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Middletown, NY

Obituaries
Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies
Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies If you’ve ever hopped a train or scanned a radio in these parts, chances are good you’ve heard the velvety smooth voice of Van Ritshie. The longtime Hudson Valley radio host and voiceover artist, whose voice guided MTA commuters for decades, died Sunday, Nov. 3, at a Dutchess County hospice center in Poughkeepsie. He was 80 years old. “The Family of Van Ritshie is sad to announce that ‘The Voice of the Hudson Valley’ has passed on to be with Jesus after a brief illness surrounded by family,” reads his obituary. After earning his communications degree at Queensborough Community College in Q…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Teen Killed, 3 Critically Injured In Crash In Region Teen Killed, 3 Critically Injured In Crash In Region
Teen Killed, 3 Critically Injured In Crash In Region A teen was killed, and three others were critically injured in a single-vehicle crash in the region. ID Released For HS Student Killed In Hudson Valley Crash That Left 3 Others Critically Injured The collision occurred in Orange County at 6:10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, near 581 Midland Lakes Road in Wallkill. According to Wallkill Police Deputy Chief Antonino Spano, when officers responded, they found a vehicle off the roadway into a telephone pole and three occupants inside the car, as well as a victim on the roadway. The vehicle's driver, an 18-year-old Wallkill resident, was suf…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Fire Company Financial Secretary In Region Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says Fire Company Financial Secretary In Region Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says
Fire Company Financial Secretary In Region Admits Stealing $17K, DA Says A financial secretary for a fire company in the region has admitted to stealing more than $17,000 from the department.  Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced on Friday, Nov. 1, that Lynn T. Simpson, age 43, of Wallkill, pled guilty to grand larceny in the Third Degree in connection with the theft of $17,947 from the parade fund of the Washington Heights Fire Company in Middletown.  As part of the plea agreement, Simpson will repay all the stolen money, Hoovler said. The department was scheduled to host a parade in September 2023, which includ…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants Casual dining chain TGI Fridays has filed for bankruptcy several weeks after at least 12 of its restaurants suddenly closed. The company filed the Chapter 11 petition on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Texas, near its Dallas headquarters. Founded in New York City in 1965, TGI Fridays has 95 restaurants in the US, 39 of which the company owns and operates. The other 56 are independent franchises not involved in the bankruptcy petition. The company said that all those locations will remain open. According to the TGI Fridays website and other reports, the following locations are now listed as permanent…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Man From Region Trapped Beneath SUV Rescued By Tow Truck Employees, Police Officer Man From Region Trapped Beneath SUV Rescued By Tow Truck Employees, Police Officer
Man From Region Trapped Beneath SUV Rescued By Tow Truck Employees, Police Officer A man from the region who was trapped underneath a vehicle after a parking lot crash was rescued by employees from a tow truck company and a police officer. The incident occurred in Sullivan County at 1:45 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the parking lot of Tilly's Diner at 34 Raceway Road in Monticello. According to Lt. Mark Johnstone of the Monticello Police, a 70-year-old Mongaup Valley man was involved in a minor property damage accident in the parking lot.  While getting out to inspect the damage to his vehicle, a 2015 Ford Explorer, the SUV suddenly accelerated in rever…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
9 Students, 1 Adult Injured In School Bus Crash In Region 9 Students, 1 Adult Injured In School Bus Crash In Region
9 Students, 1 Adult Injured In School Bus Crash In Region Nine students and an adult were injured during a two-vehicle crash involving a school bus in the region. The crash occurred in Orange County around 9 a.m., Monday, Oct. 28, at the intersection of Route 52 and Route 17 in the town of Crawford. According to Crawford Police Chief Dominick Blasko, a 2021 Dodge truck was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lane of Route 52 when it collided with a 2024 First Student school bus.   The First Student Bus was transporting 43 Pine Bush students to Edward J Russell Elementary School when the collision took place, Blasko said. The bus was ma…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
5 Nabbed On Gun Charges During Traffic Stop In Region, Police Say 5 Nabbed On Gun Charges During Traffic Stop In Region, Police Say
5 Nabbed On Gun Charges During Traffic Stop In Region, Police Say Five residents in the region, including three juveniles, were nabbed on alleged gun charges during a routine traffic stop.  The incident occurred in Orange County around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16, on I-84 in Deerpark. According to New York State Police Trooper Steven Nevel, troopers initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as Orange County resident Jaykris Vargas, age 23, of Middletown. While interviewing Vargas, troopers developed probable cause to search the vehicle. While searching the car, they located a loaded semi-automatic handgun, Nevel said. The vehicle was occu…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
