Fair 68°
News
Here's How Much Shootings In NY Have Declined In Past Year, Report Says Here's How Much Shootings In NY Have Declined In Past Year, Report Says
Here's How Much Shootings In NY Have Declined In Past Year, Report Says State leaders are crediting major policing reforms for a marked decline in shootings across New York State. In 21 counties outside of New York City, the number of shootings with injuries dropped 29 percent through July compared to the first seven months of 2023, a Division of Criminal Justice Services report shows. The data came from police departments across the state participating in the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which provides agencies with state funding for equipment, overtime, personnel, training, and technical assistance aimed at reducing shootings and firea…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
$2.4M Scheme: Former Westchester Town Employee, Business Owner Admit To Illegal Dumping Plot $2.4M Scheme: Former Westchester Town Employee, Business Owner Admit To Illegal Dumping Plot
$2.4M Scheme: Former Westchester Town Employee, Business Owner Admit To Illegal Dumping Plot A former Northern Westchester town employee has admitted to allowing a business owner to illegally dump unauthorized material at an environmentally fragile facility in exchange for cash bribes, federal officials announced.  Verplanck resident Robert Dyckman, age 52, and Cortlandt Manor resident Glenn Griffin, age 55, both pleaded guilty to charges related to the $2.4 million scheme, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, Aug. 26.  According to federal officials, Dyckman, the former Assistant General Foreman for the Town o…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
22-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Thruway Crash 22-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Thruway Crash
22-Year-Old Hudson Valley Man Killed In Thruway Crash A 22-year-old Hudson Valley man was killed after allegedly attempting to pass another vehicle on the Thruway. The incident occurred in Rockland County around 11:25 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24, on I-87 in Clarkstown. According to the New York State Police, a preliminary investigation revealed that Michael Dipierno, age 22, of Nyack, was driving a 2005 Honda motorcycle north on I-87 when he attempted to pass a vehicle on the median shoulder and lost control on the rumble strips.  State Police said this caused him to strike the median guide rail and be ejected from the motorcycle. After bei…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
News
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Hudson Valley Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Hudson Valley
Scam Alert: Callers Posing As Police Sergeant, Demanding Cash In Hudson Valley Authorities in the Hudson Valley are warning residents to be wary of phone scammers posing as police to demand cash from victims.  The scheme was detailed in an announcement by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office on Friday, Aug. 23, in which authorities said they had received reports of fraudulent calls to residents in the county.  According to the Sheriff's Office, the caller has been posing as a sergeant from the office and asking for cash for missed jury duty fines.  In their announcement, the office said they would never make such calls or request payments for jury d…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time
Ex-NY Attorney Who Stole $800K From Clients Gets Prison Time A former New York attorney is heading to prison after confessing that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients. Former Long Island resident Douglas Valente, age 57, now of Florida, was sentenced to between one and four years in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Aug. 22. Prosecutors said Valente, the former principal attorney at the Valente Law Group in Stony Brook, stole more than $800,000 from three former clients by taking money from his escrow account. Earlier Report: Former NY Attorney Stole Nearly $1M From Clients, DA Says Among the victims was a cl…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Stranded Astronauts Will Hitch Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Troubles Stranded Astronauts Will Hitch Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Troubles
Stranded Astronauts Will Hitch Ride On SpaceX Capsule Amid Starliner Troubles After spending months in limbo aboard the International Space Station, an astronaut from Massachusetts finally has a return date to Earth. Pilot Suni Williams, from the town of Needham in Norfolk County, and commander Butch Wilmore will abandon Boeing’s troubled Starliner and instead hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February 2025, NASA confirmed Saturday, Aug. 24. The stunning decision capped off 11 weeks of uncertainty after NASA discovered numerous helium leaks and malfunctions with Starliner’s thrusters following its launch from Florida's Space Coast on Wednesday, June 5. Ea…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
