Category: Orange County NY

Middletown to Launch $5 Million Upgrades on Century-Old Reservoir Dams

The City of Middletown, New York, is to begin construction on several century-old dams to bring them up to new state standards, according to the city’s public works commissioner Jacob Tawil.  The upgrades on three Shawangunk reservoir dams, to be performed by a joint venture between Servidone and Anthony Construction, cost around $3.8 million; a separate…


Middletown High School Partners with Yondr to Build Phone-Free Campus

Middletown High School is partnering with a company to build a distraction-free environment for its students. Starting Feb. 28, all Middletown High School students will have to put their phones in specialized pouches upon arriving on campus and can not access them until the end of the school day. The change is being made to…


Port Jervis Major Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison

Port Jervis major drug trafficker Richard McInturff was sentenced on Feb. 8 by Judge Hyun Chin Kim to almost 20 years in state prison. Operating as a major trafficker is one of the most serious crimes in the New York Penal Code, carrying a maximum penalty of a life sentence. McInturff got 15 years in…


Judge Robert Onofry Retires After Nearly 30 Years of Service

Recently retired Orange County Supreme Court Justice Robert Onofry gathered many firsts in his life. He was the first city court judge in the county to establish a domestic violence victim advocacy program, the first Port Jervis native to be elected to a countywide judgeship, and the first judge to issue an opinion interpreting the regulatory…


Middletown School District Sees 30% Jump in Administrative Budget

The proposed administrative budget of the Enlarged City School District of Middletown, New York, shows an increase of $5 million, or 30 percent, for the coming school year, according to a presentation on Feb. 2. District Superintendent Amy Creeden and Assistant Superintendent for Administration Mike Tuttle delivered the budget presentation in front of nine school…


Rep. Patrick Ryan Talks Legislative Priorities at First Town Hall

Newly elected U.S. Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-N.Y.) told district residents that two of his legislative priorities are environment and veteran issues at a Beacon town hall on Feb. 2.  Ryan represents New York’s 18th District, which includes all of Orange County, the bulk of Dutchess County, and a southern portion of Ulster County.  He said…


OC Executive Neuhaus Says State’s Withholding Federal Medicaid Dollars Hurts Taxpayers

Orange County, New York, Executive Steve Neuhaus said Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to boost state Medicaid spending comes at a cost to local taxpayers.  In her newly released state budget, Hochul proposes a stop to passing enhanced federal Medicaid dollars to 57 county governments; instead, the money will be used for increased state-level spending.  The proposed withholding…


Northern Medical Center Offers Acupuncture Treatment in Chinese Medicine Context

A good acupuncturist must be a good Chinese medicine doctor who can evaluate a patient’s overall energy status before inserting needles, according to Dr. Jingduan Yang, chief executive officer of Northern Medical Center in Middletown, New York. A fifth-generation Chinese medicine practitioner and a renowned acupuncturist on the East Coast, Yang took the helm at…


Northern Medical Center Offers Acupuncture, Holistic Care Steeped in Chinese Medicine

A good acupuncturist must be a good Chinese medicine doctor who can evaluate a patient’s overall energy status before inserting needles, according to Dr. Jingduan Yang, chief executive officer of Northern Medical Center in Middletown, New York. A fifth-generation Chinese medicine practitioner and a renowned acupuncturist on the East Coast, Yang took the helm at…


Struggling Addicts Find Hope at Sober Village in Town of Deerpark, New York

Michael dreams of owning a small farm in upstate New York, where he grows his own food and lives a self-sufficient life. But before that could happen, he must overcome his drug addiction, get a job, and save money—goals that he has been working toward for a year now at an addiction recovery center in…