The Local Edition

The Pennsylvania Department of State said Wednesday that it signed a new $10.6 million contract with Louisiana-based technology company Civix to upgrade the Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors, or SURE, and integrate it with other state-run election systems.

The SURE system is a statewide database used by counties to register voters and maintain their records, print poll books, process mail ballot applications, and carry out many of the functions necessary to run elections.

Former prison agency staff and newly released documents describe a patronage network centered on Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III’s family.

A freeze on federal funds has halted crucial programs supporting beginner farmers in Sullivan County, leaving many in financial uncertainty. The $1.5 million in funding, distributed through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County, was earmarked for mentorship and technical assistance to foster the next generation of local farmers. 

The cuts also impact the Sullivan Fresh mobile farmers market, potentially reducing access to fresh produce in underserved communities. In response, Cornell Cooperative is launching fundraising efforts to sustain these initiatives. Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over the future of farming in the region as advocates push for the funds to be restored.

Radio Catskill’s Patricio Robayo sat down with Ruby Rayner of The River Reporter to discuss the issue. 

NPR journalist Zach Mack embarks on a deeply personal journey to understand his father, who has become immersed in conspiracy theories. Their relationship is strained by ideological differences, but instead of continuing endless debates, they make an unusual agreement: they write down 10 of his father’s predictions for 2024 and place a $10,000 bet on whether they will come true. 

Over the course of a year, Zach documents their conversations, explores the roots of his father’s beliefs, and grapples with the emotional toll on their family.

Find the podcast here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510311/embedded

With the looming possibility of major cuts in federal funding, nonprofit organizations are scrambling to justify the services they provide. 

Such is the case of Action Toward Independence, a nonprofit that offers counseling and special services to people with disabilities in need in the Catskills. 

Ever since the Trump administration started announcing cuts in federal spending, the organization has been knocking on doors and participating in public events to draw attention to those who benefit from their help. 

Action Toward Independence’s executive director, Deborah Worden, spoke to Radio Catskill’s Miguel Santiago Colón about what could be at risk if their funding is slashed, but first, she explains their mission. 

More than 2,000 New York State correction officers have been terminated in the wake of an unprecedented wildcat strike that paralyzed the state’s prison system for weeks. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that her administration is “ready to move on” as the state scrambles to hire new officers to fill the vacancies left by those who walked off the job.

The strike, which began on February 17, 2025, saw over 4,000 correction officers from 38 of New York’s 42 correctional facilities walk off their posts in protest of what they describe as increasingly dangerous working conditions. 

The unsanctioned work stoppage, not backed by their union, has cost the state over $100 million so far and prompted the deployment of 7,000 National Guard troops to keep prisons operational.

Governor Hochul has signed an executive order barring any correction officer who participated in the strike from future employment with the state. 

She is also recommending that those officers be removed from the Central Registry of Police and Peace Officers, effectively preventing them from working as police or peace officers in state and local jurisdictions.

Under Strain

Retired correction officer Dave Cornish, who spent years at Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County, has been outspoken in his support for the strikers. Cornish described conditions in New York’s prisons as “hell on earth,” pointing to skyrocketing inmate-on-staff assaults—up 222 percent at Woodbourne over the past three years, and 147 percent statewide.

Cornish and others argue that the 2021 HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which limited the use of long-term isolation in prisons, has made maintaining order nearly impossible. Under a mediated agreement between the state and the corrections officers’ union, solitary confinement was reinstated to a limited degree. But many officers say it doesn’t go far enough.

“We created a hell in our country,” Cornish said. “And when these people came out and said, ‘Hey, we understand that we’re in hell, but this is beyond what we can take,’ you have to pay attention to that.”

Invisible Threats: Chemical Exposure and “Wasping”

The risks inside New York’s prisons, officers say, aren’t limited to physical violence. Cornish described instances where staff at Woodbourne Correctional Facility were exposed to dangerous chemicals believed to be synthetic drugs made from insecticides—a practice known as “wasping.”

“Woodbourne had 27, 28 people go out from exposure to this chemical,” Cornish said. “People were Narcaned. And the state’s response? They told us it was exhaustion or in our heads.”

The drug, reportedly created by crystallizing wasp spray and smoked as a cheaper alternative to methamphetamine, has caused paranoia, aggression, and overdoses. 

The symptoms don’t show up on standard drug tests, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. Some correction officers, Cornish claims, are still suffering neurological effects weeks after exposure.

National Guard troops deployed to prisons have also reported symptoms consistent with chemical exposure, according to Cornish and other sources.

Lawmakers Respond

The crisis has caught the attention of local lawmakers. Assemblymember Paula Kay, who represents New York’s 100th District, told Radio Catskill her office is working with the Department of Corrections to temporarily halt incoming mail to prisons in an effort to prevent the drugs from being smuggled inside. 

However, as of this week, no further updates have been provided.

A System at a Breaking Point

Despite the state’s efforts to move forward, Cornish and others warn that the crisis is far from over.

“They’re going to consolidate more, and they’re going to have these crowded facilities that are barely staffed,” he warned. “That is a recipe for an Attica situation…It’s a shame nobody listened.”

For those still inside New York’s prisons—officers and inmates alike—the question is no longer just who’s listening, but who is left to act.

Brush fires broke out in Suffolk County, Long Island over the weekend on Saturday, burning over 400 acres and closing several highways.

Citing dry conditions and high winds, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency and burn ban for Long Island, New York, and parts of the lower Hudson Valley, including Ulster County – a week before the annual statewide burn ban is set to go into effect.

And a reminder - this is how we’re ending a dry winter that was preceded by brushfires in Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties in November. 

Radio Catskill reporter Kimberly Izar spoke to John Hauschild, Sullivan County Fire Coordinator, about the recent wildfires we’ve seen in New York and nationally, as well as the upcoming statewide burn ban starting March 16. 

4th Annual Sullivan County Youth Poetry Festival, a celebration of creativity, self-expression, and the power of words! The festival, set to take place on March 29th, brings together young poets from across the county to share their voices, explore their artistry, and connect with a community that values storytelling through poetry.

\Kevin Graham, the Sullivan County Poet Laureate, shares what attendees can expect at this year’s event. From electrifying spoken word performances to heartfelt personal reflections, the festival provides a platform for youth to express themselves in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Interested in submitting your work? The deadline for submissions is March 15 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl7LABGO4_nEA47ki3fQibOQAqKs0HfM6akKC2ezlPm2l4sA/viewform

Nearly 400 residents attended a heated public hearing on March 4 regarding proposed zoning changes in the Town of Fallsburg. The amendments, aimed at aligning local laws with federal regulations, particularly RLUIPA, have sparked concerns over increased development, environmental impact, and water supply issues. While town officials argue the changes modernize outdated zoning laws, opponents fear they create legal ambiguities and strain infrastructure. 

With legal threats looming and Sullivan County recommending a delay, the town board voted to keep the hearing open for 30 days to allow further public comment.

Ryan Kost and Willow Higgins, who recently published an in-depth investigation into Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) in New York at NY FOCUS .

Their reporting uncovered troubling findings about how these units, meant to correct wrongful convictions, often fail the people they were created to help.

This story is a collaboration between New York Focus and Columbia Journalism Investigations, an investigative reporting unit at the Columbia Journalism School.

CIUs operate within district attorney offices and are intended to review cases where wrongful convictions may have occurred. But as Ryan and Willow’s reporting reveals, many of these units lack transparency, oversight, and effectiveness.

 Some CIUs have denied applicants’ claims, only for the courts to later exonerate them.