Orange County, NY, Middletown | featured news

ALBANY — In New York state government news, lawmakers have set three upcoming hearings on a landmark climate change bill that would require the state's electrical grid to get off fossil fuels.Meanwhile, supporters of Airbnb are heading back to Albany to push for new regulations on the popular home-sharing platform to replace old rules that penalized many hosts.Here's a look at what's coming up:GREEN NEW DEAL: The state Senate has set three upcoming [...]

NEW YORK (AP) — For their supporters, the thousands of Christian schools across America are literally a blessing — a place where children can learn in accordance with biblical teachings, untainted by the secular norms of public schools.To critics, many of these Christian schools venture too often into indoctrination, with teachings that can misrepresent science and history and potentially breed intolerance toward people with different outlooks."These schools [...]

NEWBURGH - Police say a Newburgh woman was under the influence of alcohol when she drove away from the scene of a non-violent domestic incident, and that she led officers on a chase that ended with her rear-ending another vehicle in Cornwall.Newburgh city police said officers were called at 5:23 a.m. Sunday to a reported domestic dispute on Benkard Avenue. Police said officers determined that no crime had been committed during the dispute between a man and Odarly Rodriguez-Reyes, [...]

Sometimes I get my best ideas from “Fox and Friends.”That’s where our former 19th District member of Congress, Nan Hayworth, talked about how excited she was by a proposal from a state senator in Indiana, where she was raised, to make all students pass a 100-question citizenship test if they want a high school diploma.But wait, you should be thinking. Isn’t this an example of big state government interfering with the rights of local school boards? [...]

TOWN OF WALLKILL – The second medical cannabis dispensary in Orange County has opened, one of just 40 allowed across the state.The Botantist, located at 247 Dunning Road, held a grand opening ceremony on Monday, offering a 25 percent discount to military veterans with medical marijuana cards through Feb. 28.The Town of Wallkill store joins Curaleaf, at 8 North Plank Road in the Town of Newburgh, and Etain Health Medical Marijuana Dispensary, at 445 Route 28 in Kingston, [...]

NEW WINDSOR – A sewage treatment plant for the proposed Apple Ridge clustered single-family home development would discharge into two intermittent streams that are tributaries of the Moodna Creek.That is according to the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which will be the subject of a town Planning Board public hearing on Feb. 13.According to the DEIS, Apple Ridge developers want to build 172 single-family homes in a clustered-style development [...]

ALBANY — New York's income tax receipts are down more than $2 billion so far, creating a significant and serious state budget deficit that is mainly caused by last year's Republican-led federal tax cuts, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.Cuomo said at a state Capitol news conference that the year-old federal law capping a deduction for state and local taxes — known as SALT — at $10,000 is the culprit for a projected $2.3 billion deficit."We've set up [...]

Given the country’s political climate these days, you can be sure Americans have strong opinions on the state of the union.But many are hesitant or even fearful of expressing their views.In fact, fear, polarization and racism were among the top concerns of some mid-Hudson residents – of all political persuasions - who did offer their take on how the country is doing, on the eve of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address scheduled for Tuesday night. [...]

TOWN OF WALLKILL – Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is soliciting feedback from local seniors on how to make their lives easier and safer, to create and shape legislation.The Cold Spring Democrat held the first meeting of his new Seniors Advisory Board on Monday at the Town of Wallkill’s offices, with a mix of 17 local elder-care experts and advocates.They discussed a range of issues affecting older Americans, including adult care, nursing home conditions, fraud, [...]

GARDINER -  The Gardiner Library will host a free three-part financial planning series with certified financial planner David Sterman on three consecutive Sundays in February. Preregistration is preferred.The first part, Estate Planning, will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 10. The discussion will cover estate planning, focusing on what types of issues you’ll need to consider when writing a will, a power of attorney, healthcare proxy, letter of instruction, digital [...]