The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly-opened AC Hotel Saratoga Springs on Dec. 19.
The bar/lounge area near the front entrance of the hotel. Photos by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The AC Hotel Saratoga Springs at 176 South Broadway (the former site of the Turf & Spa Motel) welcomed its first official guests on Dec. 16 before hosting a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 19.
The 120-room hotel features a European-style breakfast in its kitchen, coffee and lattes at its cafe, and drinks and tapas in its Spanish-inspired lounge.
“This is an investment,” said Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri at the ribbon cutting. “This is an investment for, obviously, for larger hospitality, but also for Saratoga Springs and for Saratoga County. This is going to attract leisure travelers, corporate travelers, meeting attendees, and that’s going to drive economic impact. I think the AC brand is a perfect fit for Saratoga Springs.”
Keuka Spring Vineyards’ bottle shop, located inside the winery’s new location on Spring Street in Saratoga Springs. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Shimmering riesling, citrusy gewurztraminer, and sweet vignoles filled the empty glasses of red-clad revelers a week before Christmas, which was the soft opening of Keuka Spring Vineyards’ new tasting room and bottle shop on Saratoga’s Spring Street.
The Finger Lakes-based winery initially opened a smaller outpost inside the Saratoga Marketplace last year before deciding to upgrade to a larger space; one more suitable for wine tastings, camaraderie, and group events.
“When we originally moved here, there was really nothing available, so we took that lease in the Marketplace,” said Autumn Manning, Keuka’s East New York regional manager. “It was 300 square feet. We didn’t even have plumbing, so we only offered $15 wine tastings in a plastic cup.”
Despite its constricting former digs, Keuka managed to acquire more than 200 wine club members, Manning said. But much has changed. Take-home cups have been replaced with proper glassware. A cooler is stocked with local cheeses and meats. Fresh bread, baked by the Saratoga-based Bread Basket, is available. A back room is lined, practically floor to ceiling, with bottles that surround a glass table supported by wine barrels. (This bottle shop can host as many as 17 people and be reserved for celebratory events like bachelorette parties.) Also, the bar top in the front tasting room was made from trees cut down at the vineyard’s Finger Lakes location, where it served as the winery’s bar top for decades before moving to its new Spa City home.
Keuka was enticed to enter the Saratoga market due to a combination of factors, Manning said: The vineyard’s license allows it to have up to seven tasting rooms in New York State, Keuka was already collaborating with the Saratoga Eagle distribution company, and the New York Racing Association was interested in having Keuka pour its wines at the Saratoga Race Course. Thus, the winery’s array of award-winning wines found its way to the Spa City.
Keuka Spring Vineyards’ Saratoga location is now open seven days a week. A $15 tasting allows patrons to sample five different wine varietals (an additional “welcome” pour unofficially brings the total to six).
The tasting room and bottle shop is located at 15 Spring Street, the former home of Red Wolf.
A new bill signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul will require warning labels to be displayed on any social media platform that offers auto-play or infinite scrolling and other features.
The new law was signed on Dec. 26 and will go into effect sometime in 2026. Under the new bill, platforms would be required to display an un skippable warning when a user initially uses one of the features cited in the law and periodically based on continued use.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe has been my top priority since taking office, and that includes protecting our kids from the potential harms of social media features that encourage excessive use,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers deserve transparency. With the amount of information that can be shared online, it is essential that we prioritize mental health and take the steps necessary to ensure that people are aware of any potential risks.”
The new legislation comes after a 2023 advisory by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office said that children and adolescents who use social media for more than three hours a day are more than twice as likely to develop mental health symptoms than those who don’t. This was notable as the Surgeon General’s Office placed the average social media usage of those aged 13-17 at 3.5 hours a day.
The legislation cited this advisory and subsequent calls by the Surgeon General’s Office to implement warning labels as the primary motivator behind the bill. While the law is designed to target younger users, it doesn’t specifically require that the warning exclusively target them.
In addition to infinite scrolling and autoplay, the law also targets features such as like counts or push notifications not explicitly requested by the user. The text and scope of the warning was not written into the legislation and will be determined later by the Commissioner of Mental Health in coordination with the Commissioners of Health and Education.
Platforms who violate the law will be subject to a maximum of $5000 or further relief, depending on what the court decides.
New York isn’t the first jurisdiction to target social media platforms. In Oct. 2025, New York City filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against several social media platforms, accusing them of encouraging addiction through their algorithms and engaging in practices akin to gambling through features such as likes and dislikes.
