LeCates, who enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in 2009, currently serves as the New York Army National Guard state surgeon, the chief medical advisor to Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, the state adjutant general. LaCates helps oversee the work of 100 New York Army National Guard medical professionals. He previously served as the New York Army National Guard's chief aviation medical officer,

LaCates did two tours in the Afghanistan war and tdeployed to Liberia in 2015 to help combat tropical and infectious diseases, which included an outbreak of the Ebola virus. He served as the division surgeon for the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division from 2017 to 2019.

LeCates is a nephrologist, a specialist in kidney diseases and hypertension, who studied at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also a graduate of Amherst College. He had worked as an assistant economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before studying medicine.

After graduating, he returned to Cooperstown as a practicing doctor, specializing in internal medicine with a focus on kidney disease. He has worked at Bassett since 2003.

He has earned a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, an Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, and a Flight Surgeon Badge.

New commander

New York Army National Guard Capt. Olin Miller of Rexford has assumed command of the Headquarters Company of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a ceremony at the brigade's headquarters in Syracuse.

He leads soldier who assist the brigade's commander in directing the activities of the combat team.

..

Accuracy is a fundamental of journalism, but mistakes sometimes occur. The Times Union's policy is to acknowledge errors as promptly as possible. Mistakes may be brought to the attention of the editors by calling 518-454-5420.

In Troy, gunfire Thursday night claimed the life of 17-year-old Tamari Rodriguez at the Glen and 7th Avenue neighborhood of Troy, the scene of multiple shootings.

Police were called to the area around 11:10 p.m. Thursday for a report of shots fired, and found a person on the ground who appeared to have an injury to his head caused by a gunshot, DeWolf said. The victim, later identified as Rodriguez, was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital in critical condition. Police were notified late Friday of his death, DeWolf said.

Police said a dark-colored sedan was reportedly seen in the area, but it is unclear if it was involved in the incident.

In Schenectady, a 22-year-old Albany man died after being shot — apparently multiple times — in the 1100 block of State Street, Schenectady police said Saturday.

Police said they got reports of shots fired just before 8 p.m. Friday and rushed to the area of State Street and Kelton Avenue.

The first responding officers located a man with gunshot wounds and he was treated by medics from the Schenectady Fire Department before being taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police identified the victim as Elnahcere S. Vincent, who is the fifth homicide victim in Schenectady this year. Both Albany and Troy have had more than a dozen homicides in 2020. Little could be learned Saturday about the latest victims.

In Troy on Saturday afternoon, at the 7th and Glen Avenue corner, the location of three homicides and two separate shooting incidents this year, was mostly quiet. On all four stop signs at the corner, there were spray-painted messages pleading for the...

Food donation

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members from the Albany area delivered almost 31,000 pounds of non-perishable foods Friday to six Albany Capital area pantries from Greenwich to Cobleskill. An additional 5,000 pounds of food had been delivered to The Regional Food Bank of Northeast New York last week. A total of over 1.6 million pounds of food will continue to be distributed this month and in October to 200 pantries across the state. The donation commemorates the beginnings of the church in 1820 in upstate New York 200 years ago.

Maria College students

Employees from New York State Industries for the Disabled held a food drive Friday to help students at Maria College who are struggling with food insecurity. Based on self-reported data, 22 percent of Maria students are eligible for SNAP benefits, according to a statement from NYSID.

Justice efforts

U.S. Rep. Paul D. Tonko announced that $862,250 will be awarded to local governments and public safety nonprofits in the Capital Region through the Department of Justice: $619,648 for the John Finn Institute for Public Safety, $109,876 for the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to support delinquency prevention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements, $63,358 to Albany to prevent and control crime through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, $24,737 to Troy to prevent and control crime through the Byrne program and $44,631 to Schenectady County to prevent and control crime through the Byrne program.

Saratoga Hospital

The 2020 Saratoga Hospital Golf Invitational presented by A.O.W. Associates, Inc. raised $157,552 for the hospital's Nursing Scholarship Program. Mary Solomons, executive...

But Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18, was lying in state nearly a week later Thursday at the Supreme Court where she served as justice for 27 years, and Friday at the U.S. Capitol.

"Even though it generally goes against Jewish tradition, the fact that Americans will have a chance to pause in front and say thank you to her" shows the depth of her legacy, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

While politicians heatedly debate over replacing Ginsburg on the court, others are reflecting on how she advocated for women's rights and how she tried to reach just decisions as a jurist, all informed by her Jewish upbringing.

