Albany County and Ulster County each reported new COVID-19 deaths on Sept. 14. In Albany County, a woman in her 50s became the 400th Albany County resident killed by coronavirus. In Ulster County, the latest death made for 275 since March, 2020. Also troubling, the Saugerties school district reported four new cases of COVID-19 from students at the high school there, and one new student and one new teacher at the junior high school, and a student and a staff member at Grant D. Morse Elementary School. The Kingston schools have reported five staff cases and three among students since school opened last week. Columbia County reported 11 more cases on Sept. 14. Previously, Columbia County reported 13 positive COVID-19 cases at Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Philmont and two cases at the Ichabod Crane Primary School in Valatie.

Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the state Department of Environmental Conservation has awarded the Hudson Valley Collaborative $125,000 to craft a longterm solution to rising sea levels in an effort to preserve the city of Hudson's waterfront. The firm was contracted to preserve the ecology of the waterfront and intertidal marshland while still allowing for recreation as water levels increase, according to a statement released by the DEC. The area under scrutiny is city-owned property that is a popular area, said Wendy Andringa of the Hudson Valley Collaborative. “It’s an active recreational waterfront site with boat launches, the city has summer events there, so it’s sort of an open space, and it’s a well-loved space right now. But there’s room for improvement. And so what we’re going to be doing is looking ahead at 2050, 2080, 2100, at how estuary level rise is going to impact that site,” she said. The DEC reports that the sea level in the lower Hudson River has risen 15 inches since 1900, and in the 2020s, it is projected to rise another four to 10 inches. By mid-century, it is predicted to rise another nine to 27 inches. Flooding has become more common and flood zones expanded as the water level has increased, and the chance of a 100-year flood became 50 percent more likely during the past year. The grant was awarded in partnership with a regional commission that helps Northeast states preserve and advance water quality, Andringa said. DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program focuses on the tidal Hudson and its adjacent watershed from the federal dam at Troy to the Verrazano Narrows in New York City. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Bobby Welber is reporting for the Hudson Valley Post that the Hudson City Police Department has confirmed that five dead deer were found late last week at Oakdale Lake on the city's north side. Pathologists for the state Department of Environmental Conservation believe the deer had contracted Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, police said. Deer are infected with the disease after being bitten by small flies known as midges. The disease causes intense thirst prior to death which is most likely why the deer were found dead at the lake, officials said. The virus has also been identified in Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam, Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties. William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman the town of Saugerties is planning to distribute information about EHD to residents. Town Supervisor Fred Costello said the information campaign is a response to the discovery of dead deer on private properties in the region. The DEC says EHD is not spread from deer to deer, nor can humans be infected by EHD-infected deer or bites from midges. The EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall — before the first frost kills off the midges — and do not have a significant long-term impact on deer populations. Deer infected with EHD might appear lame or dehydrated. The first cases of EHD in New York state were confirmed in 2007, when there were outbreaks in Albany, Rensselaer and Niagara counties. Last year, there was a large outbreak in Orange and Putnam counties that killed an estimated 1,500 deer. Hunters should not handle or eat any deer that appears sick or acts strangely. The DEC will continue to monitor the situation. Read more at hudsonvalleypost [dot] com and IRead more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Porcupine Soup is reporting that Greenville Day returns this month. The community event was canceled last year due to COVID-19, but the 15th annual family-friendly outdoor gathering with food, fun and fireworks will take place September 24 and 25 at Vanderbilt Park. The festivities will features kid’s amusements rides, live music by the Lustre Kings, animal rides, a petting zoo, food trucks by Pizza Box, Michelle’s Lemonade and the Greenville FFA, a tent craft fair and business expo, and evening fireworks. There will also be a Quack Quack Greenville charity silent auction of decorated fiberglass ducks, a town-wide yard sale, and a Greenville library book sale. Event schedules and updates can be found at cpog.org. Attendees are asked to follow current state COVID-19 advisories covering handwashing, social distancing and mask-wearing where appropriate and as directed by signs and event staff. Greenville Day is hosted by Community Partners of Greenville, as well as other local sponsors. In 2019, approximately 4,500 people attended Greenville Day. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

