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Pete Harckham

Obituaries
Sergeant Collapses, Dies Moments After Shift In Brewster: 'Good Man Who Will Be Missed' Sergeant Collapses, Dies Moments After Shift In Brewster: 'Good Man Who Will Be Missed'
Sergeant Collapses, Dies Moments After Shift In Brewster: 'Good Man Who Will Be Missed' A Hudson Valley police department is mourning the line-of-duty loss of a beloved sergeant who collapsed and died mere moments after completing his shift.  In a statement on Saturday, April 20, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced the death of Brewster Police Sergeant Richard Gurniak, who collapsed after hanging up his keys after his shift during the early morning hours on Saturday.  Despite efforts to save his life from a fellow Brewster officer and two members of the Sheriff's Office, Gurniak later died at Putnam Hospital from a heart attack at the age of 57. A…

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by Ben Crnic
Politics
Republican Leader In Hudson Valley Resigns After Making Racist Slur Republican Leader In Hudson Valley Resigns After Making Racist Slur
Republican Leader In Hudson Valley Resigns After Making Racist Slur A top Republican leader in Northern Westchester has resigned after being caught on video calling an elected official a racist slur during an election night celebration. In Yorktown, GOP district leader Tom Pomposello was forced to resign after calling Town Councilman Vishnu Patel a racist slur after the latter lost to a pair of GOP challengers following a decade in office. The slur targets people from the Middle East. Patel is an Indian American. Video of the incident from a Yorktown GOP celebration event was first posted on social media and was later taken down, but not before it made the…

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by Zak Failla
News
Proposed New Bill Would Ban Noisy Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Statewide Proposed New Bill Would Ban Noisy Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Statewide
Proposed New Bill Would Ban Noisy Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Statewide New York lawmakers are promoting a new green agenda as they look to potentially put a ban on noisy gas-powered leaf blowers across the state. State Sen. Pete Harckham (who represents parts of Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess counties) promoted a new bill that would amend New York’s energy laws to require zero-emission landscaping devices no later than 2027. The bill includes a potential ban on lawnmowers, lawn edgers, leaf blowers, leaf vacuums, and other landscaping equipment. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one hour of lawn mower use is the equivalent of driving 300…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
'New York Enters A New Day': Reaction Pours In After Cuomo's Resignation 'New York Enters A New Day': Reaction Pours In After Cuomo's Resignation
'New York Enters A New Day': Reaction Pours In After Cuomo's Resignation It didn’t take long for a reaction to pour in after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he will be resigning amid the sexual harassment scandal surrounding his administration. Cuomo finally acquiesced to calls for his resignation on Tuesday, Aug. 10 following days of furor from New Yorkers and politicians alike after the Attorney General’s investigators released a scathing 165-page report finding him guilty of sexually harassing multiple women. New York Attorney General Letitia James whose investigation led to the governor's resignation, said that Cuomo's announcement "closes a sad ch…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Calls Grow For Cuomo's Resignation Following Release Of NY AG's Sexual Harassment Report Calls Grow For Cuomo's Resignation Following Release Of NY AG's Sexual Harassment Report
Calls Grow For Cuomo's Resignation Following Release Of NY AG's Sexual Harassment Report New York politicians are calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign following the release of the results of the scathing independent investigation conducted by the Attorney General's Office that found he was a serial sexual harasser. On Tuesday, Aug. 3, New York AG Letitia James released the findings of a five-month independent investigation that found the governor allegedly fostered a toxic workplace environment while also subjecting state employees to unwanted touching and inappropriate dialogue. Earlier story - Cuomo Sexually Harassed 'Multiple Women,' Including State Trooper, Scathing AG…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic
NY, Other States Reach $4.5B Settlement With Purdue Pharma Over Its Role In Opioid Epidemic New York is joining several other states in winning a multi-billion dollar settlement - one of the largest in the country’s history - with Purdue Pharma for its role in the opioid epidemic that has plagued the US for years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $4.5 billion settlement with the pharmaceutical company that will put them out of business after falsely marketing its products to get Americans hooked on opioids. The owners of Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, will pay out a total of $4.325 billion over the next nine years, with New York State receiving approximately $200 million. Cuomo …