The Torah, the Jewish holy scripture, stresses the pursuit of justice where the outcome and the means to it are just, Cooper said, and those beliefs were part of Ginsburg's "Jewish spiritual DNA."

"She lived and upheld the highest standards for a public servant," he said, "for a judge, for an American, and we can say here also, with pride, for someone who is Jewish."

Ginsburg, born in 1933, spoke publicly about her religious foundations growing up during the Holocaust and before bat mitzvahs — coming-of-age ceremonies for girls comparable to bar mitzvahs for boys — were commonplace.

A formative moment came at age 17 when her mother died and women could not be part of the minyan, the quorum of 10 Jewish adults for the prayer service for the dead.

Ginsburg went to Harvard Law School in 1956, a time when there were few women at the institution and Jews faced discrimination. She later transferred to Columbia and graduated at the top of her class.

During a 2017 Rosh Hashana visit to a historic synagogue in Washington, Ginsburg told...

Student violators now face immediate academic and housing suspension, as well as possible dismissal, and student organizations in non-compliance face a permanent campus ban, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said in his announcement of the new guidelines.

"I have spoken with our SUNY campus leadership and they know both what is at risk as well as their role in preventing new COVID-19 cases by enforcing health and safety protocols," Malatras said. "Intentional or otherwise, there continues to be some individuals violating these critical measures on campuses, increasing the chances of spreading the coronavirus and shutting down on-campus activity."

The policy, drafted in consultation with colleges across the system, is intended to help the campuses protect the public health and ensure the schools can remain open. The rules include the usual prohibitions against campus gatherings larger than 50 and consequences for violations of the mask mandate or quarantine order.

It also includes sanctions against students who do not participate in the system-wide COVID-19 surveillance testing program. Students who miss two appointments to provide a saliva sample or fail to fill out daily health screening forms for three consecutive days could face suspension or other disciplinary action.

Campuses must begin communicating the new policy to students, which becomes effective on campuses no later than Oct. 1 and remains in place until further action by the SUNY chancellor.

This policy is part of SUNY's three-pronged approach to address the crisis to keep campuses open including: SUNY-wide testing, uniform data transparency, and uniform enforcement, Malatras said.

"While a vast...

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County will offer several free "Back to Home Basics" webinars.

The schedule:

Oct. 1, Mask accessories. Strategies for maximizing fit, accessorizing, general care and cleaning with youth in mind.

Oct. 8, Composting. Recycle food and yard waste for gardens and decrease what goes to the landfill.

Oct. 15, Dyken Pond. Learn how to sleuth out wildlife.

Classes offered at 7 p.m. Attend one or all. Registration links will be made available closer to the dates.

Call 518-272-4210 to register or go to ccerensselaer.org.

Double H Ranch virtual gala set for Saturday

LAKE LUZERNE — The Double H Ranch will host its annual gala virtually on Saturday to raise funds for Camp@HHome program in response to the pandemic.

Silent auctions will be online through Sunday. Bidders can register for free at doublehranch.cbo.io and do not need to attend Saturday's virtual event to participate. The ranch provides specialized programs and support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

For information, go to doublehranch.org.

Willie Nelson honored by Equine Advocates

CHATHAM — Equine Advocates honor country music legend Willie Nelson in a virtual gala and telethon, 6 p.m. Saturday, hosted by actress Bebe Neuwirth.

Nelson will accept this year's Safe Home Equine Protection Award for his work and dedication to end slaughter of horses. Details: equineadvocates.org/septembergalatelethon.

Bronck Museum plans Heritage Craft Fair

COXSACKIE — The Bronck Museum's Heritage Craft Fair is noon to...

Here's the latest:

Shenendehowa district sees its sixth case this week

The Shenendehowa school district said Thursday that two Orenda Elementary school students and a middle school staff member have tested positive for COVID-19 — marking the district's fourth, fifth and sixth cases so far this week.

The Orenda cases are "directly related" to a Chango Elementary teacher who tested positive earlier this week and were they were contracted through outside activities, not by attending school, the district said in a notice posted to its website. Later in the evening, the district announced that a middle school staff member has also tested positive, though it did not identify to which of its three middle schools the person is connected.

The district says it's working with the Saratoga County Public Health Department to assist with any follow-up needed through contact tracing.

