William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman Kingston school trustees are disappointed that U.S. Rep. John Faso did not address education issues during the public forum recently held in Esopus. They want the Kinderhook Republican to meet with district leaders to answer questions that were not addressed. At a Board of Education meeting last week, one of the trustees said four board members attended the forum, but none of their questions were chosen during the 90-minute event. “There was not one question regarding education, which was a bit of a disappointment,” Suzanne Jordan said. “There’s a lot to worry about.” Jordan said board members want answers to questions about changing federal mandates, food standards, teacher training, and why there is a threat to remove Medicaid money from the schools. Jordan has suggested the Ulster County School Boards Association organize a multi-district meeting with Faso. “He likes to meet with smaller constituent groups, and I thought maybe he would be willing to set up a meeting with people interested in education,” she said. Faso spokesman John Lange said via email that a meeting could be arranged, but more information would be needed. “We can’t just agree to host forums by hearing about them through third-parties, and that we really know nothing about,..." Lange wrote. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Bethany Bump is reporting in the Times Union New York education leaders Mon., Sep. 11, approved a statewide plan for school accountability. That plan now goes to the federal Department of Education for final approval. The plan, which overhauls the way New York currently evaluates schools, to look at things like student growth over time, civic readiness, and science and social studies performance, is required by federal legislation passed in 2015, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act. Schools found deficient under the plan will be targeted for interventions and extra financial support. The federal Department of Education is expected to provide the state with feedback on the proposal sometime in December. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Brendan J. Lyons is reporting in the Times Union Assembly member Steve McLaughlin is back in the news. This time because his legislative aide of seven years allegedly threatened the state job of a Colonie woman, according to a police report. The report was released last week by Colonie police in response to a Times Union Freedom of Information Law request. The report, filed Aug. 16, documented the aide's text messages to the woman, who works for the state Health Department. The woman received multiple texts from the aide demanding the woman stop texting the Troy Republican, or the aide said, she would cause the woman to lose her job. The woman, 39, acknowledged that she and McLaughlin became acquainted through Match.com, but said they never met in person. "We have never come face to face," the woman said of McLaughlin. "This was simply an hour and a half conversation with him on the night of the 14th. I began to be harassed on the afternoon of the 15th." McLaughlin's aide initially denied contacting the woman or sending her text messages, but later acknowledged threatening the woman's job. McLaughlin declined to be interviewed by the Times Union for the story or to answer questions about the police investigation. McLaughlin has been a member of the Assembly since 2011. He is currently seeking the Republican nomination for Rensselaer County executive. Read the full story in the Times Union.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Mon., Sep. 11 (6:53). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Sep. 8 through Sun., Sep. 10:

Ann Friedman reported for Columbia-Greene Media on the primary elections to be held Tue., Sep. 12, in the towns of Durham and New Baltimore. In Durham, incumbent Town Supervisor William Carr Jr. is being challenged by Shawn Marriott in the Republican primary. Carr has served four terms so far, and is also the town's police commissioner. Marriott currently holds a seat on the town board and serves as deputy supervisor. Carmel Rustick, Nick Nahas, Linda Sutton and Deborah Kennedy are also competing in the Durham Republican Primary. They are hoping to secure the GOP line and fill two town board seats come November. Polls are open noon to 9 p.m., Tuesday at the East Durham Volunteer Fire Department, 2401 Route 145 in East Durham. In New Baltimore, Republicans Jeff Ruso (Town Supervisor), Barb Finke (Town Clerk), and Shelly VanEtten and Kelly Downes (Town Board) are all candidates in the Independence Party primary this week. New Baltimore residents will vote noon to 9 p.m., at one of three locations: Town hall, 3809 Route 51 in Hannacroix, the Medway-Grapeville Fire Company on Route 51 in Hannacroix and at the New Baltimore Fire Department, 77 Gill Road.

