DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Tue., Jun. 20 (9:04). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail the case of Richard M. Surrano Jr. has divided the Athens Town Board. Surrano, a town board member, was accused of petit larceny and sentence earlier this month to a one-year conditional discharge. If he repeats the offense, he could receive a maximum penalty of one year in jail according to the terms of a plea agreement, special prosecutor Max Zacker said. Surrano was accused of burglarizing the home of his ex-girlfriend, taking $700 in cash, in August 2016. Bernard Skelly, father of the young woman, has demanded Surrano's resignation from the town board, but said he was silenced by Town Supervisor Robert Butler. Council member Mary Brandow said her attempts to get information on the case have gone nowhere. "We can’t say anything because it’s not been discussed," she said. Based on the allegations, Brandow said, Surrano should step down from the board. "I believe Bernie Skelly," Brandow said. "There are constituents that don’t want to see him [Surrano] there either." Council member Tony Paluch agreed with Brandow and said Surrano should not be enforcing the law if he is breaking it himself. Paluch said he is tempted to quit the board because of the situation. "It’s nothing personal — it’s just not right," Paluch said. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Amanda Purcell is reporting in the Register-Star scientists from the Nature Conservancy have offered to conduct an analysis of the city of Hudson’s drinking water supply. Representatives of the international conservation organization will measure water quality and quantity, and test for possible pollution. The state Department of Environmental Conservation last examined the city's natural resources a few years ago. "As far as I know, this is the first detailed study of the city’s water supply," said Jonathan Lerner, chairman of the city's Conservation Advisory Council. "We had a resources water study prepared for us a few years ago by a water specialist at the DEC, but it was a more general look that described the water and streams and wetlands and ponds that supply water to the city." The study will be done at no cost to the city. There is no timetable or scope for the study, as yet. The Nature Conservancy will outline its plan for the Conservation Advisory Council next month. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Diane Walden is reporting in The Columbia Paper despite being locked up in the Columbia County Jail, Salvatore Cascino [kah-SHEE-no] has been fined $10,000 for dumping. The 77-year-old from Larchmont, Westchester County, was sentenced June 8 on his conviction for operating a solid waste management facility without a permit at his property in Copake. Cascino has battled local officials for 19 years over violations of federal, state, and town laws for illegal dumping, building, and excavating at the place he calls Copake Valley Farms, located on the east side of Route 22. In rendering the sentence, town Justice Glenn R. Schermerhorn said he did not think imprisonment was an appropriate punishment for Cascino, who has been in the Columbia County Jail for nearly a year. “A fine, however, may serve to remind the defendant to operate his business interests within the parameters set forth by codes, regulations and laws,” the judge said. He imposed a fine of $10,000 based on a one-day violation. Following sentencing, Cascino was returned to the county jail, where he has been incarcerated on criminal and civil contempt charges for nearly a full year. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail President Donald Trump has honored the late Kevin Haverly of Greenville in a letter shared on social media Sat., Jun. 17. Haverly was a Greene County sheriff's deputy and died at the age of 26, in car accident while on patrol in February. Trump's letter, dated June 8, was addressed to Haverly's family, and was shared on Facebook by his fiancé, Dawn DeBenedetti. “While no words can possibly console your family at this sorrowful time, I pray that you are strengthened by the memory of Kevin’s enduring spirit and steadfast courage,” Trump wrote. “He will forever be remembered for his commitment to protecting and serving the American people.” Greene County Sheriff Greg Seeley said, “To have something like this happen and to have the president send this to the family is overwhelming and justifiable. It’s an absolute honor....To have our president honor law enforcement, especially in tragedies like that, is amazing.” Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Cayla Harris is reporting in the Times Union on mounting concerns that with opioid deaths on the rise nationwide, proposed cuts to Medicaid would prove harmful, or even fatal for many. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a more than 20 percent increase in opioid-related deaths statewide between 2014 and 2015 in New York. U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko said Medicaid funds are crucial to those seeking treatment for substance abuse disorders. The Amsterdam Democrat said the House-approved American Health Care Act, which proposes $880 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program over 10 years, would have "devastating consequences." Medicaid provides addicts the ability to access previously out-of-reach health care services. "Rollbacks on Medicaid expansion would exacerbate a public health crisis into a state of emergency,'' said Stephanie Campbell, the executive director of Friends of Recovery-New York. Representative John Faso supported the American Health Care Act. He said in a statement that Congress has approved billions for opioid treatment through various pieces of legislation. "I'm confident that there will remain sufficient resources through Medicaid which, when combined with these other specific appropriations, will fund treatment options," he said. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Chris McKenna is reporting at The Fray state Senate Republicans last week announced the passages of 13 bills by that chamber, with little or no opposition, to protect children. The measures included, new restrictions on where convicted sex offenders may live and work; proposals to make cyberbullying of minors a misdemeanor and gang recruiting near schools a felony. There was also a bill creating a requirement that special education schools take fingerprints of prospective employees. The Assembly has approved only two of the 13 bills -- one requiring agencies that place foster children to be told when children are abused or mistreated; and another limiting the number of cases that child protective services workers are assigned at any given time. Read the full story at The Fray.

