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Euthanasia Of NY's 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation Euthanasia Of NY's 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation
Euthanasia Of NY's 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation Outrage is swirling after New York wildlife officials seized and later euthanized beloved social media sensation “Peanut” the squirrel. Chemung County resident Mark Longo, of Elmira, took to Instagram Wednesday, Oct 30, telling his 581,000 followers that Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers had seized the animal, which he rescued in 2017 after its mother was struck by a car. “Well internet, you WON. You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness,” he wrote. “To the people who called (DEC), there’s a special place in hell for you.” In a…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says
Hudson Valley Business Admits To $2.1 Million Medicaid Fraud, AG Says A Hudson Valley business and three employees admitted stealing more than $2.1 million from Medicaid by submitting fake claims for service. New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday, Oct. 22, that the Orange County owners of DYD Universe, a New York Medicaid-enrolled transportation company, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme that stole more than $2.1 million from Medicaid and paid illegal kickbacks to Medicaid recipients.  According to James, Damir Yuldashev, age 64, his son Daler Yuldashev, age 38, and Daler’s mother, Nigina Iskandarova, age 60, all of Monr…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
State AG Sues Mobile Home Park Owners In Region For Horrific Living Conditions State AG Sues Mobile Home Park Owners In Region For Horrific Living Conditions
State AG Sues Mobile Home Park Owners In Region For Horrific Living Conditions The New York Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit against a mobile home park in the region and its owners for years of failing to maintain humane living conditions. The suit, filed Thursday, Oct. 10, in Sullivan County, targets River Valley Estates (River Valley), a mobile home park in Loch Sheldrake (Hurleyville), and its operators, George Levin and Gayla Sue Levin, for years of failing to maintain essential infrastructure in the park that left hundreds of residents without clean water and for charging illegal fees and rent hikes that cost residents hundreds of thousands of dollars…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Hudson Valley's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit Hudson Valley's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit
Hudson Valley's Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused Of Drugging Woman, Filming Rape In New Lawsuit Following his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges, a woman has filed a lawsuit against hip-hop mogul and New York native Sean "Diddy" Combs accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting her while recording it on film.  In a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, Sept. 24, Thalia Graves accused Combs of spiking her glass of wine and rendering her unconscious before raping her in a studio in Manhattan.  According to the lawsuit complaint, Graves met Combs, a 54-year-old New York City native who grew up in Westchest…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Person Who Consumed Recalled Boar’s Head Products May Have Permanent Injuries, Lawsuit Says Person Who Consumed Recalled Boar’s Head Products May Have Permanent Injuries, Lawsuit Says
Person Who Consumed Recalled Boar’s Head Products May Have Permanent Injuries, Lawsuit Says A person in the New York metropolitan area who purchased and consumed recalled Boar's Head products is believed to have permanent injuries, a new lawsuit alleges. Manhattan-based injury and food safety attorney John Beatty has been retained to file the suit against Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. for a client who suffered severe health consequences due to Listeria contamination. The person, whose precise place of residence has not been released, contracted Listeria, leading to a near-fatal case of meningitis and an almost month-long hospital stay, according to Beatty. "The client is belie…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Employee Nabbed In Abuse Case At Facility In Hudson Valley Employee Nabbed In Abuse Case At Facility In Hudson Valley
Employee Nabbed In Abuse Case At Facility In Hudson Valley A man from the region has been charged with two counts of allegedly endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and forcible touching. Following an investigation, Dutchess County resident Garnet G. Collins, age 50, of Poughkeepsie, was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 11. According to Trooper Aaron Hicks of the New York State Police, Collins was an employee at the Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg, a hamlet of Hyde Park. Hicks said the incidents involved two different residents at the center. Both victims were issued orders of protection from the court.…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
NY Mom Claims To Find Human Blood In Daughter's Burger King Meal: 'She Is Traumatized' NY Mom Claims To Find Human Blood In Daughter's Burger King Meal: 'She Is Traumatized'
