Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon

Nonprofit pharmacy cancels plans for New Lebanon opening

The town also gave the company Wellness Rx $40,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project for startup costs, Houghtling said, which may have to be given back if the company notifies the town that it will not be going through with the project.“We do have an agreement that if they were unsuccessful in bringing a pharmacy here, the town would get its money back,” she said. “I’m hoping for a response from them, and that we can come to an amenable conclusion and we can say it di...

EPA to fund $5M Catskill water line expansion

The funding from the agency’s Superfund program, which provides money to clean up Superfund sites through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow for the village to cover the costs of the second phase of the expansion of the village’s water line to the Country Estates Mobile Home Park in South Cairo, according to a written statement from the Greene County Legislature.Following the meeting, the EPA began working with the town and village of Catskill, town of Cairo, the county, as well...

Columbia County supervisor members join fight over birthright citizenship

The executive order claims the 14th Amendment does not extend to individuals born to parents who are not citizens of the United States or permanent residents, or when parents were lawfully in the country on temporary visas.The motion asks for the court to block Trump’s executive order, arguing that it is unconstitutional and against American values. The county supervisors were some of the 100 local government officials who added their names to the motion, according to a press release.“I think th...

Union ratifies four-year pact with Columbia Memorial

“For more than a year, CMH has been advocating to advance a contract that respects our team’s expertise and our mission to the people we serve,” Columbia Memorial Health President and CEO Dorothy Urschel said in a press release. “We are thrilled to reach an agreement that provides our employees the wages and benefits they have earned and deserve. The robust enhancements we put on the table will also allow us to advance our continuing commitment to grow our workforce and our mission. It is time f...

Carrie Weiser granted new hearing after Catskill murder conviction

The abuse would also have to be found to be a “significant” contributing factor to the crime, and the judge trying the case would have to find the sentence for the crime to be overly harsh, according to the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.“It is interesting to note that Weiser’s attorneys take the position that their client is innocent of the murder; but allege that, if she did, in fact, commit the murder, it was due to the fact that she was a victim of domestic violence,” he...

Verizon presents plans for proposed Valatie cell tower

The proposed cell phone tower would be located behind the village’s office building at 3211 Church St., on property owned by the municipality. The 125-foot tower would provide cell phone service from Verizon Wireless to all of the village and some parts of the surrounding areas.“Walk down Main Street, pull your phone out, if you have Verizon Wireless then you don’t need to see the graphs,” Scott Olson, an attorney representing Verizon from Young/Sommer LLC, said during the meeting. “We’re here,...

ICE raids on the rise in Columbia, Greene counties

A Columbia County-based immigrant ally nonprofit organization has reported an increase in reports of federal immigration raids, the organization's co-executive director said Monday.“We’re seeing a lot of reports of raids, but we’ve only been able to verify what we’ve posted about publicly,” Columbia County Sanctuary Movement co-Executive Director Bryan MacCormack said. “There are certainly others that we’re not hearing about.”The increased reports of immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Cus...

Utilities watch for Canadian tariff impacts

Utility providers in the state are evaluating potential energy impacts as tariffs against Canada and China are set to take effect Tuesday.President Donald Trump announced his plans to charge a 25% tariff on Mexico, Canada, and China on Feb. 1. Energy resources, such as electricity and natural gas, which are imported from Canada, will be subject to a 10% tariff, according to a press release from the White House.The tariffs on Canada and China are set to take effect Tuesday. The tariffs against Me...

Union, Columbia Memorial reach tentative contract agreement

Members of 1199SEIU had been negotiating with hospital administration for a year, and are expected to vote on the approval of the new contract early next week.If approved, the new contract would include a 22.25% raise for over 750 members of 1199SEIU over the next four years. The contract also includes a new $18 per hour minimum wage for union workers at Columbia Memorial Health, according to a press release from the union.Pay increases for the first two years of the contract will be retroactive...

Hudson to pay back $10k in utility expenses for senior center

HUDSON — A Common Council member has expressed concern over supervision at the city’s senior center after a resolution was passed by the council last week to pay overdue utility bills for the center.According to the resolution, passed unanimously Jan. 21 by the Common Council, the senior center owed $10,801 in utility expenses in the common spaces leased from the Galvan Foundation at the Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth St. The invoices for the expenses went back to 2021.Fifth Ward Councilmem...

Hillsdale residents plan event to protest paving of roads

HILLSDALE — A group of residents in the town plan to host a demonstration against the potential paving of two roads.The group wants two roads in the town, Appletree Lane and Texas Hill Road, to remain unpaved gravel surfaces. However, the town plans to chip seal the two roads in August as one of a number of projects planned by the municipality's Highway Department.Chip sealing a road refers to placing an adherent on the surface of an unpaved road and reapplying pieces of gravel to the adherent....

