STAATSBURG, N.Y. - Making the decision to move an autistic child into a residential treatment center is one of the hardest decisions a parent will make, and one Laura and Ronald Tomlins of Poughkeepsie agonized over.“I cried on and off for six months - but we knew it was time,” Laurie told press members at Anderson Center for Autism's recent Media Day, coinciding with Autism Awareness ...

STAATSBURG, N.Y. - When Michael came to the Anderson Center for Autism, he was just 8 years old.Now an Anderson graduate resident at age 22, Michael holds down two jobs, including a full-time position in the kitchen at the Anderson Center, and has also participated in the Special Olympics.Key to Michael's progress was tapping into his outstanding organizational skills, and one way was ...

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Poughkeepsie celebrated the Grand Opening Thursday afternoon of the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory - a long vacant property that will now be home to affordable housing, artists studios, and commercial spaces.The Grand Opening included tours of the building's three floors, snacks from the Poughkeepsie Open Kitchen, a look at North River Roasters coffee (on the first ...

DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. - Fishkill had its cake. Now Beacon will be eating it.The wildly popular K104.7 Cupcake Festival, which has been held on Main Street in Fishkill for all of its five-year history, is moving to Beacon this year and will be held Saturday, May 6, from 1 to 5 p.m.Fishkill residents have already started to voice their displeasure on Facebook group pages about losing one ...

DUTCHESS COUNTY, N.Y. - Four Dutchess County high school football players are about to take the trip of a lifetime.Nick and Michael Mastroeni, two brothers from Rhinebeck High School, and Rory Foley and Joe Flaccavento, of Trinity-Pawling, are headed to China to play for Team Stars & Stripes, representing their country in the ninth annual Global Ambassador's Bowl.The Global ...

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - After four years as a Marine that included two tours overseas, Tyler Mendelson has a healthy respect for - and a first-hand understanding of - the sacrifices soldiers make to protect our country.For the past two years, Mendelson has been developing an idea for a short film  about World War I, and now he's trying to make it a reality - with the help of a Kickstarter ...

A group of Hudson Valley residents turned up at the Hudson Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on Friday to protest animal use by Garden Bros. Circus, which was staging three shows at the venue.Group organizer Natalie Kikel and about a dozen protesters held signs claiming animal abuse by Garden Bros. and other circuses and handing out info from PETA on the topic.Literature included ...

Rico, a five-pound male Maltese, has been reported as missing from Hill View Circle in LaGrange.Rico was last seen at noon Thursday on Smith Road in LaGrange, and was wearing a hot pink sweater.The blue-eyed Maltese is friendly, but will run if chased.Please contact JoAnn at 845-380-6314 with any info.

BEACON, N.Y. - In this digital age, vinyl has made a bit of a comeback, especially among audiophiles.Hudson Valley resident Chris Reisman is one of the many who loves the warm sound of a needle on vinyl, and brings his love of vintage records to Beacon this week with the opening of Hudson Valley Vinyl. "I've always wanted to open a shop in Beacon, and the stars aligned," ...

MAHOPAC, N.Y. - Benvenuto Pizzeria & Restaurant opened in 2009, quickly became a neighborhood favorite and hasn't looked back.With a great commuter location - seconds off the Taconic Parkway on Secor Road in Mahopac - the restaurant gets a steady stream of traffic and has built a steady flow of regulars.Benvenuto specializes in all types of standard and gourmet pizza, as well as ...