Rebekah F. Ward is reporting for the Times Union that during its first meeting October 5, the five members of the state Cannabis Control Board voted unanimously to confirm Jason Starr as the Office of Cannabis Management's first chief equity officer, as well as 21 other unnamed hires for senior agency positions. Starr is an attorney with experience in civil rights and social justice policy. He has worked for the New York Civil Liberties Union, the governor’s office and the Human Rights Campaign. Control board chair Tremaine Wright also announced a series of changes to the medical cannabis program, effective immediately. Those changes include permitting the sale of whole flower; allowing any medical provider who can prescribe controlled substances to certify patients; increasing the disbursement of medical cannabis to a 60-day supply; and permanently waiving the $50 registration fee for patient certification. The law that defines the board’s role set a deadline of six months for medical cannabis patients to be able to grow marijuana plants at home, but that deadline was not met. Wright said she expects that issue to be an agenda item at an upcoming board meeting. In his update to the board, OCM head Christopher Alexander also acknowledged that the new institutions were starting from behind. “...[W]e were not able to begin the work of establishing New York's cannabis market until September 22, when the full cannabis control board was appointed,” he said. “As such, we have a six-month delay to make up.” Board members approved the 21 new OCM staff members, but an OCM spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request to review the list of new personnel. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo failed to appoint board members, and but new Gov. Kathy Hochul has got the wheels moving now to implement the recreational cannabis legalization that the New York legislature approved six months ago. Read more in the Times Union.

The Times Union reports that on Oct. 5 Albany County officials unveiled a plan to switch to all electric vehicles by 2030. The plan has them partnering with Westchester and Suffolk counties, to combine their buying power as they replace their fleet of gas guzzlers. “Through this plan, all three counties will be able to transition to 100 percent electric fleets no later than 2030,” Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said. “Not only will we cut our emissions through this plan, we will also be cutting the price tag, which ultimately benefits our taxpayers. It’s my hope that more counties will partner with us, and this progress will encourage those in the private sector to follow suit.” Besides buying the cleaner vehicles, Albany County will also add seven new dual-port public charging stations at six different locations. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis right now,” said Albany County Legislature Chair Andrew C. Joyce. “We have an opportunity here through this partnership to be good stewards of the environment and to also save taxpayer dollars.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that two more Dutchess County residents have died from COVID-19, the county announced Oct. 4. That makes 492 since the pandemic began, and 27 coronavirus-related deaths since the beginning of September after having only 22 during all of June, July, and August. Albany County also reported another COVID-19 death on Oct. 5, a resident in their 50s and the county’s 407th since the pandemic began. Columbia County reported 19 new coronavirus cases on Oct. 4. Columbia County Health Department's Tuesday vaccination clinics from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Columbia County Human Services Building at 325 Columbia St. are now by appointment only. Call (518) 828-3358, option #4, to make an appointment. Ulster County reported 24 more cases Oct. 4 than it had on Oct. 1. Greene County did not report any COVID-19 information on Oct. 4, but on Sept. 30 had 27 new cases, and on Oct. 1 announced 15 new cases.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that Rensselaer County has no place to do autopsies because its chief medical examiner, Dr. Michael Sikirica, refuses to get vaccinated. He can't do them at Albany Medical Center Hospital, because they have a policy that mandates staff be vaccinated. For some reason, Sikirica said last week he would do autopsies at Glens Falls Hospital. But that hospital also has a vaccine mandate. “The bottom line is our policy is you have to be vaccinated to do work here,” Ray Agnew, a hospital spokesperson said Oct. 4. Rensselaer County is required by law to provide to do autopsies, and does between 100 and 120 a year. Currently, Rensselaer County has no plan for how they will do autopsies. “As we did several days ago, we are reacting and making adjustments to ensure our legal responsibility is fulfilled. We expect to be able to make an announcement in the near future," Richard Crist, county director of operations said. The Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office said it is waiting to, “understand what the options are based on the contract.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Altamont Enterprise reports that an anonymously-administered social media page that’s been heavily interacted with by Republican sympathizers has posts making unsubstantiated claims against two Democrats running for office in Berne, in southern Albany County. An Albany County Sheriff’s Office sheriff’s investigation into the allegations that Barbara Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for Berne Highway Superintendent, abused and neglected the animals that she keeps on her East Berne farm, found no evidence of any wrongdoing. “They said I run a good place here and all the animals are happy and in good shape,” Kennedy said. “They were just trying to ruin my reputation... And they can do whatever they want, but in the long run, I love all my animals.” The Democratic candidate for Berne Town Clerk, Jean Guarino, has been accused of other crimes, although again, without any proof, in what seems like an effort to sway voters towards Republicans. Read more about this story in the Altamont Enterprise.