Galvan Housing to take over Crosswinds at Hudson

HUDSON — The affordable housing complex Crosswinds at Hudson will be acquired by Galvan Housing Resources as part of an agreement between the owners of the property and the nonprofit organization, according to a letter sent to residents of the complex.Construction on the 70-unit affordable housing complex began in 2007 and was completed in 2008. Through the development of the property, Housing Resources of Columbia County, now Galvan Housing Resources, was given the right to eventually acquire C...

Chatham train derailment interrupts CSX operations

CHATHAM — Train operations in the village have resumed following the derailment of a CSX train last night, the company said in a statement Friday. At about 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, a CSX train derailed an empty flat car near Main Street in the village of Chatham, according to the company.“The railcar has been moved and normal train operations have resumed,” CSX said in a statement. “The cause is under investigation.”According to a Facebook post from the Chatham Fire Department, Columbia County...

Mill Street residents speak out against planned housing project

HUDSON — Residents of Mill Street have raised concerns over a proposed affordable-housing development on a vacant parcel of land on the street.The project, Mill Street Lofts, was first proposed by Kearney Realty & Development Group to the Hudson Planning Board in July, to be built on a vacant parcel of land on Mill Street.The parcel of land is located across from residences and near the entrance of the Empire State Trail and the city’s Charles Williams Park. In September, the planning board gave...

Plea deal offered in Copake vehicular manslaughter case; Mechanicville man killed

A potential plea deal for Alan Ingraham, the Copake man charged with vehicular manslaughter following a fatal accident on Route 23 last May, was detailed in Columbia County Court on Monday.Ingraham, 75, was charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter, a class D felony, and driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, for his involvement in the car accident that killed Christopher Simmons, 29, of Mechanicville.Ingraham was also charged with two traffic violations: operating a motor vehicle wit...

Columbia, Greene counties see rise in homelessness

ALBANY — Columbia and Greene counties saw a 39% increase in its homeless population between 2022 and 2024, according to a report released last week by state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.Overall, homelessness across the state rose over 50% between January 2022 and January 2024, according to the report. Between January 2023 and 2024, homelessness in the state grew 53.1%, with a total of 158,019 state residents experiencing homelessness.In Columbia County, the number of homeless individuals had s...

New Lebanon voters approve walkable downtown project

NEW LEBANON — Town residents voted Tuesday to move forward with a project to revitalize its downtown in a referendum.The project was approved by a 348-259 vote, allowing the town to proceed with the project.“I’m happy the people spoke loud and clear, there was a large margin," Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling said Thursday. "It wasn’t close. It was what I expected based on what I heard during the one-year public input process, where there were people opposed but still strong support.”According...

Citizens' group hosts meeting to present Hudson city government changes

HUDSON — The citizens' group proposing an overhaul of city government held a community meeting Wednesday night to answer questions about its plan.The meeting, held at the Hudson Area Library, was attended by over 50 Hudson residents seeking more information on the changes to the city charter the group is proposing.Elected officials, including Common Council members and members of the county Board of Supervisors, also attended the meeting.The proposed changes to the city charter include the creat...

HEAP benefits run out; Twin Counties ready for uptick in emergency requests

The Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program designed to help low-income people heat and cool their homes in the winter and summer stopped taking applications for the state administered assistance program. Kira Pospesel, commissioner of the Greene County Department of Social Services, said she received a message from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance [OTDA], which oversees the program, that the application process is closed for the remainder of the year.An...

Leeds, Hudson chefs nominated for James Beard Awards

Efren Hernández, executive chef at Casa Susanna in Leeds, and Shaina Loew-Banayan, chef and owner of Café Mutton in Hudson, were both announced Wednesday as semifinalists for the James Beard Awards under the Best Chef: New York State category for 2025.The awards, established in 1990, are considered one of the most highly regarded culinary honors, and recognizes leaders in the culinary industry dedicated to creating exceptional food, food media content, and better food systems, according to the J...

Hudson Common Council reconsiders harassment law

The law was slated to be voted on during the council’s regular meeting Tuesday, but instead the measure was put back onto council members' desks for reconsideration.The law was first introduced at the Nov. 19 Common Council meeting, and a revised version was introduced at the council’s Dec. 9 informal meeting.According to the proposed law, all city officers included in the City Charter, and additionally their staff, are protected by the law. The City Charter includes members of the Common Counci...

HEAP funding restored by governor

The Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program designed to help low-income people heat and cool their homes in the winter and cool in the summer, will reopen applications Saturday after Gov. Kathy Hochul reallocated state funds towards the program, a spokesperson said Friday.“Follow a shortfall in federal funding that resulted in the temporary closure of regular HEAP [Home Energy Assistance Program] applications, Governor Hochul stepped in to reallocate $35 million in funds and e...

Troopers: Claverack man turns self in in Philmont assault case

PHILMONT — A man suspected of being involved in a gang assault in the village was arrested, according to State Police.William M. Metz, 34, of Claverack, turned himself in to investigators at New York State Police headquarters in Livingston Saturday, State Police said in a press release.Metz was charged with first-degree gang assault, a class B felony, and second-degree assault, a class D felony. He was arraigned in Claverack Town Court and remanded to Columbia County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or...
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