Monticello, NY – Liberty resident, Air Force veteran and longtime machine shop owner Stephen “Steve” Walsh has been named the new Director of Sullivan County’s Veterans Service Agency (VSA).

“Steve is highly experienced and credentialled in the veterans community,” notes Community Resources Commissioner Laura Quigley, whose division oversees the VSA. “He knows what needs to be accomplished on both the individual and office level, and his team’s deep familiarity with the Veterans Administration (VA) gives him the ability the navigate a very complex system.”

Monticello, NY – Data just released by the NYS Department of Labor shows that Sullivan County is ahead of the entire State – including New York City – in job growth.

The Department’s monthly report pegged Sullivan’s private-sector job growth rate at 9.1% year-over-year for September 2022, beating fellow State leader Allegany County’s 8.8% & New York City’s 6.8% and far outpacing neighboring mid-Hudson counties.

Hurleyville, NY – It’s time to start planning for the 2022 Holiday Open House at the Sullivan County Cultural Center & Museum in Hurleyville. Hosted by the Sullivan County Historical Society, this year’s Open House will be held on Saturday, December 3, in conjunction with the Holiday In Hurleyville Festival.

The Sullivan County Historical Society invites organizations, businesses, and individuals to decorate a tree for display at the event. The decorating theme may be one which represents an organization, a business or an individual flight of fancy.

Monticello, NY – Sullivan County currently has $600,000 that it’s eager to hand out to local businesses.

“Our Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has helped many entrepreneurs start or expand their dreams,” notes RLF Manager John Kiefer. “We do not want money sitting in this fund – it’s designed to recirculate in the community, supporting the preservation and growth of agriculture and the revitalization of our many downtowns.”

Hurleyville, NY – As part of its annual meeting, Sullivan County’s Office for the Aging will present a free local screening of “All the Lonely People,” a social-impact film examining the epidemic of loneliness.

The in-person screening is free and open to the public on Tuesday, November 1 at 2 p.m. at the Hurleyville Performing Arts Center (HPAC), 219 Main Street, Hurleyville. It will include a Q&A with the film’s producers and local officials, offering a forum for community discussion about ways to develop resilience and implement strategies to combat social isolation.

Liberty, NY – The Sullivan County Welfare Fraud Task Force has made the following arrests for the second and third quarters of 2022:

Liberty, NY – Sullivan County officials are excited to join 33 other communities across New York, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio in launching the first communications campaign in support of their participation in the Healing Communities Study.

Running from October 3-December 2, 2022, the campaign is focused on raising awareness of the dangers of illicit fentanyl, a drug that is present in more than three-quarters of the 2,000+ overdose deaths that occur in New York each year (source: NY State Opioid Annual Report 2021).

Monticello, NY – Sullivan County Deputy Planning Commissioner Heather Brown has been appointed Chair of the Climate Action Committee of the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC), one of the most influential advocates for the State’s 62 counties.

She replaces former Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who was just elected Congressman for the 19th District.

Liberty, NY – The 2022-2023 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) season has kicked off.

“HEAP’s Regular component – offering a one-time payment to help buy fuel to heat a home – begins Tuesday, November 1,” notes Sullivan County Deputy Social Services Commissioner Giselle Steketee. “But the Heating Equipment Repair & Replacement (HERR) and the Heating Equipment Clean & Tune (C&T) components have already begun. They provide funding to have trained professionals inspect, service and even replace furnaces, boilers, stoves and other heating equipment.”

Monticello, NY - District Attorney Meagan K. Galligan announced that her Office, partnering with Hope Not Handcuffs of the Hudson Valley (HNH-HV), has secured $1.3 million in grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the United States Department of Justice. The grant is designed to support community and law enforcement collaboration to make treatment available to those experiencing substance use disorder.