Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union a group of parents in opposition to the state requirement that children wear masks in schools and on buses filed a federal lawsuit September 19, against state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. They argue the mandate is a violation of their children's First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution. "The masks have made the children sick, stunted their intellectual and social growth and most importantly violated their freedom of speech and association," the complaint states. "While the virus may no longer be fatal to our health, it poses an existential danger to our liberty." The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Albany on behalf of nine children and five of their parents, including Knox resident Jeffrey N. Thomas. Thomas founded the Facebook group, Unmask New York School Children Now. In early June, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo declared that masks would no longer be required in school, but last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that universal mask-wearing would be required in schools statewide. Thomas said that if the lawsuit goes forward they will produce expert testimony and reports on the alleged physical and long-term harm the parties in the case allege are being caused by the state requirements. The plaintiffs in the case liken the mandate to an unauthorized medical experiment being performed on human subjects without their consent and argue that children face little risk of serious health consequences from COVID-19. In addition to Thomas, other plaintiffs include parents of children with autism, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorder, epilepsy and other learning disabilities. The court is being asked to declare the mask mandate unconstitutional and to ban its enforcement. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson city officials are moving forward to determine the feasibility of turning the former Hudson Area Library building on State Street into the new city hall. The city has published a draft request for proposals for public comment, and interested vendors will be able to submit proposals for the costs related to a feasibility study, not designs or plans. The plan under consideration is to consolidate city offices into one building. The existing city hall, in the 500 block of Warren Street, lacks the space needed to house all city departments and it is also not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The historic building at 400 State Street is owned by the Galvan Foundation and according to a draft proposal, would be donated to the city. It was constructed in 1818 as the almshouse, but it was also used as the Hudson Lunatic Asylum, Hudson Orphan and Relief Association and Hudson Area Association Library. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Peter Bujanow, commissioner of public works, presented the Galvan proposal to the Hudson Common Council on September 13. The city is looking for someone to assess the existing condition of the building as well as any costs for improvements or corrections and if using the building as city hall is feasible. Bujanow said it will take 30 days to receive responses to the requests. “We’ll get proposals in terms of how much it’s going to cost. This is just how much it’s going to cost to do the study,” Bujanow said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Daily Freeman is reporting Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan has been selected as the new chair of the New York State Association of Counties Climate Resiliency Committee. The bipartisan committee is made up of officials in county positions most directly impacted by changes in the climate. The members come from all regions of the state and work in diverse areas of county and state government, including emergency services, public health, environmental health, solid waste and elected office. Ryan will replace Tompkins County Legislator Martha Robertson, who is retiring. The committee was formed in June 2018 to help counties across the state work together on climate change in order to identify needs and influence state policies, programs, or enabling legislation. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

On September 19, the Columbia County Sanctuary movement hosted Hudson, New York's first ever LatinX Parade and Festival. Moses Nagel from WOOC was there and sent this story.

Every ten years after the census, New York and other states must redraw the Congressional and State Legislative districts to reflect population changes. A decade ago, voters approved a constitutional amendment to try to make this more of an independent process rather than one determined by partisan political interests. Recently the commission established to oversee the process came up with 2 competing sets of maps for new Congressional districts, one drawn by the Democrats and the other by the Republicans. Blair Horner of NYPIRG talks with WOOC's Mark Dunlea about the next steps in the process.

