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Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Hudson school officials were mum on Sept. 12 about a document they need to sign for affordable housing projects to move forward in that city. Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson showed up at the meeting to get the school board officials to sign off on the affordable housing project, but they refused to commit. Johnson said, “We have a housing project.... We are looking for a letter to OK the project. A stipulation says if this property is not used as a park, it will need an OK from the school board. This was given to the school board attorney in June of 2023, and we have not heard any followup or discussions since then. The reason why there’s a sense of urgency and why I had to show up at the board meeting is that we want to get all these projects into the early funding round, so we need this stipulation dealt with.” Hudson Board of Education Vice President Mark DePace said, “We are aware of this conversation about the potential land use.... We are aware of the city’s interest in considering land for affordable housing. We welcome any discussion with the city administration, and we’re committed to weighing options that are in the best interest of the community and children of the city of Hudson. When we have more information, it will be available when it’s appropriate.” DePace also said, “We have to discuss them with our legal team,” and Johnson asked back, “Haven’t you done that since June?” And then DePace answered, “We don’t have any further comments at this point.” The three proposed affordable housing projects in Hudson are a 21-unit mixed residential and commercial building on State and 4th Street; a 60-unit apartment complex on Mill Street across from Charles Williams Park; and two three-bedroom townhouses on Rossman Avenue each featuring a three-bedroom rental unit that allows affordable home buyers to become first-time landlords. Johnson said, “We had 500 students graduate this year countywide. This is one of the lowest numbers we had. Housing is an immediate need. It’s the reason we can’t find any teachers, especially those of color, and the reason why we can’t fill positions in all our services, including our hospitals.... Right now, our city is at a pivotal point where I see a lot of divisiveness around rental cost and housing, and I don’t want to be that politician that says this issue is happening everywhere,” Johnson said. “I’d rather be the one that says I’m trying to do something about it. These projects are extremely important to the future of Hudson.” Read more about this story in HudsonValley360.com.

Kate Lisa reports in New York State of Politics that hundreds of people turned out in Albany Sept. 14 in Albany for the state Association for Affordable Housing's annual affordable housing conference. Senate Housing Committee chair Brian Kavanagh said, "We've been working hard now to develop solutions to the housing crisis.... We recognize as I'm sure everyone in this room does that that is going to involve increasing supply and also, in many parts of the state, stabilizing the housing we've got already." Several issues were discussed at the conference including funding, and local opposition to low-cost housing. Gov. Kathy Hochul this year proposed building 800,000 new units over 10 years, but state legislators did not pass her plan. Hochul's spokesperson Justin Henry said in a statement on Sept. 14 that. “Gov. Hochul remains committed to increasing New York’s housing supply in light of the housing crisis, and will continue to work closely with the Legislature and other stakeholders on solutions to make the state more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers." Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

