Category: Orange County NY

Offshore Wind Joint Venture Proposes Steel Factory in Orange County, New York

A joint venture has been proposed to power nearly 500,000 New York homes with wind turbines made in local factories, including a new steelmaking plant in Orange County.  Community Offshore Wind, which was formed by RWE and National Grid to develop offshore wind in the Northeast, submitted the above plan to the state on Jan. 25.  The…


Port Jervis Mayor Delivers State of City Address, Not Seeking Reelection

In his 10th State of City address on Jan. 25, Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker recounted initiatives in the past year that improved the city’s recreational and cultural destinations and looked forward to future projects to make it an even more visitor-friendly place.  He highlighted the completion of a yearslong annexation project with the Town…


Supervisor of Wallkill, New York, Reflects on His First Year in Office

Looking back on his first year as the supervisor of the Town of Wallkill in Orange County, George Serrano said he felt good to have restored a sense of respect and professionalism at the top. Shortly before the November election last year, damaging reports of workplace harassment under former Supervisor Frank DenDanto surfaced, and calls…


Port Jervis Chinese New Year Celebration Draws Thousands

Around 3,000 tri-state residents attended the third annual Chinese New Year event in downtown Port Jervis, New York, on Jan. 22. The celebration started at noon with a lion dance on Jersey Avenue, followed by a Chinese-style buffet and live performances at Erie Trackside Manor. “We had a wonderful turnout. It was just crowded, with…


Sheriff Arteta Scales Down Task Force Commitment to Boost County Initiatives

In his first report to the county public safety committee on Jan. 19, new sheriff Paul Arteta said he wanted to pull back deputies on various task forces to beef up county operations.  “So much worry about taking care of the business of other agencies, specifically the federal agencies,” he said. “We are bringing our people…


Middletown Adopts New Sales Tax Sharing Contract With Orange County

The City Council of Middletown, New York, adopted a new three-year sales tax sharing contract with Orange County on Jan. 17. Middletown now gets the largest share of sales tax among all three cities in the county, largely due to its population advantage. Based on the 2020 census, Middletown has a population of just over…


As Small Dairy Farms Disappear, This One Thrives in Otisville, New York

When Rick Vreeland and his wife sold their 2,000-cow dairy farm in Slate Hill, New York, in the early 2000s, he was at a loss about what to do next—so he prayed. His prayer led to a small dairy farm in Otisville, New York, where over a thousand residents near and far now visit to…


New York Assembly Republican Whip Karl Brabenec Talks 2023 Legislative Priorities

As the new minority whip, Karl Brabenec said he would continue to advocate for Republican legislative priorities in the face of a Democratic supermajority in the state assembly. Through the 2022 election, 13 new Republican members made it to Albany, bringing the party’s representation on the 150-seat assembly to just under 50. As a result,…


Orange County, New York, District Attorney Decries Low Bail For Shooting Suspect

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler told The Epoch Times that the bail set on a recent shooting suspect was woefully low and could have endangered public safety.  The suspect, 21-year-old John DiCaprio, was able to post bail and then failed twice to appear in court before eventually turning himself in on Jan 16. On…


Federal Food Stamps Applications Hit 5-Year High in Orange County, New York

The number of federal food stamp applications in Orange County reached a five-year high of 14,261 in 2022, according to data from the County Department of Social Services. During the past five years, the county’s food stamp applications have been on an upward trend, with the pandemic year of 2020 having the largest single-year bump,…