Fire and rain. Hawks and schools.

Also, an older influencer talks about her new role.

The future of daily news in the Spa City, Saratoga Springs, New York.

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Saratoga Springs “Morning Call” wakes you up with the top stories from the Dispatch and other news outlets in the area.

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Schedule change

We have ended the test of the “Lunch Break!” email and have returned to two daily emails, The Morning Call, sent about 7:30 a.m. and the Daily Dispatch, sent around 4:30 p.m. On the weekend, we have Dish Saratoga and Positively Saratoga.

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Hawk watch is a time to celebrate

The Helderberg Escarpment Hawk Watch takes place each September as raptors migrate and makes a comprehensive count of birds of prey moving through the area, the Daily Gazette says. The count started 20 years ago with a few people and has become a 1,500-person-strong celebration of flight. The 2025 version included local bird and conservation groups; crafts and face painting, bird demonstrations stole the show, and food and ice cream, the story says.

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Drought catches up with tap water

Mechanicville residents are complaining of dark, smelly tap water that causes skin irritation and leaves dark rings on pots and pans, a story in the Times Union says. Officials are blaming the drought which has impact the city’s reservoir, but officials are assuring everyone that they are testing the water and it is safe to drink.

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News

What to do with empty schools?

At least 50 schools have closed in the Hudson Valley since 1999 as enrollment has declined, and the question is how to get those public properties into private hands and onto the tax rolls, the Times Union is reporting. The majority of the shuttered buildings have been converted into housing, private education centers, or municipal offices. The story runs through the many advantages, and disadvantages, of the old buildings.

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Older influencer dishes

The Times Union has a profile of Rose Anne Hamm and her journey into the digital spotlight as an older influencer. In 2020 her husband passed away and she was diagnosed with celiac disease at 66, and a move to her daughter’s house in Rotterdam introduced her into online content creation. Her daughter, a bra expert and social media veteran, was working with a shapewear brand that was looking for women in Hamm’s age group. Now 70, she is a “grandfluencer,” the story says.

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Below the fold:

Fire danger rises during drought, but good news in weather. Plus, Weather, traffic, stocks…