Adam Liptak is reporting for The New York Times the U.S. Supreme Court February 22, rejected a last-ditch effort by former President Donald J. Trump to protect his financial records, issuing a brief, unsigned order requiring Trump’s accountants to turn over tax and other records to prosecutors in New York. Trump had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep his tax returns and related documents secret. There were no dissents noted. The case concerned a subpoena to accountants Mazars USA, by the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., a Democrat. The firm said it will comply with the final ruling of the courts, meaning the grand jury should receive the documents soon. Vance issued a three-word statement in response to the court’s decision: “The work continues.” The scope of Vance’s inquiry is not known, but it arose in part from an investigation by his office into hush-money payments to two women who said they had affairs with Trump, relationships he has denied. However, court filings by prosecutors seem to suggest they are also looking into potential crimes like tax and insurance fraud. Read the full story in The New York Times.

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More than ten percent of most local residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to New York's coronavirus tracker website. The website is now updated with each counties vaccination rates. So far, 11.1 percent of Greene County residents have received at least one vaccine shot, according to the site on Feb. 21. In Columbia County, 13.3 percent of the population has gotten at least one shot. Albany County is home to one of the state's large vaccination centers at SUNY Albany, and has 16.2 percent of its residents at least partially vaccinated. Very rural Schoharie and Delaware counties, by contrast, have just 9.7 and 9.8 percent of residents getting any doses. In Rensselaer County 13.9 percent have received a shot, while 11.4 percent of Ulster County residents, and 10.7 percent of Dutchess County residents, have been at least partially vaccinated. Vaccinations have been going on for two months now. At the current pace, 70 percent herd immunity would not be reached until sometime in 2022.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media six weeks have passed and the seat on the Catskill Village Board formerly held by Vincent Sealey remains unoccupied, while the process required to fill the vacancy remains unclear. Seeley resigned on January 8 following a four-month absence from his duties. The former village president was elected to his fifth term as trustee in March 2019. It was announced in January the board would have to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a special election could be held in 2022. However, the village charter says the board cannot appoint to fill a vacancy. “According to our charter, it says it has to be a special election,” Village Vice President Joseph Kozloski said. “It does say the trustees cannot appoint another trustee, it has to be an elected position.” Kozloski is unsure if the special election could be held this year. He said there are questions that need to be answered and village attorney Ted Hilscher is looking into the matter. Rebecca Ruscito, a staff attorney for the New York Council of Mayors, said under New York State Village Law, the trustees could appoint someone to fill the position for the remainder of the year, but the village charter could in theory supersede state law. Because the resignation did not occur until after December 31, the election will not be held until March 2022, Greene County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Brent Bogardus said. “So it does not go on the village election ballot for this March. It would be an appointment of the village board until next March,” Bogardus added. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media an Article 78 proceeding to stop the expansion of C.A. Albright and Sons in the town of New Baltimore has been dismissed. The Article 78 was filed by New Baltimore resident Zachary Miller, against the propane company and the town for the approval of a plan to expand the company's liquefied petroleum gas storage and distribution facilities on Route 9W, at the intersection with Route 144. Following the town's approval of Albright's site plan and a special use permit in September 2020, Miller took legal action on October 5, demanding the company stop all work at the site. Miller argued he frequently uses the intersection of routes 144 and 9W and that he feared the expansion would cause the roads in the area to become more dangerous. Miller said his father died in an automobile crash near that location years ago. The court found Miller did not have legal standing and dismissed the case. “Critically, plaintiff-petitioner has not demonstrated that he will suffer an injury that is different in any way than the general public in the vicinity of the proposed project,” the court wrote. “Generalized assertions regarding traffic safety concerns and environmental concerns are insufficient to satisfy the burden to establish standing.” He also claimed the project threatened an endangered species, which the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers found to be untrue. Read the full story in The Ravena News-Herald.

Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council has created an alternate side parking ad hoc committee to tackle the question of how parking rules in the city could be revised. The members of the committee include 1st Ward Alderwoman Jane Trombley, 2nd Ward Alderman Dewan Sarowar, 1st Ward Alderwoman and Minority Leader Rebecca Wolff, Common Council President Tom DePietro and Public Works Commissioner Peter Bujanow. The group held its first meeting February 18. Public Works Superintendent Robert Perry did not attend, but he sent a memo outlining the need for street cleaning. Less frequent alternate side parking would lead to more sewer overflow, dirt and pollution, which could lead to fines and potential legal action, according to Perry. The superintendent included communication from Police Chief L. Edward Moore in which he advocated frequent movement of vehicles because of concerns over abandoned vehicles. Moore noted that parking regulations that expedite the removal of snow are also valuable, for the safety of the public. Hudson Assistant Fire Chief Nick Pierro said large fire trucks have difficulty navigating narrow streets when cars are parked on both sides. Trombley noted that while public safety and street cleaning are important to consider, the system must be equitable, and if the system is applied equitably. Signage explaining parking rules citywide could be improved, committee members said. The committee will next meet on March 18. Note: DePietro is a volunteer WGXC on-air volunteer programmer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

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Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the old Coxsackie water tower near Mansion Street in the village was demolished early Sat., Feb. 20. Residents lined the street and watched from the Coxsackie Senior Center parking lot as the tower came down at 10 a.m. “It was the end of an era. That’s why I am here,” said Coxsackie resident Pat Meyers. A muted bang took down the decades-old tower behind the Coxsackie cemetery as spectators watched in awe. The water tower has not been in use for years, said Alan Tavener from Delaware Engineering, the village’s engineering company. The village contracted with Wargo Demolition to bring it down. “It’s made of steel, there is no asbestos or any contaminated materials, so it will just be hauled off to Albany for scrap,” Tavener said. The water tower used to supply the village with water that was piped from the Climax Reservoir. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Evan Anstey is reporting for wivb [dot] com state Attorney General Letitia James is leading a multi-state coalition of 17 different attorneys general calling for the cancellation of up to $50,000 in federal student loans for all borrowers nationwide. Senate Resolution 46 and House Resolution 100 call on President Joe Biden to use his authority to make this happen. “Student loan debt holds too many struggling borrowers down and prevents them from achieving financial stability,” James says. “...Cancelling up to $50,000 in student loan debt will not only free these borrowers to move forward with their lives, but will simultaneously help close the racial wealth gap and move our economy to new heights. ...” According to James' office, as many as one in five federal student loan borrowers are in default and only two percent of borrowers who applied for loan discharges under the Public Service Loan Foregiveness program have been granted a discharge. Read more at wivb [dot] com.

Aliya Schneider is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the plan to turn the former TJ Auto Service Center at 735-737 Columbia Street in Hudson into a bar, restaurant and brewery has fallen through. Emma and Paul O’Donnell’s proposal was approved by the planning board in October, but the sale did not go through said Josephine Cusumano, co-owner of TJ Auto. Cusumano said they plan to put the property back on the market and to close the business at the end of the month when she and her husband retire. Josephine and Antonino Cusumano opened the business in 1974. In other brewery news, the Galvan Foundation announced on February 18, it will rent space to a company called Return Brewing at the location just across the street from TJ's, at 724 Columbia. That brewery is expected to open in six months, according to the foundation. The brewery company is responsible for obtaining any needed approvals from the city and has not done anything as yet, said Dan Kent, Galvan Foundation vice president of initiatives. The project has to be reviewed by the planning board, Chairwoman Betsy Gramkow said. Whether the six-month prediction seems feasible, Gramkow could not say without a project proposal in hand. The public information on Return Brewery is sketchy and the company does not have a website. A company spokesman said last week Return Brewing is excited to announce its plans. but it is not ready to disclose details. What is known is the company intends to distribute its products to local restaurants while maintaining relationships in New York City. The brewery will operate out of the former Gifford Foundry Building, built in 1856. It formerly housed Van Kleecks Tire. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

