The State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit conducted a 72 hour road check at four locations along I-86 & State Route 17 last week.   795 inspections were conducted, 1,341 violations discovered and 167 vehicles taken off the road for safety violations.  Vehicle violations included unsecured loads, brake violations, steering violations and serious lighting defects such as inoperable turn signals, stop lamps and improper transportation of hazardous materials.  38 drivers placed out-of-service were found to have violations including improper or no commercial driver’s license and hours of service violations including falsified log books.

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The Chris Gibson for Congress campaign today invited the Sean Eldridge campaign to accept a geographically diverse debate schedule for the fall.   Gibson’s campaign proposed A joint editorial board meeting in Poughkeepsie on September 26th, as well as debates on October 6th in Ulster County, October 16th or 23rd at WMHT in Albany, and October 14th or 20th are SUNY Oneonta.

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The Delaware County Fair gets underway on Monday in Walton.  Fair spokesman John Jackson told WCDO comments:

(John Jackson 8-8-14)

The complete schedule of events is available at delawarecountyfair.org.

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To vote in New York’s primaries next month, you must register to vote with a political party by August 15^th for the September 9^th  priamry. mail-in forms must be postmarked by midnight August 15^th & received by a board of election by August 20^th. Those who have moved need to notify your county board of elections in writing no later than August 20^th.  You can register in-person at your local county board of election by August 15^th.

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Democratic prospective gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout was in court Thursday, as she tried to prove permanent residency in the state of New York.  Teachout testified that she has been a law Professor at Fordham University in New York City since 2009 & resides in Brooklyn.  Governor Cuomo’s supporters maintain that Teachout has not lived in New York state for the required 5 years in order to run for Governor, still has a recent Vermont driver’s license & a Vermont address listed on tax documents.  Teachout is looking to force a Democratic Party primary against Cuomo prior to the November elections.

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Federal government statistics show consumer spending in New York fell only slightly at the end of the recession, after more than a decade of gains and rebounded after 2009. There was a drop of less than 1 percent in spending from 2008 to 2009, compared to a decline of 2.5 percent nationally. From 2010 through 2012, spending rose12 percent, close to the 10.7 percent national average. The statistics show New Yorkers cut back on buying durable goods during the recession, not services. Consumption of services was up 6.8%, led by spending on housing, utilities and health care

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New York has skipped out on $5.9 billion in school funding, leading to inequities in aid between rich and poor districts, and causing cuts in programs according to a new a report. New York spends the most per capita in the nation on schools, just over $19,000 per student. But the Alliance for Quality Education and other advocates said the state is still falling short. The groups claim New York hasn’t upheld a 2006 court order to increase aid to schools by $5.5 billion and has also not repaid schools for cuts made during the recession. New York froze aid to schools in the 2009-10 fiscal year then cut it by nearly $3 billion in the following two years.