The Daily Freeman is reporting trout and salmon fishing season in New York begins Wed., Apr. 1. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is encouraging anglers to get outdoors, but to stay safe and continue to practice social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A full list of the planned trout stocking for 2.27 million catchable-size brook, brown, and rainbow trout in 307 lakes and ponds and roughly 2,845 miles of streams across New York is available at DEC [dot] NY [dot] gov. While enjoying the outdoors, anglers are directed to follow the guidelines for preventing the spread of colds, flu and COVID-19, including avoiding busy waters and close contact with other people. Anglers are also encouraged to purchase their licenses online.

Liana Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media in February, Coeymans middle school students Parker Deyoe, Louisa Engelhardt, Ryan Keiffer, Alivia Ortiz, John Robertson and Samuel Robertson were awarded first place in the FIRST LEGO League Robotic Tournament at SUNY Polytechnic Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The teams are presented with a themed challenge each year. This year, “[they had to] identify a problem with a public building or space within their community, design a solution, and share their solution with others,” Coeymans Town Supervisor George McHugh said when honoring the students at the Feb. 27 town board meeting. “The students also had to build and program a robot capable of completing various missions.” For their project, the students chose to tackle the problem of noise pollution by presenting a solution that would reduce the noise generated by trains in their community. Read the full story in The Ravena News-Herald.

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This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Thursday, March 26, 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.

Hudson Valley One Publisher Geddy Sveikauskas is reporting Ulster Publishing has suspended print publication of its newspapers beginning this week. The 47-year-old enterprise publishes the Woodstock Times, the Kingston Times, New Paltz Times and Saugerties Times. Blaming the "widespread economic lockdown associated with the frightening outbreak of the COVID-19 virus," Sveikauskas writes, "This will be the first week in Ulster Publishing’s...history that we have not published a print newspaper. It won’t be the last. Change will continue even after the pandemic recedes. Our objective remains to publish the best journalism we can in whatever format serves our communities best." All content, including stories from the company's weeklies, will be available to subscribers at HudsonValleyOne [dot] com and the website will continue to be updated for breaking news. The company intends to reorganize, but as of now it has laid off the entire staff, many of whom have worked for Ulster Publishing for decades. "I promise them — and you — that we’ll be back, better than ever, producing more and better work than we ever have," Sveikauskas said. "We beg you please to stay with us on this necessary detour on our common journey." Read the full letter at HudsonValleyOne [dot] com.

Addy Baird reports for Buzzfeed that White House officials said March 24 that anyone who left New York City recently should self-isolate for 14 days. This comes as three counties -- Greene, Sullivan, and Delaware -- have pointedly told outsiders to stay out, while Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan has taken a much more welcoming tone. “Those are not our values,” he said. “Especially in a moment of challenging crisis, we’re supposed to all be in this together.” White House officials urged New York City residents to self-isolate. “Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it’s Florida, North Carolina, or out to far reaches of Long Island,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus coordinator, said at a press conference March 24. “We’re starting to see new cases across Long Island that suggest people have left the city. This will be very critical.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, another member of the White House coronavirus task force agreed. “What we’re seeing now is that, understandably, people want to get out of New York,” Fauci said. “We don’t want that to be another seeding point for the rest of the country, wherever they go.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pointed out that the virus does not respect any borders, and that patients from New York City may be sent to Hudson Valley facilities when hospitals in the city overflow. Read more about this story at Buzzfeed.

James Gormley is reporting for The Legislative Gazette state Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan announced Wed., Mar. 25, he will not run for re-election. "For almost thirty-four years I have enjoyed the privilege, honor and distinction of serving as an elected official in the New York State Legislature. The opportunity to serve the public for virtually all of my adult life has enriched every aspect of my life, and so it is a with a heavy but extremely proud heart that I announce today that I will not be seeking re-election to the New York State Senate. The wide array of emotions I am experiencing in making this decision are balanced by knowing that I am making the best decision for me and for my family," Flanagan said in a statement. Republican Flanagan represents New York's 2nd Senate District, which includes Smithtown and portions of Brookhaven and Huntington in Suffolk County. He has served nine terms in the state Senate, and previously for eight terms in the state Assembly. Read Flanagan's full statement at LegislativeGazette [dot] com.

Marianne Schmidt is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Germantown Town Board March 10, appointed Jen Crawford to head up the town's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Committee. The committee is charged with preparing a comprehensive land and water use plan to identify valuable waterfront resources and outline how to make them more resistant to a future threat while attracting appropriate development to the area. Once the state approves an LWRP, state agencies are required to act in a manner consistent with the local plan to the extent it is practical. In Germantown's case, an approved LWRP could impact Amtrak's plans to install impasse fences and gates on lower Main Street and Cheviot Landing. The town was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the New York State Department of State to develop an LWRP. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily news.

