'Stay Vigilant': Hochul Warns Hudson Valley Residents To Prepare For Heavy Rain 'Stay Vigilant': Hochul Warns Hudson Valley Residents To Prepare For Heavy Rain
'Stay Vigilant': Hochul Warns Hudson Valley Residents To Prepare For Heavy Rain As forecasts call for a long stretch of heavy rainfall, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is warning residents to prepare for potential flash flooding. The warning comes as forecasters predict heavy downpours in the Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island regions beginning on Thursday night, Sept. 28, and lasting through Friday night, Sept. 29, which may bring as much as five inches of rain in some locations, according to Hochul's office. Related Report - New Storm System Could Dump 3-Plus Inches Of Rainfall To Much Of Region: Here's Timing The conditions may cause flash flooding to th…
$15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department $15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department
$15K Theft: Hudson Valley Police Officer Accused Of Stealing Cash Given To Department A police officer in Westchester from the Hudson Valley faces grand larceny charges after allegedly pocketing $15,000 in cash that was turned in to his department. Putnam County resident Douglas Ramirez, of Mahopac, age 44, who serves as a police officer with the Elmsford Police Department, was arraigned in Elmsford Village Court on grand larceny charges on Wednesday, Sept. 27, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced. According to the DA's Office, on Thursday, July 27 around 3 p.m., Ramirez had accepted a sealed package turned in to the front desk of the El…
Firefighter Sues His Department, City In Hudson Valley For Discrimination Claims Firefighter Sues His Department, City In Hudson Valley For Discrimination Claims
Firefighter Sues His Department, City In Hudson Valley For Discrimination Claims A firefighter is suing the Northern Westchester department he has spent nearly 20 years with for allegedly discriminating against him and denying him recognition of his professional achievements.  Robert Pappas, a 19-year member of the Peekskill Fire Department, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday, Sept. 26 against the city of Peekskill, the Peekskill Fire Department, and Peekskill Fire Chief James Seymour IV.  According to Pappas's complaint, the fire department failed to promote him to the rank of lieutenant on three separate occasions despite his claims that h…
'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley 'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley
'Deviant, Destructive': Man Gets Prison Time For Raping Child In Hudson Valley A Connecticut man will spend more than a decade in prison for raping a child in New York's Hudson Valley. Fairfield County resident Patrick Lynch of Bethel, age 44, was sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 26 in Orange County Court to 18 years in prison and 20 years of post-release supervision. According to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, Lynch had previously admitted in court that he had engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct with a child less than 13 years old, including at least one act of sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct, anal sexual conduct, or aggravated…
Former Police Officer Steals $24K From Hudson Valley Charity For Autistic Children, DA Says Former Police Officer Steals $24K From Hudson Valley Charity For Autistic Children, DA Says
Former Police Officer Steals $24K From Hudson Valley Charity For Autistic Children, DA Says A former police officer and charity co-founder has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars from his own Westchester-based nonprofit organization, officials said. New Rochelle resident Christopher Greco, age 52, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 21 on grand larceny charges, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Sept. 26.  Greco, a 25-year veteran of the New Rochelle Police Department who retired in August 2021, is the co-founder of Christopher’s Voice, Inc., a charity for autistic children based in New Rochelle.  According to the DA'…
Capitol Riot: NY Man Who Punched Cop, Stole Shield Sentenced To Federal Prison Capitol Riot: NY Man Who Punched Cop, Stole Shield Sentenced To Federal Prison
Capitol Riot: NY Man Who Punched Cop, Stole Shield Sentenced To Federal Prison A New York man will spend nearly three years in federal prison for assaulting a police officer while trying to breach the US Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Jonathan Munafo, age 36, of Albany, was sentenced to 33 months behind bars in US District Court in Washington, DC on Friday, Sept. 22. “His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the US Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election,” reads a statement from the US Attorney’s Office. Related Report: 'No Regrets': Pot-Smoking Schenectady Man Donning Fak…
NY Times Columnist Apologizes For Viral $78 Newark Airport Meal Tweet NY Times Columnist Apologizes For Viral $78 Newark Airport Meal Tweet
