Longtime Hudson Valley Special Education Teacher Dies At 61 Longtime Hudson Valley Special Education Teacher Dies At 61
Longtime Hudson Valley Special Education Teacher Dies At 61 A longtime Rockland County special education teacher who spent more than three decades helping children is being remembered after her death last week.  Thiells resident Maureen Ann O'Grady died surrounded by her family on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the age of 61, according to her obituary.  Born in New York City on April 4, 1965, O'Grady moved with her family to the North Rockland area at a young age and remained there for the rest of her life. She graduated from North Rockland High School before continuing her education at St. Thomas Aquinas College and Fordham University. O'Gr…
Ex-Penn State Coach, Convicted Child Sex Offender Jerry Sandusky Appeal Case Dismissed Ex-Penn State Coach, Convicted Child Sex Offender Jerry Sandusky Appeal Case Dismissed
Ex-Penn State Coach, Convicted Child Sex Offender Jerry Sandusky Appeal Case Dismissed Convicted child sex offender and former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky's latest bid to overturn his convictions has been dismissed after he declined to proceed with a purported victim recantation that had landed him a new evidentiary hearing. Senior Judge Maureen A. Skerda dismissed Sandusky's third Post-Conviction Relief Act petition on Tuesday, Sept. 8, after determining that the 82-year-old had been fully informed of his rights and understood his attorneys' decision to withdraw the claim involving R.R., identified in court records as Victim 10. Sandusky has 30 days to appeal, a…
Westchester Man, 26, Battling Cancer For Third Time — But Isn't Facing It Alone Westchester Man, 26, Battling Cancer For Third Time — But Isn't Facing It Alone
Westchester Man, 26, Battling Cancer For Third Time — But Isn't Facing It Alone A 26-year-old man from Northern Westchester who survived cancer twice as a child is facing the disease for a third time — and his community is now rallying around him.   Cortlandt Manor native Ian Manzares was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in November 2025 at age 25, according to family and friends. It is the latest chapter in a battle with cancer that began more than two decades ago. Manzares was just 4 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma. He underwent treatment and beat the disease, only to receive another cancer diagnosis 10 years…
Girl Scouts Adds New Cookies, Including First-Ever Dog Treat Girl Scouts Adds New Cookies, Including First-Ever Dog Treat
Girl Scouts Adds New Cookies, Including First-Ever Dog Treat Two new Girl Scout Cookies are joining the lineup for the 2027 season, including one made just for dogs. Girl Scouts of the USA unveiled Patch Pals and Girl Scout Sparkables on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Both will be available exclusively online for direct shipping beginning Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2027, when the national Girl Scout Cookie season begins. Patch Pals are the organization's first cookies created for dogs. Developed with BARK, the soft-baked treats are blueberry muffin-flavored and feature one of four patch designs representing Girl Scout experiences. Girl Scout Sparkables are the first alle…
Drunk Woman Caught With 2 Children In Her Car In Westchester County: State Police Drunk Woman Caught With 2 Children In Her Car In Westchester County: State Police
Drunk Woman Caught With 2 Children In Her Car In Westchester County: State Police A woman is facing felony charges after police said she drove drunk with two 13-year-old children in her vehicle in Westchester County.  Cortlandt Manor resident Nisha Biagi Gougelmann, age 50, was arrested after a traffic stop on Albany Post Road in Cortlandt at around 6:12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, New York State Police announced on Tuesday, Sept. 8.  Troopers said they stopped Gougelmann as she was driving southbound for traffic violations and noticed signs that she was intoxicated. After administering field sobriety tests, troopers added that they found two 13-year-old ch…
Bat-Wielding Man Breaks Into Home, Then Sets It On Fire In Hudson Valley: Police Bat-Wielding Man Breaks Into Home, Then Sets It On Fire In Hudson Valley: Police
Bat-Wielding Man Breaks Into Home, Then Sets It On Fire In Hudson Valley: Police A man is accused of setting fire to a Sullivan County home just days after breaking into it and swinging a baseball bat at someone inside — and later leading police on a lengthy chase, authorities said. Woodridge resident Benjamin Odom, age 46, was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 2, following investigations into several incidents at a residence in the village, according to Fallsburg Police.   The first incident happened on Saturday, Aug. 29, when officers responded to the home for a reported domestic incident. A woman told police that Odom, her husband, had shown up at the resid…
