The Highlands Current is a nonprofit weekly newspaper and daily website that covers Beacon, Cold Spring, Garrison, Nelsonville and Philipstown, New York, in the Hudson Highlands. This podcast includes select stories read aloud.
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Cabo brothers and friends jam at Savage Wonder The Everything Zine is a guerrilla marketing tool for the Everything Jam, held every Sunday evening at Savage Wonder in Beacon for the time being. Though the all-inclusive titles conjure images of visual and musical mayhem, there is method to the madness. The plain-Jane zine includes black-and-white drawings, event listings and reminders about the jam — a series of improvised seven-minute-or-so sessions performed by an ever-rotating cast of musicians and instrumental combinations. The explorations could extend far longer, but all good things must
The big question: what's inside? Another Cold Spring mystery has surfaced, earning a place alongside how B Street got its name, who stole the disco ball from the riverfront bandstand at the turn of the millennium and who published the fake PCNR in 2012. Now people want to know the story behind a sturdy 19th-century safe that has been sitting for weeks outside 37 Main St., where Angie's Cafe is scheduled to reopen soon after moving from 116 Main. Brian Tormey, the building's owner, said his predecessor left the safe behind, in plain sight. The previous owner's father may have had a connection:
Legislators critical of large surplus The Putnam County Legislature moved on Monday (Aug. 24) to take a bigger role in spending the county's outsized surplus by rescinding a 14-year-old policy letting the finance commissioner determine how it's allocated and requesting a state audit. Since the policy's adoption in 2012, Putnam County's budget surplus swelled from $33.9 million to $191 million in 2024 because of "over-appropriation, underestimation of revenues and increased sales tax receipts and other revenues," according to a resolution approved by the Budget and Finance Committee. An audit a
Dutchess Manor lot faced opposition Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail is eliminating a 47-space overflow parking lot from its plans for turning Dutchess Manor into a visitor center and headquarters for the 7.5-mile trail between Cold Spring and Beacon. The nonprofit had sought Fishkill Zoning Board approval to use part of a residential property it bought along with Dutchess Manor in order to create the overflow area, where visitors could park if the primary lot with 67 spots were full. But in an Aug. 12 letter to the board, HHFT said it decided to eliminate the lot "based on the feedback throughout
Early freeze destroyed much of crop If you want to pick Pink Lady apples this fall, good luck. The crisp, sweet favorites, along with Ginger Golds, Roxbury Russets and Golden Russets, will be hard to find because of a hard freeze on April 21 that destroyed the fruit of early-blooming varieties. "We don't have any Pink Ladies this year," said Josh Morgenthau, who owns Fishkill Farms and its 40 acres of apple trees. While the freeze destroyed about half of the apple crop, Morgenthau said that there are still plenty to pick from later-blooming varieties like Gala, McIntosh, Fuji, Ida Red, Macoun,
Police say they don't use cameras for immigration enforcement A new report claims the Beacon Police Department has searched a national license plate database on behalf of federal immigration officers, but the assertion is wrong, said Chief Tom Figlia. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project and LatinoJustice jointly released a report on Tuesday (Aug. 25) naming four local police departments in New York that they say have assisted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in its aggressive deportation campaign. The Beacon City Council approved a $21,400, two-year contract in January 2023 w
New research upends conventional wisdom For decades, our understanding of blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease was guided by several paradigms. There's the "deer paradigm," which suggests that the risk of contracting Lyme and other tick-borne ailments increases with the size of the deer herd, since in the fall the animals are often covered with blacklegged ticks. According to the "mouse paradigm," a similar correlation exists with white-footed mice, since they are particularly effective at transmitting to ticks the bacteria that cause human illness. Finally, there's the "weather-extremes paradig
Regulations would require permits and inspections Philipstown moved on Wednesday (Aug. 19) to manage short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, with regulations requiring licenses for hosts, inspections and limits on the number and behavior of guests. The Town Board scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 1 on the proposed law, which would add a section on STRs to the zoning code. The town cited a need to "preserve the residential and community character of neighborhoods" by reducing the impacts of noise, parking and trash. The Town Board has discussed regulations since at least 2022, following complain