WGXC is holding its Radios in Motion 2017 Spring Pledge Drive. WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $20,000 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 slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny. High near 83. Tuesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 58.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WEDNESDAY: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny. High near 81. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 54.
THURSDAY: A slight chance of showers after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 82. Thursday night, a chance of showers, mainly after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 63.

Sunrise today: 5:19 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:35 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 15:16 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the third Tuesday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

CHATHAM Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at high school, 50 Woodbridge Ave., Chatham (392-1501).
COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors .1 [point one] Committee meeting, 3 p.m.; Health and Human Services Committee meeting, 4 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
COLUMBIA GREENE Controlled Substance Task Force meeting, 1 p.m. at Columbia Memorial Hospital Administration Building, Conference Room 1, 71 Prospect Ave., Hudson (622-9163).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENECounty Community Services Board meeting, 4 p.m. at Greene County Mental Health Center, Room 222, 905 County Road 80, Cairo (622-9163); County Legislature Jail Workshop, 5 p.m. at 411 Main Street, Catskill (719-3200).
HUDSON Common Council Finance Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Common Council regular meeting, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).
HUNTER Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5748 Route 23A, Tannersville (589-6150).
ICHABOD CRANE Board of Education special meeting to consider bids for the primary school paving project, 9 a.m. at high school, 2910 Route 9, Valatie (758-7577).
PHILMONT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m., Philmont Village Hall, 124 Main St., Philmont (672-7032).
TAGHKANIC Planning Board workshop meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, Route 82, West Taghkanic (851-7638).
VALATIE Village Board meeting (rescheduled from Oct. 11), Village Hall, 3211 Church St., Valatie (758-9806).

POLITICAL EVENTS
Weekly events:
Citizen Action HV Action Night, 5:30 p.m., every Tuesday at 7 Grand Street, Kingston. Information at hudsonvalley@citizenactionny.org, or facebook.com/HVCitizenActionNY.
New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, 5 p.m., every Thursday at New Paltz Village Hall, 23 Plattekill Ave., New Paltz. Information at (845) 399-247 or newpaltzclimateaction@gmail.com.
Faso Friday, 12 p.m., every Friday at U.S. Rep. John Faso's District Office, 2 Hudson Street, Kinderhook. Information at erinpersists@gmail.com.

Jazz Funeral for Progressive Legislation in New York, 1 p.m., Jun. 21 at the State Capitol, Albany. A New Orleans Style funeral march on the last day of the legislative session to mourn the death of progressive legislation.
Community Speakout on Real News / Fake News, 2 p.m., Jun. 24 at Morris Memorial, Chatham. Scheduled to participate: Victor Navasky, former editor, The Nation; Elaine Salisbury, journalism professor, SUNY Albany; Tom Palmer, journalist, Times Union; Joel Simon, director, Committee to Protect Journalists. Moderated by Michael Singer. Sponsored by Indivisible Chatham.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Mon., Jun. 19 (8:52). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Some of the stories that made the news from Fri., Jun. 16 through Sun., Jun. 18:

The Catskill Republicans reported on Twitter Sat., Jun. 17, that U.S. Rep. John Faso was in Catskill for a community event that day, but the first-term Republican's public schedule noted no such appearance. Catskill Republicans tweeted that Faso was attending their Catskill Grillin and Chillin Community BBQ cookout in the Bronson Street parking lot in Catskill. Faso's schedule, according to his website, only included appearances at the Meredith Dairy Fest and the Bovina Valley Farm Tour. Previous local Congressional representatives, such as Democrat Scott Murphy and Republican Chris Gibson, included their complete schedule of community events online.

