Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media K-12 students enrolled in the Hudson school district will receive Chromebooks to accommodate remote learning. Chromebooks are laptops and two-in-ones that run on Google's Chrome operating system. In the past, high school students received the devices to take home and those in grades K through 9 shared the laptops in the classroom. The change was necessitated by the district's adoption of a hybrid in-person and remote learning model for the 2020-21 school year. The sharing of all electronic devices is considered unsafe due to worry over the potential spread of COVID-19. “Our IT [Information Technology] department has done an amazing job having everything ready for the families, so whether they have an immediate need now, or if the need arises later, we will have the technology available to support our students,” said Hudson's Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement April Prestipino. The adopted hybrid model features in-person instruction every day except Wednesdays, when the school will undergo a deep cleaning, she said. While some younger students used district laptops at home for remote learning in the spring, this will be the first time elementary and middle school students will be permitted to take the laptops to and from school. K-2 students will be limited to using their devices in school, for now, Prestipino said. The district expects several hundred more devices to be delivered in the coming weeks. The program will be assessed as the year progresses. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Bobby Welber is reporting for the Hudson Valley Post the state Department of Environmental Conservation is warning that an alarming number of deer are dying in the Hudson Valley. The DEC confirmed September 4, that several white-tailed deer in the towns of Nelsonville and Cold Spring, in Putnam County, as well as near Goshen, Orange County, died after contracting Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease or EHD. EHD is viral and more commonly found in white-tailed deer. It is transmitted by biting midges known as “no-see-ums,” or gnats that breed and live in small pools of standing water. EHD is not transmitted to humans. Once infected with EHD, the deer usually dies within 36 hours, according to the DEC. The disease is not transmitted from deer to deer or from deer to humans. The cases in Putnam County were confirmed by the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University. EHD symptoms include fever, hemorrhage in muscle or organs, swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Infected deer will frequently seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. The DEC advises hunters to refrain from handling or eating meat from any deer that appears sick or acts strangely. The DEC will continue to monitor the situation. Read the full story in the Hudson Valley Post.

Today's daily news update.

MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting bids for the new Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center have now been opened. The county Department of Public Works received six bids for the construction of the center, with project costs ranging up to $140.5 million. The low-bidder submitted a proposal a great deal below the projected construction costs. Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro said the center was already projected to save the county millions each year in operating costs. With the bids coming in considerably lower than originally estimated taxpayers will now see additional savings “...while finally replacing an expensive, ineffective, and inappropriate facility — that we should rid ourselves of.” The winning bid, made by Pike Company of Rochester, came in at a total of $110 million, well below estimated and authorized funding even with a significant contingency built into the cost. The contracts must be finalized. In March 2016, the Dutchess County Legislature voted to approve funding for the design and construction of the new justice center. According to county officials, the new center will save taxpayers more than $5 million annually beginning in the first year of operation. In recent years, Ulster, Greene, and Schoharie county have all also built new jail facilities, spending millions without sharing the costs. