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US Travel Advisory Expanded: These 23 Nations Now Under Warning US Travel Advisory Expanded: These 23 Nations Now Under Warning
US Travel Advisory Expanded: These 23 Nations Now Under Warning In a significant move to safeguard American travelers, the US Department of State has updated its travel advisory system, identifying 23 nations where heightened caution is urged.  The advisory system evaluates a range of risks, including crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health threats, and natural disasters. The State Department reviews Level 1 and 2 advisories annually, while Level 3 and 4 warnings are reassessed every six months.  According to a department statement, "A Travel Advisory will also be updated anytime there is a change in US government posture, normally as it relat…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
3 Skiers Presumed Dead After Being Buried In 40-Plus Feet Of Snow At US Resort 3 Skiers Presumed Dead After Being Buried In 40-Plus Feet Of Snow At US Resort
3 Skiers Presumed Dead After Being Buried In 40-Plus Feet Of Snow At US Resort An avalanche has buried three Americans skiers under snow of 40 feet or more. The avalanche struck in the Alaska backcountry near Girdwood, a small resort town, late Tuesday afternoon, March 4, local time. The skiers, part of a heli-skiing group, were reportedly trapped under the snow when the massive avalanche occurred.  The depth of the snowpack poses a significant recovery challenge, with estimates suggesting the skiers could be buried anywhere between 40 and 100 feet. This depth is comparable to a 10-story building. Guides accompanying the skiers utilized avalanche beacons to pin…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Biden Extends Deportation Protections Ahead Of Trump Inauguration Biden Extends Deportation Protections Ahead Of Trump Inauguration
Biden Extends Deportation Protections Ahead Of Trump Inauguration In a last-minute move, President Joe Biden extended deportation protections on  for approximately 900,000 immigrants from countries facing conflict or instability, including Venezuela, Ukraine, El Salvador, and Sudan.  The decision, announced on Friday, Jan. 10, shields these individuals from deportation and allows them to work legally in the US for the first 18 months of the incoming Trump administration. Biden’s action utilizes Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program granting renewable 18-month protections for individuals from countries deemed unsafe due to armed c…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
NY County Training Armed Residents To Be 'Special Deputy Sheriffs': Here's Where, Why NY County Training Armed Residents To Be 'Special Deputy Sheriffs': Here's Where, Why
NY County Training Armed Residents To Be 'Special Deputy Sheriffs': Here's Where, Why A New York county is training armed residents who could be deputized during emergencies and natural disasters. With the state's second-largest police force of 2,600 sworn officers, Nassau County posted a notice in March in local newspapers and other news outlets for a team of provisional emergency special deputy sheriffs "for the protection of human life and property during an emergency," said County Executive Bruce Blakeman in coordination with Nassau County Sheriff Anthony LaRocco. In the advertisement, Blakeman said the "special deputies" will have no police powers unless …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Avalanche Damages Ski Resort In Hudson Valley During Christmas Storm Avalanche Damages Ski Resort In Hudson Valley During Christmas Storm
Avalanche Damages Ski Resort In Hudson Valley During Christmas Storm A ski resort in the Hudson Valley sustained some serious damage after an avalanche. The incident happened during the severe storm on Friday morning, Dec. 25 at Belleayre Mountain, located in Highmount in Ulster County, when the snow slid into one of the resort's lodges. "Thankfully, the building was not occupied and no one was injured during this weather event," Belleayre Mountain said in a statement. "The snowguns were turned on Saturday afternoon working their magic and groomers will be out later on tonight dressing the trails up for us." The resort said it will be opening up …

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by Joe Lombardi
Weather
New Projection Issued For 'Extremely Active' Hurricane Season, With Several Major Storms New Projection Issued For 'Extremely Active' Hurricane Season, With Several Major Storms
New Projection Issued For 'Extremely Active' Hurricane Season, With Several Major Storms The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a strong possibility of an "extremely active" and "above-normal" 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, with 13 to 19 named storms, of which several could be major hurricanes. This comes after the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University predicted 16 named storms and four major hurricanes in its 38th annual forecast previously reported here.  That would make 2020 the most active hurricane season since the record-damaging year of 2017 when hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma devastated parts of th…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
State Attorney General Declares Price Gouging Emergency In Dutchess State Attorney General Declares Price Gouging Emergency In Dutchess
State Attorney General Declares Price Gouging Emergency In Dutchess Dutchess County is among 12 counties in New York to be warned of price gouging following the Halloween storm that caused expansive flooding in the region. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert, warning homeowners and businesses to be on high-alert for potential price gouging after the Thursday, Oct. 31, storm that brought heavy rains and whipping winds to upstate New York. On Friday, Nov. 1, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in 12 counties that saw widespread power outages and road closures, including Dutchess. Other counties included in Jam…

