Hudson Valley News

Ulster County is bringing its emergency radio communication systems into the 21st Century.

Blue Wing Consulting, based in Minnesota, made a detailed technical presentation to the county legislature at a special meeting held Tuesday night in Kingston. The company made a similar presentation earlier Tuesday in neighboring Sullivan County.

Blue Wing was hired two years ago, tasked with polling various departments and finding an affordable solution to coverage, cost, and interoperability problems.

Michael Cody is a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart medal. His patriotism and love of country prompted him to set up a week-long exhibit of photos from the September 11 World Trade Center attacks.

Cody happened to be in Manhattan on that day at the VA hospital and when the commotion first occurred, he ran over to the site, bought a disposal camera and began taking pictures. “I didn’t know what I was taking at the time,” he told MidHudsonNews.com.

Since the beginning of the recession, times have been tough for everyone. But as Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports, there’s one organic food business in Columbia County that's thriving…



When Gunther Fishgold bought his first pallet of organic cashews to sell in 1999, he was simply trying to make some extra money to support his organic vegetable farm and bakery in the Finger Lakes region during the winter slow season.

Members of the Hudson Valley delegation to the Democratic National Convention are “fired up and ready to go” following the formal selection of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as their party’s standard-bearers.

Orange County Democratic Chairman and convention delegate Jonathan Jacobson said they are ready to point out the differences between the Republican and Democratic candidates.

Dutchess County legislators began the discussion into the possibility of banning the use of hydrofracking brine, the by-product of the drilling process to harvest natural gas from underground shale formations, on county roads.

The resolution, which was discussed at the Government Services Committee of the county legislature on Thursday, was sponsored by Legislator Joel Tyner.

Three Hudson Valley hospital groups are forming an alliance they say will enhance services, save money, and benefit the public... Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.

Bon Secours Charity Health System, St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital and St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers are joining forces under the moniker Hudson Health Partners LLC. The alliance entails bringing six facilities in three Hudson Valley counties together to pursue collaborations.  Larry Hughes is spokesman for Poughkeepsie-based St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers.

Six men have been accused in a drug killing that could get them sentenced to death. More from WAMC’s Dave Lucas…

The U.S. attorney's office says federal, state and local agents rounded up the defendants on Wednesday after their indictment was unsealed. Three are 19 and three are in their 20s.

They're charged in the 2010 shooting death of Jeffrey Henry in Newburgh. Officials say the shooting came as the defendants were robbing drug dealers.

Homeless people, joined by advocates, spoke out Tuesday at a rally in Poughkeepsie, decrying the new $10 per night fee being imposed by a local emergency homeless shelter.  Community Voices Heard organized the event, calling attention to the plight of indigent residents who are being forced to sleep on the streets this upcoming winter.

The expected housing crisis is prompted by a 120-night-per-year limit announced by Hudson River Housing, operator of the Dutchess County Coalition for Homeless shelter.

A study conducted by the US Geological Survey found a handful of water wells in Wawarsing contain dissolved methane gas. Nine percent of all 239 wells studied across the state found varying levels of dissolved methane.

Study author William Kappel said the Ulster County survey was centered on the New York City aqueduct under Wawarsing, but also looked at private wells.

As Ulster County officials consider what to do with surplus county property, they are looking at razing the former county jail.

County Executive Michael Hein has a plan that could save the county money in the process.

“One of the things we are looking at is having scrap metal that exists within the facility being utilized to help offset potential demolition costs so that we can bring it down to a flat pad,” Hein said.

The county would then explore its options to sell the property to a private developer.

This is the season when mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water including in storm drains and many are turning up positive with West Nile virus.

Westchester County Board of Legislators’ Chairman Kenneth Jenkins will propose that all storm water basins around the county be treated based on a formula from the previous winter’s weather pattern.  Currently storm drains are inspected and treated without any specific guidelines regarding seasonal temperatures, he said.

 Labor Day is the one day in America that the country’s workers are saluted. Many have the day off as government offices, banks and other facilities are closed. The day is a big shopping day with a great number of people working, though.

Paul Ellis-Graham, president of the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation notes it is the unions that brought workers to where they are now.

Elected officials called out to the New York State Transportation Department to expedite the process of funding a partial rebuild of the Forge Hill Bridge in the Town of New Windsor on Thursday, which has been closed from storm damage since Tropical Storm Irene hit almost exactly one year ago.

The designing and rebuilding of the bridge, which includes adding abutments to the road surface, is expected to take about two years and cost roughly $2 million, which will be 80 percent funded by the Federal Highway Administration, and 20 percent by Orange County.

While Republican incumbent for New York's 19th Congressional District Nan Hayworth celebrated the presidential nomination of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney on Thursday evening with a fundraiser in Newburgh, protesters against the policies and practices of the GOP formed outside bearing signs and slogans.

 The city administration in Poughkeepsie must come up with $3.6 million in cuts to balance its 2013 budget. Mayor John Tkazyik announced on Wednesday that the financial problems facing all local municipalities won’t disappear overnight and may be around for at least the next five years.

With diminishing property tax collections, sales tax and mortgage taxes coupled with rising personnel costs, Tkazyik said the city will have to face some stark facts.

Responding to two instances of mob violence against police officers in just the past few days, the Newburgh Police Benevolent Association came out Tuesday with a demand for answers and action from the Newburgh City Council to protect its police force.

Among the issues brought up by Teamsters Local 445 Principal Officer Adrian Huff was an insufficiently staffed department, especially at night.

By the end of the year, the financially troubled Westchester Medical Center is expected to face a $60 million deficit and members of the County Board of Legislators Tuesday expressed their concern for the health of the patients, employees and the hospital.

One-third of all of the MTA’s claims resulting from flood and wind damage from last year’s Tropical Storms Irene and Lee were from crippling of the Port Jervis Line, which had sections decimated with rail beds washed out and rails torn up and left as twisted masses of steel.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said $65 million in losses were suffered by the entire transportation system.

Orange County Executive Edward Diana has just over a month before he must present his proposed 2013 county budget to the legislature.  He has prided himself with bringing in fiscally conservative spending plans with little to no property tax hikes.

Roads maintained by Ulster County will not be treated with brine used from fracking wastewater.  County Executive Michael Hein signed legislation Thursday at the county highway garage in New Paltz banning the brine from being used on county roads.

The byproduct of fracking will not be used on our roadways,” said Hein. “The truth is that the environmental costs are off the charts. Their bargain is bad and the price is too high.”

County Legislator Kenneth Wishnick, a New Paltz Democrat, introduced the legislation.