Omicron messing with the economy
The Wall Street Journal this morning says the Omicron COVID variant is creating uncertainty in the markets, hence the crazy swings, but perhaps more importantly, inflation, because of this remains a threat. The fed may need to tap the breaks by raising interest rates. That will slow an economy just starting to move and it may exacerbate supply chain issues, the story says. None of this is good news. The paper's other top story says the economic pressure will be bad, but not terrible, turning what could be an economic boom into a “boomlet,” that story says. The real question in both stories hinges on the severity of the Omicron variant and how strongly governments react to it.
Not enough firefighters in Saratoga Springs
The Saratoga Springs firefighters union says it needs more staffing to handle the unprecedented number of emergency calls, the Daily Gazette is reporting. The roster of 54 should be boosted to 60, the union said, as shifts often miss the 12-firefighter minimum. The budget adopted earlier this month calls for hiring four full-time firefighters, the story says.
Warren County elections certified
A story in the Post-Star runs down the official wins across Warren County, based on the certified elections results. In Lake Luzerne some uncounted write-in ballots gave Gene Merlino the win, with almost the exact same number of votes he won when on the ballot two years ago. In Fort Edward the incumbent who stepped down in July, too late to be removed from the ballot, nearly won. He lost to write-in candidate Tim Fisher, by just 21 votes.
Revolution Rail still pedals the tracks
The Warren County Public Works Committee says the county board should renew its contract with Revolution Rail to run pedal-powered rides on the former train tracks, the Post-Star says. The company will pay the county $40,000, up from $35,000 for the privilege. Wild Waters Outdoor Center wanted to join in using an unused section of track to offer both rail bike rides and river rafting, but Revolution pushed back, saying it was looking to extend some of its runs and hoped not to have brand confusion on the line.
Crushing weight of aluminum cans
Small-time brewers who use aluminum cans may find the pandemic-supply-chain problems have left them behind. Ball Corporation, a global player in the aluminum container industry, will require all clients to buy five times more cans than they used to if they plan to stay on Ball’s roster of clients, the Times-Union is reporting. And the price is going up Jan. 1. The expectation is that this will hit the smaller craft-brewing industry hardest.
Tiny Tannersville wins big
The Village of Tannersville in Greene County won a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from the state, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. The grants are used to update infrastructure and make other improvements to spur economic activity; some of the money will go toward affordable housing projects. Tannersville has just five miles of roads, so the mayor of the small town is thrilled, the story says. The town, which has rebuilt itself recently as a Catskills tourist destination, has 1,000 year-round residents.