HVNY News + Notes (12/18/23)
Road closures led to many school closing on Monday as heavy rains soaked the region – including 4.5” of rain in Suffern; 4.42” in Tannersville and 4.16” in Warwick over a 24-hour time period.
Poughkeepsie broke a record high temperature of 62-degrees at 6am on Monday morning. The average high temp for this time of year is 40-degrees.
IT’S THE LAST DAYS OF AUTUMN! Despite this warm weather and deluge of rain, winter officially begins with the longest night of the year on Thursday. ‘Til then, share your best photograph of Fall in the Hudson Valley from this season for a chance to win HVNY prizes. Email your (1) original photo to: photos@hvny.info by Sunday night. Please include your name and location of the photo, if it’s a public place.
New trail named for Molinaro opens in Poughkeepsie – The first phase of Dutchess County’s urban trail project in the City and Town of Poughkeepsie opened over the weekend and unveiled “a new official name – the Marcus J. Molinaro Northside Line (MJM Northside Line).” Molinaro is the former Dutchess County Executive currently serving as Congressman for the 19th District. The 1.2-mile trail that runs from the new Hudson Heritage Plaza (former psychiatric center) in the Town of Poughkeepsie to Parker Avenue (Route 9G) in the City of Poughkeepsie, was previously referred to as the Dutchess County Urban Trail. The trail was designed to provide access between “housing, jobs, schools, businesses, hospitals and parks.” The trail will also be “monitored by security cameras and law enforcement patrols to enable safe, 24-hour use.” The project cost $11.6 million, funded in part by the American Rescue Plan. A formal ribbon cutting event will take place in the spring. More info: https://dutchesscountyurbantrail.com
The state’s first federally-funded fast EV charger was unveiled in Kingston last week. New York’s first high-speed chargers for electric vehicles funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s $175 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program are now operating in the City of Kingston at 451 Washington Avenue. Mayor Noble said: “I thank Governor Hochul for investing in electric vehicle charging stations, and increasing crucial accessibility for EV owners living in and traveling through Kingston. We are pleased to be the first municipality in the State to use this Federal funding for our first Level 3 high-speed charging station and we appreciate the Governor’s support in helping Kingston become a leader in sustainability efforts. ” Read the Governor's announcement here: governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-new-yorks-first-national-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-funded-fast
The City of Kingston announced it will offer free two hour parking through January 1, 2024. Parking in municipal lots and at meters will be free for up to two hours.
Fares on the Bee-Line Bus System throughout Westchester County will be free through January 1, 2023.
Catskill camping reservations for 2024 to open December 19 – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that both the Beaverkill Campground in the Catskills and the Pisecos Campground in the Adirondacks will be available for 2024 camping reservations beginning at 9 a.m. on December 19. Adjustments to campsite numbers and new additions were made at both facilities for the upcoming season. Campers are encouraged to view the facilities online in advance of Dec. 19 to better acquaint themselves with the new campground layouts. To make reservations at any of these camping facilities, call ReserveAmerica at 1-800-456-CAMP (2267) or visit the ReserveAmerica website.
Plan ahead: Enjoy free accesses to Olana every third Thursday beginning in January 2024 with their “Access for All” program. The Olana Partnership received a three-year grant from the Art Bridges Foundation to offer access to all with free tours, multi-lingual and intergenerational programming, specialty events and workshops, and extended tour hours during the summer season.
Six vehicles piled up – including one flipped over on its hood – on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge during a busy holiday Friday evening commute. Traffic stood still on the bridge for over an hour as emergency responders from both sides of the river attended to the scene. All patients were evaluated and two were transferred to a local hospital for minor injuries.
Orange County hunter charged with taking deer illegally twice in the same week – NYS Department of Environmental Conservation officers responded to several reports of an individual who had shot a deer from the roadway. An officer spoke to the subject who claimed he shot the antlered deer from the roadway with his crossbow because it appeared to be injured. The ECO located the deer and determined it had been shot twice. The Officer then found a second antlered deer taken by the subject with the same crossbow without the license and tags required. Officer Doroski issued several tickets to the hunter for taking two deer illegally, shooting deer from a public roadway, hunting during the crossbow season without a license, and failure to tag as required. Three days later, Deerpark Police contacted ECOs again about an individual hunting deer over bait from the second floor of a residence. ECO Parker and New York State Police Trooper Vonderheide responded to the location and observed an open second-floor window overlooking two bait piles. Officer Parker interviewed the subject and determined it was the same individual charged by ECO Doroski a few days earlier. The Officers located a loaded crossbow and two loaded firearms next to the window, as well as a spent shell casing inside the room. They did not find any deer during the investigation but had enough evidence to charge the subject for intentionally feeding deer and hunting with the aid of bait.
Trail camera video captures hunter trespassing on private property in Dutchess – NYS DEC officers responded to a call reporting a deer shot on private property in the Town of Beekman. Officers interviewed the subject who admitted to shooting the deer on private property. A blood trail led to the wounded animal. The subject was ticketed for trespassing and illegal take of a big game animal. The deer was donated to the New York Venison Donation Coalition to help feed the hungry.
Thieves dump cooking oil during chase in Westchester – NYS DEC officers recently received a call from the New Rochelle Police Department for assistance in a case involving two individuals who allegedly stole used cooking oil. The subjects led the police in a chase, eventually stopping and “dumping 50 to 100 gallons of cooking oil onto the roadway.” The men in question were ticketed for unlawful disposal of solid waste and depositing a noisome/unwholesome substance on the highway. The spill was cleaned upby the New Rochelle Critical Incident Unit, and there were no impacts to the environment or public health, according to officers.
