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Politics
NYers' Views On Transgender Athletes, Other Hot Button Issues Revealed In Fresh Polling NYers' Views On Transgender Athletes, Other Hot Button Issues Revealed In Fresh Polling
NYers' Views On Transgender Athletes, Other Hot Button Issues Revealed In Fresh Polling In an age where Democrats and Republicans can't seem to agree on anything, fresh polling shows New Yorkers on both sides of the aisle still have some common ground on a few hot button issues. Strong bipartisan majorities support safeguarding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and enhancing protections for the LGBTQ community, a Siena College poll released Monday, April 22, showed. Specifically, 80 percent of Democrats, 70 percent of Republicans, and 72 percent of independents favored safeguarding access to IVF for all Americans, the poll found. Related Report: 'Blatantly Illegal…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Westchester Officials Speak Out Against Proposed Battery Storage Facility In Hudson Valley Westchester Officials Speak Out Against Proposed Battery Storage Facility In Hudson Valley
Westchester Officials Speak Out Against Proposed Battery Storage Facility In Hudson Valley County and town officials in Westchester are speaking out against a proposed battery storage facility in the Hudson Valley that may pose safety concerns and has already garnered an opposing petition from residents.  The lithium battery storage facility, proposed by East Point Energy, would be located in the Putnam County hamlet of Mahopac at 24 Miller Rd., in close proximity to the town of Somers in Northern Westchester, according to Somers Town Supervisor Robert Scorrano.  According to the proposed facility's developers, the site's batteries would use the area's electrical grid t…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
New Eatery Opens For Business In Hudson Valley New Eatery Opens For Business In Hudson Valley
New Eatery Opens For Business In Hudson Valley If you've found yourself craving chicken, an all-new restaurant in the Hudson Valley may be worth checking out. A new Korean-style chicken restaurant in Putnam County, 92 Chicken in Mahopac at 728 Route 6, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 25.  Visitors to the new eatery can order tenders or drumsticks in a variety of flavors, including garlic spicy, curry, and red hot pepper.  Additionally, the restaurant also offers chicken wings, fish and chips, and plenty of sides like french fries, fried calamari, shrimp tempura, dumplings, a…

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by Ben Crnic
Lifestyle
Westchester Native Mary J. Blige Inducted In Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Westchester Native Mary J. Blige Inducted In Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Westchester Native Mary J. Blige Inducted In Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Hip-hop soul legend and New York's Mary J. Blige's career is doing "Just Fine," as the iconic artist has just been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Blige, age 53, was named an inductee into the Cleveland-based Hall of Fame on Sunday, April 21.  In their write-up on their website, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame said the Yonkers native has provided the soundtrack to countless fans' lives.  "Blige’s music echoes our experiences with love and life. She helps us move on, move out, and move up," the Hall of Fame wrote, continuing, "She’s the much-needed soundtrac…

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by Ben Crnic
News
$1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced $1.7M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced
$1.7M Covid-19 Fraud Scheme: Westchester Daughter, Mom Who Worked For Police Sentenced A mother-daughter duo has been sentenced to prison for defrauding the government of approximately $1.7 million.  Westchester County residents Alicia Ayers and her mother, Andrea Ayers, both of Mount Vernon, were found guilty of submitting more than 300 fraudulent applications for US Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans.  Andrea Ayers was a former Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Mount Vernon Police Department. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program to provide low-interest …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway
In Fursuit: Search For Cubs Underway After Mama Bear Killed On Taconic State Parkway Despite social media buzz and some help from a couple of drone operators, there’s still no sign of a family of black bear cubs days after their mama was struck and killed on a highway in the region. The Columbia County incident happened Friday evening, April 19, on the Taconic State Parkway near Exit 99 in the hamlet of Spencertown. Two or three 10-pound cubs that are still nursing were left orphaned when the adult bear was hit and killed, according to the wildlife nonprofit Lucky Rehabilitation Center. “We located the body of their mom and will be gathering hair samples this morning in th…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Illegal School Bus Passing: Violators Will Soon Start Being Fined In Hudson Valley Illegal School Bus Passing: Violators Will Soon Start Being Fined In Hudson Valley
Illegal School Bus Passing: Violators Will Soon Start Being Fined In Hudson Valley Drivers in one Hudson Valley county caught illegally passing school buses will soon start receiving steep fines. Beginning on Sunday, April 28, drivers who pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights in Putnam County will receive a violation notice in the mail, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Wednesday, April 24. These notices will contain a $250 fine for the first offense, which will increase for further violations. The announcement follows the beginning of the county's bus patrol program on Monday, April 1, which has been in a warning period. Since the start of the…

