“Albany County departments provide many of the services LEAD uses and this money is a game-changer during a financially challenging time and one in which mental health and addiction issues have increased,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an expansion of food stamps, now called SNAP, to nearly 75,000 low-income college students who are enrolled in career or technical education courses.

The White House responded today to yesterday’s request from the National Governors Association to meet with the president for “guidance and clarification” on the role states will play in distributing COVID-19 vaccines, once available.

Albany County continues to have an uptick in COVID-19 cases as Governor Andrew Cuomo looks ahead to distributing vaccines, requesting a meeting with the president.

Marcy Forti, Knox

Freedom isn’t a favor to be granted to deserving human beings; it’s a right.

In the 102nd Assembly District, Republican Chris Tague is defending his seat against Betsy Kraat, a Democrat.

To present a balanced spending plan for 2021, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy’s budget relies on tapping the county’s $60 million rainy-day fund for $3 million, reallocating $5 million that would have otherwise been appropriated toward paying off county debt, and $5 million in salaries and benefits savings from 72 employees who each accepted a $15,000 early-separation payout.

On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that state aid would be withheld from schools that remain open in so-called “red zones,” where the coronavirus is prevalent, and, further, that municipalities in those red zones that are not enforcing closures will also have state aid withheld.

While Governor Andrew Cuomo is still being criticized for large numbers of nursing-home deaths during the height of the pandemic in New York, an association of long-term care facilities is pushing for less restrictive regulations for testing and for visitors.