Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal
Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal Students could soon go from scrolling to schooling. A bold initiative unveiled by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, Jan. 22, would restrict smartphone use in all K-12 schools during the entire school day, including lunch time. The proposal, introduced as part of the governor’s 2026 Executive Budget, aims to prioritize student learning and mental health, Hochul’s office said. “From parents and teachers, to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. Under the…
Local Family Loses $40K After Responding To Fake Email In Hudson Valley Local Family Loses $40K After Responding To Fake Email In Hudson Valley
Local Family Loses $40K After Responding To Fake Email In Hudson Valley Authorities are warning residents to stay vigilant following an email scam that cost a Hudson Valley family $40,000.  According to an announcement from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the incident began on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, when the victim received a fraudulent email that appeared to be from PayPal. The email claimed that an account had been opened in the victim’s name with a $400 charge.  The victim called the number provided in the email and unknowingly engaged with a scammer posing as PayPal support. The scammer convinced the victim to grant …
Trump Pardons Former Beacon Man Convicted In Jan. 6 Capitol Attack Trump Pardons Former Beacon Man Convicted In Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
Trump Pardons Former Beacon Man Convicted In Jan. 6 Capitol Attack Days after taking office, President Donald Trump has pardoned or commuted the sentence of more than a thousand people who participated in the deadly riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including a 35-year-old Hudson Valley man who had been convicted of felony charges.  The conviction of White Plains resident William Pepe, formerly of the Dutchess County city of Beacon, was overturned by an executive order signed by Trump on Monday, Jan. 20. Pepe had previously been found guilty of charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6 breach in October 2024. According to federa…
ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy
ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy Federal immigration authorities now have the ability to arrest individuals in and around  schools and churches — areas previously considered sensitive.  This new policy change involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, announced on the second day of the new Trump Administration on Tuesday, Jan/ 21 by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman and represents a significant shift from long-standing guidelines. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," Huffman said in a statement. "The Trump Administration …
Trump Swearing-In Ceremony, Inaugural Address Moved Indoors Trump Swearing-In Ceremony, Inaugural Address Moved Indoors
Trump Swearing-In Ceremony, Inaugural Address Moved Indoors For the first time in 40 years, a presidential inauguration will be held indoors. Extremely cold temperatures forecast for Monday, Jan. 20 in Washington, DC have resulted in the change. President-elect Donald Trump announced the move in a social media post at noon Friday, Jan. 17, saying, "There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don’t want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way.  "It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of Law Enforcement, First Responders, Police K9s and even horses, and hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours…
Dutchess County Quadruple Shooting Investigation Leads To 2 More Arrests: Police Dutchess County Quadruple Shooting Investigation Leads To 2 More Arrests: Police
Dutchess County Quadruple Shooting Investigation Leads To 2 More Arrests: Police The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department has announced additional arrests in the ongoing investigation into a Friday, July 5, 2024, quadruple shooting on Main Street.  According to Det. Lt. Sean McCarthy, after an extensive investigation led by the Detective Division’s Neighborhood Recovery Unit, two individuals now face multiple charges related to the violent attack. The investigation initially resulted in the arrest of Jaimez Freeman on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, who was charged with one count of attempted murder. However, on Thursday, Jan. 16, police charged Glendale Wright, 18, and S…
Rockland Sheriff’s Office Launches Blue Envelope Program For Drivers With Autism Rockland Sheriff’s Office Launches Blue Envelope Program For Drivers With Autism
Rockland Sheriff’s Office Launches Blue Envelope Program For Drivers With Autism The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office is introducing the Blue Envelope Program, a safety initiative to improve interactions between law enforcement and autistic drivers. Sheriff Louis Falco III announced the program by emphasizing the unique challenges faced by drivers with autism during routine traffic stops.  “There are many adult drivers living with autism whose physical movements or verbal responses may be beyond their control during a traffic stop,” said Falco. “Unfortunately, this has sometimes led to misunderstandings and escalations during interactions with law enforcement.” Fa…
Juvenile Arrested For Setting Fires At Hudson Valley High School Juvenile Arrested For Setting Fires At Hudson Valley High School
Juvenile Arrested For Setting Fires At Hudson Valley High School According to authorities, a juvenile has been charged with starting two fires at a Hudson Valley high school. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and Town of Montgomery Police Chief John Hank said the juvenile, whose name is not released due to his age, allegedly started the fires on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Valley Central High School in Montgomery. According to court documents, the fires were set in two separate second-floor bathrooms around 12:30 p.m. while over 1,300 students were in the building.  One student was in a restroom stall when one of the fires ignited. The fir…
Suspicious Object At Ulster County School Found To Be Burnt Flashlight: Police Suspicious Object At Ulster County School Found To Be Burnt Flashlight: Police
Suspicious Object At Ulster County School Found To Be Burnt Flashlight: Police A suspicious object discovered in the parking lot of an Ulster County elementary school prompted an early dismissal and a thorough investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies. The incident occurred at Kerhonkson Elementary School around 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13.  According to Ulster County Sheriff's Office Capt. Joseph Sciutto, the school resource officer, was notified by staff about the object and markings on the pavement. The deputy secured the area and requested assistance from an explosive detection K9. A comprehensive search of the school and its property revealed no haza…
Mail Thief Nabbed After Making High-Speed Escape In Hudson Valley Mail Thief Nabbed After Making High-Speed Escape In Hudson Valley
Mail Thief Nabbed After Making High-Speed Escape In Hudson Valley An 18-year-old man was nabbed by police for allegedly stealing mail that contained personal financial information out of residential mailboxes with two accomplices. Lt. Daniel Schoales of the Stony Point Police said Mahamadou Sissoko, of the Bronx, was charged on Thursday, Jan. 8, for the crimes committed on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Tompkins Cove. According to Schoales, Sissoko and the two accomplices were seen stealing mail. Police arrived as the trio attempted to flee in a vehicle driven by Sissoko. The vehicle was later found off the roadway, down an embankment, and fully engulfed in f…
High-Speed Pursuit In Hudson Valley Leaves Officer Injured, Suspect in Custody: Police High-Speed Pursuit In Hudson Valley Leaves Officer Injured, Suspect in Custody: Police
High-Speed Pursuit In Hudson Valley Leaves Officer Injured, Suspect in Custody: Police A high-speed vehicle pursuit in Orange County ended with the arrest of Alejandro Garcia and minor injuries to a police officer.  The incident began on Thursday, Jan. 9, around 11:35 a.m. on Carpenter Avenue in the Town of Wallkill, when Middletown Police Officers Jason Berman and Nicholas Langford attempted a vehicle stop as part of a narcotics investigation. According to Lt. Jeffry Thoelen of the Middletown Police, Garcia, age 34, of Middletown, was the subject of a search warrant and charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, suddenly fled the scene, driving over Officer L…
Anesthesiologist Who Drugged, Sexually Assaulted Victim In Hudson Valley Gets Years In Prison Anesthesiologist Who Drugged, Sexually Assaulted Victim In Hudson Valley Gets Years In Prison
Anesthesiologist Who Drugged, Sexually Assaulted Victim In Hudson Valley Gets Years In Prison A former Putnam County anesthesiologist will spend years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing and assaulting a victim, officials announced.  Paul Giacopelli, a Southeast resident and former chief anesthesiologist at Putnam County Hospital, was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 8, to four years in state prison, according to the Putnam County District Attorney's Office.  Giacopelli's sentencing follows his guilty plea on Aug. 21, 2024, to charges stemming from an incident in which he used a chemical substance to render his victim unconscious before sexually abusing her. Th…