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Police & Fire
Hudson Valley Wildfire Prompts Voluntary Evacuations, Shelters Open For Residents, Pets Hudson Valley Wildfire Prompts Voluntary Evacuations, Shelters Open For Residents, Pets
Hudson Valley Wildfire Prompts Voluntary Evacuations, Shelters Open For Residents, Pets A wildfire spreading in the region has prompted voluntary evacuations as state and local agencies in New York work to control the blaze in the Hudson Valley. The fire, originating in Orange County near Jennings Creek and Sterling Forest, has crossed established containment lines, New York State Police said Saturday evening, Nov. 16.  Approximately 40 residences, from 32 to 120 Edgemere Ave., are under a voluntary evacuation order issued by the Town of Warwick Police Department. Residents in need of shelter can go to Greenwood Lake Middle School, which has opened its doors to evacuees a…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Hudson Valley, Feds Say Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Hudson Valley, Feds Say
Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Hudson Valley, Feds Say Anger over an unflattering news article prompted a man to threaten to kill a New York reporter and her family, federal prosecutors alleged. Austin Suman, age 35, now residing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was charged in Westchester County with making a threat involving an explosive and related charges in White Plains federal court. Prosecutors said Suman contacted a Hudson Valley reporter based in Orange County via Facebook messenger on Friday, Nov. 8, threatening to “end” the woman’s family. He allegedly threatened to blow her house “off its foundation” and used multiple racial slurs. …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Man Headed To Prison For Sexually Abusing Child In Hudson Valley Man Headed To Prison For Sexually Abusing Child In Hudson Valley
Man Headed To Prison For Sexually Abusing Child In Hudson Valley A man has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a child under the age of 13 in the region. Sullivan County resident Anthony Villegas, 49, of Monticello, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Orange County Court to nine years in prison, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision. According to Orange County District Attorney David Hoolver, Villegas admitted that between June 2010 and April 2011, he engaged in two or more acts of sexual conduct, which included at least one act of sexual intercourse with an individual who was under 13 years old. Hoovler thanked the New York State P…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
Save A Lot To Hold Grand Reopening Of Renovated Store In Hudson Valley Save A Lot To Hold Grand Reopening Of Renovated Store In Hudson Valley
Save A Lot To Hold Grand Reopening Of Renovated Store In Hudson Valley Food shoppers will soon be able to cruise the aisles of a newly renovated Save A Lot grocery store in the region. Store officials said the store, located in Orange County at 97 Lake St. in Newburgh, has been fully remodeled to offer the best grocery shopping experience. To celebrate, a grand re-opening event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, to allow customers to check out the upgraded look and feel of the grocery store. Store officials said customers will notice a lighter, brighter, easier-to-shop footprint that includes new décor, fresh interior, and expanded inventory.  The manag…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
1 Killed, 1 Hospitalized In Chain-Reaction Hudson Valley Crash 1 Killed, 1 Hospitalized In Chain-Reaction Hudson Valley Crash
1 Killed, 1 Hospitalized In Chain-Reaction Hudson Valley Crash One person was killed and another injured when a Nissan van traveling north on a busy stretch of I-87 rear-ended a bobtail 2016 Freightliner tractor-trailer that was slowed in the right lane of traffic.  The collision occurred in Orange County at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the town of Woodbury. According to New York State Trooper Sgt. Jack Keller, an approaching work zone for line stripping, caused the slow traffic. The collision pushed the tractor-trailer forward and into the rear of a 1997 Freightliner tractor-trailer. The driver of the van was pronounced dead at the scene. …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Search Warrant Leads To Child Porn Charge For Hudson Valley 60-Year-Old Search Warrant Leads To Child Porn Charge For Hudson Valley 60-Year-Old
Search Warrant Leads To Child Porn Charge For Hudson Valley 60-Year-Old A Hudson Valley code enforcement officer and fire investigator has been charged with allegedly possessing materials showing obscene sexual performances by a child. Orange County resident John Orr, age 60, of Pine Island, was charged on Wednesday, Nov. 6, following the execution of a search warrant by the New York State Police and the town of Warwick Police on Glenwood Road, in the Town of Warwick, said Trooper Steven Nvel. After the search, Nevel said Orr was arrested, processed, and released on an appearance ticket.  The investigation is continuing by State Police Monroe BCI and the …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Winning Lotto Powerball Tickets Sold In Hudson Valley Winning Lotto Powerball Tickets Sold In Hudson Valley
Winning Lotto Powerball Tickets Sold In Hudson Valley Two winning Powerball tickets were sold at lucky lottery stores in the Hudson Valley. According to the New York Lottery, the winning tickets for the Monday, Nov. 11 game were sold at Smokes 4 Less stores, only in different counties. A big payout Powerplay ticket worth $150,000 was sold in Orange County at the Smokes 4 Less store on N. Plank Road in Newburgh. Lottery officials said the other ticket, worth $50,000, was sold at the Smokes 4 Less store in Dutchess County, in Wappingers Falls. The winning numbers were 3-21-24-34-46, with a Powerball of 9. The $150,000 winner purchased a Power…

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by Kathy Reakes
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
News
Governor Provides Update On Wildfires In Hudson Valley Governor Provides Update On Wildfires In Hudson Valley
Governor Provides Update On Wildfires In Hudson Valley As the wildfires continue to burn across the Hudson Valley, Gov. Kathy Hochul updated what's being done to mitigate and contain them. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Hochul said a multi-agency response had been deployed to fires in Orange and Ulster counties in close coordination with local fire departments and first responders.  According to Hochul, an aerial investigation shows the Orange County fire named the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park wildfire in New York and New Jersey now encompasses 5,000 acres, half of which is in New York, and is 10 percent contained in both states. The fire in …

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Hudson Valley Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Hudson Valley
Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Hudson Valley Parents and students can expect to see extra police on the campus of a middle school in the region after a threat of violence was made over social media. Enlarged City School District of Middletown Superintendent Amy Creeden said the threat was received late Monday, Nov. 11, in Orange County at Monhagen Middle School in the town of Wallkill. The threat, which Wallkill Police are actively investigating, was made on social media by an unidentified user who created a fake, well-known username in an attempt to gain attention. Creeden said the threat has been shared rapidly by and among students…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Hudson Valley State Park Remembered As HS Baseball Standout 18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Hudson Valley State Park Remembered As HS Baseball Standout
18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Hudson Valley State Park Remembered As HS Baseball Standout A teenage New York State Parks and Recreation worker who died battling one of the latest in a rash of wildfires in the region will be honored at a memorial service in his hometown. The blaze broke out in Orange County at Sterling Forest State Park in Tuxedo on Saturday, Nov. 9, and spread into parts of neighboring New Jersey. Rockland County resident Dariel Vasquez, age 18, suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Vasquez suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Par…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
18-Year-Old State Parks Worker Killed Battling Hudson Valley Wildfire 18-Year-Old State Parks Worker Killed Battling Hudson Valley Wildfire
18-Year-Old State Parks Worker Killed Battling Hudson Valley Wildfire A teenage New York State Parks and Recreation worker died battling one of the latest in a rash of wildfires in the region. Click here for a new, updated story - 18-Year-Old Killed In Wildfire At Sterling Forest Remembered As HS Baseball Standout The blaze broke out in Orange County at Sterling Forest State Park in Tuxedo on Saturday, Nov. 9, and spread into parts of neighboring New Jersey. He's been identified as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez, police said. Vasquez suffered fatal injuries after a tree fell, according to the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Pr…

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by Joe Lombardi