Anyone identified as having prolonged, direct exposure to the students was to be contacted by the end of the day Thursday, the district said. Officials are urging area residents to add the number for the county health department — 518-885-2276 — to their contacts as it may otherwise come up as spam on some phones.

If you do not receive a call, then you have not been identified as having direct, prolonged contact with the person, the district said.

"We cannot emphasize enough that parents, students and staff members need to be just as vigilant following guidelines outside of school, this includes limiting group gatherings, practicing good hygiene, wearing masks and following social distance guidelines," the district said in a notice posted to its website.

Two students from Shenedehowa's High School...

ALBANY — Albany Public Library plans live virtual programs that patrons can participate in from home as it marks Banned Books Week Read Out Loud and looks at music and voting rights movements.

Both free programs require registration through the library's online events calendar. The event link is emailed to participants after they register.

Banned Books Week Read Out Loud: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday: Joanna Palladino Resnick from the New York Civil Liberties Union hosts the event featuring 10 community members reading aloud from books targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools.

Music and Voting Rights Movements: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 2: Local musician and activist Taína Asili shares a history of the role music has played in the movements for voting rights in the U.S. The discussion covers current voter suppression challenges and ways to organize to protect the right to vote.

Voting advocates launch electronic voting guide

The League of Women Voters' electronic voter guide, Vote411.org, is now live for the 2020 elections. Candidate information is available for state Assembly, Senate, Congressional, Supreme Court justice and presidential candidates in 2020.

The candidate guide includes biographical information and responses to questions posed by the League, as well as links to candidates' social media and campaign websites. This information can be accessed online at www.vote411.org in an electronic format.

Mid: 8-7-6

Eve: 2-6-9

Win four

Mid: 7-2-3-7

Eve: 8-4-8-7

Pick 10

1, 2, 3, 5, 16, 24, 25, 28, 30, 33, 35, 52, 54, 57, 60, 65, 68, 73, 74, 78 Take 5

Sept. 22: 15, 16, 19, 28, 37

Sept. 21: 2, 8, 14, 25, 37

CASH4LIFE

Sept. 22: 1, 8, 17, 20, 56 CASH BALL: 1 No winner

Sept. 21: 6, 18, 21, 51, 52 CASH BALL: 4 No winner

New York Lotto

Sept. 19: 3, 4, 10, 20, 34, 46 BONUS: 8 POT: $6.1 mil. No winner

Sept. 16: 21, 43, 44, 45, 53, 55 BONUS: 57 POT: $5.9 mil. No winner

Mega Millions

Sept. 22: 36, 43, 44, 55, 68 MEGA BALL: 12 MEGAPLIER: x4 POT: $22 mil. Winner: n/a

Sept. 18: 26, 29, 41, 52, 64 MEGA BALL: 11 MEGAPLIER: x3 POT: $20 mil. No winner

Powerball

Sept. 19: 11, 14, 23, 47, 57 POWERBALL: 14 POWERPLAY: x4 POT: $20 mil. No winner

Sept. 16: 10, 17, 31, 51, 53 POWERBALL: 1 POWERPLAY: 4 POT: $22 mil. One winner

State health officials say audits of New York's Medicaid program showing over $700 million in unnecessary payments are misleading and do not reflect the impact of reforms implemented earlier this year to slow growth in costs.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released five audits of the state Department of Health's Medicaid program and found roughly $706.6 million in "unnecessary, improper or questionable payments" through various elements of the program. The audits examined spending and operations between January 2014 and the end of 2019.

But health officials argue New York already took action regarding cost overruns for the program through the second iteration of the Medicaid Redesign Team, which offered several recommendations to rein in costs as the state went into budget discussions earlier this year to reconcile a $6 billion deficit largely attributed to Medicaid spending and deferred payments.

"These audits contain a mix of misinformation about Medicaid, suggest potential savings based on past purchases already addressed and recommend that we implement corrective actions that are already under way, including through the ongoing (Medicaid Redesign Team) process," said Jonah Bruno, a spokesman of the state Department of Health, in an emailed statement Tuesday. "Sending out a single press release with five audits does not strengthen the individual findings of any, but it does create a splashy headline."

The audits found:

Roughly $605 million was spent for unnecessary drug costs from 2016 through 2019, faulting the Health Department for not having sufficient controls and oversight to ensure the most cost-effective delivery of pharmacy services under managed care.

