Liz Montgomery reports for Porcupine Soup that Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione announced on June 5 that a Greene County grand jury indicted two state inmates on possession of weapons within the at Greene Correctional Facility in Coxsackie. Steven Gomes, 31, was indicted on three counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony, and Jose Bonilla, 39, was indicted on one count of first-degree promoting prison contraband. Gomes allegedly had three separate shank type weapons, sharpened pieces of metal measuring between five and 7 ½ inches. while incarcerated at Greene Correctional Facility. Bonilla, at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, allegedly had a homemade shank-type weapon sharpened to a point and measuring more than four inches. Both inmates have been moved to other facilities, but will be tried locally on the weapons charges. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

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Patrick Tine reports in the Times Union that New York's departments of Health and Environmental Conservation issued a warning for June 6 for the Capital Region and the entire Hudson Valley because of air quality designated as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” There are high concentrations of fine particulate material in most air locally because of the wildfires in Canada. The DEC warned in an advisory for all day Tuesday that outdoor exposure can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat and cause shortness of breath and exacerbate heart ailments and asthma. Young children and older people are at the most risk. There are also very dry conditions locally, and white balls of cottonwood fluff have been involved in at least two local wildfires this week. Anyone with breathing problems should stay indoors. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media that the Long Energy company filed an Article 78 lawsuit May 26 in Albany County Supreme Court against the town of Coeymans and joint planning/zoning board of appeals after their proposal to build a bulk fuel storage facility was turned down. Long Energy failed to get approval with a 3-3 vote from the planning/zoning board of appeals. The company was attempting to build a bulk fuel storage facility on five acres on Route 101 with two 30,000-gallon fuel tanks. Attorney Beth Carey, general counsel for Long Energy, said, "the goal is to have the court, because of the egregious behavior shown by the planning board/zoning board and some of the members, to actually remand it for them to approve the project, or in the alternative, to give some more direction to make a decision.” The lawsuit alleges the project saw roadblocks from the town because Robert Nolan, chair of the planning/zoning board of appeals, owns a competing business in town. “This matter involves a brazen and concerted effort by a select group of Town of Coeymans officials, who have systematically abused their authority and attempted the kill the project, for the benefit of their own personal business and financial interests,” the lawsuit alleges. Nolan did not respond to multiple requests to comment in the story. Coeymans Town Supervisor George McHugh was also named in the lawsuit, and said, “We are confident that the facts will establish that the planning board acted lawfully at all times during the review of this special-use permit application.” Read more about this story in TheUpstater.com.

While there is a large local affordable housing problem, nothing big ever seems to happen to address the issue. But more small efforts are helping, and Heather Bellow reports for The Berkshire Eagle that a non-profit has bought a downtown Great Barrington building to stabilize the rents of six units upstairs. Last week, the Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire bought the building for $1.6 million to keep the six workforce housing units. The William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty company currently operates out of the two storefronts at street level in the building on Main St. A statement from the Community Development Corp. said, “With this purchase, the CDCSB plans to ensure that all current tenants receive the protection of an annual lease and complete the renovation of an unoccupied unit." The CDCSB’s Executive Director Carol Bosco Baumann said, “We hear from a lot of businesses through our Small Business Technical Assistance program that a lack of workers is one of the biggest impediments to their economic growth and/or stability — and owners who have hour-long commutes that exacerbate an already long day.” While retaining the six apartments helps the large problem, the nonprofit will also open a new, 49-unit affordable housing complex, later this month. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

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Heather Bellow reports for The Berkshire Eagle that commissioners of the Great Barrington Fire District Water Department said they are going to take one more look to find a second source of drinking water for the town. At their annual meeting last month, the Great Barrington Fire District Water Department said they can't find a second water source, they could buy an ultraviolet disinfection system to help reduce chlorine use and guard against pathogens entering the water from the shallow Green River source. Great Barrington has used the Green River as a water source since the 1930s. But the Great Barrington Fire District Water Department has long searched for a second, deeper source of water, less prone to bacterial contamination as a backup if the main system fails. The department is currently drilling for water in a marshy area to the east of town off State Road. The department also approved a $2.2 million merger of the Housatonic and Great Barrington water systems, to give Great Barrington two more days of stored water. That should cost residents 25 cents per thousand gallons of water. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that three of the last four 19th Congressional District representatives are lobbying for a bill that would allow the adult children of service members to stay on their parent’s health insurance until age 26. Current 18th Congressional District Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat, and Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro and former Rep. Chris Gibson, also a Republican, were in Saugerties on June 3, saying the bill would create fairness between insurance coverage for military families and the rest of Americans, who have been able to stay on their parent’s insurance until 26 since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Ryan called the disparity between coverage for armed services families and civilian families “a grave injustice” and said the kids of soldiers “really, really bear a tremendous burden.” He asked, “If we can’t solve something like this, what are we doing?" Molinaro, the current 19th Congressional District representative, said the bill, “will expand health care coverage for military families who have made tremendous sacrifices in protection of our nation, freedoms and way of life.” Gibson said his 21-year-old son was kicked off his plan when he graduated college early and he said that the current structure of the law did not “incentivize productivity.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports about the story of one migrant who was recently bused to the Hudson Valley by politicians elsewhere. Abraham, speaking French to an English interpreter, says he is a Mauritanian native who wanted to escape the corruption and danger there. His journey took him through El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, then New York City and then bused to the Town of Newburgh with dozens of others in two hotels. On the way, he told the translator, “People would take out guns and try to harass you and try to rob you. He said he had a friend who actually died on the way, and on the way there, there are a lot of dead bodies, people who are dead in the forest, just trying to make their way there." Abraham is trying to get asylum in September, then get a job, and assimilate into American culture. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