Columbia-Greene Media also reported where primary elections will be held Tue., Sep. 12 in Columbia County. In Hudson, Democrats and Independence Party members will vote for Common Council President. Democrats in Hudson also have two supervisor elections, and several Common Council seats are up for grabs. There are write-in Independence Party primaries in Hudson and Clermont. And the incumbent Greenport Town Supervisor is being challenged on the Independence line, forcing a primary in that race. Sample and absentee ballots are available on the Board of Elections website at columbiacountyny.com/elections. Questions can be directed to the board at (518) 828-3115 or elections@columbiacountyny.com. Polls are open Tuesday from noon until 9 p.m.

Corrected
Richard Moody reported for Columbia-Greene Media employees at Coxsackie Correctional Facility are coordinating an effort to send supplies, clothing and food to the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. The campaign is being led by Corrections Officer Steve Humphrey. Volunteers have started filling trucks located at various sites with supplies for residents of Texas and Florida. The facility is requesting “everything and anything, as long as it is not garbage,” as Humphrey puts it. They are accepting pet food, canned food, appliances, beds and basic supplies. The facility is accepting food, pet food, water, personal hygiene items, clean-up kits, paper towels. They are not accepting bedding or appliances. Organizer Harold Kelly said Mon., Sep. 11, "The people of Louisiana, Texas and Florida do not need broken chandeliers." Humphrey is also collecting clothes, slightly used, for people in Florida. He is also accepting monetary donations to pay for the fuel needed for the drive south. Donations can be dropped at the correctional facility, Lenny’s Tire Services in Middleburgh, The Cal Shop in Richmondville and the Albany Police Station.

The Times Union reported free training for hands-only CPR will be offered at Empire State Plaza in Albany this week. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wed., Sep. 13, the American Heart Association will provide 30-minute classes on the recommended method to use when someone suffers a heart attack outside of a hospital. This approach does not require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Participants will receive a free kit to take home that includes a DVD and an inflatable dummy head and chest. Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional chest compressions and rescue breaths. CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person's chance of survival. The Centers for Disease Control recommend all Americans over age 14 and older learn CPR as part of natural disaster preparedness. Information is available at heart [dot] org.

David Lee reported in The Columbia Paper Kinderhook Memorial Library board members, staff and local officials broke ground for a large addition to the library building, located at 18 Hudson Street in the village. Library Board President Gary Spielmann made the opening speech, noting, “This is the second ground breaking in thirteen months for the library, and we are thrilled that this is coming so soon after the completion of the reading porch.” Spielmann acknowledged the community support received by the library, naming Kinderhook Town Supervisor Pat Grattan and Stuyvesant Town Supervisor Ron Knott, among others. The addition will be designed by architects Butler Rowland Mays of Ballston Spa, and built by James Romanchuck and Sons of Hudson. The construction of the 3,000-square-foot structure will begin September 18. The addition will include a new meeting room for programs, handicapped accessible bathrooms, and teens reading room. The children’s reading room will be expanded and new fiber-optic cable will be installed. During the groundbreaking event, special mention was made of state Senator Kathy Marchione for her help in securing state funding for the project. The project also received support from the Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation, and from Kinderhook resident Berry Herbold. The new children’s section of the library will be named for Herbold's late wife, Jackie Carter.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : Patchy fog in the early morning. Otherwise, sunny. High near 76. Monday night, patchy fog after 2 a.m. Otherwise, mostly clear. Low around 49.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
TUESDAY: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny. High near 79. Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 54.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 76. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 57.

Sunrise today: 6:32 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:11 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 12:38 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Mon., Sep. 11:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

Here are some stories from the Hudson River this week. Click here to hear an audio version of this report.

• The Stevens Institute reports temperatures this week in the Hudson River at Schodack Island have been between 68 and 72 degrees.

