Glens Falls Hospital is limiting access, temporarily
A press statement released yesterday says Glens Falls Hospital is limiting visits to a four-hour per day window and one visitor per patient. The new rules are temporary as COVID spikes in the country and hospitals are overwhelmed. Each inpatient may have one unique visitor per day. Visitors may not leave and return, nor can the assigned unique visitor be replaced by another visitor. Visitors must be age 18 and older. We have the rules, here.
Equity in the cannabis business
Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to establish a $200 million public-private fund and a state-run incubator to make sure cannabis licensing in the state is handled equitably. The governor outlined the potential program in her state-of-the-state address, but there is a hitch, the Albany Business Journal is reporting: the public-private partnership that generates the $200 million comes from the cannabis program itself. This means that some operators will become established and pay into the fund before the newer, smaller, less-connected companies even have access to the money.
Community Loan Fund’s leader in training
Destiny Watkins, recently named the Community Loan Fund’s new leader for training and technical assistance, helps entrepreneurs with business planning, formation, financing and other issues, a story in the Albany Business Journal says. The Community Loan Fund lends more than $2.5 million annually across 11 counties in the Capital Region, and it’s Watkins’ job to help new entrepreneurs navigate the start-up process, at a time when start-ups are growing in number, the story says. In 2020, the fund helped 800 businesses with 10% growth last year and another 10% expected this year.
State-of-the-town, Queensbury
Queensbury was awarded $839,000 in state grant money to fund projects that combat and slow climate change, Supervisor John Strough said before his state-of-the-town message Monday night, Jan. 10, the Post-Star is reporting, which will go toward a culvert replacement on Luzerne Road. A water quality improvement project—the new sewer system on Rockhurst read our coverage here—will be funded by state grants to the tune of $6 million, the story says. With the theme “2022 Going Forward, Building a Better Queensbury,” Strough said the town will work on a revision of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the Jenkinsville water troubles and the incoming cannabis industry, the story says. [Read our wall-to-wall coverage of Jenkinsville here.]
Stewart’s Shops continues expansion
Stewart's Shops is still expanding, the Times Union is reporting. The Saratoga County-based convenience store chain will likely receive permission to add gas pumps on Mohawk Avenue in Scotia. As well, the company will hold its first grand opening of the year in Colonie, the story says. Stewart’s website shows plans to open 20 new shops, including 13 renovations and 7 new shops in 2022, the story says.