The Troy Record reports that Albany, Schenectady, and Greene counties are rarely linked, but The Altamont Fair attempts to represent all three local areas. The event runs now through Aug. 22 with a hypnotist, The Royal Hanneford Circus, The Sherman Lumberjack Show, and lots of animal exhibits. There will be fireworks on Thursday night and local bands Geezer, Black Mountain Symphony, Skeeter Creek, Get Up Jack, Big Sky Country, and Grit N Whiskey in Altamont in Albany County. The fair does not seem to be taking COVID-19 too seriously, with only this on its website: "Please maintain social distancing per CDC Guidelines. It is suggested by CDC that masks be worn inside buildings. We have hand sanitizer stations and hand washing stations throughout the fairgrounds." Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

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Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a Columbia County woman last week lied to health officials in order to get a COVID vaccine booster, said county Health Department Director Jack Mabb, calling the incident "a game changer." At the clinic, the unidentified woman was asked if she had previously received any vaccines and said "no." Mabb said, “Unfortunately, we took her at her word. We gave her the vaccine and when we went to put her [name into the state system]... we found out that she had the vaccine back in March. She lied.” Mabb said the lie led to a change in protocol. "From here on out we’re checking [the state database] ... before we give any shot.” The woman had received two doses of a vaccine and then requested the Johnson & Johnson shot, Mabb said. “The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a third vaccination for organ transplants, people who are seriously immunocompromised...,” Mabb said. He said a second person showed up and attempted to do the same thing, but was unsuccessful because they knew to check the database. In a continuing trend, Columbia County reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 on August 16, the largest number of new cases reported over a weekend, since early April. “That’s the highest we’ve had in a long time. It’s concerning," Mabb said. "As has been the case, the vast majority are unvaccinated people.” Mabb said there are five county residents currently hospitalized because of the virus, one of whom is on a ventilator. Four of the five hospitalized are unvaccinated; the fifth is an older vaccinated person with comorbidities. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Paul Kirby is reporting for the Daily Freeman the Ulster County Department of Health is recommending that all students, faculty and staff returning to school this fall be required to wear masks whether vaccinated or not. Officials also recommended mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for all unvaccinated faculty and staff. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said the guidance provided would facilitate the return to five-days-a-week, full-time in-person learning. The document directs that all area schools follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Education. The state agency issued guidelines last week and criticized the state Department of Health for not issuing their own. County officials recommended a series of safety precautions, from proper ventilation within school facilities to continued use of health screening for any individual entering the buildings. The recommendations made by county officials included a return to five days a week full-time in-person learning for all students; mask-wearing for all individuals while indoors and physical distancing of three feet; ensuring all spaces are properly ventilated; developing strategies for a possible switch to remote learning as necessary; and more. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that as scientists attempt to convince people to take a vaccine to end a deadly worldwide pandemic, the group Do We Need This? is holding a festival dedicated to opposing vaccines Saturday at the Cowberry Crossing Farm in Livingston. The “Festival in a Field” organizers are against “mandated COVID vaccines, mandated yearly boosters, masks, fear-mongering, lockdowns, [and] school closures,” according to their website, as well as “5G networks installed without community consent.” There is an enormous amount of scientific proof that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and no proof the radio waves used by 5G networks are any more dangerous than a television or baby monitor. While there is a listing online for the event, when reached on the phone Cowberry Crossing Farm proprietor Richard Harrison claimed the event was “a small, private family event.” But it is being advertised online as including vendors, organic food, and performances by nine entertainers and bands. Gilson ends the story reporting that, "96 people have died in Columbia County from COVID-19, according to the Health Department, or about one out of every 645 people." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the state of New York has so far disbursed only a portion of the billions of dollars in federal and state aid intended to help renters and landlords who have struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released August 16, by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office. The comptroller determined that only $108.8 million out of a total of more than $2 billion has been paid out under the Emergency Rental Assistance Fund, as of August 12. “There are billions in federal aid to help renters who fell behind on payments in the pandemic, but this money isn’t getting to them,” DiNapoli said. The report faulted poor management of the program and its implementation by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. In many instances aid has not reached low-income people and people of color, especially in New York City. The report also comes as lawmakers are being urged to return to Albany for a special legislative session and to strengthen the state's eviction moratorium, which is set to expire at the end of the month. The state is lagging behind the rest of the country in providing aid. New York and South Carolina are the only two states to have not distributed any money through the month of June, DiNapoli said. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

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NBC New York reports that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is mandating that all healthcare workers in New York must get at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday, Sept. 27. State health officials also authorized a third dose of the vaccine for New Yorkers with compromised immune systems after a recommendation from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. Effective immediately, immunocompromised residents must wait 28 days after receiving their second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for a third shot. Mandating vaccines for healthcare workers comes months after doses have been available, as healthcare workers were among the first eligible for vaccination. Now, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is threatening to overwhelm hospitals with new cases. Ken Girardin of the Empire Center for Public Policy wrote on Twitter about Cuomo now mandating vaccines for healthcare workers: "This is a Hollywood-level plot twist. Cuomo did borderline-illegal things to buy off healthcare worker unions (1199SEIU in particular). Now that 1199SEIU has turned on him, he's finally standing up to them, and for the first time in a long time, putting the public interest first." Cuomo is resigning as of Aug. 24, after a damning report from the attorney general outlining 11 sexual harassment allegations against the governor. Read more about this story at NBC New York.

