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Smoky Skies: Hochul Warns NY School Districts To Suspend Outdoor Activities Smoky Skies: Hochul Warns NY School Districts To Suspend Outdoor Activities
Smoky Skies: Hochul Warns NY School Districts To Suspend Outdoor Activities As raging Canadian wildfires send plumes of smoke over much of New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging school districts to pause outdoor activities to protect the health of students' lungs.  In a statement on Wednesday, June 7, Hochul said much of the state would be in an air quality index of "unhealthy to very unhealthy" for most of the day as a result of smoke from Canadian wildfires that has drifted into the Northeast.  According to Hochul, schools in New York City, Syracuse, and Rochester have already suspended outdoor school activities as a result of the smoke.  "I suppor…

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by Ben Crnic
News
30-Acre Wildfire Believed To Be Ignited By Lightning Strike Breaks Out At Park In Hudson Valley 30-Acre Wildfire Believed To Be Ignited By Lightning Strike Breaks Out At Park In Hudson Valley
30-Acre Wildfire Believed To Be Ignited By Lightning Strike Breaks Out At Park In Hudson Valley A lightning strike is believed to have started a large 30-acre Hudson Valley wildfire at a state park that is still burning. Some 100 state and local firefighters have been battling the Ulster County blaze at the Napanoch Point area of Minnewaska State Park in Ellenville. “I want to thank all the agencies, staff, and volunteers who have coordinated the response and assure residents that we are doing everything we can to keep people safe,” Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said. “Conditions right now are very dry, and we must remain vigilant and careful about fires.” The fire is believed to …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
NY Shark Incident Being Investigated For Possible Federal Violations NY Shark Incident Being Investigated For Possible Federal Violations
NY Shark Incident Being Investigated For Possible Federal Violations A fisherman in New York could face federal charges after being caught with a thresher shark, which is vulnerable to extinction and requires a special permit to fish for. On Tuesday, June 14 on Long Island, the state department of Environmental Conservation conducted a boat patrol of Jones Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean in Nassau County.  Throughout the day, state officers conducted multiple recreational and commercial fishing checks of American lobster, black sea bass, summer flounder, bluefin tuna, and thresher shark, the department said. Officers issued tickets for undersized sum…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
NYC Resident Accused Of Starting Wildfire In Region NYC Resident Accused Of Starting Wildfire In Region
NYC Resident Accused Of Starting Wildfire In Region A New York City resident allegedly violated the statewide brush burn ban which caused a wildland fire in the region.  On Tuesday, March 22 at 4:15 p.m., state forest rangers responded to an open burn in Sullivan County off Route 209 in the town of Mamakating, said the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A 41-year-old Manhattan resident was burning brush and had left the fire unattended, DEC officials said. Due to high winds and dry conditions, the fire spread to approximately 2.5 acres of land. Westbrookville Fire responded and had the fire under control by 4:45 p.m., the…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Man Injured By Machete While Hiking In Hudson Valley Man Injured By Machete While Hiking In Hudson Valley
Man Injured By Machete While Hiking In Hudson Valley A hiker in the Hudson Valley who was seriously injured after stepping on a machete while getting out of a hammock had to be rescued by forest rangers. The hiker, a man in his 50s from Hyde Park, was rescued around 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, in Dutchess County while hiking at the Taconic Hereford Multiple Use Area in Pleasant Valley, said the state Department of Environmental Conservation. According to rangers, the man had stepped on the machete while getting out of a hammock the night before and had lost a significant amount of blood. Rescuers transported the hiker out of the…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Two New Black Bear Sightings Reported In Northern Westchester Two New Black Bear Sightings Reported In Northern Westchester
Two New Black Bear Sightings Reported In Northern Westchester A pair of black bear sightings were reported Saturday in Northern Westchester. The sightings occurred near the areas of Turkey Mountain at Route 118 and Route 129 and Pines Bridge and Syska roads, Yorktown Police said. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York's black bear population is expanding, causing more bear-human interactions. Black bear populations are largely concentrated in upstate New York but there are smaller populations elsewhere, including the Hudson Valley, according to the DEC. While black bears are omnivores and largely consume grasses, b…

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by Daily Voice
News
Pair Of Coyote Hunters With Loaded Guns Ticketed in Hudson Valley, DEC Says Pair Of Coyote Hunters With Loaded Guns Ticketed in Hudson Valley, DEC Says
Pair Of Coyote Hunters With Loaded Guns Ticketed in Hudson Valley, DEC Says Two coyote hunters in the Hudson Valley were ticketed for having loaded guns in their pickup truck, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. According to wildlife officers, while on patrol in early January in Dutchess County, Officer Robert Hodor observed a pickup truck parked in the Lafayetteville parking lot. By the time he turned around to check on the truck, it was gone, leaving fresh tire tracks in the snow.  Hodor waited, and when the truck returned, he found two individuals inside who said that they were scouting for coyotes and planned on hunting for them tha…

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by Kathy Reakes