Radio Chatskill

On a recent morning, a group of middle schoolers delivered a lesson on nutrition not through a worksheet or a lecture, but through a hook. “ Don’t skip meals. Don’t skip meals. You’ll get cranky… ” The song, written and performed by students at Liberty Middle School, is part of The STEAM Fund’s Real Food Songwriting Program — an arts-based initiative that invites students to write original music a...

A proposed ICE facility in Chester, New York, has raised concerns among immigrant families and community advocates in the mid-Hudson Valley. If built, it would become Orange County’s second immigration detention center, joining the existing facility at the Orange County Jail. Reverend Richard Witt, executive director of Rural and Migrant Ministries, said the proposal has heightened fear among immi...

Across the Upper Delaware region, residents are taking an active role in shaping the public spaces that define their communities — from a long-standing symbol overlooking Milford Borough to a playground in the heart of Honesdale. In Pike County, a grassroots effort is underway to restore the illuminated star on Milford Knob, a display that dates back nearly a century. And in neighboring Wayne Coun...

In rural Sullivan and Wayne Counties, a grassroots organization is using books to build community and support for transgender and gender-diverse people. The Trans Support Initiative (TSI) hosts a monthly book club in Callicoon, bringing together trans people, gender-diverse community members, families, and allies to read and discuss trans history, memoir, and identity. “We discovered that there we...

A federal judge has ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawfully detained an Afghan refugee living in Ulster County, despite his arrest during an asylum interview and years of legal residence in the Hudson Valley. Ali Faqirzada, a Bard College student and Afghan refugee, has been held in ICE custody since Oct. 14. This week, a federal judge in New Jersey denied his petition for rel...

As New York lawmakers debate ways to lower costs and confront climate change, environmental advocates say the state stands at a pivotal moment. Governor Kathy Hochul’s recent state of the state address included major investments in clean water and a defense of congestion pricing — steps that drew praise from environmental groups. Yet advocates caution the state still lacks a near-term plan to rapi...

Governor Kathy Hochul used her fifth State of the State address to position herself as a defender of New Yorkers’ pocketbooks — and a bulwark against what she described as federal overreach by the Trump administration. Radio Catskill reporters Jason Dole, Kimberly Izar, and Patricio Robayo, who followed the speech closely, said the governor’s overarching message focused less on sweeping policy det...

 Early American taverns are often imagined as rowdy halls full of drinking men. But a closer look at these 18th- and early 19th-century institutions reveals a far more complex picture — one that shaped politics, business, culture, and transportation in the young United States.  “Early American taverns are a fantastic window into the making of the United States,” says historian Dr. Kirsten Wood. “T...

For decades, the Catskills’ Borscht Belt helped shape American comedy, giving immigrant performers a place to test jokes, tell their stories, and build careers that would later define stand-up nationwide. Now, that legacy is being revived. This weekend, the Borscht Belt Museum launches a new season of the Borscht Belt Comedy Club at Shadowland Stages in Ellenville , with Ellenville-born comedian A...

A vacant warehouse in Chester, New York, could soon become New York state’s next ICE processing facility, according to internal ICE documents. The news drew significant local opposition – with hundreds of people protesting outside the Chester Senior Center last night. The Village board relocated the board meeting to a larger venue last minute to accommodate the crowd. The protest comes amidst nati...

The Hudson Valley’s LGBTQ+ and Allied a cappella chorus Key of Q is celebrating 10 years of music, community, and joy with its winter concert, It’s About Time .  “We are an auditioned group of LGBTQ+ and allied singers… Over our 10 years together, we've become really a chosen family with deep and abiding connections,” said Terry Gibson, managing director of Key of Q . “We practice love and support...

The federal government recently released updated national dietary guidelines that emphasize whole, minimally processed foods, an inverted food pyramid highlighting proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables, and a reduction in added sugar. The new guidance has sparked debate over what Americans should eat — and what this could mean for public health. To discuss the implications, we spoke with Dr. Eve...