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Steve Barnes reports in the Times Union that Vincent Bradley, the chair of the State Liquor Authority for eight years left the agency it was announced on June 2. Three sources tell Barnes that he was forced out by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. Bradley was one of the few remaining top officials appointed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. A spokesperson for the state liquor authority declined comment. The anonymous sources of Barnes also said that Lily M. Fan, a New York City attorney and Tony Award-winning theater producer, who is one year into her second four-year term as an SLA commissioner, would be named the new chair. Hochul’s office did not reply to a request for comment, and Bradley and Fan also failed to respond to interview requests. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Diane Valden reports in The Upstater that Ancram's Strategic Investment Committee recommended to the Town Board on May 18 that the town invest $35,000 to help the local affordable housing problem. Strategic Investment Committee Chair Will Weiss said the money could be used by the town’s Housing Committee to form a non-profit housing trust, a legal entity. Weiss said there some have been researching the possibility of creating housing for volunteer firefighters that is strictly under the jurisdiction of fire districts. All board members voted in favor of the SIC recommendation for $35,000 to investigate the establishment of a housing trust. There were also discussions at the May 18 meeting about private donations to help the housing issue, and the work of the Roe Jan Housing Task Force and Habitat for Humanity. Read more about this story in The Upstater.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that tobacco usage among middle and high school students in New York is dropping, with less vaping and e-cigarette usage in recent years after a ban on flavored vaping products. That news comes from a new report released this week by the state Department of Health. Also, the New York Youth Tobacco Survey recently found that E-cigarette usage declined 32 percent, from 27.4 percent of students in 2018 to 18.7 percent in 2022. And an annual telephone survey of adult New Yorkers found smoking dropped from 14.1 percent to 12 percent between 2017 and 2021. Last month legislators and the governor agreed to raise New York's cigarette tax by $1 as part of the $229 billion state budget. Dr. Jennifer Lee, the director of the Bureau of Tobacco Control, said, "We have the highest and strongest tobacco tax in the country and we are able to really understand that will have a big impact." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Steve Barnes reports in the Times Union that the Mexican Radio restaurant in Schenectady has closed after nine years. The restaurant started in New York City, but also had a Hudson location for sixteen years that closed in August 2019. Now all three locations are closed and there is no tuning in Mexican Radio in New York. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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.

