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$316K Fentanyl-For-Food Stamps Scheme At Deli In Region Lands Employee Behind Bars $316K Fentanyl-For-Food Stamps Scheme At Deli In Region Lands Employee Behind Bars
$316K Fentanyl-For-Food Stamps Scheme At Deli In Region Lands Employee Behind Bars A Schenectady deli worker who turned his family business into a hub of illegal exchanges will spend the next year behind bars. Omar Alaidrus, 24, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on Wednesday, Feb. 12, after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl and committing food stamp fraud totaling $316,975, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. Alaidrus operated the scheme out of his family’s Schenectady deli, where he exchanged controlled substances—including fentanyl—for food stamps, prosecutors said.  He also gave out cash and other prohibited item…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says
These Foods Expected To See Biggest Price Increases This Year, USDA Says As consumers navigate the aisles in 2025, the cost of food remains a pressing concern.  The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released its 2025 Food Price Outlook, forecasting trends that will shape grocery store receipts and restaurant bills in the months ahead. What’s Ahead for Food Prices? According to the USDA, overall food prices are expected to rise by 2.2 percent in 2025. While this is comparable to 2024’s rate, it remains slower than the historical average. However, variations in price changes across different food categories could impact consumer spending habits. Groce…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices
Wegmans Cracks Down On Rising Egg Costs With Super Low Prices If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you might have felt some serious sticker shock in the egg aisle. Prices are climbing fast, but Wegmans is vowing to keep costs from scrambling out of control. The grocery chain, known for its loyal following and high-quality selections, says it’s holding the line on egg prices even as costs soar across the country.  "With supply fluctuating nationwide, prices are rising due to avian bird influenza and strong demand," reads a blurb on the Wegmans website in the "eggs section.  "Our New York state supplier takes every precaution to ensure…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Bird Flu Outbreak At NY Poultry Farm Leads To Euthanasia Of 100K Birds Bird Flu Outbreak At NY Poultry Farm Leads To Euthanasia Of 100K Birds
Bird Flu Outbreak At NY Poultry Farm Leads To Euthanasia Of 100K Birds Health officials are working to contain an outbreak of bird flu at a Long Island poultry farm. The disease, known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or H5N1, was confirmed in a commercial poultry flock on a farm in Suffolk County, the county health department revealed Tuesday, Jan. 21. The farm’s owner reported unusual illness among the flock earlier this month, with test results from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirming the presence of H5N1 on Friday, January 17. No workers have shown symptoms, but potentially exposed employees are being tested and given preventive medic…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Bird Flu Found In Goose At Farm In Hudson Valley: Here's Who Is At Risk Bird Flu Found In Goose At Farm In Hudson Valley: Here's Who Is At Risk
Bird Flu Found In Goose At Farm In Hudson Valley: Here's Who Is At Risk A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, has been confirmed in a wild goose found in Putnam County, health officials announced. The deceased goose was discovered at the end of December at the Farm and Wildlife Center at Green Chimneys in Brewster, which promptly ensured the animal was tested, the Putnam County Department of Health announced on Friday, Jan. 17. While the virus has been spreading globally among wild birds, commercial poultry, and backyard flocks since 2022, the risk to the general public remains low, according to the health department.&n…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA
Inspectors Found ‘General Filth’ At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak: USDA Inspectors found "general filth," poor sanitation practices, and structural issues at Boar’s Head facilities, including the Virginia plant linked to a deadly Listeria outbreak that killed 10 people and hospitalized 60, according to a newly released USDA report. A detailed report by the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has revealed alarming findings at Boar’s Head’s Virginia facility, tied to a 2024 outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that resulted in 10 deaths and 60 hospitalizations across 19 states.  The outbreak, traced to liverwurst products f…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
NY Ranked Among Best States For Raising Families In New Study: Find Out Why NY Ranked Among Best States For Raising Families In New Study: Find Out Why
NY Ranked Among Best States For Raising Families In New Study: Find Out Why Massachusetts leads the U.S. as a place for raising families and two other Northeast states are among the nation's best, according to a new study. WalletHub released its 2025 list of best and worst states to raise a family on Monday, Jan. 13. The personal finance website ranked each state on family-friendliness, evaluating factors like housing affordability, healthcare quality, job security, and education. Massachusetts claimed the top spot, excelling in education and healthcare. The state boasts the nation’s best public schools, the highest rate of children with health insurance, and …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List 10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List
10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns: Product List The product list has now been released for a nationwide recall of nearly 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria. Click here for a new, updated story: New Update: Products Added To Recall Of 10M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry Due To Listeria Concerns The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)  announced that BrucePac is recalling approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says
Mold, Mildew, Insects Found At Boar’s Head Plant Tied To Deadly Listeria Outbreak, Report Says Inspectors at the Boar's Head plant tied to a deadly Listeria outbreak discovered mold, mildew and insects among dozens of violations, according to a report by CBS News. Dozens of violations at the plant in Jarratt, Virginia, were outlined in records released by the US Department of Agriculture, the report said. After an initial recall of around 200,000 pounds of deli meat due to possible Listeria contamination, the company expanded it to approximately seven million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products on Tuesday, July 30. Boar's Head's recall includes 71 p…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Lead Found In Lunchables: Consumer Reports Urges USDA To Remove Product From School Programs Lead Found In Lunchables: Consumer Reports Urges USDA To Remove Product From School Programs
Lead Found In Lunchables: Consumer Reports Urges USDA To Remove Product From School Programs Tests performed by the nonprofit Consumer Reports allegedly found high levels of lead and phthalates in the popular snack boxes by Lunchables, leading the organization to call on the government to remove the lunches from the National School Lunch Program. Consumer Reports (CR) issued the call to the US Department of Agriculture to remove Lunchable meals from the national program following a report released on Tuesday, April 9. As part of the report, the organization tested store-bought Lunchable food kits and compared the nutritional profiles of these meals to the two school-only Lunchab…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA
Deadly Cheeses Prompt Massive Recall Nationwide: CDC, FDA, USDA Dairy products linked to deaths and serious illness — sold nationwide at many major retailers — are being recalled, the Center for Disease Control, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Food And Drug Administration announced in multiple releases over the first week of February.  Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. is recalling over 50 products after 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths, according to the CDC.  The California-based company issued the recall following the report of Listeria monocytogenes contamination causing illnesses in 11 states. Listeria monocytogene…

