Fair 46°
News
Eclipse Prison Lockdown Violates NY Inmates’ Religious Rights, Lawsuit Claims Eclipse Prison Lockdown Violates NY Inmates’ Religious Rights, Lawsuit Claims
Eclipse Prison Lockdown Violates NY Inmates’ Religious Rights, Lawsuit Claims Click here for an updated story: Six Woodbourne Inmates Permitted To View Eclipse After Suing Over Religious Rights Several New York prison inmates are suing the state over a planned lockdown at correctional facilities during the upcoming total solar eclipse. The federal lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of New York on Friday, March 29, on behalf of six inmates who are incarcerated at Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County. It states that although they come from varying backgrounds and hold different religious beliefs, “they have each expressed a sincerely held r…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Fire Chief Retires After Over 30 Years Of Serving City In Westchester: 'Made Great Strides' Fire Chief Retires After Over 30 Years Of Serving City In Westchester: 'Made Great Strides'
Fire Chief Retires After Over 30 Years Of Serving City In Westchester: 'Made Great Strides' After over three decades serving his community, a Westchester fire chief is celebrating his retirement.  New, updated report - New White Plains Fire Chief Claudio Petriccione Sworn In White Plains Fire Department Chief Douglas McMath has retired from his position after two and a half years, the department announced on Tuesday, April 2. McMath's retirement marks the end of 31 years spend serving White Plains, according to fire officials. In a post on social media, the department said McMath "made great strides for this department by standing up for us when necessary, an…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Man Assaults FBI Officer In Westchester, Gets Nearly 2 Decades In Prison Man Assaults FBI Officer In Westchester, Gets Nearly 2 Decades In Prison
Man Assaults FBI Officer In Westchester, Gets Nearly 2 Decades In Prison A 27-year-old man will spend nearly two decades in prison for assaulting a Federal Bureau of Investigation officer while leading authorities on a chase and firing gunshots into a crowd in Westchester.  New Rochelle resident Darren Smith, age 27, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 2 to 230 months in prison for assaulting an FBI officer during a September 2020 pursuit in Yonkers, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. According to federal officials, on September 25, 2020, Yonkers Police officers pulled over the car Smith had been driving. He then spe…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens
Largest Egg Producer In US Halts Production After Bird Flu Found In Chickens Production has been halted at the largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States after bird flu was discovered in chickens. Cal-Maine Foods reported that one of the company’s facilities located in Parmer County, Texas, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), resulting in depopulation of approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, or approximately 3.6 percent of its total flock. "Production at the facility has temporarily ceased as the company follows the protocols prescribed by the USDA," Cal-Maine said in a statement, noting that it is working to s…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Flooding Expected At Train Station In Westchester During Storm, Officials Say Flooding Expected At Train Station In Westchester During Storm, Officials Say
Flooding Expected At Train Station In Westchester During Storm, Officials Say Officials are warning commuters that tidal flooding may affect a busy Northern Westchester train station during a multi-day storm.  An anticipated tidal flooding event will likely affect the Croton-Harmon Train Station parking lot area on Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4,  Croton-on-Hudson village officials announced on Tuesday, April 2.  According to officials, the flood levels are expected to reach their peak on Thursday morning around 7 a.m., when high tide occurs. High tide will also happen on Wednesday at 6 p.m., officials added.  The tidal flooding event …