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Larry Parnass is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle the paper will soon eliminate two days of print publication and turn its Sunday edition into a weekend paper delivered to readers on Saturday. Fredric D. Rutberg, the company's president and publisher made the announcement September 3. Affiliated daily publications in Bennington and Brattleboro, Vt., will eliminate one day of print publication, as well. "For years, we have known that the future of our industry is with digital publishing, and COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to 21st century publishing, that we call Being Digital," Rutberg said in a letter to readers. "Being Digital means delivering the news in a way to fit the times and accommodate the future." The Eagle will begin producing print editions Tuesday through Saturday, starting October 6. The Bennington Banner and Brattleboro Reformer will also print editions Tuesday through Saturday beginning in October. The papers will continue to produce Monday e-editions and focus on digital publishing seven days a week. In making the decision, The Eagle is following the example of newspapers nationwide. Rutberg said in an interview that when the pandemic hit, advertisers closed their wallets, leading to significant revenue drops for The Eagle, as well as the Bennington Banner and Brattleboro Reformer, part of the publication group. "You have to look back to March. It just fell off the table," he said. Revenues dropped by 50 percent. "We did some projections and it showed devastating losses going forward," Rutberg said. "So how do you manage that? We didn't want to throw quality out the window." After stabilizing the business through use of furloughs and a Paycheck Protection Program loan, the ownership team took stock. The Berkshire Eagle, considered the paper of record for Berkshire County, Mass., has published daily since 1892. Since May 1, 2016, it has been owned by a group of local investors, who purchased The Eagle and its three Vermont sister newspapers for an undisclosed sum from Digital First Media. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Isabella Colello is reporting for WWTI-TV the state's largest teachers union is calling on counties to require mask wearing in public schools statewide. New York State United Teachers issued a statement September 4 urging county governments to mandate a policy for school districts requiring everyone to wear masks indoors during the school day. Following the call for statewide action, NYSUT President Andy Pallotta praised Orange County for taking the step to mandate masks. “While some school districts are doing the right thing and requiring masks at all times, we still are seeing others who refuse to take this basic step to protect the health of students, staff and families,” Pallotta said. “Orange County is taking a lead role in helping address the reservations that exist regarding reopening school buildings. We believe other county leaders should follow suit and address the concerns we’re still hearing from educators and parents.” NYSUT last month sent a similar appeal to state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, citing guidance recently released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in support of the policy. Read the full story at the WWTI website.

