Fair 34°
Police & Fire
Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley
Lost Hikers Rescued By Forest Rangers In Hudson Valley Two lost hikers in the region were guided to safety by forest rangers as darkness set in the region. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Ulster County in the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area in the town of Shandaken. According to officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the two hikers, ages 28, and 31, lost the trail and called 911 as darkness began to fall. Forest Ranger Horn called one hiker’s cell phone and helped guide the pair a short distance back to the trail. The hikers shared tracking information with Ranger Horn to en…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Man Admits 'Straw Purchasing' Guns, US Attorney Says Hudson Valley Man Admits 'Straw Purchasing' Guns, US Attorney Says
Hudson Valley Man Admits 'Straw Purchasing' Guns, US Attorney Says A Hudson Valley man pled guilty to conspiring with others to unlawfully obtain firearms from a licensed dealer by allegedly making false statements, also known as “straw purchasing” firearms. Ulster County resident Oryin McLeod, age 23, of Kingston, admitted on Wednesday, Feb. 14, that he entered into an agreement with Rylan Peterson, a native of Kingston then serving in the Marine Corps at a base in North Carolina, for Peterson to acquire six semi-automatic handguns on behalf of McLeod and others, according to US Attorney for the Northern District of New York Carla Freeman. According to co…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries
Hudson Valley Woman Drives Into CSX Train By Mistake, Suffers Injuries A Hudson Valley woman suffered minor injuries after she allegedly mixed up backing out and accidentally pulled forward and drove into a CSX train. The incident took place in Ulster County around 2:40 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14 near the Leggs Mills Road railroad crossing. According to Chief Kyle Berardi of the Ulster Police Department, Vivian McKeithan, age 72, of the town of Ulster, was driving a 2011 Cadillac sedan when she attempted to back out of a parking spot and put the car in drive by mistake, accelerated through the parking lot and collided with the side a passing CSX train. Her vehi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends
Hudson Valley Court Clerk Accused Of 'Fixing' Tickets For Friends A court clerk in the region has been charged with allegedly falsifying business records for "fixing" tickets for friends. Ulster County resident Haley Whalen, age 25, of Ulster Park, was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 13 following an investigation by state police. According to Trooper Steven Nevel, of the New York State Police, an investigation revealed that Whalen, a court clerk with the Town of Saugerties Court, unofficially used her credentials to dismiss tickets on behalf of acquaintances. Whalen was charged with: Four counts of falsifying business records Four counts of tampering with pu…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Popular Shop Known For Stuffed Bagels Set To Open Second Location In Hudson Valley Popular Shop Known For Stuffed Bagels Set To Open Second Location In Hudson Valley
Popular Shop Known For Stuffed Bagels Set To Open Second Location In Hudson Valley Bagel lovers will soon have a chance to sample one stuffed with all kinds of fillings including pizza, chicken parmigiana, or even a Reuben when a cult favorite opens a second shop in the Hudson Valley.  Moonrise Bagels, which opened its first shop in Ulster County in 2021 in Woodstock, announced its stuffed bagels have been such a success that it now plans to open a Dutchess County location in Poughkeepsie.  The new hotshot bagel shop that was featured on the Today Show, and can even be shipped across the country through Gold Belly will be located within the Hudson Heritage Deve…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Sheriff's Employee Shoots, Kills Self At Work, Police Say Hudson Valley Sheriff's Employee Shoots, Kills Self At Work, Police Say
Hudson Valley Sheriff's Employee Shoots, Kills Self At Work, Police Say An employee of a sheriff's office in the region died by suicide, according to authorities. The incident occurred in Ulster County around 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 8, at the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center in Kingston. According to Capt. Joseph Sciutto of the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the employee was located in the center with a a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Members of the Sheriff's Office attempted to provide emergency aid to the employee who was transported to the Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston, where the person died from the injuries, Sciutto said. The incident is be…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Suspect Caught After Assaulting Hudson Valley Woman Pumping Gas, Crashing Her Vehicle: Police Suspect Caught After Assaulting Hudson Valley Woman Pumping Gas, Crashing Her Vehicle: Police