NY Mom Accused In Wrong-Way Crash Killing Son Had License Suspended 56 Times NY Mom Accused In Wrong-Way Crash Killing Son Had License Suspended 56 Times
NY Mom Accused In Wrong-Way Crash Killing Son Had License Suspended 56 Times A New York mother accused of causing an impaired, wrong-way crash that killed her son has had her license suspended dozens of times, prosecutors said. Long Island resident Kerri Bedrick, age 32, of Centerport, pleaded not guilty to aggravated DWI and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Aug. 23. It came one day after an early-morning wreck on the Southern State Parkway in Islip that killed her 9-year-old son, Eli. Earlier Report: Update: Mom ID'd Following Alleged Drunk, Wrong-Way Crash That Killed Her Son In Islip New York State Police said Bedrick was driving an SUV…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Beaches Reopen In Westchester After Heavy Rain, Several Remain Closed Beaches Reopen In Westchester After Heavy Rain, Several Remain Closed
Beaches Reopen In Westchester After Heavy Rain, Several Remain Closed Days after they were closed as a result of heavy rainfall, several beaches in Westchester have been cleared for swimming, while some remain closed.  New, updated report - These Beaches Deemed Safe To Reopen In Mamaroneck After Downpours County health officials announced the updated closures on Friday, Aug. 23, days after the beaches were originally closed on Monday, Aug. 19 following heavy precipitation on Sunday, Aug. 18.  Beaches now cleared for swimming include:  Rye: Coveleigh Club; Mamaroneck:  Beach Point Club; Orienta Beach Club. New Rochelle: …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Safety Measures To Be Put In Place At Westchester Intersection Where Mother, Son Were Killed Safety Measures To Be Put In Place At Westchester Intersection Where Mother, Son Were Killed
Safety Measures To Be Put In Place At Westchester Intersection Where Mother, Son Were Killed Following a tragic crash that left a mother and son dead after they were struck by a school bus, several new safety measures will be implemented on the Westchester roadway where the incident happened. The safety improvements were announced by the Village of Mamaroneck on Wednesday, Aug. 21 in response to the deaths of Mamaroneck residents Molly Murphy Donovan, age 43, and her 6-year-old son, Michael Donovan Volpe on Thursday, June 20.  At around 8:30 a.m. on the day of the crash, the mother and son were struck by a school bus at the intersection of New Street and Mamaroneck Avenue…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Hudson Valley Anesthesiologist Admits Drugging, Sexually Assaulting Victim Hudson Valley Anesthesiologist Admits Drugging, Sexually Assaulting Victim
Hudson Valley Anesthesiologist Admits Drugging, Sexually Assaulting Victim A chief anesthesiologist at a Hudson Valley hospital has admitted to drugging a victim and sexually abusing her while she was unconscious, officials announced.  Putnam County resident Paul Giacopelli of Southeast, who worked as chief anesthesiologist at Putnam County Hospital in Carmel, pleaded guilty to charges connected to his sexual abuse on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the Putnam County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, Aug. 22.  According to the DA's Office, an investigation revealed that Giacopelli used a chemical to render his victim unconscious. He th…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
FDA Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available FDA Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available
FDA Approves Updated Covid-19 Vaccines: Here's When They Will Be Available The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved new COVID-19 vaccines.It marks the third time the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have been updated to match circulating strains since the original shot. The shots should be available within days, the FDA said in making the announcement Thursday afternoon, Aug. 22. The new vaccines have been updated with a formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID, including hospitalization and death. “Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 preventi…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Hundreds Petition For Safety Barriers At Mall In Hudson Valley To Prevent Deaths By Suicide Hundreds Petition For Safety Barriers At Mall In Hudson Valley To Prevent Deaths By Suicide
Hundreds Petition For Safety Barriers At Mall In Hudson Valley To Prevent Deaths By Suicide Following the death of a 32-year-old woman who jumped from a high floor at a Hudson Valley mall, a petition has been started to urge the shopping center to add protective barriers to prevent such incidents. Related: Rockland Woman, 32, Jumps To Death From Upper Floor Of Palisades Center Mall In West Nyack The unidentified woman's death occurred in Rockland County around 2:45 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack. After the news reported the suicide, Rockland County resident Shannon Harding said something had to be done. "I started the petition as a …

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes