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WNYT Albany reports that the Village of Coxsackie declared a state of emergency because of storm damage July 7. "Please be advised that multiple trees and wires are down with many roads being blocked. We are asking for no unnecessary travel through the Village of Coxsackie at this time," officials posted on Facebook. They later posted that "several streets are still completely blocked and walking around in the eastern part of the Village is hazardous still with many wires and limbs hanging," saying the state of emergency remains in effect on July 8. "Fortunately we have no reports of any injuries at this time," Village of Coxsackie officials posted. "Please avoid the area of Washington and Lafayette and all areas east to the river until [Thursday] afternoon to allow Central Hudson to complete its work." There were also reports electricity outages around the area, and additional storm damage across the Hudson River in Stuyvesant. Read more about this story at the WNYT Albany website.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media former Athens Mayor Chris Pfister was injured while retrieving a vandalized Pride flag in Riverfront Park in the village. He suffered three broken ribs and a broken bone in his spine, spending several days hospitalized at Albany Medical Center over the weekend, his wife Carol Pfister said on July 7. Four flags, representing pride for the LGBTQ community, were posted in the park during June for Pride Month. The flags were torn down and damaged overnight June 27. The incident has been designated a hate crime. Numerous American flags in the park remain undamaged. While three of the Pride flags were deemed salvageable, the fourth was damaged beyond repair, Carol Pfister said. Athens Pride organizer Marya Warshaw said, “We have been very clear that this is a hate crime and that when the perpetrators are found we intend to press charges.” She said it is believed the incident occurred between 3 and 3:30 in the morning based on police video surveillance. Carol Pfister later that morning found the damaged flags and discovered the poles they were hanging from had been torn down. Chris Pfister was injured when he tried to retrieve one of the flags from the ferry slip. "He is really suffering," Carol Pfister said. The vandalism remains under investigation. Mayor Amy Serrago said, “I do not feel that this is reflective of the broader community here in the village of Athens and I’m both saddened and angry that this happened.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Paul Nelson is reporting for the Times Union an internal investigation commissioned by the town of Niskayuna found that former police chief Frances Wall violated the town's workplace violence policy late last year when she allegedly claimed she would kill a town employee if a firm the town board hired to conduct a racial equity audit "comes after my police officers." The Times Union obtained the findings and supporting documents this week through a Freedom of Information Law request. Those documents show that Town Comptroller Ismat Alam was the complainant. Alam alleged in the complaint that Wall said, "if the TB (Town Board) could give you $25K for the racial equity audit, why can't they give me $25K for my police department for body cameras" before adding "if CNA comes after my police officers, then I will kill you." CNA is the Virginia-based research firm that conducted Niskayuna's racial audit. Alam states in documents that she was "taken back, shocked and felt bullied" as a result of behavior she allegedly experienced from Wall for months. On her part, Wall has denied the accusations and referred comment to her attorney, Paul Davenport. Davenport reiterated his past points that the incidents never happened.  Read the full story in the Times Union.

Susan Arbetter is reporting for Capital Tonight that state Senator Liz Krueger said the governor’s office not long ago called to reassure her it was interested in moving as quickly as possible to nominate the chairs of the new Office of Cannabis Management and the new Cannabis Control Board, in contrast to recent press reports indicating that Cuomo's office might be slow-walking the key nominations. As of Wed., Jul. 7, there have been no nominations announced. However, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the primary Assembly sponsor of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, said that while there is nothing to report yet, the governor’s office and the Senate “have come to a meeting of the minds." Peoples-Stokes said while the nominations have yet to be announced, work on a framework for cannabis sales has been continuing behind the scenes. “There will be no delay,” she added. Several elements of the legislation are already in effect. Police are now no longer permitted to pull people over if they simply smell cannabis in a vehicle. Also, anyone previously convicted of a cannabis offense alone will soon have their conviction erased. And local governments will have to decide whether they want to opt out of dispensary and delivery services this year. Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Rebekah F. Ward reports in the Times Union that New York Senator Chuck Schumer said on July 6 that if Canadian officials won't reopen the border the United States should act alone. Schumer said said it is “time” for the U.S. to “finally take the first move in good faith to safely reopen the border to vaccinated Canadians.” Schumer is now echoing what Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has been saying for awhile. Schumer is now urging the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to take a first step to “unilaterally expand the definition of essential travel to include vaccinated Canadian citizens with family, property, educational, medical, or business interests in the United States.” Canadian officials have extended the pandemic-induced joint border closure through July 21. New York shares a 445-mile border with Canada. On July 5 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he is “hopeful that we're going to see new steps on reopening announced in the coming weeks." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Emilia Teasdale reports in the Columbia Paper that the National Grid power company is “changing out transformers” and poles in Kinderhook, and some town officials and residents are not happy. Mayor Dale Leiser said, after a transformer went up on Hudson Street suspended between two poles, that, “this is unacceptable.” He was given three options: leave the new equipment where it is; put the transformer in a box on the ground; or remove all the new equipment. As of June 22, no decision had been made on the Hudson Street transformer, and there is other new work in the village. Some residents wanted the power equipment buried underground, or, like in Valatie, to have the power lines run behind the buildings on Main Street. In all, National Grid is replacing 60 to 70 electric poles in Kinderhook Village. While that is being done residents may see some double poles, as Consolidated Communications and Spectrum move their internet service to the new poles. Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