Today's daily news update.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on July 2 there was one case of COVID-19 in Greene County. On Aug. 2 there were 19 cases. Now there are over 100. There are now cases in the Cairo, Catskill, Greenville and Coxsackie school districts too. “Currently, Greene County Public Health has 100 active cases, 70 percent of these cases are unvaccinated,” Laura Churchill, deputy director of Greene County Public Health, said Sept. 17. There are 13 Greene County residents hospitalized and 85 percent of them are unvaccinated. “I believe all hospitalizations are folks with underlying issues,” Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said Sept. 17. Of the 100 active cases, 27 percent are minors under 18, and 18.5 percent of the infections are among individuals who have been fully vaccinated, Churchill said. Groden, who is not a scientist, said, “As far as we know, there is no definitive reason for increases, other than normal travel about town. Or the fact that the delta variant spreads much easier. That is a big difference. The delta is a much more efficient virus, as it can jump easier to others.” The spread in Greene County seems linked to the lack of vaccinations there. Only 58. 4 percent of Greene County residents have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state's tracking website. That is well below the levels in surrounding counties. Columbia County, for instance, is at 66.9 percent of its residents with at least one dose of a vaccine, while Albany County is at 70.9 percent, Rensselaer County is at 64.1 percent, Dutchess County is at 65.8 percent, and Ulster County is at 70.6 percent. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan Sept. 20 for the state's solar panels to produce at least 10 gigawatts of solar energy by 2030. Hochul claims those efforts will create an additional 6,000 jobs, and would exceed the state's goal of using renewalable energy sources for 70 percent of its energy needs by the start of the next decade. "New York State must be more aggressive in setting the bar higher in recognition of the reality of climate change and the closing window of time to stop the worst impacts nationally and globally," Hochul said. "With this expansion, we are demonstrating New York State's commitment to increasing the amount of renewable energy flowing to the electric grid as well as creating more jobs in the solar industry in support of our growing clean energy economy. Climate change is a public health issue - we need to fight with everything we've got in order to ensure generations to come will be able to thrive on a healthy, efficient planet." Republican Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt criticized the part of the plan that partners with Canada. "While today’s renewable energy projects announced by the governor are worthwhile, this was a tremendous missed opportunity to not only increase grid resiliency, but also to promote New York generated power, jobs, and tax revenue," he said. "The Champlain Hudson project, which will originate in Quebec, will send good-paying jobs out of the country rather than to our Upstate communities where they are desperately needed." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that the State Comptroller’s Office chided Berne officials in an audit released Sept. 17 that said there has been little oversight to any spending in the southern Albany County town. The Town Board doesn't oversee the town’s financial operations and didn’t follow state law, allowing the supervisor to pay the town’s bills without the board conducting an audit. The Berne Town Board didn’t “audit the 170 claims totaling $166,792 reviewed or audit any credit card charges totaling $8,308 before payment was made, or annually audit the records of all officials who received and disbursed funds, as required,” the comptroller's audit said. In January 2020 and again in January 2021 the town board voted to allow the supervisor or deputy supervisor to pay the bills without a board review. “However, the Board does not have authority pursuant to Town Law to authorize payment of all claims in advance of audit. Therefore, the Board exceeded its authority by passing these resolutions,” the state audit said. Berne Supervisor Sean Lyons tried to explain how this happened. “I cannot argue the board did not provide adequate oversight of financial operations based on the summary of your audit and the letter of the law, but I would assert that the financial operations of the Town received better than adequate oversight of the claims and financial records during by 3-plus years as Supervisor with seven different Board members for many reasons,” Lyons wrote the state on Aug. 23, 2021 in response to the audit. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily headlines.

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Lauren Stanforth is reporting for the Times Union Gov. Kathy Hochul's office September 19, announced a multi-agency plan to get needed drivers into school buses statewide. The effort includes reaching out to already licensed commercial drivers to determine if there may be interest in driving for school districts and independent bus companies, as well as using Department of Labor information to recruit drivers who are currently unemployed. The state Department of Motor Vehicles is also expediting the process for CDL completion by removing the 14-day waiting period between the permit test and the road tests. The department will also work with county DMVs to increase capacity to administer written exams and road tests. It can normally take up to 12 weeks for a new candidate to be licensed to drive a bus. Hochul's office also said New York will open up new commercial driver testing sites by partnering with SUNY, the Thruway Authority, New York Racing Association and the Office of General Services to use large lots for the road test. For school staff who currently hold a commercial license, the state will set up expedited testing to get a permit to drive vans and buses temporarily. The shortage of bus drivers, which is part of overall employment shortages during the coronavirus pandemic, has greatly impacted some school districts. Hochul also encouraged schools "to pursue creative and innovative ways to offer a wide array of benefits for school bus drivers that were previously not considered," including signing and retention bonuses and expansion of benefits to the drivers. The governor's office said schools can use federal funds to provide those additional benefits, but stopped short of providing any details. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the New York State Police and the state Office of Children and Family Services are conducting separate investigations into a large fight on September 15, at the Brookwood Secure Center for Youth that left three staff members injured. Roughly a dozen residents at the center in Claverack were involved, said John R. Craig, OCFS communications officer. The incident allegedly began when several young people rushed a unit door as it was being unlocked. At approximately 1:35 p.m., dozens of officers from multiple police agencies responded to the center at 419 Spook Rock Road. According to Aaron Hicks, public information officer for state police Troop K, law enforcement gained control and the facility was then secured. Three staff members were taken to Columbia Memorial Health for treatment and then released, Hicks said. The nature of the injuries suffered by staff were not disclosed. Craig said staff sick leave, COVID-19 protocols, administrative leave and other factors have temporarily reduced the number of full-time available staff at Brookwood. OCFS has addressed this by employing voluntary or mandatory overtime and the employment of per diem staff to augment the regular workforce, he said. Brookwood Secure Center is staffed for the 74 youths now living in eight units at the facility, Craig said. Brookwood can accommodate 155 youth. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin September 18, confirmed he was diagnosed with leukemia in November. Zeldin said he is now in remission, and that the diagnosis would not affect his campaign for governor. "Through early detection, last November, I was diagnosed with early stage chronic myeloid leukemia. I then began treatment with an immediately positive response and no side effects," he said in a statement released by his campaign. "Over the last nine months, I have achieved complete remission, am expected to live a normal life, ..." Zeldin said he would continue to campaign for the GOP nomination, hitting various stops across the state in the coming days. In a statement, Zeldin's hematologist, Jeffrey Vacirca, said, "Congressman Zeldin is incredibly healthy, is expected to enjoy a normal life and has no evidence of disease." An attorney and committed conservative from Long Island, Zeldin is one of five GOP candidates running for governor in 2022. State Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy this summer declared Zeldin the party’s frontrunner. He is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. In 2019, during Trump's first impeachment trial, Zeldin spoke more than any other Republican in defense of the former president, according to an NBC News analysis of the impeachment transcripts. And hours after a violent, armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government on January 6, Zeldin voted against the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that the remnants of two hurricanes that blew through the Hudson Valley recently may be the cause of some of the dead deer lying next to local ponds and lakes. Deer with epizootic hemorrhagic disease have been found dead recently in Greene, Columbia, Ulster, and Dutchess counties, and on Long Island, and there are suspected cases in Albany, Rensselaer, Orange, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam, and Westchester counties. Bites from midges cause fever and hemorrhaging in deer, which can appear lame or dehydrated and often seek out water sources before dying within 36 hours of infection. DEC Game Management Section Head Mike Schiavone says the hurricanes pushed many biting midges into the Northeast. "That may be what happened again this year," he said. "At this point we're not sure.” The local deer, it seems, have not reached herd immunity. "Deer in the South have developed resistance to the virus, so they don't get too sick ... [in New York] there's no real resistance, so we see larger mortality events," he said. “This may change over time if we see annual outbreaks in New York." In September and October 2020, 1,500 deer were killed by the virus in the lower Hudson Valley. The first frost should kill off most of the midges before the Nov. 20 first day of hunting season. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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The adage that every election is the most important election is truer than ever this year as voting rights are under attack and democracy in the United States appears in danger. Republicans across the country are attempting to roll back early voting hours, make it more difficult to register to vote, and are even passing laws against handing out water to those waiting at a polling station. Locally, the Republican efforts to stymie turnout have been successful in Rensselaer County, where in June a state Supreme Court justice threw out the county's early voting plan. The court ruled that the locations the board picked were not near mass transit and disenfranchised minority voters. The county appealed the ruling, and kept its polling locations in place for the primary election. But the appeals court then ordered the county to pick another location for early voting in Troy. In early September the Rensselaer County Board of Elections added the Troy Atrium as the city's early voting site for the fall elections Oct. 23-31.

