MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting Allegiant Air has announced it is adding two more non-stop destinations from New York Stewart International Airport. Beginning on May 20, the airline will operate two weekly flights to Savannah, GA and Hilton Head, SC. The following day, May 21, the airport will start twice weekly nonstop flights to Walton Beach, FL. Allegiant currently flies from Stewart to to four locations — one in South Carolina and four in Florida. Drew Wells, Allegiant vice president of planning and revenue, said, “We know area travelers will enjoy ultra-low-cost, convenient, nonstop flights to visit the beautiful beaches.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Rebecca Carballo is reporting for the Times Union dozens of people rallied at the state Capitol January 14, in support of the Protect Our Courts Act, legislation that would forbid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests without a judicial warrant in or around courthouses in the state of New York. The rally was organized by the Immigrant Defense Project. State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat, and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Democrat from Elmont, are the bill's lead sponsors. The bill was put up at the end of the 2017 legislative session, and Solages said they spent time last year garnering support for the bill. She is confident it will pass this year. “At the end of the day, this is the year,” Solages told the Times Union. “I can’t look at what happened last year, we have to look forward, and I believe we can get this done.” Read the full story in the Times Union.

Click above to download or play the audio version of the local news for Wed., Jan. 15. Produced by Philip Grant.

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

The Associated Press reports in Crain's New York that New Yorkers continue to pay more in federal taxes than they get back in federal spending. In 2018 New York paid $26.6 billion more in federal taxes than the government spent in the state. That means New Yorkers got 90 cents back for every tax dollar, compared with a national average of $1.21. In 2013 the gap was $19.9 billion, and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said it increased this year as New Yorkers paid $4 billion more in taxes due to the President's new tax plan. “It's an important reminder for everyone in New York, that New York contributes a great deal to Washington and the federal government and we should certainly be sure that we can can fight anyway we can to maximize the return we have,” DiNapoli said, warning an undercount of New Yorkers in the 2020 census would make the issue worse. New York is one of seven states that pays more in than they get back in federal spending. Read more about this story in Crain's New York.

Amanda Fries reports in the Times Union that a woman who was held at the Albany County jail last year has filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the county and the correction officer who she says sexually abused her there. Michael Snyder, the accused correction officer, was suspended without pay since last March, when he was arrested for raping and sexually abusing other female inmates. The woman claims Snyder repeatedly subjected her to “unwanted sexual groping, touching, sexual verbal advances and sexual harassment" during her 14-month sentence. Snyder, from Rensselaerville, is also before the Albany County Court for three counts of felony rape, two counts of felony criminal sex act, and eight counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Sarah Trafton reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Greene County legislators are not adding a five-cent tax to paper bags. Legislators did not go on the record with an actual vote, but in a discussion did not support a tax. In March, a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags goes into effect statewide, with counties also allowed to add their own paper bag tax. Ulster County, for instance, decided in favor of the five-cent tax on paper bags. Legislator William Lawrence, a Republican from Cairo, dismissed the dangers to the environment from plastic, but is concerned about other environmental issue. “So can I bring a plastic bag to the store?” he said, discussing the new state law. A Styrofoam ban, to Lawrence, is another matter. “I think it’s a good move,” he said. “Styrofoam is a very dangerous material.” He said he would soon bring up his countywide ban on Styrofoam one more time for a vote. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

The year has just gotten underway and already it is election season. The Mountaintop Progressives activist group is hosting a State Senate Candidate Forum for Democrats running in District 46 where Republican incumbent George Amedore is retiring. Amedore is one of nine Republican incumbents in the State Senate not running for reelection. Democrats have not won in the district since the last time there was an open seat in a presidential election year, in 2012. Democrats Michelle Hinchey, Gary Greenberg, and Jeff Stark are running, and event is at Villa Vosilla in Tannersville Jan. 20. The primary election is June 23. In other election news, Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan, a Democrat, endorsed Pete Buttigieg for president Jan. 14.

Today's local news update.

