Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that New York's Office of Cannabis Management is trying to get the stumbling rollout of legal cannabis sales fixed. Cannabis has been legal in New York for more than a year, but there are few places to buy it. More than 200 growers are sitting on roughly 300,000 pounds of cannabis they can’t sell. Currently, the Office of Cannabis Management lists only 13 stores open in the state, most in New York City. Stores in Binghamton, Ithaca, Albany, and Rensselaer, are the only available locally. Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state cannabis officials had predicted 100 stores would be open by this summer. The Office of Cannabis Management and industry stakeholders are discussing several proposals to get more stores open, and more sales happening in the state. One proposal discussed, for instance, would allow growers to sell last year’s crops at concert venues, fairs, farmers markets, and other events, perhaps through retail licensees who do not have stores open yet. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nancy Kern reports for Columbia-Greene Media that, after 15 years, Town of Hunter Republican Committee Chair Gina Guarino has resigned effective Sept. 30. Guarino said, "We slowly changed the face of our village and town by carefully and judiciously seeking out candidates who have since been elected and enhanced our community towards a brighter future. I could not be any prouder of the roads we have carved and the advancements we have made. We left an indelible mark on our town for its future. A chair could not ask for more, and so I do not.” Guarino picked Hunter Town Councilperson Dolph Semenza to run the Republican Caucus on June 1. Sean Mahoney was nominated for reelection as Town Supervisor, and incumbent Republican Raymond Legg and incumbent Democrat David Kukle were nominated to run for reelection on the town boards. Interim Highway Superintendent Bob Blain was nominated for reelection in the November election. The story does not say who will take over Guarino's role as Hunter's Republican chair. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Peckham Industries, with a Hudson River terminal in Athens, has bought E. Tetz & Sons of Middletown for an undisclosed amount as the company expands into the southern Hudson Valley. Tetz is the leading aggregate, ready-mix concrete, and hot-mix asphalt producer in Orange County, while Peckham does similar work in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Peckham employs 1,200 people at more than 30 facilities, and is adding 130 more employees with this purchase. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

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Patrick Tine reports in the Times Union that the State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos announced on June 7 an extension of a public health air quality advisory at least through Thursday night. “Conditions seem to have worsened today,” Seggos said. “We do not expect any relief in sight from the fires that are burning across the provinces.” All of New York except the Adirondacks are covered by the air quality advisory. The smoke may linger over the area for several days, though Seggos was hopeful about predicted rain in Canada early next week that could “help to diminish the presence of smoke.” There have been more than 400 wildfires in Canada over the last several weeks, burning millions of acres. Gov. Kathy Hochul warned, "We need to prepare for this over the long haul.” It could be worse locally. The lower and upper Hudson Valley, including the Capital Region, will have air quality on June 8 that is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The rest of the state, except for the Adirondacks, will have higher levels that are considered unhealthy for everyone. Individuals with health conditions should remain indoors as much as possible locally, and anyone with asthma and other chronic health conditions should refill their inhalers and other medications. N95 masks are recommended for outdoor activity, to keep the small particulate matter from the smoke out of lungs. Department of Health acting Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Masks remove particles and air-pollutant particles are much bigger than viral particles.” Dr. Michael Dailey, chief of prehospital medicine at Albany Medical Center Hospital said he had not seen an increase in respiratory complaints, and said, “I actually attribute that to the fact that the air quality is so obviously bad that I think people are just staying inside.” Some local schools have moved recess inside, and several local outdoor events have been postponed because of the poor air quality. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Deanna Garcia reports for New York State of Politics Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on June 7 that one million N95 masks will be made available for New Yorkers beginning on June 8. Hochul said, “We think that the N95s are important right now. We encourage people to use that.” Some of the masks will be distributed at high-traffic areas in New York City, and 600,000 masks will be for local governments around the state to distribute. Hochul said outdoor dining should be called off until the smoke blows away. “The situation for people sitting outside is not safe,” Hochul said. “We encourage business owners to take precautions.... This is a temporary situation. This is not COVID.... So people shouldn’t be anxious about this. So it won’t have anywhere near the same impact as COVID did. As soon as we get some good rain and the wind blows this out of the way, we’ll be in a much better place." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Dennis Yusko and John Camera report for Spectrum News that New York City on June 7 sued Greene County and Legislature Chair Patrick Linger, Rensselaer County and Executive Steve McLaughlin, Dutchess County and Executive William O'Neil, and 27 other upstate counties alleging that they "have sought to wall off their borders" through emergency orders that obstruct the city's efforts to relocate migrants upstate "in a manner that is explicitly permitted by law and required by a statewide emergency." New York City is asking the state Supreme Court to call the emergency orders filed by the counties unconstitutional. Four counties -- Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Onondaga counties -- have filed lawsuits against New York City about the issue. Counties have complained that New York City has sent migrants by bus upstate with little or no notice, just like Republican governors in Florida and Texas have done busing migrants to other states. Congress has not passed any major immigration reform bills since 1986. Read more about this story at Spectrum News.

