Hot Copy

By Gordon Woodworth,Chronicle News Editor

Local musician Rich Ortiz is in the midst of his busy season, but he still finds time to catch monster bass.

And a recent impromptu outing on an unnamed area lake could result in his photo being on the cover of the national Angler Magazine.

“I just had my first-ever article published in the Upstate New York Angler about bass fishing, and heard through the …

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Downtown Granville will be getting a brewery. Slate Town Brewing, a start-up, has purchased 31 Main Street, across from Scotty’s, and plans to open before Christmas.

“We just closed on the building last week,” Susan Knapp told The Chronicle.

Ms. Knapp was married to Dan Wilson, the second-generation owner of the Hicks apple orchard. After a divorce that both describe as amicable, last summer …

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Hicks Orchard in Granville is adding new craft beverages to its Slyboro Farm hard ciders line, plus a new distilled apple brandy to be launched with a party on Saturday, June 17, Father’s Day weekend.

The event will include food, craft beer tastings by Argyle Brewing Company as well as Slyboro products, a corn hole tournament and more.

Meanwhile, Hicks is planting apple trees …

Its sister restaurant in Saratoga continues to operate; locals offer support.

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

El Mexicano, the popular restaurant on Route 4 in Hudson Falls, has closed. The co-owned El Mexicano restaurant in Saratoga Springs continues to operate.

“My understanding is that following the [June 1st] immigration raids in Saratoga, so many people were incarcerated that they didn’t have enough workers to work at both restaurants,” Rev. …

Down to just one breeding pair in 1970; now 460!

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

Bald eagles — America’s symbol — have made a big comeback in the Empire State. “The bald eagle population in New York has just exploded,” wildlife biologist Scott Crocoll tells The Chronicle.

“We had gotten down to one pair in 1970, on Hemlock Lake in western New York…and they weren’t a healthy pair. They …