Suspect Caught After Assaulting Hudson Valley Woman Pumping Gas, Crashing Her Vehicle: Police A Hudson Valley man has been charged with a hate crime after allegedly robbing and stealing a woman's car at a gas station. The incident took place in Ulster County around 4:45 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 6 at the Mobil Station on Route 209 in the town of Wawarsing. According to Trooper Steven Nevel, a preliminary investigation revealed that Shirley Clayton, an 84-year-old woman from the hamlet of Kerhonkson was pumping gas when she was assaulted by Christopher Doulin, age 37, of Lake Katrine.  Nevel said Doulin shoved Clayton to the ground and entered her vehicle.  As he was going thro…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Woman Feuding With Neighbor Beats Him With Baseball Bat, Police Say Hudson Valley Woman Feuding With Neighbor Beats Him With Baseball Bat, Police Say
Hudson Valley Woman Feuding With Neighbor Beats Him With Baseball Bat, Police Say A Hudson Valley woman who had been fighting with a neighbor allegedly beat him with a baseball bat and then busted out his car windows. Ulster County resident Genesis Spatola, age 42, of Highland, was charged on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in Highland. According to Chief James Janso of the town of Lloyd Police, Spatola is accused of assaulting her 72-year-old neighbor with a baseball bat causing injuries to the victim’s face and legs.  Spatola is also accused of smashing out the victim’s car windows with the baseball bat causing extensive damage to the vehicle, Janso said. She was…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
NY Vacation: Northern Westchester's Own Chevy Chase Spotted At Historic Empire State Hotel NY Vacation: Northern Westchester's Own Chevy Chase Spotted At Historic Empire State Hotel
NY Vacation: Northern Westchester's Own Chevy Chase Spotted At Historic Empire State Hotel It wasn’t exactly Walley World, but actor Chevy Chase still had a good time on his vacation to Upstate New York. The 80-year-old “Saturday Night Live” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” star was spotted in Saratoga County on Monday, Jan. 22 at the historic Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs. Flanked by his wife Jayni and their actress daughter Caley, Chase posed for a family photo on a staircase in the hotel’s lobby. “Wonderful weekend in Saratoga Springs,” he captioned the photo, which was shared on his verified Instagram account. View this post on Instagram …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
College Student In Hudson Valley Killed In Hit-Run Crash Near Campus College Student In Hudson Valley Killed In Hit-Run Crash Near Campus
College Student In Hudson Valley Killed In Hit-Run Crash Near Campus A college student was killed in and hit-and-run crash near campus in the Hudson Valley. The incident happened around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23 in Ulster County outside SUNY New Paltz where the victim, Ray Rattray, age 22, was a student. The Ulster County Sheriff's Office said the crash occurred on Route 208 in the town of New Paltz between the area of Hawk Drive and Cross Creek Road. When deputies arrived, they located Rattray, a New York City resident, in a wooded area approximately 20 feet from the road.  Rattray was a Philosophy major, an Educational Opportunity Program student, …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Man Charged With Possessing 1K Grams Of Cocaine During Hudson Valley Traffic Stop Man Charged With Possessing 1K Grams Of Cocaine During Hudson Valley Traffic Stop
Man Charged With Possessing 1K Grams Of Cocaine During Hudson Valley Traffic Stop A 35-year-old man is behind bars for allegedly possessing more than 1,035 grams of cocaine found during a routine traffic stop in the Hudson Valley. The incident took place around 5:15 p.m., Monday, Jan. 22 in Ulster County on I-87 in the town of Ulster. According to Trooper Steven Nevel of the New York State Police, Lloyd Craig, of Providence, Rhode Island, was stopped for a traffic violation. During the stop, a probable cause search was conducted and turned up the cocaine, Nevel said. Craig was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal posse…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
Lifelong Hudson Valley Resident Who Served As Fire Chief, Owned Catering Business Dies At 70 Lifelong Hudson Valley Resident Who Served As Fire Chief, Owned Catering Business Dies At 70
Lifelong Hudson Valley Resident Who Served As Fire Chief, Owned Catering Business Dies At 70 A popular lifelong Hudson Valley former fire chief and catering business owner known for his love of cooking has died at the age of 70. Ulster County resident Michael B. Hackett, of Highland, passed away on Monday, Jan. 15. He was born on Sunday, June 7, 1953, in Poughkeepsie, to the late Francis and the late Rita (McGrath) Hackett, according to his obituary.  He was a resident all of his life. He was a graduate of Roy C. Ketcham High School in Wappingers Falls and a member of St. Martin de Porres Church in Poughkeepsie, his obituary said,  Retired from Geodis/IBM of Poughkeepsie…

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by Kathy Reakes