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Student Busted With Loaded Gun At Capital Region College Dorm, Police Say Student Busted With Loaded Gun At Capital Region College Dorm, Police Say
Student Busted With Loaded Gun At Capital Region College Dorm, Police Say A college student is facing weapons charges after allegedly bringing a loaded gun to his Capital Region dorm room. Jalen Brown, 20, was arrested at Bryant and Stratton College’s student housing complex on Union Drive in Albany on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 22, according to Albany Police. Officers responded to the University Heights College Suites at around 5 p.m. after campus security reported a student with a handgun in their dorm room. Investigators located Brown as he returned to his room and found a loaded 9mm handgun, police said. “Through investigation, it was determined that there…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal
Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal Students could soon go from scrolling to schooling. A bold initiative unveiled by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, Jan. 22, would restrict smartphone use in all K-12 schools during the entire school day, including lunch time. The proposal, introduced as part of the governor’s 2026 Executive Budget, aims to prioritize student learning and mental health, Hochul’s office said. “From parents and teachers, to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. Under the…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm
Sharp Drop In College Enrollment Raises Alarm Fewer high school graduates began college this fall, with enrollment in that age group dropping 5 percent from last year, according to an analysis by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.  Four-year institutions were hardest hit, with public colleges seeing an 8.5 percent drop in first-year enrollments and private nonprofit colleges reporting a 6.5 percent decline.  This trend poses significant challenges for colleges and universities, particularly those reliant on tuition revenue.  As the competition for students intensifies, institutions face mounting pressur…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
West Point Grad From Region Awarded Rhodes Scholarship West Point Grad From Region Awarded Rhodes Scholarship
West Point Grad From Region Awarded Rhodes Scholarship A West Point grad from the region is one of only 32 students nationwide to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford in the fall of 2025. Orange County resident Shepherd Dzina of Tuxedo Park and three other cadets were awarded the scholarship on Saturday, Nov. 16. Dzina is an economics major currently serving as the Brigade Executive Officer at West Point, managing logistics and operations for over 4,400 cadets. He also leads the Finance Club and conducts research with the Army’s Office of Economics and Manpower Analysis. He has interned with the US International Develop…

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by Daily Voice
Schools
Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Region Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Region
Online Threat Leads To Increased Security At School In Region 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
Schools
Meeting Explains New Electric School Buses Coming To School District In Regio Meeting Explains New Electric School Buses Coming To School District In Regio
Meeting Explains New Electric School Buses Coming To School District In Regio Residents will have a chance to ask questions during an upcoming meeting when they will be asked to approve spending $2.27 million on electric school buses in a school district in the region. The meeting is in Dutchess County from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School at 156 S Cross Road in Staatsburg. Hyde Park Central School District officials said attendees will learn everything about implementing electric buses during the panel discussion. Representatives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Leonard Bus Sales …

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Athletic Director At School District In NY Accused Of 'Sextortion' Of Teen Athletic Director At School District In NY Accused Of 'Sextortion' Of Teen
Athletic Director At School District In NY Accused Of 'Sextortion' Of Teen This story has been updated. An athletic director at a school district in Westchester County has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly extorting a teenager to send sexually explicit images and videos. Thomas James Puccini, 28 years old and employed as the Interim Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics by the Eastchester Union Free School District, was arrested on Friday, Nov. 1. He was charged with felony grand larceny in the fourth degree and was arraigned in White Plains City Court by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Puccini has been pla…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of NY Schools That Received Products Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of NY Schools That Received Products
Recall Of 11.7M Pounds Of Meat, Poultry: List Released Of NY Schools That Received Products A preliminary list has been released of schools that received items that were part of a nationwide recall of millions of pounds of meat and poultry products over fears they may be contaminated with Listeria. The initial recall involving the manufacturer, Bruce Pac, was for 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) products sold at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Trader Joe's, 7-Eleven, Aldi, and other stores. It was announced on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Earlier this week, the recall was expanded to include 11,765,285 pounds of products, the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspectio…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
NY Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings NY Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings
NY Well-Represented In Brand-New Best High School Rankings New York is well-represented in brand-new rankings of the best high schools in New York. The first four in Niche's 2025 selections are all from New York City: Stuyvesant in Manhattan, the Bronx High School of Science, Staten Island Technical High School, and Townsend Harris High School in Queens. Checking in at No. 5 and the first Westchester County selection is Scarsdale High School. The first Long Island school picked is No. 7 Half Hollow Hills West in Dix Hills. Long Island schools also make up spots 10 through 13: They are Jericho, Syosset, and Great Neck South high schools. Four mor…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
New Poll Reveals NYers' Views On Banning Cell Phone Use In Schools New Poll Reveals NYers' Views On Banning Cell Phone Use In Schools
New Poll Reveals NYers' Views On Banning Cell Phone Use In Schools With the new school year comes renewed debate over the use of cell phones in the classroom. Among New York parents of school-age children, 77-percent support barring cell phone use in schools during the day, a Mount Sinai South Nassau “Truth in Medicine” poll found. Most parents, 72-percent, said they still want their child to have their phone on them in case of an emergency, the poll found. Earlier Report: Hochul Signs Bill Restricting 'Addictive' Social Media Feeds Targeting Children The poll was conducted by 600 parents with at least one child under the age of 18 in New York Cit…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
New Law Will Put A Student On Every School Board In NY New Law Will Put A Student On Every School Board In NY
New Law Will Put A Student On Every School Board In NY There will soon be a student on every school board in New York.A new law requiring all state boards of education to have at least one student member will take effect on July 1, 2025. The students will attend public meetings, but not executive sessions, and won't be allowed to vote. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill on Thursday, Sept. 5. It will also remove the current law requirement that a student member seat be authorized by referendum of the voters of the district.  The bill would also remove the requirement that a student member be a senior at the school and instead require only …

