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

The life of George Caroll Whipple III, a Kent native, is featured in a new documentary. He has spent nearly three decades pointing a microphone at celebrities on New York’s red carpets but at the recent 25th annual Tribeca Festival, the camera finally turned on George Whipple. “Whipple’s World,” a feature documentary about the NY1 entertainment reporter, Philipstown resident, and Putnam County philanthropist held its world premiere at Tribeca with screenings June 12 through 1

A Pawling man has been arrested following a months-long investigation by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation into a public lewdness incident that occurred in Patterson earlier this year. According to Sheriff Brian Hess, on Feb. 21, his office received a report that a male had exposed himself and engaged in a lewd act while parked in the Acme supermarket parking lot on Route 22. Two occupants of a nearby vehicle reported seeing the suspect inten

A screenshot from bodycam footage recorded while making the arrest. A Southeast man is facing felony weapon charges following an alleged road rage incident in which he brandished a gun. According to Putnam County Sheriff Brian Hess, at about 8:15 p.m. June 20, deputies responded to a reported menacing with a firearm following a road rage incident in Southeast. The complainant reported that during a road rage incident on Peach Lake Road (Route 121), a male operating a black fl

A drawing of what proposed affordable housing could look like at Garden Street. By Holly Crocco The beloved Garden Street School in Brewster is again the topic of discussion in the village, with a proposal to make zoning changes that would allow the property to be developed into affordable housing under review. According to Mayor James Schoenig, the plan – which is only a concept at this point, with no formal application – is being proposed by Covington Development LLC and WB

By Rob Sample While cell phones have become ubiquitous in American life, where the transmission towers get built can become controversial. In Kent, a proposal to build a 130-foot tower has angered residents of mostly rural Hortontown Hill Road. Heading up the opposition is Chelsea Mulroy, who lives across the street from the tower site, along with her husband and two young daughters. Mulroy has found plenty of support in her opposition among her neighbors, other town resident

By Rob Sample Will Carmel knock one out of the proverbial park and give town residents a revamped – and baseball-centric – Jimmy McDonough Park? That was one of the key topics discussed by the Carmel Town Board at its June 10 work session meeting. The proposed redesign would be both ambitious and expensive and would likely require approval via a public referendum. Should it proceed, construction would begin late next year. Because the project is still in the early stages, no

Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti, Veterans Service Agency Deputy Director Tanya Pennella, County Historian Jennifer Cassidy, Assemblyman Matt Slater, County Executive Kevin Byrne, veterans, and advocates at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Putnam County Veterans Museum – a permanent tribute to the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces – officially opened last week, marking a major milestone in the county’s ongoing commitment to honoring and preserving t

A Pawling man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of a well-known Brewster cab driver late last year. Santos Vasquez-Ramirez, 28, admitted to the intentional killing before Putnam County Court Justice Anthony Molé, according to District Attorney Robert Tendy. The victim, Aurelio Orbez of Danbury, Conn., was reported missing by his family to the Danbury Police Department on Dec. 1. Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, working with other law enfor

John Towners A former Stonecrop Gardens employee who was arrested April 18 and accused of secretly filming girls in 2018 and 2019 as they used a public restroom has pleaded guilty to all charges. Federal authorities say 56-year-old John Towers of Mahopac admitted to placing hidden cameras inside a bathroom at the Cold Spring park, to record women and children. According to a criminal complaint filed April 17 in federal court, the investigation began in February after the Nati

The Belden House sits at the intersection of Belden Road and Route 6 in Carmel. The future preservation, rehabilitation, and stewardship of the historic Belden House property in Carmel looks a little brighter after the Putnam County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors voted June 15 to authorize continued discussions with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Friends of Belden House, and other potential partners regarding the site. The boa

Revolutionary Putnam County Committee Co-Chairpersons George Whipple III and George Pataki are joined by Putnam Historian Jennfer Cassidy, County Executive Kevin Byrne, Elizabeth Whipple, Universal Commander Joe Ryan of the Fourth New York Regiment, and County Legislators Bill Gouldman, Amy Sayegh, and Laura Russo at the opening ceremony. Photo by Chloe Wareham-Gordon. Staff Reports “From Constitution Island to the Great Chain that kept the British from controlling the Hudson