Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union the torrential rains that hit the town of Nassau almost two weeks ago caused sediments from the Dewey Loeffel Landfill Superfund site to pour into the Little Thunder Brook and down into the Valatie Kill, raising concerns about the spread of toxic waste from the industrial dumping ground. “Because of the volume of transfer down the streams, this isn’t just a Nassau problem. This is a Capital Region problem,” town Supervisor David Fleming said Mon., Jul. 26y Dewey Loeffel is located on Mead Road in Nassau, one of the roadways shut down by flooding caused by the massive thunderstorms that moved across central and southern Rensselaer County on July 15. “There was a massive amount of sediment from the storm and the subsequent flooding. There were extremely high flood levels down the stream that empties into the Valatie Kill,” Fleming said. The flooding caused sediment to be deposited in nearby fields, front yards and around homes. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Conservation went to the dump site after the storm. EPA has conducted sediment testing and is doing water quality tests of the streams through July 30. The agency also is examining the area around Nassau Lake. The heavily polluted Dewey Loeffel Landfill contains an estimated 46,000 tons of industrial waste, including industrial solvents, waste oil, PCBs and more. Little Thunder Creek is a 1,900-foot-long tributary of the Valatie Kill, a protected trout stream that empties into Kinderhook Lake in Columbia County. Residents along the Valatie Kill and in the village of Nassau who have seen sediment deposits on their properties are urged to contact the EPA at 518-407-0400, ext. 4. "EPA will be sharing the results of residential sampling with property owners and will continue to provide updates to the community, ..." said an EPA spokesperson. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the members of the Hudson Police Department will retroactively receive 1.5 percent pay hikes in 2021. The raises were put on hold when officials were unsure of the pandemic’s impact on city finances and the funds allocated for raises have been held in a contingency fund. City officials and the police union agreed that the department would forgo the salary increases for the year if officials would agree to review city finances and reinstate the pay increase at mid-year. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment, made up of Mayor Kamal Johnson, Common Council President Thomas DePietro and Treasurer Heather Campbell, determined that the raises could be reinstated in full. The Common Council approved a resolution authorizing the pay hike July 20; seven members voted in favor, two abstained and one member was absent. “It was felt that because [the budget] came in considerably better than we had anticipated and given the fact that the Civil Service Employees Association folks all got their raise, it seemed only fair the HPD would get theirs as well,” Campbell said. Note: Johnson and DePietro are volunteer WGXC on-air programmers Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a second call for proposals has resulted in lower bids for the town of Greenville's proposed water and sewer extension project, town Supervisor Paul Macko said recently. “We opened the second round of bidding for the water and sewer upgrades. We have five bids,” he said. The project would extend the water and sewer lines, replace a water tank and make other upgrades to the system. The first round, opened June 15, were higher than expected, leaving the town a little less than $2 million short to pay for the project. The town board revised the project parameters and put it out to bid again. Macko would only say the proposals received this time around were less than the bids received during the first round, but did not provide specifics. “Give or take, it looks like we will need nearly $94,000 more to complete the sewer and we will need just under $328,000 to complete the water,” he said. Macko said he should have finalized numbers for the town board's next meeting on August 16. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Matt Driffill and Olivia Doerr report for RochesterFirst.com that Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced New York will spend $15 million targeting anyone who has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine through community-based organizations in zip codes state with low vaccination rates. “We see the COVID numbers and we see the reality, and we know what we have to do,” Cuomo said. “3.5 million unvaccinated people.... These numbers can be hard to put into context, but 3.5 million is larger than 21 other states’ total population. We have an unvaccinated population larger than the entire population of 21 states, and then when you put this COVID delta variant — which is transmitted much easier than the normal COVID virus — you put that variant with 3.5 million people, that spells ‘spread of COVID.’ That is what is happening. We know that’s what’s happening, we see it in the numbers, and numbers don’t lie.” The non-profits that are getting the funds include the Hispanic Federation, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the Asian American Federation, Charles B. Wang Community Center, and APICHA Community Health Center. Locally, 53.8 percent of people in Greene County have received at least one vaccine dose, and 61.5 percent of Columbia County residents have gotten at least one dose. New vaccinations have slowed lately, and now health experts are calling the current crisis a "pandemic of the unvaccinated," as the more contagious Delta variant of the virus has created rising infection rates. Read more about this story at RochesterFirst.com.

