Episodios

  • State Declares Burn Ban

    State Declares Burn Ban
    Oct 4 2025
    Continues through Oct. 15
    The state Department of Environmental Conservation implemented a statewide burn ban on Thursday (Oct. 2) because of dry conditions that increase the risk of wildfires. It will continue at least through Oct. 15.
    The ban prohibits outdoor fires to burn brush and debris, as well as all uncontained fires, including campfires, and open fires used for cooking.
    Backyard fire pits and contained campfires less than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in length, width or diameter are allowed, along with small, contained cooking fires. Burning garbage or leaves is prohibited year-round in New York State.
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    1 m
  • Cold Spring Resident Accused of Threat

    Cold Spring Resident Accused of Threat
    Oct 3 2025
    Arrested with women charged with defacing NYT building
    A Cold Spring photographer who has documented protests against the Gaza war was arrested on Sept. 28 on charges of threatening an editor at The New York Times over its coverage of the conflict.
    Alexa Wilkinson, 38, was detained after officers from the New York Police Department, with assistance from the state and Cold Spring police, executed a search warrant at a residence in the village. Investigators were on the scene for several hours.
    That same day, police arrested Sarah Schaff, 30, on charges that she vandalized The Times building on Eighth Avenue with red paint at 4 a.m. on July 30 and Anna Owens, 24, for being "a lookout." Cleaning up and repairing the damage cost $108,000, according to investigators. The two women were protesting The Times' coverage, which they consider biased against Palestinians, according to prosecutors.
    All three were arraigned Monday (Sept. 29) on single felony charges - Wilkinson for second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime and Owens and Schaff for second-degree criminal mischief. Wilkinson returns to court on Nov. 17.
    Wilkinson "is a respected photojournalist with no criminal record," The Legal Aid Society told The New York Times. Wilkinson "did not participate in or encourage any unlawful activity," it said, and the charge is "wholly unfounded."
    According to the criminal complaint, the charge against Wilkinson stems not from the vandalism but from a post that appeared on Instagram that targeted Joseph Kahn, executive editor of The Times, who is Jewish.
    In a complaint obtained from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, a detective with the NYPD's Bias Incident Investigations Unit said a person identified out Wilkinson shared a post that read: "They hanged newspaper editors at Nuremberg," the German city where the Allies tried Nazi officials following World War II. Police said the post was captioned: "Looking at you [Kahn]."
    A month after the damage to the Times building, someone using red paint vandalized the apartment building where Kahn lives. The investigation into that incident is ongoing, according to the complaint.
    Last November, a New York City videographer was indicted on felony hate crime charges after he recorded protestors hurling red paint at the homes of the director and president of the Brooklyn Museum. According to a criminal complaint, Samuel Seligson, 31, traveled with the group as it spray-painted doors and sidewalks with messages that accused the two leaders of supporting genocide.
    Seligson's attorney, Leena Widdi, said her client was acting in his capacity as a credentialed member of the media, describing the hate crime charges as an "appalling" overreach by police and prosecutors.
    A law enforcement official at the time described Seligson as a participant who was not directly involved in the property damage. Seligson returns to court on Oct. 15 and, according to court records, is considering a plea offer.
    The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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    3 m
  • You Be the Judge

    You Be the Judge
    Oct 3 2025
    No candidates on ballot for Cold Spring justice
    The judge's seat at the Cold Spring Justice Court is up for grabs in the Nov. 4 election - but the ballot will not list any candidates.
    The unusual circumstance arose after Justice Thomas Costello, who has served for 24 years, decided not to seek reelection to a seventh, 4-year term. However, he did so only after an April deadline for candidates to file paperwork with the Putnam County Board of Elections to appear on the ballot. That meant no one else could file and, as a result, the new justice will be elected by write-in votes. (Costello's wife, Cathy, who has been the court clerk for 15 years, announced recently she will retire on Dec. 1.)

