Good morning, Schenectady.

Local resident Clorise Bowlin from Schenectady fears for her family in Jamaica as Hurricane Melissa destroyed homes and cut off internet access—her three sons, grandchildren, and 97-year-old father are struggling with shortages and flooded roads.

She plans to visit soon while her coworkers’ GoFundMe raised over $8,000 to help support her relatives.

Cars lined up at SUNY Schenectady on Thursday as the Regional Food Bank organized a drive-thru food pantry to help residents affected by reduced SNAP benefits.

Schenectady County Legislature allocated $150,000 to ease food insecurity, and some wait times reached three hours—highlighting urgent local needs.

Local Union College researchers and students showed strong academic work this week as biomedical engineering students presented Lyme disease vaccine research at the BMES meeting from October 8 to 12 and a Russian studies professor shared findings on women’s agency at a conference in Atlanta. Faculty publications— in physics, economics and mechanical engineering—along with a national Fed Challenge win under Professor Arora’s guidance underscore a busy week at Union College.

Attorneys said St. Clare’s pensioners suffered severe financial hardship when their pension ended in 2019 — the plan termination left retirees struggling with higher living costs.

The FAA is cutting air traffic by 10% in 40 major markets today because of the government shutdown and unpaid TSA agents.

Peter Stuto, CEO of Albany International Airport, said local flights are not affected so far — delays may occur if larger hubs like JFK and Baltimore face more issues.

Gov. Hochul called for a statewide Day of Hunger Action today & asked all members of the Empire State Service Corps, including 500 SUNY students, to assist food pantries and banks as the ongoing federal shutdown threatened SNAP benefits for over 3 million New Yorkers.

New York Flames Tryouts

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM — Armory Studios NY — $30 tryout fee — Showcase your basketball skills and join the New York Flames team.

Sixties Spectacular Concert

7:00 – 8:30 PM — Proctors — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy an electrifying night of catchy tunes and energetic performances by Sixties Spectacular.

Adoption Clinic at Pet Supplies Plus

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM — Pet Supplies Plus East Greenbush — Adoption fees apply — Find your new best friend at this rescue dog adoption event.