NY Mom Claims To Find Human Blood In Daughter's Burger King Meal: 'She Is Traumatized' A New York mother is considering a lawsuit against Burger King after claiming she found human blood in her daughter’s meal. Erie County resident Tiffany Floyd, of the hamlet of Getzville, recounted the horrifying incident in a now-viral TikTok video posted Friday, July 26. In the clip, Floyd recounts how she stopped by a Getzville Burger King for lunch with her 4-year-old daughter and went through the drive-through. “Obviously, I’m a busy mom, I just gave her the bag to eat the food,” she said. “And I heard, ‘Mom, I don’t want ketchup.’” Floyd then grabbed the bag of hamburger and fries, …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Northern Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices Northern Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices
Northern Westchester Man Accused Of Threatening To Kill USPS Employees, Burn Down Post Offices A Northern Westchester man has been accused of threatening to kill US Postal Service employees and burn down post officers. Ossining resident Anthony Alfano, age 46, was arrested in Yorktown Heights on Friday, July 19, after making violent threats against USPS employees and threatening to burn down US post offices in Ossining, according to federal authorities.  The threats were made amid frustrations over a delayed parcel containing cremated remains from Florida, according to Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. According to court filings, Alfano th…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Update: Abused Dog On Mend After Being Found Emaciated In Hudson Valley Animal Cruelty Case Update: Abused Dog On Mend After Being Found Emaciated In Hudson Valley Animal Cruelty Case
Update: Abused Dog On Mend After Being Found Emaciated In Hudson Valley Animal Cruelty Case A dog that was found severely emaciated in the Hudson Valley is in the process of gaining her strength back following the arrest of her owner on animal cruelty charges, officials said. Abby, an 8-year-old Catahoula leopard mix dog, was rescued after being found in a state of severe emaciation at a Putnam County residence in Kent on Chief Nimham Drive on Sunday, June 23.  Earlier Report - Kent Woman Accused Of Animal Neglect After Dog Found Severely Emaciated After the discovery, Abby's owner, Shannon McMahon of Kent, age 42, was arrested by the Putnam County SPCA a…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Mom 'Disgusted, Angry' After Teen Suffers Broken Nose In Capital Region Bus Attack Mom 'Disgusted, Angry' After Teen Suffers Broken Nose In Capital Region Bus Attack
Mom 'Disgusted, Angry' After Teen Suffers Broken Nose In Capital Region Bus Attack A mother is demanding accountability after her teen daughter was left bloodied with a broken nose following an assault aboard a school bus in the region. The Saratoga County incident happened aboard a South Glens Falls High School bus that was transporting students home on Friday afternoon, May 10. Britney Shaffer said her 15-year-old daughter, Bella, was riding on the bus with her boyfriend when a 16-year-old girl became “enraged” that a student’s feet were in the aisle as she was trying to exit. Angered, the 16-year-old reportedly used her 32-ounce, stainless steel Stanley cup to first h…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says
Woman Sues After Finding Severed Finger In Salad At Northern Westchester Eatery, Lawsuit Says A Connecticut woman has filed a lawsuit against a restaurant company in New York after allegedly finding herself chewing on part of a severed human finger while eating a salad served at one of the company's locations within the county.  Fairfield County resident Allison Cozzi, of Greenwich, filed the suit against Rye Brook-based Chop't Creative Salad Company LLC on Monday, Nov. 27 after allegedly finding part of a severed finger inside her meal bought at a Chop't location in Northern Westchester County at 53 South Moger Ave. in Mount Kisco.  According to the lawsuit complaint file…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Serial Murder Case: Suspect's Family Wants Police To Pay For Leaving NY Home 'In Shambles' Serial Murder Case: Suspect's Family Wants Police To Pay For Leaving NY Home 'In Shambles'
Serial Murder Case: Suspect's Family Wants Police To Pay For Leaving NY Home 'In Shambles' The family of suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann is taking legal action against police who they say turned their New York home upside down in their extensive search for evidence in the case. Heuermann’s adult children plan to file a notice of claim for damages against Suffolk County law enforcement, the first step in a potential lawsuit, their attorney Vess Mitev told Daily Voice. “Their valuables were shattered. Their beds were destroyed. The places that they lay their heads down at night no longer exist,” he said. “Their house is in shambles. It’s ransacked.” Related Re…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Father Of Two Brothers Killed In Hamptons Crash Plans To File Lawsuit Father Of Two Brothers Killed In Hamptons Crash Plans To File Lawsuit
Father Of Two Brothers Killed In Hamptons Crash Plans To File Lawsuit The father of two passengers who died in a head-on crash in the Hamptons in July that claimed the lives of five people is planning to file a lawsuit, according to court filings. The two-vehicle crash happened the night of Saturday, July 24, on Montauk Highway in Suffolk County, in the Village of Quogue, near the intersection of Quogue Street East.  Among the five people killed in the crash were 20-year-old Michael Farrell and 25-year-old James Farrell Jr. Sullivan, Papain, Block, McGrath, & Cannavo in Garden City, the law firm representing James Farrell Sr., has filed a notice of …