The Daily Freeman reports what is open and closed on Sept. 7, Labor Day.
Amtrak: Holiday schedule
Banks: Closed
County offices: Closed
Federal offices: Closed
Financial markets: Closed
Greene County Transit: No service
Mail delivery: None
Metro-North: Sunday schedule on Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines
Schools: Closed
State offices: Closed
Trailways: Limited normal schedule

Here is a roundup of how to vote November 3, including information on how to register, how to vote, and how unlikely voter fraud has been at the polls. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report.

October 9 is the deadline to register to vote in New York in the November election. That is the last day to postmark an application for the general election, which must be received by the local board of elections by Oct. 14. October 9 is also the last day an application can be received by board of elections in person to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Anyone honorably discharged from the military, or who has become a naturalized citizen since October 10, may register in person at the board of elections up until October 24. Changes of address must be received by the board of elections by Oct. 14. In Columbia County, early voting begins Oct. 24 at the Columbia County office building at 401 State St. in Hudson. In Greene County, early voting begins Oct. 24 at the Greene County Office Building, 4th floor, Suite 430 at 411 Main St, in Catskill. Both early voting sites have unique hours, so call or check the board of election websites (Greene, Columbia) before heading to the polls.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the New York Board of Elections August 31, announced a statewide effort to recruit poll workers for the November general election as a result of a shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The push comes one day before National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, a day set aside to address the shortage ahead of early voting and the November 3 vote. Poll workers tend to be older people, a demographic considered more vulnerable to the virus. More than half of poll workers in New York are over the age of 60. This year poll workers are being tasked with facilitating social distancing, sanitizing equipment as well as assisting voters. Poll workers must be at least 17 years old and registered to vote on election day. Information on becoming a poll worker in Columbia County is available by calling 518-828-3115; in Greene County, by calling 518-719-3550. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Democratic lawmakers August 31, called for the placement of ballot drop boxes for voters to leave absentee ballots for the November general election. Legislation proposed by state Senators Brad Hoylman, Rachel May and Assemblymember Richard Gottfried would allow for the placement of drop boxes statewide. Similar arrangements have already been implemented in 33 states. In the coming weeks New York voters are expected to cast a surge of absentee ballots thanks to legislation that simplified the criteria for requesting an absentee ballot by allowing concern over contracting COVID-19 as a reason for obtaining one. “We owe it to all New Yorkers to make sure that their vote gets counted this November," May said. "... One way we can promote safe, fast, and efficient voting, without worrying about postal issues, is to allow folks to drop their ballots off in secure drop boxes around their communities." Hoylman said, “New York won’t allow Donald Trump’s relentless attempts to undermine our elections and [to] spread misinformation to succeed." Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Dan Clark reports for New York Now that New York voters can now request an absentee ballot for the November elections online through a special portal, absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov. Absentee ballots are only issued for a reason, but this year voters can claim the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for voting by mail. "In line with the sweeping reforms we have implemented to make it easier for New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote.... we launch the online portal through which every registered voter concerned about COVID-19 can obtain an absentee ballot,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Election day is Nov. 3. There are no drop boxes locally for leaving votes. Absentee ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 9 p.m. Nov. 3 in one of the following ways:
• Through the mail, the ballot must be postmarked no later than Nov. 3.
• Ballots can also be hand-delivered to the County Board of Elections office no later than 9 p.m. Nov. 3.
• Absentee ballots can also be hand-delivered to an early voting poll site between October 24 and Nov. 1.
• And absentee ballots can also be hand-delivered to an in-person poll site by 9 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Grace Panetta reports for Business Insider the five common mistakes that may get your absentee ballot thrown out, rather than counted. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission found that 23.7 percent of voters, around 33 million, cast ballots by mail in the 2016 presidential election, and more than 318,000 of those votes were rejected, about one percent. This year there are fears of slow mail service, and and the coronavirus pandemic is sure to have more people voting by mail. So the five common mistakes to avoid are:
• Improperly filling out your ballot. Follow the directions carefully. "You don't want to use red ink, marker, or anything that could be problematic. If your instructions say to use black or blue ink, use black or blue ink. If it says fill in the oval, fill in the oval. I think it's really critical for voters to follow the instructions more than anything," said Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and a former director of the Denver Elections Division in Colorado.
• Forgetting to sign your envelope. This is the most common mistake voters make.
• Using a different signature from what your state has on file. Use a consistent signature style. Voters can update signatures on file with the board of elections office by submitting a new paper voter-registration form.
• Not including required additional documentation. New York does not usually require extra documentation.
• Sending your ballot back too late. In New York, ballots must be postmarked by 9 p.m. Nov. 3 to be counted.
In-person voting takes place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 3, and early voting takes place Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.

