Tagged: Ulster County

With the storm that began Wednesday, Hudson Valley emergency services personnel, power companies, and local government officials are keeping a close watch.  In Ulster County, there is a new way to get information about storms and other emergencies. 

Two counties in New York’s Hudson Valley will be sharing a legal service that officials say could save the counties’ taxpayers more than 300-thousand dollars a year. Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro say their counties are starting a one-year pilot program to share legal defense counsel. And here’s why:  when a Public Defender’s Office is disqualified from representing a client because of a legal conflict, a private attorney is assigned.  The private attorney then bills the County according to rates established by New York State.

Whenever a government charter is revised, elected officials pay close attention to determine how they could be affected by the changes. That seems to be the case in Ulster County, New York, where the charter revision commission has finished its work, and now it’s time for public hearings and a vote. One commission member issued a warning to the county legislature saying the charter revisions should not fall prey to political whims, but the chair of the revision commission, Cynthia Lowe, says that was just one persons opinion. She spoke with WAMC’s Brian Shields.

One year ago today, Tropical Storm Irene moved into the northeast leaving flooding and destruction on a scale rarely seen in the region.

Homes and farmland were washed away, bridges and roads were destroyed, and trees and power lines were leveled leaving hundreds of thousands of people without service for days , and even weeks .

21 state, county and municipal leaders have signed a letter calling on New York State to fine New York City 13-point-5 million dollars for sending turbid waters into the Lower Esopus Creek... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

The 21 leaders sent a letter to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, which must decide whether to allow the releases of muddy water to go on...  those opposed to the releases argue they damage ecosystems in the Lower Esopus and hinder business and recreational opportunities for communities situated along the Creek.