    Under state law, only village residents are eligible to serve, unless the Village Board adopts a local law that expands the residency requirements.
    The Cold Spring Justice Court has two judges. The second, the associate judge, is appointed by the Village Board. Until June, it was Camille Linson, but she moved out of the area and was replaced by Luke Hilpert, who has said he is considering a write-in campaign to succeed Costello.
    Philipstown also has two justices; both are elected. One was Linson, who had been elected in November to her third, 4-year term. When she resigned, the Town Board appointed Hilpert to succeed her until the election. Hilpert said he plans to run as a write-in candidate to keep the seat against Fred Clarke, a Cold Spring resident whose name will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot after he was nominated by the Philipstown Democratic Committee. (The other Philipstown justice is Angela Thompson-Tinsley, a Democrat elected in 2023.)

    Unlike judges at the state, county and city level in New York, town and village justices are not required to be lawyers, although they must undergo training. There are nearly 1,200 town and village courts in New York, which handle nearly 1 million cases annually, including vehicle and traffic violations, small claims, evictions and minor criminal offenses.
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    2 m
  • A Modern Voice from the 19th Century

    A Modern Voice from the 19th Century
    Oct 3 2025
    In a classic work, a woman suffers in silence
    Performances featuring a lone actor are a trend, says Caitlin Morley, the artistic director at Wayward Son, a theater company in New York City.
    A solo adaptation of Dracula at Bannerman Island just closed, and Jim Dale comes to The Depot Theater in Garrison on Oct. 12 for An Actor's Nightmare. Sandwiched in between is Morley and Susannah Millonzi's premiere of The Yellow Wallpaper at the Depot on Oct. 10 and 11.
    The pair, who are affiliated with the edgy troupe Bedlam, animated a short story written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that hews close to the original.

    The first-person narrative, thought to be autobiographical, centers on a new mother - identified only as "woman" - who is drugged up by her husband, a doctor named John, who dismisses her ideas in knee-jerk fashion and isolates her in a room with bars on the windows.
    When she tries to step outside one night, he says, "What is it, little girl? Don't go walking about like that - you'll get cold." In addition to cod-liver oil, he besots her with tonics, ale, wine and rare meat.
    Although she is a writer, the woman is forbidden to work until she is "well again" and laments that her stifling husband "does not know how much I really suffer." John contends that the woman succumbs to hysteria and "temporary nervous depression"; the woman's brother, also a physician, agrees.
    She takes "pains to control myself," which exhausts her, but wants to socialize, express herself and be with her child. The character continues to write secretly as a creative outlet and a form of rebellion. She becomes obsessed with the room's wallpaper and descends into a form of madness.

    Morley, 25, encountered the short story during a gender studies class at Tufts University. "It has a cult following, and people consider it to be either about that crazy lady or a work of horror," she says. "It's often compared to Poe's 'Tell-Tale Heart.' I'm surprised there haven't been more adaptations; it's been marinating inside my head for five years."
    She directs the production and Millonzi, an actor, dancer and choreographer who lives in Cold Spring, performs. (This year, Millonzi choreographed two plays for Hudson Valley Shakespeare.)
    Though "The Yellow Wallpaper" is 133 years old, "I felt a connection - it reads like a monologue," says Morley. "Many people have a deep love for it and, given the recent movement to silence women, especially regarding health care, we're driven to do this right now."
    She cites experiences of "going to the doctor and constantly feeling dismissed and not taken seriously about my own self-knowledge. This play shows the persistence in history of women's voices being minimized. Here, she silences herself; her husband knows better about everything, and he happens to be a doctor."
    The Depot Theater is located at 10 Garrison's Landing. Tickets are $20 or $35 at depottheater.org. Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
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    3 m
  • Police Funding Restored for New York

    Police Funding Restored for New York
    Oct 3 2025
    President Donald Trump said Friday (Oct. 3) he has personally reversed $187 million in funding cuts made by his administration for New York's law enforcement and counterterrorism operations, following bipartisan outcry from New York officials.
    In Dutchess, funding would have dropped from $574,000 to $54,000, and in Putnam, from $235,000 to $22,000, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. New York joined 11 other states on Monday in a lawsuit aimed at preventing the cuts.
    Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican whose district includes Philipstown, said the cuts were "unacceptable and posed a direct threat to the safety of New Yorkers." He said he also worked to have the reductions reversed. "New York remains the number one target for terrorism, and we cannot let politics put lives at risk," he said in a statement.
    The cut would have slashed federal counterterrorism funding for the NYPD from $90 million to nearly $10 million, according to Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who on Wednesday called it "a devastating blow." She called the city "the No. 1 terrorist target in the world."
    Trump announced the restoration of federal funding on Truth Social. "I am pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State. It was my Honor to do so," he wrote. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

