Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media for the second year in a row, home sales in Greene County have hit record levels, according to a report from the state Association of Realtors. The association found that from May 2020 to May 2021, home values increased by more than 70 percent. Greene County Director of Economic Development and Planning Karl Heck said the spike can be attributed to high demand versus a low supply of homes. In 2020, a record 903 houses were sold countywide, according to the Association of Realtors. Heck said the postal service reported 800 people moved to the area over the course of the past year. As of May 2021, the median home value in the county was $332,500, an increase from $195,450 in 2020. Catskill saw the biggest increase while the mountain top continues to draw second homeowners, but the entire county appears to be drawing buyers, Heck said. County Administrator Shaun Groden said 30 percent of the housing stock consists of second homes. In the long run, people buying homes in the area can stimulate the economy, Heck said. Groden added it could cause expansion of internet access, allowing more people to work remotely from the county and driving sales. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Troy Record reports that New York State Police gave out 10,238 tickets during the July 4th weekend, on their annual crackdown on intoxicated drivers. Troopers arrested 195 people for DWI and investigated 648 crashes over the holiday weekend. That compares to 8,214 total tickets and 180 people arrested for DWI the year before. State troopers also gave out 3,955 speeding tickets, 202 for distracted driving, found 671 seatbelt violations, and gave out 132 tickets for violating the Move Over Law. Read more about this story at the Troy Record website.

Today's daily news update.

Edward McKinley reports in the Times Union that Kyle Van De Water knows he wants to run for Congress again, he just doesn't know in what Congressional District, or who he might oppose. Van De Water lives in Millbrook in Dutchess County and lost to Antonio Delgado in the 19th Congressional District in 2020 54.5 percent to Van De Water's 42.9 percent. "While I don’t yet know how the district will look, I do know that I care far too much about this district to sit on the sidelines, no matter the odds. It would be politically expedient to wait and see how the redistricting process shapes the district, but I am not a politician. I am not doing this for myself, I am doing this for the people of NY-19 (and perhaps some from NY-18 or NY-20 as well)," Van De Water wrote in his announcement. New York lost a Congressional seat in the census count, so one of New York's Congressional Districts will be eliminated, and the others redrawn before the 2022 election. In 2020 Van De Water raised $150,000 against the $6 million Delgado had in fundraising in 2020. "I am excited to demonstrate that I am the right person for the job and to once again earn your votes. We are going to win," Van De Water wrote in an email July 12. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Jim Franco reports for Spotlight News that 49 percent of New Yorkers gained weight during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 38 percent say they are in better shape now, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll. The poll also reported 51 percent of New Yorkers felt depressed and 44 percent say they developed a new interest or hobby during the pandemic. The poll says 68 percent of New Yorkers believe the worst of the pandemic is over while 17 percent think the worst is yet to come. But things have not changed completely yet, as only 27 percent are very comfortable and 30 percent are somewhat comfortable going to an indoor theater. That 57 percent is a little below the current rate of vaccination in the state. Currently 61.1 percent of New Yorkers have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state's vaccine tracker website. Read more about this story at Spotlight News.

Jon Campbell reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that on Sunday, July 11, it was illegal in New York to cut someone's hair. But that has changed now, as on July 13, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill repealing a section of the state's general business law that made it illegal to "engage in the business of" cutting hair, shaving or other barber-related work on Sundays. Those cutting hair on Sundays previously in New York could have been charged with a misdemeanor and a fine of five dollars. A second offense could have brought a $25 fine and a jail sentence of up to 25 days. But no one has been fined for cutting hair in years. "This is the very definition of an archaic and meaningless law that makes little to no sense in the 21st century," Cuomo said in a statement. "While not routinely enforced, I'm more than happy to sign this repeal into law and allow these businesses to determine what days they choose to operate." New York previously banned all sorts of economic activity on Sundays for religious reasons. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Today's daily headlines.

