Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media in the Greenville Pioneer that Greenville's water and sewer extension project is back to the bidding stage, after five proposals came in higher than expected. “We opened bids June 15 and they came in noticeably higher than what was anticipated,” Greenville Town Supervisor Paul Macko said. “We had a conference call with the Environmental Facilities Corporation, which controls the funds, so we have a resolution for a water and sewer upgrade to set a public hearing for the amount of funding we will need to complete the project." The town has $1,972,187 for the project and the lowest bid came in at $2,980,920, so there is a million dollar difference. They may add federal money to the project. “In the COVID-19 relief package to the towns, they are talking about money for infrastructure,” Macko said. “It’s looking like Greenville has just under $400,000 coming in two installments." One bidder suggested the town could save $400,000 by buying a new water tank instead of fixing the old one. When completed, the water and sewer lines would be extended 2,400 feet along Route 81. Read more about this story in the Greenville Pioneer.

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Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that planning is underway for the 180th Columbia County Fair, scheduled from September 1 through 6 at the county fairgrounds in Chatham. The fair is bringing back favorites such as the demolition derby, racing pigs, the firefighters’ parade, monster tractor pull and the rodeo. The fair last year was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first cancellation in the event’s history, said fair director Angelo Nero. The 2021 edition of the annual event will focus on agriculture and an assortment of local musical acts will perform rather than a single headliner. There are no current plans to require attendees to wear masks at the fair, according to a statement from the fair board. The exception being for unvaccinated fairgoers who are encouraged to mask up while attending. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the fairgrounds and in restrooms. For the first time ever, the fair will be a smoke-free zone, with smoking allowed only in the parking lot. Bag checks will be required at all entrance gates. A full list of prohibited items is available at columbiafair [dot] com. “We’re still looking for people to work this year,” Nero said. “...If anyone is interested they should give us a call.” Information is available at 518-392-2121 or online at columbiafair [dot] com. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup American Legion Post 983 has announced its opposition to the Cairo Chamber of Commerce's plans to renovate the historic Soldier's Fountain on Main Street. Built in 1922, the fountain contains a bronze memorial tablet with the names of 44 World War I veterans from Cairo. The town owns the fountain and the town board previously agreed to the chamber's plans. “This is a World War I monument and should remain only a WWI monument,” Post 983 of Cairo Commander Michael Adrian and Vice Commander Raymond Houghtaling wrote in a June 10 letter to town officials. “Over the years work has been done on this war memorial without any input from the American Legion Post,” Adrian and Houghtaling wrote. “We realize that the fountain is town property, but it being a war memorial and the fact that the majority of the veterans named on the monument were instrumental in forming the American Legion in the town of Cairo, we believe the American Legion Post should have some say in any changes to this historic monument. ... We are therefore opposed to the Chamber of Commerce plan...” they wrote. The chamber’s project involves selling stone pavers with a veteran’s name, branch of service and wartime designation. The pavers are to be installed around the fountain. The chamber has been selling pavers for months. Cairo Town Supervisor John Coyne said both the Legion and the chamber will be invited to attend the August 2 town board meeting to further discuss the issue. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo July 15, signed a bill into law that will allow restaurants to use municipal spaces such as sidewalks and streets for outdoor dining. The practice was previously permitted by an executive order, which expired in June. The legislation allows restaurants to continue using public spaces for another year as the economic recovery continues. Under the executive order, establishments were permitted to expand the licensed premises to use public spaces, such as sidewalks or closed streets, subject to reasonable limitations and procedures set by the State Liquor Authority and the safety and supervision plans of the local municipality. According to the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Owners Association, the new law requires that a restaurant's use of outdoor public space meet all federal, state, and local laws, rules, and guidance. Eating establishments must also have a temporary use permit from the municipality responsible for making sure the public space is used in a safe, orderly manner. New applicants must provide the community with notification that is consistent with the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Most local counties have opted-in to allow youth ages 12 and 13 to hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow when supervised by an experienced adult hunter. New York's Department of Environmental Conservation for the first time this year is allowing local counties to allow, or not, young people to hunt. Albany and Ulster counties did not opt-in. Greene, Columbia, Rensselaer, Dutchess, Schoharie, and Delaware counties all passed a local law to allow 12- and 13-year-old licensed hunters to kill deer with a rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloading firearm in legal areas. The 12- and 13-year-olds are only allowed to hunt deer, not black bears. The next youth firearm season is Oct. 9-11.