Bill Williams, the entire news staff at three local radio stations, was fired Jan. 14, he reports on Facebook. Williams was the sole journalist at WCTW The Cat, WRWD/WHUC 1230-AM, and the oldies station WZCR, and one of only a few reporters left on the radio dial anywhere. "Starting tomorrow, don't know what you can expect in the way of local news, because I won't be writing and gathering it anymore," he wrote. The stations he reported for are owned by iHeartMedia, which he says laid off many people around the country. The company has already taken down the local news page on their website. In a statement, the company said it was replacing human beings with computers. “We are modernizing our company to take advantage of the significant investments we have made in new technology and aligning our operating structure to match the technology-powered businesses we are now in,” a statement from iHeartMedia read. Williams did not have immediate plans. "Not sure what my future will bring. In the old days, you could just go to the station across the street. Now, all the stations seem to be owned by the same person," Williams wrote.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media in the coming months, a plethora of subcommittees under the leadership of Catskill resident Robert Tomlinson, will be tasked with tackling the village's cultural issues. The effort will complement the process of updating Catskill's 10-year-old comprehensive plan. Drafts of that plan were presented in October and November, but some residents found the proposal lacking. That led to the creation of the new committees. Tomlinson will present the group's findings to the village board in April. He has proposed a variety of subcommittees, including trash, composting and recycling; affordable housing; coping with the climate crisis and reducing the [village's] carbon footprint; nurturing the creative economy; cultural and historic preservation; kindness, respect and empathy; the future of public education and community engagement; and the future of food, reducing food waste and increasing community gardens. Tomlinson intends to appoint at least three people to each subcommittee, which will be expected to meet for a period of six to eight weeks. Tomlinson’s review of cultural issues will not impact the comprehensive plan, because he is developing art and culture comprehensive plan, Village President Vincent Seeley said. “The comprehensive plan is a land-use plan,” Seeley said. “[But Tomlinson’s plan] is part of the recipe going forward.” The final version of the updated village plan is currently under review by county officials. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman the cost of the hand recount of ballots in the Ulster County district attorney race was nowhere near the $16,000 to $20,000 range originally estimated by county officials. The cost was "minimal beyond our own staffing," county Republican Commissioner of Elections Thomas Turco said. And Ashley Dittus, Turco's Democratic counterpart, said the board "didn't really have to hire a lot of people or rent space." The commissioners said the original cost guess was based on the assumption the recount would have to be completed before January 1. That deadline changed once they learned that Republican candidate Michael Kavanaugh would assume the role of acting DA when the term of then District Attorney Holley Carnright ended December 31. Turco said, "... If the succession was not clear and we needed a district attorney by Jan. 1, all bets were off." Dittus said the Board of Elections has not yet done a financial breakdown of the recount costs, but she said the office only used "a little part-time help." Democrat David Clegg ultimately won the race by 78 votes. He was sworn last week. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper on the Chatham Town Board organizational meeting held January 2. The gathering was chaired by the town's new supervisor, Donal Collins, and was the first for new members Abi Mesick and Vance Pitkin. Pitkin was appointed deputy supervisor, and Mesick was named second deputy supervisor. The new board hired Tal Rappleyea as town attorney for an unspecified interim period, and appointed David Everett to the Planning Board. Rappleyea previously served as town attorney; Everett is an attorney by professional and he will now serve out the term of former Planning Board member Sue Tanner, who resigned last year. Residents in attendance at the meeting, as well as former board member Michael Richardson, questioned the wisdom of hiring Rappleyea again. Richardson said the board had not solicited bids from attorney candidates and pointed to the town’s procurement policy, which addresses soliciting bids for professional services. He urged the board to “go through this process.” The board also heard from some residents unhappy about the appointments made to the Comprehensive Plan Update Review Committee, which is co-chaired by Mesick and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman. Mesick spoke about her personal goals and the goals of the new board, saying they planned to get information to residents “The website is not enough,” she said. She also said the board would get out and hold meetings in the hamlets located within the town. And she said the Building Department is trying to educate people on what they need when dealing with zoning law requirements. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Teri Weaver is reporting for Syracuse [dot] com that beginning Wed., Jan. 15, anyone born in New York and then adopted will be able to request and receive a copy of their original birth certificate that lists their birth parents' names. The law applies to people 18 or older who were born in New York, no matter where they were adopted or live now. One of the law's sponsors, Assemblymember Pam Hunter of Syracuse, estimates that hundreds of people have contacted her office since the legislation was proposed last year. The option to discover the identities of birth parents is “a relief to some people,” she said. “I think that’s a relief for many people.” Birth certificates can be obtained in either one of two ways: through the state Department of Health or through the company VitalChek [dot] com. Applicants will receive a copy of their pre-adaption certificate and any additional information contained in the sealed adoption file. Read the full story at Syracuse [dot] com.

