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Police & Fire
Dog Helps Save Church Nearly Destroyed By Fire In Northern Westchester Dog Helps Save Church Nearly Destroyed By Fire In Northern Westchester
Dog Helps Save Church Nearly Destroyed By Fire In Northern Westchester A barking dog helped save a Hudson Valley church that nearly burned down after a fire broke out that quickly spread to the attic, officials said. First responders in Northern Westchester and Putnam counties were dispatched to Assembly of God Church in Yorktown Heights, on Mahopac Avenue, at around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 30, where there was a reported fire that broke out in the building. Church officials said a neighbor and congregant’s German Shepherd, named Bear, barked to get his owner's attention when he spotted flames Assembly of God. The owner was able to call 911, helped get sta…

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by Zak Failla
News
Disbarred Northern Westchester Attorney Sentenced For Stealing $1M From 9/11 Victim Funds Disbarred Northern Westchester Attorney Sentenced For Stealing $1M From 9/11 Victim Funds
Disbarred Northern Westchester Attorney Sentenced For Stealing $1M From 9/11 Victim Funds A disbarred attorney from Northern Westchester will spend time behind bars after he admitted to stealing approximately $1 million that was rewarded to one of his clients from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Yorktown Heights resident Gustavo Vila has been sentenced to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty in White Plains Federal Court for stealing from his client, who was a first responder who suffered life-threatening medical conditions while cleaning up the crash site at Ground Zero. The Victim Compensation Fund was created in the wake of the terror attack to provide government fund…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Here's When Early Voting Starts In New York Here's When Early Voting Starts In New York
Here's When Early Voting Starts In New York With a record number of people expected to head to the polls next month on Election Day, New Yorkers can get a jump start and vote early beginning this weekend. Early voting in New York begins on Saturday, Oct. 24, allowing any registered voter to vote at certain sites within their own county. Early voting lasts through Sunday, Nov. 1. Voters that may have requested or turned in an absentee ballot can still vote in person in New York, with the in-person vote being the only one that counts. Anyone who votes early cannot vote on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early polling locations in th…

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by Zak Failla
News
Disbarred Northern Westchester Lawyer Charged For Stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation, Feds Say Disbarred Northern Westchester Lawyer Charged For Stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation, Feds Say
Disbarred Northern Westchester Lawyer Charged For Stealing 9/11 Victim Compensation, Feds Say A disbarred attorney from Northern Westchester has been accused of stealing approximately $1 million that was rewarded to one of his clients from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Yorktown Heights resident Gustavo Vila was charged in White Plains Federal Court for allegedly stealing from his client, who was a first responder who suffered life-threatening medical conditions while cleaning up the crash site at Ground Zero. The Victim Compensation Fund was created in the wake of the terror attack to provide government funds to compensate anyone who was harmed or killed as a result of the atta…

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by Zak Failla
Weather
Severe Thunderstorms Sweeping Through Region: Here's Latest Severe Thunderstorms Sweeping Through Region: Here's Latest
Severe Thunderstorms Sweeping Through Region: Here's Latest A round of scattered severe thunderstorms with damaging winds that could cause power outages is sweeping through the area. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, radar indicated strong storms were located north of New York City, along a line extending from six miles northeast of Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County to Yorktown Heights in Northern Westchester. (See first image above.) Expect multiple lines/rounds of storms, the National Weather Service said, noting that heavy downpours could cause flooding, especially in low-lying areas with poor drainage.  The strong wind gusts could …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: Hudson Valley School Districts Planning For Long-Term Closures COVID-19: Hudson Valley School Districts Planning For Long-Term Closures
Covid-19: Hudson Valley School Districts Planning For Long-Term Closures More than 50 school superintendents throughout the Hudson Valley met with New York State officials to discuss contingency plans as concerns mount over the spread of the novel strain of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Some of those school officials are now informing students, parents and staff members some schools could be closed for several weeks as the virus continues to spread in the region. Individual districts are expected to announce their plans for students and closures over the weekend following the meeting with members of the state Education Department at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOC…

