Politics

The Great New York State Fair will once again kick off on Aug. 23 and run until Sept. 4. Last year, more than 1 million people attended the fair which features animal exhibits, concerts, horse shows, the famous butter sculpture, history, youth exhibits, rides, and agriculture contests. Mixed with these traditional attractions are usually a few new exhibits.

Individuals with disabilities and their family members now have a new way to save and plan for future expenses. New Yorkers can now open a tax-deferred 529 Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account. The accounts are a savings option for families and money earned through the fund is tax exempt if it is spent on qualified expenses. Similar to the 529 College Savings accounts, contributions to the account may be made by anyone.

The craft beverage industry is among the fastest-growing industries in New York with nearly 900 licensed manufacturers in the state. Part of this growth has to do with the state’s focus in recent years on trying to make it easier for craft beverage producers such as beer, cider and liquor producers to do business in New York.

A home is one of the biggest investments a family can make and with homeownership, repair projects are inevitable. In some cases, homeowners can perform the work that needs to be done but in other cases, hiring a contractor is necessary. Unfortunately, unscrupulous contractors sometimes inflate costs or do not complete the work that was promised which can lead to delays and costly problems for the homeowner. Senior citizens are often targeted by what amounts to a home improvement scam.

With the warm weather here, local highway crews are out working on road repairs and construction projects. There are approximately 114,000 centerline miles of highway in the state and local governments are responsible for the maintenance of nearly 85% of them. Accordingly, they need assistance meeting the repair demands, especially considering the snowfalls in our area.