Radio Chatskill

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released the latest report on local sales tax collections for the first half of 2026. While New York state overall saw an increase of 6.8% in sales tax revenue, Sullivan County saw the steepest decrease at 5.3% of any county in the state.

Meanwhile, neighboring counties of Delaware, Ulster, and Orange counties all saw increases in their sales tax revenue.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Sullivan County Manager Joshua Potosek about what the decline could mean for the county’s future.

New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act goes into effect on August 5. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law earlier this year in February. 

The new law allows medical aid in dying for New Yorkers with a terminal illness who have less than six months to live. 

Some groups have challenged the law in court with mixed results. A federal judge dismissed one of the lawsuits last week, while a judge in a separate case signed off on a temporary injunction regarding the plaintiffs in that case.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Ed McArdle, Assistant Clinical Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, about how the law will be implemented across New York.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman took his campaign to the Town of Forestburgh on Thursday, where he rallied against what could be the largest utility solar facility in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar has the story.

An OB/GYN practice has returned to Garnet Health Doctors in Sullivan County. The healthcare system held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday at the Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills campus in Harris to mark the occasion. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar has more.

Heavy rain that dumped an estimated 3 to 6 inches of precipitation across parts of the Catskills has triggered widespread flooding, road closures and emergency response operations in Sullivan County, with some communities experiencing significant damage Wednesday morning.

Some small businesses have reported significant flooding along Main Street in Livingston Manor.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Sally Wright, Executive Director of Catskill Art Space, this morning, whose business has closed for today out of an abundance of caution.

New York has secured a U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster declaration for more than 30 counties, including Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, and Delaware counties. 

The declaration comes after a spring frost in April affected many fruit growers across the state.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger – whose county is the second largest apple producer in New York state – about what this designation means for farmers.