Legal challenge filed to County D.A. nomination (we have the full story).

Other political shenanigans — and just plain politicking — abound

The “Morning Call” wakes you up with the top stories from the Dispatch and other news outlets that affect Saratoga.

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Voluntary water restrictions remain

The Department of Public Works is asking residents to reduce their outdoor watering when using automatic systems. The restriction began Aug. 12. There are no restrictions for outdoor watering with hand-held devices for gardens, plants, trees, or shrubs. Click here to read more.

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NYS spends $300M extra for Medicaid

The state Health Department failed to transfer eligible individuals to Medicare, an oversight that cost the state $300 million more than needed in Medicaid costs, the Times Union is reporting. The story comes from a Comptroller report that says, the comptroller has highlighted this in the past, and that over the past decade, the oversight has cost about $485 million more than needed, the story says.

Looking for more Saratoga Springs headlines?

Head over to our friends at SARATOGA REPORT!

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Hochul visits updated Mohawk Harbor area

The new $55 million M&T Bank Center at Mohawk Harbor opened with a ribbon cutting that included Gov. Kathy Hochul and Schenectady officials, the Daily Gazette reports. The hockey arena will serve as home ice for Union College. The former ALCO factory site has become housing, three hotels and Rivers Casino over the past decade.

Blocked sidewalk begets possible changes

The prolonged sidewalk closure at Broadway and Division Street in Saratoga Springs has the city looking for more efficiency when approving permits involving rights-of-way, the Daily Gazette says.

What will be the headquarters of Prime Group Holdings, the national self-storage company, has been under construction for the past year at one of the city’s busiest intersections. The construction barriers basically force pedestrians to cross from the west side of Broadway to the east side. At the Dispatch, we have heard some grumblings from the retailers south of the construction that they lose walk-in traffic.

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Homeless people paid $250 a piece to state Senate campaign (Ha! Just kidding)

The New York State Senate campaign of 28-year-old Caleb Slater in the Syracuse area last year allegedly paid homeless people $30 to sign false documents saying they donated $250 to Slater’s campaign, an investigative story in the Times Union says. The signatories told the newspaper that they never donated money to his campaign, and that some were paid directly by Slater. The alleged scheme led to real state campaign matching funds placed in Slater’s campaign bank account, but to no avail. Sen. Rachel May beat him in the election anyway.

Greenfield town official encourages votes for boss

Candidates for town supervisor and the Greenfield Town Board are calling for an ethics investigation into Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch’s secretary, the Times Union reports. Veitch is a Democrat and his secretary, in a text message she confirmed with the T-U, told Democrats in text message to vote against the Republican candidates, alleging their campaigns “are based on vitriol and lies,” the story says.

Below the fold:

Conservative Party, two Dems file suit to remove Logan as the Democratic Party’s candidate for District Attorney (full story below the fold). Weather, traffic, stocks and more…