H. Rose Schneider reports for Times Union that a warm, wet summer may lead to bright fall leaves this year, but the color changes may be delayed. All the recent rain may impact the fall foliage the most. “That’s one ingredient that could help us have a colorful fall,” said Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental science at the University at Albany. Dan Gaidasz, senior forester at the Department of Environmental Conservation explains that trees produce anthocyanin pigments that turn leaves different colors best with moist soil and a combination of warm and sunny days, and cool nights. He said, “This summer’s weather is setting up for a potentially good fall color season across the state.” The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center says this fall’s temperatures are around 50 percent more likely to be above normal. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Sep. 14, 2023 Updated: Sep. 14, 2023 3:38 p.m. 6 A maple tree’s leaves are starting to turn red in Green Island on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Fall foliage changes have been delayed by warm temperatures in the Capital Region. 1 of 6 A maple tree’s leaves are starting to turn red in Green Island on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Fall foliage changes have been delayed by warm temperatures in the Capital Region. Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union After a hot and wet summer, upstate New York trees could be gearing up for a sea of reds, oranges and golds this fall. A warmer-than-normal season could delay leaves changing, but heavy rainfall this summer could brighten their colors, experts say. “That’s one ingredient that could help us have a colorful fall,” said Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental science at the University at Albany. A combination of warm and sunny days, cool (but not freezing) nights and moist soil allows trees to produce sugar, and in turn, produce anthocyanin pigments — a type of pigment found in everything from berries to root vegetables that give autumn leaves their red color — explained Dan Gaidasz, senior forester at the Department of Environmental Conservation. “This summer’s weather is setting up for a potentially good fall color season across the state,” Gaidasz said in a statement. More for you Where fall colors are changing near you The Northeast stands out this season as drought-stricken regions in other parts of the county could see premature leaf drop and muted colors, according to the website Explore Fall. But the region’s weather could impact when leaves change upstate. This fall’s temperatures are around 50 percent more likely to be above normal, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. “There’s a bit of uncertainty because it depends on how the weather evolves through the fall,” Roundy said. { "__type": "blueConicFreeformEmbed", "__id": "NewsletterSignup", "__data": { "variant": "dailyHeadlines:articleParagraph" } } { "__type": "blueConicFreeformEmbed", "__id": "NewsletterSignup", "__data": { "variant": "dailyHeadlines:articleBottom" } } { "__type": "blueConicFreeformEmbed", "__id": "NewsletterSignup", "__data": { "variant": "greenstate:articleParagraph" } } { "__type": "blueConicFreeformEmbed", "__id": "NewsletterSignup", "__data": { "variant": "greenstate:articleBottom" } } Warmer and wetter can delay changes, though colorful leaves have already been spotted. The season typically peaks upstate in mid-October, and early October at higher elevations like the Adirondacks. A close up of Nipper on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, in Albany, NY. HERE ARE YOUR PICKS FOR THE BEST OF THE CAPITAL REGION 2023 We tallied the votes from this year’s Best of the Capital Region contest in 100 categories. Promoted Links Excitement and adventure await. American Airlines Try YouTube TV YouTube TV 2Modern Modern Furniture & Lighting 2 MODERN image logo taboola News Cold front could mean powerful thunderstorms upstate Mike Goodwin TIMES UNION Get all the best college football analysis on The Joel Klatt Show podcast Fox Sports Meet Bombas: The Only Socks You'll Want to Work Out in Bombas The Prices On The New Tucson Hybrid Might Surprise You 2024 Tucson Hybrid 72 Hours Only - Save up to 50% Vitamix by Taboola Photo of H. Rose Schneider Written By H. Rose Schneider Reach H. Rose on H. Rose Schneider is a reporter with the rapid response team at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y. They got their start covering New Scotland and later the Hilltowns at the Altamont Enterprise in 2016, before covering public safety and other topics at the Utica Observer-Dispatch from 2019 through 2022. Reach Rose at Rose.Schneider@TimesUnion.com. Excitement and adventure await. With options to more destinations, your bucket list trip is a flight away. American Airlines | Sponsored 72 Hours Only - Save up to 50% Start Blending Sooner With Flexible Payment Plans Vitamix | Sponsored Top Nutritionist: 1 Vitamin You Need After 50 For "Crepey" Skin Dr. Kellyann | Sponsored Meet Bombas: The Only Socks You'll Want to Work Out in Bombas | Sponsored YouTube TV Official Site 100+ channels for your entire household to choose from! 6 accounts included. Learn more. YouTube TV | Sponsored Here's How Much Gutter Guards Should Cost You In 2023 Try this instead of gutter cleaning LeafFilter | Sponsored Times Union Homepage - Site Logo RETURN TO TOP ABOUT Our Company General Standards and Practices Newspaper Delivery Safety Procedures Advertising Interest Based Ads Terms of Use Privacy Notice Your California Privacy Rights Jobs at the Times Union CONTACT Contact Us Weather School Closings Events Calendar Celebrations Obituaries Online Store Puzzles Palace Our Use of AI Ethics Policy SERVICES Subscriber Services Subscribe Become a Carrier e-Edition Corporate Subscriptions Mobile App Copyright and Reprint Archives HEARST newspapers logo©2023 The Hearst Corporation