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by Zak Failla
Weather
Photos: Long Island Tornado Touchdown Confirmed Photos: Long Island Tornado Touchdown Confirmed
Photos: Long Island Tornado Touchdown Confirmed This story has been updated. The National Weather Service has now confirmed that a tornado touched down on Long Island on Labor Day afternoon. The tornado touched down in eastern Suffolk County in Manorville, just north of Route 27 (Sunrise Highway) in the area of Dayton Avenue from 4:33 p.m. to 4:38 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2. After touching down on Dayton Avenue, the twister went northeast through the southern end of adjacent Rosewood Street and then across intersecting cross street of South Street. It then crossed the Long Island Expressway near Exit 69. Numerous downed trees and wires …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Woman Rescued After Buildings Collapse During Storm In Poughkeepsie Woman Rescued After Buildings Collapse During Storm In Poughkeepsie
Woman Rescued After Buildings Collapse During Storm In Poughkeepsie A woman who had been trapped for several hours was pulled from the rubble by rescuers Monday night after a building collapsed onto two others in Poughkeepsie. Rotanya Hargrove was alert and conscious when she was rescued at about 8 p.m., nearly four hours after a vacant, seven-story building collapsed onto two other buildings during a severe thunderstorm with gusty winds. Hargrove, 43, suffered non-life threatening injuries. During the collapse at around 4:15 p.m., the larger building at 19 Academy St., fell onto another building at 17 Academy St., and then onto a smaller three-story build…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Ridgefield, Danbury Schools Get State OK To Make Up Storm Days In 2018-19 Ridgefield, Danbury Schools Get State OK To Make Up Storm Days In 2018-19
Ridgefield, Danbury Schools Get State OK To Make Up Storm Days In 2018-19 The Danbury and Ridgefield school districts have been given the okay to make up missed school days next year from state officials.  All schools are required to be in session for 180 days, said Danbury Schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella.  All except three of his 18 district schools only need to make up one day of school, the others need to make up two days, he said.  The days need to be made-up next year because schools are required to end the school year by June 29, he added. Pascarella said the May 15 storm that produced a microburst that wreaked havoc on the area is the reason the di…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Photo Gallery: Storm Scenes From Lake Carmel, Kent Photo Gallery: Storm Scenes From Lake Carmel, Kent
Photo Gallery: Storm Scenes From Lake Carmel, Kent A devasting storm that included two tornadoes and several macrobursts, left thousands without power, downed trees and major damage across Putnam County.  Local photographer Dan Gallo captured some of the damage. Click through to see some of the most dramatic images.  Contact Gallo at drg340@gmail.com.

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by Photos by Dan Gallo
Politics
Rip Van Winkle Fire Prompts Maloney Call For New Legislation Rip Van Winkle Fire Prompts Maloney Call For New Legislation
Rip Van Winkle Fire Prompts Maloney Call For New Legislation After a fire at the 16-story Rip Van Winkle affordable housing complex in Poughkeepsie left more than 300 residents without housing, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney announced legislation to ensure low income tenants are re-housed if they’re unable to return home.  The Affordable Housing Protection Act would direct the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to require the establishment of "pass-through leases" in the event that tenants are displaced from their federally-subsidized housing. “We’re lucky that the community rallied around the Rip Van Winkle residents after t…

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by Jon Craig
News
11-Year-Old Killed By Fallen Tree In Putnam 11-Year-Old Killed By Fallen Tree In Putnam
11-Year-Old Killed By Fallen Tree In Putnam An 11-year-old boy was killed Friday afternoon when a tree crashed through a home amid the Nor'easter, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department. The tragic death occurred on 33 Dunderberg Road in Putnam Valley at about 12:15 p.m. When Deputy Charlie Johnson arrived, he observed a large tree had fallen and crashed into the home, trapping the young boy underneath. Johnson attempted to rescue the boy but was unable to reach him. Deputy Anthony Tolve and members from the Putnam Valley Fire Department also arrived on the scene and attempted to rescue the boy who had been home with hi…

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by Joe Lombardi