Radio Chatskill

Sullivan County native Edward Jacob Lang was one of the roughly 1,600 people, granted a full, complete and unconditional pardon by President Donald Trump to those convicted of offenses related to the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and directed all pending indictments to be dismissed. Lang was accused of fighting for nearly two and a half hours with law enforcement defending the Capitol’s...

Terri Thal was a vital presence in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk music world, where she played a pivotal role as Bob Dylan’s first manager at just 21 years old. Thal helped guide his early career, securing performances and promoting his work. She also managed other influential artists, including musician Dave Van Ronk (whom she later married), the Roche sisters, Paul Geremia, and The Holy Modal...

A group of residents in the Ellenville/Wawarsing area recently completed a 10-week Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx), gaining valuable nutrition education and access to fresh produce. The program, offered through SNAP-Ed New York and supported by Ellenville Regional Hospital’s Rural Health Network, provided participants with up to $120 in vouchers to purchase fresh produce at Peter’s...

On Saturday, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance opens its 2025 Season with multiple artistic collaborations across a dizzying array of mediums, curated by DVAA Gallery & Grants Manager Tanner Simon. Featuring local and regional artists, DVAA’s 2025 roster of exhibitions run the gamut from painting to printmaking, sculpture to performance art, and everything in-between. Simon and artist Maria Bacha...

Firefighting is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging professions, with responders placing themselves at risk every time they answer a call. The Firefighter Cancer Support Network reports that just the sound of the emergency tones causes a firefighter’s heart rate to increase by 47 beats per minute, highlighting the immediate stress their bodies endure even before reaching the sce...

Donald Trump kicked off his second presidential term with dozens of executive orders, many of which focus on hot-button culture war issues, from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to abortion and transgender rights. Local LGBTQ rights advocate John Steven Hellman has voiced grave concerns over the escalating political attacks targeting the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender individ...

The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) is calling on both amateur and professional artists to participate in a design contest for the 2025 Upper Delaware Litter Sweep commemorative t-shirt. The theme for this year’s design is “Don’t Be Trashy!”—a slogan that aims to raise awareness about litter prevention and promote environmental responsibility in the communities surrounding the Upper Delaware Scenic a...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participated in a raid alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week, targeting three locations in New York City—two in the Bronx and one in Manhattan. At the same time, the Trump administration attempted to impose a funding freeze on various federal grants and loans. However, a federal judge intervened, blocking the measure. Jason Dol...

Students across New York State could soon be required to put their cellphones away during school hours under a new proposal announced by Governor Kathy Hochul. The plan, which is still subject to legislative approval, aims to limit smartphone usage in the classroom, during lunch, and even in school hallways, starting as early as this fall.  Hochul argues that limiting smartphone access will help s...

President Donald Trump has signed a slew of executive orders aimed at immigration policy. This week, there were several reports of ice raids and arrests in major cities across the country - including New York City.  In The Catskills, ICE detained two individuals in a worksite operation in Greene County, New York. To understand the impact of the executive orders, the legal challenges ahead and the...

Amy Barkley is a livestock specialist with the Southwest New York Dairy Livestock and Field Crops program and an expert for the avian influenza outbreak for Cornell. She also has her own poultry farm and said she worries about the recent spread of avian flu. "Honestly any farm that has poultry, whether you're large scale commercial, small scale commercial like me, or backyard, if you have poultry,...

The Trump administration has ramped up arrests of undocumented migrants in major cities around the country, detaining thousands of people including criminals and those without criminal histories alike. Since the president took office 10 days ago,  there have been raids in cities including Chicago, Denver , Los Angeles and New York.  Reports of ICE agents in tactical gear making arrests have spread...

The American Lung Association’s annual “State of Tobacco Control” report gives New York a failing grade for funding tobacco prevention programs.   Year to year New York traditionally receives mixed grades in the report, but for several hasn't been able to rise above Grade F in funding tobacco prevention and "quit smoking" programs. Michael Seilback serves as Assistant Vice President for nationwide...

