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.

Summer camp campuses often lay quiet during the cold winter months, but Camp Simcha’s sprawling 125-acre campus in upstate New York was filled with laughter, friendship and learning this past weekend for the Chai Lifeline LH Family Retreat for families living with pediatric cancer. Families from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Florida and California had an opportunity to connect with other Chai Lifeline families facing similar challenges, gaining support from their peers while tapping into the knowledge of a team of professionals, to help navigate their medical journey. The Chai Lifeline retreat featured programs and activities that delivered educational tools, inspiration, solidarity and simcha.

Parts of the Northeast were bracing for a powerful winter storm that could dump heavy, wet snow and unleash strong winds, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people. The National Weather Service says the storm is expected to begin late Monday and last into Wednesday. The storm could hit parts of New England, upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, and northern New Jersey, with snowfall totals expected to range from a few inches to a few feet, depending on the area. “This could be deadly,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned at a storm briefing in Albany. “Let me repeat: This will be a dangerous storm. Please stay off the roads for your own safety.” Higher elevations in New York’s mid-Hudson region and the Albany area could receive 3 feet (91 centimeter) of snow.

The Kiryas Joel School District ripped into reporting from the New York Times on Monday, in which the outlet wrote up a hit piece spinning the town’s school officials as being corrupt and improperly funneling taxpayer money to their preferred schools. Interestingly, the story was published by the Times on Monday. The day prior, community activist Rabbi Yisroel Kahan predicted it. “It’s been a while since @NYTimes last hit piece targeting the #Orthodox community. What are the odds that they drop another one tomorrow, given that it’s a legal holiday???” he wrote on Twitter. Moshe Gluck replied, saying, “Very good odds…” to which Agudath Israel’s Chaskel Bennett wrote, “Take the bet. It’s pretty much a guaranteed hit piece.” Apparently, the odds were indeed high.