Morgan McKay reports at New York State of Politics that Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing a report soon from Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the numerous sexual harassment allegations that have been lodged against him. So he is attacking Attorney General Letitia James. “I have concerns as to the independence of the reviewers,” Cuomo said at a press conference July 26. “That's what I've said. And is this all happening in a political system? Yes, that is undeniable.” When the probe started Cuomo repeatedly brushed off questions by saying, “trust the process.” Now, though, as the process nears an end, he no longer seems to trust it. But he won't say exactly what his concerns are. When pressed on July 26 about specific concerns he skirted the question. “Do a little history. Go to Google,” Cuomo said. Morgan McKay reports at New York State of Politics

Wendy Liberatore reports in the Times Union that so far this summer has been great for mushroom hunters. “It’s been a fantastic year,” said Brian Bowden, the executive chef at Radici Kitchen & Bar in Glens Falls. “With the early heat and all this rain, it’s just been flourishing out in the woods. My wife and I went out a couple of weeks ago to a new spot and within 30 minutes we had harvested seven pounds of chanterelle mushrooms. And we left a lot.” Chef Rob Handel, the executive chef at Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow, in southern Albany County, took 30 pounds of chanterelles from a northern Catskill forest recently. “They have a delicate flavor,” Handel said. “You don’t want something that will compete with the flavor.” While there are many mushrooms on the ground, experienced hunters warn one needs to know what they are doing before eating anything off the forest floor. There are many poisonous mushrooms out there too. And changing weather conditions could dry up this year's crop. “They are ephemeral and only out for a certain time in the year,” Handel said. “And that availability is totally dependent on factors beyond our control. ... This year, everybody is gorging themselves on chanterelles. Next year, there might not be very many chanterelles and all you can do is wait until the next good year.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily headlines.

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

Brendan J. Lyons and Emilie Munson report in the Times Union that the U.S. Department of Justice announced July 23 that it will not open an investigation into the policies by New York and a few other states about nursing homes taking in residents who were being discharged from hospitals but still testing positive for COVID-19. The U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn, however, still has a similar investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nursing home COVID-19 numbers. But the Justice Department's Legislative Affairs Office declined to open an investigation under Civil Rights statutes related to any public nursing facilities in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey. Mainly that's because there are only a handful of publicly run nursing homes in New York, while many run by private companies. About seven percent of New York's 630 nursing homes are public, not run by private companies. Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn has interviewed dozens of current and former state health department officials in New York about the Cuomo administration's handling of the COVID-19 crisis in the state's nursing homes. The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn is now busy with at least five separate investigations of the Cuomo administration. Besides the nursing home issue, there is also an examination of sexual harassment allegations against the governor; his $5 million book deal that may have involved use of state resources; and preferential coronavirus testing for his family members and others with ties to the administration. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media representatives of Columbia-Greene Community College last week presented the school's proposed 2021-22 operating budget to the Columbia County Board of Supervisors’ Education Subcommittee. The spending plan totals $17.2 million, an increase of almost $169,000 over the 2020-21 budget. Columbia-Greene President Carlee Drummer and Vice President for Administration Dianna Topple presented the proposal to the supervisors. The budget will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors at an upcoming meeting. The plan does not raise the amount of money to be contributed by Columbia and Greene counties. But while the total combined sponsor share for both counties will remain at $6.45 million, the amount to be contributed by each county based on enrollment will change, Topple said. Columbia County will pay $3.34 million, a decrease of $135,000 from last year, Greene County will pay $3.12 million, an increase of $135,000 from its 2020-21 assessment. Tuition for students will remain at $4,968, for the 2021-22 academic year. The upcoming fall semester will be a hybrid, Drummer said. Thirty percent of instruction will be conducted in person this fall. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Altamont Enterprise is reporting the editor of The Altamont Enterprise, Melissa Hale-Spencer, has been presented with the International Society of Weekly Newspaper editors' Golden Quill award for her February 2020 editorial, “In the sale of Picard’s Grove, what’s done in haste will be repented at leisure.” She is the first woman in the competition’s 60-year history to claim the award twice and the only New Yorker to have won. The honors were announced at the group's annual convention, held remotely from Reno, Nevada, last week. Hale-Spencer's winning editorial was part of a series written after the owner of Picard’s Grove was declared“ incapacitated and placed in a nursing home. Picard's Grove was a long-time community gathering place at the foot of the Helderberg Mountains and a court-appointed attorney was poised to sell the 87-acre property quickly to a developer. Ultimately, the property was saved when the judge selected a neighboring couple as the purchasers. Contest judge, Rhonda Clark, wrote of Hale-Spencer's piece, “The editorial provides excellent background information on the 87-acre farm and its contents, and the questions that arise about the lawyer in charge of disposing of the property to a developer. This begins as an individual’s story that turns into a community issue. ..." Hale-Spencer was first named to the so-called Golden Dozen in 1999. In 2008, she won the Golden Quill, for the editorial “We, the people, are responsible for what our government does.” Read more at altamntenterprise [dot] com.

Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council last week voted to approve $15,000 from the city’s fund balance to hire attorneys to defend the city in a lawsuit filed by Verizon Wireless in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Verizon took legal action against the city, its planning board and code enforcement department over the wireless network operator's application for a special use permit to install six antennas atop Providence Hall. The company is alleging the planning board took too long to consider the application, attached unlawful conditions to its approval and charged unreasonable escrow fees. Verizon has asked the court to nullify the planning board's decision, order that the necessary approvals be granted and that the city return the $48,500 in fees it collected, along with all costs associated with the lawsuit. City Treasurer Heather Campbell said there is no money set aside specifically for such matters, so the funds must come from the fund balance. In its resolution, the council unanimously directed Mayor Kamal Johnson to hire the Albany-based law firm, Hinman Straub, to take on the matter for an initial sum not to exceed $15,000. Johnson chose Hinman Straub based on its litigation experience, availability and price, according to the resolution. Note: Johnson is a volunteer WGXC on-air programmer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Catskill Town Board has voted to remove the temporary fencing installed at the Tannery Bridge swimming hole in Palenville. Officials will now consider other ways to keep the area under control after receiving more public input. The town board heard public comment on the matter last week, removed the temporary fencing and is looking into the possibility of adding signage at the swimming hole. Residents made various suggestions, including signage and a community stewardship program. Some residents said out-of-town visitors were taking advantage of the area and creating problems for locals. Residents who live near the hole and the Kaaterskill Creek said there is noise after dark, parked vehicles blocking access to homes and children jumping off the Tannery Bridge. Greene County, the owner of the bridge, is planning to install an 8-foot fence on the bridge by mid-August to prevent jumping. Resident and former Palenville Fire Chief Kevin Lennon is against that move, saying that closing the hole creates an issue for the fire department by preventing access to a water source. The stewardship program would engage community members in educational conversations with swimming hole visitors was proposed by resident Rick Vincent, who said a similar program was implemented with the Catskill 3500 Club. “They talk to the people that show up, they go over and introduce themselves and they don’t argue with them, they don’t have the authority to arrest anybody, and that’s not the point ... We asked them to be considerate, not loud,” Vincent said. The board asked that anyone interested in the stewardship program email the town clerk with contact information. The board decided in July 2020 to temporarily cut off public access to the swimming hole after it became overcrowded and overrun with trash amid the pandemic. Town Supervisor Dale Finch said the town has not moved forward with permanent fencing to block access, adding that fencing would be expensive. “I think we have better ways to spend our taxpayers’ dollars than to put up fencing,” he said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Porcupine Soup is reporting that Greene County Solid Waste Management will hold its annual household hazardous waste collection event on July 31, at the Greene County Highway Department facility at Scott Lane, off Route 9W in Athens. County residents are asked to come to the site during the time period assigned, based on the first letter of their last name: A to F, from 7 to 8 a.m.; G to K, from 8 to 9 a.m.; L to P, from 9 to 10 a.m.; Q to U, from 10 to 11 a.m.; and V to Z, from 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Participants are advised to carefully separate and package the waste to prevent leakage; the county requests that there be only one person in a vehicle with no children or pets while transporting hazardous waste. Waste from multiple households may be combined in one vehicle if they are safely packaged. There could be short a wait in line. Documentation of residency, such as a driver's license or utility bill, will be required. All waste will be unloaded and handled by the contractor. The event is for the disposal of household hazardous waste only. Commercial or agricultural wastes will not be accepted. Normal waste materials, electronics or recyclables that can be disposed of through the transfer station system will not be accepted. Prior to the event, information is available by calling 518-943-4600 emailing solidwaste [at] discovergreene [dot] com. Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting Assemblymember Didi Barrett has secured $85,000 to be shared by the 16 libraries within the 106th Assembly District. A total of $5,000 was allocated to the Philmont Library for a special project. The remaining $80,000 will be divided equally among the libraries in Barrett's district for their specific needs. “Libraries have served as an important community resource for information, access to wi-fi, virtual programs, support of children who are struggling with virtual classrooms, helping people who are socially isolated and much more,” said Ric Sweirat, chairman of the Mid-Hudson Library System Board. “These grants will go far in supporting libraries to continue providing these supports for our community.” Barrett noted that libraries have become even more important than ever given the pandemic as they expanded their high-tech role. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Columbia-Greene Media about a major jump in the number of COVID-19 cases this week in Greene County. There were 19 new cases of COVID-19 and two new hospitalizations in Greene County in a 24-hour period between July 21 and July 22 according to Greene County Public Health. None of the people contracting the illness were vaccinated, according to Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden. “COVID has definitely not gone away,” according to a statement from Public Health. “Please get vaccinated at one of the local pharmacies around the county.” Eight of the new cases are in Greenville, five in Earlton, three in Coxsackie, and one each in Durham, Freehold, and Hannacroix. “A couple of weeks ago we had zero positives and we now have 32, as of yesterday,” Groden said July 23. “I do believe we had a congregation of events — nine or 10 of the recent cases were all from the same event, which gives me some pause. It’s not as much of a crisis because if they were all at the same event, it’s not spread in the community as much.” Only 53.5 percent of all residents of Greene County have received at least one vaccine dose. But some parts of Greene County are much less vaccinated. Surprise has the lowest vaccination rate in the county with 28.2 percent, while in Coxsackie only 31.9 percent of residents have received a vaccine dose. Now Greene County officials are planning on bringing back coronavirus vaccination points of distribution in mid- to late August. Anyone can also get a vaccine at Price Chopper, 320 West Bridge St., Catskill; Walgreens, 19 Central Ave., Catskill; Walmart, 30 Catskill Commons, Catskill; CVS Pharmacy, 7600 Route 32, Cairo; Hannaford, 223 Main St., Cairo; and Walgreens, 5 Garland Lane, Greenville. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Colin Kinniburgh reports for New York Focus that on July 19 Albany became the first municipality in New York to pass “good cause” eviction protections, which would stop landlords from evicting tenants or increasing rents more than five percent without justification. Now Hudson Valley activists want to pass good cause laws in other towns and cities. “Housing prices here in Columbia and Greene counties have just gone through the roof,” says Michael Gattine-Suarez, Hudson-based managing director of the Hudson-Catskill Housing Coalition. Certainly, more people have moved to the Hudson Valley since the pandemic began. A New York Times survey showed the city of Hudson saw the greatest spike in in-migration of any metro area in the country from 2019 to 2020, with Kingston ranking second. Pattern for Progress, a Newburgh-based research group, found that median home prices increased by 23 percent across the Hudson Valley from early 2020 to early 2021. In Greene County, the New York State Association of Realtors reports a more than 70 percent increase in median home values from the same time last year. “With that comes speculative investors, who are just buying homes here in the Hudson Valley…to make a quick buck,” Gattine-Suarez says. He claims some landlords are doubling rents, and that without any kind of rent stabilization system in place, “there are no checks and balances.” Tiffany Garriga, Democratic majority leader on Hudson’s city council, said some of her fellow councilmembers are “a little skeptical” of good cause, “but once they get a full understanding of the law, I think they will understand and see that it works for both sides.... People are getting priced out, bought out, and the outcome is that there’s no option. There’s nothing affordable,” Garriga said. “We’re hitting a mark in the city where there’s absolutely no place to live.” Read more about this story at New York Focus.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Andrew Cuomo on July 22 signed a bill raising the age of consent for marriage in New York to 18. "This administration fought hard to successfully end child marriage in New York and I'm proud to sign this legislation to strengthen our laws and further protect vulnerable children from exploitation," Cuomo said. "Children should be allowed to live their childhood and I thank the many legislators and advocates who worked diligently to advance this measure and further prevent forced marriages in this state." Four years ago New York raised the age of consent from 14 to 18, but allowed for 17-year-olds to be married with the consent of parents and the courts. "Regardless of maturity level, minors lack sufficient legal rights and autonomy that they need to protect them if they enter a marriage contract before becoming adults," said state Senator Julia Salazar, a sponsor of the bill. "The vast majority of minors who enter a marriage are teenage girls, and getting married before adulthood often has devastating consequences for them." The bill goes into effect in 30 days. Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.