Traveling upstate for the summer? Want to know what’s really going on in the bustling and vibrant Catskills region? You’ve come to the right place. The Catskills Scoop provides information relating to breaking news, road closures, emergency incidents, and all the goings-on across the region – all in live-time. When it comes to breaking news, nobody has you covered like the Catskills Scoop.

The once grandiose Pines Hotel, formerly a prominent establishment in the Catskill Mountains’ renowned “Borsht Belt,” was consumed by a massive blaze and destroyed, early Sunday morning. The abandoned hotel, located on Laural Avenue in South Fallsburg, has been closed since 1998 due to financial struggles and structural damage. In recent years, the Pines Hotel, once a symbol of luxury and leisure, fell victim to financial hardships and structural deterioration, leading to its closure over two decades ago. Despite several attempts to revive the property, including proposals for residential development, ownership disputes and various challenges prevented any progress. There were previously arson fires at the property, with homeless and drug users living at the property.

DUANESBURG, N.Y. – A state trooper was shot and wounded during a traffic stop on an upstate New York highway Friday by a suspect who is believed to have later died by suicide, state police said. Trooper Richard Albert was released from the hospital later Friday after being shot in the upper arm as he approached an SUV he pulled over for speeding, authorities said. State police released a still photo from the trooper’s body-worn camera showing a passenger’s hand pointing a black handgun from the driver’s side window. The weapon had just been fired, with the spent shell casing still in the air. “It was unprovoked,” Deputy Superintendent Richard Allen said at a news conference.

Travelers headed for the Catskills will have to reprogram their navigational apps this summer for a new Mincha location, with the New York State Thruway’s Sloatsburg rest stop one of 27 service areas slated for extensive renovations in the coming months. Askanim were notified of the Thruway construction before Pesach and worked closely with officials for weeks to find a temporary home for the Tefilas Mordche Mincha Area, which has been based out of the Sloatsburg rest-stop for years. Under an agreement reached with the Town of Ramapo, the Mincha Area will open for the season on June 22nd at 120 Torne Valley Road in Hillburn, NY., just minutes from the Thruway’s Exit 15 A.

Sloatsburg, NY – In a development that travelers across the region should be aware of, the famous Mincha area at the Sloatsburg NY rest area is set to undergo an extensive period of closure this summer due to necessary construction work. As a result, thousands of travelers who frequent this popular spot will have to make alternative plans. The “Zichron Mordche Mincha area”, located on the northbound NY State Thruway between exits 15A and 16, known for its provision of much-needed respite for road-weary travelers, will be unavailable for use throughout the summer season. The closure is essential to facilitate the required construction work, ensuring that the rest area can continue to serve travelers effectively and safely in the future.

Following in the footsteps of Rockland and Orange counties, Sullivan County in the Catskills has declared a state of emergency to protect its residents from the wishes of NYC Mayor Eric Adams to bus migrants further north as the Big Apple struggles to house them. “This State of Emergency has been declared due to the fact that the County of Sullivan is currently experiencing a severe housing crisis,” wrote County Manager Josh Potosek. This shortage “significantly limits its ability to provide temporary, permanent, and emergency housing for the citizens of Sullivan County and the clients of Sullivan County’s local social services district.

A massive Medura lit up the sky in Kiryas Joel on Wednesday evening, as tens of thousands of Satmar Chassidim joined their Rebbe, HaRav Aharon Teitelbaum, as they celebrated Lag Baomer. The event in Kiryas Joel is believed to be the largest individual Lag Baomer event and celebration in the United States. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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A fire early Sunday morning tore through multiple bungalows at Tolaas Yaakov Bungalow Colony in Swan Lake the Catskills – across the street from Apple’s Bungalow Colony Fire crews responding to the scene on Old White Lake Turnpike were overwhelmed by the flames and requested mutual aid from neighboring townships. The blaze was eventually tamped down, but not before several bungalows were completely destroyed. Sources tell YWN that at least 10 bungalows were destroyed. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A minor magnitude 3.6 earthquake shook parts of upstate New York on Sunday afternoon. There were no immediate reports of significant damage. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake struck at 2:10 p.m. with an epicenter about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Watertown, near Adams Center. People reported feeling a weak to moderate earthquake across an area stretching more than a hundred miles, including in neighboring Ontario, Canada and in Syracuse to the south, according to the federal agency. Posters on WWNY-TV’s Facebook page described their homes shaking closer to the epicenter. Significant damage and casualties don’t usually occur until earthquake magnitudes are around 5.5 or higher. (AP)

Heroic Hasidic residents jumped into action Thursday morning after a fast moving blaze ripped though South Blooming Grove’s new “Mint Leaf” Supermarket. The fire started at around 10:30am at the supermarket on Mangin Road. Thankfully, no one was injured, but sources tell YWN that it took nearly 20 minutes for the fire department to get adequate resources to work on extinguishing the fire. Not wasting any time time, local residents jumped into action, and can be seen in the attached video attempting to douse the fire with water. Six locals, dedicated and selfless heroic South Blooming Grove residents Yoely Simon, Moshe Lazer Rottenberg, Kalmy Saal, Shmiel Falkowitz, Meilech Friedman, and Moshe Bernath were seen “manning the line” to help put out the fire.