Republican incumbent calls nominee 'grossly unqualified' A Kent woman who uses her Facebook page to crusade against critical race theory, undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ books in schools is now the Conservative Party's choice to challenge Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne for his seat. Tatiana Brahimi will replace William Spain Jr. as the Conservative's candidate for county executive in the November election. She will face Byrne, who will have the Republican and Libertarian party lines as he seeks a second 4-year term, and Brett Yarris, who will be on the Democratic and the Working Familie
Davoren fights food insecurity, trains farmers Agriculture is big business, but a local farm is punching above its weight. Owned by Peter Davoren and Stacey Farley of Philipstown, Davoren Farm cultivates 6 acres on Route 9D that it leases from Boscobel House & Gardens. The couple also farms a tract owned by the Town of Philipstown on Route 403 in Garrison, where they host an annual sweet potato dig. Farley, her husband and their children launched the farm 13 years ago, but even with farm stands and restaurant sales, it wasn't viable. Early in the pandemic, Farley happened upon Fred's Food Pant
Bar owners at 69 Main revive performances Given the state of nightlife in Cold Spring, it's hard to believe that a thriving music scene arose around 2007 and flourished for several years. Early in the life of Philipstown.Info, a news source founded in 2010 that became The Highlands Current, founder Gordon Stewart let musicians use the website's office at 69 Main St. for shows. He also welcomed anyone to "play or practice on the house piano." In 2015, after the newspaper office moved to 161 Main St., Managing Editor Kevin Foley wrote that the open-door policy sometimes aggravated the staff, "es
Concerns raised about toxic water from landfills Leachate, Rebecca Martin admits, isn't a household word. A better description is "garbage water," because leachate is the toxic waste that leaks out of landfills, said Martin, the head of New York River Watch, a new volunteer group that consists mostly of former employees of the environmental group Riverkeeper. It was while working at Riverkeeper that Martin and other New York River Watch members examined the legal loopholes that allow leachate to flow untreated into sources of drinking water, such as the Hudson River. While the state Department
Cold Spring, Philipstown contest use for Fjord Trail State parks and Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail asked a state judge in Carmel on Aug. 14 to dismiss claims by Cold Spring and Philipstown that an easement used to access Dockside Park through private property does not allow entry for a riverside boardwalk. The claim is one of several to be decided by Judge Gina Capone in a lawsuit the municipalities filed in May challenging the state's environmental review of the 7.5-mile Fjord Trail, which would connect Cold Spring to Beacon and include an elevated boardwalk over the Hudson River between Docks
Less potent kratom leaf still legal The Dutchess County Legislature on Aug. 10 unanimously passed a ban on the sale and distribution of concentrated and synthetic versions of kratom, stopping short of a full ban proposed last month by County Executive Sue Serino. Originally from Southeast Asia, kratom is a member of the coffee family whose leaves have traditionally been used as a pain reliever and stimulant. But in recent years, highly concentrated and synthetic derivatives of kratom have been used in products such as seltzers, gummies and pills that can be found in colorful, candy-like packag
Post personnel files on 'dark web' after ransom demand Hackers posted data this week on the "dark web" from City of Beacon computers, including the personnel files of hundreds of current and past employees. A group known as RansomHouse announced on Aug. 6 that it had gained access to the network at least two weeks earlier. It posted thousands of documents online this week after saying its ransom demands were ignored. As of Tuesday (Aug. 18), a counter indicated 7,260 people had viewed the files, which include folders titled Assessor, Building, Clerk, Finance and HR. "We are aware of reports re
Convicted of killing wife's ex-husband in 2020 A former Beacon couple convicted in 2024 of killing the woman's ex-husband was sentenced last week to life in prison by a federal judge in White Plains. Jamie Orsini, 38, was sentenced on Aug. 11 and Nicholas Orsini, 36, on Aug. 13. They each were convicted of one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit carjacking in connection with the murder of Jamie Orsini's ex-husband, Steven Kraft. According to prosecutors, on April 28, 2020, Kraft was killed after he dropped the two children he shared w
