Members of the Carmel Police Department and Putnam County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported stabbing at the U.S. Post Office in Carmel on Thursday, July 30. At about 3 p.m., Putnam County 911 received a call reporting a disturbance at the location. Updates from the dispatch center indicated that an assault had occurred and that a victim had sustained multiple stab wounds. Sheriff’s deputies arrived almost instantly to the assault in progress and deployed a Taser, and t

The Town of Putnam Valley declared a state of emergency due to the heavy rain and significant flooding that closed many roads and bridges. Photo provided by the Town of Putnam Valley. By Holly Crocco Heavy rains last week caused flash flooding across the region, with the Town of Putnam Valley declaring a state of emergency July 29 due to numerous road and bridge closures, and other impacts from the torrential rainfall. The state of emergency was set to last 30 days, unless re

By Rob Sample The Putnam County Coroner’s Office recently provided legislators with a mid-year snapshot of their work – in addition to clarifying the sad circumstances that call for their involvement and how such deaths get classified. The briefing by John Bourges, one of the county’s three elected coroners, took place July 22 during the County Legislature’s Protective Services Committee meeting. Dr. Michael Nesheiwat and Wendy Erickson, RN, are the other two coroners. Suicid

By Holly Crocco With state benefits being sliced last year and the current state of the economy, Putnam lawmakers are discussing ways to fill the gap and make sure those who are food-insecure don’t go hungry. Legislator Nancy Montgomery, D-Philipstown, recently proposed a resolution that would allow the Legislature to move $150,000 from subcontingency into the budget, to be allocated to agencies that can get the funds to local food pantries throughout the county. “There have

Joseph Petti of Putnam Valley died July 24. A Putnam Valley man was killed Friday in a reported construction equipment accident. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has identified Joseph Petti, 56, as the victim. According to the police report, just after 5 p.m. July 24, deputies responded to a residence on Park Drive to assist emergency medical personnel with a reported construction equipment accident involving a skid steer. Petti was found deceased at the scene when the firs

The results are in, showing that Putnam County residents are most concerned about economic stability, mental health, and children’s health services, according to the county’s Community Health Improvement Plan. After nearly six months of preparation and discussions with community members, a plan to improve the health of Putnam residents has been completed. It can be viewed at www.putnamcountyny.gov/health/community-health#Assessments. The final 15-page document outlines three

By Holly Crocco Carmel Town Hall and the Carmel Police Department were transformed into the Ray Brook New York State Police Barracks last week, as crews filmed scenes for a new Netflix mystery-thriller series. On July 28, a permitted filming project for “The God of the Woods” took place, following weeks of discussions between the town and the network. According to Carmel Town Councilman Robert Kearns, who spearheaded the negotiations, the filming brought in $30,000 of revenue

A rendering provided by former County Legislator Richard Othmer shows what the property at 34 Gleneida Ave., Carmel, could look like, if the current building is demolished and a greenspace for a park (left) is created. By Holly Crocco The topic of what to do with the dilapidated county-owned building at 34 Gleneida Ave., in Carmel, is back up for discussion and while options for that space are varied, one thing is absolute – a new home for United For the Troops must found bef

By Rob Sample The Putnam County Legislature recently approved the addition of eight farms from five towns to the countywide agricultural district – which aims to help preserve the local agricultural industry and protect farmland from non-agricultural development. The Legislature’s approval came after a public hearing July 7 and followed a robust series of public comments for and against the proposals, as well as similar discussion by the legislators during a subsequent meetin

By Holly Crocco The Brewster Village Board has approved a local law that changes the zoning code in the district where the former Garden Street School resides, allowing for the development of affordable housing. A concept for the property has been proposed by Covington Development LLC and WBP Development LLC, which owns the property. It was brought forward around February, and the zone change was necessary to entertain the concept further. The motion passed 3-0 during the vil

The top two candidates running for Putnam County executive in November recently announced the amounts their campaigns raised in the most recent filing period – which is often used as a barometer to gauge support for a candidate who has received contributions from political parties, businesses big and small, residents, and various organizations. The campaign to elect Brett Yarris as Putnam County executive announced July 17 that it raised more than $92,700, claiming that numbe

By Holly Crocco Putnam County is poised to approve a tax exemption for surviving spouses of police officers who are killed in the line of duty. During its July 14 meeting, the county’s Rules Committee unanimously approved a 50 percent tax reduction on the assessed property value of the qualifying primary residence for a homeowner in Putnam County whose spouse has been killed in the line of duty as a police officer. The exemption is provided under Real Property Tax Law Section

By David Alger District Attorney Robert Tendy has been making the rounds across Putnam County speaking on the insurgence and sophistication of different kinds of scams that have been targeting seniors lately. During the July 15 Putnam Valley Town Board meeting he highlighted the importance of common sense and vigilance against scammers. Tendy said the only way to fight these entities is to not give any personal information to anyone over any kind of communication devices. The

Members of the Putnam County Italian American Social Club show off the new monument. Photo by Paul Anthony Fucito. By Holly Crocco For the second time within a year, the Putnam County Italian American Social Club has honored the immigrant miners who perished in the Tilly Foster Mine tragedy of Nov. 29, 1895. The disaster made worldwide headlines, yet the 13 men themselves were never given a proper burial or memorial. Historical records suggest that at least seven of these Ita

Communities across Putnam celebrated the Fourth of July – and the 250th anniversary of the signing of our country’s Declaration of Independence – with various events and festivities. While the strong storms that swept through the area foiled some celebrations. The Lake Peekskill Floatilla was one of many events that took place over the July 4 weekend to celebrate the holiday. Take a look inside for more photos from various communities. Provided photo.

By Holly Crocco The Carmel Central School District is in the process of reforming its hiring process, following a situation last month in which the school board opted not to approve a list of hires, citing a poor vetting process. During the Carmel School Board’s July 1 meeting, resident Ryan Shilling expressed concerns about transparency and consistency regarding the district’s hiring process. He stated that, a few weeks prior, two candidates who had completed what seemed to

Were political messages scrawled on the replica Declaration of Independence hanging at the Historical Courthouse in Carmel an act of vandalism, or an exercise of one’s First Amendment right? Photo provided by the Putnam County Executive’s Office. By Holly Crocco As part of continuing countywide celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne is notifying residents that another larger-than-life

By Holly Crocco School districts across Putnam are welcoming new leadership at the administrative level and the board level as they organize for the 2026-27 school year. During the July 1 reorganizational meeting of the Mahopac School Board, new Superintendent of Schools Vincent DiGrandi and board trustees Joseph Catalli, Lindsay DiCerbo, and Adam Savino were sworn into office, before elections for board president and vice president took place. Trustee Nicole Iacono nominated

Putnam County Firearm Owners Association leadership includes, from left, Director Bob Cullen from Brewster, Treasurer Helen Moss from Yorktown Heights, Director Joe Melhado from Hartsdale, Recording Secretary Cindy Trimble from Cold Spring, President and founding member John O’Connor from Brewster, Vice President and founding member Marilyn Miller from Brewster, Membership Secretary Henry Lopez from Putnam Valley, and Financial Secretary Eric Cyprus from Brewster. Missing fro

The Sybil Ludington statue was returned to its home on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel on July 3, after undergoing restorations. Photos by Chloe Wareham-Gordon. A time capsule was buried under the monument, to be opened the next time Sybil is taken away for a facelift. By Holly Crocco A crowd of spectators lined Gleneida Avenue to welcome the return of the Sybil Ludington statue July 3, as a parade escorted the recently refurbished structure from the Kent Elementary School to her p