In Sullivan County –
Acting on all those poor health reports, the county has finally decided to up the age for buying tobacco products to 21... by September 1.

In Ellenville –
What's up with the vehicular attacks on local buildings? Someone ran their SUV into a church at the corner of Clinton and Center a week ago, trying to miss a bear if we heard that one right. Meanwhile, everyone's still looking for clues on who hit the Lucille Hand real estate office on Main Street (Route 209) the previous week; there were skid marks on the sidewalk, so the latest theory is about a truck trying to miss a car. The plots thicken... but meanwhile everyone is cheering on the Blue Devils' girls golf team, still undefeated for the season!

In Shawangunk –
The town is asking a simple question of the U.S. Congress: why should it be covering any expenses, including lost tax revenues, for an underfunded National Wildlife Refuge, with bigger funding drops to come. Let's see when this makes it on to the D.C. agenda...

In Wawarsing –
We've gotten official word that the Ellenville/Wawarsing Democratic Committee is looking for candidates for the November elections, primarily beyond the many running for supervisor. Meanwhile, we have yet to hear from the local GOP since their false start several weeks back.

In Ulster County –
The legislature finally passed an anti-bullying law that got caught up in the partisanship of the 2016 election cycle for a long spell. At the same time, everyone's eyes have been drawn to all the coverage of Ellenville resident Sarra Gilbert's murder trial, where the prosecution is basically trying to prove that the young woman who stabbed her mother and complained about voices and worse was consciously evil, and not suffering from mental problems. Truly sad, no matter the outcome.