NY Times Columnist Apologizes For Viral $78 Newark Airport Meal Tweet "I probably shouldn't have written that tweet." David Brooks, a conservative columnist for the New York Times, expressed regret for a tweet where he complained about spending $78 for a meal of a hamburger, fries and bourbon at Newark Airport. This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible. pic.twitter.com/1qeV9qOBL3 — David Brooks (@nytdavidbrooks) September 21, 2023 The viral post on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) has been viewed more than 38 million times, earning Brooks plenty of mockery and the restaurant, Smokehouse, lo…
Double-Fatal Orange County Crash: Update Released On Students' Conditions, Bus Driver ID'd Double-Fatal Orange County Crash: Update Released On Students' Conditions, Bus Driver ID'd
Double-Fatal Orange County Crash: Update Released On Students' Conditions, Bus Driver ID'd An update has just been released on the conditions of five students who suffered critical injuries after a charter bus crashed down a 50-foot ravine, killing two adults on board, late last week in the Hudson Valley. The crash happened on westbound I-84 in Orange County at 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15. The bus, which was heading to a band camp in northeastern Pennsylvania, went through a wire barrier and down the embankment. It was one of six buses carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School on Long Island. Around 43 people …
$23K In Fines Issued To Clarkstown Landlord Housing Migrants, Officials Say $23K In Fines Issued To Clarkstown Landlord Housing Migrants, Officials Say
$23K In Fines Issued To Clarkstown Landlord Housing Migrants, Officials Say Hudson Valley government officials are calling for an investigation after a large number of migrants were found living in what is supposed to be a three-bedroom home. An inspection by the Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes is issuing a $23,000 fine to Schloima Koppel, the same landlord housing 31 people in a New City single-family property, resulting from 32 violations found at Koppel’s Spring Valley rental at 8 W. Funston Street, said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. The inspection uncovered eight bedrooms and 16 beds, in what should be a three-bedroom home, Day said. Day said…
'Where Words Fail, Music Speaks': Schools Show Support For Victims Of I-84 Bus Crash 'Where Words Fail, Music Speaks': Schools Show Support For Victims Of I-84 Bus Crash
'Where Words Fail, Music Speaks': Schools Show Support For Victims Of I-84 Bus Crash In the days following a tragic high school band bus crash that killed two pillars of the community, Long Islanders near and far from the school have rallied to show their support in whatever way they can. “I kept hoping someone would wake me up and tell me it was only a bad dream.” Just days after the Thursday, Sept. 21 Farmingdale High School bus crash on I-84 in Orange County that killed two adults and injured dozens of students, Greg Warno is still at a loss for words. Earlier Report: Bus Crash: Farmingdale HS Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific Rollover…
COVID-19: Here's How To Order Free At-Home Tests Through Mail Now COVID-19: Here's How To Order Free At-Home Tests Through Mail Now
Covid-19: Here's How To Order Free At-Home Tests Through Mail Now The federal program offering free COVID-19 rapid at-home tests through the mail has just been restarted. Every American household may order four of the tests starting Monday, Sept. 25 by visiting covid.gov/tests, the Department of Health and Human Services says. But first, before throwing out tests past their expiration dates, HHS recommends visiting this page to see if expiration dates have been extended. The news comes as a newly identified COVID-19 strain BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, with around 30 mutations, has now been identified in 10 states. Earlier report - COVID-…
Tobacco-Related Cancers Down In NY, New Report Finds Tobacco-Related Cancers Down In NY, New Report Finds
Tobacco-Related Cancers Down In NY, New Report Finds Fewer New Yorkers are being diagnosed with tobacco-related cancers. A new report released by the state health department Thursday, Sept. 14, found that several of the cancers most often associated with smoking declined throughout the state between 2016 and 2020. Incident rates of esophageal, laryngeal, and lung cancer - those most closely related to tobacco use - steeply declined both in New York City and elsewhere in the state, the report found. Rates of oral cancer, however, increased by 1.3 percent each year between 2006 and 2020 among those living in New York City. Researchers also no…
‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash ‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash
