Along with the declaration, Cuomo signed an executive order allowing pharmacists to give flu vaccine to children between six months and 18 years old, for 30 days after the order. Under normal circumstances, the law does not allow pharmacists to vaccinate children. Read more
From the river edge of Sullivan County comes a dramatic rescue story: Last Friday, the Lumberland Fire Deparment rescued a doe who had fallen through the ice on the frozen Upper Delaware River.
Deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department say they have made a major strike against local drug trade with the Thursday arrest of Angel Mulero, a 24-year-old Monticello resident. Mulero is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony.
Deputies say he was stamping his packages with the names “heavy hitter” and “melaza,” which means molasses. Sheriff Mike Schiff said many other dealers have stopped branding their heroin packages to avoid being linked to overdose deaths.
Hot off the (proverbial) press: Watershed Post reader Steven Kurlander took this shot of the rising sun illuminating Broadway in Monticello this morning.
Local photographers, if you'd like to see your work on the Watershed Post, email it to us at editor@watershedpost.com -- or you can share it in our Flickr group pool, which at last count, has over 1,600 stunning photos from photographers around the Catskills.
Above: The Cannonsville Reservoir looking serene, if a bit low on water, in July of 2012. Photo by Flickr user mountain_man_ny_2; published under Creative Commons license.
The agency that manages New York City's water -- and its vast upstate watershed -- is taking another small step toward opening up its reservoirs for public use.
This April, the Cannonsville Reservoir will be opened up to fishing boats with electric trolling motors for the first time. If the pilot program is successful, it may be introduced at other reservoirs, following the example of the city's recreational boating program. Launched on the Cannonsville in 2009, the recreational boating program now allows canoes, kayaks and sailboats on four upstate reservoirs.
The program, according to New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) deputy commissioner Paul Rush, is for fishing boats only. But allowing electric trolling motors will make it easier for anglers to access more of the reservoir, and open up the reservoir to people who are physically unable to row.
Deposit resident Lloyd Hornbeck, avid fisherman and longtime proprietor of Hornbeck's Sport Shop, said that local anglers had been talking with the DEP about allowing motorboats on the reservoir for some years. Read more
This afternoon, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, issued a joint statement: Read more
In the country, a little snow often reveals that you have more neighbors than you think you do. John of Catskills Photography captured this shot yesterday in Monticello, before last night's snow obliterated the evidence.
Readers: Any thoughts on what kind of bird left these tracks?
Above: A map showing snow forecasts for Central New York, the Southern Tier and northeast Pennsylvania from the National Weather Service in Binghamton.
Snow is already falling across much of New York State, and is expected to keep falling throughout the evening and into Thursday. In some areas, sleet and freezing rain is expected in the mix along with snow. Forecasters warn that snowfall will be heavy at times this evening, possibly reaching rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour, so please be careful on the roads.
According to a recent NWS forecast, 8 to 10 inches are expected to fall in the Western Catskills and Twin Tiers, and 4 to 6 inches in the southern Catskills. Read more
