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Off-Duty Firefighter, Nurse Race To Save Unresponsive Person At Dutchess County Fair Off-Duty Firefighter, Nurse Race To Save Unresponsive Person At Dutchess County Fair Off-Duty Firefighter, Nurse Race To Save Unresponsive Person At Dutchess County Fair
Off-Duty Firefighter, Nurse Race To Save Unresponsive Person At Dutchess County Fair Two off-duty first responders jumped into action when a person became unresponsive at the Dutchess County Fair, helping perform CPR until the patient could be taken to a hospital.  The medical emergency happened inside Barn 30 at the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck on Friday afternoon, Aug. 28, according to the Rhinebeck Fire Department.  Rhinebeck Firefighter/EMT Erik Stroka and his girlfriend, Skylar Jackson, an Albany Med registered nurse and former EMT, were in the barn showing cows when the emergency unfolded, according to the Rhinebeck Fire Department and City of Poughkeepsie …

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by Ben Crnic
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Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95
Taylor Swift Drops $50K Surprise On Mom Who Nearly Died Saving Teen On I-95 Ashley Taunton isn't out of the woods yet, but Taylor Swift is helping her get there. The 42-year-old Connecticut mother who suffered critical injuries while assisting a group of teenagers on I-95 got an unexpected assist from a certain 36-year-old singer. You may have heard of her. Taylor Swift donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe campaign for Ashley Taunton, whose recovery from a July crash has gone viral. PEOPLE confirmed on Friday that the pop star had contributed to the fund, which has since jumped to more than $87,000 since it was created in July. Taylor Swift made a big donation…

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by Zak Failla
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NJ Farm's 8-Acre Dolly Parton Corn Maze Requires Visitors To Know Dolly Parton Trivia NJ Farm's 8-Acre Dolly Parton Corn Maze Requires Visitors To Know Dolly Parton Trivia NJ Farm's 8-Acre Dolly Parton Corn Maze Requires Visitors To Know Dolly Parton Trivia
NJ Farm's 8-Acre Dolly Parton Corn Maze Requires Visitors To Know Dolly Parton Trivia The company that designs Tim Stockel's corn mazes had been trying to get Dolly Parton into cornfields for nearly three years. The idea was simple: honor an American icon in the fall, when denim jackets, country music, and getting lost in a cornfield just seem to fit. Finally, in February, Parton's team agreed to a one-year licensing arrangement allowing participating farms to use her image in corn mazes designed by The Maize Company. "To me, she was everything," said Stockel, who runs the 130-acre Happy Day Farm in Manalapan alongside his wife, Olivia Stockel, a massive Dolly Parton fan. …

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by Cecilia Levine
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Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA
Virginia's Justus Kelley Makes History As First Mother To Win Miss USA Virginia waited more than half a century for another Miss USA. The wait ended in historic fashion on Thursday, Aug. 27, when Miss Virginia USA Justus Kelley was crowned Miss USA 2026 during the 75th edition of the pageant in Miami. Kelley, 31, became the first mother and first married woman to win the Miss USA title, according to People and Business Insider. She is also reportedly the first woman in her 30s to win. And she ended quite the drought back home. Kelley became the first woman representing Virginia to win Miss USA since Deborah Shelton took the crown in 1970, according to B…

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by Zak Failla
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Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Hudson Valley — Here's When, Where Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Hudson Valley — Here's When, Where Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Hudson Valley — Here's When, Where
Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Hudson Valley — Here's When, Where Hot-air balloon rides will soon be taking off over Dutchess County as a popular Hudson Valley festival returns for its 35th year.  The JPMorganChase Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival will return to Tymor Park in the Town of Union Vale from Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6, the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce announced.  More than 100 hot-air balloon flights are scheduled throughout Labor Day weekend, giving visitors the chance to take a full balloon ride or get a shorter taste of flying aboard a tethered balloon.  The colorful launches will depend on…

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by Ben Crnic
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Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report
Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report The cause of death for Allison "Ally" Rahmani, a 40-year-old Long Island teacher and mother who died when her SUV plunged into her backyard pool late last week, has been released by the New York Post. Citing a source close to the investigation, the outlet said Rahmani suffered a medical emergency, causing her to send her 2023 GMC into her family's Hewlett Bay Park backyard pool. Rahmani was able to call 911 from the vehicle but died en route to or at the hospital, according to The Post. Rahmani worked as a math coordinator for Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR), a J…

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by Cecilia Levine
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West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is
West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is A West Point graduate and longtime Army officer with decades of command experience has returned to the Hudson Valley to lead the U.S. Military Academy. Maj. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III was promoted to lieutenant general and officially took command as West Point's 62nd superintendent on Monday, Aug. 17, succeeding Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, West Point Public Affairs announced.  The change of command ceremony was held at Eisenhower Hall.  Bartholomees, a 1995 West Point graduate, most recently served as commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii. …

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by Ben Crnic
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NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why
NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why The Northeast has some of the most fun states in the country, but several others landed near the bottom of a new ranking. WalletHub released its 2026 list of the Most Fun States in America on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The study compared all 50 states across 26 metrics of entertainment, recreation, and nightlife, including restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, national park access, music festivals, bars, casinos, and recreation spending. The personal finance website split the study into two main categories: entertainment and recreation, which made up 80% of the score, and nightlife, which ac…

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by Chris Spiker
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WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Hudson Valley WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Hudson Valley WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Hudson Valley
Watch: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Hudson Valley A police officer climbed into a storm drain in Dutchess County and endured a few nips to the hand while rescuing a trapped dog before reuniting the animal with its owner, police said.  The rescue happened on Saturday, Aug. 15, after Town of Hyde Park Police Officers Wolf-Davidson and Fein responded to a report of a dog trapped inside a storm drain, the department said on Monday, Aug. 17.  After arriving, the officers located the dog and could hear him barking from inside the drain, police said. The department also released body camera footage of the rescue, showing Wolf-Davidson …

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by Ben Crnic
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New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate
New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate A new website is helping drivers see whether their license plate has been searched in Flock Safety's controversial surveillance system. HaveIBeenFlocked.com says it has compiled data on nearly 242 million unique searches involving more than 4.6 million plates. The records range between December 2021 and July 2026. According to the website, the data comes from audit logs released through Freedom of Information Act requests and Flock-provided transparency portals. "The dataset is incomplete," the website says on its FAQ page. "Few governments provide easy access to these …

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by Chris Spiker
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Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash
Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Safety is making major changes to how it stores data as nationwide privacy concerns rise over the controversial surveillance cameras. The company announced the updates in a blog post on Thursday, Aug. 13. Flock says it will cut its recommended default retention period for automatic license plate reader (ALPR) data from 30 to seven days. The changes also include new safeguards that Flock says will prevent law enforcement from misusing data. Flock will require agencies to use a system that flags unusual searches, automatically locks some users out pending review…

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by Chris Spiker
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Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG
Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Several Hudson Valley and Long Island organizations are receiving thousands of dollars to create pollinator gardens, restore habitats, and expand environmental programs through money stemming from a settlement over toxic consumer weedkillers.  New York Attorney General Letitia James and The New York Community Trust announced $505,000 in grants for 28 organizations across the state to support pollinator conservation projects in historically underserved communities.  The funding includes grants for organizations in Kingston, Hudson, Nyack, Newburgh, Ossining, Brookhaven, Mastic Beac…

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by Ben Crnic