This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Saturday, March 28, 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.

Today's daily news update.

The Columbia Paper, the Ghent-based independent weekly newspaper has temporarily suspended its print publication, effective with the March 26 edition. In an editorial, editor and publisher Parry Teasdale apologized to readers, calling the paper collateral damage from the pandemic. "I didn’t give you more warning of this because I didn’t see it coming," he said. The past two issues, Teasdale reported, carried a reduced number of pages, but reducing the size of the publication did not make up for the loss of advertisers. At this point, he said, how long the suspension will last is unknown, but he hopes will be no more than four or five weeks. Teasdale did say that although the economic impact of the pandemic was a significant factor, the decision to suspend publication started over concerns for the health and safety of its delivery drivers, many of whom would be considered "high risk" if they contract the virus. In the meantime, the paper intends to focus on its website and carry on until a print edition is viable again. Earlier this week, Hudson Valley One Publisher Geddy Sveikauskas announced that Ulster Publishing has suspended indefinitely the print publication of its newspapers. The 47-year-old enterprise publishes the Woodstock Times, the Kingston Times, New Paltz Times and Saugerties Times. Read the full editorial in The Columbia Paper.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greene County Chamber of Commerce this week launched Take-out Weeks, and the Greene County Department of Tourism is operating Take-Out in Greene. Both programs provide websites that link restaurants and breweries with customers. Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order, restaurants and other food suppliers were deemed essential businesses and can still operate, but only take-out and delivery are permitted. Take-out Weeks are scheduled to run through April 5. Greene County Chamber of Commerce President and Executive Director Jeff Friedman said the chamber is trying to encourage county residents to help local businesses stay open during the ongoing emergency. A list of participating restaurants can be found at greenecountychamber [dot] com. The Take-Out in Greene program is offered by the county’s Tourism Department with a website listing local eateries open for business. The program’s organizers are in contact with restaurants weekly, county Tourism Director Heather Bagshaw said. Tourism's list of take-out, curbside and delivery options can be found at takeoutingreene [dot] com.

Eric Anderson is reporting for the Times Union Amtrak is suspending all service to Vermont at the request of Gov. Phil Scott. Scott said the decision was part of an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service suspension came as the governor ordered Vermonters to "stay home, stay safe," and told all nonessential businesses to close. Both the Ethan Allen Express and the Vermonter suspended service as of Thu., Mar. 26. The suspension effectively leaves Saratoga Springs and other communities north of Albany temporarily without passenger rail service. Schenectady will lose two of its five daily routes. Both the Ethan Allen and the Adirondack stopped there before turning north to Saratoga Springs. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news.

Nick Reisman is reporting for the State of Politics blog the state budget process this year is far different than previous years. New York is facing somewhere between a $10 to $15 billion dollar revenue shortfall and with so much uncertainty on when businesses can open and people can start returning to work, Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing for a budget that can be adjusted month to month based on incoming revenues. This will impact how local governments and schools can spend their money, which already has many groups concerned. “As we now know, New York state is projected to lose billions in tax revenue due to the coronavirus crisis, threatening essential school funding," state Senator Shelly Mayor and chair of the Senate Education Committee, wrote. As a way to avoid education cuts, Mayor backs the adoption of a statewide budget that includes a higher tax rate for anyone who earns $5 million or more. Education advocates are saying this tax revenue could go to high-need districts that rely heavily on state funding. But Cuomo is against increasing taxes on the state’s upper class, saying it will drive them away. The budget is due next Wed., Apr. 1. Read the full story on the State of Politics blog.

Nora Mishanec reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Greene County Public Health website now says there are nine positive cases, but are not returning multiple requests for comment from the local newspaper. Greene County's website gets a new one-sentence update on weekdays. Across the Hudson River, Columbia County has 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 9 more county residents suspected of having COVID-19. “We haven’t reached anywhere near the peak of the COVID-19 cases we expect in the county,” Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said in a statement March 24. On March 26, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin estimated that the peak may be two weeks away locally. Columbia-Memorial Hospital in Hudson has been clearing space for more beds arriving this week. Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb says the county does not have enough tests. “If we are not able to test, then we are not going to know the prevalence in the community, and we won’t be able to isolate them,” Mabb said. “The more positive people we identify, the more we can shut down the virus’s movement in the community." Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Eric Anderson is reporting for the Times Union the deadline for acquiring a Real ID has been extended by one year, to Oct. 1, 2021, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The previous deadline for obtaining secure identification was October 2020, but with the closing of Department of Motor Vehicle offices in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, DHS officials chose to extend the target date. The Real ID is one of several enhanced identifications that will be accepted for entry into federal buildings and installations and by the Transportation Security Administration for airline passengers traveling in the United States. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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Columbia County Board of Supervisors Matt Murrell released a daily update Thu., Mar. 26, advising county residents that there is currently no authorized treatment for those who test positive for COVID-19. County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said, “I strongly discourage anyone from taking things they hear mentioned as possible cures. Do not try to self-medicate. Some medications may have similar ingredients to those being mentioned in connection with a possible COVID-19 treatment, but they have not undergone testing for this disease and should not be considered safe.” According to the statement, Columbia Memorial Hospital has some tests on-hand, but they are being reserved for medical providers, emergency responders and the very ill. “The Health Department does expect a big bump in positives this weekend,” Mabb added. County emergency medical services, CMH as well as fire and police remain “not even close to what they need in terms of Personal Protective Equipment...,” said county Director of Emergency Management David W. Harrison, Jr. “We are expecting a small delivery soon — that will be going to emergency medical services and the hospital.” Several incidents of price gouging have been reported in Hudson, according to Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett. All Columbia County buildings remain closed, with the exception of the Department of Social Services, which must stay open under state regulations. To read the full statement go to columbiacountyny [dot] com.