WNYT reports that New York's Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand want a federal disaster declaration from the Department of Agriculture after a late frost last week hurt local vineyards, farms, and orchards. Apple and grape crops were hit hard by a late-season frost last week. One farming expert told the newspaper that 30-35 percent of the region’s apple crop was lost in the frost. Michael Migliore, president of the Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association, said of local growers, “The last time they saw a frost this late that caused this much damage was 60 years ago.” Migliore's Ulster County vineyard lost between 50-60 percent of its grapes, while his Columbia County vineyard only lost about five percent of its grapes because its location on the east bank of the Hudson River was warmer. His Greene County vineyard was “100 percent wiped out.” If the U.S. Department of Agriculture declares a federal disaster, farmers would be eligible to receive funds for their losses. Migliore said, “Is it going to make up for what happened? No. Will it possibly give you a lifeline to keep you afloat and in business? Maybe.” Read the full story in WNYT.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that there are battle lines drawn in New York politics on the migrant relocation issue. While members of both parties have made statements against governors of southern states or the mayor of New York City busing migrants around the country, that's where the agreement ends. Democrats have largely backed Gov. Kathy Hochul's push to allow migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. the opportunity to work on a more expedited basis. Republicans, generally, don't want migrants housed in upstate New York. Democratic state Assemblyperson Pat Fahy is among the Democrats calling for President Joe Biden to change rules stopping new migrants from working right away. Fahy said, "Having someone wait 180 days, you’re almost inviting problems and I think that’s fueling some of the resistance.... I’ve been dismayed to see some of the comments. We’re New York. We have a history of being a welcoming state." Rep. Marc Molinaro is not as welcoming, introducing what he calls the Schools Not Shelters Act on May 26, a bill that would block Governor Kathy Hochul from using schools to shelter migrants. Hochul is discussing the possibility of housing migrants in SUNY college dorms in Upstate New York this summer. Molinaro said, "Upstate New York taxpayers pay thousands of dollars to support our public education system. SUNY college students pay thousands of dollars for room and board. Our schools are not shelters.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, many public buildings were used in different ways to respond to the health crisis. Republican Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt blamed Washington politicians who have not updated migration policy in decades. Ortt said, "I don’t think anyone can argue that it’s the failure of the border policy that has partly led – partly – to this crisis to begin with." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Democrat Pat Ryan is leaning toward voting for the bill to raise the nation’s debt limit hashed out by President Joe Biden and Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Usually, bills to raise the debt limit and avoid default pass without note in Congress. But this year, McCarthy held the debt limit hostage, demanding spending cuts for passage. Ryan, who represents the 18th Congressional District, is leaning toward supporting it. Ryan said, “I read the whole bill; it’s 99 pages, so I am reviewing it now. We’ve both got to divert default, but also make sure we support our national security, our veterans and we don’t hurt vulnerable people – kids and seniors in particular." Another local Congressional representative, Republican Elise Stefanik, will definitely vote for the bill. She said, “This is a historic Republican victory.... It will cut spending year over year.”

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro said on May 30 that he will vote for a debt ceiling bill negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Molinaro said in a statement, “These negotiations resulted in a bipartisan agreement on the Fiscal Responsibility Act. I support the agreement..... The agreement raises the debt ceiling until January 2025 and makes historic cuts to the federal spending that is driving inflation.... It also makes bipartisan reforms to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), strengthens Social Security, protects Medicare and veterans benefits, and grows the economy.”’ The "reforms" Molinaro mentioned are adding more work requirements to receive food stamps and other emergency benefits. Molinaro lives in the 18th Congressional District, but represents the 19th Congressional District. Pat Ryan, a Democrat who represents the 18th Congressional District, says he is leaning toward supporting the bill, saying, “We both have to avoid catastrophic default and make sure we support our national security, our veterans, and our most vulnerable – kids and seniors in particular.... I’m encouraged by the bill, but still need to see the final text after the amendment process is complete.” Democrat Paul Tonko, who represents Albany County and the 20th Congressional District, has not yet said how he will vote on the bill. Republican Elise Stefanik, a Republican representing Rensselaer County and the 21st Congressional District, crowed about the bill on C-Span, saying, CLICK TO DOWNLOAD OR PLAY STEFANIK EXCERPT HERE. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

It does not happen often, but all four Hudson Valley Congressional representatives voted the same way on May 31, all voting for a bill to increase the United States' debt limit. Republicans Marc Molinaro and Elise Stefanik, and Democrats Pat Ryan and Paul Tonko, all voted for the bill. In past years, increasing the country's debt limit was routine, approved by both parties no matter who was in the majority. This year, though, Republicans have held the bill hostage, demanding spending cuts. President Joe Biden negotiated a settlement with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for this bill, which now heads to the Senate for approval.

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H. Rose Schneider reports in the Times Union that tinder-dry conditions and the fluffy, white seeds of cottonwood and poplar seeds are creating wildfires in the Hudson Valley. On June 1 there were wildfires in Guilderland, Rotterdam, and Schenectady accelerated by the cottonwood and poplar seeds that have blanketed the ground. John Keimer, public information officer for the Westmere Fire Department said, "If it ignites this snow-like material, it takes off. It's like gasoline." Little-to-no precipitation has fallen locally for the past 10 to 14 days, according to Brett Rathbun, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Albany. Rathbun said, "With a combination of it being that warm and that dry for so long.... Any little ignition source could call for some brush fires." Rotterdam, for instance, declared a water emergency this week with a ban on all outdoor water use through the weekend. Cooler temperatures and rain are forecast locally and John Keimer, public information officer for the Westmere Fire Department said, "Hopefully brush season will end shortly." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on June 2 that 24 landbanks across New York will receive nearly $26 million in funding to expand housing in the state. Hochul said, "New York's Land Bank Initiative has already allowed us to preserve, restore, and revitalize rundown properties across the state, and we are excited to be extending the opportunity this year.... This program will empower local nonprofits - the people that know their communities best - to help increase homeownership while repairing the fabric of their neighborhoods." Hochul had wanted to expand affordable housing throughout New York in the state budget with a plan to add 800,000 units over the next 10 years that was shot down by the legislature. Officials are hoping the money for the landbank plan will help create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes in New York. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.