Lucas Willard

Troy could be getting a financial boost. Word came this week that the Rensselaer County city would receive funding after several steps to share services and lower costs were approved by the state. Meanwhile, inaction during the state legislative session threatens tax revenues.

The Rensselaer County Village of Hoosick Falls, already dealing with a State Superfund site contaminated with the chemical PFOA, may soon add other locations to the list.

An upstate New York company has relocated from an iconic Albany building to a brand new logistics hub in Saratoga County. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports the company plans to bring more jobs to the region.

The Saratoga Springs city council has decided to take more time to consider a proposal to that would allow for more affordable housing to be built within the city. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports bankers and builders are taking issue with the plan.

The Rensselaer County village of Hoosick Falls has hired a renowned environmental attorney for representation as it negotiates with the companies deemed responsible for polluting water supplies. Meantime, efforts to study the chemical PFOA in New York and southern Vermont has gotten a boost from a federal grant.

Bennington College has been awarded a $300,000 grant to continue its studies of PFOA, the chemical that has affected water supplies in Southern Vermont and upstate New York.

A fifth grade teacher from Saratoga Springs is accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student.

North Broadway in Saratoga Springs has been turned into the set of a new fairy tale TV show. A series based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Snow-White and Rose-Red” is being produced by a team of local actors and crew members and is scheduled to be released this December on Amazon Prime.

The Hyde Collection, an art museum in Glens Falls, New York, has expanded to accommodate the collection of a Schenectady architect. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports the new gallery is dedicated to modern art.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott recently signed legislation aimed at holding polluters accountable for contaminating water supplies with the chemical PFOA. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports the bill may give the state a significant amount of leverage as it negotiates on behalf of people in the Bennington area.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has extended the public comment period for its recently released five-year review of the Hudson River Superfund cleanup project.

The New York Racing Association has a new board of directors as the organization is released from state control to a private non-profit.

The New York State Department of Health this week released the results of a cancer study in Hoosick Falls.

The Rensselaer County village’s water sources were contaminated with the chemical PFOA, which has been linked to various forms of cancers.

Members of the Saratoga Springs faith community are seeking to provide sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. Their announcement comes just after federal immigration officials arrested 16 people in the Spa City.

A man who crashed a motorboat into a wooden vessel on Lake George last summer, killing a young girl and injuring her mother, has been sentenced.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the former owners of a shuttered baby food factory in the Mohawk Valley to clean up the site. But the former owners say it’s not their problem.

Two Congressman representing two centers of horse racing, upstate New York and Kentucky, have re-introduced a bill intended to improve the sport of kings with new anti-doping requirements.

Democratic Congressional representatives from districts surrounding the Hudson River have written to federal authorities asking for an expanded assessment of the river. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports the letter comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to soon release a second five-year review of the massive Superfund cleanup.

Members of the New York state Senate met with community leaders in the Mohawk Valley region Wednesday to get more information on the battle against heroin and opioid addiction.

The town of Clifton Park in southern Saratoga County has taken steps to keep cigarette butts and smoking out of public parks and trails.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, students, scientists, state and local officials, and area residents are exploring the ins and outs of the PFOA contamination of water supplies in Hoosick Falls, New York, and Bennington, Vermont.

Neighbors of a proposed development project on Saratoga Lake have environmental concerns. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports the local municipality is taking steps to prevent clear-cutting.

Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen has announced that she will not run for a third term. Without citing specifics, the Democrat — who was first elected in 2013 — said Friday she would pursue new opportunities after leaving office. Yepsen said she is backing Deputy Mayor Meg Kelly to succeed her. She spoke with WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard on Friday afternoon.

Former Saratoga Springs City Center President Mark Baker recently announced his candidacy on the Republican ticket. In response to Friday's news, Baker said he was not totally surprised by Yepsen’s announcement. Baker said Yepsen did not have a strong commitment to run after Baker announced his candidacy. 

In July 2014, the prison atop Mount McGregor in Saratoga County closed after nearly four decades in operation. Now, the state of New York is looking to sell the property. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports a request for proposals expires at the end of the month.