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Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that at the June 6 Hudson Board of Education meeting, the school system named Cheryl Rabinowitz, Catskill’s longtime middle school principal and district director of technology, interim superintendent of the Hudson City School District. Rabinowitz replaces Dr. Lisamarie Spindler, who left as the district’s superintendent after just more than a year in the role. Hudson Board of Education President Willette Jones said of Rabinowitz, “Her collaborative approach and commitment to maintaining a safe, welcoming and engaging educational environment will greatly benefit our school district and community.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

There are primary elections for local officials this month, with voting taking from June 17 to June 27. In Greene County there is only one primary election. Republicans in New Baltimore decide between two candidates for Highway Supervisor: Robert P. Van Etten and Alan W. VanWormer. In Columbia County, the Chatham Future party has an uncontested primary in the northern Columbia County town. In New Lebanon, Republicans choose between Peter McCagg and Jeffrey Winestock for Highway Superintendent. And there are also Democrat primary elections in all five city of Hudson wards. June 17 is also the last day to register to vote in the primary. June 12 is the last day for the Board of Elections to receive an application by mail or online for a primary ballot.

WPDH reports that Rep. Marc Molinaro has listed his Dutchess County home for sale. On June 5, Molinaro's Red Hook home appeared on Relator.com. The Republican did not announce the sale, but he currently represents New York's 19th congressional district but does not live within that district, after redistricting changed the lines in 2022. Molinaro is selling a 2,600-square-foot home with four bedrooms and 2.5 baths, on five acres with a wooded backyard. The home is currently listed for $625,000, with estimated property taxes of $9,500 a year. Read more about this story on the WPDH website.

