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

The ensemble of “Into the Woods.” Photos by Stacy Dumont. The Brewster Theater Company is bringing to its stage the Tony-award winning musical “Into the Woods” – the story of familiar classic fairytale characters and their quests to make their wishes come true, only to learn that wishes sometimes have unforeseen and unpleasant circumstances. The musical will be presented at the Theater at Drew Methodist Church, 28 Gleneida Ave., Carmel, on Fridays, July 17, 24, and 31 at 7:3

By Holly Crocco The approval to grant Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements for two Putnam businesses that seek to relocate within the county led to a discussion on PILOTs in general during the County Legislature’s June 29 Economic Development Committee meeting. APAP Land Management LLC plans to move from its current location in Patterson to a much larger site on Route 22 in Southeast, and the Kinsley Group is planning to relocate to 20 Fields Lane in Brewster. According to Bil

A rendering of the proposed “new” Old Town Hall in Brewster. The Town of Southeast Cultural Arts Coalition is forming a volunteer committee help bring its mission to restore the historic Old Town Hall theater in Brewster to fruition. The coalition is considering making a proposal to the Town of Southeast to take ownership of the 1896 building, and is looking for people who have experience with fundraising and grant writing, restoration and building management, and/or knowledg

A Connecticut man who is accused of conducting sexual assault of a minor in Putnam County has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses. According to court documents, on April 3, 2024, Marcos Francisco Javier Gomez, 23, of Norwalk, was arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office after he traveled to New York to meet with a 13-year-old girl with whom he had engaged in sexually explicit communications via text messages, FaceTime, an

Winner of the Democratic primary for Congressional District 17 Cait Conley on election night. Provided photo. By Holly Crocco Cait Conley won the Democratic primary for Congress in the 17th district, with CBS News reporting that she took 50 percent of the vote. Challenger Beth Davidson earned 32 percent and Effie Phillips-Staley received 15 percent. Conley will take on Mike Lawler in November. In Putnam County, Conley received 57 percent of the vote (2,825 votes), while Davi

The Putnam County Business Council recently announced the launch of The Putnam County Business Community Speaks, a multi-platform campaign designed to capture the voice of local business owners and bring their priorities directly to elected officials at the county, state, and federal levels. At the heart of the campaign is the Putnam County Legislative Round Table, an annual forum that convenes business owners and elected officials for an open dialogue about the business clim

Community Alliance For Empowerment, Black Heritage Events PC, and Arts on the Lake joined forces June 19 to host the county’s fourth annual Juneteenth event at AotL. The event featured speakers, African drumming, dancers, music, food, and more. Photos by Chloe Wareham-Gordon.

Dozens of nurses, along with local elected officials and other advocates, gathered outside Putnam Hospital in Carmel last week to demand a fair contract. Approximately 200 nurses at Northwell/ Putnam Hospital are fighting for a fair contract that delivers safe staffing for quality patient care, which is a priority for nurses – many of whom often work short-staffed. In December 2025, nurses in Putnam Hospital’s two medical surgical units started their shift understaffed nearly