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$2M Scheme: 6 Steal Property Deeds, Obtain Fraudulent Loans In Westchester, DA Says $2M Scheme: 6 Steal Property Deeds, Obtain Fraudulent Loans In Westchester, DA Says
$2M Scheme: 6 Steal Property Deeds, Obtain Fraudulent Loans In Westchester, DA Says Six people, including a licensed real estate broker and salesperson, and a corporation, have been charged with defrauding homeowners in Westchester and fraudulently obtaining $2 million in loans by stealing property deeds, DA officials said.  The six defendants involved in the scheme, including three Westchester residents and a Long Island man, were arrested and arraigned in late June for their role in a scheme that allegedly defrauded homeowners in Yonkers and New Rochelle, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, July 3.  According to officials, the…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Child Porn Possession: Sports Hall Of Famer From Northern Westchester Pleads Guilty Child Porn Possession: Sports Hall Of Famer From Northern Westchester Pleads Guilty
Child Porn Possession: Sports Hall Of Famer From Northern Westchester Pleads Guilty A retired teacher and former sports announcer who was inducted into the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame has admitted to receiving child pornography.  Somers resident Richard Leaf, age 74, who is well-known in Westchester for announcing Section 1 boys and girls basketball tournaments for more than three decades, pleaded guilty to a count of receiving child pornography on Thursday, June 29, according to federal court documents.   Earlier Report - Sports Hall Of Famer Identified As Man Accused Of Possessing Child Porn Videos, Images Leaf, who was inducted into the Hal…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Car Thief Caught In Hudson River After Pursuit In Westchester: Police Car Thief Caught In Hudson River After Pursuit In Westchester: Police
Car Thief Caught In Hudson River After Pursuit In Westchester: Police An alleged car thief faces numerous charges after leading authorities on a pursuit in Westchester that ended with him being apprehended in the Hudson River, police said.  The incident happened on Wednesday, June 21 just before 4 p.m., when a patrol officer in Hastings-on-Hudson tried to pull over a vehicle with stolen license plates near the intersection of Broadway and Main Street, according to Hastings-on-Hudson Police Chief David Dosin.  The car then refused to stop for the officer and pulled over into the driveway of a residence on Main Street before continuing down the drivew…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Presidential Visit: Traffic Delays Expected In Westchester As Biden Arrives In Area Presidential Visit: Traffic Delays Expected In Westchester As Biden Arrives In Area
Presidential Visit: Traffic Delays Expected In Westchester As Biden Arrives In Area President Joe Biden's visit to the Northeast is expected to cause traffic delays in Westchester as he arrives. Biden is set to visit a private event in Greenwich, Connecticut on Friday afternoon, June 16, which will cause a variety of road closures and delays in neighboring Westchester, according to police.  Earlier Report - President Biden To Visit Greenwich For Private Event, Expect Road Closures Many of the delays will occur on local and major roads around the area of Westchester County Airport, according to Westchester County Police.  The Rye Brook Police Department als…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Road Rage: Man Points Gun At Other Driver On Parkway In Westchester, Police Say Road Rage: Man Points Gun At Other Driver On Parkway In Westchester, Police Say
Road Rage: Man Points Gun At Other Driver On Parkway In Westchester, Police Say A 30-year-old man faces charges after an alleged road-rage incident involving him pulling a gun on another driver while traveling on a busy parkway in Westchester, police said.  On Tuesday morning, June 13, New York State Police arrested 30-year-old Valhalla resident Richard Zimmer on charges stemming from an alleged incident that happened on Thursday evening, May 11.  According to police, on the day of the incident, troopers had received a menacing complaint involving two vehicles traveling north on the Sprain Brook Parkway in Greenburgh.  The complaint detailed that the vi…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Rest Stop: New Service Area With Eateries Opens On NY Thruway In Westchester Rest Stop: New Service Area With Eateries Opens On NY Thruway In Westchester
Rest Stop: New Service Area With Eateries Opens On NY Thruway In Westchester An all-new service area with new eateries and shops is now open to commuters traveling on the New York Thruway in Westchester.  The new Ardsley Service Area, located on Interstate 87 northbound in Ardsley between Exit 6A (Yonkers Toll Gantry) and Exit 7 (Ardsley), is now open to commuters in need of a pit stop, the New York Thruway Authority announced on Thursday, June 8.  In addition to giving commuters a place to park and stretch their legs, the new service center also includes a Starbucks coffee shop and a Chick-fil-A fast food eatery.  Earlier Report - New Chick-fil-A To Open Along N…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Canadian Wildfires: Poor Air Quality Forces City To Close Schools In Westchester Canadian Wildfires: Poor Air Quality Forces City To Close Schools In Westchester
Canadian Wildfires: Poor Air Quality Forces City To Close Schools In Westchester A blanket of unhealthy air covering much of New York as a result of Canadian wildfires has caused a city in Westchester to close its schools.  Yonkers Public Schools announced that it would be closing all schools on Thursday, June 8 as a result of the poor air quality and the unhealthy conditions in the city.  Related Story - Canadian Wildfires Still Producing Unhealthy Air: Here's How To Check Conditions In Your Area The announcement comes after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality health advisory for the New York City metro area and lower Hud…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Seen Him? Westchester Man Steals From Gas Station, Police Say Seen Him? Westchester Man Steals From Gas Station, Police Say
Seen Him? Westchester Man Steals From Gas Station, Police Say Police in the Hudson Valley are asking for help in finding a Westchester man who they say stole from a gas station along with a woman.  The theft happened in Putnam County on Saturday, May 20 around 4 a.m., when two suspects allegedly stole beer and water from a BP gas station in Brewster located at 876 Route 22, according to Brewster Police.  The department is now searching for Balil Bashir, of Yonkers, who is estimated to be around 23 years old. Police described him as being a Pakistani man with black hair and brown eyes who weighs around 200 pounds.  The department also a…

