Loads of fun was to be had in downstate New York on the Independence Day weekend at the America the Beautiful Festival—the first of what’s expected to be an annual celebration of freedom and patriotism. Spanning two afternoons and evenings, the festival converged on the main stage where attendees savored a lineup of classic rock,…

The local festival in upstate New York, running through Independence Day weekend, July 1 to July 2, is a unique celebration of the Fourth of July. Artists like Billboard Top Ten Recording Artist Danny Griego, Zach Myers of Shinedown, and Platinum Country Singer Julie Roberts, are headlining the America the Beautiful Festival—The Sound of Liberty…

The America the Beautiful Festival—The Sound of Liberty (America TheBeautifulFestival.com) presented by The Epoch Times and local event space New Century in Deerpark, New York, was kicked off on July 1 to celebrate Independence Day. Festivities included historical reenactments, BBQ and food vendors, educational presentations on the U.S. Constitution and the history of the country…

The crowd erupted as a sleek silhouette appeared in the distance. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer hollered, “the F-15 Eagle.” The crowd’s noise drowned in the cry of the twin turbofan engines as the fighter jet bolted past the audience. The show was on. For the ninth time, the Stewart International Airport in Orange County…

Paul Rickard, a former police chief and director of Hope Not Handcuffs, won the Republican primary for Mount Hope supervisor by a 2:1 margin on June 27. Rickard got 248 votes, compared to 124 votes for the incumbent supervisor, Matthew Howell. The vote tally includes ballots from the early voting period and election day; absentee…

The Orange County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) on June 21 approved the re-issuance of a decades-old tax-exempt bond to facilitate the pending sale of Glen Arden. Glen Arden is a Goshen-based, high-end retirement community that has been mired in financial distress for years and failed to pay local taxes since 2021. Bethel Communities Management proposed…

A state supreme court judge on June 21 denied a request from New York City and two hotels to dismiss the migrant lawsuit brought against them by Orange County.  The judge also granted a preliminary injunction that bans the city from sending more migrants into the county until a legal resolution is reached.  Orange County…

Looking back on the 2023 legislative session, New York Democratic Sen. James Skoufis told The Epoch Times that he pushed several high-priority bills with statewide impacts through both houses. He also worked with Republican colleagues in the Assembly in passing local laws that allow a number of towns and villages in Orange County to levy…

A new advisory committee was announced on June 18 to connect the growing Asian population with local resources in the Town of Mount Hope and surrounding areas. Mela Wu, president of Mount Hope Chinese Association, unveiled the committee along with several local officials during the Dragon Boat Festival at the town park. “This is exciting….

SY Aesthetics, a cosmetic center aimed to bring about long-lasting beauty via the holistic treatment of patients, opened a state-of-art surgery facility in Middletown on June 16.  Sitting on the Community Campus off Mohagen Avenue, the 5,500 square-foot facility contains two new operating rooms, each equipped with anesthesia machines and flat-screen monitors.  The monitored pre-operative suite…