H. Rose Schneider reports in The Altamont Enterprise about the full slate of candidates in Knox for the Nov. 7 election. Town Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis has unsuccessfully asked for two election cycles for support from the Democratic party, so now is running as a Republican. Councilperson Amy Pokorny is running for supervisor on the Democratic side. Other Democrats running for the council include Daniel Hanley, a teacher, and Brett Pulliam, a carpenter who is not enrolled in a political party but has been on the planning board. Republicans have one Democrat, Ken Saddlemire, and one unaligned candidate, Karl Pritchard, running for council. Saddlemire, a dairy farmer, previously lost a write-in campaign against Hanley. Pritchard is a mechanic with a business in Knox making his first run for office. For town clerk incumbent Democrat Tara Murphy is against Traci Schanz, an Independence Party member running on the GOP line. For town justice incumbent Democrat Jean Gagnon faces Republican Timothy Francis. For Knox tax collector, incumbent Democrat Diane Champion is endorsed by both the Democratic and Republican parties. Knox highway superintendent, Gary Salisbury, a Republican, is also endorsed by both parties. Roughly 40 percent of Knox registered voters are Democrats, about 22 percent are Republicans, and 27 percent are not affiliated with any party. Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.

Richard Moody in Columbia-Greene Media previews the Nov. 7 election between incumbent Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett and Chatham Police Chief Peter Volkmann. Bartlett is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform Party lines, and Volkmann, is on the Democratic, Working Families, and Women’s Equality Party lines. Republicans have held the sheriff's office in Columbia County for the last 17 years, and Bartlett won his first term four years ago almost by a two-to-one margin. “I was honored when I was asked to run, because it is important people have a choice. When there is a choice, the people win,” Volkmann said. “People see a difference between [Bartlett] and me. He hired a new investigator and I say you can’t arrest your way out of the opioid epidemic.” Bartlett declined to be interviewed, but has been endorsed by the Columbia County Deputy Sheriff’s Benevolent Association and State Sen. Kathy Marchione. Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.

Matthew Hamilton reports in the Albany Times Union that a new poll shows support for a constitutional convention continues to drop in New York. On Nov. 7, voters will choose whether or not to hold a convention that could rewrite major law in New York. In February a poll showed 63 percent of New Yorkers in favor of holding a convention, with 24 percent opposed. Now a Siena College poll released Oct. 6 found just 44 percent are in favor, and 39 percent say they'll vote against the measure. Republicans and union households were both most against the convention at 54 percent opposed. Matthew Hamilton reports in the Albany Times Union

