Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke on Oct. 23 in Albany County against the current tax proposal in Washington that would eliminate state and local tax deductions. In Albany County, they said, the proposal would, raise taxes on one in three taxpayers by an average of $3,438. Cuomo and Schumer will tour the state's congressional districts to urge representatives to vote against the bill. Locally, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) signed on to a letter in June with many other Republican representatives opposing this part of the larger tax proposal being discussed in Congress. Cuomo said, "Now they put a proposed compromise on the table, on the theory that New Yorkers are stupid. We are not stupid. This is like the old three-card Monte trick on the corner. What they now say is, 'well we will only raise taxes on the wealthier New Yorkers.' They'll have an income cutoff. 'And we'll only eliminate the deductibility above that income.' Yeah. And what happens when those people who see their taxes skyrocket? Say, 'you know what, I'm going to move out of the county. You know what, I'm going to move out of the state. It's too much.' That tax burden falls on everybody else."

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Oct. 24 that he signed legislation to extend property tax exemptions available to eligible United States veterans to include school taxes. "Our veterans answered the call and risked their own personal safety and their lives in order to defend the ideals and principles that this nation and this state were founded upon," Cuomo said. "This measure allows local school districts to extend the same property tax breaks as local governments do, allowing them to honor the service of these incredibly courageous New Yorkers." The bill he signed (S.1724/ A.5135) would extend the veteran's property tax exemption to include school taxes in New York State. In 2013 and 2016 the alternative veteran's property tax exemption and Cold War property tax exemption were amended to give school districts the options of allowing the exemption. With this legislation, all three veteran's property tax exemptions would be consistent and apply to school taxes.

The Mid-Hudson News Network reports that Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Environmental Action Director Manna Jo Greene is still hoping New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will sign legislation to hinder large tanker barges from parking in the Hudson River. The bill would amend existing law to allow state Department of Environmental Conservation officials to work with the Department of State and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to set, “conditions for petroleum-bearing vessels to enter or move upon navigable waters of the state, as well as tanker-avoidance zones” in the lower Hudson River. Ten new anchorage sites for commercial ships had been proposed between Kingston and Yonkers, though the U.S. Coast Guard pulled that proposal after much opposition. State Assemblyperson Didi Barrett, a Democrat from Hudson, and state Sen. Sue Serino, a Republican of Hyde Park, have said they agree with the activist group and want Cuomo to sign the bill. They contend that delay could lose an opportunity for the state to strengthen its position with federal agencies before a new U.S. Coast Guard review of the pending anchorage proposal begins. “Back in June the New York State Senate and Assembly passed legislation that authorized the Department of Environmental Conservation to take steps to protect the most sensitive and important areas of the Hudson River and communities along its banks,” she said. “This bill is a critical element of our collective efforts to stop dangerous and unsightly new anchorages on the Hudson River,” Greene said. Read the full story in The Mid-Hudson News Network.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Tue., Oct. 24 (6:27). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media state police are investigating a fire that destroyed the Taghkanic home that was the target of hate speech vandalism in June. Taghkanic firefighters and state police arrived at 410 Taghkanic Road around 12:30 p.m., Mon., Oct. 23, to find the house engulfed in flames. In June, the building, under construction at the time, was vandalized. Graffiti, spray-painted in red on all four sides of the structure, read "No Blacks," "Die," as well as other more offensive phrases. Homeowner Fred Iorfida said at the time he believed the house was targeted because his girlfriend is black. A $5,000 reward is still being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the vandalism case. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the New York State Police at (845) 677-7300. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Bill Williams writes at the WCTW-FM website the fate of Hudson's Flag Day will be decided Thu., Oct. 26. The nonprofit Hudson Flag Day Parade Inc. is in desperate need of more volunteers and community support. "They need more board members. In the grand picture, it's really not a lot of work, if there is enough staff and everyone is able to pitch in," Williams writes. Williams is the Flag Day Committee Media Chair. The 22-year community event is held every June, and includes a parade down Warren Street to the Henry Hudson Riverfront park where a festival continues into the night, with rides, food vendors, an air show and one of the largest fireworks displays in the Hudson River Valley. The organization estimates 10,000 to 12,000 people attend the annual event. The emergency meeting will be held 5:30 p.m., Thu., Oct. 26 at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Building on Front Street in Hudson.

MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting the city of Newburgh is poised to begin litigation against those responsible for the contamination of Washington Lake and the city's water supply. The Newburgh City Council authorized the action on Mon., Oct. 23. Washington Lake has been contaminated by he carcinogenic chemical PFOS, which originated from the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport. The chemical is contained in the firefighting foam used in the past during drills. In addition to the litigation, individual council members would like the city to explore the idea of granting rebates to city residents who unwittingly paid for contaminated water over the years. Residents continue to be urged to have their blood tested. Those tests are available to residents of the city and town of Newburgh and New Windsor at no cost. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Matthew Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union Gov. Andrew Cuomo late Mon., Oct. 23, signed into law legislation that adds e-cigarettes to the Clean Indoor Air Act, banning their use in bars, restaurants and other indoor and some outdoor areas. Under the new law, vaping will be banned in the workplace, on public transportation, indoors at all public and private colleges, and in outdoor areas where smoking is otherwise banned. The new restrictions will go into effect in 30 days. Cuomo signed another bill over the summer that banned the use of e-cigarettes on school grounds. The governor initially proposed the restrictions in his 2017 executive budget, arguing that although the products are marketed as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, in reality they also carry long-term health risks for users and others around them. Read the full story in the Times Union.

The WGXC 2017 Fall 2017 Harvest Pledge Drive continues. WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $25,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call (518) 697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate, and make your commitment to programming curated by humans, not algorithms, that is responsive to your needs and interests. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. A wind advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. High near 69. Tuesday night, showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10 p.m., then showers likely. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Low around 51.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
WEDNESDAY: A slight chance of showers between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Partly sunny. High near 62. Wednesday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 43.
THURSDAY: A chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 55. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 40.

Sunrise today: 7:20 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:59 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 10:38 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Tue., Oct. 24:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

The Guardian reports that on Oct. 23 the deputy editor of the Ekho Moskvy radio station, Tatyana Felgenhauer, was stabbed in the neck in the station’s studios in central Moscow. Felgenhauer is expected to survive and is in a Russian hospital. The attacker was Boris Grits, a 48-year-old with dual Russian and Israeli citizenship who wrote online that the radio host was “following” him in his mind. "Russian media also showed leaked footage, apparently from the interrogation of Grits, in which he said he had never met Felgenhauer but she had made telepathic contact with him over the past five years," The Guardian reported. But Alexei Venediktov, the station’s editor-in-chief, said it might not just be the attack of a mentally ill person. “He knew things he shouldn’t have known. How did he know Tanya would still be here? By the time of the attack, she would normally have left. There are many questions,” Venediktov said. Earlier this month, Russian state television said Ekho Moskvy and Felgenhauer were working to advance foreign interests in Russia before presidential elections next March. Read the full story in The Guardian.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Mon., Oct. 23 (4:14). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)