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The Times Union reported about the horrible air conditions throughout the area on June 6, as smoke from Canadian wildfires could be seen everywhere. A state Department of Environmental Conservation official said at a virtual news conference on June 6 that it was the worst effects of wildfires in the area in over two decades. In 2002 similar smoke from Canadian wildfires also filled the Hudson Valley. DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “We are looking at an unprecedented fire season here — certainly unprecedented level of fire in the Canadian regions.... Today the sky is hazy. Visibility is terrible. And you can smell the smoke in the air.” That smoke is from about 100 wildfires in the Quebec area, which has left a yellowish haze locally. Officials are warning about so much particulate matter in the air that anyone with asthma, emphysema, and other cardiopulmonary disorders or heart disease should take extra caution. Seggos said, “If you’ve been out on the street today and walking around, you can probably experience impacts to your eyes, your nose, your throat.” Department of Health Director of Environmental Health Gary Ginsberg said said hospital admissions often rise when air quality reaches such bad levels. NYS Mesonet’s lead air quality researcher Bhupal Shrestha said we should expect more frequent smoke storms like this. “The frequency and intensity of such wildfire activities are increasing as a result of hotter and drier conditions due to climate change and studies have shown that this will continue into the future,” Bhupal said. “Wildfires and their impacts on air quality will be more of a continual issue for people to deal with.” A little rain fell later in the day June 6 over much of the area, clearing the air a bit. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that a federal court on June 6 ruled that local executive orders in Rockland and Orange counties stopping hotels from accepting migrants bused from New York City is unconstitutional. Existing temporary restraining orders issued by State Supreme Court justices remain in effect, at least temporarily stopping the busing of humans to those counties. Orange County's temporary restraining orders lasts at least through June 21. Republican governors in Florida and Texas, and the Democrat New York City Mayor have been busing migrants around the country for political reasons. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that a bill is being discussed in Albany as the legislature concludes to move New York's presidential primaries from April 30 to April 2. That's the same day Connecticut and Pennsylvania hold their primary elections, so it would create a large pull to get candidates to visit. But it does cost more for taxpayers then putting it on the same day as New York's state and congressional primaries, currently scheduled for the final Tuesday in June. But Democrat party leaders are telling states that have their primary votes held on the same day as two bordering states they would get an extra 15 percent number of delegates at the party convention. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Phillip Pantuso reports in the Times Union that hundreds of journalists employed by Gannett walked off their jobs June 5 to protest layoffs and other cost-cutting measures. Some of the journalists were from Hudson Valley-based Gannett newspapers The Times Herald-Record, The Poughkeepsie Journal, and The Journal News, which publishes online at LoHud.com. Gannet has let go nearly half of its workforce since 2019. “With every vacant position, another politician’s corruption goes unnoticed, another mom-and-pop store loses out on needed publicity, another parent is unaware of the actions of their local school board, another high school lacrosse game goes uncovered, another low-income resident has no place left to turn when their benefits are in jeopardy,” said Asher Stockler, a Journal News reporter and secretary of the Hudson Valley News Guild, the NewsGuild division representing the Hudson Valley journalists. Locally there are only a few Gannett journalists left. The Times Herald-Record and Poughkeepsie Journal have no full-time news reporters (one reporter covers Poughkeepsie part-time) and no editors. “We walked out today because CEO Mike Reed has decimated our newsrooms,” said Peter Kramer, a Westchester-based reporter for Gannett’s USA Today Network and chair of the Hudson Valley News Guild. “He crows about his commitment to local journalism as he strip mines our newspapers, sells off properties and pays bottom-dollar salaries. ... These decisions tear at the very heart of the communities we are dedicated to serving.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Austin Jefferson reports in the Daily Freeman that Rep. Pat Ryan held a town hall gathering at Congregation Emanuel in Kingston on June 4, said he is concerned that fellow lawmakers are pushing back on “common sense” gun legislation and fact-finding efforts targeting antisemitism and hate groups. Ryan, a Democrate who represents the 18th Congressional District, is part of an antisemitism task force that has requested funding from the Department of Homeland Security to begin a study of Holocaust education’s prevalence in the nation’s public schools after Republican lawmakers blocked funding from other sources. Ryan said, “I risked my life for this country for fundamental rights and freedoms that we just cannot let be taken away from us.... Those are red lines.” On migrants arriving in the Hudson Valley Ryan said, “We need real federal resources to deal with a federal problem,” adding that the federal government should declare a state of emergency to free up resources to combat the crisis. Ryan also said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is blocking gun legislation. Ryan said, “No Republicans are speaking out and saying we want a vote on this. There’s not a small extreme sector, it’s the entire group, unfortunately. I think it’s a real shame.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that New York City is raising its water rates, and charging Hudson Valley towns a larger increase then city residents. New York City gets it drinking water from the Catskill mountains. It is increasing prices for upstate municipalities by 6.8 percent, but only raising rates for customers within the city by 4.4 percent. Communities in Ulster County, and closer to New York City, buy their water from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Matthew Geho, the operations director for Northern Westchester Waterworks, complains the price increases should be the same for Hudson Valley towns as New York City residents. “It’s the Golden Rule,” Geho said. “He who has the gold makes the rules.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.