Today's daily headlines.

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Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County is offering free COVID-19 rapid testing with its Emergency Services Mobile Command Center, beginning in the town of Catskill this week. Testing will be offered only to people with symptoms, people who have been in contact with person who tested positive seven to 10 days after contact and students in kindergarten through 12th grade who return to school after positive contact or symptoms, according to Greene County Public Health. The mobile unit will set up in different communities in the county to provide services. Testing is not available for work, travel, or voluntary reasons, Greene County Public Health said. The rapid tests give results in 15 minutes. Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said the mobile unit has been commissioned as a test. The converted recreational vehicle is equipped with four testing machines and it is staffed by public health’s core medical volunteers. Grodon said, "It’s going to be a very limited operation.” The tests to be administered include ID NOW, created by Abbott. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, point-of-care tests such as ID NOW have a moderate to high test sensitivity. The mobile unit is currently set up in the Lumberyard parking lot on Water Street in Catskill village, No appointments are necessary and testing is free of charge. Testing in Catskill will be offered through October 8. Groden said after a week in Catskill, the county will reassess mobile testing. As of October 1, the county reported 150 active, positive COVID-19 cases. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and County Legislature Chair Gregg Pulver, October 4, proposed the elimination of sales tax on the purchases of clothing and footwear under $110, each in 2022 as part of a plan to provide sustainable tax relief for county residents. Molinaro will formally present his proposal when he submits his 2022 county budget on October 27. If approved, the plan would be submitted to the state and take effect in March. In New York, clothing, footwear, and items used to make or repair clothing that meets certain criteria are currently exempt from the state’s four percent sales tax and the three-eights percent MTA commuter tax. Molinaro said, “...[W]e continue to offer tax relief to our residents, and this exemption on clothing and footwear highlights our ongoing efforts to cut residents’ taxes and keep those dollars in their pocket.” Pulver said county residents “work hard for their money, and they deserve to keep as much as possible.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics New York Governor Kathy Hochul October 4, signed legislation that expands Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, to participating restaurants. The measure creates a statewide Restaurants Meals Program, and it has been combined with the launch of a $25 million program designed to help struggling restaurants. The fund would build on the Nourish New York program, and provide funding to the state's food banks and emergency food providers to purchase prepared meals from restaurants and deliver them to people in need. "It's unconscionable that in a state as prosperous as New York, many residents still struggle to get enough food to feed their families," Hochul said. "...This pandemic continues to impact the wallets and homes of a vast number of New Yorkers, and we're taking any and all actions to help them support themselves and their loved ones." Expanding SNAP to include participating restaurants must be approved first by the U.S. Department of Agriculture before the new law can take full effect. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Rebecca C. Lewis reports for City and State that state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, appointed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul Oct. 4 in her campaign to retain the seat next year. Jacobs also called Cuomo, a onetime close ally, before the endorsement was made public to give him a heads up. Jacobs said he made the endorsement in a personal capacity, rather than in his role leading the state party. Jacobs had been discouraging other potential candidates from challenging Hochul, according to the report. “I believe a party torn apart by multiple candidates in multiple primaries for multiple offices will exhaust precious resources, divide us and make us weaker in a year we have to be the strongest,” Jacobs said recently at the Nassau County Democratic Committee headquarters. New York Attorney General Letitia James is said to be considering a run for governor. So Jacobs also endorsed her, but to keep her job, not to take Hochul's. “I respect her tremendously and I understand her position,” Jacobs said. “I think she’s got to use her own judgment and then see if this is right for her.” Jacobs also described Hochul as both a “pragmatic progressive,” and a moderate with “a message that will resonate with an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers.” That comment caused State Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy to ask, “What the hell is a progressive moderate?” Read more about this story at City and State.

