WAMC Northeast Report

New York’s senior U.S. Senator was in the North Country Friday.  During a stop in Peru, south of Plattsburgh, he met with local business owners to discuss what he says is the need for more federal pandemic relief.

University at Albany officials led a campus tour Friday to demonstrate how they plan to keep the community healthy and safe from COVID-19 this fall.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Friday, August 21, 2020.

New York’s single-use plastic bag ban has been upheld in a State Supreme Court ruling, and will now take effect in September. 

The Massachusetts Audubon Society says it’s closing in on the final pieces of a more than $1 million capital campaign. One of the projects to be funded by the campaign is a major expansion to the 18th Century program barn at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox. WAMC spoke with Mass Audubon West Director Becky Cushing about how the project will expand the group’s mission to spread natural and environmental education in the region.

New York will immediately allow all voters in the state to request a mail-in ballot for the November elections. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed bills into law Thursday that, among other things, allow all eligible voters to cite the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason to vote absentee.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Thursday, August 20, 2020.

As the long-serving police chief of Great Barrington, Massachusetts prepares to step down, the town is forming a committee to select his replacement.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says the rate of positive coronavirus tests  was below 1% for the twelfth day in New York. But he says it’s not time to be complacent, and predicts there could be worse to come this fall.

Cohoes, New York has a new police chief for the first time in 27 years. 

Democratic Congressman Richard Neal of the 1st House district visited Pittsfield, Massachusetts as part of a party-wide effort to emphasize the importance of the post office Tuesday.

        The overall crime rate is said to be down a bit this year in the largest city in western Massachusetts, but complaints about quality of life offenses are up.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks with WAMC's Alan Chartock on Northeast Report Aug. 19, 2020.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

The Board of Directors of Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, New York, has chosen a new president. Sean Fadale is set to take over for current President and CEO Laurence Kelly on October 5. 

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Tuesday, August 18, 2020.

    Over 1 million Massachusetts voters have applied to vote by mail in the September 1st primaries.

New York’s two U.S. Senators were in Troy today, pushing for public support for the postal service. The Democrats are calling for swift approval of emergency pandemic relief funding as the House prepares to bar the USPS from cutting services.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks with WAMC's Alan Chartock on Northeast Report on Aug. 17, 2020.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Monday, August 17, 2020.

   Just a few weeks after sounding an alarm about rising COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, government officials and health experts in Springfield say the virus trends are positive in the state’s third-largest city. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo says gyms in New York can reopen as early as August 24, but must operate at one third of their regular capacity.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Friday, August 14, 2020.

     It took environmental activists years to get a plastic bag ban on the books in the largest city in western Massachusetts.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says bowling alleys can reopen in New York, beginning Monday and the Democrat says he will issue guidelines to allow gyms to reopen in the near future.  

The Vermont Health Department says a June outbreak of COVID-19 in Winooski and Burlington is over. Vermont’s Health Commissioner says help from immigrant and New American advocacy organizations was key to containing the virus.

The rate of transmission of the coronavirus in New York state remains low and all regions of the state have been in phase four, the final phase of reopening, for at least a month. But some industries have been left out of those plans and remain closed. Owners of gyms, movie theaters, bowling alleys and other indoor based businesses held a news conference to ask why they aren’t allowed to reopen.