Hello! I’m Patrick Grego, an award-winning journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley.
My work is grounded in the belief that journalism can restore civic trust and bring people together.
I currently serve as Editor-in-Chief of The New Pine Plains Herald, a nonprofit digital newsroom covering five rural towns in New York’s Dutchess and Columbia counties. The Herald is a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Publishers, and the New York Press Association.
Since February 2024, I’ve led a team of contributors in producing original local reporting that has reestablished a trusted news presence in a region that had gone more than a decade without a dedicated newspaper. Under my editorial leadership, the Herald won four New York Press Association awards for coverage of the arts, healthcare, and local government.
In September 2025, my reporting helped to earn the Herald its first national journalism honor: The Institute for Nonprofit News Community Champion Award. The honor recognizes a newsroom that makes a meaningful impact on its community through reporting.
My reporting, recognized by INN, the New York Press Association and the New York Newspaper Publishers Association, explores local government, policy, and the on-the-ground impact of national issues in rural communities. My work has appeared in The Times Union, The River Newsroom, Chronogram, The Millerton News, The Lakeville Journal, and The Daily Catch. My photography has been featured in national and regional outlets including Vogue, Los Angeles Magazine, and Edible Berkshires.
Whether covering regional politics or documenting cultural life in the Hudson Valley, I’m drawn to stories that center people — their struggles, their creativity, and their role in shaping community.
I grew up in Riverhead, Long Island, and hold a B.A. from The City College of New York.
As both an editor and reporter, I’m committed to shaping journalism that is deeply reported, thoughtfully crafted, and rooted in public service.
My author page for The New Pine Plains Herald is here.
Selected Work
Poughkeepsie Social Security Office Will Not Close, Agency Says
The New Pine Plains Herald | March 2025
When the Social Security Administration office in Poughkeepsie appeared on the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) website last week, residents and local officials expressed concern that the SSA’s only physical location in Dutchess County was slated for closure as part of a sweeping initiative to cut spending and reduce the federal workforce.
Ten Years After Everest’s Deadliest Day, a Filmmaker Tells the Story
The New Pine Plains Herald | March 2025
Just before noon on April 25, 2015, documentarian Michael Churton was filming at Everest Base Camp when the ground began to shake. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. Within moments, a massive piece of ice from neighboring Mount Pumori broke loose, plunging 3,000 feet in under 30 seconds and unleashing a compression wave of snow, rock, and debris across the camp.
The New Pine Plains Herald Honored by New York Press Association for Excellence in Journalism
The New Pine Plains Herald | March 2025
“For an organization that is barely two years old, these awards are affirmation that we are doing what we set out to do — serve as a reliable news source for the community,” said Hank Hersch, president of the Herald’s board of directors. “Much of the credit goes to our managing editor, Patrick Grego, who hit the ground running a year ago with great ideas and a tireless commitment to quality journalism. This is also a tribute to our staff of volunteers, four of whom received well-deserved recognition from the NYPA.”
Amid Political Upheaval, Pat Ryan Keeps Focus on Affordability
The New Pine Plains Herald | February 2025
In his second term representing New York’s 18th Congressional District, Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., is focused on what he sees as his constituents’ most urgent concern: the rising cost of living.
His push to lower grocery prices, reduce housing costs, and protect Social Security comes as he warns of mounting economic challenges — widening inequality, corporate consolidation, and federal policy shifts that, he argues, threaten the financial security of everyday Americans. He has also raised concerns over billionaire Elon Musk’s influence on federal agencies.
The Durst Organization Lists 1,946 Acres For Sale in Pine Plains and Milan
The Times Union | October 2024
In a move that could reshape this small northern Dutchess County town and its surrounding communities, The Durst Organization has listed its expansive property for $36 million. Put on the market on Oct. 14, the former Carvel estate spans 1,490 acres in Pine Plains and 456 acres in Milan, and has long been at the center of debates over land use and preservation.
The Artist-Priest Arrives in Pine Plains
The New Pine Plains Herald | March 2025
On a Lenten afternoon, Father Andrew More O’Connor pulled into the parking lot of St. Anthony’s Church in Pine Plains in a small green Fiat 500. Dressed in black, he stepped out of the car carrying a vase of white lilies. He set them down briefly as he unlocked the sanctuary door.
The Gen Z Blacksmith Breathing New Life Into an Ancient Art
The Times Union | July 2023
Every morning Spijk Selby wakes up and walks a short distance from his family home in the forested hills of Columbia County to a decagonal structure tucked into the trees. There, between sips of coffee, he lights a coal fire that at its core reaches temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees.
Maintaining the Mix: Hudson
Chronogram | September 2023
With its long history of booms and busts, Hudson is a microcosm of America. Hudson, like the country at large, has undergone countless transitions. What was indigenous land became a whaling center, then a manufacturing hub, and later a haven for gambling and prostitution. Today, the city in miniature is a vibrant tapestry of urban revival, celebrity sightings, community fridges, regenerative farming, the projects of a mysterious billionaire, art galleries, immigration, and tourism.
For Tivoli Artist Steven Siegel, Geology Reigns and No Wall is Big Enough
The Daily Catch | December 2021
Down a dirt driveway just off Lasher Road in Tivoli, a door hangs open. A wood saw fills the late autumn air with its distinct noise. Sawdust dances downward in suspended swirls, settling on a CD copy of With The Beatles, originally released 54 years ago, in 1967. The Earth, by some estimates, was formed some four-and-a-half billion years ago. There may be little way of fully understanding the sheer enormity of the scales surrounding geologic time, but local artist and geology aficionado Steven Siegel doesn’t think on a small scale.
Patrick Grego 