Today's daily news update.

Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that after a truck traffic study, an engineering firm has two proposals for truck routes in Hudson for the Common Council to consider. MJ Engineering & Land Surveying, P.C. recommends one route using portions of Route 9, and the other using parts of state Route 66 and Route 9H to reduce truck traffic in Hudson by between 26 and 40 percent. The options would cost between $1.4-3.1 million. Mayor Kamal Johnson said in a statement, “By using one of the two alternate routes, trucks will be where they can operate most effectively and safely: on routes that do not traverse dense residential neighborhoods.” The story does not say what action, if any, the Common Council might take with the results of the traffic study, and alternate route proposals. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that Rep. Antonio Delgado faces his toughest election yet in 2022. Typically, U.S. House seats held by the same party as the sitting president can be in danger in a non-presidential election year, and by all accounts, New York's 19th Congressional District is a swing district. Plus, redistricting has yet to determine what the district could be, as more Republicans, or more Democrats, might be added or subtracted depending on where the lines are drawn. And Delgado has a formidable Republican candidate in Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. The good news? Delgado's campaign on Oct. 4 reported having more than $5 million in cash on hand. Delgado beat incumbent John Faso in 2018, during the Democratic blue wave, and then in 2020 was helped with President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. “Congressman Delgado has passed 12 bills into law, held 63 town halls, secured FEMA funding in the wake of Hurricane Ida, and delivered over $400 million in direct support for our counties, towns, and villages,” said Delgado for Congress Campaign Manager Christian Perkins. “We are incredibly grateful for all the community support for our campaign.” Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that Hudson Valley Fisheries is donating 1,200 pounds of locally raised steelhead trout to six food assistance agencies in Greene and Columbia counties through FeedHV, funded by local conservationist group Scenic Hudson. "Throughout the pandemic, there's been a lot of talk with the food agencies about getting better quality food," said Mary Ann Johnson, deputy director of the Hudson Valley AgriBusiness Development Corp, which administers FeedHV. "One of the things that they really lack are proteins." Community Action of Greene County, Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene, High Hill Food Pantry, Catskill Community Center, Prabhuji Mission Food Pantry, and the Columbia County Recover Kitchen are receiving the fish. FeedHV has about 430 volunteers in the seven-county area, usually picking up excess food from restaurants, universities, and farms, and redirecting it to the needy. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Troy Record reports that there are only a few days left to register to vote in this fall's election. Early voting begins Oct. 23, and polls close on Nov. 2 this year. Anyone who wants to vote must register by Oct. 8 to cast ballots this year. New Yorkers can register in person at the Board of Elections, or at the Department of Motor Vehicles when they have a reservation to visit a DMV office. Anyone with a change of address must do so by Oct. 13 for a county board of elections to process the records in time for the election. To register by mail, applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 8 and received by a Board of Elections no later than Oct. 13 to be eligible to vote in the general election. Anyone honorably discharged from the U.S. Military or have become a naturalized citizen after Oct. 8 may register in person at the Board of Elections up until Oct. 23. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

Today's daily headlines.

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On Wed. Sept. 29 Greene County health department officials posted online about COVID-19, "Unfortunately, we have lost another member of the community and we extend our condolences to their loved ones." Then they announced 27 more coronavirus cases on Sept. 30, and 15 more on Oct. 1. For the past month, coronavirus numbers in Greene County have been similar to February this past year, when few vaccine shots were available, and officials have not changed any policies, or taken any measures to change that trajectory. Columbia County reports a similar state, with 14 new cases announced on both Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. Meanwhile, in Ulster County, several hundred people got COVID-19 booster shots Oct. 1 at the former Best Buy store in the Hudson Valley Mall. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said between 10,000 and 20,000 Ulster County residents currently meet the eligibility requirement for the booster, but would not reveal how many got the Pfizer vaccine shot Oct. 1. To get the booster shot, one must be 65 or older; over age 18 with an underlying medical condition that increases the risks of severe illness; at high risk of exposure to COVID through their employment; or living in a long-term care facility.