The Local Edition

Radio Catskill’s Jason Dole speaks with New York Focus about New York’s deepening prison staffing crisis. Four months after a mass walkout led to over 2,000 firings, the state remains short 4,700 corrections officers and sergeants—forcing lockdowns, cutting programs, and raising safety concerns across the prison system. 

https://nysfocus.com/2025/07/22/new-york-doccs-prison-staffing-crisis-guard-strike

As summer temperatures climb, safety experts are warning families about a persistent and deadly threat: pediatric heatstroke caused by children being left in hot cars. So far in 2025, 15 children have died this way, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Laura Dunn, a Highway Safety Specialist with NHTSA, who emphasized that these deaths are entirely preventable. Dunn highlighted the importance of the “Stop. Look. Lock.” campaign, which urges parents and caregivers to check the back seat every time they exit the vehicle — and to always lock their car doors to prevent children from getting in on their own.

“You can see heatstroke happen even when it’s just 60 degrees outside,” Dunn said. “In just ten minutes, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise by 20 degrees.”

Dunn explained that hot car deaths typically happen in three ways: a child is forgotten in the car, gains access to a vehicle on their own and becomes trapped, or is knowingly left in the car. A common factor in many cases is a change in routine — when a parent who doesn’t normally do daycare drop-off simply forgets the child in the backseat.

To prevent these tragedies, NHTSA recommends putting a needed item — like a purse or phone — in the backseat as a reminder, setting alerts, and working with childcare providers to confirm when children are dropped off.

“Anyone can make this mistake,” Dunn stressed. “That’s why awareness and routine are so important.”

For resources and more information, visit nhtsa.gov/heatstroke.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo spoke with Times Union Hudson Valley Editor Philip Pantuso about his latest reporting into the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. 

The conversation dives into allegations of altered accident reports, bulk ammunition purchases delivered to the department, and conflicting claims over whether there’s been an FBI investigation.

Pantuso and reporter Lana Bellamy spoke to several current and former deputies who say they were recently questioned by federal agents…

In New York state, hundreds of individuals are currently incarcerated for second degree murder, even if they were not at the scene of the crime or had no proven intention to commit the crime. It’s all because of the state’s felony murder law that  can carry a maximum sentence of twenty-five to life.

Prisoners Brain Trust, a multicultural coalition looking to end carceral harm is working to repeal the felony murder law as well as uplift the writing and stories of incarcerated individuals through a monthly newsletter and social media campaign.

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Co-Founder Alisha Kohn and Board Member Nathaly about how this law disproportionately affects young Black and brown people and why implementing community driven preventative policies is how we should be looking at ending crime nationwide.

Authorities in Sullivan County say a major cache of illegal weapons, including multiple “ghost guns,” was recovered during a multi-agency investigation that led to the arrest of two Liberty residents.

At a press conference Monday, District Attorney Brian Conaty announced felony weapons possession charges against Darrin McCosco, 39, and Kimberly Murran, 33, following a joint effort by law enforcement in Fallsburg, Liberty, Monticello, and the DA’s office.

The case began with a stolen property complaint in Fallsburg, but escalated quickly when a police drone and social media posts revealed suspected illegal firearms. Investigators secured a search warrant, leading to the recovery of a stockpile of weapons from a home on North Main Street and a vehicle under the suspects’ control.

Seized items included:

• 5 unserialized ghost guns
• 3 assault weapons
• 7 rifles
• 1 pump-action shotgun
• High-capacity magazines
• Hundreds of rounds of ammunition
• Tactical gear, including a ballistic helmet

Ghost guns, which lack serial numbers and are difficult to trace, are illegal under New York State law. DA Conaty warned that these weapons “pose a very real threat to our community” and said his office will prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law.

No imminent threat to the public was identified, though the investigation remains ongoing. Both McCosco and Murran are being held at Sullivan County Jail.

July is Disability Pride Month—a time to not only celebrate the contributions of disabled individuals, but also to examine the systemic challenges they continue to face.

As Congress debates sweeping changes to Medicare under “One Big Beautiful Bill,” advocates are raising the alarm about exactly what these cuts could mean for the people that rely on it

Radio Catskill’s Jamie Case sat down with Patrick Cokley, Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to talk about how these proposed cuts could disproportionately impact disabled Americans and how impacted individuals can understand how cuts may impact them.

Governor Hochul announced on June 30th that $75 million will be put into New York's dairy factories. Walton's branch of "Lactalis" is receiving $15 million from that fund. Lactalis, the world's largest dairy company, is giving the money for construction improvements to increase production. In exchange, the state is offering tax incentives through the Excelsior program, which provides write-offs for job creation. The $15 million will create 20 more jobs and increase factory output by 30%. 

Allison Stark, the Senior Director of Industry Development for Empire State Development, said "Dairy is absolutely booming right now in New York. We're really excited that the dairy industry has taken off the way that it has. So this is not just a win for the communities... but for the farmers as well. The farmers that are providing this milk to these companies, they're all gonna be able to expand and get additional sales."

Listen to hear how the state says Delaware County will benefit and how environmental sustainability is taken into account.

The Woodstock Library may have expanded into a bigger building, but they’re facing big cuts as part of the Trump Administration’s broader cuts to public services. The impact of funding for public libraries would not only be a loss for intellectual curiosity, it would be especially devastating for rural communities. 

Radio Catskill’s Genevieve Hartnett spoke with Ivy Gocker of the Woodstock Public Library District and Jen Park and Grace Riario of the Ramapo Catskill Library System about how libraries in New York are funded, why federal support is so important, and all the services libraries offer that you may not have known about.

Is the U.S. president above the law?

That’s what Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo wanted to find out when he spoke to Michael Kirk, an award-winning filmmaker and founding producer of FRONTLINE.

Kirk’s latest documentary, Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law, explores how the foundational idea that no one is above the law is being tested like never before—in the courts, in Congress, and in the Oval Office itself.

The film tracks the expansion of presidential power from the Nixon era to the Trump administration, and examines the legal battles that have reshaped the limits of executive authority. It explores the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity and what it means for future presidencies. Through interviews with Trump allies, critics, and legal scholars, the documentary illustrates how unchecked power can erode democratic institutions and weaken the rule of law.

Michael Kirk discusses how Trump’s presidency redefined the boundaries of presidential conduct, what separates this moment from past political crises, and why the stakes for American democracy are so high.

Watch the full documentary on PBS FRONTLINE: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/trumps-power-the-rule-of-law/

The Wurtsboro Founder’s Day Street Fair was held last Saturday, July 12th on Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro, NY. The annual celebration saw one of its biggest years yet with the 200th Anniversary of the village’s naming by William and Maurice Wurts.

The street fair included over 100 vendors and featured live music, face painting, a birds of prey exhibit, an antique car show, and five new murals painted by New York-based artists.  

But among the visitors to Wurtsboro on Saturday were also some very special guests - the descendants of George Wurts, the brother of the town’s namesake. 

Two branches of the same family, currently located in Massachusetts and California, were specially invited by the Wurtsboro Board of Trade and welcomed by Mayor Frank Sisco to enjoy the street fair and a weekend of activities honoring their lineage.

Radio Catskill's Genevieve Hartnett went to the festival for the first time and got to learn more about Wurtsboro's culture, art scene, and unique history through a conversation with the Wurts families.