Hidden Scam Risk: This Online Activity Could Make You A Bigger Target, Research Reveals Hidden Scam Risk: This Online Activity Could Make You A Bigger Target, Research Reveals
Hidden Scam Risk: This Online Activity Could Make You A Bigger Target, Research Reveals What looks like a routine digital breadcrumb could tell strangers far more than users intend. Public ratings and reviews can expose hidden relationships, even when social-media connections or friend lists remain private, according to a study published in the journal Information Systems Research. Researchers developed an algorithm that used publicly visible Yelp activity to infer connections among users. It examined behavioral patterns rather than relying on disclosed friendships. The team tested its framework with Yelp data from Louisiana and Pennsylvania. At a 10 percent false-positive ra…
K9 Finds Robbery Suspect Hiding Under Brush, Rocks In Westchester, Police Say K9 Finds Robbery Suspect Hiding Under Brush, Rocks In Westchester, Police Say
K9 Finds Robbery Suspect Hiding Under Brush, Rocks In Westchester, Police Say A man accused of robbing a Northern Westchester gas station was linked to the crime after a police K9 tracked him into a wooded area — following a separate, second robbery, authorities said.  Jason Adams was arrested in connection with the Saturday, Aug. 29 robbery of the Mobil gas station at 4100 Albany Post Rd. in Peekskill, the Peekskill Police Department announced on Monday, Sept. 7.   The break in the case came on Saturday, Sept. 5, when Adams was identified as a suspect during an investigation into another robbery in the Village of Buchanan, police said.  As autho…
Driver, 17, Hits 4 People After Mixing Up Pedals In Mamaroneck: Police Driver, 17, Hits 4 People After Mixing Up Pedals In Mamaroneck: Police
Driver, 17, Hits 4 People After Mixing Up Pedals In Mamaroneck: Police Four pedestrians were struck by a teenage driver who confused the accelerator and brake while trying to park on a busy Westchester County street, police said.   The crash happened in front of 251 Mamaroneck Ave., next to the Mamaroneck Cinemas, in the Village of Mamaroneck at around 3:41 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department. A 17-year-old driver was behind the wheel with his father in the vehicle and was trying to park when he became confused between the accelerator and brake pedals, police said. The vehicle then jumped the curb an…
Firefighter Injured, 2 Cats Killed In House Fire In Hudson Valley Firefighter Injured, 2 Cats Killed In House Fire In Hudson Valley
Firefighter Injured, 2 Cats Killed In House Fire In Hudson Valley A firefighter was injured and two cats were killed when an early morning blaze tore through a Putnam County home on Labor Day.  The fire broke out at a residence on Route 52 in the Lake Carmel area at around 5:53 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, according to the Lake Carmel Fire Department.  Firefighters arrived within minutes and found heavy flames coming from three windows of the building, the department said. They immediately began battling the blaze and quickly knocked down the main body of the fire, containing it before it could spread further.  Lake Carmel firefighters an…
Death Investigation Underway Along Hudson River In Westchester County (DEVELOPING) Death Investigation Underway Along Hudson River In Westchester County (DEVELOPING)
Death Investigation Underway Along Hudson River In Westchester County (Developing) An investigation is underway after a person was found dead along the Hudson River in a Westchester County village, officials said.  The death investigation was conducted near Half Moon Bay in Croton-on-Hudson, the village announced on Monday, Sept. 7. Authorities said the death does not appear to be suspicious and there is no threat to the public. Officials did not release the identity of the person or provide information about the circumstances surrounding the death. The investigation remains ongoing, and no other details were immediately released. This is a developing story. Check…
Bodies Of 4 Family Members Recovered After Florida-Bound Plane Vanishes: New Update Bodies Of 4 Family Members Recovered After Florida-Bound Plane Vanishes: New Update
Bodies Of 4 Family Members Recovered After Florida-Bound Plane Vanishes: New Update A desperate search by air and sea has ended in tragedy. The bodies of four members of a Miami family were recovered on Tuesday, Sept. 8, after their Florida-bound private plane went down near the Bahamas, family members told ABC News and NBC 6 South Florida. The victims were identified as pilot Mario Lamar Sr., 80; his wife, Lili Lamar, 79; and their grandchildren, Sofia “Sofi” Sosa, 28, and Christian Sosa, 22. Relatives and civilian boaters found the family members and brought their bodies aboard their own vessels, according to a family statement provided to the outlets. NBC 6 reported t…