‘Exceptional Kid’: Junior Firefighter Among Severely Injured In Deadly I-84 Bus Crash Support is pouring in for a high school student and aspiring firefighter who was among those severely injured in a New York charter bus crash that killed two teachers and injured dozens of students. Audrina Crocitto was onboard the Regency charter bus carrying members of the Farmingdale High School marching band from Long Island to a camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania when it careened off I-84 in Orange County, in the town of Wawayanda, and rolled several times down an embankment Thursday, Sept. 21. The crash injured at least 43 students and killed the school's band director, 43-year-old Gina Pe…
Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect
Bus Crash: NY Charter Company Has 'Satisfactory' Safety Record, But It's Not Perfect The New York charter bus company involved in a deadly highway crash that killed two educators and left dozens of high school band students hospitalized holds a “satisfactory” safety rating, though records show nearly two dozen maintenance violations in recent years. A check of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) website shows that Regency Charter Buses, based in Suffolk County in Nesconset, was involved in one injury crash in the past two years. Records do not specify who was at fault. The company was given a “satisfactory” safety rating in March 2019, though records r…
Hudson Valley's Own Emma Roberts Accused Of Transphobia On Set Of 'American Horror Story' Hudson Valley's Own Emma Roberts Accused Of Transphobia On Set Of 'American Horror Story'
Hudson Valley's Own Emma Roberts Accused Of Transphobia On Set Of 'American Horror Story' Actress Emma Roberts is accused of mistreating a transgender co-star on the set of her hit show, “American Horror Story.” During an Instagram Live session on Tuesday, Sept.19, actress Angelica Ross, who is a transgender woman, accused Roberts of making transphobic comments in 2018, during filming of the show’s ninth season, “1984.” According to Ross, Roberts jokingly told another actor, John Carroll Lynch, that Ross was “being mean” to her, to which Lynch replied, “Okay ladies, that’s enough, let’s get back to work.” That’s when Roberts, according to Ross, replied with “Don’t you mean lady…
'D Brooks Special': Newark Airport Restaurant Drops Price Of $78 Meal To $18 After Online Post 'D Brooks Special': Newark Airport Restaurant Drops Price Of $78 Meal To $18 After Online Post
'D Brooks Special': Newark Airport Restaurant Drops Price Of $78 Meal To $18 After Online Post You too can eat and drink like a well-known New York Times columnist at Newark Airport, but now at a discounted rate. Smokehouse, located in Terminal A at the airport, announced on social media it is offering a hamburger, fries and a double shot of whiskey for $17.78.  Earlier report: NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport The move comes in response to a post from David Brooks, who bemoaned that his meal consisting of those items cost $78. Just added to the Menu. We’re the topic of America right now! #youcantbeatourmeat Nina Dawkins Kevin W Wortha…
Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Goes Down Embankment In Orange County Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Goes Down Embankment In Orange County
Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Goes Down Embankment In Orange County As school bells rang and a new day started for students at a Long Island high school where five of their fellow classmates remain in critical condition following a horrific bus crash that killed two adults, state, and federal officials are investigating the incident. The Orange County crash happened at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on I-84 in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15A. The charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County was heading to Greeley, Pennsylvania for band camp when one of the six buses carrying students went through the wi…
This Hudson Valley University Ranks Among Top 10 Public Schools In US, New Report Says This Hudson Valley University Ranks Among Top 10 Public Schools In US, New Report Says
This Hudson Valley University Ranks Among Top 10 Public Schools In US, New Report Says A college in Westchester is near the top of its class, according to a new report ranking the best public schools in the country.  The State University of New York at Purchase, more commonly known as Purchase College or SUNY Purchase, has earned the No. 9 spot on the 2024 Top Public Schools Rankings from U.S. News & World Report.  The rankings on the list were determined by measuring several factors, including graduation rates, peer assessment, student-faculty ratio, first-generation graduation rate performance, borrower debt, and the number of alumni earning more than a high s…
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In I-84 Bus Crash In Orange County New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In I-84 Bus Crash In Orange County
