WAMC Northeast Report on WAMC

The New York State Public Service Commission has approved the construction of a large power plant in Dutchess County.  It was the last of the major approvals needed, though there are still some issues on the local level to work out before the shovels can hit the ground.

School districts across New York are pulling out all the stops as they struggle to delay anticipated fiscal insolvencies. Embattled districts are considering mergers in order to continue to provide quality education.

Voters in Central New York have approved combining the neighboring Ilion and Mohawk districts. Ilion superintendent Cosimo Tangorra points out that his district had been disenfranchised by the state aid formula for a number of years.

Your afternoon regional weather summary with meteorologist Garett Argianas.

In President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, he talked a bit about the budget, and the need to reduce the deficit. He referenced a series of federal budget cuts set to go into effect in a few weeks.

Farmers and agricultural advocates are rallying behind a piece of legislation that promises to expand the potential for local meat and poultry processing in Massachusetts.

Last week a sports writer visited campus to talk with students. Before the big presentation, a student asked him what he thought about Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer who recently announced he is gay, the first and only professional boxer to do so. And the writer simply said this issue is going to be the Jackie Robinson of this generation. The handful of 20 year olds sitting around the table got what he meant, maybe even more than 70 year olds that lived through baseball’s integration.

Your afternoon regional weather summary with meteorologist Garett Argianas.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed closing two correctional facilities. One is in the Hudson Valley, and it’s the state’s only minimum security prison for women. And now there is concern about what will happen to the programs available to these women.

Public hearings on the future regulation of medical marijuana in Massachusetts will be held this month, but as a deadline approaches, some are concerned that the state’s final regulations may come later than expected.

Beginning Wednesday evening, state officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will hold a series of public listening sessions before the implementation of medical marijuana regulations.