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by Nicole Valinote
News
New Law Prohibits Lawsuits Over Unpaid School Meal Fees In New York New Law Prohibits Lawsuits Over Unpaid School Meal Fees In New York
New Law Prohibits Lawsuits Over Unpaid School Meal Fees In New York New York schools and school districts will not be allowed to file lawsuits against families for unpaid meal fees under a new law. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the law signed on Thursday, July 29 builds on the state's "No Student Goes Hungry" program that is meant to protect families from "legal tactics related to their inability to make payments for school meals." "Taking families to court over unpaid school meals is cruel, draconian, and runs counter to a school's fundamental mission to ensure the wellbeing of every student," Cuomo said. "This legislation builds upon this administration's work …

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by Nicole Valinote
Politics
Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears
Security Tightened, Roads Closed Near State Capitol As Inauguration Day Nears Though “no specific threat” has been identified, security around the New York State Capitol in Albany has been beefed up in the wake of the deadly pro-Trump Capitol Hill riots in Washington D.C. and in advance of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Additional law enforcement patrols began increasing security on Thursday, Jan. 14 at the Capitol, with some nearby roads closed down as a precaution as the state prepares for any potential threats. In advance of the inauguration, State Police troopers have also ramped up security at the state Capitol, some entrances w…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
COVID-19: Hudson Valley Store Shut Down For Violating State's On Pause Order COVID-19: Hudson Valley Store Shut Down For Violating State's On Pause Order
Covid-19: Hudson Valley Store Shut Down For Violating State's On Pause Order After receiving more than a dozen complaints of a business operating in violation of state order, officials closed down an establishment in the Hudson Valley. Police received a total of 13 complaint referrals from the state's On Pause Enforcement Task Force, reporting that NJA Auctions, located in Ulster County at 3139 Route 9W in Saugerties, was open for business. According to the complaints, there were "many customers in attendance, although being a non-essential business," Saugerties Police Chief Joseph A. Sinagra said. An investigation found that NJA Auctions had placed signs…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Writer From Area Eyes Legal Action Against Trump After Sex Assault Claims Writer From Area Eyes Legal Action Against Trump After Sex Assault Claims
Writer From Area Eyes Legal Action Against Trump After Sex Assault Claims A prominent author from the Hudson Valley who claims she was sexually assaulted by President Donald Trump in the 1990s is contemplating taking legal actions against the commander-in-chief. E. Jean Carroll, now 76, alleged in a New York Magazine column that Trump was among her most “Hideous Men,” alleging that she was sexually assaulted by the now president. Carroll lives in a cabin In the Hudson Valley. She is best known for her "Ask E. Jean" column, which has been featured in Elle magazine since 1993. In a new interview with the Daily Beast, Carroll said that she is now "thinking about hi…

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by Zak Failla
News
$1.39M Suit Seeks Unpaid Taxes From Area Couple $1.39M Suit Seeks Unpaid Taxes From Area Couple
$1.39M Suit Seeks Unpaid Taxes From Area Couple Federal officials are suing a Hudson Valley couple who owe more than a million dollar in unpaid taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced that the federal government is suing Michael Satz and Marietta Staples of Staatsburg in Dutchess County in an effort to help the IRS collect $1.39 million in unpaid taxes. The lawsuit alleges that they have refused or failed to pay on income taxes dating back more than a decade, to 2016. According to reports, tax liens have previously been levied against the couple in 2008, 2009 and 2016. They were refiled in each of t…

