Dave Lucas

Governor Andrew Cuomo expects environmental groups to favor the recommended option for building a new Tappan Zee bridge, one that calls for less dredging than planners originally believed would be needed. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The initiative to restore or replace the 56-year old bridge spanning the Hudson between Tarrytown and Nyack has languished for more than a decade: Governor Cuomo has placed the Tappan Zee on his administration's front burner.

New York and New Jersey officials say trains, tracks, tunnels, bridges, roads, and airports damaged from Hurricane Sandy will cost billions of dollars to repair — and that even more money is needed for them to withstand future severe storms. More from WAMC’s Dave Lucas

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says New York City will work on upgrading building codes and evacuation-zone maps, hardening power and transportation networks, and making sure hospitals are better prepared for storms. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports.

Bloomberg discussed responding to both Superstorm Sandy and global warming in a speech Thursday at a Regional Plan Association meeting. He says the city is still focused on recovering from the Oct. 29 storm. But officials have also started thinking about preparations.

22-year-old Saratoga County man has admitted to being drunk behind the wheel when his sport utility vehicle struck and killed a teenage girl standing alongside a road last summer. WAMC’S Dave Lucas has more.

The Saratogian reports that Gavin Staulters of Milton pleaded guilty Wednesday in Saratoga County Court to a vehicular manslaughter charge stemming from the death of 14-year-old Kari Liedel on July 7. The teen was hit by his vehicle as she and a friend waited for another friend along a road near her home in Milton.

Troubles with an outdated sewage treatment plant have officials in Orange County looking for options and alternatives... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

Last year, waters from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee overwhelmed the 40-year old Harriman treatment facility beyond anything seen previously, compromising its processing ability to the point where the plant was discharging more wastewater than allowable into the Ramapo River. Activists insist water quality vigilance must continue.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a long-term lease agreement between CSX and Amtrak, enabling Amtrak to take full control of the Hudson Line between Schenectady and Poughkeepsie. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The New York State Department of Transportation led the efforts to transform the 94-mile Hudson Line from Schenectady to Poughkeepsie from a CSX freight-controlled line to an Amtrak-controlled line.

Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole notes the "transfer of power" paves the way for several significant rail improvement projects totaling $181 million...

A natural gas lawyer says industry interest in drilling in New York's part of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation is at an "all-time low" because of long regulatory delays and expected lawsuits. More from WAMC’s Dave Lucas.

Tom West of Albany told members of the state Association of General Contractors that he expects the Department of Environmental Conservation to finalize new drilling regulations by Feb. 27. Shale development has been banned in New York since DEC started an environmental review in 2008.

Authorities say an upstate New York man has been arrested in Florida for killing a 67-year-old woman whose body was found in her Hudson Valley home on Thanksgiving Day. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has more…

State police say that Justin Curran was arrested Tuesday night in Tampa, Fla., with the help of local police and U.S. Marshals.

Lt. James Murphy says Wednesday he'll be returned to New York after being charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Laurie Ferguson.

A Bronx man was arrested by Westchester County Police this week and charged with stealing close to 300 batteries from roadside Variable Message Signs that provide information and safety warnings to motorists. WAMC’s Dave Lucas has more.

Former New York Mayor Ed Koch has pneumonia and is expected to be in the hospital through the weekend. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports.

A Koch spokesman said Wednesday that the 87-year-old former mayor is being treated with antibiotics.  He was admitted Tuesday afternoon to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

In September, the former mayor was hospitalized after feeling weak while staying with friends in North Carolina. He was treated for anemia, was released after three days and said he planned to head straight to his office at a law firm.