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by Ben Crnic
Obituaries
Teacher From Westchester Dies At Age 54: 'Loved Her Students As Her Own' Teacher From Westchester Dies At Age 54: 'Loved Her Students As Her Own'
Teacher From Westchester Dies At Age 54: 'Loved Her Students As Her Own' A teacher who lived in Westchester her entire life is being remembered for her devotion to her students and her caring heart.  Lifelong Yonkers resident Darlene Fata died on Wednesday, May 31 at the age of 54 after a battle with cancer, according to her obituary.  Born in 1969, Fata earned her bachelor's degree from Mercy College and master's degree in Elementary Education from Long Island University before enjoying a 29-year career as a first-grade teacher at School 5 in Yonkers.  There, she was adored by colleagues and students alike and "loved her students as her own…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Brand-New Chick-fil-A To Open In Westchester Brand-New Chick-fil-A To Open In Westchester
Brand-New Chick-fil-A To Open In Westchester Iconic fast food chain Chick-fil-A is planning to open a third location in Westchester that will be perfect for hungry commuters who have built up an appetite.  The new location will soon open along the New York Thruway (Interstate 87) in Hastings-on-Hudson at the Ardsley Travel Plaza at Mile 6, according to Chick-fil-A.  An opening date has not yet been announced for the eatery.  The restaurant is the third announced location in Westchester and the fourth in the Hudson Valley.  Other upcoming Westchester locations include a restaurant in Yonkers at the intersection of…

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by Ben Crnic
News
$500K Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Stole From Retirement Accounts $500K Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Stole From Retirement Accounts
$500K Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Stole From Retirement Accounts A former financial advisor from the Hudson Valley has been convicted of participating in a scheme to steal from a retirement fund sponsored by a labor union for law enforcement employees.  Putnam County resident Andrew Brown, age 55, of Putnam Valley, was convicted of defrauding members of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (LEEBA), a labor union for law enforcement officers employed by New York City, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, May 31.  Brown, along with former LEEBA President and New York State Tr…

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by Ben Crnic
Traffic
Months-Long Lane Closure Scheduled On Hutchinson River Parkway In Westchester Months-Long Lane Closure Scheduled On Hutchinson River Parkway In Westchester
Months-Long Lane Closure Scheduled On Hutchinson River Parkway In Westchester Officials have announced a new planned closure on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester. One southbound lane will be closed on the parkway between Exit 14 (Route 127 in Harrison) and Exit 13 (Mamaroneck Avenue in Scarsdale) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., beginning Tuesday, May 30, and ending Friday, Sept. 1, according to the Department of Transportation. The monthslong closure is to facilitate construction work and will happen weather permitting, transportation officials said. Authorities urged drivers to drive responsibly and slow down, as fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.&…

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by Sophie Grieser