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by Zak Failla
News
Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says
Something Fishy: Wild Salmon, Red Snapper, Lemon Sole Are Often Mislabeled, State AG Says The fresh fish you’re buying at the supermarket may not match its label, new research finds.  New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood has issued an advisory stating that some of the most common types of fish are likely to be mislabeled. Here’s how the risk breaks down by species: Salmon: 27 percent mislabeled Red snapper: 67 percent mislabeled Lemon sole: 87.5 percent mislabeled What’s truly alarming is the fact that the mislabeled fish species were often cheaper less desirable and even less environmentally sustainable than the types listed on their labels. For example, far…

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by Valerie Musson
News
Company Must Pay $3.2M For Defrauding Customers In Hudson Valley, State AG Says Company Must Pay $3.2M For Defrauding Customers In Hudson Valley, State AG Says
Company Must Pay $3.2M For Defrauding Customers In Hudson Valley, State AG Says A fuel and heating company defrauded a wide range of customers, including homeowners, school districts and local governments in the Hudson Valley of more than $1.7 million of overpayments and duplicate payments, the New York Attorney General's Office announced. Wappingers Falls-based Morgan Fuel & Heating Company, Inc., which conducts business as Bottini Fuel, must now pay more than $3.2 million in criminal restitution and civil damages following a criminal conviction, Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said. The conviction was for falsif…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Videos Show Incidents That Led To HS Football Coach's Firing For Assaulting Student-Athlete Videos Show Incidents That Led To HS Football Coach's Firing For Assaulting Student-Athlete
Videos Show Incidents That Led To HS Football Coach's Firing For Assaulting Student-Athlete A lawyer for a student-athlete who said he was slapped and punched by a former coach and teacher in Westchester, has released two videos of the incident. The ex-teacher, 44-year-old Sheddrick Wilson of Ossining, an assistant coach at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, was charged Friday with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, after surrendering to police in White Plains. The one-time Houston Oilers wide receiver also resigned from the school Friday afternoon. Now, the student's attorney, Jared Rice of New Rochelle said the videos tell the story. "It's unaccept…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Lawsuit: Northern Westchester Man Suffered Brain Damage When Steel Rod Fell On Him At Costco Lawsuit: Northern Westchester Man Suffered Brain Damage When Steel Rod Fell On Him At Costco
Lawsuit: Northern Westchester Man Suffered Brain Damage When Steel Rod Fell On Him At Costco A 62-year-old man who claims he suffered irreversible brain damage when a steel rod fell on him at a Brookfield Costco in 2016, has sued the wholesale chain. Peter Aurigemma Jr. of North Salem filed the seven-page lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in Hartford, claims that he was severely injured when he was reaching for a package of paper towels from the top of a display 7- to 8-feet high when he was struck in the face by a falling steel rod. The suit, which was filed for Aurigemma by his attorney, Christopher Sochacki of Litchfield-based Cramer & An…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
State Sues Purdue Pharma, Alleging Illegal Conduct, 'Scheme To Misrepresent Opioid Products' State Sues Purdue Pharma, Alleging Illegal Conduct, 'Scheme To Misrepresent Opioid Products'
State Sues Purdue Pharma, Alleging Illegal Conduct, 'Scheme To Misrepresent Opioid Products' A lawsuit has been filed against a prominent pharmaceutical company that allegedly misrepresented its products - including OxyContin - as being more benign than they are for decades. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced a lawsuit against Stamford-based Purdue Pharma L.P., Purdue Pharma Inc., and Purdue Fredrick Company, Inc. on Tuesday.  The company allegedly took part in a “decades-long and continuing pattern of persistent deceptive and illegal conduct, whereby Purdue's misled prescribers and patients about the risks of its opioids, including OxyConti…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Goes National In Battle Against NRA Cuomo Goes National In Battle Against NRA
Cuomo Goes National In Battle Against NRA The National Rifle Association, the nation's top pro-gun lobby and one of its most powerful interest groups, said regulatory efforts by Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New Castle could make it “unable to exist as a not-for-profit or pursue its advocacy mission." Cuomo, on Twitter, responded: "If I could have put the @NRA out of business, I would have done it 20 years ago. I'll see you in court." In a July 20 amended complaint, first reported by the New York Law Journal, the NRA accused Cuomo, as well as state Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo, of issuing a “ser…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
NY Judge: Trump Admin Acted In 'Bad Faith' By Adding Citizenship Question NY Judge: Trump Admin Acted In 'Bad Faith' By Adding Citizenship Question
NY Judge: Trump Admin Acted In 'Bad Faith' By Adding Citizenship Question Citing “bad faith,” a federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to disclose additional information regarding its decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Judge Jesse Furman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday that lawyers representing the government must produce a log of documents that were being withheld, as well as provide an explanation for why the administration did so.  Furman further demanded that the government include documents from the Commerce and Justice Departments in their disco…

