Voters approve revised school budgets

Nearly a month after South Glens Falls and Corinth schools had their 2008-09 school budgets voted down, voters approved the revised budgets on Tuesday after school officials made cuts to the original budgets.

South Glens Falls’ $50.6 million dollar budget passed 783-652, while Corinth’s $20.9 million budget passed by a vote of 410 to 250.

South Glens Falls school officials cut more than $218,000 from its budget. The cuts made to the proposed budget include custodial equipment, replacement lockers, transportation positions and a human resources position.

Corinth school officials cut a total of $737,000 to their original budget. Cuts to Corinth’s newly proposed budget include a reduction in supplies and materials, an elimination of summer school, a reduction in text book purchases, an elimination of field trips and a replacement dump truck.

South Glens Falls and Corinth were among five other local school districts who failed to pass their original budget proposals. Schroon Lake, Glens Falls city and Glens Falls common schools all failed to pass their budgets on the first vote.

Attorney General’s office to take litigation against retail drug stores

CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies are in a bit of hot water after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced his office would take legal action against the pharmacies for allegedly selling expired products at stores throughout New York State.

The allegations stem from a statewide undercover investigation launched by Cuomo’s office in to major drug store chains in New York State. The two stores that failed the test were CVS and Rite Aid after retail chain stores from across the state sold expired milk, eggs, medicines and baby formula to investigators. The investigators purchased more than 600 expired products at 142 CVS and 112 Rite Aid stores in more than 41 counties across New York State.

Cuomo’s office sent the companies each a five-day notice letter, which is required by law, to notify both stores of the intent to take legal action against them.

“My ongoing investigation has uncovered a shameful disregard for public health in these stores,” Cuomo said, in a press release. “Families across New York State buy products from these establishments assuming that they’re coming from a safe, reputable source. However, when the products pass their expiration dates, they become ineffective and potentially unsafe, threatening to put our loved ones at risk. These companies allowed personal profit to get ahead of their customers’ health. I am committed to protecting New York consumers and we will continue to investigate this troubling practice.”

Six shows postponed after fire at Northern Lights

A fire at Northern Lights in Clifton Park on June 11 has led to the postponement of six shows due to moderate fire damage to the bar area and extensive smoke and water damage to the facility.

Shows scheduled between June 17 and 23 have been canceld, but venue promoters intend to re-open the club on June 24 for the Summer Slaughter 2 concert. Cancelled shows include Follow the Flies on Tuesday, June 17, Full Moon Madness w/ Lost in Purgatory on Wednesday, June 18, Bruce Martin Benefit w/ Mark Frederick Band on Thursday, June 19, The Audiostars on Saturday, June 21, ODB’s Brooklyn Zu w/ Tropher Mohr on Sunday, June 22 and ARC Disco w/ DJ Rockin’ Ronnie Radar on Monday, June 23.

People with questions are asked to contact the box office at 371-0012. The venue also intends to provide updates on its website at: www.northernlightslive.com.

Cold War veterans receive tax break

The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors adopted a new Cold War Veterens exemption that will qualify thousands of military veterans who did not serve in conventional war fare the opportunity to qualify for a new property tax exemption.

Veterans who qualify for the property tax exemption include people who served active military duty during the period of conflict, tension and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The law defines the period as being between Sept. 2, 1945 (the end of World War II) and Dec. 26, 1991 (the fall of the Soviet communist party)

Veterans eligible for the exemptions will receive 15 percent exemption on their county property taxes up to a maximum of $12,000 in property value. If the veteran has a service related disability the exemption can be for up to $40,000.

The law will take affect July 1 and will be available to some 19,000 veterans living in Saratoga County.

County approves sewer plant contracts

The Saratoga County board of supervisors awarded $45.3 million in contracts for the expansion and renovation of the county's sewage treatment plant in Halfmoon on Tuesday, June 17.

The renovations will expand the sewage treatment plant from a 21.3 million gallon-per-day capacity to 43 million gallons-per-day. The expansion will make it the largest sewage treatment plant in the Capital Region.

The expansion is essential to public infrastructure that is needed to support the future Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) computer chip factory in Malta. The project will start in July and finish in the summer of 2010, which should be around the time construction begins on the AMD plant.