WNYT reports that the significant and widespread damage in parts of Columbia and Rensselaer counties on July 4 came from storms with straight-line winds of up to 100 miles per hour, and not a tornado, the National Weather Service says. National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Stephen DiRienzo said, “There are pockets of very intense damage. Most of the trees have fallen in the same direction, and most of the trees damaged are the same type of tree. They seem to have uprooted the locust trees, from what people are telling me. I talked to a couple of people who said it was like blinding rain and wind for a number of minutes and some hail mixed in with it.... It seemed like all the damage was in the same direction, so it seemed like it was straight-line winds from the large thunderstorm that went through the area last night, and that storm was responsible for the damage that occurred.” All those fallen trees knocked over poles and downed wires, knocking out electricity to many. Read more about this story at the WNYT website.

Luke Parsnow reports in New York State of Politics that the Hudson Valley will be featured prominently nationally during the Congressional elections next year, as Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2022 by flipping several Hudson Valley districts from Democrats. On July 5, one former representative, Mondaire Jones, announced he will try an unseat Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in New York's 17th Congressional District. Jones said on social media, “I’ve never been Washington’s choice. It’s because I stand up to corruption.... I battle with Republicans trying to overthrow our democracy and ban abortion, even as I push my party to fight harder for working people. I’m running to finish the work I began.” Jones was elected to the former 17th District in 2020. But after redistricting, Democrat Sean Maloney switched from the 18th to the 17th District, which he lost, and Jones ran in the 10th District, losing the Democratic primary to Dan Goldman. In a statement, a spokesperson for Lawler criticized Jones with the same attacks that won Republicans elections in 2022, saying Jones "supports the defund the police movement and New York's disastrous cashless bail law, and voted for the reckless spending that saddled us with record high inflation." Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that two sergeants and three officers were transported to Albany Medical Center for treatment after a June 27 fight between two inmates at Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Greene County. The only information about the incident comes from the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association. The union describes a fight between two prisoners, with the correction officers getting hurt trying to break up the dispute. The union did not report that the prisoners needed to be hospitalized. Chris Moreau, the union's Mid-Hudson Region vice president, said, “Sending two sergeants and three officers to the hospital with injuries from the attack clearly shows the level of violence that occurred on Tuesday. Thankfully, the sergeant only sustained a small puncture wound from the stabbing and no other staff were seriously injured." Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that the Business Council of New York State is the latest group asking federal officials to make it easier for migrants with asylum seeker status to start working in the United States. The group joined Gov. Kathy Hochul's call to reduce the 180-day waiting period for work approval for migrants. Business Council President and CEO Heather Mulligan wrote in letters to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand that, "By reducing the waiting period, we lessen the financial burden placed on the municipalities hosting individuals while simultaneously providing the opportunity for immigrants to find gainful employment.... This is all most immigrants are asking for, a chance to be part of the American way of life." Republican governors from Florida and Texas have been busing migrants around the country, and the Democrat mayor of New York City has then been busing some migrants to upstate New York recently. Mulligan points out that the problem predates the political busing, as she said, "Comprehensive immigration policy is long overdue and is a necessary step in helping to manage the current influx of immigrants coming to the U.S., particularly in New York state." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

American pianist, arranger, conductor, and composer Lincoln Mayorga, who lived for many years in Columbia County, has died, according to a social media post on July 4 from his daughter, Rachel Mayorga. The post did not say what was the cause of death. While mostly known in the classical music world, he was also involved with the rock band the Piltdown Men, a studio group whose "Brontosaurus Stomp" made the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, according to his Wikipedia entry. His Eddy Combo reached # 28 on the US R&B charts with the instrumental, "Big Mr. C," in 1961. in 1966 he became a staff pianist for Walt Disney Studios, and contributed to the soundtracks of such movies as "Chinatown," and "Ragtime," and worked on TV series including "Bonanza," "Dallas," and "Little House on the Prairie." Mayorga worked as a session musician and arranger with Frank Zappa on the album "Lumpy Gravy," and also worked with The Moscow Philharmonic, Itzhak Perlman, Richard Stoltzman, and many others. He moved to Columbia County in the 1980s, and left for California just before the COVID-19 pandemic. He hosted the radio show, "Monday Musical Matinee," for many years on WGXC.