Amanda Fries reports for the Times Union that instances of voter fraud are extremely rare in New York, and when they do occur, it is usually elected officials or candidates running for office and not the average voter committing the fraud. The conservative Heritage Foundation, for instance, list just 15 cases in New York since 2010. Most of those cases were false registrations of voters by candidates. There were just three cases of "fraudulent use of absentee ballots." Of the 14 convictions since 2010, "nine involved elected or public officials, candidates for office or political operatives; three were local developers accused of attempting to rig an election, and two were New Yorkers who voted twice." Sean Morales-Doyle, deputy director of voting rights and elections at the Brennan Center for Justice, said, “What we’ve seen for years now is that there are some that use the specter of rampant voter fraud to justify all kinds of restrictive practices that do nothing to prevent voter fraud, but do everything to stop people from voting.... It’s a distraction, it’s not helpful and it ends up being used to justify policies that disenfranchise voters and don’t make elections any safer.” The disenfranchisement of voters in New York is a much larger problem. “In New York state, we see a lot more disenfranchisement than fraud. More than 14 percent of absentee ballots get thrown out,” said Jennifer Wilson, deputy director of the New York State League of Women Voters. “We have one of the highest rates of throwing out absentee ballots of any state in the nation.” Officials recommend voters casting ballots by mail do so carefully, reading all instructions completely, so their ballots are not among those election officials throw out instead of count. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that it is legal to vote cast both an absentee ballot and one in person in New York. President Donald Trump suggested this week in North Carolina that voters cast both a mail-in ballot, and one in person. That would be illegal in North Carolina, and most states, but not in New York. "Once you're issued an absentee ballot, you can choose to vote in person and we will discard the absentee ballot," said Albany County Board of Elections Commissioner Rachel Bledi. Election officials compare absentee ballots to poll results here; and if a person voted twice, the absentee ballot is ignored and the in-person vote is counted. Earlier this year Albany County District Attorney David Soares urged voters there to vote in-person if they'd already voted by mail for his opponent. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Cornell University plant pathologists have identified a new fungal pathogen that could affect apple orchards statewide, according to a new study. The new fungus, called bitter rot, causes brown lesions on apples, which makes them unappetizing to consumers and for growers, impossible to sell. Srdjan Acimovic, the study’s senior author and a senior extension associate at the Hudson Valley Research Laboratory, which is part of Cornell AgriTech, said the fungi has been found in Columbia and Greene counties. Regular fungicide treatments in orchards help prevent apple losses; bitter rot in New York state can take on average 14 to 25 percent of the crop every year, according to the study. New York is the second largest producer of apples nationwide. It produces an average of 29.5 million bushels of apples annually. Some apple varieties such as Honeycrisp and Empire are more susceptible to fungi than others, Acimovic said. The study also looked at predicted weather patterns. “We do see a rising trend where we see more frequent rain events in the summer that basically overlaps with really hot and humid weather that really favors these pathogens,” Acimovic said. “What we predict is that with global warming triggering climate change, the northeastern part of the U.S. is going to get really hit hard with these different pathogens, the climate is changing and it’s allowing them to move more north.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Diane Valden is reporting for The Columbia Paper excessive speed on town roads continues to be a problem in Ancram and town officials are looking for ways to deal with the dilemma. In 2019, the town purchased two Evils radar speed signs while also recruiting help from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and the state police. Those measures worked, and the town recorded an all-time high of 594 traffic-related court cases that year, a 25 percent increase over 2018. However, Supervisor Art Bassin said at the town board's August meeting that speeding remains “a serious problem.” Bassin said he's considered the idea of putting up cautionary signs on county routes 8 and 8A in Ancramdale, but he was not optimistic that any signage would stop the speeding. He has also been talking to county Sheriff David Bartlett about paying deputies to do speed control. Bassin also urged the board to consider buying two more radar signs. Board member David Boice, who is also Ancram fire chief, attributed more accidents to alcohol than speed, but he did acknowledge that since the pandemic started five months ago, local “roadways have been quite a bit busier…. There have been more accidents and congestion.” Bassin promised to present at the next meeting more information on the radar signs and the details of the kind of stakeout deal he could make with the sheriff. The board will next meet September 17. A public hearing on the 2021 tentative town budge will be held via Zoom at 6:45 p.m. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

CNYCentral is reporting Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo September 3, announced the state will launch an online dashboard to track COVID-19 tests in individual school districts. Districts will be required to provide the state Department of Health with daily data on the number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in each of their schools. They must also provide a link to the dashboard on their district websites. The requirement will take effect Tue., Sep. 8, and the dashboard will be available the following day. Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker has communicated with school districts statewide about the reporting requirements. Read the full story at cnycentral [dot] com.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that it is legal to vote cast both an absentee ballot and one in person in New York. President Donald Trump suggested this week in North Carolina that voters cast both a mail-in ballot, and one in person. That would be illegal in North Carolina, and most states, but not in New York. "Once you're issued an absentee ballot, you can choose to vote in person and we will discard the absentee ballot," said Albany County Board of Elections Commissioner Rachel Bledi. Election officials compare absentee ballots to poll results here; and if a person voted twice, the absentee ballot is ignored and the in-person vote is counted. Earlier this year Albany County District Attorney David Soares urged voters there to vote in-person if they'd already voted by mail for his opponent. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news.