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by Jillian Pikora
Business
Tornado: Support Pours In For Business In Region Hit Hard With 'Enormous Damage' Tornado: Support Pours In For Business In Region Hit Hard With 'Enormous Damage'
Tornado: Support Pours In For Business In Region Hit Hard With 'Enormous Damage' Support is pouring in for the owners of a farm in the region that was severely damaged during a tornado over the weekend. The twister tore through an area in the Catskills, in northwestern Sullivan County, at around nightfall Saturday, April 22. The tornado, with peak winds of 115 miles per hour, ranked as an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF Scale, the National Weather Service said. Earlier report: Tornado: Detailed Info Released On Strong Twister With 115 MPH Winds That Hit Sullivan County It touched down at around 6:38 p.m. and had a path length of 9.95 miles and a path width…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
3.4K Pounds Of Beef Chuck Product Recalled Due To Possible E. Coli Contamination 3.4K Pounds Of Beef Chuck Product Recalled Due To Possible E. Coli Contamination
3.4K Pounds Of Beef Chuck Product Recalled Due To Possible E. Coli Contamination Thousands of pounds of a beef chuck product are being recalled due to possible E. coli contamination. Approximately 3,436 pounds of various weights of boneless items labeled "Elkhorn Valley Pride Angus Beef 61226 BEEF CHUCK 2PC BNLS" were packed on Thursday, Feb. 16,  the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Friday, March 24. View the product label here. The complete list of serial numbers and box count numbers can be found here. The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “EST. M-19549” inside the USDA mark of inspect…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
COVID-19: German Shepherd In NY, One Of First Dogs In Nation To Test Positive, Dies At Age 6 COVID-19: German Shepherd In NY, One Of First Dogs In Nation To Test Positive, Dies At Age 6
Covid-19: German Shepherd In NY, One Of First Dogs In Nation To Test Positive, Dies At Age 6 A dog in New York who was one of the first in the country to be diagnosed with COVID-19 died shortly before his seventh birthday. Buddy, a German Shepherd living with his family in Staten Island, began having trouble breathing in mid-April, around the time the COVID pandemic peaked in New York. When the dog began getting sick, he was tested and it was determined he was positive for COVID-19.  He also had lymphoma, his family said, which was diagnosed on the day of his death on Saturday, July 11, according to a report in National Geographic. The Mahoneys said approximately every two w…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Two Cats In Different Areas Of New York Become First US Pets To Test Positive COVID-19: Two Cats In Different Areas Of New York Become First US Pets To Test Positive
Covid-19: Two Cats In Different Areas Of New York Become First US Pets To Test Positive The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed a pair of furry little patients in New York. Two cats in separate areas in the state not identified by the government have become the first companion animals in the United States to test positive for COVID-19, which has ravaged the state, with more than 250,000 positive cases that have claimed 15,302 lives in 53 days. "These are the first pets in the United States to test positive," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday, April 22, in a joint statement with the CDC. Officials said that the cats had mild respiratory illnesses and are e…

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by Zak Failla
News
More Than 50,000 Pounds Of Fish Products Recalled Due To Improper Inspection More Than 50,000 Pounds Of Fish Products Recalled Due To Improper Inspection
More Than 50,000 Pounds Of Fish Products Recalled Due To Improper Inspection The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced a recall of more than 50,000 pounds of frozen fish products that were not properly inspected. The USDA announced that McAllen Cold Storage is recalling approximately 51,942 pounds of frozen Siluriformes fish products - specifically Basa fillets - that were not presented for import re-inspection into the United States. The frozen Basa fillet items were imported from Vietnam to the United States on various dates from Aug. 1 last year through Feb. 15 this year. The recalled products include 22-pound white cardbo…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
12 Meat, Poultry Deli Products Recalled For Possible Listeria Contamination 12 Meat, Poultry Deli Products Recalled For Possible Listeria Contamination
12 Meat, Poultry Deli Products Recalled For Possible Listeria Contamination A food manufacturer is recalling approximately 18,296 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry deli-sliced products that may be adulterated with Listeria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Monday.The 12 ready-to-eat meat and poultry deli-sliced products made by Richmond, Virginia-based Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods were produced and packaged from Sept. 14 through Oct. 3.  Click here for a list of products recalled. Click here for labels of products recalled. The problem was discovered on Oct. 4 when FSIS received notification from the est…

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by Joe Lombardi