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Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that the state of New York, like many local businesses, is having trouble hiring people. The state recently announced waived fees for all civil service examinations beginning July 1 and running through December 2025. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "As our state continues to grapple with an affordability crisis, civil service exam fees place yet another burden on New Yorkers — particularly the passionate New Yorkers seeking meaningful careers in state service.... By waiving these fees, my administration is standing by its commitment to modernizing New York's workforce and lowering barriers to ensure that our civil servants reflect the rich diversity of our state." Previously the state has waived the test fees of up to $40 for people receiving public assistance and unemployed New Yorkers. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Sam Drysdale reports in The Berkshire Eagle that proposals in the Massachusetts legislature would increase the bottle deposit from five cents to 10 cents and add more types of beverage containers to the program, including containers for drinks that did not exist when the initial law was adopted in 1982. Voters in 2014 came out against a ballot question to add a five-cent bottle deposit onto drinks besides beer and soda. The low fee is one of the reasons the state has the lowest rate of people returning empty bottles and cans among the ten states with bottle redemption laws, according to a report from the Container Recycling Institute. Right now only about 38 percent of plastic bottles are returned to grocery stores or redemption centers in Massachusetts. "In Oregon, they raised their redemption -- their deposit value from five to 10 cents. Within three years, the redemption rate jumped by, I think it was 64 percent up to 86 percent. And today, they're at almost 89 percent," said Mike Noel, public affairs director at recycling company TOMRA. "The system has been neglected in Massachusetts for 40 years." Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Alexandra Zissu reports in the Times Union that in the Hudson Valley it is now wild berry season, though picking is not always allowed. Collecting and foraging are prohibited in state parks, according to Dan Keefe, public information officer with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. So in 2023 you can't pick blueberries at Sam’s Point, which is part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve. But according to the park's marketing materials, “In the mid-1800s an interesting culture developed at Sam’s Point as people migrated to the ridge in the summers, when a tasty seasonal crop was ready to be picked.” Then, the blueberries were sold to local stores and hotels, and shipped to New York City. Now, occasionally famers market folks from New York City will try and pick a bunch on state land, though it is not allowed. James O’Neill of Deep Forest Wild Edible, teaches local foraging classes and says, “If you’re eating hand to mouth, I have never had anyone say anything to me about that. If you’re collecting in a quart, they usually don’t bother you either.” Right now blackcap raspberries are in season, though they are often mistaken for blackberries. The seasons for mulberries and juneberries have passed, and wild blueberries and huckleberries come later in the year. O’Neill reminds park visitors about the rules: “You’re not supposed to remove anything — fallen trees, branches, berries, mushrooms, dirt, rocks, anything from any of these lands.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Patrick Tine reports in the Times Union that air quality levels in the Hudson Valley and throughout New York improved on July 2, according to state Department of Environmental Conservation readings, after four days of Canadian wildfire smoke invading the area. Rain cleared the air, and the entire state reported "moderate" or "good" Air Quality Index readings at 8:30 a.m. on July 2. The most recent air quality advisory ended at midnight on July 2. National Weather Service metrologist Abbey Gant said a wind direction shift and a low pressure system moved the smokey air out of the area. Gant said, "Due to having a lot of rain right now, that is acting to dissipate a lot of those particulates." The DEC says the better air conditions will continue into the week. Fires continue to burn in Canada, and the city of Montreal cancelled their Canada Day fireworks on July 1. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup there won't be lifeguards at North-South Lake in Greene County this summer, as the Department of Environmental Conservation announced this week they are removing all lifeguard supervision at its 52 campgrounds. Only Lake George Beach and Hinckley Reservoir in the Adirondacks are keeping lifeguards as the state agency says it is too difficult to find help. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “To continue to offer a quality recreational experience, DEC is transitioning our campground beaches in the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve to unsupervised swimming areas to allow the public to continue enjoying this part of the camping experience." The American Lifeguard Association says there is a “critical national lifeguard shortage.” Last July the American Red Cross said, "we are bearing witness to a human capital shortage in the form of aquatic managers, certified lifeguards, and swim instructors.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law on June 30 allowing lifeguards as young as 15 to be employed at summer camps in New York. But the new law won't change the lifeguard shortage this summer, as it won't go into effect for three months, after the summer swimming season. Currently lifeguards must be as young as 16 years old. Supervision is still required for any lifeguards under the age of 17. "These lifeguards would still have to pass all of the same requirements and obtain the same certifications as older lifeguards," state lawmakers wrote in a bill memo. "The American Red Cross allows for certification of 15 year old lifeguards. Additionally, this bill places a limit on how many lifeguards under the age of 17 can be working at one time and requires supervision by a camp aquatics director." Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Democrat Pat Ryan is representing the 18th Congressional District, Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko represents the 20th District, and Republican Elise Stefanik represents the 21st District. Click here to listen to this report.