Joe Johnson is our resident science guy and he brought us some science stories that caught his eye recently, including: why the magnetic North pole is on the move; an update on the parade of planets;  the ‘artificial sun’ that just smashed its own nuclear fusion record; and NASA’s discovery of ancient wave ripples on Mars and what that means for the possibility of of life on the Red Planet.

Does it feel like everyone around you is sick right now? Right now, the U.S. is grappling with not one, not two, but four major viral surges.  As of mid-January, healthcare facilities across the country are facing an overwhelming demand for care, as cases of the flu, COVID-19, RSV, and Norovirus continue to rise.  Dr. Jodi Galaydick, an infectious disease specialist at Garnet Health, is keeping a...

Justin Kolb⁠ is an accomplished pianist who began playing at the age of four.  Now 82, Justin continues to practice almost daily and performs intimate house concerts at his home in Delaware County, NY, called "From the Bench," showcasing music "by living American composers as well as music that lives in undeserved obscurity.” Brett Barry profiles Justin Kolb in the latest episode of Kaastacast: Th...

Every year, January 27th marks a solemn day of remembrance for the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust. In 2005, the European Union unanimously designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day to honor the victims of Adolf Hitler’s genocidal campaign against the Jewish people and other minority groups during World War II.  Dr. Peter Chester, the President of The Board of D...

Joe Johnson is our resident science guy and he’s bringing us a few stories that caught his eye this week, including a landmark 20-year archaeological dig in Northern Scotland has come to an end, yet discoveries continue to show its significance; scientists drilled an ice core two miles down in Antarctica, extracting 1.2 million years of the earth’s climate record; and a “planet parade,” in which s...

In a heartfelt recollection of his childhood and his family’s legacy in the entertainment world, Jimmy Givens recently shares fond memories of growing up in show business, particularly the summer days spent in the Catskills, in his book "Memories of The Kentucky Club."  His parents, Givens and Sweetie, were renowned Borscht Belt entertainers who graced stages across the Borscht Belt and beyond.  F...

As part of her Executive Budget released this week , New York Governor Kathy Hochul did not include a promised cap-and-invest program or the NY HEAT Act, which the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says would reduce greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions, limit potential costs for New Yorkers, and invest in programs that drive emission reductions and improve energy affordability, especi...

Local author Lily Barrish Levner is set to kick off the first book in her new mystery series, Catskills Capers, with a special book talk at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville on Saturday. The event marks the launch of "Banquets & Bootleg Bounty," a novel set at The Concord Hotel in the vibrant, nostalgic world of the Catskills in the summer of 1944.

Wayne-Pike Workforce Alliance, in partnership with The Pardon Project, has launched a new YouTube video series, "The PA Pardon Process – How to Series," designed to educate individuals on the steps involved in seeking a pardon in Pennsylvania.  This comprehensive series, created to be an accessible resource for individuals with non-violent criminal convictions, will break down the complexities of...

Laura Nordstrom has recently been appointed as the first-ever Director of Housing and Homelessness in Ulster County's Department of Social Services.  Laura previously served as the Director of Research and Operational Programs in the County Executive’s office.  In that role, Laura led efforts to help constituents navigate emergency housing and related support services.  Now, she steps into this ne...

Navigating perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause can be challenging. Yet, for many women, it’s a journey often taken in silence due to lack of support and understanding.  To help women embrace this transformative life stage with empowerment and knowledge, The Chi Hive and The Field Office in Narrowsburg have partnered to offer "Empowered Menopause," a six-week program designed to provide wis...

Founded by two passionate food lovers with diverse backgrounds, Harana Market is a reflection of a shared love for Filipino cuisine and the connections food creates. In her segment Eating Upstate , Erin Scherer spoke to the folks behind Harana Market and the deeply personal and culturally rich dining experience they've brought to Accord, NY.