Click above to download or play the audio version of the local news for Tue., Jan. 14. (Produced by Philip Grant.)

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

Sarah Trafton reports for Columbia-Greene Media that village and town officials in Catskill are considering creating a new sewer district for a resort on Landon Ave. Last summer Catskill's town planning board approved a summer camp for Hasidic special needs children at the former Pollace’s Family Vacation Resort where up to 180 people could be staying at any time. Village trustees would add a sewer line and pump station to the property and, like the Catskill Golf Course that needed additional water lines, the sewer line and pump station would be installed at the owner’s expense. The estimated cost is about $100,000. “I don’t understand why the board allowed them to open without the septic system being completely OK’d,” Catskill resident Joseph Kozloski said. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Chris Churchill reports in the Times Union that Tony German, the retired two-star general running in the Republican primary to take on Rep. Antonio Delgado, announced Jan. 13 an end to his campaign. German, a former adjutant general of the New York National Guard, said he hasn't raised enough money to keep his campaign operating. That leaves just Michael Roth, who lives in Ellenville and Brooklyn, and runs a nonprofit charity called Ulster Heights Kingdom, which received no contributions and generated no in revenue in 2018. Roth has seven followers on Twitter. The other candidate is Ola Hawatmeh, a fashion designer who grew up in Poughkeepsie, but has lived in St. Louis most of her life and moved back to Dutchess County four months ago. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said last week he will not run for this Congressional seat. Churchill writes that Bartle Bull, a writer and businessman in Dutchess County, "is being mentioned," though he does not say by whom, as someone who might also run for the 19th Congressional seat. Republican Donald Trump won the 19th District by seven points in 2016. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Caitlin Oprysko at Politico reports that Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president on Jan. 13. Republican President Donald Trump won Maloney's lower Hudson Valley Congressional District by two points in 2016. “He’s just got the unique combination of experience and decency that I think are gonna win voters like ones I represent,” he said. Maloney originally backed Texas-based Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who has since given up his campaign. He said that that O'Rourke's exit from the race allowed Maloney “to focus on who I think would be the strongest candidate.” Read more about this story at the Politico website.

Amanda Fries reports in the Times Union that the Albany County Democratic Committee endorsed Michelle Hinchey over Greene County businessman and activist Gary Greenberg for the nomination for the District 46 State Senate seat. Incumbent George Amedore is among nine Republicans State Senators not running for reelection this year. Democrats from Guilderland, New Scotland, Berne, Coeymans, Knox, Rensselaerville, and Westerlo interviewed the candidates before making the endorsement. County committee Chairperson Jack Flynn said, “Michelle has the experience and dedication to help grow the local economy, ensure future investments in our local infrastructure and our public schools, and be a strong advocate for our needs in the state Senate. My colleagues and I in the Albany County Democratic Committee look forward to working hard to elect Michelle Hinchey to serve as our next state senator.” But Greenberg blamed "party bosses" for him not getting the endorsement. “We flipped their senate and the Child Victims Act is now law. I defeated powerful bosses and special interest groups with money to flip the Senate and see that the Child Victims Act -Erins law passed,” he said in an emailed statement. “I am not concerned with party bosses, I’m concerned with helping people in the 46th Senate District.” Hinchey said her priorities included, "economic development, increased access to broadband, and continuing to protect our precious family farm land and natural resources." Read more about this story in the Times Union.