New York State of Politics reports that while one goal of a bill passed in Albany and awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature is to save money on elections by consolidating voting dates, many current election dates will remain on the calendar. The bill would move most elections currently in odd-numbered years, to even-numbered years, when more people vote in Congressional and Presidential elections. But Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny points out the legislature did not, and could not, move all of the odd-numbered elections to even-numbered years. Czarny said, “Any judicial race would not be affected. Supreme Court justices. Town justices. Any other kind of judicial race.... Also, what will not be affected are any races that happen inside cities are protected by the Constitution." Jude Seymour, the Republican elections commissioner for the Jefferson County Board of Elections, points out the ballot will now be much longer now, and defends staggered-year voting saying, “They protect against a wholesale change of government based on the whims that may not last until the next election.... Alexander Hamilton and James Madison warned us centuries ago to protect against factions breaking apart our republic. I think putting all the elections in one year makes that harder to prevent.” Czarny admits that more people will vote in elections moved to even-numbered years saying, “In even numbered years since 2009, we averaged 63 percent turnout. In odd numbered years, we averaged 32 percent turnout. That’s a huge difference. That’s double." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Kate Lisa reports for New York State of Politics that Rep. Paul Tonko joined U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona at Hudson Valley Community College in Rensselaer County on June 27 to discuss education. Tonko spoke about careers in science, engineering, technology or mathematics for young people locally. PLAY BRIEF TONKO CLIP HERE. Cardona, the Education Secretary, said, "We're gonna make sure that we have students that are prepared to take on these high-skill, high-career jobs to make that possible." Labor Department Commissioner Roberta Reardon was also there, and reminded the men, "Don't leave women out of the workforce.... Over 50 percent of the workers in this country are women, but they are under employed or not employed at all, and we need them desperately. We need young women to know that they can be in the building trades. They can do CHIPS, they can do anything they set their minds to. And they can certainly come here to Hudson Valley and get a great education." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that Rep. Paul Tonko crowed about Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act on June 29 at the newspaper's office building in Albany. Part of what the bill does is expand the number of medical professionals who can prescribe a medication called buprenorphine from 130,000 to 1.8 million people. Buprenorphine is a drug that is now a little easier to prescribe to people struggling with opioid addiction. "There is some progress afloat," Tonko said. The Albany County Congressional representative also cited statistics from France, where they made access to drugs that can help with opioid addiction easier, overdose deaths declined nearly 80 percent, according to the National Institute of Health. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro, the Republican representing the 19th Congressional District, wants the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive study on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted educational outcomes for students with disabilities. Molinaro said, “I’m the father of four children, one of whom is on the autism spectrum.... During the pandemic, parents like myself saw learning loss in their children firsthand. While many academic studies have sought to understand the full scope of these educational setbacks, very little attention has been given to the educational needs of students with disabilities.” Molinaro explained that when school staff meet with parents of a child with a disability to develop an educational plan for the student parents have the right to bring a third-party advocate, such as a therapist, lawyer, or knowledgeable family member. Molinaro is backing a bill to tell parents that. "Most parents are not aware of this right,” Molinaro's office said in a statement. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

Nick Reisman in New York State of Politics tracks reaction in New York to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down the use of race as a factor in college admissions. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "We are very disappointed in this decision, not unexpected given the political composition of the Supreme Court today.... But that being said, we go forth to ensure New York remains a place where we celebrate diversity, inclusion, and we're going to continue to subscribe to those principles regardless of the decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States." New York Republican Chair Ed Cox, by contrast, was elated, saying, "De facto race quotas at our nation’s elite institutions have been a roadblock on the path to the American Dream for many Americans, especially Asian Americans.... Today’s decision takes us a big step closer to an America in which citizens are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” And the New York Bar Association released a statement. “Businesses – including law firms – are worried about the legitimacy of corporate diversity initiatives. This could also impact governmental programs that require quotas such as minority business enterprise requirements,” Bar Association President Richard Lewis said. “We want to prepare our members, clients and lawyers throughout the state and nation for any eventuality.” Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Ulster County is getting new voting machines. The Ulster County Board of Elections will buy the machines from Hart Intercivic. The board of elections released a statement saying, “Hart Intercivic stands out as an all-American made voting solution with a forward-thinking vision to make our elections more accessible and accountable. Their commitment to innovation, security, and voter satisfaction aligns seamlessly with our goals of maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process in Ulster County.” And while Republicans across the country have denigrated the integrity of voting machines by several different companies, Republican Commissioner John Quigley is in favor of the Hart Intercivic machines, saying, “Their proven track record and dedication to producing cutting-edge voting solutions give us the confidence that we have made the right choice for the voters of Ulster County.” Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

The Daily Freeman reports that the New York state Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled on June 28 new Mid-Hudson regional license plates as part of a series of 10 special license plates depicting regions across the state. DMW Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “Every region of our state has something unique and interesting about it, and we are happy to celebrate that uniqueness by making these new license plates available for New York drivers.... These also allow drivers to put their own unique touch on their vehicles and show pride for the place they live.” There is an additional fee for custom plates and New York is creating more than 200 custom plates for branches of the military and veterans, counties and regions of New York State, professions, causes, and sports teams. Custom plates can also be ordered by mail or by calling the agency’s Custom Plates office at (518) 402-4838. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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WNYT reports that a state of emergency because of flooding was issued in New Lebanon, in Columbia County, after a beaver dam in Massachusetts broke. The beaver dam broke in the Pittsfield State Forest in Berkshire County June 28, sending much water into a nearby pond. That pond then overflowed, sending water down the mountain into New Lebanon. Residents reported one to three feet of water in their basements, with mud and debris on Main Street. The New York State Department of Transportation was on the scene. New Lebanon's website announced, "a State of Emergency and a Local Emergency Order for the Town of New Lebanon due to emergency conditions produced by flooding that occurred in the vicinity of Main Street in the Town of New Lebanon." Read more about this story at WNYT.