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Students' Cell Phones Will Be Locked Up At This Hudson Valley School Students' Cell Phones Will Be Locked Up At This Hudson Valley School
Students' Cell Phones Will Be Locked Up At This Hudson Valley School A funny thing happened at a Hudson Valley high school last year when students were required to lock up their cell phones during the day—it worked, and now the middle school is joining the club.  Poughkeepsie Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Rosser said the Yondr pouch program was launched in Dutchess County at Poughkeepsie High School in April.  Rosser wrote in his school newsletter that the program has changed its culture and improved attendance and engagement since its inception. This fall, district officials are expanding the program to Poughkeepsie Middle School. “The su…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Beloved Principal ID'd As Victim Killed In Capital Region Crash: 'He Was The Heart And Soul' Beloved Principal ID'd As Victim Killed In Capital Region Crash: 'He Was The Heart And Soul'
Beloved Principal ID'd As Victim Killed In Capital Region Crash: 'He Was The Heart And Soul' Students and colleagues are mourning the sudden loss of a beloved elementary school principal following his death in a car crash. The Saratoga County wreck happened at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, July 20, in the town of Charlton on State Road. New York State Police said Nicholas Criscone, age 50, of Charlton, was driving southbound on Stage Road when his vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and caught on fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Criscone’s death was further confirmed by the Scotia-Glenville Central School District in Schenectady County, where he was the principal of G…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Cyberattack Hits School District In Hudson Valley Cyberattack Hits School District In Hudson Valley
Cyberattack Hits School District In Hudson Valley A school district in the Hudson Valley was the target of a cyberattack that disabled computer services and access to phones and email. In Orange County, the Goshen Central School District announced on Thursday, July 11, that it was the subject of the ransomware incident. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurtis Kotes said the district notified law enforcement and is working with cyber security experts to determine the source of the attack and take the necessary steps to repair the problems as quickly as possible. In an update late Friday afternoon, July 12, Kotes said: "The disaster reco…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death
Kindergarten Teacher, Mom Of 2 From Capital Region Gets 'Fairy Tale Ending' Before Cancer Death On the last night of her life, Sara Maldonado’s neighbors surprised her family by lining their driveway and sidewalk with dozens of candlelit luminarias. It was a fitting sendoff for the beloved kindergarten teacher, wife, mother of two, and Disney fanatic who died Wednesday, June 26, at the age of 34 following a two-year battle with breast cancer, according to her obituary. “They did something for our family that will never be forgotten. It’s the fairy tale ending she would want,” her brother, Ben Olsen, said on Facebook. “‘Tangled’ is her most favorite movie and they gave her a fairy tale…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Yale University Names Maurie McInnis As New President Yale University Names Maurie McInnis As New President
Yale University Names Maurie McInnis As New President The president of Long Island’s Stony Brook University has been selected to first permanent female president of Yale University. Maurie McInnis was named Yale’s 24th president in an announcement by the school. The 58-year-old cultural historian, currently serving as the president of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, graduated from Yale with a Ph.D in art history in 1996. In the years since her graduation, McInnis has served in senior positions at the University of Virginia and the University of Texas at Austin before moving to Stony Brook University in 2020. She became a Yale trus…

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by Sophie Grieser
Schools
$12M For Electric School Buses Awarded To 6 Capital Region Districts $12M For Electric School Buses Awarded To 6 Capital Region Districts
$12M For Electric School Buses Awarded To 6 Capital Region Districts A half dozen school districts in the region will receive over $12 million in federal funding to pay for electric school buses. Six districts, located in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Montgomery, and Warren counties, were awarded nearly $12,080,000 in federal rebate funding through the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Clean School Bus Program. The program is meant to help underserved districts transition to low or no emission buses without overburdening local taxpayers, Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office said. “This $12+ million federal boost will help power schools in the Capital Regio…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
New Details: District Employee Punched Capital Region Assistant Superintendent, Police Say New Details: District Employee Punched Capital Region Assistant Superintendent, Police Say
New Details: District Employee Punched Capital Region Assistant Superintendent, Police Say This story has been updated. An assistant school superintendent in the region is abruptly resigning after claiming that a colleague physically assaulted him on school grounds. In Albany County, Cohoes Police responded to Page Avenue Elementary School for a reported assault at around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. According to the incident report obtained by Daily Voice, Cohoes City School District Assistant Superintendent Daniel Martinelli told officers that he got into a heated argument with James Stapleton, the district's facilities director. As the argument escalated, Staple…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
12-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening 'Mass Harm' At Capital Region School 12-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening 'Mass Harm' At Capital Region School
12-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening 'Mass Harm' At Capital Region School A 12-year-old boy is accused of making threats against a middle school in the region. Saratoga County Sheriff’s deputies were called just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, after a social media threat was discovered against O’Rourke Middle School in Burnt Hills. Deputies did not elaborate on the nature of the threat but determined that it was not credible. There was no disruption to school activities. The 12-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of making a threat of mass harm, a misdemeanor. “Once again, the partnerships we’ve developed with the schools and the students led to a qui…

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by Michael Mashburn