Today's daily news update.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup that another resident of Greene County has died due to COVID-19. Greene County Public Health on Aug. 20 reported the county's 77th death from the coronavirus. No personal information, including their residence location, age, or vaccination status were provided. The county reported 12 new cases on Friday, bringing the number of active cases to 51, bringing the total number of documented cases to 3,502 since March 2020. Five people are currently hospitalized and 65 are quarantined. As of Friday, the state of New York reported that 24,003 Greene County residents have been fully vaccinated, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week recommended the immunocompromised receive a third shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. The Greene County Public Health is encouraging residents to sign up for third-dose information and has established an online form for the purpose of gathering contact information for anyone who might be immunocompromised. The form can be found online at greenegoverment [dot] com [slash] covid-sign-up. Those who submit their information will receive email updates from the county as to when they are eligible for the booster shot, including how to register for an appointment. Residents may also register at their pharmacy or through a state-run site. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Sam Raudins Is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson school district officials are asking the public for input to help with the board of education's search for a new superintendent. District residents are being asked to complete the board's community survey by September 3. The district has approximately 1,700 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade and employs 600 people. “The survey results will help the board develop criteria for the next superintendent and questions to be asked during interviews,” according to a statement posted at the district website. The survey asks respondents to rate what type of work experience would be most valuable in a new superintendent as well as the skills a successful candidate should possess. Current Superintendent Maria L. Suttmeier tendered her resignation in June, making it effective December 31. Suttmeier has been employed by the district for 23 years, 10 of those years as superintendent. The community survey can be found at the district website, HudsonCSD [dot] org. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Daily Freeman is reporting that the 175th Dutchess County Fair will open Aug. 24, and take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. “We’re excited,” said Vicky Imperatti, the fair's Administrative Operations Manager. “We’re also concerned like every[one] else is, but we’re excited to be back.” Imperatti said some changes have been made because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. All employees will be following CDC guidelines, which requires those who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus to wear masks whenever indoors. Fairgoers are also urged, but not required, to wear masks when inside the fairground buildings. Imperatti said the aisles in all of the buildings have been made wider and traffic will flow in only one direction. The fairgrounds has also added additional hand-washing stations and installed signage encouraging mask-wearing and social distancing. The Raphael’s Talent Search and Entertainment Tent and some of what Imperatti called “high touchpoint” areas such as the AgriVenture Children’s Activity Tent will be absent from the fair this year. All tickets must be purchased online or at self-serve kiosks near the entrances. Grandstand performances will be included in the admission price. Information is available at dutchessfair [dot] com. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Sat., Aug. 21, directed state agencies to prepare emergency response assets as Tropical Storm Henri is forecast to impact areas in the lower Hudson Valley, and Long Island with heavy rain, and high winds beginning Sunday morning and continuing for approximately 56 hours. Cuomo has issued a state emergency declaration for Long Island, New York City, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and Capital District region in anticipation. Cuomo urged residents in the identified areas to prepare for tropical storm-like weather and to monitor weather forecasts for updated information. As of Saturday afternoon, Henri was moving faster than anticipated toward the north and north-northeast with the center off the storm now forecast to hit central Suffolk County on Long Island early Sunday morning, then across Long Island Sound, into Connecticut and up the New York border. Erica Smith is reporting for the Times Union Tornadoes are possible Sunday across southern New England. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Rensselaer, Schoharie and Ulster counties from Sat., Aug. 21 through Mon., Aug. 23. Cuomo's full August 21 briefing is below.

Today's daily news update.

Sam Raudins reports for Columbia Greene Media that local activists, mainly from the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition, rallied in Hudson Aug. 19 outside of Bliss Towers for eviction relief from local officials. The gathering comes before the Hudson Common Council is expected to vote on a good cause eviction law at its Sept. 21 meeting. The proposed law, similar to one passed recently in Albany, would require landlords to provide a detailed reason to a judge when evicting a tenant. New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams was among those gathered, and he spoke to the importance of having a home. “Someone’s home is connected to everything they do —it is hard to get well coming home from the hospital if you’re sick, if you don’t have a place to live,” Williams said. “It is harder for people to study coming home from school if they don’t have a place to live. Being able to rip that away from someone at a moment’s notice at the whims of anyone simply is not right.” Michael Gattine-Suarez, managing director of the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition, said there is currently a local housing crisis, as many New York City residents have bought property here. “Can someone please point these people out to me that are the small mom-and-pop landlords? Because all I see are people from New York City coming out here buying property, raising the rent and then go right back down in New York City with zero care about what’s going on over here,” Gattine-Suarez said. Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson was also there, and said the U.S. Census showed a 12 percent decrease in the population of Hudson over the last decade. He interpreted that data as people being priced out of the area. “This is something that advocates have been talking about for years,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen our school district have to consolidate. We’ve seen our hospital no longer work for birthing services, losing jobs.” In July, Albany became the first municipality in New York to pass a "good cause" eviction law. Besides making eviction's subject to a judge's oversight, the law also gives tenants a right to renew their lease, and protects them from an annual rent increase of more than five percent.

