A new fair initiative this year is bringing city and country kids together on opening day to explore the fair together.“There aren’t enough opportunities for kids from different backgrounds to come together in a fun place and get to know each other,” said Anderson. “It’s an important thing that we’re missing in society.”

Voorheesville Trustee Jack Stevens said there’d been a recent incident near the corner of Scotch Pine and Locust drives, where a young rider “came around the corner hard and ran right into the side of a car door.”

ALBANY COUNTY — The county is setting up a year-long program to get high school students ready for careers.

The program will focus on at-risk students, students learning English as a new language, unemployed youth, and those entering the workforce.

Albany County sales tax is on the upswing, but lagging behind much of the Capital Region in what has been a banner year for sales tax statewide. 

The state’s departments of health and environmental conservation put out an advisory on Monday, going from noon till midnight for most of the state, including Albany County, because the air-quality index was over 100. The reading in Albany at noon on Monday was 107.

ALBANY COUNTY — Because of flash floods in the forecast, the governor has declared a state of emergency for 14 downstate counties and urges “all New Yorkers to stay vigilant, stay informed, and use caution as we expect excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding.”

By the 2050s, New York City is expected to experience approximately 30 to 46 days annually with the heat index reaching 95°F or above, compared to an average of six such days per year between 1981 and 2010, says a state report on extreme heat.

As the proliferation of large-scale battery storage facilities continues across New York, local officials and volunteer fire departments are raising alarms over the unique and serious fire risks posed by the technology, prompting a state-level push for stricter safety codes.

A heat dome that moved across southern states is bringing higher temperatures to parts of New York.

The forecasted baseline peak demand for today, July 25, is 29,000 megawatts.

New York Independent System Operator, known as NYISO, says it is ready for the demand.

ALBANY COUNTY — Phase two, affecting Albany County, of the School Tax Relief program known as STAR has started.

Eligible homeowners in communities with school tax due dates in August or September will start receiving their STAR benefit in the coming weeks, according to a release from the governor’s office.