Midday Magazine on WAMC

       Casino operators are promising thousands of jobs will be created when a resort casino project comes to western Massachusetts.  Labor leaders are working to guarantee construction jobs go only to union workers. A civil rights leader is seeking assurances that jobs will be plentiful for people of color. WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

Four new colonies of invasive Asian clams have been found in Lake George.

Just after Labor Day a volunteer group organized by the Lake George Park Commission began surveying areas of high risk for further spread of Asian Clams in Lake George, including boat launch areas and sandy, shallow areas.  Lake George Waterkeeper Chris Navitsky says they are surveying between 140 and 150 areas of the lake.

Thursday was primary day across New York State - Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas has a wrap-up of election results.

For one of the most-watched upstate races, Thursday’s primary voting marked the conclusion of a bitter campaign for the Democratic nomination for Albany County District Attorney. The battle raged on in mainstream media and thru blogs and social networks, where there was intense debate ... and quite a bit of old-fashioned mudslinging... in the end DA David Soares thanked his staff for standing by him during the campaign.

The Vermont Veterans Home located in Bennington is facing millions of dollars in federal funding cuts if changes are not made to remedy certain deficiencies. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

A security lieutenant at the Indian Point nuclear power complex has filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit in state Supreme Court, claiming the facility is unsecure, and that staffers regularly watch DVDs, play video games and sleep on the job. The suit also claims the plant routinely fails anti-terrorism drills. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

If you are so inclined, and your legs are up to it, you could bicycle all the way from lower Manhattan to Albany with the help of a new booklet that outlines the routes and the points of interest along the way. The booklet, Cycling the Hudson Valley - A Guide to History, Art and Nature on the East and West Sides of the Majestic Hudson River, is published by Parks and Trails New York. Martin Daley is the organization’s project manager. He spoke with WAMC’s Brian Shields.

A rural New York State county is considering crafting a residency law after several sex offenders were found to be living near area schools.

At the beginning of this school year, Essex County Sheriff Richard Cutting sent a notice to area superintendents advising them to check the Sex Offender Registry.  In the process, the county discovered 11 sex offenders living near schools and other youth facilities.  Sheriff Cutting says that’s a very serious concern.

Months after an adult learning center was shut down in Berkshire County after being denied funding by Massachusetts education officials, the Southern portion of the county is still without a program to provide for the area’s education needs. WAMC’s Berkshire Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports…

       Hampshire County Massachusetts is marking the  350th anniversary of its founding this year. Later this week people will have an opportunity to view rare old documents that highlight some of the early history of the region.  There is a grand celebration planned for this Friday in Northampton. WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Todd Ford, the executive director of the Hampshire Council of Governments.

The polls don’t indicate it and my colleagues don’t believe it, but I think there are many reasons to assume Mitt Romney will be the next President of the United States. For one thing, the Romney candidacy is less significant than what is emerging as a referendum on the Obama presidency. President Obama has gone negative attempting to point out why voters should not support Romney, but he has not provided a narrative for his own support. In fact, with an approval rating of 47 percent he is losing the pro Obama constituents.