Can humans keep up? A dozen years ago, Holly Ahern's daughter, Kaleigh, then a college student, asked to come home for the weekend. She wasn't feeling well. Kaleigh woke up the next morning so sick she couldn't get out of bed. She felt practically paralyzed on one side of her body. After seeing two dozen specialists, someone suggested a test for Lyme disease. Although Holly Ahern is a microbiologist, she says that Lyme, which is spread through tick bites, never occurred to her. Kayleigh recalled being bitten, but it had been months earlier. "If there was one thing in my whole life I wish I cou
Judge rejected fraud claims in June A former Philipstown couple who claim they were victims of fraud is appealing a state judge's ruling upholding the foreclosure and sale of the Route 9 property where they lived and worked. An attorney for Sokhara Kim and Chakra Oeur last month filed a notice of their intent to appeal a June ruling by state Judge Gina Capone. Her decision denied the couple's attempt to regain 3154 Route 9, where they operated Nice & Neat Dry Cleaners and sold Cambodian food. The couple also rented a storefront in the building to the owner of a nail salon. Kim and Oeur, immigr
Accused of payroll irregularities A police union president who alleges in a federal lawsuit that Putnam County has shortchanged Sheriff's Office deputies on overtime wages has been suspended without pay after being charged by the agency with payroll irregularities. Daniel Hunsberger, an investigator with the Sheriff's Office and president of the Police Benevolent Association, the union that represents deputies, was suspended following an internal probe into his "time-and-attendance and payroll records," according to a statement issued Monday (Aug. 10) by Undersheriff James Menton. A 20-year ve
Increase to bring Dutchess closer to neighbors There are 65 pre-K special-needs children in the Beacon City School District. But there are no physical therapists in Dutchess County who contract with the agencies that provide services for them. If a pre-K special education student in the district needs physical therapy, a parent or guardian must travel to Highland, across the river in Ulster County. "That is a barrier for many of our families," said Heather Chadwell Dennis, the assistant superintendent of pupil personnel services for the Beacon district. Dutchess County legislators voted unanim
Condo development had been set for foreclosure sale A housing development twice halted by the city and ordered by a state judge to be sold to pay down debt is back on the Beacon Planning Board agenda. Eliza Street LLC, the owner of The Mews at Beacon, has hired a Newburgh architecture firm to see the project at 53 Eliza St. to completion, according to materials submitted for the board's Tuesday (Aug. 11) meeting. If that happens, it will be a remarkable turnaround for a project that appeared doomed. In February 2025, a lender, Insula Capital Group, filed a lawsuit in Dutchess County court dema
A few moments with Appalachian hikers Daniel Farris and his wife, Raychel Pepperman, began hiking the Appalachian Trail on Feb. 22 at Springer Mountain in Georgia, the starting point. By the time they reached Philipstown two weeks ago, they had trekked 1,400 miles and resolved a marital dispute: Farris was walking too fast. "I understand that you're frustrated, but I can't go any faster," Pepperman said she told her husband. Farris slowed down. "The trail has been helpful for our communication skills," said Pepperman, a therapist in Chattanooga. "If one of us gets upset with the other, you hav
National group to aid challenger Lisa Kaul A national Democratic Party organization seeking to restore the New York Senate's veto-proof majority has made it a priority to oust Rob Rolison, the incumbent Republican whose district includes Philipstown and Beacon. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which formed in 1992 to elect party members to state legislatures, this month named the District 39 campaign as one of six races it will support before the November election. The group is chaired by Andrea Stewart-Cousins, majority leader of the New York Senate. Lisa Kaul, who represents pa
Legislators also pass 'transparency' law Cornell Cooperative Extension and Second Chance Foods will receive $150,000 set aside last year by the Putnam County Legislature to aid programs to alleviate food insecurity. In approving the allocation on Tuesday (Aug. 5) of $100,000 to Cornell Cooperative and $50,000 to Second Chance, the Legislature required that at least $50,000 go to the Bountiful Meals program. The two agencies partner on the initiative, which distributes prepared meals to food pantries, libraries and senior centers like the Philipstown Friendship Center in Cold Spring. The organi
Works by Boetti, Riley and Chamberlain on display Magazzino Italian Art specializes in the country's post-World War II output, so it's no surprise that in April, it opened an extended exhibit featuring works by Alighiero Boetti, who is associated with the Arte Povera (Poverty Art) movement. Last month, by coincidence, Dia debuted its own long-term Boetti exhibition that includes three works drawn from its own collection, one of which contains 100 pieces. "We had no idea about their plans until we reached out to borrow an item," says Matilde Guidelli-Guidi, chair of Dia's curatorial department.
