The five candidates who announced they would seek the 43rd Senate District seat that will be vacant come November when current Senator Joseph Bruno leaves office claim they have secured the 1,000 required signatures necessary to run  prior to Thursday's 5 p.m.  deadline.

The candidates vying for the vacant seat are Democrats Mike Russo, Saratoga County Supervisor Joanne Yepsen and Brunswick attorney Brian Premo. Republicans include Assemblyman Roy McDonald and Nassau councilman Raymond Seney.

Premo, who previously attempted to run in 2006, reported having 3,000 signatures from registered Democrats, which he filed with the Board of Elections in Albany on Monday. Yepsen and Russo have also both secured the required 1,000 signatures and planned on delivering them to the Board of Elections on Thursday.

McDonald who has been endorsed by Bruno secured approximately 465 signitures in Saratoga Springs alone and has stated that he will have more than enough by the Thursday deadline. His opponent Seney also accomplished the 1,000 signatures, which he filed with the Board of Elections on Wednesday.

The primary ballot for the two parties will be certified by August 4 and  the election will begin on September 9. The general election will be held on November 4.

Gillibrand names new district director

Last week U.S. Rep. Kristin Gillibrand's district director Mike Russo resigned in order to pursue a run at Joe Bruno's state Senate seat. Since then Gillibrand has named her successor to the position.

Stepping in for Russo will be Lisa Manzi, of Greenwich, who previously worked as a regional representative in Gillibrand's Glens Falls office since the congresswoman took office in January.

Mazi's new position as district director means that she will be responsible for leading Gillibrand's staff in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, Delhi and Hudson. She will also be responsible for working with regional representatives and case workers to manage Gillibrand's duties in the district.

Russo who announced that he would step down from the position last week, left his post as district director on Thursday, July 10. He will now join fellow Democrats Joanne Yepsen and Brian Premo in a primary that will determine who will represent the party in the bid for Joe Bruno's vacated Senate seat.

Gillibrand's first term as member of the U.S. House of Representatives ends this fall when she will run for re-election against Sandy Treadwell, R-Saratoga Springs.

First round of bands announced for SoCo music fest at Saratoga Race Course

There will be more than racing taking place at the Saratoga Race Course this summer as Southern Comfort will sponsor a free music fest after the conclusion of the racing season.

The only two bands announced so far are French DJ duo Justice and Brooklyn-based indie group MGMT.

The festival, which is titled the SoCo Music Experience, has been taking place for four years now. This year's festival will visit U.S. cities with a different line-up at each event. The first show took place in May in Atlanta featuring headliner Against Me! The second fest occurred in Denver on June 28 with headliner Gnarls Barkley. The remaining stops will occur in San Diego on Aug 23, Madison, Wisc., on Sept. 6 and Phoenix on Oct. 18.

The show starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 and festival-goers must be 21 with proper ID in order to attend the free festival. It will feature eight hours of live music with ten bands on two stages.

Grandmother of missing boy loses custody battle

Jaliek Rainwalker has been missing from Greenwich since November and a recent court battle, in which his grandmother Barbara Reeley attempted to gain custody of the missing boy, was dismissed from court Monday, June 30.

Since the investigation began Jaliek's adoptive mother Jocelyn McDonald and her husband Stephen Kerr, have been uncooperative with police and have failed to hand over records that investigators believe could help lead them to his whereabouts. In March, Reeley, of Wynantskill, sued for custody of Rainwalker in an attempt to gain access to the child's positions, which she then could have turned over police.

Warren County Family Court Judge Timothy Breen dismissed the case on Monday citing that the unprecedented case lacked case law to support her request to gain custody.

Kerr has been named as a person of interest in the case, however, no charges have been filed against him.

Reeley now has 30 days to appeal the case.