Family Of NY Firefighter Detained By ICE Faces 'Overwhelming, Expensive' Legal Fight Family Of NY Firefighter Detained By ICE Faces 'Overwhelming, Expensive' Legal Fight
Family Of NY Firefighter Detained By ICE Faces 'Overwhelming, Expensive' Legal Fight The family of a Westchester firefighter detained by ICE is asking for help from the public as they navigate what they describe as a difficult and emotional legal battle.  A fundraiser was created in late July by the family of Port Chester Firefighter Milton Guamarrigra, who was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Our family is navigating a deeply emotional and challenging time," wrote Guamarrigra's daughter, Joselyn, in a GoFundMe page.  She continued, "He is a loving father, a hardworking man, and someone who has always put his family first."  Following Guamarrigra's…
Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police
Hersheypark Wave Pool Drowning Investigation Report Released By Police Police have released the findings of their investigation into the tragic Hersheypark wave pool drowning of 9-year-old Sophia Subedi, confirming her death was an accidental freshwater drowning. The Derry Township Police Department announced Friday, Aug. 1, that no criminal activity was involved in the July 24 incident, which unfolded shortly before 6:46 p.m. The review — conducted with the cooperation of the Dauphin County Coroner’s Office and Hersheypark — included video surveillance, witness and employee statements, and a detailed examination of the physical scene. Investigators confirmed …
Deputy Fire Chief Injured In Crash In NY: Community Rallies To Get Him Back On His Feet Deputy Fire Chief Injured In Crash In NY: Community Rallies To Get Him Back On His Feet
Deputy Fire Chief Injured In Crash In NY: Community Rallies To Get Him Back On His Feet The Rockland County firefighting community is coming together to support one of their own after a deputy fire chief for one of the area's villages was injured in a serious car accident while responding to an emergency call last month.  The effort comes following a crash on Friday, June 20, when Spring Valley Deputy Fire Chief Marcos Padilla was involved in a collision while responding to a call in the village. According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by fellow firefighter Evan Humphrey, Padilla, who also serves as Fire Inspector for the Village of Montebello, was struc…
Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi
Girl Who Died In Hersheypark Wave Pool Identified As 9-Year-Old Sophia Subedi The 9-year-old girl who died after being rescued from Hersheypark’s wave pool last week has been identified as Sophia Subedi, a resident of Harrisburg’s Bhutanese community. Sophia, born in 2016 in Mount Carmel, Columbus, Ohio, had lived in Harrisburg since 2022. She had just completed 3rd grade at North Side Elementary School in the Central Dauphin School District and was preparing to begin 4th grade this fall, according to a statement from the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg (BCH) released on Monday, July 28. “A bright, kind, and loving young girl, Sophia, brought joy and light to every…
Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark
Bhutanese Community Mourns 9-Year-Old Girl Killed At Hersheypark The Bhutanese community in Harrisburg is grieving the loss of a 9-year-old girl who died after being pulled from the wave pool at Hersheypark on Thursday, July 24. Tilak Niroula, chairman of the Board for the Bhutanese Community in Harrisburg, confirmed the girl was a member of their close-knit community. In a heartfelt statement, he said the girl was “full of promise, innocence, and joy — a light in the lives of all who knew her. “Her sudden and tragic departure has left a deep void in our hearts and in the community she was so warmly a part of,” Niroula said. “Our entire community is grie…
Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says
Pastor Detained by ICE Forced to Sleep on Concrete Floor With No Bed, Family Says A beloved, longtime Maryland pastor is reportedly living in troubling conditions after being detained by ICE and shipped to a detention center in Baltimore. Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal, of Easton, the head of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama (Church of the Nazarene Jesus Loves You), was picked up while shopping at a local Lowe's, according to his loved ones. Fuentes Espinal — who has been in the country for 24 years, has no criminal record, and leads a congregation of dozens in Easton — was taken into custody by ICE agents, and transported to a detention center in Baltimore, wh…
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NY Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NY
