Karrie Allen is reporting in the Chatham Courier Gary Flaherty, executive director of the Columbia County Veteran’s Service Department, will be back before the New Lebanon Board of Education this week with a request that the district opt in for the Alternative Veterans' Exemption. This will be Flaherty's third appeal in as many years. This time around he will not only make an appeal for the alternative exemption, he will ask the board to approve the Cold War Veterans' Exemption, as well. Among 11 school local districts, including five out-of-county school districts that collect taxes from Columbia County residents, New Lebanon is the only district that has not opted in. To include the exemptions on the 2017-18 school tax bills, the district will need to hold a public hearing and adopt the exemptions before March 1. Flaherty will make his presentation to the New Lebanon Board of Education, 7 p.m., Wed., Jan. 25. Read the full story in the Chatham Courier.