Nearly $48 million in benefits was improperly paid from Jan. 1, 2014, through March 31,...

Accuracy is a fundamental of journalism, but mistakes sometimes occur. The Times Union's policy is to acknowledge errors as promptly as possible. Mistakes may be brought to the attention of the editors by calling 518-454-5420.

Albany County recorded 22 new coronavirus cases overnight, County Executive Dan McCoy said on Saturday.

That brings the county's total to 2,804 since the first recorded case six months ago.

McCoy said 19 of the cases stemmed from people who had close contact with an infected person, one did not have a clear source of transmission and two had recently traveled. Of the 22 new cases, 15 are associated with the University at Albany.

The five-day average for new daily positives dropped slightly to 20.4 from 20.6.

Seven people remained in the hospital on Saturday, the same as Friday, McCoy said.

Rensselaer County hits 50,000 test mark

Rensselaer County has surpassed the 50,000 mark for the number of COVID-19 tests given to county residents.

As of Saturday, 50,489 tests have been administered in the county.

"All along, we have recognized testing as a way back to our normal quality of life. To surpass the 50,000 mark for tests in the county is very significant," said County Executive Steve McLaughlin.

"We decided to make an investment in testing to ensure access in all areas, and we are proud to have worked hard and supported effective and needed testing," McLaughlin said.

The county reported no new confirmed COVID-19 cases Saturday. The county's confirmed cases remain at 922. Currently, 26 county residents have active cases. There are four residents hospitalized for COVID-19, with none in ICU. There are 393 residents in monitor quarantine, with 91 due to exposure and 302 due to travel.

The county announced two new cases as cleared for recovery. There have been 854...

GLOVERSVILLE — The Mayfield Historical Society will hold a drive-thru Sturgess chicken barbecue 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the corner or Route 30A and Fifth Avenue, the parking lot of Hannaford and Runnings.

The cost is $12 a dinner.

Tickets will be available at the event or may be purchased in advance.

For more information, call 518-332-0538 or 518-775-1449.

Nature programs at Wildlife Preserve

GANSEVOORT — Two fall programs in nature will be offered at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.

Artists can combine their love of art and nature and get some pointers from local artists at an art workshop Sept. 29 and Oct. 3 at Camp Saratoga.

Hours are noon to 3 p.m.

Artist Catherine Wagner Minnery will lead the first workshop using water colors. Artist Page Darrow will lead the second workshop using acrylics.

This program is appropriate for participants older than 13. Register by Friday. All supplies will be provided.

Beginner and advanced students of yoga can unwind and enjoy the sounds of nature during a class 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 14 at Delegan Pond.

The flow style yoga class of moderate intensity will be taught by certified instructor Lauren Winkler.

Participants should bring a mat or towel and water.

Registration is required. Face masks are expected to worn throughout the program.

Participants should park in Parking Lot #1 on Scout Road, town of Wilton. This parking lot is directly across from Delegan Pond where the program will take place.

Face masks must be worn throughout both programs.

For more information or to register, call 518-450-0321 or email:...

ALBANY — Customers of the Washington Park Farmers Market can use SNAP benefits and Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks to purchase eligible products from vendors including healthy, fresh, affordable produce.

The Lark Street BID will provide a tent, table, chairs and sanitizer for the new SNAP-FMNP checkout station.

The farmers market is held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays in Washington Park along the pedestrian footpath, Knox Mall Road.

For more information, call 949-973-8785 or 518-248-9770.

Tours of Empire State Plaza architecture planned

ALBANY — An exterior Capitol architecture tour of the Empire State Plaza is being offered 10 to 10:45 a.m. Fridays through Oct. 2.

Sitting atop Albany's State Street hill, the State Capitol has served as the seat of government for the state since the 1880s. The building is a marvel of late 19th-century architectural grandeur, built by hand of solid masonry over a period of 32 years.

The tour will focus on the building's unique architecture and craftsmanship of the stonemasons who carved designs throughout the structure's facade. It will also highlight the State Education Building, Albany City Hall and the site of the 1809 Capitol, which was replaced by the existing statehouse.

Tours are also offered of the Plaza Art Collection and of the Plaza itself.

Participants must make reservations and follow COVID-19 protocols.

To make reservations, call 518-474-2418.

Turning point battle discussion

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Elected officials and candidates for state Legislature will discuss the Turning Point Battle of the Revolutionary War at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Saratoga National Historical Park.

They will be in front of the monument at...