Kimberly Izar

8 Charged As Part of Conspiracy to Smuggle Drugs, Cell Phones into Woodbourne Prison

Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty announced the unsealing of an indictment charging several individuals, including a former Woodbourne correction officer, with conspiring to introduce prison contraband and controlled substances into the Woodbourne Correctional Facility. Conaty called the operation a “highly calculated and orchestrated conspiracy” at a press conference in Monticello on Friday. The Sullivan […]

NY Kicks Off $18 Million Route 17 Upgrades Between Parksville and Liberty

New York kicked off an $18 million safety project to improve safety roadways along State Route 17 in Sullivan County. Governor Kathy Hochul announced on July 3 that the New York State Department of Transportation will lead the resurfacing and installation of major safety upgrades between the Hamlet of Parksville and the Village of Liberty. […]

NY Officials Demand Answers on Federal Newburgh Warehouse as ICE Stays Silent

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – New York officials and residents are demanding answers after the federal government leased a warehouse in the Town of Newburgh for $35.57 million. While the Trump administration hasn’t specified its purpose, federal documents suggest it could be for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The General Services Administration (GSA) awarded a […]

Activists Push to End Orange County ICE Contract Amid Federal Lease Deal

Local activists are doubling down on their efforts to end Orange County Jail’s agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as new state laws prohibiting local cooperation with ICE go into effect and a new federal lease in Newburgh raises concerns. New York Governor Kathy Hochul passed sweeping immigration legislation earlier this year, […]

Meet Little Snail Nursery, Sullivan County’s Newest Garden Hub

YOUNGSVILLE, N.Y. – Tucked away in Youngsville is a greenhouse so packed with plants there’s barely space to walk through. Sylvie Wise, owner of Little Snail Nursery, peers into her nursery draped with dozens of hanging potted plants. Wise opened Little Snail Nursery in May after noticing pockets of Sullivan County lacked a nearby local […]

Ulster County Fire Chief Dies in Line of Duty

Local fire chief David A. Gagnon of the Cottekill Volunteer Fire Company died during the line of duty on Friday. Chief Gagnon and other Cottekill Fire Department members responded to a report of a tree in the roadway in the Town of Rosendale on Friday, July 3, at 3:06 p.m. according to local fire department […]

Ulster County

As Optum Eyes Sale of Specialty Practices, Workers Worry About Future of Patient and Worker Care

Optum is considering selling certain specialty practices affiliated with Optum Medical Care and Crystal Run Healthcare to other large New York health systems. That includes orthopedics, general surgery, and urology, among other specialties. An Optum spokesperson said that they’ve signed or are negotiating letters of intent with some health systems with the goal of closing […]

Milanville’s Josh Fox Explores Climate Change and Community Resilience in ‘The Welcome Table’

Climate and economic experts estimate that over one billion people are at risk of being displaced by climate change and climate-related disasters by 2050. A new film, THE WELCOME TABLE, spotlights the people at the frontlines of climate displacement. The film premiered on June 23 on HBO Max. Directed by documentary filmmaker and Milanville resident […]

“Trans People are Fighting for Their Lives Right Now”: Advocates Slam Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Athletes

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to uphold that states can ban transgender girls and women from participating in school sports. Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the court’s opinion that said “separate sports teams for biological males and biological females are reasonable given the inherent physical differences between the sexes.” The SCOTUS ruling follows a series of […]