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Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union on the latest details to emerge concerning the late night brawl over the July 4 weekend at the Kinderhook home of gym owner Alex Rosentrach and County Sheriff's Deputy Kelly Briscoe Rosentrach. Local business owner Harold Handy was allegedly assaulted at a holiday party, suffering injuries that sent him to the intensive care unit at Albany Medical Center Hospital during the early morning hours of July 5. However, after Briscoe Rosenstrach's colleagues in the Sheriff's Office responded to the scene that night, they told their superiors the man injured in the fight was not severely hurt and that partygoers were too drunk to be interviewed, according to deposition testimony taken by State Police. Then Lt. Louis C. Bray III told the State Police Special Investigations Unit on August 10, that Sgt. Peter Grzeskow, commander of the overnight shift, called him at 2 a.m. July 5 to report an assault at Deputy Kelly Rosenstrach’s residence. A 911 call sent deputies and the emergency squad to the residence at 1:27 a.m. “He told me that there was a gathering there and that someone was assaulted. He told me that the rescue squad was tending to the victim, who was uncooperative and intoxicated,” Bray said in his deposition. Now Captain Bray said, based on the information he received, there was "nothing severe and that no one was in any condition at this time to aid the investigation. I instructed Sgt. Grzeskow to have the deputies conduct whatever initial investigation that they could at that time and to get contact information for everyone that was present,” Bray said. “I also told him that patrols would follow up with the victim once he sobered up and received any needed medical treatment.” Later that day, Bray said Sheriff David Bartlett told him Handy was in the ICU. Bray then contacted Sheriff's Office Senior Investigator William Foster to start an investigation on either July 6 or July 7. Bartlett, who is running for re-election this year, said the case was properly handled. Maria Haberfeld, professor of police science at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, said this case demonstrates the challenges facing police agencies in small towns. “We have all these police departments where everybody knows everybody where it’s hard to investigate your own,” Haberfeld said. An officer who would have to determine whether a person is too intoxicated to be interviewed is compromised in making that decision if it involves a coworker, Haberfeld said. “The best thing is to immediately notify an external agency.” After the State Police Investigations Unit took over the case, the Rosenstrachs, Bryan Haag, an IRS law enforcement agent; and Cory Galord, a contractor, were each indicted on felony counts of second-degree gang assault and first-degree unlawful imprisonment and accused of restraining and attacking Harold Handy during the party. All four face additional charges. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Noah Zweifel is reporting for The Altamont Enterprise Berne Town Clerk Anita Clayton announced this week that she will not seek a third term in November. Clayton, a Democrat, has worked for the town in various positions for 20 years. Clayton made the announcement in a letter to the Enterprise wherein she also blasted the town Democratic Committee for a “demeaning” candidate interview, an allegation that committee Chairman Kevin Crosier denies. While denying the conversation was a factor in her decision to resign, Clayton described the experience as an interrogation. She said the committee asked her to denounce the current majority Republican administration, which was sworn in on Jan. 1, 2020. Board member Joel Willsey is the lone Democrat on the now four-member board, following the sudden resignation of Independence Party member Mathew Harris in early 2021. “Over and over,” Clayton wrote, “I was asked to denounce the current administration. What does that mean to denounce someone? It means to condemn, criticize, attack, censure, revile, and vilify someone. That is not who I am nor is it the role of the town clerk to engage in this kind of behavior toward elected officials of the town, town employees, or town residents.” No one involved in the interview would provide details of the questions asked, only to say that all candidates were asked the same questions and that the questions regarded “open government, transparency, [and] issues that have been kept from the townspeople." Crosier maintains that Clayton refused to answer questions during the interview, a charge she denies. A link to Clayton's resignation letter to the editor can be found on the WGXC newsroom page. Read more in The Altamont Enterprise.

Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union the New York State Police are investigating a hate crime involving racist language carved into a wooded post at the Copake Falls State Campground. “We’ve investigated numerous leads,” Trooper A.J. Hicks, a spokesman for Troop K, said February 19. The hateful message was carved in the post in mid-November, according to troopers. Investigators have interviewed numerous people who were at the Taconic State Park campgrounds on Route 344, along the state line with Massachusetts and Connecticut, between November 13 and 15. Hicks said investigators are looking for people who may have been at the campgrounds that weekend.  There are no cameras at the park so investigators are pursuing additional leads by interviewing people who were there. The campground has 106 campsites and 18 cabins. Anyone who may have information or believe they can help are asked to call the State Police at Livingston at 518-853-2893.  Callers should say they are calling about case number 9939088. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the Assembly GOP on Thu., Feb. 15, moved to begin impeachment proceedings against Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the controversy surrounding nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic continue. The resolution as proposed by Republicans would create an impeachment commission to investigate the governor's handling of nursing homes and efforts to conceal data of resident fatalities during the pandemic. A 60-day deadline would be set for the commission to conduct its work and release findings to lawmakers. “The Cuomo Administration’s nursing home cover-up is one of the most alarming scandals we’ve seen in state government,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay. Cuomo has acknowledged his office should have moved faster to release data on nursing home deaths during the pandemic, but said it first had to respond to a federal inquiry last year. A Cuomo ally, state Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, blasted the impeachment move. "I think it's the height of hypocrisy for a group that was silent when a Republican president was referring to the pandemic as a Democrat hoax and threatening to withhold PPE and other vital supplies to New York state... We heard nothing from them," Jacobs said in an interview. Senate Democrats are expected to soon scale back Cuomo's power granted last year to respond to the pandemic. Assembly Democrats are expected to discuss that issue on Monday in a closed-door meeting. In New York history, only one governor, William Sulzer in 1913, has ever been impeached and removed from office. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County lawmakers approved the 2021 contract with Twin County Recovery Service February 17, after initial concern that the county would have to make up the difference caused by a proposed 20 percent state aid cut. There was also worry over a $19,000 increase in the contract and if services had been reduced due to the pandemic. “I see they’re raising their budget this year,” Republican Legislator Greg Davis said at the Health Services Committee meeting. “All I’ve heard on the news this whole year is that substance abuse users have been having problems because services have been cut, so why is the budget going up?” Greene County Director of Mental Health Jason Fredenberg said services have not been cut at this point. The increase was due to a cost-of-living adjustment, Fredenberg said, and it is awarded by the state for fringe increases. Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said if the county does not get reimbursed the 20 percent from the state, it would not pay the full value of the contract each quarter. "If the 20 percent is going to be cut, we would not have paid that out to begin with," he said. “This is pass-through money,” Groden said. “If we don’t get it, we don’t pay it out.” The full Legislature later unanimously approved the contract. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup Kelly’s Pharmacy in Greenville will likely be granted a zoning variance for the COVID-19 testing POD now located in its parking lot, according to town attorney Tal Rappleyea. The set-back variance is scheduled to be voted on at the March 9 meeting of the Greenville Zoning Board of Appeals. The set-back is required under town law because the POD is located too close to the firehouse. The POD is located in the last two parking spots behind the pharmacy. “I’m pretty sure the ZBA is going to approve it,” said Rappleyea. Pharmacist Quinn Kelly said that when they installed the POD in December, they were under the impression it did not require a building permit. But under town law, it does. The POD sits approximately 24 feet from the firehouse and the concrete buffers next to the POD, installed to keep vehicles from hitting it, measure roughly 22 feet from the firehouse. The property is owned by Tasting Lab owner and ZBA chairman Thomas Vance. Vance is also a pharmacy neighbor and he provided written permission for the POD to be installed. Vance will recuse himself from voting on the variance, he said. The POD is used to conduct COVID-19 testing outside of the pharmacy itself to keep potentially ill people away from the public. Kelly said close to 1,500 tests have been conducted at the location since January when they opened the POD. Approximately 12 percent of those tests have come back positive, he said. Read the full story in Porcupine Soup.