    The reversal came after Hochul sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday railing against the cuts, saying they represented 86 percent of homeland security funding to the state, impacting the New York City police and fire departments, state police and other law enforcement agencies.
    On Friday, Hochul credited political pushback from the state for the restoration of funds. "From the moment these devastating cuts were announced, I made it clear that New York would not stand by while our law enforcement and counterterrorism operations were defunded," Hochul said in a statement. "I'm glad President Trump heard our call and reversed course, ensuring our state has the resources necessary to support law enforcement and keep our families safe."
    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only Republican representing New York City in Congress, said she had spoken with Trump about the cuts, which she called a "terrible idea." "New York remains the nation's top terror target, and cutting this funding was never acceptable," she said in a statement.
    The Associated Press provided reporting.
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    3 m
  • Byrne Unveils $222M Putnam Budget

    Byrne Unveils $222M Putnam Budget
    Oct 3 2025
    Wants Nelsonville station named for McConville
    Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne proposed on Wednesday (Oct. 1) a $222 million budget for 2026 with a tax cut he calls the largest in the county's history and a fund to be shared with its six towns and villages, including Cold Spring, Nelsonville and Philipstown.
    Byrne also plans to ask the Legislature to approve naming the Sheriff's Office substation on Main Street in Nelsonville in honor of the late Sheriff Kevin McConville, a Cold Spring resident who died in August. "He was not only a trusted law enforcement officer but also a mentor, a colleague and a friend to many," Byrne said.
    Byrne's proposed budget would raise spending by $18 million (8.9 percent) offset by $45.2 million in property taxes and $83.5 million in sales-tax revenue, he said during a presentation at the Historic Courthouse in Carmel. The $1 million reduction in the property tax levy equates to a 2 percent cut, he said.
    His budget (online at dub.sh/putnam-budget-2026) also sets aside $2.3 million for Putnam's inaugural sales-tax-sharing agreement with Nelsonville, Cold Spring, Philipstown and five other towns and the Village of Brewster. Each municipality will receive a share based on population to be used on infrastructure projects, with a minimum award of $50,000.
    The agreement was tied to a two-year extension of a 1 percent increase in its sales tax - from 3 percent to 4 percent - first approved in 2007 and set to expire in November. A majority of the Legislature initially voted against the extension but relented amid pressure from Byrne, the municipalities and Putnam's state representatives.
    "Had we not reached a consensus and acted as we did, Putnam County would have turned away over $21 million in sales tax revenue, which would have forced us to raise property taxes, cut services and excessively rely on our fund balance," said Byrne. "We avoided this crisis scenario."
    The budget allocates about $6.6 million in general fund reserves and proposes new positions, including a counsel for the majority-Republican Legislature and a part-time counsel for its minority member, Nancy Montgomery, a Democrat who represents Philipstown and part of Putnam Valley.
    Byrne is also requesting two specialists for the Department of Social Services, a prosecutor who will specialize in financial crimes for the District Attorney's Office, a personnel specialist, an accountant for the Finance Department and a veterans service officer.
    Based on recommendations from a consultant, the public health nurse positions in the Department of Health would be reclassified to a higher pay grade to improve recruitment and retention. Byrne's proposal also contains raises for management employees, ranging from prosecutors and deputy county attorneys to coroners and elections commissioners.
    Byrne is proposing a reduction, from 30 percent to 17 percent, in the share of health insurance premiums that newer employees are required to pay. Four of the county's unions have agreed to the reduction, but the change needs the Legislature's approval, he said.
    Other initiatives include a one-year extension of the sales tax exemption on clothing and shoes costing less than $110; changing the criteria for farms applying to Putnam's Agricultural District; and piloting a program in which paramedics would provide public health, primary care and preventive services in homes.
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    4 m
  • State Begins Mailing 'Inflation' Checks

