Spencer Conlin

2 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Spencer Conlin

April marks National Donate Life Month, and right now in New York state there are more than 8,000 people awaiting a life-saving organ donation. Of those 8,000 patients, about 400 lost their lives last year. “Any time we’re talking about Donate Life, it’s a celebration," Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes told a group of advocates, donors, survivors and a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the Legislative Office Building in Albany Tuesday.

1 month ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Spencer Conlin

In defiance of Gov. Kathy Hochul's executive order barring correction officers who were fired for striking from being hired by local municipalities unless they go through a specific program, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin says he plans to fill correction officer openings with those who had been fired in the wake of the officers' wildcat strike across New York prisons.

1 month ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Spencer Conlin

Law enforcement agencies across the state are struggling to fill their ranks. The challenges are not new, nor are they unique to any one department. There are several factors contributing to the ongoing issue. Morale is low among many existing law enforcement officers, which is often linked to understaffing and increased scrutiny. In Saratoga Springs, the police department is looking to dispel those perceptions while having some fun creating and starring in a video.

1 month ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Spencer Conlin

A majority of New York’s 62 counties are led by an elected county executive, administrator or manager. Only a few are governed by a board of town supervisors. In Columbia County right now, 18 town supervisors and five Hudson city supervisors serve as the county’s primary governing body. “There are a lot of checks and balances with our system,” said Matt Murell, Stockport’s town supervisor, who serves as the Columbia County Board of Supervisors chairman.

1 month ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Spencer Conlin

Getting what's needed from the U.S. health care system can be difficult, but it’s even more challenging for people living with traumatic brain injuries. “One hundred-and-fifty-seven New Yorkers every day are sustaining a brain injury,” said Eileen Reardon of the Brain Injury Association of New York State. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) advocates rallied Wednesday at the state Capitol in Albany to call on state leaders for further assistance.