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
Solar Eclipse: NY Prisons Will Be Locked Down During Celestial Spectacle Solar Eclipse: NY Prisons Will Be Locked Down During Celestial Spectacle
Solar Eclipse: NY Prisons Will Be Locked Down During Celestial Spectacle Among those eagerly anticipating next week’s total solar eclipse are New York’s prison inmates, but not all of them will catch the celestial spectacle. Twenty-three state prisons fall directly within the “path of totality,” meaning they will experience up to three and a half minutes of total darkness during the “Great Northern American Eclipse” on Monday afternoon, April 8. Out of precaution, all 23 of those correctional facilities will be locked down and operate on a holiday schedule, Thomas Mailey, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) told Dai…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
26-Year-Old Raped Woman After Breaking Into Hudson Valley Home, Jury Finds 26-Year-Old Raped Woman After Breaking Into Hudson Valley Home, Jury Finds
26-Year-Old Raped Woman After Breaking Into Hudson Valley Home, Jury Finds A 26-year-old man could spend decades behind bars after being convicted of breaking into a Hudson Valley home and raping a woman. Rockland County resident Rigoberto Castro, age 26, of Spring Valley, was found guilty on rape and burglary charges by a Rockland County jury following a two-week trial on Tuesday, April 2. Prosecutors argued that Castro forcibly raped the victim, a woman previously known to him, on Sept. 12, 2022. During the attack, he held a belt to the woman’s neck and hit her multiple times. He raped the victim again on the following night after breaking into her Spring Valle…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Long-Duration Storm: Be Ready For Wintry Mix, Power Outages, Flooding, Hochul Warns NYers Long-Duration Storm: Be Ready For Wintry Mix, Power Outages, Flooding, Hochul Warns NYers
Long-Duration Storm: Be Ready For Wintry Mix, Power Outages, Flooding, Hochul Warns NYers Ahead of an upcoming storm system expected to last several nights, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging residents across the state to prepare for snow, heavy rains, power outages, and flooding.  According to the latest predictions, the storm is expected to arrive in the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and Long Island on Tuesday, April 2, and continue through Thursday night, April 4, bringing poor travel conditions and likely power outages along with it, Hochul announced.  Related Report - Strengthening Nor'easter Will Bring Heavy Rain, Gusty Winds, Up To 2 Feet Of Snow In Spo…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds Two New York men are facing federal charges in the death of a prominent transgender activist, performer, and author. Long Island resident Antonio Venti, age 52, of West Babylon and Michael Kuilan, age 44, of Brooklyn, were arraigned on a four-count indictment in Brooklyn federal court on Monday, April 1. Prosecutors said Venti and Kuilan sold heroin laced with fentanyl to Cecilia Gentili. NYPD officers responded to the 52-year-old’s Brooklyn home on Feb. 6 following a 911 call from her partner. Gentili was found dead in her bedroom. An autopsy determined that she died from the combined eff…

SHARE

by Michael Mashburn
News
Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns
Solar Eclipse: Viewers Can Suffer Severe Eye Injuries Without Proper Protection, NASA Warns With a total solar eclipse now just a week away, officials are warning that eye safety will be crucial for the approximately 44 million Americans who reside in the path of totality and the millions more expected to travel to the path. "Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury," according to NASA. Known as the “Great North American Eclipse,” it will have a narrow path of totality from southwest to northeast across 13 states in the…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
News
Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader Former NYPD Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader
Former Nypd Officer From Westchester Gets Prison Time For Helping Gang Leader A former New York City Police officer from Northern Westchester will spend years in prison for warning gang members about a federal investigation into their activity as well as helping the group's leader escape arrest for murder, officials said.  Mohegan Lake resident Gina Mestre, age 33, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and helping the group's leader evade justice for murder, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, March 29. Earlier Report - Former N…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic
News
New Taskforce To Fight Gun Violence In Westchester: 'Focused On Getting To Root Of Problem' New Taskforce To Fight Gun Violence In Westchester: 'Focused On Getting To Root Of Problem'
New Taskforce To Fight Gun Violence In Westchester: 'Focused On Getting To Root Of Problem' A newly created task force is dedicating itself to preventing gun violence in Westchester, officials announced.  The creation of the Westchester County Gun Violence Prevention Taskforce, which will unify efforts to combat shootings, was announced by county officials on Tuesday, March 26.  The task force will work with organizations that are currently working against gun violence and encourage collaboration across these agencies so they can leverage each other's resources.  "Gun violence is not a major problem in Westchester County, but one death or injury due to gun vio…

SHARE

by Ben Crnic