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by Zak Failla
News
State Sues Manufacturers Of Foam That Contaminated Drinking Water In Area State Sues Manufacturers Of Foam That Contaminated Drinking Water In Area
State Sues Manufacturers Of Foam That Contaminated Drinking Water In Area New York State is suing the 3M Company and five other companies to recover the cost for environmental cleanup and natural resource damages caused by the toxic chemicals in firefighting foam they manufacture. The lawsuit, the first of its kind, says the use of the foam at five military and civilian airports including Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, caused a public nuisance by threatening public health, contaminating the environment, damaging natural resources, and interfering with the public's use and enjoyment of these resources. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Barbara U…

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by Kathy Reakes
Politics
Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says
Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says Some migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border of the United States and Mexico are being housed in shelters in Westchester County, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “We have about 10 facilities in this state. We haven’t spoken with all of them. We know there are over 70 children, just by the ones that we have talked about but they are in Dobbs Ferry, Lincolndale, Irvington, three in the Bronx, one in Syosset and one in Kingston,” Cuomo said during a conference call on Tuesday when he announced his intention to sue the federal government over the treatment of…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has added fodder to the fire President Donald Trump has come under for his administration's “zero tolerance” policy of separating children from their families as they cross the Mexican border, vowing to file a lawsuit over the policy. On Tuesday, Cuomo announced that the state is planning to file a multi-agency lawsuit against the Trump Administration on the grounds that the federal government is violating the Constitutional rights of thousands of immigrant children and their parents who have been separated at the border, unless the policy is not rescinded in the n…

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by Zak Failla
News
Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit
Investors Seek $17M From Westchester Developer In Fraud Suit More investors from Westchester and Connecticut are demanding at least $17 million in damages and a court order stopping White Plains developer Michael D’Alessio and Michael Paul Enterprises from selling or transferring properties. They claim he misappropriated their funds on housing projects in Scarsdale and Manhattan. D’Alessio and his enterprises carried out a massive scheme to defraud them, investors allege in three lawsuits filed in Westchester Supreme and County Court. The Westchester Bank also sued, demanding $881,000 on a $1 million loan D’Alessio took out in 2015, according to new…

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by Jon Craig
Business
PetSmart Under Fire After Four Dogs Die During Grooming Appointments PetSmart Under Fire After Four Dogs Die During Grooming Appointments
PetSmart Under Fire After Four Dogs Die During Grooming Appointments PetSmart is facing backlash after a fourth dog - including three in New Jersey - was pronounced dead after being taken in for routine grooming appointments in the past few months, according to multiple reports. In the past five months, four dogs have been found dead - most recently when an 8-year-old corgi died in Toms River - during grooming appointments, leading to allegations of animal mistreatment at the nationwide store. According to a report from NBC's "Today," one of the dog owners, who lost her bulldog during a grooming appointment on Dec. 29, is planning a lawsuit, claimi…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY AG Files Suit Against Trump Administration Over Citizenship Question NY AG Files Suit Against Trump Administration Over Citizenship Question
NY AG Files Suit Against Trump Administration Over Citizenship Question A multi-state coalition of elected officials, led by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, officially filed a lawsuit in district court to block President Donald Trump and the federal government’s to bring back a question asking about citizen status in the 2020 United States Census. Schneiderman - leading a coalition of 18 state Attorneys General and six cities and the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors - filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from demanding citizenship information in the census, stating that “demanding citizenship information from the census would …

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by Zak Failla