Mayor Rich Straut in a Feb. 9 letter to Governor Kathy Hochul asked that “Norfolk Southern be added to the State of New York’s list of non-responsible, debarred, or otherwise ineligible contractors, and precluded from applying for future grants of New York State taxpayer dollars.”
The town of Berne had removed the case to federal court but, on Dec. 11, 2025, in a nine-page decision, U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci remanded the case to the Supreme Court of New York, Albany County and also ordered that fees and costs — which total about $11,000 — be covered by the town.
The problem faced by the town was one of both tight and blown deadlines.
The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.