With Republicans the minority party in New York, they are also complaining about unfair treatment and election shenanigans. In November, state voters will consider changes to New York's redistricting process that would cap the number of members in the state Senate at 63 members, and also have prisoners counted at their home address, rather than at the location of the facility where they are incarcerated. Former local Congressional Representative John Faso, a Republican, is concerned about the redistricting measure on the ballot. "They take a carefully constructed bipartisan measure that was adopted by the people, and they would tilt it so that basically it would remove the ability of the minority party, in this case the Republicans, to really have a true input into the redistricting process. That's not what the people voted for back in 2014," Faso tells Spectrum News.

There are several major local campaigns for the Nov. 2 elections. In terms of the amount of political signs along local streets, no race comes close to the Columbia County Sheriff election. Incumbent Republican David Bartlett is being challenged by Don Krapf, a 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, who recently dropped his registration as a Republican to take on Bartlett. The incumbent has been broiled in controversy since last summer, when a party at the home of one of his deputies in Kinderhook ended with a local man being beaten almost to death. The ensuing investigation was first handled by others in the Sheriff’s Office with an obvious conflict-of-interest before being turned over to the State Police. More than a year later no trial date has yet been set for those who stand accused of the alleged assault of Harold J. Handy III. The case has resulted in rallies, a countywide campaign for justice on Handy's behalf, and a host of comments on social media.

In Greene County, Cairo has the most contested elections, as most Republicans are not running for re-election this year in the GOP-led town. Current Cairo Supervisor Dan Benoit, and Councilmembers Dan Joyce and Gary Warner, and Superintendent of Highways Robert Hempstead are all not running for re-election. Longtime Greene County Legislator William Lawrence, who also represents Cairo, is also stepping down. Three Republicans faced off to replace him in a June primary with Michael J. Camadine, backed by the Cairo establishment Republicans, winning with 183 votes, or 42.46 percent. Sherry B. True finished second with 155 votes, or 35.96 percent. Current Cairo Town Supervisor John M. Coyne was third with 85 votes, or 19.72 percent. In Catskill there are several prominent names running for Greene County Legislator seats. Jeff Friedman, president of Greene County Chamber of Commerce, and former Catskill Town Supervisor Doreen Davis are both running, as is WGXC volunteer host Neva Wartell. In Hudson, the Democratic primary largely decides the winners, but for Fifth Ward Alderperson, Vicky Daskaloudi, with 73 votes, and Dominic Merante with 51 votes, won the primary, though Rebecca Borrer was one just vote behind at 50. Borrer is on the Working Families line in the general election, so she still has a chance.