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Fri., Oct. 6 (6:19). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Ann Friedman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton Wed., Oct. 4, identified the members of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee. The group of 23 will decide which projects will be implemented using the $10 million award made through the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative program announced this summer. The committee includes Hamilton and Matthew Nelson as co-chairs, and is expected to spend six months building the projects outlined in city's grant application, collect ideas for additional projects and determine the projects to be implemented over the next two years. The city’s proposal included signage for destinations and parking, citywide WiFi, a districtwide arts project, establishing the city as a trades and apprenticeship innovation hub, redevelopment of the Dunn Warehouse and the construction of a public pier for recreation between boat slips. The committee members are Tiney Abitabile, Brenda Adams, Kim Bach, Shaheim DeJesus, Todd Erling, Betsy Gramkow, Michelle Hughes, Jeff Hunt, Joan Hunt, Tony Jones, Peter Jung, Sara Kendall, Bob Lucke, Randall Martin, Elena Mosley, Seth Rapport, Jabin Ahmed Ruhii, Michael Sadowski, Dan Seward, Colin Stair and Christine Vanderlan. According to the mayor's press release, the committee will hold its first meeting 6:30 p.m., Tue., Oct. 17. NOTE: Seward is an active WGXC programmer. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Mid-Hudson News Network and Daily Freeman are reporting customers and elected officials Tue., Oct. 3, expressed unanimous concerns about proposed rate increases in the delivery charge rates for gas and electricity requested by Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. Central Hudson has asked the state Public Service Commission to approve rate increases of 13.5 percent for electricity and 18.5 percent for natural gas. The public hearing Tuesday was held at Poughkeepsie Town Hall, one of six to be held in the region this month. The customers who attended the hearing opposed the proposed rate hikes. Dutchess County Legislator Joel Tyner, Democrat of Clinton, blasted the utility, saying it is “beyond obscene and atrocious” for Central Hudson to want more in profit. Jonathan Bix, executive director of Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson, said, "...The rate hike will force many people to choose between food and utilities, healthcare and utilities.” Donna West, a Central Hudson customer, said, “I’m forced to leave my home with my children and go somewhere else until I can save up the money to pay Central Hudson....” The remaining PSC public hearings will be held at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at Kingston City Hall and Oct. 16 at Newburgh Town Hall. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Anthony Fiducia is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hunter Mountain President Russ Coloton and Mary Beth Bianconi from Delaware Engineering attended a meeting of the Hunter Planning Board this week to present the resort's proposal to develop new trails on the west side of the mountain. The project includes the creation of five new intermediate-level trails, a new chairlift, a parking area with room for 250 vehicles, a pedestrian bridge and a new access road off Deming Road. The expansion is expected to cost $9 million, and increase skiable acreage at the resort by approximately 25 to 30 percent. “It’s really gorgeous terrain over there,” Coloton said of the west side of the mountain. “It’s a really cool environment... it’s a beautiful location and we’re pretty excited about it.” A small part of the proposed project lies within the town of Jewett, which will require the Hunter and Jewett planning boards to coordinate on the plan. The resort hopes to complete the project in time for the 2018-19 ski season. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Click here to download or play the Greene County Jail report. The Greene County Legislature's Public Safety Committee's Alternatives to Incarceration Sub-committee report was released in Catskill at the Greene County legislature chambers Oct. 5. WGXC's Jess Puglisi livestreamed the first hour of the event, and recorded the rest. The final recording is posted here. The committee presented a detailed analysis of jail populations past, present, and possibly future, and compared it to the numbers that led to the Ricci Greene proposal. Basically, arrests, crime, and population are all down, and so making a jail larger than the one that exists now seems unnecessary. Based on their findings, they suggested three possible plans: the Coxsackie option (roughly $40 million), the Catskill option (roughly $34 million), and then a shared services arrangement with the Columbia County jail, which would mean a $500,000 expenditure to demolish the old jail. People seemed cautiously interested in this plan, and no one on the legislature or from the public spoke against it during the question and answer period. Notes below. The full presentation will be online.
Bill Lawrence introduction 0:00 - :58
Lori Torgersen into and welcome. :58 - 4:00
4:00 LT Background of jail
5:00 Preliminary proposal to build a new jail and prison
6:40 Establishment of the ATI committee + member introductions
9:15 Committee mandate: How big should jail be? How can it be made most cost-effectively? How can the population be reduced in the future?
10:30 HOW BIG SHOULD JAIL BE (LT)
13:30 Recidivism
14:45 County population - flat
15:30 At-risk population - flat + reported crime - flat
16:50 Arrests - flat + declining
17:30 Admissions to jail - declining
18:30 Average daily jail population - declining
20:00 Ricci Greene 2015 predictions saw uptick, but actual data from 2015 - 2017 contradicts this.
23:00 Some reasons for decline in jail population
26:15 Recommendation is to open with 66 beds expandable to 78 if necessary. (Ricci Greene was for 148 beds.)
29:00 CRANE DAVIS: COST-EFFICIENCY
31:18 Jail size discrepancy between Ricci Greene and committee
34:15 Coxsackie option - 22.5% savings over original proposal - budget explained
37:00 Advantages and disadvantages (including transportation to court + services)
38:00 Catskill option - 3 story jail / renovation - $34 million - disadvantages include rehousing during construction but still makes it less expensive
44:50 Greene-Columbia shared services option - board inmates in Columbia and knock down Catskill jail
47:00 Current jail budget is $5.6 million - $337 per inmate per day. Joint operation with Columbia County could bring it down to $1.6 million per year
50:30 Capital cost comparision
51:50 PHOEBE POTTER: SUSTAINING A REDUCED JAIL POPULATION IN FUTURE
54:30 Who is in jail?
56:00 Heroin statistics - Greene county has 3rd highest rate of overdoses in NYS
57:30 ATI - how to break cycle
1:00:00 Stablizing the jail population
1:07:30 Pre-trial jail population is growing - this should be addressed
1:19:30 LORI TORGERSEN: Wrap-up
How big: 78 beds should be sufficient.
Cost-effective: Coxsackie vs. Catskill vs. shared services
Sustain reduced population: redivert energies towards ATI / services
1:22:15 AUDIENCE QUESTIONS (until end)

Today is Day 3 of the WGXC 2017 Fall 2017 Harvest Pledge Drive. During the coming days, 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. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : A chance of showers from mid-morning through early afternoon. Cloudy. High near 70. Friday night, a slight chance of showers before 1 a.m. Cloudy. Low around 56.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
SATURDAY: A slight chance of showers. Cloudy. High near 77. Saturday night, a slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 64.
SUNDAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny. High near 82. Sunday night, showers likely. Mostly cloudy. Low around 60.

Sunrise today: 6:59 a.m.
Sunset today: 6:27 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 11:28 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Fri., Oct. 6:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Thurs., Oct. 5 (5:39). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)