Sarah Taddeo reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that New York officials have distributed just $156 million so far from the state's rent relief program out of $2.7 billion in state and federal funding. At a state Senate hearing Aug. 19 to examine New York's slow rollout of the rent-relief program, state officials promised that tens of thousands of New York tenants should receive notice next week that they’re approved for rent relief through the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. “Since (the program’s) enactment, we’ve heard persistent concerns from tenants and landlords and many advocates around the state that the program’s implementation has been far too slow, and that the money has not gone out at the speed that the urgency of the crisis requires,” said Sen. Brian Kavanagh, D-Manhattan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development. The program covers up to 12 months of unpaid rent and utilities since the beginning of the pandemic for those who meet certain income and hardship eligibility measures. State officials said they were overwhelmed at first. “There’s no question that the start of New York’s Rental Assistance Program was delayed, and there’s also no question that technical issues have occurred,” Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Michael Hein said. “But we’re successfully addressing these issues.” The state has reduced the application process’ document requirements and added 350 state employees to process the applications. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Bernadette Hogan and Emily Crane report in the New York Post that moving trucks were being filled outside New York’s Executive Mansion Aug. 20, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo is stepping down on Aug. 24. Cuomo is resigning after a report from the Attorney General outlined 11 sexual harassment allegations against the governor, who is also being investigated for various ethics failures. The destination for the moving trucks loaded with the governor's things is unclear, as he owns no property. He moved out of his ex-girlfriend's Mount Kisco home in 2019. Wherever he goes, he may face criminal charges, as investigations into the sexual harassment claims continue in several counties around the state. Read more about this story in the New York Post.

Porcupine Soup reports that Catskill residents Doreen Davis and Kelly Konsul were named to the Columbia-Greene Community College Board of Trustees, it was announced this week. Davis does not have an education background, but is a former Town of Catskill supervisor and retired pharmaceutical executive who is running for a seat on the Greene County Legislature this year. Konsul has served as a school counselor at Catskill Senior High School. “Doreen fills a vacancy with an incredible resume and familiarity with the College, through her many years organizing and supporting our annual gala,” Ned Schneier, Ph.D., chair of the Columbia-Greene Community College Board of Trustees said. “Kelly gives us hands-on experience in our continuing attempts to improve our student outreach. I could not be happier with these two new appointments.” Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Today's daily headlines.

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

Natasha Vaughn reports for Columbia-Greene Media that another person in Columbia County has died from COVID-19. The 97th death in the county was male, under 60, who was not vaccinated, according to Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb. "Like most of the folks that are hospitalized, he was immunocompromised to some degree, and was apparently staunchly anti-vaccine," Mabb said. Columbia County is currently labeled as having a "substantial" level of COVID-19 transmission, while Albany, Greene, Rensselaer, Dutchess, and Ulster counties are all considered to have a "high" level of transmission. But Columbia County's lower label may just be temporary, as people travel from surrounding counties. "I don't know what formula they use but I wouldn't be surprised if in the early part of next week we're in the red zone," Mabb said. A few of the new positives are so-called "breakthrough" cases of folks catching COVID-19 who have been vaccinated. "I think our breakthrough rate is 20-30 percent, but at the same time it's individuals who aren't all that sick and they're not hospitalized," Mabb said. "The vaccine is still protecting people from serious illness and from hospitalizations." Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Bethany Bump is reporting for the Times Union the coronavirus vaccines now in use are highly effective at keeping COVID-infected people out of the hospital, but seem to have worked less well at preventing infections in the first place, a new state Department of Health study found. The study, released August 18, was cited by top U.S. health officials as a factor in the decision to recommend booster shots. The analysis looked at infection rates, breakthrough cases and the vaccination status of adult New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19 from May 3 to July 25. The study found that cases are increasing among both the vaccinated and unvaccinated, but the curve is climbing faster for the unvaccinated. Meanwhile, the vaccines showed declining effectiveness against infection over the three-month period — from about 92 percent to 80 percent. The study also found that vaccines seem to be doing exactly what they were designed to do, which is prevent severe illness and hospitalization; not enough data was available to evaluate death trends, the report notes. Researchers concluded the vaccines were 92 to 95 percent effective at keeping fully vaccinated New Yorkers out of the hospital from May through July. State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker was a senior author on the report. The other authors include researchers from the Department of Health and University at Albany. Dr. Eli Rosenberg, a lead study author with the Department of Health, said, “...[T]hese results demonstrate that compared to unvaccinated people, those who are vaccinated remain consistently far more protected against infection and hospitalization. Vaccines remain a critical tool for COVID-19 prevention.” Read the full story in the Times Union.

