DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Fri., Mar. 24 (8:03). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Nick Olivari is reporting in the Register-Star Richmor Aviation will renew its lease with Columbia County. The company offers luxury jet charter, jet management, and jet maintenance services, and oversees operations at the Columbia County Airport in Ghent. It offers full-service Fixed Base Operations in Schenectady and Kingston, as well. The existing lease with the county will expire at midnight, Sept. 30. The initial 10-year agreement signed by the county and Richmor in October 2007, permitted two additional five-year renewals. Company CEO Mahlon W. Richards told the Register-Star the renewal notice had been mailed to the county. He said effective October 1, the fuel flowage fee paid to the county would increase from 8 to 12 cents per gallon. Under the terms of the original agreement, the rent was to rise 4 percent a year or at the consumer price index up to 5 percent, whichever is less. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

Rosa Acheson is reporting in the Register-Star proprietors of hotels and Airbnbs in Hudson will now pay a 4 percent city lodging tax. The Hudson Common Council unanimously voted in favor of the new levy at a meeting Tue., Mar. 21. "This is a completely new revenue stream that strengthens our financial picture," Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton said. The law, mandating that all short-term lodging establishments pay a 4 percent tax on their gross receipts, goes into effect June 1. Hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, motels, Airbnb and VRBO, among others, are all included under the legislation. A portion of the tax collected will be set aside for use by a soon-to-be-established tourism board, Hamilton said. The remaining funds will go into the city’s general fund. The city will now communicate with local business owners, explaining how to proceed. A public hearing on the new law will be held at 4 p.m. April 4 at City Hall. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

J'nelle Agee is reporting for Spectrum News protesters gathered outside of U.S. Rep. John Faso's Kingston office Thu., Mar. 23, calling on the Kinderhook Republican to vote against the American Health Care Act. "Health care is a right; it's not for the privileged," said one demonstrator. The residents said Faso was not concerned about the welfare of his constituents. "People have been trying to call, people have been trying to email. He's picking and choosing who he'll listen too,” said Susan Rogers. “How can he build consensus and find out how to represent us if he won't even hear us?" Faso said this week he would vote for the GOP health care bill. The Hill reported Thu., Mar. 23, that GOP centrists in the House were backing away from their party's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Faso told the Capitol Hill newspaper and website he was irritated with the idea of removing the minimum insurance requirements from the bill, after leaving a meeting early Thursday. Asked if removing those requirements changed his position, Faso said after a pause: "I'm not enthusiastic about that." Faso has refused to town hall meetings at home in the 19th Congressional District, claiming they are not productive. Protesters told Spectrum they plan to host rallies outside of the congressman's office every Friday.

Bethany Bump reports in The Albany Times Union that state testing in grades 3-8 starts next week for the fourth year. State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia predicts there will be fewer parents keeping their children home this year. "I think that the temperature is basically calming," she said. "So here's my prediction: I think we're going to go down." The number of "opt outs" on the testing has grown every year, with an estimated 250,000 test refusals in 2016. The tests on math, reading, and writing take place at schools March 28-30. Read the full story in The Albany Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that February employment figures from the state department of Labor released March 23 show hiring in Greene and Columbia counties. Greene gained 400 nonfarm jobs, or 2.7 percent, in Feb. 2017 over the same month the year before. Columbia County gained 200 jobs, or 0.9 percent. The Dutchess-Putnam Metropolitan Division was the only are locally with bad numbers, as nonfarm jobs fell by 200, or 0.1 percent since the previous February. Ulster County added 600 nonfarm jobs, or a gain of one percent. Statewide, the unemployment rate in February 2017 was 4.4 percent, down from 4.6 percent in January, and down from 4.9 percent in February 2016. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Rachel Yonkunas at News10 Albany reports that "Daddy’s Home 2," which stars Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, and Mel Gibson, is filming this week in Great Barrington. The movie is shooting "a log cabin in a ski town" in the Massachusetts town. The movie is scheduled for a November release. See the full story at the News10 Albany website.