This Albany County Bagel Shop Among Top 100 In NY, New Ranking Says This Albany County Bagel Shop Among Top 100 In NY, New Ranking Says
This Albany County Bagel Shop Among Top 100 In NY, New Ranking Says Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these bagels are the cream (cheese?) of the crop. Nearly three dozen businesses outside of New York City made the “Top 100 Bagel Shops in New York 2024” ranking by Yelp. To come up with its list, the restaurant review site identified businesses in the bagel category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews. Yelp’s ranking includes a mix of decades-old storefronts and newcomers making names for themselves post-COVID-19 pandemic.  Menus boast everything from the classics (plain, sesame…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
TGI Friday's Suddenly Closes At Least 12 Restaurants, Including In Capital Region TGI Friday's Suddenly Closes At Least 12 Restaurants, Including In Capital Region
TGI Friday's Suddenly Closes At Least 12 Restaurants, Including In Capital Region Casual dining chain TGI Fridays has closed at least a dozen of its restaurants in the last few weeks. Click here for a new, updated story: TGI Friday's Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants According to the company's website and other reports, the following locations are now listed as permanently closed: New York Middletown, 23 Crystal Run Crossing Poughkeepsie, 2594 South Road (Route 9) Clifton Park, 1 Southside Drive  Connecticut Enfield, Freshwater-Stateline Plaza, 130 Elm Street Pennsylvania Allentown,  395 S Ceda…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Fatal Crash Involving Deer: 28-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Region Fatal Crash Involving Deer: 28-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Region
Fatal Crash Involving Deer: 28-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Region A young man has died after a vehicle crashed into a deer in the Hudson Valley. It happened around 6:50 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 in Orange County on Route 302 near the intersection with State Route 17K in the town of Crawford. Stephen Montgomery, age 28, of Pine Bush was operating a 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle southbound when the deer crossed his path, causing the collision. Montgomery’s motorcycle did continue down the roadway, striking a polyvinyl chloride pipe (PVC) pipe, the Crawford PD said. Montgomery was transported by Pine Bush ambulance to Garnet Medical …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Region 7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Region
7 Suspects Nabbed In Undercover Child Exploitation, Trafficking Detail In Region Seven suspects have been charged following an undercover child exploitation detail. It was conducted over several days by New York State Police and the FBI in Orange County, in the town of Wallkill. "The detail deployed highly trained Investigators and agents to infiltrate online platforms where these crimes are often facilitated," according to state police. "Utilizing advanced cyber tactics, Investigators and Agents were able to identify individuals attempting to exploit vulnerable children through the internet and meet them in person." As a result of the operation, the following ind…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
New Video Shows Moments Leading Up To Fatal Shooting Of Man By NYSP New Video Shows Moments Leading Up To Fatal Shooting Of Man By NYSP
New Video Shows Moments Leading Up To Fatal Shooting Of Man By Nysp Newly released body camera footage shows the tense moments that led to a New York’s man’s death at the hands of police. The Sullivan County incident happened in the town of Thompson, on Rock Hill Drive, at around 2:20 a.m. on Tuesday, July 16. New York State Police said troopers were pursuing 32-year-old Orange County resident Albert Melendez, of Middletown, when Melendez stopped and attempted to turn around at the intersection of Rock Hill Drive and Emerald Place. Earlier Report: Man From Region Killed By State Trooper After Striking Officer With Car, Police Say A trooper exited…

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by Michael Mashburn & Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Netflix Movie Being Shot In Hudson Valley Casting For Multiple Roles Netflix Movie Being Shot In Hudson Valley Casting For Multiple Roles
Netflix Movie Being Shot In Hudson Valley Casting For Multiple Roles A Netflix movie that will be produced in the region is casting to fill multiple roles. According to backstage.com, “A Song in the Dark” will be shot in Orange County from Monday, Sept. 16 to Friday, Oct. 18, in Middletown and in the surrounding areas of the Hudson Valley. One role is to play a lead female actor named Shannon Harper with the age range from 18 to 25. Casting is also being conducted for the roles of lead male actor John. Harper (ages 40 to 55) and lead female actor Elsa Harper (ages 40 to 50). The roles of Shannon Harper and John Harper pay $3,500 per week for an estimated f…

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by Joe Lombardi