TOP LOCAL News
By DAVID LEE
February 21, 2025
PHOTOS BY DAVID LEE Capital Region Independent MediaFebruary 20, 2025The Canaan Conservation Club held its annual "Hardwater Fishing Derby" on Queechy Lake Saturday, February 15. The ice was about a foot thick. Over 100 people signed up for the competition. Adult and youth cash awards were given ...
By NANCY JANE KERN FEBRUARY 14–17, 2025 is the Great Backyard Bird Count, the joint project of the National Audubon Society and Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Consider participating and start thinking about where to bird. Today, as I write I am facing our old farm field and can catch the ...
Robert Sutherland PITTSFIELD, MA—Robert “Bob” F. Sutherland of New Lebanon died January 30, 2025 at a nursing home in Pittsfield, MA. He was born August 3, 1948 to Louise and Richard Sutherland of New Lebanon. He graduated from New Lebanon Junior/Senior High School in 1966 and received a ...
By NANCY JANE KERN THIS WEEK we celebrate Valentine’s Day which gets its name from several Christian men named Valentine who were martyred by the Romans about 250 AD, and through several legends. Two of the martyrs were canonized to become Saint Valentines. One was arrested for marrying Roman ...
ALBANY—The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) cautions New York drivers to be aware of a rise in staged crashes and car insurance fraud. The DMV also reminds drivers that the best way to avoid falling victim to these scams is to drive defensively. “When someone intentionally ...
By EMILIA TEASDALE HUDSON – Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) announced February 5 it has reached an agreement with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East on a new four-year contract. A press release from CMH said that hospital leaders invited 1199SEIU to the table in January 2024 “to begin ...
By LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY WHEN COLUMBIA COUNTY resident James Bradley penned the book “Martin Van Buren: America’s First Politician” his goal was to write the “most definitive work” about the nation’s eighth president, and by doing so possibly elevate Van Buren’s standing among the pantheon of ...
By DOUG La ROCQUE Capital Region Independent Media NEW LEBANON–The good news is the school district is not facing quite as dire a situation this year as they did during last year’s budget development talks. The bad news, expenses are still going up, particularly as it involves special ...
By DIANE VALDEN COPAKE—Hecate Energy has sent out a letter to neighbors and residents of Copake inviting them to a virtual meeting about the controversial Shepherd’s Run solar facility project to be built on farmland in Craryville. The meeting is slated for Wednesday, February 19 at 4 ...
By EMILIA TEASDALE VALATIE—The Kinderhook Town Board heard from Town Justice David Kolb at their regular meeting on February 3. Mr. Kolb was elected to the position in 2024 and took over the cases of retired justice David Dellehunt. The town has two justices, Mr. Kolb and Lisa Miller, who is in ...
Part 2 in a series By DEBORAH E. LANS GHENT--In 1958, in “A Nation of Immigrants,” John F. Kennedy wrote: “Since 1607, when the first English settlers reached the New World, over 42 million people have migrated to the United States.” That number has substantially increased now, and, as many ...
By DIANE VALDEN COPAKE—Copake Councilmember Jeffrey Judd resigned from the Town Board effective in January. Former Councilmember Linda Gabaccia has been appointed to fill the remainder of his term. Mr. Judd told The Columbia Paper this week that he resigned from the board for personal ...
Saturday, February 8, the conditions were just about perfect for sledding on the hill next to the Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Barnwell in Valatie. The hill is steep and wide and has a long run-out, so it is comparatively safe. Many people were out for a taste of free speed, riding a variety ...
By DIANE VALDEN CHATHAM—It took several hours to clear an empty CSX freight train car that derailed in the Village of Chatham January 30 at 7:21 p.m., according to Village Police Chief Joe Alessi. No one was hurt. Calls started coming in to Columbia County 911 that evening from residents and ...
DAVID LEE Capital Region Independent MediaFebruary 11, 2025On the afternoon of February 8, under low clouds and with a fresh layer of snow, Hayden White, his mom Andria and independent 4H leader Brianna Laraway lead yearling cows along the dirt roads at Roxbury Farm where the cows are stabled.
By NANCY JANE KERN MOST GENERATIONS LIVE through a cultural transition or world change of sorts. My parents saw the wonder of flight when Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart took the headlines. We lived in the 1940s-50s rural community of Austerlitz, NY. The Town was predominantly forest and rural ...
By DAVID LEE HILLSDALE--The Taghkanic Creek Old Road Society convened at the intersection of Rodman Road and Appletree Lane on Saturday, February 1, to make a show of support for the preservation of the remaining dirt roads of the area. A group of about 20 people gathered and, carrying pine ...
First in a series By DEBORAH E. LANS HUDSON--In November, when The Columbia Paper first decided to write about our local immigrant population, our primary goal was to speak to local residents – to understand their feelings about the incoming administration, their reasons for moving not just ...
By JEANETTE WOLFBERG HUDSON--An additional commissioner and planned additional land highlighted the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) Board of Commissioners meeting January 21. The HHA runs the 135-unit income-restricted Bliss Tower and Columbia Apartments in Hudson. Its governing Board of ...
By DIANE VALDEN ANCRAM—If you are dog living in Ancram and you have no license, now is the time to get one. You’ll probably need some help from your human. Ancram Town Clerk Monica Cleveland announced at the January 16 Town Board meeting that she will sending out postcards in February to ...
The weather was fine for skiing on Saturday and the crowds were out at Catamount. It was not too warm and not too cold, and snow flurries made everything feel fresh, light and celebratory. According to the resort’s web site, 6 of 8 lifts are open and 32 of the 44 runs are open. Minimum base depth ...
By NANCY JANE KERN A BARN IS expected to house animals like cows, sheep or horses. Animals are protected by their combined heat in winter, a roof that gives shade or relief from rain and snow, and barn walls that keep out wind and most predators. Farmers could find comfort there too, and it ...
THE EMPIRE STATE LOCAL NEWS COALITION SMALL BUSINESSES ARE the heartbeat of our communities. They are the corner stores, family-owned restaurants, and local service providers that fuel our neighborhoods, create jobs, and drive economic growth. Yet, these vital businesses often face significant ...
By DIANE VALDEN RED HOOK—Village of Red Hook Police patrols were dispatched by Dutchess County 911 for a report of a two-car head-on crash on State Route 9G just south of Peach Tree Court, Thursday, January 23 at 3:55 p.m. According to a Red Hook Police Facebook post, upon preliminary ...
By MARLENE McTIGUE Capital Region Independent Media NEW LEBANON—On a winding road up Mount Lebanon a remarkable piece of history has been brought back to life with flair, imagination, and deep reverence. The Ruins at Sassafras Museum, once the Shaker Second Family settlement, stands as a ...
By DEBORAH E. LANS GHENT--It’s a new year, and The Columbia Paper spoke with local representatives in Albany about their legislative goals for the year. Agriculture, affordable housing, the environment and healthcare are among their priorities. Michelle Hinchey (D) represents the 41st ...
By LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY THE CLERMONT STATE Historic Site is hosting a special exhibit “Redefining The Family: The Livingstons and the Institution of Slavery in Early America,” for the next five months through June 22. The display is housed in the Visitors Center. The exhibit consists of ...