Luis Ferré-Sadurní reports in The New York Times that New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Aug. 16 reversed course somewhat on his efforts to shut down the impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Aug. 13 Heastie unilaterally ended efforts to impeach Cuomo for sexually harassing 11 women, after spending more than $10 million of taxpayer money on an investigation. But on Aug. 16, he walked that back just a bit, after a torrent of criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Heastie and Charles Lavine, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced “The Assembly Judiciary Committee will continue to review evidence and issue a final report on its investigation of Governor Cuomo.” The governor announced last week that he will resign Aug. 24. But by avoiding impeachment, he will be allowed to run for governor again next year or in the future. Besides the sexual harassment claims, the legislature has also investigated Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic and Cuomo’s use of state resources to write a book that netted him $5.1 million. Heastie and Lavine did not say when a report would be released. Heastie said the investigation has uncovered evidence that “could likely have resulted in articles of impeachment had he not resigned.” Heastie killed the impeachment efforts because he found a constitution expert saying you can't impeach a governor who has already resigned. But other constitutional experts hold opposite views. Many Republicans and Democrats criticized Heastie's announcement that impeachment efforts would end, and Cuomo could run for governor again. Read more about this story in The New York Times.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that large agricultural corporations continue to push to keep treating farm workers different from other employees in the state. Most employees in the United States get overtime pay after working 40 hours in a week, but not those picking fruit or harvesting vegetables. "While proponents of a 40-hour workweek claim to fight for the workers, farmworkers will be the ones to lose out as their hours will surely be cut or jobs could be eliminated. Please visit a farm to learn more," said Eric Ooms, a dairy farmer and a New York Farm Bureau vice president. "Keeping the overtime threshold at 60 hours is the only option for New York’s diverse agricultural community and its employees.” Reisman fails to quote anyone representing workers who are being denied overtime pay, or any of New York's 24,000 farmworkers. A coalition of large agricultural interests known as Grow NY Farms, is pushing to keep the 60-hour overtime threshold in place as a state wage board is assessing the overtime threshold for the industry. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie continues to get criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for his unilateral decision to end impeachment efforts against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Members on the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which was leading the impeachment investigation, say they were not consulted about the decision, which Heastie announced Aug. 13. A damning report from New York's Attorney General two weeks ago that found Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women. There are other investigations into Cuomo's ethics, and his handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes, and the legislature has spent $10.3 million investigating the governor. Cuomo announced last week that he will step down Aug. 24. "The speaker can't muster enough courage to simply do his job," said Charlotte Bennett, one of the women Cuomo is alleged to have harassed. "After spending millions of taxpayer dollars and issuing lofty statements, he's failed to lift a finger to make clear that New York rejects Cuomo's behavior." Heastie said law experts told him that once Cuomo resigned he could not be impeached. But there are other opinions on that issue. Cornell Law Professor Robert Hockett said there was legal authority to continue on with impeachment. But with Heastie's announcement, the result is that Cuomo can run again for governor next year. And in his first interview after announcing resignation, Cuomo was defiant, and claimed he would have won an impeachment trial. "I’m not gonna drag the state through the mud, through a three-month, four-month impeachment, and then win, and have made the State Legislature and the state government look like a ship of fools," he said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

