Judge strikes down redistricting maps
The political maps drawn by Democrats in Albany were struck down by a Steuben County judge on Thursday, the Times Union is reporting. The process was flawed the judge said, and the state ended up with gerrymandered maps. The ruling is expected to be appealed, and that process will keep the maps in place for now. The judge told the state to redraw maps by April 11 and hold primaries no later than Aug. 23.
Contractors are sick of sick leave
A little over a year ago, New York mandated sick pay, and 94 union employees have been calling in sick each month since then, Joe Gross of Gross Electric tells the Albany Business Journal. Before the law, the number was 10. They also tend to call in sick on Monday, Fridays and near holidays, the story says. The mandate stems from a pandemic requirement, and the company owners are annoyed that the state requires it even if the contractor has a collective bargaining agreement with the employees.
Tribute concert at Putnam Place
Putnam Place will honor the father and brother of Saratoga Springs musician Ben Martin, a member of the band Thanks!, with a special concert the Daily Gazette is reporting. The two men died of COVID, and the GoFundMe campaign draw money, but friends wanted to do something more, the story says. The concert from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, will include a silent auction, raffles and performances by several local bands, the story says. Thanks! is the headliner.
Audit finds fault with Albany County DA
Hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have been paid to the state from the Albany County District Attorney’s office was withheld or misspent, according to a county audit, a story in the Times Union says. District Attorney David Soares told auditors the money recovered in criminal forfeitures went to stem violent crime at the time, and the funds were spent legally.
Jackson recalls professional life in farewell speech
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson endured discrimination as one of only a handful of Black students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1960s, she told those gathered for her farewell speech, a story in the Times Union says. The physicist persevered and became the first Black woman to receive a doctorate from MIT in any field as well as the first Black woman to lead a top-ranked research university, the story says. She has faced recent strife at the school, but, she argues, has left it better than when she came. She retires June 30.
Adirondack Mountain Club buys Cascade Cross Country Ski Center, seeks public input
The Adirondack Mountain Club will host a couple public forums to discuss the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center in Lake Placid which the club recently purchased, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise says. The club purchased the ski center in January with an aim to increase its educational capacity, reach more hikers traveling through the area, and maintain the ski and snowshoe trails for public use. The input is part of the club's planning process, the story says.