene Community College will be the first artist with a permanent outdoor sculpture on the school's campus. The sculpture called "Presence" is taller than most people and almost looks human-like, with two thick legs, and an assortment of protrusions. Lisbin said, “The work was very physical―working with a few hundred pounds of clay and, at times, standing on a table to reach the sculpture.... Each section had to be fired separately with a few strong people lifting the piece into the kiln.” Lisbin donated the sculpture to the college, which will be placed in front of the Arts Building. The sculpture will be dedicated at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 30, and members of the public are welcome to attend. Read more about this story for Porcupine Soup.

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

Shayla Colon reports in the Times Union that while climate change is bringing all sorts of negative outcomes locally, there also may be a few silver linings. Peter Girard, a spokesperson for Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes climate data, said, “[But] the detriments outweigh the benefits.” There are fewer droughts locally, said Mark Wysocki, a senior lecturer of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell. And there are longer growing seasons now, and as the climate continues to warm, there will be potentially cheaper heating bills and less fossil fuels burned. But each of the benefits has negative side effects. Hudson Valley residents could pay less for heating with climate change, but more for air conditioning in the summer. More precipitation could mean more snow for local resorts, but only if it is cold enough. The story also says, "A warmer climate could also breed more pollinator plants that trigger allergies and create conditions that attract pests such as ticks, which threaten crops and breed disease as well." And Girard says that increased precipitation, “In theory, that helps insulate against drought. In practice, it’s coming with an intensity increase in rainfall, which means it’s coming all at once more and more frequently. So, it’s harder to store, harder to manage [and] causes immense amounts of damage.” But Wysocki from Cornell said, “No matter how much you try to look at the positives, [the] negatives outweigh the positives greatly. It’s not just slight differences, it’s a huge difference." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Michael Ryan reports for the Mountain Eagle that the Town of Windham acted "illegally and unconstitutionally" in a water matter with a resident who has run for Town Supervisor twice. Windham claimed that Nick Bove illegally tapped into the town's water system at his cafe business and on a rental property, laying pipeline but not installing meters. On June 27, 2022, Windham town board members sent Bove a $100 fine for each of the two hookups, stating, “such violation is defined as criminal tampering, as defined in the [New York State] penal law.” Bove confirmed the water meters had been on since 2021. But Greene County Supreme Court Judge Richard Mott ruled that, "guilt was determined and a penalty imposed prior to [Bove] having an opportunity to be heard in response to allegations." Mott also annulled the fines, and wrote that Bove can “apply for an award of counsel fees.” Mott ruled the town's water rule unconstitutional and said, "An informal process for review of customer complaints would be sufficient to satisfy due process. Local Law #3 of 2007 fails to provide even an informal process." Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Jack Arpey reports for New York State of Politics that New York officials said they are prepared for this year’s winter weather with larger investments in infrastructure and manpower. They have 400 new employees according to state Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, who said, “Last year, we were short by a couple hundred. This year, and this is statewide, we’re looking for about another 100 operators.” And after the snow falls, Gov. Kathey Hochul has authorizing more funding for road repairs in the spring, part of the $32.8 billion authorized in the 2023 state Budget for five years worth of infrastructure improvements. That money is only for state roads. So far, the Hudson Valley has seen a few flakes, but no major snowstorms. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Christopher Marcisz reports for the Berkshire Eagle that the Berkshire Museum is returning the remains of two the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians to the tribe 33 years after a federal law mandating museums return all cultural objects and remains. In 1990 the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act ordered the return of the artifacts. The remains of an adult and an adolescent from the 19th Century were recovered at a river washout in “Springfield/Longmeadow.” The story does not say why it took so long to return the remains after the law was passed, but said that other "institutions have been slow to return them, either from lack of staff resources or bureaucratic inertia, as well as the varying abilities of tribes to identify and pursue claims." Bonney Hartley, who is the tribal historic preservation officer for the tribe, said, “We are trying to step in and respectfully care for the ancestors and provide a dignified reburial for them, so they don’t remain on shelves at the museum and disturbed in their journey.” The Stockbridge-Munsee community is now based in Wisconsin since they were forced from their homelands in the Berkshires and Hudson River Valley more than 200 years ago. Read more about this story in the Berkshire Eagle.

Doug Larocque reports in The Upstater that plans for a splash pad at Shatford Park in New Lebanon are on hold now, after estimates of cost ballooned from $75,000 to $300,000 and the test well for the water was unusable. The town board heard these results at a Nov. 14 meeting, where some floated ideas about drilling another test well or just buying some lawn sprinklers. First, New Lebanon Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling suggested that the board could scrap the idea altogether, drill a second test well, or make repairs to a water feature that currently exists in the park but is unusable and considered dangerous. Then someone mentioned that the town used to have a second well, but gave it to a neighbor after the town was responsible for contaminating the well. The board agreed to look into the well, to see if it was still contaminated, and if it could be returned to the town. Read more about this story in The Upstater.

Molly Burke reports in the Times Union that fewer young adults and teenagers in New York have jobs than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the state Department of Labor shows. Last year, New York’s youth unemployment rate was second in the nation, at 11.4 percent. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of unemployment among that age group was more than 17 percent. The year before the pandemic, the unemployment rate was 10.3 percent. In the Capital Region last year's youth unemployment rate was 10.9 percent and 11.4 percent in the Hudson Valley. Rusty Weaver, director of research at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations Buffalo Co-Lab, said, “There are a number of reasons for that, but one of them is probably that, across the nation, the number one industry for young adults is leisure and hospitality.... In New York state, that's a sector that really hasn't experienced the same trajectory of recovery as a lot of other industries.” Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, said many food service businesses need help, saying, “It's a very good job to enter the market and learn all those soft skills for employment — how to show up on time, how to handle customer service, greet people, put a smile on your face, put down your phone, those types of soft skills — that we have to learn as we first enter the job market.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.