Dave Lucas

This week, many of the nation's leaders in STEM education are heading for Mt. Kisco-based company "It’s About Time"... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports

The New York Attorney General's office has sent letters to 10 upstate counties telling them to accommodate Spanish-speaking voters from Puerto Rico as required by federal law. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief  Dave Lucas reports

According to the Associated Press, Rockland, Ulster and Montgomery counties are among 10 Upstate counties that were "warned" by the A-G's office to ensure Spanish-speaking  citizens from Puerto Rico can cast votes.

Albany Medical College has received a five-year, $10.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. WAMC's Dave Lucas has details.

Controversy continues in the wake of the TCI chemical fire early this month in West Ghent. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas has the latest...

Many residents in the vicinity of the burned out TCI facility believe the system of checks and balances failed - and they're looking to government leaders for reassurance - within a day or two after the fire questions were being raised about the way locals were notified about the inferno and the possible contamination dangers from any residue after it was extinguished.

A transportation board has approved a plan to build a new Tappan Zee Bridge. WAMC's Dave Lucas has more.



The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council approved the project on Monday.

The county executives of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam said previously they would vote in favor of the project.

Their vote was crucial for the project to qualify for federal funds.

Under the current plan, the bridge will have a dedicated bus lane during rush hours.

The New York Attorney General's office has sent letters to 10 upstate counties telling them to accommodate Spanish-speaking voters from Puerto Rico as required by federal law. WAMC's Dave Lucas reports



Letters sent this month by Civil Rights Bureau Chief Kristen Clarke to the counties' election commissioners note the Voting Rights Act requires jurisdictions with significant numbers of Puerto Rican residents with limited English to ensure they can vote.

New job numbers released by the New York State Labor Department are fueling some optimism - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports...


The figures show private-sector employment in the Hudson Valley increased by 16-thousand 500, or 2.2 percent, to 761-thousand-900 during the 12-month period ending July 2012.

The Putnam-Rockland-Westchester metro area experienced the greatest job growth at 3.1 percent. That area ranked third of the 14 New York state metro areas rated by the state Department of Labor.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Joe Lhota visited Dutchess County this week on a "goodwill mission" of sorts - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports:

The MTA owns the Metro-North Railroad which operates the Hudson and Harlem lines in Dutchess County. Joe Lhota  told a crowd of about 200 business people at a County Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast that "It's a new day at the MTA."

The cherished autumn tradition of Apple Picking is off to an early start in the Northeast as growers deal with aftershocks from wacky spring weather that hammered fruit crops - three state Assemblymen are calling  for a special session of the Legislature to pass a tax relief bill for New York’s apple farmers.

Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports

A new law aimed at reducing unwanted telemarketing authorizes New York to regulate companies licensed elsewhere that do calling business here. WAMC's Dave Lucas reports.

They will have to file proof of their other licensing or registration with New York's secretary of state.

The measure signed Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo also prohibits prerecorded calls unless recipients consent, requiring an opt-out provision in the message.

He says the unwanted calls are "intrusive and irritating."

The law takes effect in 90 days.