Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Ichabod Crane School Board voted February 9, to approve the start of varsity and JV boys and girls basketball; varsity boys volleyball; varsity, JV and modified girls volleyball; varsity football; varsity cheerleading; and, varsity wrestling. The board included language in the resolution requiring a testing protocol for wrestling. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last month announced that high risk sports could begin practice and competition on February 1, if permitted by local health authorities “It kind of caught everyone off guard,” Ichabod’s Athletic Director Tim Stewart said. The county Department of Health advised schools to hold off on high risk sports until there was a drop in the seven-day rolling average in the positivity rate for COVID-19, but on February 10, county DOH Director Jack Mabb gave the go-ahead for county schools to start practice. Stewart told the board there would be no spectators at games, that athletes must wear face coverings unless they cannot be tolerated, and the plan is to stay as close to home as possible for away games. He also said that five of the districts in the Colonial Council are holding off on wrestling for various reasons. The county DOH recommended that each student-athlete have medical clearance from his or her healthcare provider and that students must have a parent or guardian’s informed consent. And all student athletes must be tested once a week, using rapid antigen tests supplied by the county and/or Questar III BOCES. Cross-country, track, field hockey and soccer are already approved since they are considered low to moderate risk sports. If the number of COVID-19 cases increase in Columbia County, sports will be paused, Stewart said. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Edward McKinley is reporting for the Times Union the state Board of Elections released voter data this week showing that enrollment for both the Democrat and Republican parties has decreased since November, while the ranks of the number of Capital Region residents enrolling in the Conservative and Working Families parties have increased. New York reduced the number of parties allowed ballot access in the November presidential election, so now only the Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Working Families parties and "other" remain, as well as people who left their party enrollment blank. The Conservatives and Working Families saw growth region-wide, particularly the WFP, which measured significant gains in Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties. Anita Thayer, secretary of the Capital Region WFP, said the group has focused on signing up new members in Rensselaer County after hearing reports about GOP-led efforts to take over the ballot line. The Conservative Party has grown in Albany, Rensselaer and Warren counties, while it remained the same or decreased in Washington, Schenectady, Saratoga, Greene and Columbia counties. Statewide, Democratic enrollment decreased less than 1 percent, while GOP enrollment decreased less than 2 percent. In the Capital Region, enrollment for the two major parties decreased in each of the eight counties — with Democrats decreasing more than Republicans. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett and Kinderhook resident Alex Rosenstrach, owner of Clublife Health and Fitness, texted each other the evening of July 4, just hours before the alleged July 5 assault of Harold Handy Jr. at a holiday party held at the Rosenstrach residence. Rosenstrach, his wife Kelly Briscoe Rosenstrach, a county Deputy Sheriff; Bryan Haag, an IRS law enforcement agent; and Cory Galord, a contractor, are currently under indictment, facing felony counts of second-degree gang assault and first-degree unlawful imprisonment and accused of restraining and attacking Handy during the party. According to text messages obtained by Columbia-Greene Media, Bartlett and Alex Rosenstrach communicated between 9:15 p.m. and 9:21 p.m., July 4. "You can do better than that,” Bartlett texted to Rosenstrach at 9:15 p.m. Rosenstrach responded, “I miss you. Thank you Dave. It’s coming big brother. Love you guys.” Six minutes later, at 9:21 p.m., Bartlett sent another text with two photos of fireworks attached. “Cars parked all along best road (sic) we had a little block party and people are watching,” Bartlett wrote. In an interview with a reporter February 23, Bartlett said, “...Our block had a block party that night. We live a mile-and-a-half away from Rosenstrach’s house and he had fireworks every year — he has fireworks. And even with the investigation and the indictment, he was never charged with unlawful possession of fireworks, so he probably had a permit. The kids were asking when the fireworks were starting, so I had texted asking when the fireworks were starting. And then I said, ‘Hey it was a great show,’ and that was that.” Bartlett and Rosenstrach are neighbors. “I know the guy,” Bartlett said. “It’s a small town we live in. I know a lot of people up here. ...I literally can see his house from the other end of the cornfield.” Bartlett said the last time he was at Rosenstrach's house it was three years ago when, as fire chief, he was there to put a fire out. Bartlett said the release of the text messages was political — he is seeking re-election in November. “This is politically motivated,” he said. “The Republican [Committee endorsement] vote is Saturday, and all of a sudden, mysteriously, all these things have been getting leaked out. The state police did forensics on these phones for two months, so I don’t know who leaked this out, but it had to come from somewhere, not from the state police, but somewhere official." The sheriff’s office led the initial investigation into the incident; but the state police took over the case in August. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Ulster County will give out a record number of COVID-19 vaccine shots this week. That's because last week's vaccination appointments were delayed until this week, because winter storms across the U.S. slowed shipments to the Hudson Valley. It's also because this week's allotment of vaccine doses from the state is back up to 1,900, from 1,500 the week before. The number of vaccines received by Ulster County had been increasing until it dipped back down to 1,500 doses two weeks ago. So there are 3,400 doses being handed out this week, proving what Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan has been saying for weeks: that they could administer more shots if they only had more vaccine doses. Columbia County, likewise, had their vaccine delivery delayed last week, rescheduling dose two COVID-19 vaccines for Feb. 24 at Columbia-Greene Community College. Back in Ulster County, Ryan holds an online and on-air town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 about the vaccination effort on Radio Kingston at radiokingston.org and on . So far, Ulster County has given 11.6 percent of its population at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Denis Slattery is reporting for the New York Daily News a Marist poll released Tue., Feb. 23, found a majority of New Yorkers believe Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo bungled the handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most do not believe he did anything illegal. The survey found that 61 percent of state residents believe the three-term governor did something wrong in managing elder care facilities over the past year, while 39 percent said he did not. Separately, the poll found 41 percent feel the governor may have acted unethically while another 19 percent believe he did something illegal and 27 percent said he did nothing wrong. Cuomo's job performance approval is now at 49 percent, down from 66 percent in July, largely due to mounting criticism and accusations of a coverup over the state’s counting of nursing home deaths and the stonewalling of requests for an accurate tally from lawmakers, reporters and watchdog groups. A separate poll released Monday measured the governor’s job approval at 57 percent, down 6 points from January. Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff said, “Should Cuomo decide to seek a fourth term, these results suggest it will be a challenge. That said, his current numbers are comparable to what they were when he faced the voters last time.” In a statement, Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi said the administration remains focused on managing the COVID crisis, administering as many vaccines as possible, and "safely and smartly reopening our state for all New Yorkers.” Read the full story in the New York Daily News.

MidHudson News [dot] com is reporting Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney gathered February 22, at the city of Newburgh Fire Department headquarters to talk about their efforts ban toxic PFAS from foam used for fighting fires. The two New York Democrats are sponsoring national legislation, the PFAS Firefighters Protection Act, which will ban the foam. The substance is known to cause cancer and other health problems. The state has a partial ban on the foam, which has been found in the Newburgh water supply after it leaked from the Air National Guard base at New York Stewart International Airport. “We’ll build on what New York has already done. This nationwide ban would help our firefighters across the country,” said Gillibrand. The proposed legislation would ban the sale of foam with PFAS chemicals within two years of passage. Newburgh has been using New York City aqueduct water for the last several years, paid for by the state, because when the chemicals were discovered in Newburgh’s Washington Lake water supply, it was immediately turned off. Cairo's water supply has also been tainted by PFAS from fire-fighting foam, from a fire-fighting training center in the Greene County town. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

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Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Verizon Wireless has proposed the installation of a small cell antenna on a wooden utility pole on Schoharie Turnpike in the town of Athens. The structure would be 50 feet tall and sited within a 10-by-10-foot area, which Verizon would lease from the property owners, according to the proposal. The project would require usage and area variances, as well as site plan approval. The application has not yet made its way to Athens town officials, Code Enforcement Officer Albert Gasparini said. Greene County Legislator Ed Bloomer, who represents Athens, said cell coverage is an issue for the area, but added that he was unaware of project specifics. According to the proposal, the antennae site would be visited from one to three times a year for maintenance, and it would not have any impact on water and sewer services, or on vehicle and pedestrian access. Verizon Wireless Consumer Public Relations Manager Chris Serico said the company is always investing in the network to improve and expand service. “As more people are doing more things, in more places with more mobile devices, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in voice and data traffic on our network. We only expect that trend to increase,” Serico said. The Athens site is intended to improve the area's 4G LTE coverage and capacity. The towns of Cairo, Catskill, Coxsackie and Greenport; villages of Catskill and Coxsackie; and city of Hudson have received Verizon’s proposal, as well as Greene County Emergency Services and Greene County Economic Development, Tourism & Planning. In Hudson, six antennae are proposed for installation on the roof of Providence Hall on Columbia Street. That project application is still under review. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Hudson School District Board of Education has been notified the district will receive the full amount of state aid budgeted for 2020-21 school year. At the same time, for the 2021-22 school year, state officials may try again to combine several aid categories that school officials would rather keep separate. The possibility that the state would eliminate up to 20 percent of the current year's aid hung over school districts until late January, when the state Department of Budget announced that school districts will get all their scheduled aid, district Business Administrator Jesse Boehme reported at the board's February 2 meeting. In addition to state aid, the district is expecting $2.2 million in specific grants plus additional money from the federal CARES Act, Boehme said. The district has more flexibility in deciding how to use these grants than in previous years, added Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement April Prestipino. Looking ahead to the 2021-22 school year, the state has proposed combining 14 aid categories into one. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union State University of New York applicants from low-income backgrounds can automatically have their college application fees waived, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced February 22. Beginning March 1, students who financially qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs, whose household income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or are from foster families can apply to up to seven SUNY campuses for free. The regular application fee per school is $50. “Too many barriers from food insecurity to fees stand in the way of many qualified students — from low-income and communities of color — and a college education. We must do everything we can to break down barriers and empower students no matter their economic status or background, especially as a vast majority of all new jobs created requires some post-secondary education,” Malatras said. Only 50 percent of low-income SUNY applicants eligible for an application fee waiver take advantage of the existing program. An estimated 110,000 high school seniors would be eligible for the new application fee waiver. Read more in the Times Union.

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Emilie Munson reports in the Times Union that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's manipulation of COVID-19 nursing home death data was the subject of jokes and speculation the last few days from the halls of Congress to the "Saturday Night Live" stage. Pete Davidson played Cuomo in a sketch that also made fun of Ted Cruz on "SNL," and local and national legislators are commenting, and sometimes denouncing Cuomo all over. U.S. attorney general nominee Merrick Garland was asked about the controversy Feb. 22 at his confirmation hearing. "With all of these investigations, the Justice Department is open to evidence of fraud, false statements, violations of the law," Garland said. "They normally begin in the relevant U.S. attorney’s office.” Congressperson Paul Tonko, who represents Albany County, also put out a bland statement. "I support the officials in New York state and at the U.S. Department of Justice who are working to review this incident and to ensure accountability and I am confident that they are up to the task," he said. A large bloc of conservative U.S. senators had harsher words for Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, asking him to launch a congressional investigation into the Cuomo administration's actions. "The American people deserve to know the extent to which Gov. Cuomo and his senior staff violated the civil rights of New York seniors, lied to the Department of Justice about their actions, and violated federal civil and criminal laws in the process," the senators wrote. New York's junior Democratic senator, Kirsten Gillibrand said Feb. 19 that she would support hearings in the Senate Aging Committee about conditions in nursing homes across the country. "I hope we can have hearings on the broader issue because this is not something that is isolated to New York alone," she said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Coxsackie Village Board has unanimously approved an agreement with Hecate [HEK-uh-tee] Energy for a 50-megawatt solar farm. The project, proposed for about 400 acres on Farm to Market Road, will use approximately 170,000 solar panels. “We’ve been involved with the Hecate solar project since the beginning,” Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said. The project originally called for solar arrays to be located within the village boundary, but they have since been removed from the proposal, Evans said. However, the visual impact for village residents remains a concern, the mayor said. He said the agreement includes vegetation screening and setbacks. Hecate’s application was ruled complete by the state Board on Electric Siting and the Environment in September, and the company should receive its certificate later this year. Construction is slated to begin in the spring, project developer Alex Campbell said. Chicago-based Hecate proposed a $4 million to $6 million local revenue program, to be allocated to the town, school, county, fire department, ambulance squad and library over the project’s 35-year lifespan. The facility is expected to begin operating in 2022. At the conclusion of the project, Hecate will recycle the project materials and restore the property to its previous condition. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman only 48 hours after Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced plans to launch a Universal Basic Income pilot program in the county, more than 1,500 people had applied to participate. Through the program, 100 eligible Ulster County households will receive a guaranteed $500 monthly income from May 1 through April 30, 2022, for a total of $6,000 per recipient. Ryan said the outpouring of applications is a testament to the dire financial straits that many community members find themselves in, and the need for government leaders to find new and innovative ways to address the needs of their communities. Ryan said that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 40 percent of county residents were living paycheck to paycheck. The initiative is a partnership among the county's Project Resilience, the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley and Ulster Savings Bank. The $600,000 to support the program will come from Project Resilience so no taxpayer dollars will be spent on the effort. Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley will administer the program and the bank will set up bank accounts and provide debit cards. Penn will provide the academic component, monitoring how the recipients spend the money and evaluate the impact of the program on participants. The initiative is similar to the UBI pilot program taking place in cities across the nation, including one in the city of Hudson, which is providing a $500 monthly benefit to 25 individuals over a five-year period. Ulster County residents with incomes of up to $46,900 can apply to participate in the program by going to the Ulster County COVID-19 information page. Participants will be chosen via a lottery conducted by the University of Pennslyvania. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Diane Valden is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Copake Town Board February 11, heard from Roberta Roll, chairperson of the Hamlet Revitalization Task Force about nominating areas within the town for historic designation. In her presentation, Roll noted that several areas and buildings have already been designated through the State and National Historic Registers. Those buildings include the Copake Grange and the United Methodist Church in the hamlet, as well as the Church of St. John in the Wilderness and the Ironworks in Copake Falls. The designations recognize and honor the building or an area for its historical, agricultural, architectural, industrial or cultural significance, she said. Buildings in the Ironworks district — the museum, the restored ironworks and the walking trail — have all served to enhance the character of the hamlet and draw visitors to the area. The task force has come to realize that historic designation may be useful in promoting the town, sustaining existing businesses, and attracting new business, and also attracting visitors and new residents,” Roll said. And while historic designations have been initiated by not-for-profit entities so far, Roll said, the task force has come to the conclusion that Copake would benefit from the active involvement of town government. She said the Copake Economic Development Advisory Committee agrees. Roll then recommended to the town board that it increase historic recognition of the town by seeking and facilitating historic designations wherever possible. The economic development advisory committee agreed because "it is good for property values and has an honorary benefit." Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said the board would consider the proposal at its March meeting. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

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MidHudson News [dot] com is reporting the Major General Irene Trowell-Harris Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen is launching a new RedTail Flight Academy at New York Stewart International Airport. The organization was given a corporate helicopter, which was sold to finance the purchase of six small aircrafts to be used in the flight academy training. Glen Fraser, who is the immediate past-president of the Tuskegee Airmen chapter, said this new program will accept six high school graduates to participate in a one-year program that leads to a commercial pilot's license. “Black and brown individuals and females are definitively a minority and we are trying to change that because there are great opportunities, great careers that can come out of this, a great living,” he said. The RedTail Flight Academy intends to launch this spring and is helping to raise scholarships for student transportation, housing, and coursework, as well as fees for pilot’s licenses; the estimated total cost per student is $85,000 to $100,000. Fraser said the program is open to any minority high school graduate interested in a career in aviation. It is not limited to Hudson Valley residents. Fraser has been a United Air Lines pilot for more than 30 years and is retired from the Air National Guard at Stewart Airport. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media four members of the Hudson Democratic committee have resigned; two of the four also hold executive positions. Third Ward representative Virginia Martin, also served as secretary; 4th Ward representative Stephen Dunn, also served as treasurer; and, 1st Ward representative John Paul Kane, announced their resignations at the February 17 meeting of the Hudson Democrats. First Ward representative Monica Byrne submitted her resignation earlier that same day. Three of the four positions are now open; however, Kane’s 1st Ward seat is not yet vacant because he has so far failed to provide the committee with a written resignation, Chairwoman Kate Treacy said. Kane and the committee had disagreed about whether it was appropriate for him to reach out to local politicians on behalf of the committee. His plan was to speak with people about "the state of Hudson and potential candidates," but he did not intend to speak for the entire committee., but Treacy felt the need to apologize for his unauthorized communication. “That post is one of my reasons for leaving,” Kane said. “The other reason is sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is leave and tell people why you don’t believe in the committee anymore.” Dunn resigned for health reasons. Byrne had been a member of the committee for only two to three weeks. The February 2 1st Ward forum Byrne hosted with Kane raised concerns for her, especially after hearing complaints about a lack of inclusion from the committee. Martin’s history of working with the committee led to her decision to resign, she said, declining to explain further. “I decided that my efforts were best invested elsewhere,” she said. Any registered Democrat in the 106th Assembly District is eligible to fill the open committee positions, Treacy said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.