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by Zak Failla
News
Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes
Car Photo Released, FBI Joins Police To Probe Yorktown Vandalism As Possible Hate Crimes Local officials have teamed with the FBI following a series of acts of vandalism through the town Yorktown that may be classified as hate crimes because houses of worship were included. The incidents occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 4, on both private and town property, said Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater and Police Chief Robert Noble. Officials said the damage included four shattered glass doors at the Yorktown Stage, a toppled menorah at Veterans’ Field and multiple windows were broken at the John C. Hart Memorial Library.  In addition, windows a…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
Family Of Slain NYPD Officer From Northern Westchester Thanks Community For Support Family Of Slain NYPD Officer From Northern Westchester Thanks Community For Support
Family Of Slain Nypd Officer From Northern Westchester Thanks Community For Support The family and girlfriend of a slain NYPD officer from Northern Westchester is thanking the community for its support. NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen, who grew up in Orange County in Monroe, was killed by friendly fire following a violent struggle with a suspect on Sunday, Sept. 29. Mulkeen, 33 lived in Yorktown Heights with his girlfriend, Sherry Hodge, -- also an NYPD officer -- who says the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming and the family would like to thank all for their support. "We’d like to express the immense gratitude that we feel toward the kind and givin…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
ID Released For Northern Westchester Woman Who Died After Driving Car Into Hudson River ID Released For Northern Westchester Woman Who Died After Driving Car Into Hudson River
ID Released For Northern Westchester Woman Who Died After Driving Car Into Hudson River Police have released the identity of a woman who allegedly drove her car into the Hudson River. Tiffany Kingwood, 37, of Verplanck, died after driving her vehicle into the Hudson River in Westchester. The incident took place around 12:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18, near a riverside park in Verplanck, said Kieran O'Leary, spokesman for the Westchester County Police. Kingwood was discovered in the car in about 10 feet of water by divers from Yorktown Heights, he said. Due to a strong drift, it took searchers a while to located the vehicle.  According to O'Leary, based on eyewitness ac…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Dies After Driving Vehicle Into Hudson River, Police Say Woman Dies After Driving Vehicle Into Hudson River, Police Say
Woman Dies After Driving Vehicle Into Hudson River, Police Say This story has been updated. A woman has died after driving her vehicle into the Hudson River in Westchester. The incident took place around 12:45 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18, near a riverside park in Verplanck, said Kieran O'Leary, spokesman for the Westchester County Police. The woman was discovered in the car in about 10 feet of water by divers from Yorktown Heights, he said. Due to a strong drift, it took searchers a while to located the vehicle.  Police are not sure how the car ended up in the water, and say the incident is under investigation, pending the outcome of an autopsy.…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
Support Pours In For Family Of Slain NYPD Officer From Westchester Support Pours In For Family Of Slain NYPD Officer From Westchester
Support Pours In For Family Of Slain Nypd Officer From Westchester As the family of slain Westchester NYPD officer Brian Mulkeen comes to grips with the loss of their loved one, support pours in from the community and fellow officers. Immediately following the friendly fire death of the Yorktown Heights officer after 12:30 Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Edenwald Houses in the Bronx, Answer the Call -- also known as The NY Police and Fire Widows' & Childrens Benefit Fund -- was in touch with the family and provided $25,000 to assist with any immediate expenses. "We send our deepest condolences to Officer Brian Mulkeen's family and the entire NYPD Community," s…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Video Shows NYPD Officer From Westchester Singing With Partner Hour Before Shooting Video Shows NYPD Officer From Westchester Singing With Partner Hour Before Shooting
Video Shows Nypd Officer From Westchester Singing With Partner Hour Before Shooting As the family and the NYPD mourn the passing of an officer from Orange County living in Westchester who was shot while fighting with a suspect, an online video shows him singing with his partner just an hour before his death. Posted to Facebook by Brian Mulkeen's friend Bryan Mahon, in the 20-second clip the men can be heard singing their hearts out to an old John Denver song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Watch the video here Mulkeen, 33, of Yorktown Heights, was fatally shot in a hand-to-hand struggle with an armed suspect just after 12:30 Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Edenwald Houses in…

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by Kathy Reakes