Albany: State Plans to Drop Regents Tests
The New York State Education Department released a plan on June 10 that will phase out Regents tests as early as 2025-26 as a requirement for high school diplomas, according to the Times Union.
The Board of Regents will receive the proposal in November and is expected to agree to its recommendations. Exams would still be offered but not required for graduation. The proposed change came from a committee of teachers, school leaders, students and members of nonprofit education organizations.
The Regent exams were first offered in New York in 1878. About 25 years ago, the Board of Regents made five of them a requirement for graduation.
The committee also recommended changing the list of required classes to provide more flexibility in math and said high schools should add more practical lessons to curriculums, such as internships and public speaking.
Kingston: Ulster Adopts Pronoun Plan
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger on June 12 announced a preferred name and pronoun plan for county employees, according to the Daily Freeman.
Metzger said the plan will “ensure an inclusive work environment in which all employees’ identities and pronouns are fully and appropriately reflected and used.” She said it “encourages an environment for personal expression, within community standards.”
She said employees can notify the county of their preferred first name for email, the phone directory and personnel listings. Employee IDs will show both legal and preferred first names.
Poughkeepsie: Woman May Have Been Victim
Rex Heuermann, 60, the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, was charged on June 6 in the death of a Poughkeepsie native, Jessica Taylor, who was killed in 2003.
The body of Taylor was found on Long Island within a mile of those of four victims whose murders were the basis of the original charges against Heuermann.
He was arraigned for the death of Taylor, 20, and another woman, Sandra Costilla, 28, who was killed in 1993.
Newburgh: Merchants Upset with Meters
Merchants are upset with the city’s new parking meters, which take credit cards but not coins.
According to Mid Hudson News, retailers say the devices are too complicated and deter customers. Mayor Torrance Harvey said officials are reviewing the software to make it more user-friendly but that the city would not go back to coins. He said people who didn’t want to pay could park on side streets that don’t have meters.
Peekskill: State Police Raid Stores
For the second time in four months, state police raided stores allegedly selling cannabis without a license.
According to the Peekskill Herald, troopers on Wednesday (June 26) tagged two stores — the Peekskill Smoke Shop and the South Street Deli — with notices alleging they were selling illegal cannabis. Officers searched a third store, Papi’s Secret Stash, but did not issue a notice.
In March, troopers raided a smoke shop on Park Street and the Highland Gourmet Deli. Two retailers that have obtained licenses, Peekskill Cloud 914 and Valley Greens, plan to open later in the summer.