Bethany Bump reports in the Times Union that the Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting program launched earlier this month as a test designed to improve outcomes for nonviolent emergency calls in Albany County’s and rural Hilltowns. The program is for diverting police from situations where they’re not needed, reducing the chances of unnecessary harm and death, according to Stephen Giordano, director of the county’s mental health department. “You bring a law enforcement officer who is not trained in handling mental health crises to a volatile situation with a weapon — I think the logic is bad things could happen, and sometimes they do,” Giordano said. Katie Flanigan, the clinical director of emergency services and training for Albany County’s Department of Mental Health, explained how the poloce aren't the answer to all emergencies “Individuals that are in an emotional crisis, they feel it,” she said of the stigma that falsely equates mental illness with violence and criminality. “They’ll say, ‘Why are the police here? Am I gonna get arrested?’ Their mere presence can escalate things.” The program has trained dispatchers in the Hilltowns to evaluate whether a call requires a police response. “Mentally ill people are more likely to be the victim of crime than the perpetrator of crime,” Flanigan said. “And it’s really untreated mental illness — usually in combination with substance abuse — that is the driver of violence, if there is an association at all. Unfortunately, I think most people think if you’re crazy you’re violent — and that’s just not true.” Researchers from the University at Albany will collect, track, and analyze data on the program. Already there have been cases such as an elderly woman with dementia who was repeatedly calling the police to report her caregiver, whom she assumed was an intruder. “The social worker was able to talk her down and de-escalate the situation, and she had medical complaints so we evaluated her and had an ambulance come,” said Nena Ruiz, paramedic supervisor for the new program. “It was exactly how we imagined ACCORD would work.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that the Schoharie County Eagle Trail opened this spring with 16 different sites and 10 nesting locations for watching bald eagles. “The eagles are creatures of habit, and like to stay close to home,” said wildlife photographer Bill Combs, Jr., who is partnering with the Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corp. on the project. “So, it can be most assured that a visit to the trail will result in eagle sightings." The Schoharie County Eagle Trail is more than 65 miles long and goes through five towns, from Esperance in the northern part of the county, down to Gilboa in the south. “They are majestic birds, and we are so fortunate to have them in our county,” Department of Environmental Conservation Officer Melissa Burgess said. “Visit the birds but view them from a safe distance and give them the respect they need.” There is more information about the Schoharie County Eagle Trail at sceagletrail.com. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

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

Democrat Michelle Williams defeated Republican Jeffrey Holliday in the Catskill Village special election July 6, to fill an empty village board seat, according to the Greene County Board of Elections. Williams, with 55.56 percent of the vote, gives Democrats a 3-2 majority on the Catskill Village board. The vote totals were 315 for Williams to 252 for Holliday. The seat has been vacant since the January resignation of former Village President Vincent Seeley. Williams now fills the position until March 2022. Seeley stepped down from the board following a four-month unannounced absence, forcing the board to reorganize.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media families in the Cairo-Durham school district have until July 9, to complete a survey of their interest in a full-day pre-kindergarten program. The school district is looking into the possibility of launching a full-day program at Cairo-Durham Elementary School, in addition to the half-day program that currently exists. The full-day pre-kindergarten program would be for students 4 years of age. The classes would be offered from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, and only children who live in the Cairo-Durham district would be eligible. District Superintendent Michael Wetherbee said, “Students who attend high-quality preschool programs reap benefits that can last through school and their lives. These programs provide the foundation that will help students successfully transition into their school-age years.” The full-day program would begin in September; funding would come through a pre-K grant awarded to the district. The program will be offered at no cost to district families. The district is asking for input from families with young children to determine if enough interest exists within the community to warrant creating a full-day program. The survey also asks if the family would be interested in door-to-door bus transportation or if they would bring their child to and from school each day themselves. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment in Cairo-Durham's half-day program was on average, 16 students in the morning session and 16 in the afternoon. Four of the six school districts in Greene County provide a pre-kindergarten program, either full-day or half-day. The Coxsackie-Athens district is also thinking about starting a program in September. The deadline to submit the survey for the full-day pre-kindergarten program at Cairo-Durham is July 9. The survey can be found at the district website. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