Today's daily news update.

Porcupine Soup is reporting an anonymous donor has made a donation of $310,000 to help Greene County residents who are attending Columbia-Greene Community College. The gift, made through the Columbia-Greene Community College Foundation, is intended to support students studying for a career in the medical field, such as nursing and medical assisting. “The Columbia-Greene Community College Foundation was the right fit for this contribution,” said the donor. “We have been witness to the good work the Foundation does for [Columbia-Greene] students, and we know it will use this endowment in accordance with our wishes. We are extremely pleased to provide this funding.” Joan Koweek, foundation executive director, said the endowment will empower Greene County students who struggle financially to confidently move forward in their education and future careers. Read the full story at porcupine soup [dot] com.

Morgan McKay is reporting for State of Politics a whistleblower lawsuit has been filed in federal court against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for allegedly forcing a clinical physician to resign after he spoke out about medical practices within the state prisons. Dr. Michael Salvana worked for the Department of Corrections from 2003 to 2020. He is alleging that after he spoke out against a policy that prohibited him from prescribing certain medications to incarcerated people, he was forced out. Salvana’s lawyer, Carlo de Oliveira, argues that incarcerated individuals should not be receiving different care than those outside prison. “New York state correctional facilities should not be used as an experimental medical facility,” de Oliveira said. “...New York state should not be using the inmates for experimental medication. When a treating physician or specialist makes a recommendation, that should be followed.” The Department of Corrections’ Medications With Abuse Potential policy prohibits certain drugs from being prescribed because of their potential to be abused or to cause addiction. Attorney de Oliveira alleges the policy prevented his client from treating patients in the way he deemed appropriate, citing the case of a incarcerated quadriplegic person who was sent to the hospital multiple times due to dehydration caused by vomiting. Salvana prescribed a medication that would have controlled the vomiting, but his order was denied, citing department policy. A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections said they cannot comment on pending litigation, but noted in a statement, “the Department provides the community standard of medical care for all incarcerated individuals. All DOCCS facilities have medical staff on site and individuals have access to medical services on a daily basis through the facility’s sick call procedure... If more extensive care is necessary, the incarcerated individual may be moved to another hospital which can provide the additional services. DOCCS also collaborates with [the state Department of Health] on a regular basis in providing care to the incarcerated population." Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Kinderhook Memorial Library now has a one-of-a-kind collection of books to help children with dyslexia learn to read. “They are designed to support literacy development of those who are learning to read,” Kinderhook Memorial Library Director AnnaLee Dragon said. “They use this different structure, science-based phonics approach, that teaches children to decode words by understanding phonics and syllables and morphology ...” The decodable reader books can also be useful for anyone learning to read. The Kinderhook collection is the only one of its kind in the five-county Mid-Hudson Library System and it includes hundreds of books. The purchase of the books was funded with a $2,000 grant from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Fund for Columbia County. A library patron also personally raised more than $7,500 in additional funds to acquire the full set. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability referring to a cluster of symptoms that result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. It is estimated that between 5 and 10 percent of the population has dyslexia, but the number could be as high as 17 percent, Dragon said. The new books will be available to the public in the next few weeks. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that a state trooper shot a woman in the abdomen with a shotgun July 15 in New Lebanon. Police say she threatened suicide and then pointed a firearm at troopers. The 40-year-old woman was not identified, and was taken to Albany Medical Center. Trooper Nathaniel Chernewsky fired the shotgun at the woman at her home on Route 22 in eastern Columbia County, and was accompanied by Trooper Erica Rodriguez. Police have not yet released any other details. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid Hudson News reports that Central Hudson will pay $1.5 million for 32 alleged violations of Central Hudson’s emergency response plan in response to a 2020 storm that cut off power to thousands in the Hudson Valley. The violations include faulty storm classifications, inadequate storm staffing, inadequate communications staffing personnel, and the failure to comply with metrics related to contacts with life support equipment customers. The Central Hudson settlement is part of an $86.2 million agreement by four New York utilities: Con Edison, Orange & Rockland Utilities, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, and Frontier Communications of New York, Inc. “The size of these settlements should make it abundantly clear that New York utilities are obligated to prepare for severe weather and to develop robust emergency response programs,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “If they fail to adequately do the job that’s required of them, we will hold them accountable and we will force them to improve the way they do business — and their shareholders will pay the price.” Previously, New York reached a $72 million settlement with broadband provider Altice and a $1.5 million settlement with New York State Electric & Gas Corp. over their response to the same storm. Read more about this story at Mid Hudson News.