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The Hudson Valley could face yet another wave of COVID-19, this time with the large unvaccinated population getting most of the cases of a new more contagious strain. The Daily Freeman reported that on July 12 Ulster County reported 37 more COVID-19 cases, up 12 from July 9, and Dutchess County reported 70 more cases July 12, up nine from the previous day. Greene County reported five new cases July 12, up from three on July 9. The rising case counts come as vaccination rates have slowed locally. Just slightly more than a month ago, Greene County had 50.4 percent of its population with at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state's vaccine tracker website. Now, Greene County has only improved to 52.9 percent. Over the same time period, Columbia County has risen from 57.4 percent to 60.6 percent. Albany County is up from 62.8 percent to 65.5 percent. Rensselaer County's rate increased from 56.1 percent to 58.9 percent. Ulster County went from 60.5 percent a month ago to 63.8 percent now. And Dutchess County went from 55.3 percent to 58.5 percent.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the 216-year-old Christman's Windham House was destroyed by fire overnight, July 12. The historic tavern building was located at the golf resort of the same name, on Route 23 in Windham. “The call went out at 2:51 this morning for a structure fire at 1805 Tavern,” Windham Town Supervisor and volunteer firefighter Thomas Hoyt said. “It was fully involved and just a sad day for the town of Windham.” No injuries were reported. However, the building was a total loss, Hoyt said. “The first floor is the pro shop and the second floor is a restaurant and small performance center and outside patio,” Hoyt said. “The building is made of old hand-hewn logs — from the inside. It was very nice. It was 216 years old. It is completely destroyed.” The rest of the resort property was undamaged, Hoyt said. Windham Fire Chief Gary Cook said the fire did not spread to surrounding structures. “...Other buildings were a good safe distance away,” he said. Cook said the heat was so intense that cables leading from the building to Route 23 melted. Cook said the cause of the fire is unknown and may never be determined, but noted it was not deemed suspicious. The building dates to 1805 and is a prized piece of Windham history, Hoyt said. “It was horrible — just a gut-wrenching feeling because of the history and the hard work that went into it. Ruth and Brian Christman pour their heart and soul into the resort,” Hoyt said. Seven fire companies responded to the scene including Windham, Hensonville, East Durham, Prattsville, Ashland, Jewett and Hunter. The Catskill Fire Department was placed on standby in case its tower truck was needed. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection and the Department of Motor Vehicles July 12, warned state residents about a text message phishing scheme. Phishing texts are messages designed to get someone to give up data or sensitive personal information that is then used to commit identity theft or to trick a person into installing malicious software onto a computer or phone. The text messages in question reference the Secretary of State NY Drivers License Facility and tell the recipient the details for their current driver's license need to be updated. Officials are telling people to delete these text messages immediately. To protect against phishing or smishing scams, officials recommend always knowing where communication is coming from, including those that appear to be from a trusted party. Keep an eye out for signs of phishing, such as poor spelling or grammar; the use of threats, and a URL that does not match a legitimate site. And never click on links embedded in an unsolicited message from an unverified source. Information is available at the NYS Office of Information Technology Services Phishing Awareness resources page or the Division of Consumer Protection Phishing Scam Prevention Tips page.

MidHudson News is reporting during a July 8, meeting to disband Dutchess County's Independent Reapportionment Commission, Democratic lawmakers walked out. But the resolution was passed by the GOP representatives that stayed around after the Democrats left. Legislature Chairman Republican Gregg Pulver moved to disband the commission after it was learned a Democratic appointment to the commission, Richard Keller-Coffey, was an elected school board member, a violation of the rules establishing the group. “Reapportioning the county Legislature must be truly independent and having an elected official on the Commission muddies the waters too much,” said Pulver. Democratic legislators protested the proposed law to create a new commission and to ban any member of the current body from serving on it. The measure that was approved would reopen the application process. When the commission was first created, 163 county residents expressed interest in serving. Minority Leader Rebecca Edwards said, ”So, 163 volunteers is not enough for seven slots? That’s absurd on its face. The obvious agenda here,” she said, “is to blow up the commission and install someone who is not in the current applicant pool. On a pretext, the democratic process is being overturned.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Anna Gronewold reports in Politico that if there is one thing many politicians in Albany are waiting for this summer, it is a report from Attorney General Tish James. New York's Attorney General has been investigating all sorts of allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo since March. Those allegations include sexual harassment and possible misuse of staff in the production of his pandemic memoir. "I think we all wait with bated breath: Does she have the intestinal fortitude to indict the governor?" said state Republican chair Nick Langworthy. James herself has been mostly mum on the matter, saying last month of the investigation, “It will conclude when it concludes.” Meanwhile, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn are also investigating Cuomo’s coronavirus task force and how it handled nursing homes early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about this story at Politico.