A local politician was suspended briefly from Twitter on Sept. 12. Republican Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin was taken off his Twitter account for a few hours after writing a response to CNN media analyst Brian Stelter. He called him "vapid," "stupid," a "babbling idiot," "insipid" and a "wet-lipped moron." Gwen Wright, a Democrat, is running against McLaughlin on Nov. 2. The incumbent has spent many hours during his term berating others on Twitter. He wrote, "I’ve said way worse about Cuomo."

Back after my 1st suspension from the censoring fascists at @Twitter. Apparently they monitor liberal loser journalists like @brianstelter. If you criticize that babbling idiot you get suspended. Oops. I guess I did it again.
Here was my tweet. I’ve said way worse about Cuomo pic.twitter.com/PHDVwd7Owb

— Steve McLaughlin (@SteveMcNY) September 13, 2021

Today's daily news update.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that New York's Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding 19 properties, including one in Albany County and three in Ulster County, to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. In Albany County, the Consolidated Car Heating Company Complex was nominated. It is located in the city of Albany's "Warehouse District," and is an industrial brick complex dating to the 1890s when it was originally used to manufacture heaters for train cars, including for the Manhattan elevated railway system, as well as such rail-related equipment as call buttons and automatic doors. The building also had workers making artillery shells during World War I, and later making partial dentures, dental acrylics and plastics, and automotive repair lifts. In Ulster County, the Kingston Gas & Electric Co. Building, constructed in 1911, and a former utility headquarters at 609 Broadway in Midtown is also nominated. So was a Colonial Revival home in Kingston, built in 1890 for local banker Charles D. Bruyn. And in Saugerties, the Asbury Historic District, at the northern edge of the town of Saugerties, is a 250-acre area composed of four 18th-century farm properties that retain original buildings and agricultural lands dating to the settlement by a Palatine German family in the 1730s was also nominated. “These additions to the historic registers will help ensure there are resources available to protect these iconic places and that their stories will inspire us long into the future,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul is combating misinformation online about the state's abortion laws with a strongly worded letter to Facebook. "We have a letter going to Facebook today," Hochul said during a news conference in New York City Sept. 13. "We'll see what they do with it." The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of a law that places limits on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. But that law is not on the books in New York. Hochul's administration plans to start airing public service announcements for New Yorkers and visitors on abortion and create a patient bill of rights for women outlining what access to services they have in the state. "It will be in clear language," Hochul said, "and in languages people understand." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Lorna Cherot Littleway reports in the Columbia Paper that farmers have until Oct. 12 to apply for funds from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Local eligible farm operations must be registered with the Columbia / Greene County Farm Services Agency office and must agree to “conservation and wetlands compliance on highly erodible land.” Eligible farm operations include dairy goats, specialty livestock (alpaca/llamas, bison/buffalo/beefalo, deer/elk/emu and rabbits/ducks/guinea pigs), floriculture and nursery crops, and more than 230 fruit, vegetable, and nut crops. Matt Forrest, county executive director for Columbia / Greene County Farm Services Agency, said New York will receive $10.6 million, with two percent of those funds awarded to Columbia County. He says that is “fair, since Columbia County’s share of New York’s agricultural sales is 2 percent.” He says that the “payment varies wildly from a few hundred to several hundred thousands of dollars” but generally are 8.5 to 10 percent of gross sales. Horses and hay farmers, except those cultivating alfalfa, are not eligible because of a rule that limits federal farm aid to operations “producing essential goods and foodstuff.” Raising horses is considered as “pleasure, entertainment and sport.” Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

