Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan

Kingston, New York is now home to a mental health, substance use urgent care facility. It comes as the county is reeling from an escalation of mental health and drug addiction issues during COVID and the reduction of related inpatient beds.

Ulster County’s primary COVID-19 vaccination site is being moved to a former store location to expand daily doses and the number of parking spots.

During a televised address to the nation Thursday night, President Joe Biden set a goal of having all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. In New York, efforts are ramping up to vaccinate more residents and set up more sites, including in the Hudson Valley.

The nine school districts in Ulster County are preparing to reopen in person full-time. The Ulster County executive delivered the news during his COVID-19 update Thursday afternoon, alongside a district superintendent.

The Ulster County executive is calling on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to activate a joint state- and county-run COVID-19 vaccination site in Kingston. He says the site has the capacity, and the closest state sites are not close at all. As WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports, others are echoing the call.

Democratic Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan delivered his state-of-the-county address earlier this week. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about the start of a basic income pilot program as well as initiatives under his Green New Deal.

In New York, the Ulster County executive delivered his state of the county address Tuesday.

State and local lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling for New York to release funding to veterans organizations for a peer support program. Every year, they press for the funding, and every year, the funding is released. This year’s plea comes with a request that the funding become a permanent part of the budget.

County leaders say their offices continue to be deluged by calls about the COVID-19 vaccine, which is in short supply. Saying they, too, are frustrated, they’re asking residents to be patient.

The Ulster County executive has announced the next phase of an initiative that began in March as a community fund and local food distribution effort to support residents impacted by COVID-19.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced the formation of Regional Vaccination Hubs to help facilitate COVID-19 vaccinations once Phase 2 of the state's plan begins in early 2021. Regional task forces are part of the process. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with a few county leaders who are on the Mid-Hudson region’s task force.

Congress has reached a deal on a $900 billion coronavirus relief package. It does not contain direct aid for state and local governments. For the New York State Association of Counties and county executives in the state, that’s a problem.

The Ulster County executive has announced the formation of a county Vaccine Distribution Coalition.

Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced that access to county buildings will be limited and more staffing will be remote as COVID-19 cases escalate.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday added COVID-19 micro-clusters in three Hudson Valley counties. Earlier in the day, four county leaders and their health commissioners held a briefing to implore the public not to get casual about the virus, especially with the holidays around the corner.

The Ulster County executive held a rare weekend call with county and local leaders on Saturday. Democrat Pat Ryan says it’s time to collaborate even further to let residents know how important it is to stop the spread of COVID-19 as a second wave emerges.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises nationally and in New York, counties in the Hudson Valley are also seeing their numbers increase. One leader says his county is at the beginning of a second wave, while another is hopeful as a drug company with offices in his county is developing a COVID-19 vaccine.

A housing project in Ulster County, New York is moving forward with the selection of a development team and release of preliminary designs. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan talked about the project during his COVID-19 briefing Thursday.

With large turnouts for early voting in parts of New York, a county executive in the Hudson Valley wants polling site hours expanded and sites added.

A restorative justice program in Ulster County is being expanded to young adults. The county executive and district attorney say the new initiative builds upon the success of the county’s restorative justice program.

In New York, the Ulster County executive delivered his budget address Thursday. He has a number of projects on the list to develop what he calls a people-centered economy.

With so many K-12 school districts set to open after Labor Day, some county executives are trying to help figure out the childcare conundrum. Dutchess County has come up with a childcare scholarship.

A coalition of environmental, public health and other groups is calling on the New York state Department of Health to implement a drug take-back law signed two years ago. The groups say the lack of safe disposal options for unwanted or expired pharmaceutical drugs not only contributes to the drug abuse epidemic and accidental poisonings at home, but also to water pollution.

The Ulster County executive has declared a public health emergency due to recent spikes in fentanyl-related deaths. The declaration came the day before county officials arrested a Kingston man on narcotics charges and recovered 10,000 bags of fentanyl and heroin.

In New York, the Ulster County executive has declared a public health emergency due to recent spikes in fentanyl-related deaths. Fentanyl is 50-times more potent than heroin.

A land deal in Ulster County will afford new recreational opportunities while protecting views and preserving wetlands. It’s one of Scenic Hudson’s larger acquisitions.

The House of Representatives recently passed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act. Two New York congressmen from the Hudson Valley are behind a number of the measures that were included.

Officials from the Biden for President campaign have tapped a group of New York veterans to launch an organizing group aimed at engaging the more than 830,000 veterans and their families in the state to support Joe Biden for President. A Hudson Valley county executive is one who helped with the launch.

Four county executives participated in a New York State Association of Counties video press conference Thursday to urge Congress to pass a coronavirus stimulus package with direct state and local aid. A House bill passed in May contains billions of dollars’ worth, but Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Trump reportedly agreed Thursday on a package with no such aid.

With the Mid-Hudson Region now in Phase Two of reopening from the coronavirus shutdown, local leaders have been rolling out phases of their economic recovery programs and hoping that businesses and others get back on their feet. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan continues to push for direct federal aid to the state and local governments as he watches the county budget.