Rick Karlin reports in the Albany Times Union reports that a robust stock market is keeping pension costs down for towns, police and fire departments, and schools, but health care costs continue to rise, according to Comptroller Tom DiNapoli Aug. 31. School tax bills that will arrive soon in mailboxes will not reflect any savings, as those bills reflect the last year’s cost, according to Teachers Retirement System spokesman John Cardillo. But any small savings for municipalities may be offset by higher health care costs. The NYSHIP health insurance program, used by many public employees, will see prices rise nine percent in 2018, while other insurers are requesting increases from 11.5 percent to 16.6 percent. Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.

Chris Bragg reports in the Albany Times Union that, supposedly, the administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stopped automatically deleting state employees' emails after 90 days in 2015. That may or may not be true at the Department of Environmental Conservation. Earlier this week, the Times Union asked an open records officer for the agency who said the agency did not destroy the public records after 90 days. The DEC's press office, though, said they do have a policy — but it is not specific to email. Dan Telvock, an environmental reporter for the Buffalo nonprofit outlet Investigative Post, filed an open records request with DEC for certain emails from 2011 and 2016. He was only allowed to see a handful of 2016 emails. "A diligent search produced no records for 2011," wrote DEC records access officer Aldie Levine, an attorney. "Please also note that the Department has no record retention policy for email communications." Telvock was investigating whether Cuomo was not allowing many public records requests. In other news, Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said Aug. 31 that the administration will appeal a recent New York Times' court victory that requires the governor's office to hand over many records related to the Buffalo Billion scandal that it did not want to hand over. Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.

Weather is in the news nationally and locally. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey, which recently devastated the Texas and Louisiana coasts, will drench the WGXC listening area late Saturday and early Sunday this weekend. Heavy rains, possibly up to an inch, may fall on the area. Hurricane Irma, already a category three storm in the mid-Atlantic, could be more troubling. Various computer simulations have the storm headed anywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to Maine, and a few show it targeting our area. With a rain-soaked ground, that could be a situation similar to when the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit the area in 2011. But that is many days away, and the storm could go in many directions.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Fri., Sept. 1 (4:38). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Ariél Zangla reports in The Daily Freeman that the limit of 200 people filled the the Esopus Town Hall in Port Ewen for a discussion with Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook). The meeting was not quite the same as the traditional town hall meetings past local representatives Chris Gibson and Scott Murphy held. So with special limitations like no follow-up questions, Faso could speak about whatever he wanted inside, while protesters yelled outside. The "roughly 100" protesters outside were mostly to the left of Faso, but a Republican-aligned organization, the American Action Network's Middle-Class Growth Initiative, was also outside, but they were there to pressure Faso to support tax reform. Instead, Faso talked about his crusade to make New York state pay the cost of the Medicaid program, instead of the counties, which would mean a tax increase for folks who do not own homes. Faso also said he supported the recent defense appropriations bill that includes a lot of money to pay for a wall on America's southern border, and said at this time he would not be in favor of impeaching the president. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Eric Anderson reports in the Albany Times Union that CSX is laying off 36 workers in Selkirk, consolidating dispatching offices to Florida, the railroad's president revealed recently. There could be more layoffs, as CSX moves from using different types of rail yards. But, "the Times Union has seen a union document that suggests three hump yards will remain systemwide, and one may be Selkirk. In a May 2017 presentation to analysts, CSX identified Selkirk as a yard 'in transition' to flat switching," the paper reports. CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle said that Selkirk has not been converted, and would not say what will happen to the rail yard in southern Albany County. Read the full story in the Albany Times Union.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sent President Donald Trump a letter Aug. 31, asking him to declare a disaster area in Rensselaer County after flooding in a late June/early July storm. Hoosick Falls, already hit with a poisoned water disaster, then was deluged with water in the early summer storm that opened up a sinkhole on Route 7. The disaster declaration allows for more federal help for the affected areas of the county.

Anthony Fiducia reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Banner Clothing on Main Street, in business since 1858, will close Sept. 16. “It’s time to retire,” store owner Lori Hammell said. “I’ve been here for 27 years.” Before her, Hammell's brother-in-law owned the clothing store for 18 years. There other owners ran the store before him, she said. “I think I’ve really helped fill a big void,” Hammell said. “I’m sad that the store won't be here, but I’m still hoping someone will save it at the last minute.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY : Sunny, with a high near 61, and a low around 39.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
SATURDAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66 Saturday night rain is likely, mainly after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52.
SUNDAY: There is a 70 percent chance of rain, mainly before 2 p.m. Then, cloudy, with a high near 61, and a low around 53..

Sunrise today: 6:21 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:28 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 13:07 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Wed., Aug. 30:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Thursday, August 31 (3:07). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)