Daniel Zuckerman reported in The Daily Mail a report by advocacy group Disability Rights New York found that 80 percent of Greene County's polling locations are inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. Sites deemed unfriendly to the physically challenged included Ashland and New Baltimore town halls, Haines Falls, East Durham and Prattsville firehouses, Hunter Village Hall, the Riverside Senior Center in Athens, the Jewett Municipal Building, Coxsackie Village Building, Kiskatom Fire Department, West Athens Lime Street Fire Company and the Windham Waterwaste building. The sites were identified based inaccessible parking, improper setup of ballot-marking devices and the presence of poll workers untrained to operate the devices and assist people with disabilities. The Greene County Board of Elections must make all polling places compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act before the upcoming fall elections. The county has until August 15 to correct the specific issues cited in the report.

Anthony Fiducia reported in The Daily Mail the Catskill Village Board last week narrowly approved a resolution to support the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Act in the wake of proposed cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Trump administration has proposed a 31 percent cut to EPA funding, a 45 percent cut in grants for water protection programs and the elimination of various regional programs. Clearwater is a nonprofit corporation that educates the public on the importance of preserving the Hudson River and its tributaries. The organization intends to deliver a message to federal officials, communicating the concerns expressed by citizens, public interest groups and municipal and state officials on the growing threats to water and federal clean water protections, according to the resolution. The measure was approved by the board on a vote of 3 to 2; trustees Heather Bagshaw and Stanley Dushane voted 'no.'

The Mid-Hudson News Network reported the Blue Hole swimming area in the western Ulster County town of Denning is at risk because of overuse due to its popularity, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The swimming hole is located in the New York City watershed, upstream of the Rondout Reservoir. In the summer of 2015, day use of the large, deep and cold swimming hole increased rapidly after media coverage extolled the spot as one of the best swimming holes in the country. Excessive use has resulted in an increase in human waste, refuse, fires and broken glass, and overuse of the parking area that often spills out onto the road. Last year, the state announced use of the Blue Hole area would be limited to daylight hours. The DEC is also encouraging Blue Hole users to check out and enjoy nearby state lands.

Daniel Zuckerman reported in The Daily Mail the Coxsackie wastewater and water treatment plants have received a clean bill of health from the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The 45-year-old wastewater plant, and the five-year-old water plant were inspected in April, and the village board was notified of the results two weeks ago, Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said. Both facilities received a satisfactory rating by the DEC. “They are [DEC inspections] are very routine,” Evans said. “They’re nothing special or out of the ordinary.”

The Daily Freeman reported Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider recently received medals for several of its ciders during the Royal Bath and West International Cider Competition in Somerset, England. Hudson Valley’s God Speed the Plough and Traditional ciders were awarded silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the traditional cider category. The Maeve’s Hudson Valley Cider received a bronze medal in the new world cider category, and The Last Blacksmith garnered a silver medal in the Bottle Fermented and Keeved Cider category. Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider, now located in Staatsburg, was founded in 1996 by cider-master Elizabeth Ryan at her original orchard, Breezy Hill, near Rhinebeck.

Emilia Teasdale reported in The Columbia Paper the Chatham Village Board has approved spending $33,000 for engineering drawings to describe the repairs needed to the roof of village hall. The motion to approve the appropriation was tabled last month, when Trustee Mike Wollowitz raised questions about the cost. Trustee Jay Rippel called the plan a “restoration not just a bandage on the roof.” Mayor Tom Curran said the proposal from the architect is involved due to the historic nature of the building. “It’s really an investment in our community,” Curran said. The building, completed in 1913, is listed on the state and national Registers of Historic Places. The mayor said once the village has the drawings for the repairs, the search for funding to support the project can begin. The village board will next meet 7 p.m., Thu., Jun. 22, at Tracy Memorial.

