The Columbia County towns of Kinderhook, New Lebanon, Stuyvesant and Chatham all declared States of Emergency after a long downpour late Wednesday and early Thursday. Travel within those townships is restricted, and the rain returned on Friday which will cause more problems. About 40 roads in Columbia County have been closed due to flooding or other rain-related problems. The Daily Mail reports Coxsackie saw the worst of the rain in Greene County.

CAIRO - In May, The New York Civil Liberties Union decried a resolution passed by the Cairo Town Board as “chilling.” The Cairo Town Board passed a resolution April 15 to try to recover more than $13,000 in attorney fees from plaintiffs in a recent Article 78 lawsuit against the Town Ellsworth “Unk” Slater, the Cairo Township Taxpayers Association and Cairo First. The lawsuit was dismissed in March but is currently being appealed. Councilman Richard Lorenz, who offered the resolution, Councilman Raymond Suttmeier and Town Supervisor John Coyne voted for the resolution. Councilwoman Janet Schwarzenegger voted against the resolution. Councilwoman Alice Tunison abstained from the vote because she wanted to discuss the matter with Town Attorney Tal Rappleyea before making a decision. “We believe that there is no legal provision for the recovery of the fees from the plaintiffs, and efforts to recover fees from them would be illegal,” wrote Melanie Trimble, of the NYCLU.

WINDHAM - Excellent Windham radio station WRIP (97.9-FM) celebrates its 10-year anniversary in and old airport hangar that had been converted into a bowling alley.

The largest public employees union in New York, CSEA, endorsed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for Senate in the 2010 elections. "Senator Gillibrand is an important ally for CSEA members and other working people," CSEA President Danny Donohue said. "She understands the pressures that our members experience on and off the job and she has consistently worked with us.

CHATHAM - Oscar winning director Ang Lee’s new film "Taking Woodstock" premiered Thursday at the Crandall Theater in a fundraiser for the Chatham Film Club and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.