MidHudson News is reporting Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week signed into law the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act, or HONDA. The measure makes it possible for distressed hotels and other commercial properties to be used for affordable housing. The new legislation gives the state a way to finance the purchase and conversion of distressed hotels or commercial office properties by a nonprofit organization. Cuomo said, “Providing affordable housing to communities not only serves those living in the homes but the communities around them. We look forward to all that HONDA will do to serve the people of New York and I am proud to sign it into law.” Housing created through HONDA will provide permanent housing, as well as access to supportive services for the inhabitants. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics state education officials last week released an updated guidance for schools reopening in New York. The guidance was released by the New York State Education Department after the Department of Health had earlier indicated the details of reopening would be the left to local school districts and county-level public health officials. “As we prepare for schools to reopen in September, our priority must be to provide leaders with access to information about practices that have proven effective throughout the pandemic,” said Chancellor Lester W. Young. Questions remain for school leaders with children returning to the classroom. Children younger than 12 do not yet qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine. Soon-to-be Gov. Kathy Hochul said she expects there to be a mask mandate in place for schools by next month. Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “Reopening amidst a pandemic for the second consecutive year is truly a daunting task. Our hope is that this guide, coupled with the input of local health officials will help the state’s education community as they prepare for September.” The guidance issued largely embraces what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended for schools, including the wearing of masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Shrishti Mathew is reporting for the Times Union a number of downtown streets in the city of Albany will closed this week, beginning at 8 a.m. Mon.,  Aug. 16, continuing until late night Thu., Aug. 19, so movie crews can film the upcoming HBO miniseries, "The White House Plumbers." The series' stars and crew have returned, according to city officials, after a visit in late June to film the Watergate-themed show. The five-part series stars Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. Beginning Mon., Aug 16, there will be parking restrictions on Grand Street. The following day, there will be parking restrictions from 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the south side of Washington Avenue from east of the food vendors east to opposite North Hawk Street. Those restrictions will continue on Wed., Aug. 18, from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both the north and south sides of Washington Avenue from North Hawk to South Swan Street. On South Swan Street, both east and west sides from Washington Avenue to Elk Street will be restricted, as well as both east and west sides of North Hawk Street from Washington Avenue to Elk Street. That same day, there will be more parking restrictions on the north side of State Street from North Pearl west to the bus stop opposite 100 State Street. There will be restrictions on the west side of South Pearl Street from State Street to Howard Street and from the north side of Howard Street side from South Pearl Street west to the rear of 100 State Street. And on August 19, there will be parking restrictions on Broadway, on both the east and west sides from Pine Street to State Street. Read the full story in the Times Union.

MidHudson News is reporting the state Education Department August 12, recommended school districts cancel high-risk sporting events in areas where there are high transmission levels of COVID-19 unless all participants are fully vaccinated. The sports recommendations were included in the department’s school reopening guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year. Sports considered to be higher risk are encouraged to cancel their seasons if the schools are located in counties with a high rate of new COVID cases.  The majority of Hudson Valley counties are currently considered to have high transmission rates; however, in Columbia and Greene counties, the CDC puts the transmission rate at one level below, or "substantial." The state considers sports such as football, volleyball and competitive cheering or dance to be higher risk. Republican Assemblymember Colin Schmitt of New Windsor is opposed to the new guidance. “I fought the Cuomo administration vigorously to ensure our students have the ability to get back to their interscholastic sports earlier this year and we were victorious. With a new governor coming into office, I find it troubling that one of the first actions would be to once again cancel some school sports for our kids,” Schmitt said Read more at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

The Daily Freeman is reporting two areas of the Ashokan Reservoir will be closed during the months of August and September to allow experts to design upgrades to the dam and dikes that form the reservoir, according to a statement released by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The work will focus on gathering soil, bedrock and structural information required for the engineering and design of upgrades at several structures around the reservoir. From Mon., Aug. 23 until Tue., Aug. 31, a portion of the Ashokan Promenade, a paved walkway atop the Olivebridge Dam, West Dike and Middle Dike, will be closed. The path will reopen for the weekend and visitors are encouraged to access the promenade from the Fying Pan parking area off Route 28A, or use the Ashokan Rail Trail or Ashokan Quarry Trail. Portions of the 11.5-mile long Ashokan Rail Trail will also close temporarily and a small portion of the parking lot at the Woodstock Dike Trailhead will be closed to accommodate a drill rig that will collect rock and soil samples. The portion of the Ashokan Rail Trail at Glenford Dike will be closed September 13 through 24. While Glenford Dike is closed, visitors are encouraged to use the Ashokan Station Trailhead and the Boiceville Bridge Trailhead to access sections of the trail that will remain open Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Randy Gorbman is reporting for WXXI-FM the New York State Department of Financial Services has announced 2022 health insurance premium rates. The agency cut the rates requested by many insurers, reducing rates in the small group market for employers with 100 or fewer employees, by nearly half. Insurance companies had requested rate hikes averaging 14 percent; and the state cut them to 7.6 percent, saving small businesses more than $468 million. In the individual market, rates will increase by 3.7 percent. Insurance companies requested an average increase of 11.2 percent in that market. The department said, as in prior years, the continued increase in health care costs is the main factor in setting the cost of premiums. According to the Department of Financial Services, medical claims decreased significantly in 2020 due to the postponement of elective and non-emergency services due to COVID-19. However, those claims increased significantly in 2021 as New Yorkers got caught up on medical appointments and postponed services. Drug costs account for the largest share of medical expenses at 38.7 percent, followed by inpatient hospital costs at 17.3 percent. Read the full story at wxxinews [dot] org.