    State Begins Mailing 'Inflation' Checks
    Sep 26 2025
    Over 920K in the Hudson Valley are eligible
    More than 8 million New York state residents and 924,000 in the Hudson Valley will begin receiving "inflation refund" checks ranging from $150 to $400, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Friday (Sept. 25).
    Automatic payments have started going out to people who filed taxes as a New York resident for 2023 and were not claimed by someone else as a dependent, said Hochul, with payouts continuing through November. "This is your money and we're putting it back in your pockets," she said.
    The amount a person receives depends on filing status and income.
    Joint filers with incomes up to $150,000 will receive $400.
    Joint filers with incomes between $150,001 and $300,000 are eligible for $300 checks.
    Single filers with incomes up to $75,000 will receive $200.
    Single filers with incomes over $75,000 are eligible for $150.
    Visit tax.ny.gov/pit/inflation-refund-checks.htm for more information.
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    1 m
  • Judge Allows Indian Point Discharges

    Judge Allows Indian Point Discharges
    Sep 26 2025
    Holtec says no wastewater releases imminent
    A federal judge ruled on Wednesday (Sept. 24) that the state overstepped its authority when it passed a law to prevent the company decommissioning Indian Point from discharging radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River.
    The Save the Hudson act was passed in August 2023 to prevent Holtec International from discharging water containing tritium as it decommissions the shuttered nuclear power plant near Peekskill. Holtec sued in April 2024, arguing that the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 gives the federal government the "exclusive right to regulate the discharge of radioactive materials from nuclear power plants."
    The company also argued in its lawsuit that the discharges would be far below the federal government's limits for tritium in wastewater, and that Indian Point routinely made similar discharges during the 50 years the plant operated. Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains agreed, ruling Wednesday that Holtec was within its rights as it had assured compliance with federal regulations.
    New York Attorney General Letitia James has not yet announced whether she will appeal the decision. But Holtec officials said Thursday (Sept. 25), during a meeting of the Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board (DOB), that the company is not planning any discharges in the near term, and that they would discuss the issue with local stakeholders at a meeting next month. Even if the company decides to release wastewater into the Hudson, it needs to give the state a minimum 30-day notice.
    "Everyone is still digesting this," said state Sen. Peter Harckham, one of the Save the Hudson act's sponsors. "We don't know what the attorney general will do. I think we all need to wait and let the process play out, however it's going to play out in the courts."
    Holtec also said on Thursday that it is not considering reopening Indian Point - despite a recent article in Politico in which Kelly Trice, the company's president, said that it would be possible. The company estimates that rebuilding the reactors would cost $8 billion to $10 billion and take four years. Its estimate was prepared because the federal Department of Energy is "asking everyone that has a closed or decommissioned site," said Patrick O'Brien, a Holtec official.
    "The question we always get asked is, 'Is it possible to potentially rebuild Indian Point?' " he said at the DOB meeting. "Our goal is to answer the question once and for all publicly and just say yes, but if the political will exists."
    If Holtec did try to reopen Indian Point, it would face numerous hurdles. First, as part of the shutdown agreement, any plans to again create nuclear energy at the site must be unanimously approved by the Village of Buchanan, the Town of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York State and the Hendrick Hudson School District.
    At the DOB meeting, Susan Spear, Westchester's commissioner of emergency services, read a statement from County Executive Ken Jenkins in which he declared that the county "will not agree to support and will oppose any application for nuclear reactors at the Indian Point site." According to Jenkins, "We need to just move on."
    Holtec would also face logistical hurdles. The company's estimate for reopening is based on essentially rebuilding the current plant, despite the fact that the reactors have been shut down and dismantled. "We would use existing equipment and add reconstituted parts," said O'Brien. "There's still good equipment there. For now we're continuing down a path of decommissioning."
    As the design of Indian Point was found, near the end of its lifecycle, to be in violation of the Clean Water Act, any new nuclear at Indian Point wouldn't be able to draw water from the Hudson.
    Holtec is in the final stages of attempting to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan, which initially shut down in 2022, by the end of the year. If it succeeds, it will be the first time a shuttered nuclear power plant has been restarted in the ...
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