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Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the members of the Copake Town Board at a meeting Sept. 9, gave an update on the town's pending litigation against the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting. Deputy Supervisor Richard Wolf reported that a court hearing on the request for a preliminary injunction scheduled for the previous day had been rescheduled to Sept. 21. “We will report on that decision when we’ve received it,” Wolf said. The town is the lead petitioner in a civil action against the Siting Office along with five other towns and seven nonprofit groups and grassroots organizations. The case concerns the Shepherd's Run solar project proposal. “Petitioners are seeking to have ORES’s regulations invalidated, to obtain a preliminary injunction preventing ORES from acting on the 94C siting application before it or accepting new applications.” Wolf said. The petitioners are asking that the filed applications be returned to the Article 10 siting process, which was previously in effect. The town of Copake passed a law in 2017 which limited the size of solar energy projects to 10 acres. The size of the Shepherd's Run project has been reduced several times by the developer over the past year. The original size of the project was 500 acres. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media that Coeymans Police Chief Douglas Keyer has gone on the record as opposing a lower speed limit on town-owned roads. Keyer made his argument to the town board last month. In July, town officials initiated the process of requesting the state reduce speeds to 30 mph on all roads within the town. The request came after residents complained that the existing 40 mph speed limit is too high and that drivers frequently exceed the limit. Residents have complained about speeding on Bushendorf, Biechman, and Blossom Hill roads, Keyer said at the Aug. 26 meeting. After he received a complaint about speeding on Bushendorf Road, Keyer said, he stationed an officer nearby for roughly 40 minutes to assess the situation. “In those 40 minutes, [the officer] observed 47 vehicles,” he said. “The speed limit there is 40 [mph]. The top speed was 48 and only seven of the 47 cars she observed were driving 45 mph or more." Keyer went on to say that if speeding vehicles were observed by residents it was "an anomaly" because for the most part Coeymans residents abide by the speed limit. He said a reduced speed limit, "... could pose more problems that it solves." Town Supervisor George McHugh said, “I can think of lots of roads in the town that should be 30… I’ve had a lot of complaints about Bushendorf [Road], that’s it’s too fast at 40.” Other town board members agreed. The police department will continue to assess the situation, Keyer said. But reducing the speed limit could complicate matters, the chief said. “...[I]f the complaints start flying in ... I’m just not set up to handle that volume of complaints.” Read the full story in The Ravena News-Herald.