As always, WGXC takes any volunteer programmers running for election off the air during election season. That means that Neva Wartell, who hosts the "Music For the Masses" show, won't be back on the air until November, after her run for Greene County Legislature. Kamal Johnson, Hudson's Mayor, and Tom DePietro, Hudson's Common Council President, are released from co-hosting the "WGXC Afternoon Show" on Wednesdays and Thursdays, respectively, until after Nov. 2.

Perhaps the largest looming election issue locally is how the 19th Congressional District will be redrawn. New York is losing a Congressional district upstate, and how the local district is redrawn will be a deciding factor. Moderate Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced he will take on incumbent Democrat Antonio Delgado in the 2022 election, wherever the lines are drawn.

The Daily Freeman is reporting Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has filed the necessary paperwork to run for New York’s 19th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. Molinaro, a Republican from Red Hook, filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission September 17. He did not immediately issue a statement about running. Molinaro, 45, is in the middle of his third four-year term as county executive. He previously served as a state assemblymember, county legislator and as mayor of the village of Tivoli. In 2018, he ran an unsuccessful campaign against incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo for governor. Next fall Molinaro will likely be challenging Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, of Rhinebeck, who is now serving his second term in the House. The district could be reconfigured and renumbered before the 2022 election, but because Molinaro and Delgado live in adjacent towns in northern Dutchess County, they will likely wind up in the same district. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Nancy H. Smith, founder and director of the Columbia Children’s Center in Greenport, is no longer with the center, acting director Emma S. Herzhauser said. Herzhauser shared the news in a September 17, letter to parents and guardians. The New York Office of Children and Family Services, which licenses the facility, has confirmed that Herzhauser is the acting director. In her communication to the center community, Herzhauser did not specify if Smith left of her own accord or was fired. She also told parents the state was looking to revoke the daycare center’s license. According to the OCFS website, the center's license to operate as of September 17, was pending revocation and it has been removed from the state's referral list. The center remains open. During two separate inspections of the facility conducted last week, OCFS found violations of seven state regulations. State police began its investigation into the center on September 9, after receiving reports of physical child abuse, said Aaron Hicks, public information officer for Troop K. That probe is focused on the conduct of one unidentified employee, who is "no longer reporting to work," said Michael Howard, the center's attorney. No arrests have been made. Police are looking to speak with anyone who is a current or former client of the center. They can be reached at 845-677-7300. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Diane Valden is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Acram Planning Board has requested more information before it decides on the application submitted by Fred Schneeberger, the owner/operator of G & S Excavating of Ancramdale, to remove thousands of yards of sand and gravel from a farm field along the east side of Route 22, just north of White House Crossing Road. At the board’s September 2 meeting, Chairman John Ingram noted that he had received an updated project map from Schneeberger, which shows the change in topography the excavation would cause. Ingram told Schneeberger that a few issues still need to be addressed. He said information was missing from the Short Environmental Assessment Form such as mention of the wetlands on the property, delineations, setbacks and buffers. The board has also requested Schneeberger develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and obtain a pollution prevention plan permit from the DEC. A planning board member also raised concerns about the presence on the property of the bog turtle, a threatened species. The application, dated May 5, has been under consideration by the board for the past few months. Schneeberger a knoll in the field must be removed in order to make the terrain safer for the operation of farm machinery. He is acting on behalf of John Langdon, a Copake farmer who for 20 years has leased the 108 acres, where he grows soybean and feed corn. The property is owned by Anthony Palumbo, who applied previously to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for a permit to operate a 73-acre gravel mine on the property, but was turned down. The current project proposal calls for the removal of 20,000 cubic feet of sand and gravel over a 15-month period. The excavated material would then be delivered to landowner Palumbo’s block factory in Dover Plains. Project opponents, many of whom are residents of the Boston Corners area and project neighbors, are demanding evidence that the project is necessary to farm operations and not a short-term mining enterprise. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Tune in two candidates for Rensselaer County Clerk in the Nov. 2 election, as these two interviews air at 9 a.m. Sept. 20, and 5 a.m. Sept. 22 on WGXC. Frank J. Merola is seeking a seventh term as Rensselaer County Clerk. If successful, Merola would longest-serving RensCo County Clerk. WOOC's Corinne Carey spoke with Merola about the role of County Clerk, and his view of the office. Justan Foster is running to unseat Merola. WOOC's Corinne Carey spoke with Foster about his priorities, and the important work of the County Clerk. These interviews below are part of WOOC and WGXC's Election Watch 2021 Series featuring candidate profiles of those seeking office in the upcoming general election.