The Local Edition

Radio Catskill’s reporter Marin Scotten uncovered the troubling details of how the Bloomingburg wastewater treatment plant has been discharging untreated wastewater—up to 120,000 gallons daily—into the Shawangunk Kill, a vital waterway flowing through Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties.  Authorities say a sewage treatment plant in Sullivan County has discharged dirty wastewater daily for at lea...

In the coming weeks, New York’s lawmakers will pass a budget that determines how the state will spend over $230 billion in public money. It’s a massive sum, bigger than most countries’ budgets, and outpacing every other state except California. At stake are key questions for New York’s future. Will the state invest in treatment centers for people struggling with opioid addiction? Will it stop subs...

Since 2009, the DEC has put a stop to brush burning from March 16 to May 14 every year to help prevent wildfires and keep communities safe. This ban is important because warm weather dries out last fall's leaves and debris, making it easy for wildfires to start and spread, especially with windy conditions and no green plants around.  Sullivan County Fire Coordinator, John Hauschild, shared importa...

If you’ve ever stayed in a hotel, visited an aquarium, ordered something on Amazon, or paid your utility bill in New York, your life may have been impacted by a little-known local authority called an industrial development agency. Under state law, IDAs have the power to dole out tax breaks to corporations in order to promote the “economic welfare” of their communities — and as a result, they play...

Since 2016, Newburgh’s main water source, Washington Lake has been contaminated with PFAS chemicals, a group of chemicals that don’t break down naturally- coining the name ‘forever chemicals’. In Newburgh and across the country, advocates are pushing for stricter PFAS regulation to prevent these harmful chemicals from further contaminating drinking water sources. Radio Catskill reporter Marin Scot...

On Friday, March 8th, the New Hope Community in Loch Sheldrake is set to join the "Rally in the Valley" at Letchworth Village in Stony Point, NY, to advocate for better compensation for Direct Service Professionals who support 140,000 vulnerable residents across New York.  New Hope, among others,  is advocating for a 3.2% pay raise, a significant step up from the 1.5% increase proposed in Governor...

While the nonprofit Greater New York Hospital Association lobbied, a lucrative for-profit arm may have run up costs for hospitals. Two-thirds of New York hospitals and health systems are losing money. To Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, one clear reason is that while drug, supply, and labor costs have climbed, the state government’s hospital spending has not k...

Investigative reporter Carter Walker of Votebeat/Spotlight PA has uncovered a pressing concern within Pennsylvania's electoral framework: the significant turnover of election officials. So many officials have left, in fact, that it adds up to a loss of nearly three centuries' worth of cumulative expertise since 2019. This upheaval underscores potential vulnerabilities in electoral accuracy, partic...

Brock Pinkerous is a 13-year-old race car driver from Ellenville, New York. Despite racing competitors who are in their 30s and 40s, Pinkerous has done more than hold his own. He hopes this is the beginning of a long career that one day leads him to winning the Daytona 500 NASCAR race. Radio Catskill reporter Marin Scotten is joined by Pinkerous to hear more about his racing success.

Governor Kathy Hochul has made no secret of her goal to scale back state spending across agencies. But among some rural state lawmakers, her plan to save $77 million on prisons is driving backlash. Eliza Fawcett from NY Focus has more. 

Making a living as a small-scale farmer in a system that supports mass-production isn’t easy. For Black farmers, a number of discriminatory barriers have made farming even more challenging. In the last century, Black farmers have lost over 90% of the land they once owned and today just 1% of American farmers are Black. Radio Catskill Reporter Marin Scotten is joined by Omowale Adewale, the co-owne...

In recent reporting, New York Focus found that after the worst year on record for overdose deaths in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul wants to level off investment in addiction treatment and use opioid settlement funds to fill the gaps.

With the growing demand for mental health resources in New York State, Astor Services has taken a step forward in expanding access to essential care by extending its mental and behavioral health services to Sullivan and Rockland Counties.  Astor Services is a community-based non-profit organization that provides children’s mental health services, child welfare services, and early childhood develop...

Kim Botteicher decided to speak out about her work offering syringe services in Westmoreland County, hoping to prompt change that she believes would help save lives. According to Spotlight PA, after she went public, county government officials pulled $150,000 in opioid settlement funding they had approved for her organization — money Botteicher said she planned to spend on hiring additional staff...

New York state wants to phase out fossil fuels. Localities have given over a billion dollars in tax breaks to help keep them around. Across the state, IDAs enter into payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreements, or pilots, with businesses, exempting the corporations from property taxes in exchange for a lower annual payment to the town, county, and school district and the promise of job creation.  And these...

Jay Mendels, a member of the Sullivan County Conservation Club and a key figure on the King of the Ice committee, discusses with Radio Catskill's Patricio Robayo the significance of this year's King of the Ice event and its positive impacts on Sullivan County.

On Friday, February 2, Sullivan County Head Start announced on social media that they were closing until further notice, effective immediately. The sudden closure left over 300 children and their families without services as well as 83 full-time and 11 part-time employees out of work. Sullivan County Commissioner of the Health and Human Services Division John Liddle and Laura Quigley, Commissioner...

A new Beginner Farmer Program has started at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County. The program aims to help historically underserved farmers enter the field through mentorship, workshops, group training and events.  Radio Catskill reporter Marin Scotten is joined by the program’s manager, Taylor Adam to discuss the Beginner Farmer Program’s goals, challenges and offerings.

The IRS has officially opened tax season on Monday and is now accepting and processing 2023 federal income tax returns. Locally, Sullivan County Treasurer Nancy Buck spoke to Jason Dole about what you need to know about  upcoming tax deadlines and the county's new tax website.

Radio Catskill Reaction to Gov. Hochul's State of the State for 2024 Tim Bruno, host of Radio Chatskill, and Jason Dole, host of The Local Edition, share their reactions to Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State address.

Karen DeWitt from the New York Public News Network provides a comprehensive recap of Governor Hochul's 2024 State of the State address.

Wayne Brown, a clinical social worker with an advocacy driven by mental health, social justice, and community well-being, delves into the topic of New Year's resolutions, exploring why people make them and if they're beneficial.  Wayne shares his philosophy on this, emphasizing the importance of understanding motivations, strengths, and challenges, rather than simply telling his clients whether to...

In the first legislative meeting of the year, held on January 2, 2024, the new legislature nominated and elected District 2 Legislator, Nadia Rajz, as Chairperson for 2024. The decision was made following a vote of 7 to 2. Rajz became one of the first female legislature chairs since Leni Binder in 2003. “Thank you very much for having faith in me to do this job for the next year and onward. I'm ho...

HARD HARVEST – From early heat and a late freeze in the spring, to wildfire smoke and wet weekends in the summer, local farmers describe the challenges set by unpredictable weather in 2023. It’s an hour-long feature from Farm and Country and The Local Edition.

Addressing Hunger and Homelessness in Sullivan County: Martin Colavito  Martin Colavito from Sullivan Allies Leading Together (SALT) and the Sullivan County branch of Cornell Cooperative Extension joins 'The Local Edition' to discuss the growing concerns of hunger and homelessness in the Catskills, Northeast Pennsylvania region.  Martin shares how his organizations are working tirelessly to provid...