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by Zak Failla
Politics
State Senate Votes To Revoke Cuomo's Emergency Executive Powers State Senate Votes To Revoke Cuomo's Emergency Executive Powers
State Senate Votes To Revoke Cuomo's Emergency Executive Powers New York’s Senate Majority has passed legislation that will rescind Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s emergency COVID-19 powers amid multiple scandals plaguing his administration. On Friday afternoon, March 5, the Senate advanced legislation repealing the temporary emergency powers that the legislature granted to Cuomo last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation revokes Cuomo’s authority to issue new directives while allowing those that are now enforced and involving the state's public health to continue under "significantly greater legislative oversight." According to the Senate, “…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Rob Astorino Concedes To Pete Harckham In State Senate Race Rob Astorino Concedes To Pete Harckham In State Senate Race
Rob Astorino Concedes To Pete Harckham In State Senate Race Three weeks after Election Day, incumbent Democratic State Sen. Pete Harckham has declared victory over Republican challenger Rob Astorino in the 40th Senate District. The race between the two had been hotly contested, though absentee ballots turned the tide for Harckham. At the time of his concession, Astorino held a slight lead, though there were thousands of ballots still to be counted. The 40th district includes parts of Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. There are currently 81,351 registered Democratic voters, with 60,454 registered Republican voters, and 55,597 voters with n…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Astorino Narrowly Leads Harckham In State Senate Race, With Absentee Ballots To Be Counted Astorino Narrowly Leads Harckham In State Senate Race, With Absentee Ballots To Be Counted
Astorino Narrowly Leads Harckham In State Senate Race, With Absentee Ballots To Be Counted Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino holds a narrow lead over one-term incumbent State Sen. Pete Harckham in the 40th Senate District with absentee ballots still to be counted. In the latest information released by the New York State Board of Elections, Astorino has garnered 65,686 (51.31 percent) of the votes to Harckham’s 58,233 (45.48 percent). The Board of Elections said that 258 of 277 districts have reported. Earlier story - Harckham, Astorino Spar Over School Mascots In State Senate Race The 40th Senate District includes Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Croton-on…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
This Local Race Seen As Most Heated Amid Focus On Presidential Election This Local Race Seen As Most Heated Amid Focus On Presidential Election
This Local Race Seen As Most Heated Amid Focus On Presidential Election While all eyes will be on the 2020 presidential election, a hotly contested local race is expected to come down to the wire in the Hudson Valley. The race between one-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Pete Harckham and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino in the 40th Senate District has been a back-and-forth affair, with neither candidate a clear frontrunner. The 40th district includes parts of Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties. Despite having a sizable lead in registered voters in the district, the seat had long been held by Republicans before Harckham’s victory two year…

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by Zak Failla
News
Reward Offered For Info Leading To Arrest After Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At Train Station Reward Offered For Info Leading To Arrest After Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At Train Station
Reward Offered For Info Leading To Arrest After Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At Train Station A reward has been offered by police in Northern Westchester as they attempt to identify and locate a suspect who recently committed racist and anti-Semitic crimes in the Town Of New Castle. The New Castle Police Department announced that a $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect following recent incidents of hate. New York State Sen. Pete Harckham said that there has been racist and anti-Semitic graffiti at the Chappaqua train station, plus the theft of Black Lives Matter signs at the Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco on Route 133 and a BLM bann…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Vetoes 'Forgiveness Bill' For Area School District Cuomo Vetoes 'Forgiveness Bill' For Area School District
Cuomo Vetoes 'Forgiveness Bill' For Area School District New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have offered relief to an area school district that finds itself in financial trouble due to administrative mistakes. Cuomo vetoed a “forgiveness bill” earlier this month that would have provided the Mahopac Central School District with $3.1 million in relief after a paperwork snafu. The decision has drawn the ire of some local politicians. “By all accounts, when the state changed the application process for school districts applying for building aid, there was some confusion, and a number of districts submitted applications with err…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Bill To Protect Indian Point Jobs Passes Senate, Entergy Says It Could Delay Decommissioning Bill To Protect Indian Point Jobs Passes Senate, Entergy Says It Could Delay Decommissioning
Bill To Protect Indian Point Jobs Passes Senate, Entergy Says It Could Delay Decommissioning Legislation to protect the more than 1,100 jobs at the Indian Point nuclear power plants when they are permanently shut down is closer to law. State Sen. Pete Harckham announced on Thursday, June 6 that his bill to help protect Indian Point workers was passed by the state Senate.  But a spokesman for the Buchanan plants' owner, Entergy, said the legislation might delay the decommissioning process. Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said, “It is not clear to us that this legislation is necessary, and further there is a concern that the proposed law could delay the completion of decommission…

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by Jon Craig