Today's daily news audio update.

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

The Associated Press reports that New York's State Police are breaking a 2019 state law requiring employers to let most workers follow attire or grooming obligations for their religion. State Trooper Charanjot Tiwana, based in Jamestown, requested permission to grow a beard one-half inch long in March of 2022 for his wedding, but was denied. The State Police require troopers to shave and cut their hair short, and Tiwana was told he could not grow a beard because it posed a safety issue regarding the use of a gas mask. His union president, Charlie Murphy, said it amounted to “persecution,” and that Tiwana, who follows the Sikh religion, would also like to wear a turban, but has not asked after not being allowed to grow a beard. Murphy said, “All New Yorkers, including law enforcement officers, must be free from employer oppression when practicing their religion." A State Police spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. Read more about this story in the Associated Press.

Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that Central Hudson has agreed to pay for an independent monitor to verify and correct billing errors for customers, the state Public Service Commission announced on July 27. Central Hudson also agreed to conduct monthly meter readings a year earlier than planned. Central Hudson will pay up to $750,000 for a third-party monitor to oversee billings through June 2024. Customers should see monthly meter readings by December 2024. The Public Service Commission and Central Hudson also said that the PSC will continue to investigate customer billing complaints. Central Hudson has heard many complaints since it began more estimated readings and fewer meter readings in September 2021. Customers complained about bills that were late, and much larger than usual. Public Service Commission Chair and Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Customers rightly expect to receive timely and accurate bills for their utility services.... Unfortunately, our investigation and audit found that Central Hudson wasn’t meeting this basic expectation. There is evidence, however, that the company has corrected many of the problems that led to the billing system errors, and our independent monitor will verify that these corrective actions are working and will be sustained.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Town of Catskill officials believe a law degree is not necessary to be a judge. On July 19 the Catskill town board passed a resolution opposing a bill that would require justices in New York’s 100 highest-volume local courts to be licensed attorneys for at least five years. Catskill Town Supervisor Dale Finch was not sure if his town fits that category but said, “In our estimation the legislation is just a first step. Once implemented there will be a desire by some to expand the legation to include all town courts in the State of New York.” Senator Sean Ryan, who sponsored the bill disagreed, saying, "In towns and villages across the state, the people handing down jail sentences have often never spent a day studying law.... This legislation is a significant criminal justice reform which will help ensure that New Yorkers receive their due process right to appear before a judge who is qualified as an attorney.” New York is one of just eight states currently allowing non-lawyer judges to hand down jail sentences for misdemeanors without the right to a new trial before a lawyer-judge. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Today's audio daily news update.

Diane Valden reports in The Columbia Paper that Hecate Energy submitted its third response to the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting’s third notice that its application for the Shepherd’s Run Solar project in Copake was incomplete. Hecate Energy, a Chicago-based energy company, wants to build a 60 megawatt solar facility east of the Taconic Hills School District and north of Copake Lake in Craryville. The proposal would include 200,000 solar panels on about 228 acres of an 880-acre property. The proposal has much community opposition, with some lamenting lost property values. Copake Zoning Law would not allow the project, but the state is now bypassing some local regulations to get more renewable energy projects approved. Hecate filed its latest round of materials with the state on June 27, and 60 days from then the state must determine if their application is now complete. Copake Deputy Supervisor Richard Wolf said town officials recently met with state Sen. Michelle Hinchey about the solar proposal. Wolf said, “We discussed our concerns about the proposed size and location of Shepherd’s Run, and then toured the site with Senator Hinchey and her staff. Altogether, we met for more than an hour. When we finished, Senator Hinchey expressed her view that the location was all wrong, noting in particular her concern for the loss of prime farmland. I have forwarded to her information from Hecate’s most recent submission: more than 81% of the ‘to-be-disturbed’ land is designated as prime farmland.” Read more about this story in The Columbia Paper.