Governor Cuomo sends out list of hospitals in @RepJohnFaso's #NY19 district that would be "severely impacted w/ enormous cuts in funding." pic.twitter.com/cLSOy08HOT

— New York NOW (@NYNOW_PBS) March 22, 2017

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Rep. John Faso have continued a war of words on Twitter all week, after Faso and other New York Republicans signed on for an amendment shifting Medicaid costs from New York counties to the state. Cuomo says the Republican healthcare plan, or Trumpcare, will cost Columbia-Greene Memorial Hostpital $2,444,439. Faso, meanwhile, tweets that Greene County homeowners will save $307 on property taxes under the plan, and Columbia County homeowners will save $361 each. Cuomo tweets that 2.7 million New Yorkers will lose coverage, and the state will lose $6.9 billion in funding. Faso has also tweaked Cuomo on Twitter about several subjects not related to his job in Washington D.C., including the re-upping of the millionaire's tax in Albany, and a New York state rebate for electric vehicles.

https://t.co/FW7tyEMy2U pic.twitter.com/1vwBDMRYGS

— John Faso (@RepJohnFaso) March 22, 2017

Local weather forecast:

TODAY: The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Winter Storm Advisory until 2 p.m. Snow will overspread the region, then quickly transition to sleet and freezing rain by late morning. Temperatures will continue to rise above freezing in the early afternoon, changing the mixed precipitation to plain rain. High near 44. Friday night, a chance of rain before 9 p.m., then a chance of drizzle between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., then a slight chance of rain after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 38.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
SATURDAY: A chance of rain. Cloudy. High near 49. Saturday night, rain likely before 2 a.m., then a chance of rain and sleet. Cloudy. Low around 33.
SUNDAY: A chance of rain. Cloudy. High near 43. Sunday night, rain likely. Cloudy. Low around 35.

Sunrise today: 6:49 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:13 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 12:23 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the fourth Friday of the month.

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

HUDSON Historic Preservation Commission meeting, 10 a.m., at City Hall, 520 Warren Street, Hudson (828-1030).

POLITICAL EVENTS
Repealing and Replacing the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, 10 a.m., Mar. 25, 360 Warren St., Hudson. Free, open meeting to outline the health insurance delivery system.
BLACK STORIES MATTER Live, 7:30 p.m., Mar. 25 at Pointe of Praise Church, Kingston. Free admission. Performance featuring true stories from people of color about the experience of being black in America.
Stop the NORTHERN ACCESS PIPELINE Rally, 12 p.m., Mar. 27 at DEC Building, 625 Broadway, Albany.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Thu., Mar. 23 (8:42). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greene County Legislature is seeking $46 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to finance the construction of the proposed county jail. A resolution was approved at a meeting of the full legislature, Mon., Mar. 20. If awarded, the USDA funds would be used to pay off construction loans and help relieve the debt incurred as a result of the project over a 30-year period. The federal loan would carry an interest rate of 2.75 percent, but not be available to the county until after the project is completed. Construction loans and general obligation bonds will be sought to pay the contractors involved with the project, Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said. “It’s not unusual for federal grants to be reimbursement grants,” Groden said. “Think of it as a mortgage — a 30-year mortgage.” Groden said a vote on the bond resolution remains before the entire project is approved. A super majority of the legislature, or 10 votes, will be required for the project to move forward. The $46 million sought from the USDA is the current estimated cost of the new facility, $8 million less than a previous rough calculation. The ultimate size and cost of the new jail continues to be a point of disagreement among elected officials. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Rosa Acheson is reporting in the Register-Star two youth-focused recovery, health and wellness facilities will open in Catskill and Hudson next month. The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties has announced the two clubhouses will provide a "supportive, alcohol and drug-free environment" for those between the ages of 12 and 21 in recovery or at risk of addiction. The programs will be located at 455 Main Street in Catskill and at 802 Columbia Street in Hudson. "The goal is to assist youth in developing lifelong skills to live a life free of alcohol and substance abuse," Youth Clubhouses Director Kai Hillman said. "Every kid is pretty much at risk for substance abuse. Drugs and alcohol … it doesn’t discriminate between poor, rich — it’s everywhere." Hillman said the program does not offer treatment, but does provide a place for youth to interact with each other. The clubhouses will be open Thursday through Sunday on a drop-in basis to start, Hillman said. Transportation options for kids living outside of Catskill and Hudson are also being discussed, he said. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