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In I-84 Bus Crash In Orange County Tributes have begun pouring in for the victims of a deadly high school bus crash in New York that claimed the lives of two educators, including a beloved band director, and left several students hospitalized. Latest update - Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84 The Orange County crash happened at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on I-84 in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15. A charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School, in Nassau County on Long Island, was heading to Greeley, Pennsylvania fo…
NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport
NY Times Columnist Mocked For Alleged $78 Meal At Newark Airport A tweet by David Brooks, a conservative commentator who writes for the New York Times, complaining about the price of a meal at Newark Airport has gone viral, with some questioning its authenticity. Brooks lamented that his burger, fries and alcohol combo cost $78 in a post on  the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) that has been viewed almost 15 million times. This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible. pic.twitter.com/1qeV9qOBL3 — David Brooks (@nytdavidbrooks) September 21, 2023 "This is why Americans think the economy i…
'I'm Being Canceled': NY's Own Bethenny Frankel Bashed For Giving TJ Maxx Workers Used Makeup 'I'm Being Canceled': NY's Own Bethenny Frankel Bashed For Giving TJ Maxx Workers Used Makeup
'I'm Being Canceled': NY's Own Bethenny Frankel Bashed For Giving TJ Maxx Workers Used Makeup A random act of kindness didn’t go over so well for reality TV star and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel. The 52-year-old Skinnygirl founder, who owns a home on Long Island in the hamlet of Bridgehampton, drew the internet’s ire after posting a TikTok video of herself giving out bags of used makeup to a TJ Maxx store manager. In the now-deleted clip, Frankel explains that the women who work at the store “are so nice” and are always complimenting her on what she buys. “So, I wanted to bring them some of the leftover makeup that I just tried, like opened up and put in a giveaway pile. But it’s …
COVID-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail COVID-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail
Covid-19: Here's When Free At-Home Tests Will Become Available Again By Mail Just days after the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccination booster shot started, the Department of Health and Human Services announced on Wednesday, Sept. 20 that its program of offering free rapid tests for the virus through the mail will be restarted. Every American household may order four of the tests starting Monday, Sept. 25 by visiting covid.gov/tests. But first, before throwing out tests past their expiration dates, HHS recommends visiting this page to see if expiration dates have been extended. The news comes as a newly identified COVID-19 strain BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, w…
Former Hudson Valley Resident Returns To US After Years-Long Imprisonment In Iran Former Hudson Valley Resident Returns To US After Years-Long Imprisonment In Iran
Former Hudson Valley Resident Returns To US After Years-Long Imprisonment In Iran A man who graduated from a high school in Westchester has been returned to American soil after being detained in Iran for almost eight years. Siamak Namazi, who once lived in Westchester, was returned home to the US along with four other American citizens on Monday, Sept. 18, President Joe Biden announced.  Namazi is a graduate of White Plains High School, according to a report by NBC News.  He had been wrongfully detained in Iran since October 2015, when he was accused of espionage. His father, Baquer Namazi, was also arrested in Iran in 2016 and detained until his release …
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone' NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone'
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone' In a major reversal, actress Drew Barrymore has halted her daytime talk show due to the ongoing writers’ strike after facing days of backlash for initially pressing on with the show. The 48-year-old “Charlie’s Angels” and “50 First Dates” star, who owns a home on Long Island in the village of Sagaponack, took to Instagram Sunday, Sept. 17, issuing another apology and announcing that production on her show’s fourth season will not resume after all. “I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over," Barrymore said. "I have no wo…
NY Thruway Toll Increase Approved: Here's How Much More You'll Pay, When It Will Take Effect NY Thruway Toll Increase Approved: Here's How Much More You'll Pay, When It Will Take Effect
NY Thruway Toll Increase Approved: Here's How Much More You'll Pay, When It Will Take Effect Motorists who travel on the New York Thruway will soon face an increase in toll rates, officials announced.  The toll adjustments, which will be the first system-wide increase in 14 years, were announced by the New York Thruway Authority on Monday, Sept. 18, and follow a 10-month-long public process.  The increases will affect those with New York E-ZPass tags, non-New York E-ZPass tags, and those who pay tolls by mail, Thruway Authority officials said. They will go into effect on Monday, Jan. 1.  For each category of toll customers, the increases include:  For Ne…