New York energy advocates are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to make affordability a top priority in her State of the State address, amid soaring energy costs. Gas prices are projected to more than double by 2026, and roughly one in seven New Yorkers is behind on bills. Kim Fraczek, director of Sane Energy, said recent victories like repealing the 100-foot gas rule and securing funding for EmPower+...

As Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, await their next court appearance, activists in the Mid-Hudson Valley are pushing back against U.S. involvement in Venezuela.  A coalition of local activist groups gathered in Newburgh on Sunday, calling for the end to the U.S.’s military intervention. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar reports.

A proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Chester, New York, is drawing sharp reactions from local officials and residents, as details emerge about a national plan to speed up immigrant detention and deportation. The Chester site would be one of 16 smaller processing facilities proposed across the country, according to internal federal documents first reported by The Wa...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funded NPR, PBS and hundreds of local public radio and TV stations like ours for more than 50 years, said Monday that its board voted to dissolve the organization after Congress cut off federal funding. The decision formalizes plans announced last year, following Congress' move to eliminate more than $500 million in annual support This wasn’t un...

Wayne County commissioners are beginning the new year with a $43.4 million balanced budget for 2026 — and it comes with no tax increase. The plan funds a three-percent wage increase for county employees and supports infrastructure, public safety, and community projects across the county. “The way we covered the three percent increase on the budget was we had additional boarding fees from boarding...

Local public health leaders are raising alarms after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released revised guidance that scales back routine childhood vaccinations, a move they say could confuse parents and weaken decades of disease prevention. The updated guidance reduces the number of vaccines recommended for infants and children and shifts several — including RSV, influenza, hepatitis...

The Catskill Mountains have long been a proving ground for East Coast skiers. A new documentary, Queen of the Catskills , tells that story through one woman’s deeply personal journey into the backcountry. The film centers on Julie McGuire , a South Bronx high school English teacher who turns to the mountains after a series of traumatic events disrupt her life. What begins as a search for healing b...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day isn’t officially observed until January 19, but in Sullivan County, the work of honoring Dr. King’s legacy is already underway. Later this week, high school students from across the county will come together for the fifth annual MLK Day of Service Youth Summit, an event rooted in Dr. King’s call to service, leadership, and community — and intentionally held ahead of the...

New York is experiencing its most intense flu season on record, with hospitalizations jumping 24% in a single week, according to state health officials. The spike comes as flu activity remains extremely high across the Hudson Valley and Catskills — and experts say the season hasn’t yet reached its peak. “Flu activity currently in Orange and Sullivan counties is extremely high,” said Dr. Jodi Galay...

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife landed at the National Guard base at Stewart International Airport on Saturday. The two were captured in Venezuela after President Trump’s series of U.S. airstrikes. Local protestors and lawmakers in the Catskills and Hudson Valley regions had mixed reactions. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar reports.

 On New Year’s Day, when many people are easing into January with hot coffee and warm layers, hundreds of others will be running straight into icy water at Lake Wallenpaupack — by choice. The annual Lake Wallenpaupack Polar Plunge returns Jan. 1, raising money for the volunteer rescue dive teams of the Ledgedale and Tafton Fire Companies. “Lake Wallenpaupack Polar Plunge is one of our major fundra...

Hunger remains a daily reality for hundreds of thousands of people across the Hudson Valley, even as food banks struggle to keep pace with rising costs and major federal funding cuts. More than 355,000 people are food insecure across the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York’s 23-county service area , according to the organization. In 2025, the food bank distributed roughly the same amount o...

A late, record-breaking state budget, emotional battles over medical aid in dying and a historic New York City mayoral election defined a turbulent year in New York politics.  From the New York Public News Network, WMHT’s Shantel Destra takes a closer look at the headlines that shaped 2025 and is joined by POLITICO’s Katelyn Cordero, Bloomberg’s Raga Justin, and Jimmy Vielkind of WNYC, Gothamist,...