Three other states — California, Colorado and Minnesota — enacted similar legislation this year while outside the US, Australia outright banned social media for anyone under 16.
It’s unclear what legal hurtles the New York law run into. Soon after Colorado passed it’s law requiring platforms to tell users about the dangers of social media, a lawsuit was filed by industry group NetChoice.
As a result, their law was struck down by a federal judge in a preliminary injunction. It has since been appealed.
“The Court fully appreciates Colorado’s legitimate effort to protect the children and adolescents of our state from the impacts of social media use on their health and wellbeing,” Judge William J. Martínez wrote in his ruling. “The Court concludes, however, that it is substantially likely NetChoice will succeed on the merits of its claims that Colorado may not pursue this laudable goal by compelling social media companies to speak its expressive messages.”
Cari Scribner became an advocate for more regulation of the substance Kratom after her son, Nickolas, died in 2024 from the substance (Courtesy of Governor Kathy Hochul’s Office).
Nearly a year after the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution imploring the state to pass regulations on Kratom, their request has been answered.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed two bills into law which would require warning labels on all Kratom products sold in New York and prohibit selling it to those under 21 — on par with the minimum age for substances like alcohol tabaco and cannabis.
“Warning. This product has not been approved by the FDA. Side effects may include nausea, agitation, hallucinations, difficulty breathing, liver damage, and death,” the label is required to read. In addition, advertising or packaging stating, suggesting or implying that Kratom is all natural is banned under the new law.
The law restricting age of sale of Kratom takes effect immediately while the law requiring the new labels will take effect in one year. Retailers and manufacturers who violate the new laws are subject to a maximum fine of $500 for the first offense, with manufacturers receiving a max fine of $1000 for any subsequent offenses.
“Kratom is a commercial substance that is commonly labeled an “all-natural herb”, leading people to believe it’s completely safe — but the reality is it can be extremely dangerous and unfortunately, in some cases, lethal,” Governor Hochul said. “No parent in New York should have to endure the loss of a child to a substance simply because they didn’t know what was in it. This legislation ensures transparency and strengthens our public health laws so that information about the ingredients and potential harmful risks associated with kratom are clear.”
Kratom or Mitragyna speciosa comes from a tree in Southeast Asia, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — which has placed it on its “Drugs of Concern” list. In low doses, the substance has a stimulant effect while at high doses, the substance has the opposite effect, according to the DEA.
Kratom (pictured here) is not currently regulated by the FDA or DEA. As of publication it and Kratom derived products can easily be purchased in the United States — including in Saratoga County ( Courtesy of the DEA)
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no drugs, dietary supplements, or food additives approved for use in the United States. Both the FDA and DEA have warned against use of the substance due to health concerns and the high potential for addiction. Both agencies have also acknowledged a lack of research on the matter.
While there hasn’t been any federal action on the matter, some states have implemented regulations on the substance. According to the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, 24 states plus D.C. have regulated the substance with six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin) plus D.C. classifying it as a controlled substance.
New York’s laws were prompted by the Nov. 2024 death of Saratoga County Sewer District worker, Nickolas Scribner and the subsequent advocacy of his mother, Cari. In Feb. 2025, she addressed the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors about her son’s death and the actions needed on the matter.
“Nick had a very common affliction: insomnia. Since he was a child, he could not sleep,” his mother, Cari Scribner said, as previously reported by Saratoga TODAY. “A friend told him about an herbal, all-natural energy enhancer to overcome fatigue with no side effects. This substance was kratom. Of all the adults that I’ve talked to about it about 10% have heard of it; of all the kids I’ve talked to about it, it’s 100%.”
According to Scribner, her son did not mix the substance with other drugs or alcohol and asphyxiated from the contents of his own stomach while sleeping on his back. After the death of her son Scribner began pushing for more regulations on Kratom in order to prevent other parents from going through what she went through.
These efforts worked. By the time Scribner addressed the board, four pieces of legislation had been introduced at the state level to regulate Kratom. The next month, the Saratoga Country Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging the state to take action on the substance.
In signing the bills into law, Governor Hochul thanked Scribner for her efforts championing the legislation.
“Given the choice to retreat into the pain and the anguish of the unspeakable loss of a child, or to turn around and try to save other families from knowing the pain that she and her family have experienced because of the loss of her beloved son, she [Scribner] became a fierce advocate,” Governor Hochul said.