Today's audio daily news update.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Ulster County lost out on $12 million because of the county’s Department of Social Services failure to properly account for monies anticipated but ultimately not received. Melissa Szot, of PKF O’Connor Davies, the accounting firm conducting an annual audit of the county’s 2022 books, said, “It looks like there hasn’t been a reconciliation of receivables.... It looks like there will be a write-off of those receivables.” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger did not return a reporter's call on Sept. 12 about the missing money. Assistant Deputy County Executive Evan Menist downplayed the error, saying county governments “will regularly adjust revenues they do not receive as part of the DSS claims process.... In Ulster County we typically adjust $3-$4M per year as part of this process, however, as we are in the midst of an audit spanning multiple years, we should expect a larger than typical adjustment.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that small county fairs in New York eligible for state reimbursement for youth competitions after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation addressing the issue on Sept. 12. The bill, from state Sen. Michelle Hinchey and Assemblyperson Carrie Woerner, lowers the required amount fairs must give out from $5,000 to $2,500. Locally, the Greene County Youth Fair in July, and the Labor Day weekend Columbia County Fair are both smaller fairs. Hinchey said in a statement, “Small county fairs across New York state provide invaluable leadership opportunities that help young people build independence and life skills and gain confidence in their abilities.... Through this legislation, we’re providing our small county fairs with a critical economic tool to help them maintain youth fair involvement and support our next generation of leaders.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Molly Burke reports in the Times Union that on Sept. 13 Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation increasing the penalties for telemarketers who violate the Do Not Call registry rules. The previous fine was $11,000 for violating the rules, and now it is $20,000. Hochul said, “Every day, hardworking New Yorkers are forced to field call after call from relentless telemarketers.... Today, we’re raising the penalty for violators of the Do Not Call registry to deter telemarketers, protect New Yorkers, and send a clear message that New York won’t tolerate these frustrating, unsolicited calls.” The Federal Trade Commission runs the Do Not Call registry. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Brett Samuels reports for The Hill that former President Donald Trump may be coordinating his election campaign to regain the presidency with the U.S. House leaders that are launching an impeachment inquiry into his opponent, President Joe Biden. Trump spoke Sept. 12 with Rep. Elise Stefanik, the Republican who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District in New York, just after Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden. Stefanik said, “I speak to President Trump a lot. I spoke to him today." Stefanik claimed that whatever House Republicans are investigating is “the biggest political corruption scandal of our lifetime.” Stefanik did not give specific details of what alleged crimes are being investigated. Democrats took votes before starting impeachment investigations into Trump, but McCarthy just announced the current investigation without any vote. Locally Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan said he is against impeachment, while Democrat Paul Tonko has been mum so far. Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro came out for the impeachment inquiry, but also did not specifically say what exactly he wanted to investigate. Read more about this story in The Hill.

The Centers for Disease Control recommended Sept. 12 that everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine against the latest strain of COVID-19, with updated vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna available later this week. Mid-Hudson News reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul also urged everyone to get the new vaccination on Sept. 13. Hochul said, “Take the right precautions and we can handle this. There is no need to be careless. We have the tools we need – treatment, tests, masks, but the best, most effective way to deal with this is getting the vaccine.... It’s coming, it will be available, so let’s use it. Get the updated vaccine." Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

The Troy Record reports that Lewis Pugh completed his 315-mile swim of the entire Hudson River. “There is no other river in the whole world where at the source, you’ve got beavers, you’ve got bears, you’ve got vultures,” Pugh said earlier in his journey. “And then at the end, you come underneath the George Washington Bridge and you breathe to your left-hand side and you see these amazing skyscrapers.” He encountered plastic garbage in the river, and drank Pepto-Bismol, rinsed with an antiseptic mouthwash, washed up with surgical soap, and wore ear plugs to keep some of the river's toxicity from his body. Christopher Swain swam the Hudson River in 2004, wearing a wetsuit, while Pugh swam in a Speedo. Assistants followed in a boat and a kayak. Despite legal sewage overflows when it rains, Pugh sang the praises of the Hudson River. He said, “This is the one river in the whole world which can send a message of hope to everybody: That your river — whether it be in Britain, whether it be in France, India, China — that your river can one day be saved.” Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

Today's audio daily news update.