Edward McKinley reports in the Times Union that the Thruway Authority's plan to update travel plazas with new restaurants is getting some push back. Three openly gay members of the New York Assembly sent a letter to the Thruway Authority last week saying that Chick-fil-A should not be allowed inside Thruway rest stops, because of the fast food chain's history of "opposing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals." "As you may be aware, Chick-fil-A and its founders have a long and controversial history of opposing the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and families," the letter from Assembly members Harry Bronson, Deborah Glick, and Daniel O'Donnell says. "This move by the Thruway Authority, strikes us, as sending a message to LGBTQ+ individuals and families that it doesn't share the same commitment to their civil rights as New York State. We are requesting that you re-examine the list of approved concessions for these rest spots considering Chick-fil-A's actions against the LGBTQ+ community." Starting this month, the Thruway Authority is spending $450 million to renovate its rest stops, with the New Baltimore rest area one of the first getting an overhaul. Shake Shack, Popeyes, Panda Express, Starbucks, Panera, and Chick-fil-A are among the chain restuarants moving in. The resturant released its own statement on the issue: “Chick-fil-A is excited about the partnership and the opportunity to further serve the residents of New York. We want to be clear that Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants. We are proud to be represented by more than 200,000 diverse team members nationwide, and we strive to be a positive influence in our local communities. We do this, in part, by contributing $25,000 to food banks in each community where we open a new restaurant, and donating more than 10 million meals through our Shared Table program.” So far, the Thruway Authority is going ahead with their plan. "The New York State Thruway Authority, its Board of Directors, and staff support an inclusive environment that treats the tens of millions of people that travel our system with dignity and respect," said Thruway spokesperson Jonathan Dougherty in an email. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Jeanette Wolfberg reports in the Columbia Paper about those reports about possible police reforms that all municipalities had to submit to Governor Andrew Cuomo's office earlier this year. Cuomo has not gotten back to the towns and villages with police departments with approval for the changes, but Columbia County is marching ahead anyway with its Police Reform Implementation Committee. And even though Committee Co-Chair Tistrya Houghtling said of Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett, “We can’t force him” to implement the changes. Houghtling from New Lebanon and Robert Beaury from Germantown are the two supervisors on the implementation committee with Bartlett; Gary Graziano, a retired Hudson Police commissioner; David Hall of Ancram; and William Hughes, a former supervisor from Hudson. Bartlett is not agreeing to all the proposed changes. For instance, one recommendation would increase the number of seconds the video/audio captures before the officer presses the “record” button from 30 to 120. But the sheriff disagrees and says he will only consider 60 seconds. Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

Today's daily headlines.

After last week's wild weather there is now lots more rain in store for the Hudson Valley, and the National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Flash Flood Watch through 2 a.m. July 13 for the entire Hudson Valley. The rain that returned Sunday, July 11 is expected to continue all day July 12, on top of drenched ground. Friday, July 9 there was reported flash flooding in Catskill. The National Weather Service previously said that the July 7 storm that tore through Coxsackie causing much damage was caused by a straight-line wind event, not a tornado. The National Weather Service estimated winds neared 100 mph there. "It’s still going to be a cleanup for several weeks because there’s a lot in peoples’ backyards,” said Coxsackie village mayor Mark Evans on July 11. There was also storm damage last week in Stuyvesant, Claverack, and Kinderhook, plus other Hudson Valley locations. Right now the National Weather Service is predicting a 50 percent or more chance of rain every day this week until Thursday. The Music in the Park performance in Coxsackie with Downtown Horns July 11 was postponed due to rain, and rescheduled for 6 p.m. July 15.

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Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center in the village of Catskill reopened on July 6 and two days later the Catskill senior group Silver Linings held its first meeting in more than a year. The center closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic. The center’s new director, Jamie Story, said sit-down dining will resume August 2, with some additional rules, including requiring non-vaccinated attendees to wear masks, reservations a day in advanc,e and physical distancing. While the center was closed, meals were delivered by Meals on Wheels to the center for pick up in the parking lot. In addition to dining, the center also offers card games, dance aerobics, line dancing and painting. Story said she plans to add more programming in an effort to attract new people. She hopes to bring back a chorus and continue chair yoga. “I’m open to ideas from the community and from the seniors working with funds from the town and fundraisers,” Story said. “I’m really excited to be here. I’ve been here about a week, and I have met many wonderful seniors, and I’m looking forward to meeting many more.” Catskill Town Supervisor Dale Finch said the seniors were patient in waiting for the reopening. “Before it was a building, but now it’s like the life is back in the building,” he said. “It’s like one large family reunion.” Silver Linings President Sheila Pedersen said pre-pandemic, the group had 126 members, but it is unclear what returning membership will look like. Story said she will be creating a Facebook page for the center, and The Silver Linings will host a chicken barbecue fundraiser on August 12, Pedersen said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.