Fire and EMS Leaders Seek Higher Volunteer Tax Credit

Local fire and EMS leaders will gather today at 3 p.m. at the Beekmantown Fire Station on Route 22, urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign legislation increasing the annual state income tax credit for active volunteers from 200 to 800 dollars. The bill would also let volunteers receive locally approved property tax exemptions alongside that credit. It passed both legislative chambers with bipartisan support. Assemblymember Michael Cashman is scheduled to attend.

Ed Histed

Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.