This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Friday, March 27, 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.

Today's daily news update.

McKenna Oxendent reports for The Baltimore Sun about the first Columbia County death from COVID-19. Maurice Berger died March 23. He was a 63-year-old New York City resident and "died two hours north of the city in the hamlet of Craryville in Columbia County." Berger was the chief curator at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "He was known internationally as a scholar and was published regularly in The New York Times, Artforum, Art in America and National Geographic," Oxendent writes. He curated "Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television" at the Jewish Museum in New York City in 2015. Berger's death is not included in local statistics yet, or is included in the death totals out of New York City. Read more about this story in The Baltimore Sun.

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is reporting two of the chamber's nursing home members are "in desperate need" of supplies. Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (formerly Whittier Nursing Center) and Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center are without sufficient surgical gloves, masks, hand sanitizer and gowns. In an email appeal to members March 26, chamber CEO Jeff Hunt and staff said, "If you are a business that typically utilizes the above supplies, beauty salons, nail salons, painters or contractors, and can spare some please consider sharing with these vital businesses." Contact Ghent Rehabilitation at 518-828-0800 and ask for administrator Frank Yeboah; to reach Pine Haven, call administrator Liz Groat at 518-672-7408.

Heather Yakin is reporting for the Times Herald-Record the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct March 26, released a searing opinion and announcement removing Sullivan County Court Judge Michael McGuire from the bench, citing a laundry list of misconduct and abuse of authority. “The breadth of Judge McGuire’s misconduct is stunning,” Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said in a statement. “He wrongfully ordered people to jail and handcuffed Family Court litigants; often berated and yelled at court staff and litigants; presided in matters despite having a disqualifying conflict; impermissibly practiced law and used court staff to assist him;...He compounded it all with untruthful testimony during the Commission’s proceedings. Such egregious misconduct warrants removal from judicial office.” McGuire has served since 2011, and his term was set to expire on Dec. 31. Judge McGuire was appointed last month by the Sullivan County legislature to be the next County Attorney. County spokesman Dan Hust said that “his appointment remains.” He is slated to take office between April 20 and May 1, depending on the COVID-19 emergency. Read the full story in the Times Herald-Record.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham Village Board has approved a proposal to reorganize some of its administrative tasks put forward by village treasurer Robert Patterson. Patterson asked the board to transition his role to bookkeeping and accounting only, and have the village clerk and deputy clerk take over the treasurer’s duties. Patterson was hired as village treasurer in 2018, just as the Office of the State Comptroller opened its investigation into the village for failing to make payments on certain payroll taxes to the state and the IRS. Mayor John Howe said March 9, the state investigation was coming to an end. Patterson will now perform monthly bank reconciliations, prepare and submit the monthly New York State Retirement System report and other tasks. His new contract with the village is effective April 1. Howe said the reorganization will save the village about $15,000. “The bottom line is, I think this is a good thing,” he said. In other business, the village recently announced the village clerk's office in the Tracy Memorial Village Hall will be closed to the public indefinitely. Anyone with questions is advised to call 518-392-5821, extension 3 for the clerk. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

March 26 update from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Today's daily news.

NBC News reports that the U.S. Senate voted 96-0 for a bill meant to address a health crisis, but tailored more to an economic disaster. The $2 trillion bill includes billions of dollars in credit for struggling industries, an increase in unemployment insurance, and direct cash payments to Americans. The U.S. House will vote on the bill March 27, and the President says he will sign it into law. Both New York Senators voted for the measure. Chuck Schumer said that while the bill was "far from perfect," it had "improved significantly to warrant its quick consideration and passage." Kirsten Gillibrand Tweeted, "The stimulus package we just passed is a good down payment in the fight against this outbreak—those who need it most will have some help on the way. But make no mistake, there is much more to be done and I’ll keep working to deliver the resources our country needs to recover." Read more about this story at the NBC News website.