Raga Justin in the Times Union reports that while politicians move migrants from southern states to New York City to upstate and use them to make political points, a new poll shows a majority of New Yorkers hold positive attitudes toward recent migrant arrivals. The Siena College Research Institute also found a slight majority of state citizens support expedited work authorizations for migrants and also favor the use of federal property to shelter migrants. Locally, Rep. Marc Molinaro backed a bill that passed in the House of Representatives to block migrants from federal property, but it did not move through the U.S. Senate. And those polled, regardless of political affiliation, agreed that the migrants arriving here are seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Don Levy, the director of the Siena College Research Institute said, “There’s no doubt, the vast majority of New Yorkers recognize that our country was built by immigrants from virtually every nation around the globe and assimilating immigrants has made America great.... Despite nearly a third saying that America no longer needs new immigrants, well over half and a majority of both Democrats and Republicans say that businesses need new immigrants in order to be successful.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Clarence Fanto reports in The Berkshire Eagle that town officals in Lee in Berkshire County are the latest to come up with short-term rental regulations. Now at a special town meeting this fall, residents will decide whether homeowners can rent their properties, but most corporate-owned property could not be used short-term rentals under the proposal. A limited-liability corporation with one or two units could rent if the owner lives on site in Massachusetts. The Lee Planning Board unanimously approved the proposal on Sept. 11. Short-term renters would have to register at Town Hall and pay a $100 annual fee. A member of the Lee Select board, Gordon Bailey, said that “legit short-term rental people out there will realize this is not a burden to anybody, and hopefully they’ll recognize that at a town meeting.” The town meeting to approve to pass on the proposal will likely be in later October or November. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Adam Penale reports for New York State of Politics that New York Attorney General Letitia James wants the National Weather Service to send wireless emergency alerts about severe winter weather events. James says the National Weather Service sends the warnings to cell phones for some kinds of extreme weather, but not so much for major blizzards, ice storms and other winter conditions. James said in a statement, “A wireless emergency alert can be the difference between life and death.... I urge the National Weather Service to immediately expand Wireless Emergency Alerts to include severe winter storms so New Yorkers have access to the information they need to protect themselves, their families, and their loved ones.” Last December a severe winter storm in Western New York led to the deaths of 47 people. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's daily news audio update.

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Diane Pineiro-Zucker reports in the the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represents the 19th Congressional District, supports House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, while Democrat Pat Ryan, who represents the 18th District, does not. But Molinaro would not specifically say why there should be an impeachment investigation. Molinaro said, “oversight of the Executive Branch is one of Congress’s most fundamental duties. I worry about what appears to be criminal activity benefiting the Biden family and undermining our national interests. That warrants an inquiry.” He did not say what alleged criminal activity needed investigating. Then after appealing to conservative Republicans by backing impeachment, he attempted to court moderates and independents by saying he, “did not come to Congress to impeach the President” and has “pledged to work with him on areas where we can find common ground like mental healthcare and the opioid epidemic.” Then Molinaro's spokesperson would not respond when asked about Rep. Jamie Raskin's assertion that the Biden impeachment investigation, "is a transparent effort to boost Donald Trump’s campaign by establishing a false moral equivalency between Trump — the four time-indicted former president” and Biden, who faces “zero evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever.” Ryan, though, agreed, saying McCarthy has not found “any meaningful evidence for impeachment. … Unlike him, I’ll continue to fight for my constituents and the American people.” And while Democrats took votes on the record to impeach Trump, the House took no vote to begin an impeachment investigation into Biden, with McCarthy announcing it on Sept. 12 on his own. Apparently, the business dealings of the president’s son will be the main thrust of the investigation. Read more about this story in the the Daily Freeman.