Midday Magazine on WAMC

One result of this year’s redistricting process in New York is a new Senate district comprised of parts of the Capital Region and Hudson Valley. WAMC’s Ian Pickus spoke with Monica Arias Miranda, who is running in this month’s Democratic primary.

Miranda is running for the Democratic nomination for the new 46th Senate seat. There are three Democrats in the race vying for the right to face Republican Assemblyman George Amedore. A Costa Rican immigrant, Miranda is the founder of The Hispanic Coalition of New York.

We take a listen to what you had to say this week on the WAMC Listener Comment Line. 

When some students go to college this fall, they will do so at a campus surrounded by farms and fields. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with colleges in rural areas, providing funding to keep them up to date and competitive with larger, urban-based institutions. U.S.D.A. Deputy Undersecretary Doug O’Brien was at Fulton-Montgomery Community College in the town of Johnstown yesterday to dedicate a new residence hall at the school, Raiders Hall. It was built with the help of 11-point three million dollars from the U.S.D.A.

Lucretius, Roman poet, was born around  99 BCE.

 Sometimes people are remembered for one thing – and with Lucretius it was his  long poem “De Rerum Natura” -- “on natural things”.

  The city of Springfield finds itself the center  of intense competition for the lone casino license that will be issued in western Massachusetts.  Questions are being raised about the  casino selection process city officials are about to undertake.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports

Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick has released all five members of the state transportation board. The board will be restructured in September, but the move is sparking some controversy. WAMC’s Lucas Willard filed a report…

One year after Tropical Storm Irene, repair crews remain busy in Greene County New York, where the reconstruction is expected to cost as much as $15 million on roads, bridges and culverts. For an update, WAMC’s Brian Shields spoke with Gary Harvey, the superintendent of the Greene County Highway Department.

With the school year starting for students across New York State in the coming weeks, there are several new programs being implemented. WAMC's Brian Shields spoke with Tim Kremer of the New York State School Boards Association about the new policies, including teacher evaluations and anti-bullying programs.

A new solar installation at the University of Vermont is targeting not only powering part of the campus, but enhancing Vermont’s statewide agriculture sector.

Republicans will end their national convention in Tampa tonight with a speech by their presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The polls suggest that New York is well out of play for Romney, with the Obama-Biden ticket holding a strong lead in one of the bluest of blue states. Still it’s been a busy few days for the New York delegation in Tampa. WAMC’s Brian Shields spoke this morning with Jimmy Vielkind of the Albany Times Union, who is covering the Republican National Convention.