TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Local business owners say COVID has kept them down for too long. Now it’s time to shake things up.

“There’s seemingly a path to getting to normal life, or we’re even there in a lot of regards. You know, that pent-up energy kind of like encourages me to do other things at this point,” says August Rosa.

Rosa already owns Pint Sized in Albany and Saratoga. He now announces a third location opening in Troy that will double as a performance venue. Rosa says although bars and live music suffered some of the worst of the pandemic, he’s not worried about success because it is Troy.

“It really came from the needs of Troy, because there aren’t a lot of spaces to present live music, art events, stuff like that,” he explains to NEWS10’s Mikhaela Singleton.

The combined space at 275 and 277 River Street will function on one side as the third Pint Sized location while the other half will stand as the “No Fun” performance venue. Rosa says the space will focus on an entirely open concept for live performances and art installations across the walls.

“We hosted events at our other two locations, but they weren’t necessarily conducive to those events because of the space. This too is relatively small, but for a moderate event of say 150 people, it can bring those music, art, or like cultural performances to downtown and still have that intimate, personal feel we’ve cultivated at Pint Sized,” Rosa says.

“We are hopeful. I think the word is hope. I think people are looking at this as an opportunity to get in, be set, so that when we’re on the outside of COVID, they are going to be successful,” says Troy Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski. “I think people are seeing COVID as an opportunity to take a pause too, to see what worked and what didn’t work and then come out of it potentially different.”

She says filling River Street vacancies comes at the perfect time. The newly unveiled plan for Monument Square will shape much needed economic development and accessibility for Troy.

“I think that’s the biggest excitement about this project for me is the continuity of the Riverwalk blending into the park, blending into the amenities of the public plaza, and then getting everybody up to River Street,” she explains.

Rosa says coming out the other side of the pandemic, he believes his and other new businesses will do well thanks to the many city efforts to engage people in downtown.

“Before I ever start a new project, I make sure what we’re trying to do sits well with the current business environment, and Troy always looked good to us when we were in the mindset to expand. Things like the Monument Square project, the Riverwalk accessibility, the farmer’s market, things like that are more of an added bonus when choosing our space,” Rosa says.

“I think we’re going to be filling a void that’s needed here and it’s going to work in harmony with all the other cool stuff that’s happening in town,” he goes on to say.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Come Monday, it’s either vaccination or termination for those who work in state run hospitals and nursing homes. Security officers are among those who work at state hospitals who are being forced to make that decision. The lawsuit claims that the vaccine mandate goes against their constitutional rights.

In a newly filled lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul, Heath Commissioner Howard Zucker, and the New York State Health Department, 10 individual state hospital security officers are fighting for the option to have regular COVID tests instead of being mandated to get the vaccine. They say it’s unfair that teachers would have the option for regular testing, but they won’t.

“Students who are 12 years or younger can’t be vaccinated,” said Dennis Vacco. “Inherently, the population in schools is less vaccinated than the population in hospitals or in health care facilities. To say nothing of the fact that health care facilities are constructed to prevent the spread of illness within the facility.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — When John Eastman speaks during the American Political Science Association’s annual conference next month, he may want to tread lightly. Political scientists from across the country are condemning Eastman and chiding their own organization for allowing the former Trump lawyer to participate in the discipline’s most important annual meeting.

Eastman made national headlines this week following the publication of a memo he wrote last year that outlined a six-step plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Come Monday, it’s either vaccination or termination for those who work in state run hospitals and nursing homes. Security officers are among those who work at state hospitals who are being forced to make that decision. The lawsuit claims that the vaccine mandate goes against their constitutional rights.

In a newly filled lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul, Heath Commissioner Howard Zucker, and the New York State Health Department, 10 individual state hospital security officers are fighting for the option to have regular COVID tests instead of being mandated to get the vaccine. They say it’s unfair that teachers would have the option for regular testing, but they won’t.

“Students who are 12 years or younger can’t be vaccinated,” said Dennis Vacco. “Inherently, the population in schools is less vaccinated than the population in hospitals or in health care facilities. To say nothing of the fact that health care facilities are constructed to prevent the spread of illness within the facility.”

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Come Monday, it’s either vaccination or termination for those who work in state run hospitals and nursing homes. Security officers are among those who work at state hospitals who are being forced to make that decision. The lawsuit claims that the vaccine mandate goes against their constitutional rights.

In a newly filled lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul, Heath Commissioner Howard Zucker, and the New York State Health Department, 10 individual state hospital security officers are fighting for the option to have regular COVID tests instead of being mandated to get the vaccine. They say it’s unfair that teachers would have the option for regular testing, but they won’t.

“Students who are 12 years or younger can’t be vaccinated,” said Dennis Vacco. “Inherently, the population in schools is less vaccinated than the population in hospitals or in health care facilities. To say nothing of the fact that health care facilities are constructed to prevent the spread of illness within the facility.”

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After more than seven years on the job, New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker has put in his letter of resignation. Zucker has led the State Department of Health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but he became a controversial figure in the COVID-19 nursing home scandal under former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“Dr. Zucker has submitted his resignation, our Commissioner of Health. I agree with his decision,” Governor Kathy Hochul said announcing the departure at a press conference in New York City Thursday.

Hochul called Zucker a “dedicated public servant” and thanked him for his work during the pandemic. 

“He understands that in this time I’ve wanted to take the first 45 days to assemble a new team going forward. That process is ongoing,” she continued.

In his resignation letter, Zucker said he would work to provide a “smooth transition.” He touted his work on tackling issues like Ebola, Zika and COVID-19. And he said, “There comes a time when the baton should be passed.”

The New York State Department of Health said it “thanks the Commissioner for his years of dedicated service and commitment to public health.”

Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay said, “Dr. Howard Zucker’s resignation as Commissioner of the State Department of Health (DOH) was an obvious and overdue step.”

Barclay hopes whoever replaces Zucker doesn’t have ties to the previous administration or its controversies. 

Hochul has not yet named a replacement, but says that Zucker will stay on until the new person takes over.