William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman Opus 40 directors along with the owners of the Fite House have reached an agreement to keep lodging visitors off of the historic massive bluestone structure in Saugerties. The pact means that the 400-foot long temporary fence erected between the properties could be taken down as early as this week, said Opus 40 Executive Director Caroline Crumpacker. “It’s an agreement that Fite House won’t have anymore camping or parties and that anyone who stays there who’s not part of the Richards family will sign an agreement stating they know where the property boundaries are,” she said. Fite House sits on 1.7 acres and is surrounded by the 14.1-acre Opus 40 property. Fite House is owned by James and Patricia Richards, but commercial operations are being handled by their grandson, Arick Manocha, who is also running for a seat on the Ulster County Legislature. Fite House was the home of the late Opus 40 sculptor Harvey Fite. Opus 40 officials and its neighbors have objected to the property being used for parties, as Airbnb short-term rentals and camping. The fence was erected in May after late-night visitors from the Fite House trespassed onto the Opus 40 walkway. Crumpacker credited Saugerties town Supervisor Fred Costello with mediating the agreement. “The town will be making sure that the agreement is upheld,” she said. “That takes Opus 40 out of the role of policing things." Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

MidHudson News is reporting the number of new jobs created in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region in the 12 months ending in July show the economy is making a strong comeback. Private sector jobs increased by 54,800, or 7.8 percent, to 761,300 during the past year. Columbia County saw growth of 5.9 percent, and Greene County had 3.1 percent job growth. Sullivan County experienced the greatest increase with at 12.3 percent. The Orange-Rockland-Westchester Metro Area had job growth of 8.2 percent. Ulster County came in with 7.4 percent increase, while the Dutchess-Putnam Metropolitan Division saw 4.8 percent in job growth, and Delaware County saw a 2.9 percent loss of jobs. Employment gains were largest in leisure and hospitality, followed by trade, transportation and utilities, then education and health services. Employment losses were greatest in financial activities with a decline of 2,800 jobs. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

With the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading rapidly locally and nationally, more and more mask and vaccine requirements are being announced. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Aug. 16 that all healthcare workers in New York State, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate care settings, will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday, September 27. There are also COVID-19 vaccination requirements this fall for football and volleyball players in Albany and Bethlehem schools. In Albany, soccer, tennis, swimming, and cross country athletes must also be vaccinated. Most local schools have announced that masks will be required this year. New York City officials announced that the New York City Police Department will discipline unvaccinated cops who don’t mask up while on the job — regardless if they are indoors or outdoors. Nationally, President Joe Biden's administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, and buses and at airports and train stations through Jan. 18. Meanwhile, in Greene County, only 55.7 percent of residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state's vaccine tracker website. In Columbia County the number is slightly higher, at 63.5 percent. Albany County leads the region at 68.1 percent, followed by Ulster County at 67.2 percent. Dutchess County is at 62.1 percent vaccinated, and Rensselaer County has 61.5 percent of its residents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Kate Lisa reports for the Johnson Newspaper Corp. that the Greene County Department of Human Services shuttle service for seniors rolls again starting Sept. 1. The van service for senior citizens to get to a noontime meal on weekdays at the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center in Catskill and the Rivertown Senior Center in Athens was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of our seniors depend on the bus so it’s very good that they have something that they can get here,” said Jamie Story, Catskill senior center’s director. “A lot of them don’t drive, so they rely on the bus to get to the senior center. It’s a fantastic thing for them.” To reserve a space on the shuttle, seniors should call 24 hours in advance at 518-719-3555 and ask to speak with Rose. Riders are picked up between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and return between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. But transportation services for the Jewett Senior Nutrition site remain suspended, due to staff shortages. “We’re now down 50 percent or more just in nutrition staffing,” said Terry McGee Ward, executive director of the Department of Human Services. “The current staff are working lots of overtime. We’re trying our best to get back to normal, but it’s extremely difficult.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Shayla Colon reports in the Times Union that the Albany International Airport will get $29 million for improvements if the almost-$1 trillion infrastructure plan passes in the House of Representatives and is signed by President Joe Biden. The money will go to an expansion of the terminal. The airport generally has very short lines at its security checkpoint and little vehicle traffic, but New York Senator Chuck Schumer, at the airport Aug. 18, says the federal funding will lessen both. Schumer also said the Albany region will also get $175 million to create an electric charging network for vehicles. The bill passed the Senate with all Democrats and 19 Republicans voting for it, but could be held hostage to a larger infrastructure bill in the House of Representatives. Read more about this story in the Times Union.