Amanda Purcell reported in the Register-Star Columbia County has purchased a 12-passenger van for transporting seniors age 60 and older to and from social events. Seniors unable to drive, who have no means of travel or are restricted from driving due to medical reasons can make a scheduled appointment for pickup. The county Office of the Aging said in a press release the free service is mainly intended for taking seniors shopping, to banks, pharmacies, nursing home visits, to county agencies and the county's senior nutrition sites. The program will not provide transportation to and from medical appointments. The bus was purchased with funds donated by the Board of Directors of the Hudson Home for the Aged. Information on the program is available by calling (518) 567-3677.

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced last week the New York State Board for Historic Preservation's latest additions to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The 22 properties included an Adirondack fire tower, a schoolhouse on Long Island and a historic synagogue in New York City. Local sites making the list: the Crandall Theatre in Chatham, built in 1926, as a venue for live vaudeville and the screening of motion pictures, and the Oak Hill Historic District in Durham. According to the governor's press release, the buildings and structures located in the Oak Hill Historic District provide a record of how "it evolved from a Revolutionary War-era frontier settlement in the rugged Catskill Mountain foothills into a thriving hamlet with its own manufacturing and commercial firms, hotels and religious organizations by the mid-19th century." There are more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation allows owners of the sites and historic preservation groups access to state and federal grant funds to maintain and improve the properties. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Today is Day 13 of the WGXC Radios in Motion 2017 Spring Pledge Drive. WGXC programmers, volunteers and staff must raise $20,000 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 Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the WGXC listening area from Monday afternoon through late Monday night. The National Weather Service in Albany is forecasting widespread showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds and areas of torrential rain during the afternoon and evening. The threat of heavy rainfall could continue well into the overnight hours. High near 82. Low around 63.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
TUESDAY: A chance of showers. Partly sunny. High near 81. Tuesday night, a slight chance of showers. Partly cloudy. Low around 58.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny. High near 80. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 56.

Sunrise today: 5:18 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:35 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 15:16 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the third Monday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

ATHENS Town Board meeting, 5:45 p.m. at community center, 2 First Street, Athens (945-1052).
GREENE County Legislature Alternatives to Incarceration Jail Sub-committee meeting, 4 p.m.; Economic Development and Tourism, Government Operations and Finance committee meetings, Republican and Democratic caucuses, 6 p.m. at 411 Main Street, Caucus Room, Catskill (719-3270).
GREENVILLE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at town hall, 11159 Route 32, Greenville (966-5055). NEW BALTIMORE Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 3809 Co. Route. 51, Hannacroix (756-6671).
STUYVESANT Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TAGHKANIC Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 909 Route 82, Taghkanic (851-7638).

POLITICAL EVENTS
Weekly events:
Citizen Action HV Action Night, 5:30 p.m., every Tuesday at 7 Grand Street, Kingston. Information at hudsonvalley@citizenactionny.org, or facebook.com/HVCitizenActionNY.
New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, 5 p.m., every Thursday at New Paltz Village Hall, 23 Plattekill Ave., New Paltz. Information at (845) 399-247 or newpaltzclimateaction@gmail.com.
Faso Friday, 12 p.m., every Friday at U.S. Rep. John Faso's District Office, 2 Hudson Street, Kinderhook. Information at erinpersists@gmail.com.

Jazz Funeral for Progressive Legislation in New York, 1 p.m., Jun. 21 at the State Capitol, Albany. A New Orleans Style funeral march on the last day of the legislative session to mourn the death of progressive legislation.
Community Speakout on Real News / Fake News, 2 p.m., Jun. 24 at Morris Memorial, Chatham. Scheduled to participate: Victor Navasky, former editor, The Nation; Elaine Salisbury, journalism professor, SUNY Albany; Tom Palmer, journalist, Times Union; Joel Simon, director, Committee to Protect Journalists. Moderated by Michael Singer. Sponsored by Indivisible Chatham.

Assemblyman Lopez and Congressman Faso @ The Grill'n & Chill'n BBQ cook off

— Catskill Republicans (@CatskillGOP) June 17, 2017

While his schedule noted no such appearance, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) was in Catskill for a community event Sat., June 17 according to local republicans. Catskill Republicans tweeted Saturday that Faso was attending their Catskill Grillin and Chillin Community BBQ cookout in the Bronson Street parking lot in Catskill. Faso's schedule, according to his website, only included appearances at the Meredith Dairy Fest and the Bovina Valley Farm Tour. Previous local Congressional representatives, such as Democrat Scott Murphy and Republican Chris Gibson, included their complete schedule of community events online.

