16-Year-Old Sets Fire To School In Capital Region, Police Say 16-Year-Old Sets Fire To School In Capital Region, Police Say
16-Year-Old Sets Fire To School In Capital Region, Police Say Classes were in session when a 16-year-old allegedly set fire to a high school in the region. The Albany County incident happened Tuesday, April 23, at Bethlehem High School. According to Bethlehem Police, the juvenile suspect intentionally started a fire in a school bathroom in the C wing.  No students or staff were injured, but the incident forced an evacuation of the building that lasted nearly an hour. The alleged culprit is a student at the school, according to Superintendent Jody Monroe, who said the district is cooperating with police and is conducting its own investigation. …
School In Westchester To Close: 'Sad Day,' Superintendent Says School In Westchester To Close: 'Sad Day,' Superintendent Says
School In Westchester To Close: 'Sad Day,' Superintendent Says A school in Westchester County has announced it will cease operations at the end of the academic year.  In an announcement on Wednesday, May 1, the Office of the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York revealed the Transfiguration School in Tarrytown would close at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.  Officials attributed the decision to close the Catholic school to shifting demographics and lower enrollment, which have "significantly impacted" its ability to continue operating.  The St. Simon Stock School in the Bronx will also close for similar reas…
School Superintendent In Hudson Valley Accepts Post In Nearby District School Superintendent In Hudson Valley Accepts Post In Nearby District
School Superintendent In Hudson Valley Accepts Post In Nearby District After six years, a Hudson Valley superintendent has announced his upcoming move to a nearby district to remain closer to his family. Superintendent Phil Benante of Putnam County's Haldane Central School District announced on Tuesday, April 30 that he was appointed head of the Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County, according to a letter written to the district community.  In his letter, Benante wrote that he chose to move to the Arlington district because it would allow him to work closer to his family.  The Arlington district includes parts of Beekman, La Gran…
Girl's 'Uncomfortable' Interaction With Man Near Capital Region School Under Investigation Girl's 'Uncomfortable' Interaction With Man Near Capital Region School Under Investigation
Girl's 'Uncomfortable' Interaction With Man Near Capital Region School Under Investigation Police are investigating after a girl said a male driver approached her near an elementary school in the region and made her feel “uncomfortable.” The Schenectady incident happened at around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, April 25, outside Van Corlaer Elementary School on Guilderland Avenue.  Schenectady Police said the girl told school staff that she was walking in the area when a man approached her in a vehicle and began asking her questions that she wasn’t comfortable with. School staff immediately contacted police and detectives with the department’s Youth Aid Bureau located the man a short …
Best High Schools: Westchester Well-Represented In Brand-New Rankings Best High Schools: Westchester Well-Represented In Brand-New Rankings
Best High Schools: Westchester Well-Represented In Brand-New Rankings New York is well-represented on U.S. News & World Report's latest rankings of the nation's best high schools. The brand-new rankings were released Tuesday morning, April 23, and determined by performance on state-required tests, graduation, and how well they prepare students for college. The highest-ranked school outside New York City is on Long Island: Jericho, at No. 13 statewide and 104th nationally. The top-rated high school in Westchester County is Edgemont at No. 14 in the state and 128th in the nation, with Bronxville, at No. 16 in the state and 151st nationally. Another W…
Janitor Put Hidden Camera In Elementary School Bathroom In Capital Region, Police Say Janitor Put Hidden Camera In Elementary School Bathroom In Capital Region, Police Say
Janitor Put Hidden Camera In Elementary School Bathroom In Capital Region, Police Say This story has been updated. A janitor at an elementary school in the region is accused of secretly recording colleagues in a staff bathroom. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said an employee at Voorheesville Elementary School discovered a cell phone that was recording people in a staff bathroom on Tuesday, April 9. Investigators determined that David Ague, a custodian at the school, had placed the phone there, Voorheesville Central School District Superintendent Frank Macri said in a letter to parents. "The district immediately contacted the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, which ha…
