February 21st, 2022 Daily Headlines

Schuyler County Public Health will be hosting a COVID vaccine clinic this Friday at the Watkins Glen Community Center. The clinic will be open from 9:00 A.M. to noon and will offer the vaccine free of charge to all residents 12 and older. For more information visit the public health department website at Schuylercounty.us

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The Schuyler County Republican Committee has endorsed Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s campaign for congress. Tenney previously represented New York’s 22nd District, but following redistricting is moving to the 23rd district which includes part of Schuyler County. The 23rd’s current congressman Tom Reed is not seeking re-election. 

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According to the Gothamist, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed that an air permit for Greenidge Generation, a cryptocurrency mining facility, does not meet the state’s environmental standards. Seneca Lake Guardian, a local environmentalist group, is calling on the DEC to reject the facility’s permit application, and to place a moratorium on Cryptocurrency mining. According to Grist.org, cryptocurrency mining requires huge amounts of computational energy with Bitcoin Mining now taking up more electricity than some countries. Opponents say heated water from the plant can harm fish populations and increase the occurrence of harmful algal blooms. 

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New York State is delaying the implementation of a COVID vaccine booster mandate for healthcare workers that had been scheduled to go into effect today. According to Syracuse.com, the state delayed the mandate because workers weren’t able to get the booster ahead of the deadline. Hospitals across the state continue to face staffing shortages at state hospitals. The state has said it will reassess the mandates in three months.