DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Tue., May 16 (9:31). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Rosa Acheson is reporting in the Register-Star U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Mon., May 15, it detained six people in the city of Hudson, Friday. The individuals were taken into custody following a targeted enforcement operation, ICE representative Khaalid H. Walls said. He refused to provide details on where the raid took place, the names and ages of the people taken or any information on how the individuals were targeted. He declined comment when asked if the individuals involved had criminal records or prior convictions. "ICE’s enforcement actions are targeted and lead-driven," Walls said in a written statement. No criminal charges are pending against any of the individuals at this time, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Michael Barnett said. Neither state or local law enforcement were involved in the raids. Walls said passing a sanctuary city measure does not make Hudson a target for immigration enforcement. "Our efforts focus on specific individuals, not jurisdictions," he said. The six individuals are now in ICE custody at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, pending deportation proceedings. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail a second-grade teacher at Edward J. Arthur Elementary School in Athens was honored Mon., May 15, with the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York’s 2017 Teacher of the Year award. The annual award recognizes a teacher with dedication to fire prevention and the safety of students and their families. Elisa Futia [FYOO-shuh] was nominated for the annual award by the Elsmere Fire District in Bethlehem, Albany County. "Her dedication, her enthusiasm, her boundless energy, her passion for teaching, particularly fire prevention and safety, is just world-class," Elsmere Fire District Commissioner Joseph M. Catalano said. Futia's husband Marc is the 2nd Assistant Fire Chief of the Elsmere district. "The more involved my husband got in the fire service, the more I saw a need to reach out and really meet the kids at the level at they’re at to help educate them," Futia said. Futia is the first teacher from the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District to win the award. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail the town of Coxsackie's plan to build a new town hall is moving forward. The village last week approved the town as lead agency for the state environmental review. And the village of Coxsackie Planning Board will meet with engineers and the construction manager this week to review the site plans for presentation to the village Board of Trustees. The $2.7 million construction project has been in development for more than a decade. The new building will be located at 56 Bailey Street, and it will house the town court, administrative offices, the highway department and serve as the highway garage, as well. Once the project is complete, all town departments will be housed in the Bailey Street building except Coxsackie Ambulance. The decision to build a new town hall and consolidate town department offices was based on cost, Town Supervisor Richard Hanse said. Hanse intends for bids for the project to go out in June, and for the building to be completed by early summer, 2018. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Bethany Bump is reporting in the Times Union residents statewide go the polls Tue., May 16, to vote on school district budgets for the 2017-18 school year and to elect members of local school boards. Although school budgets have a significant impact on a property owner's tax bill, turnout is typically low for these votes. In the Capital Region, districts are proposing an average 1.7 percent increase to the local tax levy. In Columbia and Greene counties, the average increase is slightly lower, at 1.6 percent. The tax fluctuations vary from a 2.91 percent levy increase in the Hudson City School District, to a 1.18 percent cut in the New Lebanon Central School District. In the Capital Region, four districts are proposing tax cuts, from 11 percent in the Rensselaer city district, to a .5 [point five] percent decrease in the Berne Knox-Westerlo district. In the four-county area that makes up the Capital Region, 35 out of 41 districts want to raise taxes. Locally, there are contested board races in the Catskill, Hunter-Tannersville, Ichabod Crane and Taconic Hills districts. The Cairo-Durham, Germantown and New Lebanon board elections have more open seats than candidates, guaranteeing a write-in contender win. Most polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper the mayors of Kinderhook and Valatie traveled to Albany to learn more about the new state law that directs municipalities to find ways to share services. Under the legislation local municipalities are required to create a plan for saving property taxes, and to establish a committee or panel to review shared services. Kinderhook Mayor Jim Dunham said he assumed Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Morrell would be responsible for the plan, along with local mayors and supervisors on the panel, according to the letter he received from the state Conference of Mayors. Valatie Mayor Diane Argyle said she thought the party responsible would be county Controller/Auditor Ron Caponera. The panel, or committee, is expected to find ways to save money through the elimination of duplicative services, shared services, reduction of administrative overhead and better coordination of services. In addition to participants from county, city, town and village governments, local school districts are also expected to be offered a seat on the panel. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Rosa Schneider is reporting in the Altamont Enterprise D&W Farm and Animal Rescue in Berne, Albany County, has been shut down and its owner accused of animal cruelty. Horses, goats, sheep and pigs were taken away following an investigation, which alleged the animals were living without food, water or adequate shelter at D&W. Authorities charged rescue shelter owner Linda Mellin with eight counts of failure to provide sustenance, all misdemeanors. The Albany County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant after an anonymous tip to News Channel 13 reported there were animals living in substandard conditions at the property located on Sickle Hill Road. Should Mellin not be able to keep her animals following adjudication, the animals will be put up for adoption, officials said. Read the full story in the Altamont Enterprise.

Robert Downen is reporting in the Times Union manufacturing activity in the state of New York fell this month to its lowest level since October, falling far short of expectations, the New York Federal Reserve said Mon., May 15. The monthly Empire State Manufacturing Survey dropped to minus 1 in May, the first negative reading under President Donald Trump. New orders decreased by more than 11 points, to minus four point four, and unfilled orders fell 16 points, to minus three point seven. Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told the Associated Press the decline was "disappointing, but not disastrous." The poor readings followed six months of strong growth, believed to have been connected to warmer seasonal weather and other global market changes. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Local weather forecast:
TODAY: Increasing clouds. High near 74. Tuesday night, a slight chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy. Low around 52.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 68. Wednesday night, partly cloudy. Low around 65.
THURSDAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 90. Thursday night, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m., then a slight chance of rain after 2 a.m. Partly cloudy. Low around 66.

Sunrise today: 5:32 a.m.
Sunset today: 8:11 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 14:39 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.

COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Insurance Committee meeting, 1 p.m.; .1 [point one] Committee meeting, 3 p.m.; Health and Human Services Committee meeting, 4 p.m. at 401 State St., Hudson (828-1527).
DURHAM Town Board meeting, 7:30 p.m. at Town Building, 7309 State Rt. 81, East Durham (239-8260).
GREENE County Community Services Board meeting, 4 p.m. at Greene County Mental Health Center, Room 222, 905 County Road 80, Cairo (622-9163).
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).
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 event:
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.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Monday, May 15 (4:35). (Produced by Neva Wartell.)