More than half a million residents of upstate New York will lose their healthcare coverage if the GOP health care bill is approved, according to the Protect Our Care coalition. In a statement released Wed., Mar. 22, the coalition warned that the provisions of the bill -- including massive cuts to Medicaid, increased costs and weakened coverage protections for older and low-income people, combined with tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans -- would result in nearly 66,000 of U.S. Rep. John Faso's constituents in the 19th Congressional District losing their health care coverage. “If members of the House and Senate really care about the health and financial security of their constituents they would vote no on any bill that raises health care costs and cuts coverage,” said Leslie Dach, the coalition's campaign director. The group called on New York's GOP Congressmen to "be honest with their constituents and admit they’re voting to strip them of their healthcare." Protect Our Care is a political coalition formed in 2016 to block the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Membership includes the Center for American Progress, Doctors for America, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, National Urban League, the National Women’s Law Center and SEIU. 

Rosa Acheson is reporting in the Register-Star Hudson is now a sanctuary city, following a vote by Common Council, Tue., Mar. 21. The approved resolution affirms a commitment to provide local government services regardless of immigration status. The measure passed on a vote of 10 to 1; Common Council President Claudia DeStefano cast the lone dissenting vote. The police department will now develop policies and procedures consistent with the order. However, Chief L. Edward Moore expressed some unease with the idea in a letter to Council prior to the vote on Monday, citing concerns around complying with federal law and the loss of federal funding. Moore wrote, "...I pledge that our department will perform as we have demonstrated over many years. We have no interest in becoming immigration officers or conducting unlawful interrogations of our residents. My opinion should not be interpreted as a resistance to the public will." However, Moore wrote, any order or resolution directing that a police officer be "less than fully cooperative with another police agency runs antithetical to our standard practices and sensibilities as a law enforcement agency." Read the full story in the Register-Star.

William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman an aide to Republican U.S. Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) observed March 21 as 150 gathered at the Ulster County Office Building in Kingston to discuss health care. Faso has already indicated he will vote for the American Health Care Act, or Trumpcare. Ulster County Executive Michael Hein organized the event and said, “There have been over 50 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act over six years to do precisely that. If you were tasked with doing that you think, at the end of the day, you might have the most perfect, well-thought-out plan you have ever seen. ... But, instead, what we have is a Frankenstein plan that is being assembled at the last minute to buy votes and rushed to meet some sort of artificial deadline.” Faso’s district Director Ryan McAllister sat in the front row and heard a lot of boos for his boss. “Whatever he’s paying you, it’s not enough to sit here and take this,” New Paltz resident Maureen Ford said. “Don’t take this personally, but my question is how much money will it take ... before he will show up at a town hall meeting?” Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Another example of unnecessary spending from Albany. https://t.co/6waUaerPJo

— John Faso (@RepJohnFaso) March 21, 2017

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $70 million electric car rebate program March 21. "Reducing vehicle emissions is a critical part of this administration’s efforts to fight climate change and reduce New York’s carbon footprint,” Governor Cuomo said. "These highly-anticipated rebates will make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible and support this state’s nation-leading efforts to build a cleaner, greener New York for generations to come." In a continuing Twitter war between the two politicians, Congressperson John Faso (R-Kinderhook) criticized Cuomo in a tweet about the program, writing, "Another example of unnecessary spending from Albany." Cuomo and Faso have had a war of words after Faso co-sponsored an amendment earlier this week to the Republican healthcare plan that would shift more costs to states.