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

The latest national outrage about police treatment of a Black American comes from New York. Two days after The Appeal revealed a Rochester police body camera video of an incident from March when Daniel Prude was complying with police when they knelt on his back and pushed his face to the ground, stopping his breathing. A week after the incident he was dead. “That was a lynching,” Joe Prude told The Appeal. “That was cold-blooded murder. … My brother was a loving individual. He was a likeable guy and a damn good brother. He made people laugh. He brought joy to people. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.” As that story goes viral, New York State Police have reopened their investigation of off-duty Cohoes police officer Sean McKown’s firing of his service pistol in Essex County and his claims that a Black male shot at him first, the Times Union reports. The District Attorney originally said there was not enough evidence to indict McKown, who has since retired. But after a Times Union story highlighted many incongruities in McKown's story, it is now getting a second look. Meanwhile, in Hudson, police reform has gone slowly, with a union contract blocking any shrinkage Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson might want. Apparently, Johnson is also battling gossip. "I want to take a short moment to clarify a falsified Executive Order that is going around," Johnson wrote on Facebook Sept. 3. "We are working well with the Hudson Police Department on reforms. Our Reconciliation committee is preparing next steps to advise me of what our force will look like in the future. Better for the community and better for officers. I’ve had no contact with the county Sheriffs office but would love to join the county’s police reform committee. We stand with our officers but at the same time realize that we have a system that needs change."

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media while volunteer fire departments statewide struggle to recruit new members, the Chatham Fire Department increased its membership by 20 percent during the past two years. The increase in the number of new volunteers is attributed to an award-winning recruitment campaign that featured fire department members portrayed as “neighbors, friends and relatives.” The Fireman’s Association of the State of New York September 2, presented the Chatham Fire Department with the Recruitment and Retention Award in recognition of the department’s recruitment campaign as the best in the state. “The Chatham Fire Department’s recruitment success is greatly attributed to their thoughtful approach to raising awareness and welcoming new members to the service,” FASNY President John Farrell Jr. said. “Their growth over the past two years has been consistent, despite hardships presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Recruitment Coordinator David Levow worked with photographer Peter Zander and artist Doug Welch to create the campaign. Levow accepted the award presented by FASNY Recruitment Chairman David Glenn. The Chatham department serves the village of Chatham as well as parts of the towns of Ghent, Kinderhook, Austerlitz and the town of Chatham. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the state Senate Democratic candidates from the Hudson Valley September 3, released their list of legislative priorities. The agenda is backed by a mix of incumbents, including senators James Skoufis, Pete Harckham and Jen Metzger, as well as candidates Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Karen Smythe and Michelle Hinchey. The measures backed by the candidates and lawmakers include the encouragement of manufacturing and distribution of personal protective equipment while also shifting the economy's focus to small businesses. At the same time, they also back enacting new protections for nursing homes, which have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Foundation aid for Hudson Valley schools should be fully funded and the region should have a greater share of the Department of Transportation's capital fund. They are calling for the property tax system to be overhauled so there is less of an emphasis on seeking revenue from middle-class and older property owners. The Democrats called for a continued focus on reducing the state's carbon footprint and preserving open spaces. Farmers should be given better incentives, including a minimum wage housing credit for workers and expanded markets for New York products. Broadband should be universally available and the New York State Bridge Authority should be given more independence. Along with Long Island, maintaining control of the Hudson Valley is key for the Democrats to hold onto the Senate majority. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting the drunk hunting standard in New York became more strict this week as legislation sponsored by state Senator Anna M. Kaplan took effect on September 1. The change decreases the amount of alcohol that must be present in a person’s system for that person to be considered intoxicated while hunting. “If you’re too drunk to drive a car or a boat, then you’re too drunk to pick up a gun and go hunting,” said Kaplan “This is a common-sense measure that corrects the law so that the standard for intoxication is the same whether you’re driving, boating or hunting.” The bill amends the environmental conservation law to change the drunk hunting standard from [point] 10 to [point] 08 to conform with existing state laws on driving and boating while intoxicated. Kaplan said, “If you’re drunk while handling a gun, you’re putting yourself at risk, and countless others nearby. This new law just makes sense to protect New Yorkers from a dangerous accident with a gun.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.