•

DEC Commissioner Seggos Q&A on Hudson River cleanup https://t.co/1np9LXn0y8

— New York NOW (@NYNOW_PBS) August 30, 2017

The Albany Times Union reports that state Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said Aug. 29 that despite the Environmental Protection Agency no longer cleaning PCBs out of the Hudson River, his office will continue testing. The DEC has spent $2 million gathering about 1,600 water samples this summer from Troy to Fort Edward. Done cleaning, the EPA is currently deciding whether to issue a "certificate of completion" for the Hudson River cleanup, likely lifting any future liability from the source of the PCBs, General Electric. "EPA has failed New York state," said Seggos, "But they still have a chance to get it right." GE's seven-year dredging of a 40-mile section of the Hudson River ended in 2015. Seggos said the DEC does not have results yet from this summer's testing. The EPA predicted earlier in the year that fish from the Hudson would not be safe for regular consumption for 55 years. "EPA has decided, for some reason, to protect GE and not the Hudson River," said Richard Webster, legal director of Riverkeeper. "We don't want to have to fight for a clean Hudson for another 40 years." Read the full story in The Albany Times Union.

• Leonard Sparks in the Record Online reports that U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney included in an amendment in a spending bill that passed the House Sept. 6 that will block the U.S. Coast Guard from setting up anchorage sites for large barges on the Hudson River any time soon. In June, after much public and government opposition, the Coast Guard announced that it was “suspending” action on a proposal to set up ten Hudson River anchorage sites. “Just in case anyone gets any bright ideas, this is one more way to make sure that stupid proposal stays dead and buried,” Maloney said. The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2018 heads to the Senate with Maloney's amendment, and, if passed into law, would make it impossible to establish anchorage sites on the Hudson River prior to Oct. 1, 2018. Read the full story in the Record Online.

• Lorraine Chow at Eco Watch reports that new research published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin claims the Hudson River could be dumping about 300 million clothing fibers into the Atlantic Ocean per day. Researchers collected 142 water samples from the Hudson River and found close to one microfiber per liter. Half were plastic microfibers and half were non-plastic microfibers, such as cotton or wool. Laundering clothes leads to microfibers in the water supply. "There was no pattern across the whole Hudson River—from Lake Tear of the Clouds, an alpine remote beauty, down to the heaving, thriving Manhattan," Rachael Miller, a co-author on the study, told PBS. "It was a real surprise." Read the full story at Eco Watch.

• The City of Hudson Wastewater Treatment Facility released a "combined sewer overflow" of 200 gallons per minute for 12 hours Sept. 6. On Sept. 3, there was a six-hour release at 200 gallons per minute.

Columbia-Greene Media track where there are primary elections next Tuesday, Sept. 12 in Columbia County. In Hudson, Democrats and Independence Party members can vote for Common Council President. Additionally, Democrats in Hudson have two supervisor elections, and several Common Council seats in contest. There are blank Independence Party primary ballots in Hudson and Clermont, and one with named candidates in Greenport. Otherwise, wait until November in Columbia County. Sample and absentee ballots are available on the Board of Elections website at columbiacountyny.com/elections. Questions can be directed to the board at 518-828-3115 or elections@columbiacountyny.com. Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com

Local primary elections

Clermont Supervisor, Town Council, Town Clerk Independence Party (vote for one)
blank ballot


Greenport Supervisor Independence Party Primary (vote for one)
Kathy Leck Eldridge
Edward F. Nabozny

Greenport Town Council Independence Party Primary (vote for one)
Clayton Clark Jr. is only candidate on ballot


Hudson Citywide Democratic Party Primary Common Council President (vote for one)
Tom DePietro
Steve Dunn

Hudson Alderperson Ward 1 Democratic Party (vote for two)
Kamal Johnson
Rob Bujan
Michael O'Hara

Hudson Alderperson Ward 2 Democratic Party (vote for two)
Tiffany M. Garriga
Victor Mendolia
Dewan A. Sarowar

Hudson Supervisor Ward 3 Democratic Party (vote for one)
Michael Chameides
John Friedman

Hudson Supervisor Ward 4 Democratic Party (vote for one)
Linda Mussmann
William Hughes Jr.

Hudson Alderperson Ward 4 Democratic Party (vote for two)
Lauren Scalera
Rich "Trixie" Volo
John Rosenthal

Hudson Alderperson Ward 4, Common Council President Citywide Independence Party (vote for one)
blank ballot

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Friday, Sept. 8 (4:06). (Produced by Neva Wartell.)

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