Honorary Cop Connor Taverna, 7, Dies Of Rare Cancer Weeks After Multi-State Convoy—Including NY A 7-year-old boy who stole the hearts of first responders across the region has died, Carlisle Borough Police announced on Tuesday, July 22. Connor Taverna, a dinosaur-loving first grader sworn in as an honorary police officer in November 2023, passed away after a nearly two-year battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)—a rare and aggressive brain tumor found in children. Doctors gave him 8 to 12 months to live in 2023, but Connor beat the odds, becoming one of fewer than 10 percent of children to survive beyond the first year. EMS Convoy Tribute Just weeks before his passing, mo…
Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say
Triathlete, 37, Dies During Swim At NJ Lake, Authorities Say A 37-year-old teacher and mother of four died while competing in the swimming portion of a triathlon at a North Jersey lake over the weekend, Daily Voice has learned. The incident involving 37-year-old Hannah Merlucci, of Kinnelon, happened on the morning of Saturday, July 19 at Fayson Lakes, according to Meghan Kbab, a spokeswoman for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. Lifeguards spotted a female swimmer unresponsive in the water, swam out to her, and brought her back to shore, Knab said. CPR was immediately initiated. Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly after and transported …
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches ‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches
‘He Died A Hero’: Former MLB Prospect Drowns Saving Strangers As Family Watches Chase Childers, a former Baltimore Orioles minor league prospect, died a hero in South Carolina after rushing into floodwaters to save a group of swimmers — sacrificing his life to protect theirs. According to Pawleys Island Police, officers received a 911 call at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, reporting “multiple swimmers in distress near Shell Road Ocean.”  One man — later identified as Childers — was missing, and a search was immediately launched by police, Midway Fire Rescue, and the US Coast Guard. At approximately 6:15 p.m., rescue teams recovered Childers' body fro…
Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight' Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight'
Mom Paralyzed In NY Boat Crash Faces Setbacks As Support Grows: 'Will Continue To Fight' The Long Island mother paralyzed in a Memorial Day weekend boat crash is now facing new challenges in her recovery — but her family is staying hopeful as community support pours in. Brooke Skrocki, the 28-year-old fiancée of Edward Hillkewicz, was left with life-altering spinal injuries after he piloted a speeding boat while drunk, slamming into a jetty in Hampton Bays with her, two other adults, and their two young daughters aboard, the Suffolk County DA’s Office said. While her children, ages 2 and 6, were not physically injured, Skrocki was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital an…
Marine From NY Dies At 22: Community Rallies To Bring His Platoon To His Services Marine From NY Dies At 22: Community Rallies To Bring His Platoon To His Services
Marine From NY Dies At 22: Community Rallies To Bring His Platoon To His Services When Rockland County native and Lance Corporal Ryan James Barnard died earlier this month while serving with the US Marine Corps in Hawaii, his community he called home responded with one goal: bringing his brothers in arms to his services to say goodbye.  Barnard, a 22-year-old from Valley Cottage, died on Wednesday, July 2, while stationed at Kaneohe Bay, assigned to the Third Littoral Combat Team, Second Platoon, Ares Company. A Marine through and through, Ryan was known for his deep loyalty, quiet strength, and unwavering commitment to those around him, his obituary said.  His…
Boulder Collapse Leaves Business In Ruins In NY: Owners Now Asking For Help Boulder Collapse Leaves Business In Ruins In NY: Owners Now Asking For Help
Boulder Collapse Leaves Business In Ruins In NY: Owners Now Asking For Help A longtime Westchester business is fighting to survive after a freak accident left its building in ruins—and the community is stepping up to help. Peterson Tool Rental, located on Saw Mill River Road in Yonkers, is working to rebuild after its building was damaged by a boulder in April.  On the morning of Monday, April 7, a massive boulder dislodged from the hillside behind the property at 1256 Saw Mill River Rd. and smashed through the back wall of the two-story building. The impact caused a partial collapse, severely damaging the structure, destroying equipment, and forcing…