MidHudson News is reporting that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo July 6 said that if New Yorkers could defeat COVID-19, they could also defeat gun violence, as he was declaring war on the menace, which is especially devastating to black and brown communities. The governor made his remarks after signing legislation declaring gun violence a disaster emergency. “If you can beat COVID, you can beat gun violence, you can beat poverty, you can beat drug abuse; you can beat whatever you want to beat. We just have to want to do it,” he said to an audience of community leaders at John Jay College in New York City. The plan ranges from providing alternatives for young people to avoid street crime, such as jobs and recreational activities; mapping and targeting high-crime areas; getting illegal guns off the streets; intervening with victims right at hospitals with interveners like with the SNUG program — SNUG is GUNS spelled backward. The plan also includes proposals for community engagement; and building police-community relations. Cuomo committed $138 million in state funds to the effort. In recent months, gun violence has been on the rise in the Hudson Valley in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Monticello, New Rochelle, and Yonkers. Read the full story at midhudsonnews [dot] com.

William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman Ulster town officials say a review is needed of the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency's food waste composting and whatever plans there may be for the operation to be expanded. “They have gone and purchased additional land parcels ... to accommodate an increased composting operation,” Town Supervisor James Quigley said at a recent meeting of the board. A recent letter from the agency's board Chairperson Katherine Beinkafner blamed the county Legislature for not moving forward with plans to have large institutions develop plans for food waste composting. “When I go down ... on Ulster Landing Road, I can smell this awful smell,” town board member Eric Kitchen said. “The entrance to our county is a stinking garbage dump,” town board member Clayton VanKleeck said. “What can we do to stop this noxious odor?” County Comptroller Match Gallagher is looking to audit the RRA's composting operations based on concerns that the agency’s contract with the county was violated because of the odor as well as questions over fiscal and sales practices. The composting facility is located about 250 feet from Route 199/209. Complaints about the smell increased in 2015, and by 2019, the odors were noticeable more than a mile away, including on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The agency's efforts to reduce odor have included turning the decaying food waste more frequently, but the problems have persisted. Discussion about the use of new technology to eliminate the odor has been rare during the past nine years and generally dismissed by agency leadership when raised. Town board members last week said if complaints fail to motivate the RRA, then perhaps the state could apply pressure. Kitchen noted odors from the composting operation are evident on the Ulster section of the newly created Empire State Trail. “The state has probably put millions of dollars into purchasing this land and putting this trail in,” he said. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Long Island Republican Congressperson Lee Zeldin is running for governor to “save New York” from “King Cuomo” through a tough-on-crime approach. But hours after a violent, armed mob murdered a police officer and attempted to overthrow the U.S. government, Zeldin voted against the certification of the election results. Over 60 courts have ruled against any election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Last week the New York Republican Party held a straw poll, with Zeldin winning the most support in his efforts to become governor. “I’ve been focused on issues that matter most to New Yorkers,” Zeldin said, when asked about his message is to voters who may wonder how they can support someone who voted against certification of the election. “New Yorkers are hitting their breaking point right now with the high cost of living, the erosion of public safety, with the quality of education in our schools, the governor’s approach toward attacking people’s freedoms and liberties, and the corruption that has him embarrassing New Yorkers and disgracing himself.” In 2019, during the first impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, Zeldin spoke more than any other Republican defending the former president, according to an NBC News analysis of impeachment transcripts. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media in the Ravena News-Herald that the town of Coeymans in southern Albany County is one of the first local towns to consider whether they will allow cannabis sales. Cannabis is now legal in New York, and towns have until Dec. 31 to decide if they want to ban sales locally. Any town that does not take action before the new year will allow cannabis sales. Town Supervisor George McHugh said at a June 24 during an informational public hearing at town hall on the issue that he is undecided. “I have not made up my mind as to either the pros or cons of opting out or not opting out, and that is the reason for this public hearing,” McHugh said. “I don’t think anyone on this board has — we have not made up our minds. There are certainly some pros to allowing retail dispensaries. That would be in the form of taxes. However, the taxes to the locality are certainly far less than the taxes, or the tax rate, that will go to the state.” In the story, Lekocevic quotes four residents speaking at the public hearing in favor of allowing sales, and one against. Read more about this story in the Ravena News-Herald.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that the Greenville school district approved the hiring of two new principals at its June 28 meeting. Kristy Goergen was hired as high school principal, taking on the job July 12 at an annual salary of $105,000, plus benefits. Matthew Berkshire will become the K-12 district principal, starting on August 9 at an annual salary of $110,000, plus benefits. Goergen currently works as the assistant principal at Draper Middle School in the Mohonasen Central School District in Schenectady. “I’m originally from this area, but lived in Buffalo for 20 years,” Goergen said. Berkshire is also coming from Schenectady, as the principal of Paige Elementary School. “I am proud of the work we have done there, but I am also super proud to be joining this school district,” Berkshire said. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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