Hudson Valley School District Taps New Superintendent Hudson Valley School District Taps New Superintendent
Hudson Valley School District Taps New Superintendent After an intense vetting process, a Hudson Valley school district has selected a new superintendent with more than two decades of leadership experience.  In an announcement on Tuesday, April 9, the Garrison Union Free School District in Putnam County revealed that Gregory Stowell was offered the position of superintendent.  Stowell is expected to be officially appointed to the role at the next Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m.  Once he takes the district's helm, Stowell will replace Carl Albano, who officially retired from the role in September…
'Sopranos' Star Edie Falco Stops By Northern Westchester High School 'Sopranos' Star Edie Falco Stops By Northern Westchester High School
'Sopranos' Star Edie Falco Stops By Northern Westchester High School Edie Falco, one of the stars of "The Sopranos," took some time to give some advice about acting and life to students during a visit to a Northern Westchester high school. In a 90-minute visit to John Jay High School in Cross River on Tuesday, March 19, Edie Falco, known for playing Carmela Soprano in "The Sopranos," spoke to over 100 students as part of the school's Social and Theoretical Criticism in the Serial Narrative elective.  During the visit, which took place in the school's auditorium, Falco answered students' questions about her life and career and told the story of how …
Proposed $6M Budget Cuts At Hudson Valley School District Spark Outrage Proposed $6M Budget Cuts At Hudson Valley School District Spark Outrage
Proposed $6M Budget Cuts At Hudson Valley School District Spark Outrage A Hudson Valley school district has sparked outrage among residents by proposing a budget for the next year that contains at least $6 million in cuts, which could affect many student programs and teaching jobs.  At a Board of Education meeting in Putnam County held on Tuesday night, March 12 at Carmel High School, countless community members spoke out about the budget, proposed by the Carmel Central School District for the 2023-2024 school year.  According to district documents, the budget could include at least $6 million in cuts to teaching jobs, after-school programs, fie…
Jimmy Fallon Crashes NY College Party, Pokes Fun At Alma Mater's Impending Closure Jimmy Fallon Crashes NY College Party, Pokes Fun At Alma Mater's Impending Closure
Jimmy Fallon Crashes NY College Party, Pokes Fun At Alma Mater's Impending Closure Funnyman Jimmy Fallon ginned up plenty of online buzz after crashing a college party in upstate New York. The 49-year-old “Tonight Show” host and “Saturday Night Live” alum made a surprise appearance at what appears to be a frat party at a house near the UAlbany campus on Saturday, March 9. Video shared on TikTok shows dozens of students screaming with excitement while trying to snap selfies as Fallon is led through a crowd and into the residence. It was not immediately clear how long he stayed at the party. @victoriaspadaro Kegs & Eggs 🍀 #jimmyfallon #ualbany #upstateny #capital…
Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At School In Hudson Valley Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At School In Hudson Valley
Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found At School In Hudson Valley The discovery of two swastikas on a high school wall in the region is being used as a learning experience regarding anti-Semitism. The swastikas were found in Dutchess County on Monday, March 4 at Rhinebeck High School, said the principal Edwin Davenport. Davenport, who happened to be in the classroom when the symbols of hate were discovered by another student, said he is investigating to find who may have drawn the symbols in chalk on a wall, but also immediately called out the action for what it was -- "It's evil, and will not be tolerated," Davenport said. It is not the first time …
Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At Capital Region School, Police Say Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At Capital Region School, Police Say
Update: Student Attacks 16-Year-Old, Staffer With Knife At Capital Region School, Police Say This story has been updated. A 16-year-old student and an adult staffer have been injured in a reported stabbing attack at a school in the region. Emergency crews in Rensselaer County were called to Troy Community School on 5th Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28 for a stabbing inside the building. Troy Police said the juvenile victim and another male student got into a fight inside the school when the suspect pulled out a pocket knife and injured the other student. A member of the school’s security team responded with other staff members and attempted to break up the fight. A…