the-columbia-paper

TOP LOCAL News

October 30, 2025

Saturday evening, October 18, members of Copake Fire Company #1 had a lot of fun participating at the second annual Trunk or Treat at Taconic State Park, Copake Falls. “The crew did an amazing job getting into the Halloween spirit decorating Tech Rescue Unit 1446 and dressing up to entertain the ...

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ALBANY—New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG) will make its Election Protection Hotline available for the November 4 general election and during New York’s early voting period, which runs from Saturday, October 25 through ...

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On Monday night, October 20 firefighters from the task force made up of Canaan Protective, East Chatham Fire Co., Inc., Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Lebanon Valley Protective Association met at the East Chatham Firehouse for their monthly task force drill. Chief Aaron Lindop-Braun, Assistant ...

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GERMANTOWN—The Town of Germantown has received permission from Columbia County to close Main Street, from Church Avenue to the east exit of the Germantown Central School parking lot. This closure will occur from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Halloween, October 31.The road will be closed to all vehicles (except ...

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NOVEMBER HAS a way of changing the tempo of life. The air sharpens, the light fades earlier, and even familiar streets feel somehow different when dusk arrives before dinner. It’s the month when the world exhales — softer, quieter, slower — and our animals feel that shift just as much as we do.For ...

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Former board member opposes synthetic turf at Ichabod To the Editor: Dear Ichabod Crane School Board and Community Members:I am writing this letter because I am unable to attend tonight’s budget hearing. I was concerned when I learned that Capital Project included Proposition 2, funding of ...

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HUDSON--Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106th) announced that she had secured $35,000 for The Sylvia Center. This funding will support the Sylvia Center’s culinary education programs in the 106th Assembly District, which help children and families learn about agriculture, local food, and cooking.

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Germantown High School senior Elisha Smith was honored on October 7 at Columbia County’s American Legion fall meeting. Elisha had been chosen to represent Columbia County at the 2025 Empire Girls State week long gathering held in Brockport. She successfully completed the leadership program and ...

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NEW LEBANON–In June the New Lebanon Town Board voted to appoint Scout Metzler to fill a vacancy on the board until Election Day, November 4. The question has since arisen as to whether the appointment should have been to the end of the year which would have been in accordance with state ...

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Saturday, October 25 was a busy day for pre-Halloween celebrations in the county. The Village of Kinderhook held a Halloween Party for families. Following the costume contest, everybody went across the street to the lawn of the Vanderpoel “House of History” in the Village of Kinderhook for a ...

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CLAVERACK--Early voting has started in Columbia County with polling sites in Hudson and Valatie. Any eligible Columbia County resident may cast their ballot at either polling station regardless their residence in the county. Early voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ends Sunday, November 2. The ...

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CANAAN—At the October 13 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Brenda Adams announced that Highway Superintendent Stephen Van Tassel’s monthly report would be his last. He reported on trucks being disposed of or replaced, speeding reduction requests at several locations and for a light at Exit B3. The ...

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KINDERHOOK--The Columbia County Historical Society (CCHS) has appointed Taryn Marie Zarrillo as the society’s curator of its extensive collections. Her notable academic credentials include a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, a master’s degree from London’s Courtauld Institute of Art, and a Ph.D in ...

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NEW LEBANON–Whether or not Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling’s job should remain full or part-time is a controversial topic. As the 2026 budget workshops progress, the question being debated is how much money to put into the supervisors salary line.Councilman Craig Skerkis has indicated in the ...

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Clarifies her comment on solar projectTo the Editor:I am so glad that The Columbia Paper was present to cover the ongoing discussions the residents of Ancram are having with RIC Energy and our Town Planning Board about the Ancram Solar PV LLC special use permit and site plan application. While ...

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HUDSON — Columbia Memorial Health (CMH), which operates the hospital in Hudson and 37 outpatient primary and specialty care facilities in Columbia and Greene counties, has been holding employee and community town halls related to a forthcoming request to the state to change the designation of the ...

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 Autumn in the Park event at Taconic State Park in Copake Falls October 11 to spread the word about fire safety.

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HUDSON--There is one statewide proposition on the ballot this year, and almost no one knows what it is. The text runs for six pages. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t. In essence, the proposal would amend the state’s constitutional provision that ensures that the 6.1-million acre Adirondack ...

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ANCRAM--Ancram Center for the Arts has announced the final phase of its capital expansion project to rehabilitate an adjacent 1790 building and connect it to the mainstage theater. When completed The Annex, as the building will be called, will include a new patio for audience gatherings, housing ...

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HUDSON—AnimalKind, 721 Warren Street, a cat rescue organization, needs volunteers. Every day, countless cats come through AnimalKind’s doors in need of safety, healing, and love. At AnimalKind, the mission is to give them a second chance—but staff can't do it alone. AnimalKind is currently seeking ...

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COBLESKILL – A national political organization found itself in upheaval last Tuesday (October 14) when 2,900 pages of private messages in a Young Republicans group chat were made public by Politico, an American news organization that focuses on politics. These messages were characterized by ...

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CHATHAM--No moss has gathered on Chatham’s own Tom Hope, creator of the original Peint O Gwrw Welsh Pub on Main Street in the village, ownership of which he relinquished almost 10 years ago. And recently he’s been in an artistic frame of mind. Not that this is new for him, having graduated from ...

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HUDSON—Bat Week is an internationally recognized celebration of the important role bats play in the environment. It is a great time to appreciate New York’s bat species, and it is observed October 24 through 31.Of the nine bat species found in New York, six are cave bats—meaning they hibernate in ...

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ALBANY—On October 16, New York state’s highest court affirmed the conviction and sentence of a Claverack man found guilty of the 2008 murder of his 27-year-old wife, Angela Morgan. Police discovered Ms. Morgan’s body wrapped in a blanket and stuffed underneath the trailer they shared along routes ...

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Clermont home shot by suspect with a BB gun Clermont  Columbia County 911 dispatched State Police from Livingston to check out a report of shots fired into a private residence on County Route 6 in Clermont, October 14 at around 9:30 p.m.An investigation conducted by the Livingston Bureau of ...

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There was no hay on the trailer but there were plenty of scares as the riders were taken on a haunted tour in the fields and forests behind Palatine Park in Germantown. Returning to the community building visitors could get food, popcorn, hot chocolate and a run-around in the cool evening air.

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On Wednesday morning October 15, a ribbon was cut to officially open the newly remodeled Crandell Theatre in the Village of Chatham. The public was invited to walk through and see the restorations and improvements. Then on Friday the first films were screened, part of the 10-day FilmColumbia film ...

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HUDSON--Governor Kathy Hochul, Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek and Amtrak President Roger Harris announced on October 20 that New York State has secured a series of improvements to rail service on the Empire Service Corridor between Albany and New York City. Supported by New York ...

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COPAKE— The Roeliff Jansen Community Library has installed a new standby generator that will enable the library to maintain normal services in a power outage. In addition, the library can serve the community as a warming or cooling center during regular business hours when weather-related ...

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