Orange County, NY, Middletown | featured news

BETHEL — The Town of Bethel has been named a must-visit destination by one of the country's biggest travel websites.Bethel recently ranked eighth on Expedia's "19 Cities That Must Be Seen in 2019" list.Expedia noted that the town is the original site of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair and that a 50th anniversary festival is on tap."We chose the following cities and towns because they are celebrating fresh starts and past accomplishments this year, and [...]

The Sullivan County Legislature formally added its voice to the chorus of local officials calling for the construction of a third lane on Route 17.Citing a 2013 New York State Department of Transportation study that found the upgrade is necessary, the Legislature recently passed a resolution asking the department to start processes needed for construction as soon as possible.That state study concluded the highway should be improved to accommodate current and projected traffic [...]

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Rep. Antonio Delgado is asking 19th Congressional District residents who have any outstanding cases or inquiries with former Rep. John Faso to contact his staff.Despite "repeated outreach" from Delgado's office during the transition, Faso's office provided limited paperwork or contact information to help resolve constituents' cases or issues, according to a news release from the newly-elected congressman."My number one priority is working on behalf of the people of the [...]

SUFFERN — NJ Transit will hold a customer forum from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.It will take place in the Vincent Crotty Memorial Foundation, the former VFW building, at 16 Ramapo Ave. in Suffern, near the railroad station.Dubbed a "We Are Listening" forum, the company says this is an opportunity for customers to give feedback to members of NJ Transit’s executive management team and to senior staff members. 

State Sen. Jen Metzger and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther joined several local leaders from Sullivan County at the Liberty Senior Center on Friday afternoon to oppose the state’s plan to strip most towns and villages of an annual aid stream that goes to all municipalities. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal last month would preserve the payments [...]

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney warned Monday that funding for four capital projects at the U.S. Military Academy could be at risk if President Trump declares an emergency and orders the military to build the Mexican border wall that he’s been trying to get Congress to fund. Maloney, a Cold Spring Democrat who represents West Point [...]

GARDINER - The Gardiner Library will host a five-class series of photography classes with Carl Cox.The first class, "What’s the Right Camera for Me?", will take place from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 9. This class will give participants the information they need to make the best decision on choosing a new camera. It will cover different camera types, sensor sizes and mirrorless vs. dSLR. Students don’t need a camera to take this class.Each class costs $20 and attendees [...]

ALBANY — A coalition of parents, teachers, providers and faith leaders is asking state leaders in Albany to increase funds for child care assistance.The group is planning a rally Monday to call on lawmakers to set aside more money to help working parents pay for care.Supporters say the state can do more to ensure parents don't have to decide between earning a living and ensuring proper care for their children.New York has among the highest child care [...]

ALBANY — State officials say ongoing efforts to crack down on fake identifications being used to illegally purchase alcohol in New York resulted in a record number of bogus ID seizures last year.Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state seized 892 of the fake documents as part of Operation Prevent in 2018, up from 814 the previous year. The Democrat says New York state has zero tolerance for underage drinking and will continue to conduct enforcement efforts to catch people who break [...]