The Daily Freeman reports about a carbon monoxide leak at a summer camp in Schoharie County sent 53 people to area hospitals on July 15. A leaky gas pipe from a propane hot water heater was blamed for knocking several people unconscious at Boy Zone, an all-boys Jewish summer camp in the town of Jefferson near the border of Delaware and Schoharie counties. “We are immensely thankful that all those who were hospitalized for monitoring were discharged yesterday and are doing fine,” camp office manager Tova Bracha Kohanghadosh wrote in an email Friday. New Jersey-based Oorah, a nonprofit organization that helps Jewish families, runs the camp. The camp was back running as usual later in the day July 15. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Gov. Andrew Cuomo on July 17, will be interviewed by investigators charged with probing allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct leveled against him by multiple women. The interview is to be conducted in Albany, and was first reported by The New York Times. This news comes after other administration officials were also questioned by investigators Joon Kim and Anne Clark in recent weeks. Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for the governor, accused investigators of leaking information concerning the probe. “We have said repeatedly that the governor doesn’t want to comment on this review until he has cooperated, but the continued leaks are more evidence of the transparent political motivation of the Attorney General’s review," Azzopardi wrote in a statement. According to Reisman, the timing of Cuomo's interview is an indication that the investigation is close to reaching its final stage. Democratic and Republican state lawmakers have called on Cuomo to resign. Cuomo has been accused of making inappropriate comments to women who worked in his office. He has said he apologizes to anyone who may have felt uncomfortable. In recent weeks Cuomo has insisted he is eager to tell his side of the story. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Michael Gwizdala reports in the Troy Record that Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin and Nassau Supervisor Dave Fleming both declared a state of emergency after storms damaged areas in the county July 14. "What happened was some thunderstorms developed and they kept repeatedly tracking over Rensselaer County for two or three hours and the rainfall amounts ranged between two and four-and-a-half inches in that short period of time," said National Weather Service Albany Meteorologist Neil Stuart. A bridge on Taborton Road washed away during the storm. And Fleming said there were, "significant impacts at the Dewey Loeffel Superfund Site and torn-up Little Thunder Brook.... The damage done from last night's storm was worse than Hurricane Irene. We have lost new road construction, roads that have never flooded and culverts, across much of the northern part of town." And the National Weather Service predicts more rain this weekend. "We're keeping an eye on [it] but it's early to really zero in on specific areas that may have a flood threat over the weekend," Stuart said. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media construction got underway this week to install the new cashless tolling infrastructure on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Equipment arrived July 12, and drilling to build the foundation for the electronic gantries began the following day on the Greene County side of the span. A trench has been excavated on the western side for the installation of cables from the brick administration building to the gantries. A completion date for the project is currently unknown. All five bridges under the jurisdiction of the New York State Bridge Authority are transitioning to cashless tolling. The system enables drivers with E-ZPass tags to pay for passage over the bridge by driving beneath the electronic gantries. Drivers without E-ZPass will have their license plate photographed and will then be billed by mail. Cashless tolling has already been implemented at the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and the Bear Mountain Bridge is expected to follow suit in the fall, then the Rip Van Winkle. The cost of converting all five bridges to cashless tolling will be approximately $30 million. The tollbooths will be removed but a demolition date has not yet been scheduled. By next spring the toll plaza will be reconfigured into a new traffic pattern, a spokesperson for the bridge authority said. Traffic traveling east will pass through lane 1 and go under the gantry. Once the toll booths are removed, westbound traffic will no longer have to shift to the right to bypass the toll booth. It will instead travel straight through, where lanes 2 and 3 are currently located. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.