David Robinson reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that health insurance providers in New York want to increase rates by 20.9 percent next year for individuals and 15.3 percent for small group plans. They blame rising prices for health care and drugs, and government taxes on insurance for the proposed increase. New York's Department of Financial Services, which regulates insurers, is looking at the rate proposals and will finalize the 2024 rates in August. In past years, the state agency often reduces the rate increases proposed by insurers. Last year, insurers requested 18.7 percent and 16.5 percent increases, but regulators approved average rate increases of just 9.7 percent for individuals and 7.9 percent for small group plans. The average rates for individual health care plans have gone up 31.4 percent since 2019, with an average yearly increase of about 6 percent. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Mid-Hudson News reports that New York's Department of Environmental Conservation and the Open Space Institute announced on July 26 the acquisition of 261 acres adjacent to the Catskill Forest Preserve’s Sundown Wild Forest. The property along the east side of South Mountain in the Town of Olive was purchased by the Open Space Institute and with a $665,500 grant from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. The Open Space Institute initially bought the property in 2019 from Dr. Sam and Delia Adams, whose family owned the land since the Hardenbergh Patent of the 1700s. The Sundown Wild Forest covers 30,100 acres and includes ten mountains over 2,000 feet tall. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Saugerties Town Board placed town Police Chief Joseph Sinagra on paid administrative leave on July 26, but did not say why. Sinagra had been the Saugerties police chief since 2012 and was recently sworn in as President of the NYS Association of Police Chiefs. But the town board held an emergency meeting on July 26 that was not publicly posted at least 24 hours in advance to remove Sinagra. Instead, former Saugerties Police Chief Lou Barbaria agreed to lead the department on an interim basis for $50 an hour. Barbaria was chief when the town and Village of Saugerties police departments merged in 2012. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the City of Hudson wants to replace the water lines on Robinson Street and North Third Street. So they are applying for funds from the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, to cover part of the expected $1,026,260 cost. The City of Hudson Department of Public Works says the water mains were last replaced in the early 1900s. Department of Public Works Superintendent Rob Perry said, “We are an old city with old architecture and old infrastructure.... Many of the water mains are over 100 years old, made of cast iron.... In this project we would replace the existing four-inch water main that most certainly has mineral build-up, or tuberculation, which further restricts flow. Also the cast iron degrades over time, making it more prone to breaks.” The city is preparing its grant application for the Aug. 14 deadline, and then will wait for Gov. Kathy Hochul to announce the winners in December. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul is still stumping for more affordable housing in the state, after the legislature passed on her plan to build 800,000 new units in the next decade. Hochul said, "We must build more housing.... And then, you continue building the buildings and working on the public infrastructure projects and people who always think about us continue to talk about us and that sense of awe." This month Hochul took executive action to support money for local governments that create more development-friendly rules. Hochul said, "The more we build — and we talk about an affordability crisis, not just here, but every corner of the state — if we build more housing, all levels, I didn't say it had to be all affordable, I never said that.... Just build more housing, all kinds, everywhere, and then we'll be able to start driving down the price because my highest priorities for the state are, number one, public safety, and we're making great progress here." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.

Nancy Kern reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Town of Athens Zoning Board of Appeals has rejected Freepoint Solar’s request for a variance to build a 43.4-acre solar farm on Potic Mountain in an area zoned residential. Athens resident Margaret Muenkel was part of a group opposing the project, and she said, “It’s good for Athens. It’s good for everybody. Trees should not be killed to save the world. We can find better ways of protecting the environment and not hurt the environment at the same time.” The board, though, had given the proposal a negative declaration under the state environmental quality review and Peter Ford, managing director of Freepoint Solar, said they would appeal the decision. The Zoning Board previously ruled against Freepoint in September 2021. Then, a court directed the Athens Board to consider the variance application under the public utility standard as established by the case Con Ed Co. of NY v. Hoffman. In June, the Town Board passed a six-month moratorium on all solar applications. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that heavy storms caused flash flooding in Haines Falls in Greene County July 25. The flash flooding stranded multiple people in the Kaaterskill Creek, and shut down Route 23A for several hours. Two people were rescued from hanging on between boulders in rapid waters at Fawn’s Leap, and several others were also reported trapped by the flood. WTEN reports that sixteen individuals were rescued after the flooding began. The Greene County Sheriff’s Officer Water Rescue Team, New York State Forest Rangers, Town of Hunter Police, New York State Police, The Ulster County Sheriff’s Water Rescue Team, and the Twin Cloves Rescue Team all responded to the emergency. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

News10 in Albany reports that the Aldi grocery store is closing in the City of Rensselaer, and officials there are complaining they now live in a food desert. The Aldi store is closing there on July 26, and is opening a new location in North Greenbush on July 27. Mayor Michael Stammel is worried about how some of his residents will buy food now, saying, “We have a couple housing projects here for low and moderate income people plus senior buildings and those are the ones who use these buildings the most as well as the people who walk here on a regular basis so transportation that’s something that’s going to be another part of their budget, it’s going to take away money they could use somewhere else.” In June the Rensselaer County Legislature passed a resolution asking Aldi to remain in the city, saying, “There have been concerns in the community that Aldi may close the Rensselaer location and create a virtual food desert for those who rely on the convenient location of the store.” Read more about this story at the News10 website.

Today's daily news audio update.

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