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 67 and 74 degrees.

• Anthony Fiducia reports in The Daily Mail that the Catskill Village Board voted 3-2 June 14 to adopt a resolution in support of environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and against proposed federal cuts in funding for river-related projects. The current president has proposed 31 percent cuts to Environmental Protection Agency funding, a 45 percent cut to several water protection programs, elimination of the $427 million funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The resolution opposes those proposed cuts. But two Village trustees -- Stanley Dushane and Heather Bagshaw -- said they voted against the measure because Congress has not yet adopted the president's proposals. James Chewens, Vincent Seeley, and Joseph Kozloski voted for the resolution. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

• The Daily Mail included a June 14 editorial in favor of someone funding the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. "Strong currents and ice flow in the Hudson River have caused damage to the wood pilings that support the lighthouse, and the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society wants to purchase and install riprap — a loose stone foundation — to protect the pilings." Tours of the lighthouse for 2017 begin July 8, and are also held on Aug. 12, Sept. 9, and Oct. 14 with tours departing from Henry Hudson Riverfront Park in Hudson at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours depart Athens Village Riverfront Park at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. “What will happen over time is that the lighthouse’s pilings will deteriorate to a point where the lighthouse might lean and it might even fall into the river,” Society President Tom Hoffman told the newspaper. “But we’re looking at many, many years into the future before that happens.” The group needs half a million dollars to make the repairs.

Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressman for the WGXC listening area. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report.

• Richard Moody reported in The Daily Mail the billion-dollar cuts to education and key programs proposed by the Trump administration are worrying local school officials. The president's current budget proposal would slash federal support to education by $9.2 billion. But representatives in Washington, including U.S. Rep. John Faso say the plan will not pass as is. "Historically, the president proposes cuts to domestic spending but what [Trump] proposes goes beyond what is wise. Most of what the president proposes to cut will not pass," Faso said. He said the reduction in funding for Title I is unlike to go through. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides financial assistance to districts and schools with a high percentages of children from low-income families. The program is intended to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Districts throughout Greene and Columbia counties greatly rely on Title I funding. "I like that Trump wants to balance the budget in 10 years. That is fiscally responsible," Faso said. "But he is focusing his cuts on only 17 percent of the budget and that’s really what the issue is."

• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) released a statement after four people were shot June 14 during baseball practice for an annual charity game in Alexandria, Va. “Mary Fran and I are praying for the victims of today’s shooting, including Majority Whip [Steve] Scalise, congressional staff, and the brave men and women of the Capitol Police. Thank you to our law enforcement and first responders who rushed to save lives,” the statement read. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also released a statement: “I am praying for the recovery of Representative Steve Scalise, the staff, and the Capitol Police who were wounded at the horrific scene this morning. God bless the police and first responders for their bravery and for taking quick action to ensure that this tragedy wasn’t worse. Our first responders put their lives on the line for us every day. They are true heroes, and in this moment of darkness, they once again displayed what is best about our country. I hope the outcome of this tragedy will be unity, where we put our partisan differences aside and recognize that we are all here for a common purpose."

• James Nani reports at The Fray that there may be 16 months before the 19th District Congressional election, but already there are seven candidates and one endorsement. The VoteVets PAC, a Washington D.C.-based political action committee, endorsed Democrat Patrick Ryan to take on Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook). Nani scanned federal elections records and reports, "VoteVets spent $11.4 million in the 2016 election cycle. According to OpenSecrets.org, about $9.9 million of that was spent on media buys, generally supporting Democratic or opposing Republican candidates. One of its biggest donors last cycle was Majority Forward, a nonprofit that a Politico story characterized as 'a nonprofit affiliated with Democrats’ biggest Senate super PAC.'" Rick Hegdahl, veterans outreach coordinator for VoteVets, said of Ryan, “It’s important that people in the district know that Pat has never forgotten where he came from. After serving in Iraq, he went right to work, trying to better protect the men and women still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, he’s back in his Hudson Valley home, serving his community. That says a lot about the kind of extraordinary servant that Pat is, and that he will be, as a Congressman,” Hegdahl said. Actually, Ryan currently lives in Brooklyn but says he’s searching for a home in Gardiner, Accord, or Kingston, where he graduated high school. Read the full story at The Fray.