Scribner also spoke at the signing and thanked the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and state legislators for their support in passing regulations. She said in going to legislators, she received nothing but empathy and respect.
“I am grateful for all the support of these new laws restricting kratom and protecting people from potentially serious and lethal side effects,” Scribner said. “We are spreading the word about kratom being a drug, not an herb, to keep other families from suffering the loss my family underwent.”
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the effective date of the laws at January 1. This has been updated with the correct information.
The Spa Little Theater interior as it appeared on Dec. 11, 2025. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — $12 million will be poured into the renovation of Spa Little Theater, which in recent years has hosted much of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s year-round programming.
To celebrate the project, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held last Thursday in one of the theater’s rooms, where paint was peeling off the walls and a noticeable hole in the ceiling offered proof that the venue built in 1935 could use a facelift.
“We are here to say that we stand on the threshold of the most ambitious and significant project SPAC has undertaken since it opened in 1966,” said Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of SPAC, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The revitalized theater will expand artistic and educational and community experiences that connect people to the arts, to nature, and to one another year-round. Today’s groundbreaking represents far more than just the beginning of a construction project. It is a powerful investment in the future of SPAC and in the cultural vibrancy and economic health of this city, this county, and this region—transformation through restoration.”
A rendering of the Spa Little Theater interior as it’s expected to appear once renovations are completed. Image via Phinney Design Group/SPAC.
Since taking over operations of the 500-seat Spa Little Theater in 2022, SPAC has presented more than 100 events at the venue, welcomed more than 35,000 guests, and expanded the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s season to a year-round residency. Part of the goal of the theater’s renovation/restoration is to “really solidify ourselves as a year-round presenter,” said Christopher Shiley, president of SPAC.
More than 17,00 square feet of the building (which was originally designed to be a lecture hall, not a theater) will be renovated, including, among other things: a new bar/cafe, a new artist suite and dressing rooms, updated theater seats, a new stage floor, a new lobby layout with more restrooms, an updated box office, a multipurpose community room with an adjacent outdoor patio, and a new Spa State Park-inspired mural on the walls of the theater.
Despite all these changes, SPAC wants to preserve the theater’s “charm” and “wonderful intimacy,” said Shiley. The front facade of the building will appear mostly the same post-renovation, although the stone steps will be restored, and a redesigned accessible entryway will be added. Inside the theater, the original color palette of cream and burgundy will be reinstated, while the seating and balcony will remain mostly the same.
Nods to the venue’s past speak to the reverence many feel for a theater that’s hosted legendary performers such as Groucho and Chico Marx, Kevin Kline, Patti Lupone, Gloria Swanson, Shirley Booth, and Vivian Vance (rumors that Robin Williams also graced the stage appear to be unsubstantiated).
According to the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation’s Dec. 2 virtual presentation, “Healing Water to the Arts: The Story of the Spa Little Theater,” a number of performing arts groups have passed through the venue, including both theater companies (Abbey Theater of Ireland, the Circle Repertory Company, and the Empire State Youth Theater Institute) and dance companies (Jose Limon, Pilobolus, Ellen Sinopoli, and Mark Morris).
During World War II, the theater was partly used to entertain soldiers. After the war and throughout the 1950s, it became known as the Spa Summer Theater and hosted a number of the aforementioned legendary performers. In the 1960s, it staged Broadway musicals such as “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” and “Show Boat.” In the 1970s, John Houseman, an Oscar winner who worked with Orson Welles, brought his City Center Acting Company to the theater, staging as many as four plays in six-week increments. From 1985 to 2020, the Home Made Theater called the venue home, producing more than 175 plays there.
“I’ve heard many memories from individuals who have been impacted by this [theater] one way or the other over its many decades in the park,” Shiley said. “It’s been a real treat for me personally to work in the Spa Little Theater for the last three years producing SPAC’s year-round programming and getting to know more about what this building and this space have meant to the community for so many years.”
The historic Spa Little Theater will enter its next phase sometime around the end of 2026, when renovation work is expected to be completed.
The Grinch and Santa Claus compete in an exhibition harness race on Dec. 14. Screenshot of the race via the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — In an annual tradition that perhaps foretells whether this Christmas will be a jolly or mean one, Santa Claus and The Grinch aired their grievances with a feat of strength: a harness race at the Saratoga Casino Hotel.