Porcupine Soup is reporting fire destroyed Smiley’s Equipment in Freehold, on Sept. 10. The alarm was sounded shortly after 2 a.m., and firefighters were dispatched to 3493 County Route 67. When they arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames. Fire companies from Freehold, Greenville, East Durham, Oak Hill-Durham, Cairo, and Earlton battled the blaze for several hours. While no serious injuries were reported, one firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Greene County Fire Investigation Team. The garage was used as an equipment shop for the business. In February 2020, the Henderson family, owners of Smiley’s Equipment, lost their home to fire. That blaze was caused by an outdoor wood stove and ruled accidental. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Steve Barnes reports in the Times Union that a Greene County native has purchased the Albany music club Fuze Box and will focus on underground music. William S. Yager III, who is known by the nickname Tragedy, already owns a number of Albany businesses once considered counter-cultural, such as a tattoo parlor and mead bar. The last owners of Fuze Box, which hosted national and local alternative music bands, closed the club at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yager wouldn't say what price exactly he paid for the club, but that it was less than the $250,000 originally being asked. "It's a punk-rock bar. This thing is going to take 20 minutes to clean and get open again," Yager said. "I want to bring it back, make it a music venue and counterculture community center for the punks and the hippies and the music kids and the gay and trans people — a place like I had coming up as a young man." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper Jack Shainman, the owner of The School gallery in the village of Kinderhook, has filed a notice of claim against the village code enforcement officer and the mayor, alleging that their actions resulted in Shainman suffering damages of approximately $50,000. The notice was filed in state court in April. The allegations are based on the actions of village officials concerning the placement of "Truth Be Told," by artist Nick Cave, on the facade of Shainman's building, located at 25 Broad Street. The piece was de-installed in late January and later placed on an outside wall of the Brooklyn Museum, where it is currently on display until March 2022. In October 2020, village Code Enforcement Officer Peter Bujanow denied the gallery’s request to put up the Cave work based in part on Bujanow’s determination that the piece was considered a sign based on the village zoning code. The stop-work order, issued as the piece was going up, said the gallery's actions were in violation of the law that requires Historic Preservation Commission review and approval of all exterior alterations to buildings in the district. The order further prohibited the application of what village officials labeled as flammable material to the building facade in violation of the state building code. The village Zoning Board of Appeals later overturned the order in February 2021, finding that Cage's piece was not a sign and could not be regulated under the village code. Shainman's notice of claim argues, “Beginning in the summer of 2020 and continuing to February 2, 2021, Bujanow attempted to interfere with various rights of the claimants.” The claimants include Shainman, his partner Carlos Vega and 25 Broad Street LLC. It further accuses Bujanow of prior restraint and of trying to “impose different rules for the installation of ‘Truth Be Told,’ as opposed to those who [sic] apply to residents and property owners throughout the village of Kinderhook." Shainman has accused Mayor Dale Leiser of failing "...to adequately ensure that Bujanow was trained and functioning according to applicable law…” Shainman is represented by Kinderhook attorney William J. Better Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media police are currently investigating allegations of child abuse at the Columbia Children’s Center daycare facility in Greenport. The inquiry is centered around an unidentified female employee who is no longer reporting to work, said attorney Michael Howard, who represents the Children’s Center. State police said September 9, they are looking at several accusations of physical abuse at the facility, located at 142 Union Turnpike. Aaron Hicks, public information officer for state police Troop K said no arrests have been made and the center remains open. The center acknowledged the investigation in a letter on September 10, to parents and guardians of the children in its care. “It is with heavy hearts that we share this update: Currently, there is an investigation looking into alleged child abuse at the center. The employee is no longer reporting to work,” Center Founder and Director Nancy H. Smith said. “The daycare center will remain open and the safety of your child, all children, is our priority. We also understand the need for more information. Unfortunately, while an investigation is taking place we are unable to share any more details at this time,” she said. Police want to speak with parents, either current or former clients of the center. Anyone with information is asked to call 845-677-7300 and refer to case No. 10439195. The center has been at its current location since 1991, offering daycare and preschool for children six weeks to 5 years of age. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Mid-Hudson News Network is reporting that on Sept. 10, a fire at Trump National Golf Course Hudson Valley went to three alarms before it was put out. The East Fishkill Fire Department was dispatched to 178 Stormville Road, in Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, around 9:20 p.m. The blaze was located in a structure that contains golf carts and their charging system. Multiple departments were called out to extinguish the fire in the 50-foot-by 100-foot structure. Firefighters were able to clear the scene just before 1 a.m. Saturday. The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division was called to the scene to assist the East Fishkill Fire Investigation team to assist in the probe. The extent of damage caused by the blaze was unknown. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that an organization representing landlords in New York on Sept. 9 moved to begin a legal challenge to New York's eviction moratorium. They claim the legislature's extension of New York's moratorium on pandemic-related evictions, to Jan. 15 conflicts with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The Rent Stabilization Association previously were successful challenging a provision of the moratorium in federal court. The eviction moratorium is for those with a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Landlords say they still must pay property taxes and other utility costs, but without rental income they also have a financial hardship. “No matter the spin by state lawmakers and Gov. Hochul, this is a reimplementation of the previous law – completely disregarding last month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision and ignoring key elements of our complaint. It continues the vague COVID hardship declaration, which enables renters who never lost their jobs or skipped a paycheck to continue using the eviction ban as a moratorium on paying rent,” said Rent Stabilization Association's Executive Director Joseph Strasburg. State officials have been slowly doling out some of the $2.1 billion Emergency Rental Assistance Program to landlords. New Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin on Sept. 9 said distribution of the rental assistance funding would be one of his top priorities. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.