Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup construction in Greene County of the Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line will begin next year. The line will deliver 1,250 megawatts of electricity from a hydroelectric plant in Québec to New York City, mostly in the Hudson River. Locally it comes on land in Greene County, following the CSX railroad tracks in New Baltimore, Coxsackie, Athens, and Catskill. In Coxsackie, it briefly runs along the right-of-way on County Route 61. In Catskill, about three-quarters of a mile west of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge it runs under State Route 23, along Allen Street and down Route 9W, crossing under the Catskill Creek. Raymond Ward, director of Greene County Real Property Tax Services, told county legislators this week that, “It’s subterrestrial until we hit Cementon and then it goes back into the river.” Constuction begins next year and will take two years to complete. County Administrator Shaun Groden said, “There is no stopping this.... There is no litigation. This is coming through. It is all approved.” Read more about this story for Porcupine Soup.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that incumbent Democratic Ulster County Legislator Joseph Maloney from Saugerties is running unopposed for a third term in District 2. “We need to stop the corruption,” Maloney said about his candidacy. He wants to “open investigations and inquiries into the millions we have so inefficiently given away or wasted or turned a blind eye to,” and wants to reduce the county’s fleet of vehicles taken home, and investigate “time theft and unnecessary” overtime. And the Democrat wants the county to become more vocal about “the dangers to our county posed by the migrant crisis.” Maloney switched to the Democratic Party seven months after being elected to his first term, which then shifted the balance of power in the Legislature to the Democrats. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that at online public hearings Sept. 20, local citizens were united against proposed rate increases from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. Melanie Crouch of Hyde Park, who is disabled, said “If these rates happen, I have nowhere else to cut." Pat Pellicano had a different complaint, saying, “My bills are delayed for months.” Rosemary DaCruz of Poughkeepsie said, “We should not be rewarding a company that can’t do the bare minimum of giving an accurate bill." Central Hudson wants a one-year 16 percent jump in delivery rate for electricity and 19 percent for gas. They say that would add $1 a day to the typical electric customer and $1 a day to natural gas customers. The Public Service Commission has promised in-person hearings on the rate hikes, but none have been scheduled at this time. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Deanna Garcia reports in New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul was crowing Sept. 20 about the Biden administration’s announcement that it was granting Temporary Protective Status to expedite work permits for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who are already in the country. Hochul said it is “an important first step” for her request to get expedited work status for all migrants. Hochul said, "We have all been working so hard to persuade the White House that these individuals who came to this country and are living in New York City shelters don't have to. They came here to work." Right now migrants can't work in the U.S for 180 days, but Hochul wants that number reduced to 30. Hochul said, “We have to have more workers, and this is going to be a very, very positive development for our state's economy, for these individuals and our desire to start not opening more shelters, but starting to shut down shelters.” Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Michael Mahar reports for News10 that Hudson police officials launched a widespread search for missing resident Robert Coons on on Sept. 21. Coons was first reported missing on July 13 and was last seen on July 9 around 10:30 a.m. The search includes Hudson Police, the New York State Police, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Forest Rangers, Amtrak Police personnel, K9s, and aviation units. Anyone with information about Coons whereabouts should call (518) 828-9900. Read more about this story at the News10 website.

Today's daily news audio update.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that on Sept. 20 Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that allows any New Yorker to cast their vote by mail. Hochul said, "It's finally time to allow people to vote by mail.... Why not? What is so sinister? Why would this be attacked? What are you afraid of?" Rep. Elise Stefanik leads a Republican lawsuit filed in the state Supreme Court of Albany County Sept. 20 against the measure. The lawsuit says the state's constitution only allows absentee voting in cases of not being in your registered county on Election Day or an illness or disability. Stefanik said, “Kathy Hochul and extreme New York Democrats are trying to destroy what is left of election integrity in New York." But Hochul framed the issue differently, saying, "There's a more sinister, slow-motion insurrection going on, a little more under the surface perhaps than what we saw on Jan. 6.... It's happening quietly in Republican legislatures all across America ... They're stripping away these rights. They're doing the exact opposite of what needs to happen." Voting by mail was used nationally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with few reports of any problems. The bill Hochul signed also expands same-day voter registration and requires officials at prisons to provide voting rights information when prisoners are released from incarceration. And the new law also creates a penalty if an electoral college "elector" votes against the will of the people. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey is definitely opposing Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation's proposal to add another dollar a day in costs to gas and electricity customers bills. “Central Hudson should not be considered for a rate increase, especially while it's actively under investigation by the PSC for ongoing billing malfunctions,” said Hinchey in a letter submitted to the Public Service Commission, which will approve or deny the price hike. “Attempting to resolve their shortcomings by burdening customers with higher rates is an unjust and unacceptable approach.” Joe Hally, vice president of Regulatory Affairs for Central Hudson, has said, "We believe that this proposed rate plan is essential to address our infrastructure needs, recover from the impacts of COVID-19, and ensure that we can respond effectively to extreme weather events―which are occurring more frequently." The Public Service Commission is also investigating Central Hudson for bill practices the last several years. Hinchey said, "Hudson Valley residents still today face issues with inaccurate and inflated bills, large automatic withdrawals from their savings accounts after not receiving bills for many months, unclear and confusing bills, and others receiving multiple bills in one month.... Until Central Hudson has resolved these issues with its billing system, a rate increase should not be an option on the table.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

