Hudson Valley News

The New York State Comptroller has given his approval for the more than $3 billion contract to build a replacement Tappan Zee Bridge in the lower Hudson Valley.

Non-profit group Scenic Hudson is celebrating 50 years of work with a traveling photo exhibition that kicks off Saturday in Columbia County. The exhibit of some 40 works by 12 photographers opens at the Hudson Opera House, and will run through February 16th, after which time it will travel to about five other locations, ending at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The photos depict traditional landscapes and waterfronts in transformation; as well as polluted locations and other areas with challenges. Poughkeepsie-based Scenic Hudson began in 1963 with six people mobilized around a campaign to protect Storm King Mountain, a campaign that led to a landmark legal victory known as the “Scenic Hudson Decision”.

A national watchdog group that espouses the importance of the separation of church and state is calling upon the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to stop including prayers during official events. In response, a Chaplain Alliance is asking West Point officials to allow such prayers to continue.

The Hudson River PCB-cleanup project is about halfway through, and both governmental officials as well as environmental advocates provided an update on the Superfund project Wednesday. What has not yet begun is a project to restore the Hudson River’s natural resources, including fish and wildlife, but planning for the restoration is underway.