The Catch Up

In less than 48 hours last week, Dutchess County's network of 65 Flock license plate reader cameras went from bipartisan law enforcement tool to switched off. A packed community forum in Pleasant Valley drew more than 100 people, and about 30 of them spoke out against the system. By Friday, District Attorney Anthony Parisi, Sheriff Kirk Imperati and County Executive Sue Serino had all withdrawn their support.

Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos joins editor Emily Sachar to explain what happened.

Plus: The Daily Catch launches its new arts and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catch, on Wednesday, October 7. Sign up at thedailycatch.org.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

In 2023, Ben and Lindsey Shute of Hearty Roots Farm bought 97 acres of farmland on Route 9 in Red Hook. Because the land had been farmed conventionally, they had to wait three years before anything they grew there could be certified organic. That wait ended this month with a harvest of kabocha squash. Publisher Walter Mullin talks with Daily Catch senior reporter Claire Greenberger, who was in the field for it. They cover the USDA's three-year transition rule and how the town bought the Cookingham East property. They also talk about how the land was split between protected farmland, public trails and affordable housing through RUPCO. Claire explains why local farmers and Scenic Hudson think a critical mass of farms matters. She also covers what the Shutes did with those three years and what's next: garlic, a pollinator meadow, better irrigation and crop rotation with their Clermont farm.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

As Red Hook's Hardscrabble Day turns 50, publisher Walter Mullin sits down with reporters Matt Moment and Athan Yanos to unpack the festival's history. They dig into where the "Hardscrabble" nickname came from, its 1975 bicentennial origins tied to founding father Egbert Benson, and decades of oddball traditions, from Civil War reenactments to a Marc Molinaro dunk tank. They also discuss the event's near-collapse in 2005, its rescue by local volunteers, and how musician Matthew Donahue transformed it into a regional draw with acts like Gregg Rolie and The Tubes. They close with a look at this year's celebration, including Teen Scrabble performers and a new Elmendorf history exhibit.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

It's back to school week in the Hudson Valley, and Walter Mullin sits down with The Daily Catch's new education reporter, Aleah Gatto, for her debut on the podcast. Aleah walks through Rhinebeck's district-wide math curriculum overhaul, including the Bridges in Mathematics program and its "number corner" exercises, plus a new costume and fashion design course at the high school. Then the conversation turns to Red Hook, where career and technical education is booming, from welding and cybersecurity to the Winners Circle car-building program and STEAM activities as early as elementary school. Walter and Aleah close by discussing what these changes say about the shift toward hands-on, experiential learning across New York State schools.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

In his first extended sit-down since taking over on July 1, Bard College Acting President Jonathan Becker joins Daily Catch editor Emily Sachar to address the college's most consequential leadership transition in more than 50 years. Becker discusses succeeding Leon Botstein, whose 51-year tenure ended after a WilmerHale-reviewed investigation into his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein; the presidential search process; strong fall admissions numbers; new board policies on gifts and conflicts of interest; and his own ambitions for the interim role. He also reflects on institutional identity versus individual leadership, Bard's global programs, and the college's long-standing commitment to student voting rights and civic engagement.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

Recorded live from the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Emily Sachar chats with Carolyn McGraw, the new 4-H Youth Leadership and Workforce Development Program Leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension. Carolyn shares her own path from lifelong 4-H'er to program leader, explains how 4-H builds confidence and public-speaking skills far beyond the show ring, and gets candid about the hardest lesson kids learn on sale night. They also dig into how 4-H competes with screens and social media for kids' attention, where Dutchess County membership stands post-COVID, and how families can get involved. Sponsored this week by Foster's at the Fair.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

Rhinebeck school officials say the district's buildings need serious work, from 60-year-old ventilation equipment to new security vestibules, playground upgrades, and bathroom renovations. Voters will decide on a $15.7 million capital improvement plan in a special election October 20th, split into two propositions: a tax-neutral $8 million Proposition 1 covering the most urgent fixes, and a $7.6 million Proposition 2 that would raise taxes by about $90 a year for a $700,000 home. Daily Catch reporter Aleah Gatto, in her first appearance on the show, walks editor Emily Sachar through what's driving the proposal, how the district split it into two linked propositions, and what residents can expect before the vote, including a September 22nd meeting with the district's financial advisor and architect.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

Rhinebeck is debating how much hospitality development it can handle. The Town Board has proposed a nine-month moratorium,extendable up to 27 months on new hotels, restaurants, bars, and tasting rooms, pausing nearly all new applications while officials study the impact of recent growth. Last week, roughly 100 residents packed a Chamber of Commerce-organized panel to hear the business case against the pause, led by Greig Farm's Norman Greig, Dutchess Tourism's Melaine Rottkamp, and CIA dean Jennifer Purcell. Walter Mullin talks with Daily Catch reporter Claire Greenburger about the economic arguments on both sides, the Linwood exception, projects like Rhinebeck Villas and the Mill Road taproom brewery that could be affected, and what's next as the town board holds a public hearing on August 18th.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

Susan Rohrmeier lost her nephew Nick Scribner to a kratom overdose in November 2024. She joins The Catch-Up alongside Daily Catch reporter Athan Yanos to explain what kratom is, how it differs from the more potent synthetic compound 7-OH, and how Nick's death helped drive new state labeling and age-restriction laws. Yanos walks through where things stand locally and at the county level: Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino's proposed countywide kratom ban, a competing bill targeting only 7-OH, and unresolved questions about whether the Village of Red Hook can regulate the substance on its own. Both a county legislative committee hearing and a Red Hook village board discussion are set for the coming days.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio

A year ago, Red Hook's wastewater treatment plant was in crisis, state violations piling up, one of its two treatment systems offline, and residents worried about the Saw Kill. Daily Catch reporters Claire Greenberger and Athan Yanos have been tracking the plant's remarkable turnaround under new operator H2O Innovation, and this week they join Emily Sachar to explain what changed, why the equalization tank was the missing piece all along, and why village officials just said outright: no $28 million expansion without more grant money. They break down the real numbers behind that price tag from a possible $427-a-year best case to a $6,400-a-year worst case for some homeowners and what's riding on it: three housing developments, a hotel, and 170 parcels waiting on a sewer connection that may or may not get built.

Produced by Emily Sachar, Walter Mullin, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud at the Radio Free Rhinecilff studio