The mile-long race on Dec. 14 circled several inches of packed snow. The Grinch opened up an early lead, bursting ahead of Claus at the start of the contest. Claus was stuck on the inside, trailing by about two-and-a-half lengths as the foes entered the backstretch. Santa kept his cool, biding his time for a comeback as children across Saratoga feared their presents might be stolen by a victorious Mean One. The anxiety heightened as The Grinch expanded his lead to three lengths. As the ill-tempered, pot-bellied Christmas ruiner passed the grandstands in the stretch, he seemed to be almost taunting those in attendance.
But then, The Grinch went wide on a turn, opening up space on the inside. Claus attempted to squeeze into the gap as if it was a chimney, but The Mean One kept him at bay. Still, St. Nick gained ground and cut his enemy’s lead to about two lengths. Sensing that his chance of victory was narrowing, Santa snapped the reins as he does every Christmas when beckoning his reindeer toward the heavens. With that, Santa’s horse came so close to the reclining Grinch that the Mean One could’ve kissed its nose.
But as they entered the final stretch, centuries of a milk-and-cookies diet seemed to slow down St. Nick. The mean Green One insulted Claus and all of polite society as he cruised across the finish line with a commanding four-length victory.
It was the second-straight year that The Grinch defeated Santa in Saratoga. In 2024, The Grinch won by an inch.
Albany Med Health System has become the latest hospital system to restrict visitors to patients in their facilities.
The new guidelines went into effect on Dec. 15 and impacted Saratoga Hospital, Glens Falls Hospital, Albany Medical Center and Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Under the new restrictions, children under 12, visitors with flu-like symptoms, rashes and diarrhea are all prohibited from visiting patients. In addition, only two visitors are allowed to visit a patient’s bedside at one time.
In a press release, the hospital said the restrictions were put in place to help limit transmission of illnesses to protect visitors and staff.
Albany Med isn’t the first local hospital to implement visitor restrictions. Ellis Medicine implemented similar restrictions on Dec. 3 and Trinity Health System — which includes St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany and Samaritan Hospital in Troy — implemented the restrictions on Dec. 8.
The restrictions come amid a spike in flu cases across New York. As of Dec. 6, there have been 24,287 lab confirmed cases of flu in New York State this season resulting in 1,399 hospitalizations for the virus, according to the Department of Health. Saratoga County alone has seen 134 lab confirmed cases, a rate of 55.75 cases per 100,000 residents. These cases have resulted in 5 hospitalizations.
Downstate has been hit hardest by the virus with Kings County (Brooklyn) seeing 4,314 cases — the most anywhere in the state. Meanwhile, Westchester County has seen the highest rate of cases 184.91 cases per 100,000 residents. In terms of hospitalization, Bronx County has seen the most with 197 hospitalizations at a rate of 14.23 per 100,000 residents.
Close-up Shot of Police Car Siren Lights. Offices of the Law Ready for Action, Chase the Criminals, Arrest Offenders and Fight Crime. Stylish Cinematic Lights with Dark Sky
Two men are facing felony charges after a burglary in the Town of Stillwater was foiled by the Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office and an ill-fated walkie talkie transmission.
Joseph Briggs, 43, of Johnsonville and Michael Briggs Sr., 49, of Buskirk were arrested after a robbery on Brickyard Road in the Town of Stillwater on Dec. 15. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the two men forcibly entered a residence to commit a burglary. While doing this, they kept in contact via walkie talkie.
Michael Brigs Sr. was arrested after an off-duty deputy provided a description of his vehicle leading to a stop on Halfway House Road. His partner in crime, Joseph Briggs, was caught by deputies after he called Michael on the radio requesting to be picked up from a bike path on Halfway House Road.
Michael Briggs Sr. was also found in possession of a firearm — despite having a criminal record. He was charged with 2nd degree burglary — a class C felony, 3rd degree criminal possession of a weapon — a class D felony and 4th degree conspiracy — a Class E felony.
Joseph Briggs was charged with 2nd degree burglary, 4th degree conspiracy, possession of burglar’s tools and petit larceny — the later two being class A misdemeanors. It’s unclear as of publishing if the two men had any familial relationship.
They were arraigned in Stillwater Town Court and remanded to the Saratoga County Jail to await further proceedings.
The two could also face federal consequences for using the radios for crime. A 2021 bulletin issued by the FCC states that using personal radios to carry out crime may be subject to fines, seizure of equipment and potential criminal prosecution. It’s unclear if such penalties will be imposed in this case. As of time of publication, no charges have been filed in federal court regarding the matter.