• The Fivethirtyeight.com website says Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) votes with the president's positions 91.2 percent of the time, but Patricia R. Doxsey reports in The Daily Freeman that now Faso and Donald Trump are at odds over the healthcare plan currently being secretly negotiated in a U.S. Senate chamber behind closed doors. Faso, so far, voted for a version of the bill, and even offered up his own amendment to the proposed new healthcare law. Faso has publicly stated that he believes the new healthcare plan, “lowers premiums, reduces taxes, and puts patients in charge of their own healthcare decisions instead of Washington.” The President, who at championed the bill when it passed the U.S. House, then said June 13 that the bill was “mean” during a meeting with Senate GOP leaders. Faso declined to be interviewed on the matter, but issued a statement: “I have no comment as the remark is reported anonymously and I have no basis to know whether it was said at all.” The Associated Press reported the president's remarks, which were independently confirmed by Fox News, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, and The Hill. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

• In a May 10 letter to the editor in The Daily Mail, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) wrote, "Paid phone advocates have generated calls into our offices from both inside and outside the congressional district." Former District 19 Congressperson John Hall, talking with WGXC, said June 14 that paid protesters are not calling the Congressperson. Click here to download or play Hall's comment. Hear the full interview with the pop singer with the band Orleans, and former Congressperson Hall, who performs June 16 at a fundraiser in Hudson for Triform Camphill. Faso's press representative did not get back to WGXC with a comment for this story.

Matthew Hamilton in Capitol Confidential reports that 43 percent of New York voters believe Gov. Andrew Cuomo is doing an “excellent” or “good” job. That's according to an NBC 4 New York/Marist poll released June 14. The poll reports 48 percent rate Cuomo's job as “fair” or “poor.” And currently 47 percent predict they will vote for Cuomo for another term in 2018. North of New York City, though, his numbers are not so good, with 37 percent of upstaters saying he is doing an excellent or good job, and 55 percent saying he is doing a fair or poor job. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

Thomas C. Zambito reports in The Poughkeepsie Journal that all those local hearings about new solar farms and changed regulations of small-scale solar energy generators is because New York saw 181 percent growth year-over-year in its non-residential solar power market, according to a report from a solar power trade group. Just in the first quarter of this year, another 42.2 megawatts were added in the state, enough power for 7,000 homes. New York now ranks in the top ten in solar in the U.S., the Solar Energy Industries Association report says. Several Hudson Valley town boards have enacted moratoriums on solar developments, or rewritten their regulations recently, because so many solar farms are being proposed and installed, often on agricultural land. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pushed for New York to be half powered by wind, solar, or hydro power by 2030. Read the full story in The Poughkeepsie Journal.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in The Albany Times Union that high levels of perfluorinated chemicals from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International were found at four Superfund sites in the village of Hoosick Falls. One of the four locations tested was next to the village's water treatment plant. The full results of the new groundwater testing by the companies will be revealed June 19 at a meeting at the Hoosick Falls Central School. The two corporations have promised to help clean up the contamination if they are found responsible for the PFOA pollution in Hoosick Falls water supplies. DEC officials confirmed the testing revealed, "elevated levels for PFOA in soil and groundwater, which is not entirely unexpected given their close proximity to suspected sources." Three years ago, PFOA was first discovered at the Saint-Gobain on McCaffrey Street. Read the full story in The Albany Times Union.

The Fivethirtyeight.com website says Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) votes with the president's positions 91.2 percent of the time, but Patricia R. Doxsey reports in The Daily Freeman that now Faso and Donald Trump are at odds over the healthcare plan currently being secretly negotiated in a U.S. Senate chamber behind closed doors. Faso, so far, voted for a version of the bill, and even offered up his own amendment to the proposed new healthcare law. Faso has publicly stated that he believes the new healthcare plan, “lowers premiums, reduces taxes, and puts patients in charge of their own healthcare decisions instead of Washington.” The President, who at championed the bill when it passed the U.S. House, then said June 13 that the bill was “mean” during a meeting with Senate GOP leaders. Faso declined to be interviewed on the matter, but issued a statement: “I have no comment as the remark is reported anonymously and I have no basis to know whether it was said at all.” The Associated Press reported the president's remarks, which were independently confirmed by Fox News, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, and The Hill. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.