Robert W. Wood is reporting for Forbes [dot] com the Treasury Department and IRS March 30, announced the distribution of economic impact payments will begin in the next three weeks. The payments will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. However, some seniors and others who normally do not file returns will need to submit a simple tax return to receive the stimulus payment. An individual with an adjusted gross income up to $75,000, and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns will receive the full payment. For those with income above those amounts, the payment is reduced by $5 for each $100 above the designated limits. Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive a payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples. Parents also receive $500 for each qualifying child. A full list of Stimulus Check FAQs is available at Forbes [dot] com.

Today's daily news.

Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union Republican Rensselaer Mayor Michael Stammel and the Democrat-controlled Common Council are engaged in a political fight over which of private company should be designated as the city's first responder for ambulance service. Stammel announced March 30, that he had signed a contract with Empire Ambulance Service after he vetoed the Common Council’s renewal of a contract with Mohawk Ambulance Service. Stammel campaigned on bringing an ambulance service to the city that was based within the municipality. The volunteer ambulance service stopped providing coverage years ago. The city will not pay for the ambulance service, the same deal it has now with Mohawk, Stammel said. Council President John DeFrancesco said the seven-member council will override Stammel’s veto to extend the contract with Mohawk, which was approved earlier this month. DeFrancesco said the mayor should have issued a request for proposals if he wanted to change the ambulance service provider. Stammel said he didn’t issue an RFP but sought quotes from the two private ambulance companies. Stammel and DeFrancesco confirmed they are not talking to each other. Both sides say that matter will eventually be decided in State Supreme Court. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Abby Hoover is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the city of Hudson announced March 29, preparation for construction of the Empire State Trail on Harry Howard Avenue will begin this week. Drivers are asked to use extreme caution on the road, which has a 20 mph speed limit. The project is part of the 750-mile mixed-use bike and walking path, which stretches from New York City to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo. The Hudson section will connect the Dugway from Mill Street to Greenport. Crews this week will move utility poles to clear space for the dedicated biking and walking lane. The next step will be to relocated hydrants and catch basins. Department of Public Works Superintendent Rob Perry said there will be intermittent lane closures on Harry Howard Avenue to relocate underground utilities. He estimated the above-ground construction will begin in two weeks, and work will take around a month to complete. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order requiring all non-essential employees to work from home, has been extended until April 15. Construction is one of 12 categories of essential workers and divided into essential and non-essential projects with more than one worker. City officials said workers at the site must maintain social distance, which is six feet, including entering and leaving the site, and meals. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman a video meeting of the Esopus Town Board March 30, was hijacked by hackers that went on a high-tech racist rant and flashed screenshots of hate group websites and Facebook pages. The two-minute interruption occurred about 45 minutes into the meeting and was shown through the Zoom video conferencing service. Town board member Christopher Farrell said the recording of the meeting should be “turned over to the state police so would we could file hate crime charges.” The meeting consisted of three board members at town hall, one member videoconferencing through Zoom and another on an audio-only Zoom feed. Five members of the public were logged in online. Board members were still reviewing access to the video and audio recording of the meeting. Following the session, Supervisor Shannon Harris called the hack appalling and said she plans to ask Zoom for assistance in tracing the offending connections. Harris also plans to secure approval from the full board for new software that will allow better control over video conferencing. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

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Today's daily news update.

March 30 update from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Bethany Bump reports in the Times Union that Columbia County Public Health Director Jack Mabb said he's concerned about patients from downstate hospitals being moved upstate, and how that could impact local hospitals. "My job is to be concerned about Columbia County residents, and if somebody needs a ventilator and all the ventilators are full at the local hospital...I’d have to say I’m concerned about that," he said in an interview on WGXC March 30. Mabb said it may be that non-COVID-19 patients are moved upstate. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly said that patients may be moved upstate or downstate, depending on where there are available beds. Last week Columbia Memorial Hospital chief medical officer Clifford Belden said the Hudson hospital can "very rapidly" boost its staffed bed capacity by 65 percent, and with "some additional help" from the state, the hospital could "go well beyond" that number. Usually Columbia Memorial has six to seven ICU beds. Mabb also said the Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Philmont had one elderly resident died from COVID-19 over the weekend and currently has five confirmed cases. Two are hopitalized, and three others are being treated at the home in an isolated wing. Listen to the full interview with Mabb in the WGXC Audio Archives and read more about this story in the Times Union.

Sarah Taddeois is reporting for the Times Herald-Record New York is offering a special enrollment period for anyone looking to enroll in health insurance coverage through the state’s health marketplace or directly through insurers. The step was taken to help minimize residents’ fear around costs for coronavirus testing and medical care, according to statement released by New York State of Health. Enrollment will remain open until April 15. Anyone who enrolls between March 16 and April 15 will have coverage starting April 1. Those eligible for other New York State of Health programs like Medicaid, Essential Plan and Child Health Plus can enroll year-round. Residents can apply for coverage through NY State of Health online at www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov, by phone at 855-355-5777, or by working with an enrollment assistor. Read the full story in the Times Herald-Record.

Cayla Harris is reporting for the Times Union a Siena College Research Institute poll released March 30, has found the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers are worried bout the coronavirus pandemic, but they trust Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to lead the state through the emergency. Residents are applauding Cuomo for his response, with 87 percent approving of his job performance during the crisis, outperforming both local and federal governments. "At least 85 percent of voters from every region approve of his handling of the crisis, as do 95 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of independents and even 70 percent of Republicans," said Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg. New Yorkers have rallied behind Cuomo, as well as local health departments and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is spearheading the country's coronavirus response. However, New Yorkers have been less impressed with the federal government's efforts. Forty-seven percent of respondents disapproved of Vice President Mike Pence's reaction to the pandemic, and 56 percent of New Yorkers polled disapproved of President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis. Siena polled 566 registered voters between March 22 and 26. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics calls for effective safeguards against the spread of coronavirus in New York's prisons intensified March 30, after Michael B. Powers, the president of the Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, tested positive for COVID-19. Powers said corrections officers need more personal protective equipment at their disposal to guard against getting sick while on the job. "Each day that our members are prohibited from wearing protective equipment, they are exposed to being infected and spreading the virus inside and outside of the facilities," he said. At the same time, criminal justice advocates continue to urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo to release vulnerable incarcerated people from the state prison system over concerns for their health and safety. "As the virus continues to spread throughout the state prison system, it is just a matter of time before a lack of action will turn fatal. We call on Governor Cuomo to immediately grant clemencies to the many elder New Yorkers and other immune-compromised people before it’s too late,” the group Vocal New York said in a statement. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Columbia County Director of Health Jack Mabb called in with an update on COVID-19 locally.

Today's daily news.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Cairo town officials announced March 27, the closure of Angelo Canna Park, saying visitors are failing to heed state directives. Cairo Town Board member Jason Watts said the closure was necessary because "people from out of the area" were using the walking park and the basketball courts. “Being that we have to be half-staffed, we don’t have enough people to keep things cleaned. We can’t police everything.” The board made the decision last week, Watts said. “It really wasn’t even the locals,” he said. “That’s the sad part. We’re getting our stuff taken away. Hopefully it will open back up soon. It was really for our own safety.” The parks remain open in Coxsackie, but enforcing the closure of the playgrounds at Riverside Park and McQuade Park is an issue, Mayor Mark Evans said. While the playgrounds are closed, residents are still able to use the parks, Evans said. Athens Village Trustee Joshua Lipsman said there are no plans to close the village parks, such as Athens Riverfront Park. The Windham Path remains open, said businessman Nick Bove. “It’s very busy but it would be a huge mistake to close in my opinion,” he said. In Catskill, Dutchman’s Landing and Elliott Park remain open, Village President Vincent Seeley said. There are no plans to close the parks, and the village continues to encourage social distancing, Seeley said. The Greenville Town Park also remains open. On March 16, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all state parks, trails and grounds of historic sites are open for outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, running and biking. Entrance fees to parks have been waived for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Wendy Liberatore is reporting for the Times Union Mass MoCA, the contemporary art museum located in North Adams, Mass., announced March 28, it will lay off 120 of its 165 employees, effective April 11. After that date, a small staff will work reduced hours to maintain and secure the site, raise money and come up with a plan for the organization’s relaunch. “The COVID-19 contagion strikes at the very heart of our mission, which is to gather together large numbers of people around acts of creativity,” Director Joseph Thompson said in a statement. “...We are also aware of the role that MASS MoCA’s operations and programs play within the local and regional economy, and we will do everything within our power to re-launch at the soonest possible instant, following guidance from public health officials.” On March 7, MASS MoCA canceled or postponed all scheduled performances. It closed its galleries to the public on March 15. Also, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater is laying off more than half of its staff, according to a report in the Daily Freeman. The reduction includes much of the sloop's crew and several office staff. "The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shaken Clearwater’s fragile financial situation beyond our means, and with no classroom programs, events, or sailing season, Clearwater may be faced with closure," the group said in a news release. "To try and fend off that scenario, we are drastically reducing our operations immediately." Remaining staff will focus on maintaining the sloop, membership and pursuing options for "financial relief and stabilization." The Clearwater's winter quarters are located adjacent to the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, where repairs are made.

Cayla Harris reports for the Times Union that on March 29 New York's state Senate approved a resolution allowing senators to participate in sessions by "remote means." The Assembly is expected to pass a similar resolution on March 30, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said. The state budget is due April 1, and lawmakers are usually in the capitol late at night passing after the behind-the-scenes haggling. But four Assemblymembers have already tested positive for COVID-19, so legislators need to meet six-feet apart. “During these extraordinary circumstances, it is critical that the people’s house is able to continue to do the people’s work,” Heastie said in a press release March 29. “These changes will preserve the integrity of New York's legislative process in a way that will also protect our members, our staff, the hardworking staff of the Capitol and the families we all go home to. This is a historic step that will help save lives and support New Yorkers.” Assemblymembers are proposing allowing the chamber to temporarily vote remotely during declared states of emergency. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said budget bills are still under negotiation, but voting may begin as early as March 30. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Monday, March 30, from Lissa Harris of The River and Roger Hannigan Gilson of The Other Hudson Valley, and read by Tom Roe of WGXC. Go to therivernewsroom.com or theotherhudsonvalley.com for more information.

This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Sunday, March 29, from Lissa Harris of The River and Roger Hannigan Gilson of The Other Hudson Valley, and read by Tom Roe of WGXC. Go to therivernewsroom.com or theotherhudsonvalley.com for more information.