The Local Edition

Five years ago this March, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a statewide lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID pandemic. Public schools, restaurants, and non-essential businesses closed down. Hospitals and healthcare workers faced overwhelming numbers of COVID patients and bed shortages.

The long-term toll it has left on people’s lives is immeasurable. More than 7 million people around the world have died from COVID; more than 1.2 million of that number died in the U.S.

While much of the world has reopened, for many – life ‘as usual’ has not resumed. People with Long COVID continue to juggle chronic COVID symptoms and doubt from others. Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar reports.

Each year, New York Focus reporters examine how lawmakers will spend over $250 billion in public money as lawmakers negotiate over the state budget. New York’s budget is bigger than those of most countries, and outpaces every other state except California.

Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties will shutter its chemical dependency clinics across four locations, including Monticello and Goshen, due to staffing shortages and shifting healthcare dynamics. 

The closures, which include outpatient substance use programs, have raised concerns about addiction treatment gaps in Sullivan County, where opioid overdose rates remain among the highest in New York State.

John Liddle, Sullivan County’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, reassured residents that services will continue through other local providers. “Catholic Charities is not leaving Sullivan County entirely,” said Liddle, citing ongoing case management, housing, and food pantry services. Transition plans are in place for patients currently under Catholic Charities’ care, who will be referred to providers such as Restorative Management, Lexington Center for Recovery, and the county’s Liberty-based mental health clinic.

Liddle noted promising trends in overdose statistics. EMS overdose calls have decreased from 35 per month in 2021 to just 14 in 2024. The success of Narcan distribution and initiatives like the Hope Not Handcuffs program have contributed to this decline.

“There is hope,” Liddle said. “We’ve built a stronger treatment network, and resources are available for families in crisis.”

On March 20, 2025, Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) visited Sullivan County to meet with local officials, community organizations, and rural hospitals. During his visit, he spoke with Radio Catskill's Patricio Robayo about two new bipartisan bills aimed at lowering grocery costs and providing relief for family farmers across Upstate New York. Riley highlighted the Lowering Egg Prices Act and the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act (HPAIA), both of which seek to address key challenges faced by farmers and consumers alike.

Riley said that the Lowering Egg Prices Act targets an outdated FDA regulation from 2009 that requires farmers to refrigerate eggs immediately after they are laid—whether they are table eggs for direct consumption or breaker eggs used in processed foods like salad dressing and cake mix. The original purpose of this regulation was to prevent the spread of salmonella in table eggs that are sold raw in grocery stores. Immediate refrigeration reduces the risk of bacterial contamination and keeps eggs fresh for longer periods when intended for raw consumption.

However, Riley explained that breaker eggs—which are cracked, pasteurized, and processed for use in manufactured food products—are handled entirely differently in the supply chain. These eggs do not pose the same risks when used for pasteurized food items. Despite this distinction, the outdated rule applies the same refrigeration requirements to both table eggs and breaker eggs, leading to unnecessary waste. Farmers have been forced to discard nearly 400 million breaker eggs annually because they could not meet these refrigeration requirements, even though the eggs themselves were perfectly safe for processing.

“Folks are telling me every day that their grocery bills are just too high,” Riley said. “This is common sense. My bipartisan bill would overturn that regulation, put hundreds of millions of eggs back on the market, and bring prices down for consumers.”

Riley believes the impact could be immediate, with more eggs available for sale and prices decreasing as a result. “It’s not a silver bullet, but every dollar we can put back in working families’ pockets matters,” he said.

The Congressman also discussed the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act, which addresses the financial burdens placed on poultry farms impacted by avian flu outbreaks. Under current law, only farms with confirmed cases of avian flu are eligible for USDA financial assistance. Neighboring farms within a designated control zone—often required to take costly preventative measures—are left without compensation.

“Small family farms are already hanging on by a thread,” Riley said. “They’re shouldering the burden of containing avian flu, and it’s not fair or smart public policy to leave them on their own.”

Riley is working to include the bill in the upcoming Farm Bill and emphasized the urgency as migratory birds return north, increasing the risk of avian flu spread.

Riley also stated his commitment to keeping Exit 114 on Route 17 open. “Closing it would devastate Wurtsboro,” he said, vowing to push regulators—and if needed, introduce legislation—to protect local businesses.

Congressman Riley will be holding a telephone Town Hall on March 26 at 5:30 PM.  https://riley.house.gov/townhall

We’ve been reporting on Radio Catskill how customers have been impacted by their high NYSEG electricity bills this winter. This past Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that Canada would add a 25% tariff on the electricity they supply to New York, Minnesota, and Michigan but then quickly pivoted – they agreed to delay the surcharges that same day.

So what exactly do these new tariffs mean for New Yorkers and why are customers seeing these NYSEG bill increases? Radio Catskill reporter Kimberly Izar spoke to Laurie Wheelock, Executive Director of the Public Utility Law Project in Albany, to help us unpack what New Yorkers need to know about their bills.

Note that this interview was recorded on Tuesday and since then, Canada has delayed energy tariffs.

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.