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by Ben Crnic
Weather
Smoky Skies: Wildfires Burning In Canada Could Affect Air Quality In Northeast Again Smoky Skies: Wildfires Burning In Canada Could Affect Air Quality In Northeast Again
Smoky Skies: Wildfires Burning In Canada Could Affect Air Quality In Northeast Again Smoke from wildfires burning across Canada could once again significantly affect air quality in the Northeast this year, according to a brand-new report. AccuWeather long-range forecasters say the 2024 wildfire season is expected to start in June and peak in September. Wildfires in Canada broke records last year, with 45.7 million acres of land burned.  AccuWeather's lead long-range forecaster, Paul Pastelok, predicts a near-to-above-historical average number of fires in Canada this year, but he expects fewer fires to burn than last year. Smoke from Canadian wildfires last June cause…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Support Swells For Marine Vet Hospitalized In Northern Westchester After Serious Crash Support Swells For Marine Vet Hospitalized In Northern Westchester After Serious Crash
Marine Vet Micka Nugent Hospitalized In Valhalla After Crash A fundraising campaign has raised tens of thousands of dollars to help a Marine Corps veteran and martial arts school manager who was seriously injured in a Hudson Valley crash. Marine Corps veteran Mickaëlla "Micka" Nugent was seriously injured in a crash in the Orange County village of Harriman on Friday, April 12.  She was then rushed to Garnet Medical Center in Middletown before being airlifted to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where she currently remains.  Because Nugent, a graduate of Mamaroneck High School, was critically injured, she faces rising medica…

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by Ben Crnic
News
$50M Scheme: Westchester Man Admits Selling Fraudulent Prescriptions, Feds Say $50M Scheme: Westchester Man Admits Selling Fraudulent Prescriptions, Feds Say
$50M Scheme: Westchester Man Admits Selling Fraudulent Prescriptions, Feds Say A 44-year-old Westchester man has admitted to a healthcare fraud scheme that cost Medicare nearly $50 million in losses, federal officials announced. Pelham Manor resident Manishkumar Patel pleaded guilty on Friday, April 26 to charges connected to a healthcare fraud and kickback scheme involving the sale of fraudulent prescriptions, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Earlier Report - $10M Scheme: Pelham Manor Man Nabbed For Selling Fraudulent Prescriptions, Feds Say According to federal officials, between 2019 and 2022, Patel and a …

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by Ben Crnic
News
Criminal Investigation Opened In Helicopter Crash Killing NY National Guard Members: Report Criminal Investigation Opened In Helicopter Crash Killing NY National Guard Members: Report
Criminal Investigation Opened In Helicopter Crash Killing NY National Guard Members: Report Officials have launched a criminal investigation into a National Guard helicopter crash near the southern border that killed two members from New York and a third victim, ABC News reports. The incident – which saw a UH-72 Lakota helicopter go down near Rio Grande City, Texas, on Friday, March 8 – is now the focus of an investigation by the Starr County Sheriff’s Office into whether there was any criminal wrongdoing, officials told the outlet. That investigation is separate from a parallel probe being conducted by the Department of Defense. So far, authorities have not publicly said what cau…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Former Manager Takes Plea Deal After Stealing Over $44K From Library In Westchester Former Manager Takes Plea Deal After Stealing Over $44K From Library In Westchester
Former Manager Takes Plea Deal After Stealing Over $44K From Library In Westchester The former business manager of a public library in Westchester has taken a plea deal after stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her workplace.  Mamaroneck resident Mary Soto, age 62, pleaded guilty to defrauding the Mamaroneck Public Library on Wednesday, April 24, according to library officials. Earlier Report - Update: Former Business Manager Steals Over $44K From Mamaroneck Library, DA Says Her plea bargain includes a $43,900 fine and 3 years probation, officials added. According to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office, between May 2016 and February 20…

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by Ben Crnic