New York State of Politics reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul moved the state’s presidential primary to April 2 this year. No matter what date New York picked, it would likely conflict with a coming court date for the current leading Republican running for president, Donald Trump. A hush-money criminal case could be going on in Manhattan, and election-stealing case could be on in Georgia, and there are also two federal cases against the former president and two civil trials in New York. The Manhattan trial currently is scheduled to begin on March 25. None of the other candidates for president face court dates that might conflict with their campaign schedules. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.

Porcupine Soup reports that another hiker died on the Greene County mountaintop last weekend, but this time it appears to be from natural causes. On Sept. 16 a 50-year-old New Jersey man complained of chest discomfort and breathing difficulty before collapsing on the Diamond Notch Trail in the Hunter-West Kill Wilderness near Hunter. When Greene County paramedics arrived they determined the man was deceased. New York State Police are investigating, but did not release the man's name. There have been several accidents on the mountaintop this summer, including a 16-year-old male dying Aug. 8 at Fawn’s Leap in Haines Falls. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Columbia County had the lowest unemployment rate in the Hudson Valley in August, and Greene County had the highest. Both unemployment rates were unchanged from a year ago, with Columbia County at three percent unemployed, and Greene County at 3.8 percent. Dutchess County reported a 3.3 percent unemployment rate, while it was 3.5 percent in Ulster County. All Hudson Valley counties were below the statewide unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.

News10 reports that Leah Penniman, the co-founder of Soul Fire Farm in Rensselaer County, is a recipient of the 28th Heinz Awards for the Economy. Penniman will get an unrestricted cash award of $250,000. Soul Fire Farm teaches regenerative farming best practices and land stewardship to Black, Indigenous and People of Color. The 80-acre non-profit farm has youth education programs, urban plantings, mobilization training and a community-supported agriculture program, with more than 38,000 people participating in the trainings last year. Penniman said, “We have a very ambitious mission, which is justice in the food system.... We want to train and equip and support the next generation of Black and Brown farmers. Stewarding our own land, growing our own food, educating our own youth, participating in our own health care and justice systems, this is the source of real power and dignity.” Read more about this story at the News10 website.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Molly Burke reports in the Times Union that on Sept. 15 multiple synagogues across the country were targeted with bomb threats, including Temple Israel in Albany. The bomb threats came as the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah began. Other bomb threats were made to synagogues in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cleveland, and New York City. Rabbi Wendy Anderson said that police officers came to the synagogue when the evening service was almost complete, and asked everyone to move outside. No bomb was found inside, and services resumed the next day. Anderson said, “Why does some jerk with a phone and the ability to Google ‘when is Rosh Hashanah?’ get to interfere with our service?” Because of recurrent recent anti-semitic acts in America recently, the Albany synagogue is well practiced in emergency drills. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan attended services there on Sept. 16 and said, “I went to Rosh Hashanah services to ensure that the members of Temple Israel know that they are not alone in this fight against hatred and bigotry, and I am grateful for the warm and welcoming reception I received.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Paul Kirby reports for the Daily Freeman that the Public Service Commission promised in-person public hearings about Central Hudson's proposed gas and electricity rate increases, but they have yet to happen. On Sept. 20, the utility holds its final online hearings with the Public Service Commission about the price hikes. State Sen.Michelle Hinchey continues to campaign against the rate increases, saying, “Central Hudson should not be considered for a rate increase, especially while it’s actively under investigation by the PSC for ongoing billing malfunctions.... Attempting to resolve their shortcomings by burdening customers with higher rates is an unjust and unacceptable approach.” Central Hudson wants a one-year 16 percent increase in delivery rate for electricity and 19 percent for gas beginning July 1, 2024. Currently, the number of Central Hudson's residential customers in arrears grew by 1,044 percent in the last year, to $96 million, while non-residential arrears grew by 1,971 percent, to $29 million. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Brianne Roesser reports in New York State of Politics that counties throughout New York state are looking for election workers. Jeremy Zellner, the Democratic elections commissioner in Erie County, said, “They’re critical. We simply can’t run our elections without good poll inspectors.... They are actually the people who are at the table signing people in. They’re the people giving you your ballot. And you know there’s thousands of them that work that one day who keep the election going every year.” Currently, elections in New York are held on multiple days. Brian Abram, the Republican elections commissioner in Chautauqua County, said usually about 400 people help with elections there, but they only have around 330 right now. Abram said, “It just seems like right now we’re all in the same boat of trying to find, you know, individuals that are willing to be part of what we’re all about.” Anyone interested in getting paid to work the polls can contact their county’s board of elections. Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.