New Update: Officers Involved In Fatal Hudson Valley Shooting Get No Charges, AG Says New Update: Officers Involved In Fatal Hudson Valley Shooting Get No Charges, AG Says
New Update: Officers Involved In Fatal Hudson Valley Shooting Get No Charges, AG Says Two officers who fatally shot a man in the Hudson Valley while he was stabbing a woman have been cleared of any criminal charges by the New York Attorney General's Office.  On Friday, Sept. 15, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation announced that no charges would be filed in the January 2023 fatal officer-involved shooting of 34-year-old Christopher Torres in the Putnam County town of Southeast.  Earlier Report - NY AG To Probe Officer-Involved Fatal Shooting Of Carmel Man In Southeast On the day of the incident, Tuesday, Jan…
COVID-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States COVID-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States
Covid-19: Highly Mutated Pirola Variant Now Identified In 10 States A newly identified COVID-19 strain with around 30 mutations has now been identified in 10 states. Cases of the BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, have been confirmed in:  Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, New York,  Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington. The Michigan case, the first in the US, was an older woman who had recently returned from Japan who reportedly had mild symptoms. Related story - COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Spreading In US At a World Health Organization (WHO) news briefing late last month, authorities said …
Man Rescued After Being Trapped For Hours In Mine Near Train Station In Hudson Valley Man Rescued After Being Trapped For Hours In Mine Near Train Station In Hudson Valley
Man Rescued After Being Trapped For Hours In Mine Near Train Station In Hudson Valley In an effort to rescue a man who became trapped in a mine behind a Hudson Valley train station, firefighters braved bats, pouring rain, and darkness to bring him back above ground.  The incident happened in Putnam County on Sunday night, Sept. 17, when members of the Brewster Fire Department were sent to rescue a man who had become trapped in sealed-off mines behind the village's train station.  According to the department, the man and four other friends had been exploring the mines when he became trapped on a lower ledge. After trying for hours to get him out, his friends realize…
New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle From Hudson Valley Finds New, Loving Home New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle From Hudson Valley Finds New, Loving Home
New Update: Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle From Hudson Valley Finds New, Loving Home A poodle that was rescued from a Hudson Valley home after being found severely matted and in poor health has found a new loving home in Connecticut. Pierre the mini-poodle was discovered in Putnam County on Saturday, Aug. 5 after detectives from the county's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals responded to a residence in the town of Patterson on Lake Shore Drive.  Earlier Report - Extremely Matted Mini-Poodle Found At Patterson Residence: Owner Charged, Police Say According to the SPCA, the detectives found the 9-year-old Pierre inside the home suffering from ex…
New Update: Missing 36-Year-Old NY Woman Found New Update: Missing 36-Year-Old NY Woman Found
New Update: Missing 36-Year-Old NY Woman Found New update: A New York woman who went missing has been located. Bailey H. Young, age 36, had last been seen Saturday, Sept. 16 leaving her residence near Syracuse in the hamlet of Mattydale. Late Monday morning, Sept. 18, state police announced Young was found. No further info was released. Original report: A New York woman has gone missing and a statewide alert has been issued by authorities who are asking for the public's help in locating her. State Police say  36-year-old Bailey H. Young was last seen Saturday, Sept. 16 leaving her residence on Earl Avenue in the hamlet…
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Is Sorry For Writers, But Says Show Will Go On: 'Bigger Than Me' NY's Own Drew Barrymore Is Sorry For Writers, But Says Show Will Go On: 'Bigger Than Me'
NY's Own Drew Barrymore Is Sorry For Writers, But Says Show Will Go On: 'Bigger Than Me' See an updated story here: LI's Own Drew Barrymore Halts Talk Show After Backlash: 'I Have Listened To Everyone' Actress Drew Barrymore will continue her daytime talk show despite the heavy backlash she’s received for doing so amid the ongoing writers’ strike. The 48-year-old star, a New York resident who has a home on Long Island in the village of Sagaponack, said she wanted to “own” her decision and “take full responsibility" in a now deleted Instagram post Friday, Sept. 15.  “I know there’s just nothing I can do that will make this okay for those it is not okay with,” she…