Morgan McKay is reporting for the State of Politics blog with New York "on pause," many employers have laid off their employees to allow them to collect unemployment checks, leading to a record number of unemployment claims being filed. The Department of Labor said its website is averaging around 250,000 logins a day. The system usually handles 50,000 calls a week. Last week there were 1.7 million calls. This has left many people unable to finish the process of filing for unemployment. Secretary to the governor, Melissa De Rosa, said that the system was "overrun almost to the point of collapse." State officials are now working to increase the server and bandwidth capacity for the website, and the Labor Department is also hiring more staff and rehiring retired staff to help with phone calls. New York is waiving the seven-day waiting period for benefits during this emergency. Labor officials said anyone who qualifies for benefits will receive them in full, even if there are delays in filing. For anyone who wants to apply for benefits, the day to file is based on your last name, Monday through Wednesday; Thursday through Saturday are open enrollment days. Step-by-step filing instructions can be found online at labor [dot] ny [dot] gov.

James Allen is reporting for the Times Union as expected, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association announced this week it has canceled the remaining winter championship events in boys' basketball, girls' basketball, hockey, boys' bowling and girls' bowling in the wake of the coronavirus emergency. Basketball had reached the state regional final stage, hockey for Division I and II was set for the semifinals and final, and bowling had reached its championships. "This is one of the most difficult decisions the officers of the [association] have ever had to make," president Paul Harrica said. Several of the teams involved had an idea the announcement would come, but the hurt of being unable to complete the season remains. "It is disappointing, but it is what has to be done for the health and safety of others," Shenendehowa girls' basketball coach Joe Murphy said. The association said a decision about a plan for the spring sports championships will be made on, or before, April 27. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that New York won't enforce its plastic bag ban until at least mid-May. Walmart is again giving shoppers plastic bags with purchases. New York's law went into effect Feb. 1, then Department of Environmental Conservation officials announced there would be no enforcement until March 1. Now with the coronavirus outbreak, enforcement may not happen for awhile. “The bags are being utilized in advance of the May enforcement period so we can serve customers during this unique time. We’ll adjust accordingly in May and beyond based on the applicable laws,” Walmart spokesperson Phillip Keene said in an email. Environmental Advocates of NY deputy director Kate Kurera said that, “We look forward to the full enforcement of the plastic bag ban and expect that stores will do the right thing and transition to reusable bags." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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

This is the Catskills and Hudson Valley Coronavirus report for Wednesday, March 25, 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.

Dr. Clifford Belden, the Chief Medical Officer at Columbia Memorial Hospital, at Press Conference March 24. with other Capital Region hospitals.

March 24 update from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Today's daily news update.

The Times Union is reporting the state Election Commissioners' Association is asking Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Legislature to reschedule the state's Democratic presidential primary from April 28 to June 23. "Elections Boards throughout the state are risking personnel safety and health to prepare for impending elections," the group said in a press release, March 24. "We are facing critical shortages of inspectors and polling places due to the ongoing public health crisis. Over the next week, BOEs will find it almost impossible to meet mission-critical deadlines for testing machines and preparing ballots because of staff shortages due to the ongoing stay-at-home order." The association also called upon elected officials to change state Election Law to allow for absentee balloting during all times of declared state of emergency due to infectious disease or pandemic, allowing all at-risk voters, but perhaps not yet sick, to qualify for an absentee ballot. Read the full story in the Times Union.

William J. Kemble is reporting for the Daily Freeman the Rhinebeck Town Board has agreed to settle a court battle with Dutchess County that has caused needed handicapped accessibility improvements at the Rhinecliff train station to be delayed. Under the terms of the settlement, the town and Amtrak will each pay $5,000 to the county. The agreement, authorized March 23, waives about $59,000 in back taxes owed by Amtrak’s parent company, National Railroad Passenger Corp. “The county makes us whole on our property taxes,” Rhinebeck Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia said. “...The deed is clear.” Dutchess County acquired the title to the 2.4-acre property in 2001, due to the nonpayment of special district taxes for firefighting, water and lighting service. The county will now return the title to the railroad. “I want our historic station to be maintained,” Spinzia said. “We did everything we can to lift any impediments to Amtrak being able to fix the station, and that’s what’s important.” Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.