Community members gathered in Cold Spring for International Overdose Awareness Day, where a luminaria ceremony took place. Photo by David Alger. By David Alger The historic bandstand at the Cold Spring waterfront became a sanctuary of shared grief, healing, and urgent advocacy as Putnam County community members gathered to observe International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31. This year’s event marked the 25th global anniversary of the movement under the theme “25 Years On.

The 80-person Putnam Chorale performs both classical and contemporary music under the direction of Dr. Jason C. Tramm. Provided photos. By TJ Fink New and returning members are encouraged to join – or rejoin – the Putnam Chorale as the fall semester of its 42nd year approaches and registration is now open. The 80-person choir, which offers a versatile learning and performance opportunity to both novice and experienced singers alike, will offer its fall program “Starry Night”

Community Based Services recently hosted State Sen. Pete Harckham, Putnam Executive Kevin Byrne and representatives of county government, Jay Diesing of Mauri Architects, and Mary Urban, vice president of public affairs for WIN Waste Innovations – which has been a supporter of the initiative, for a tour of the renovations being completed at the Putnam Early Learning Center & Preschool in Patterson. A major expansion of the Putnam County Early Learning Center was recently anno

By Holly Crocco When Dan Birmingham, R-Southeast, rejoined the County Legislature last year after a 13-year hiatus, the lawmaker nearly fell out of his seat when he learned how much was in the county’s fund balance… $163 million. The fund balance is an accumulation of what is left over and unspent from each year’s budget. It has been amassing, essentially, since the incorporation of the county. And while some may say you can’t have too much extra cash on hand, Birmingham begs

By Holly Crocco A statewide ban on 287(g) agreements in the “Local Cops, Local Crime Act” signed into law in May as part of a package of immigration protections has taken effect, announced Gov. Kathy Hochul last week. “Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe – not serving as de-facto ICE agents, not conducting civil immigration enforcement, and not carrying out the Trump administration’s callous immigration agenda,” she said. “Starting t

Work is underway on a $24.5 million project to replace two 59-year-old bridges along the ramp from Interstate 84 westbound to Interstate 684 southbound in the Town of Southeast. According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, the project will replace the aging structures with wider, more resilient bridges that will enhance safety and ensure continued smooth travel along this key gateway that links New England and the lower Hudson Valley. Additionally, environmentally friendly engineering pra

What could have been a tragedy ended peacefully last week when Putnam County sheriff’s deputies and negotiators convinced a man in distress to step back from a cliff he had perched himself on in the Hudson Highlands State Park. At about 3:45 p.m. Aug. 25, the Cold Spring Police Department received a call through the Putnam County 911 Center reporting that a missing 34-year-old man experiencing a mental health crisis was believed to be in the area of the park. Putnam County Sh

A Pawling man has been sentenced to 21 years to life for the murder of a Brewster cab driver last year. Santos Vasquez Ramirez, 28, was sentenced last week by Putnam County Court Justice Anthony Mole for the murder of Aurelio Orbez. According to Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy, on Dec. 1, 2025, Orbez, of Danbury, was reported missing by his family after he did not return him from work the night before. Six days later, his body was recovered from the Croton Falls

Craig Waugh of Putnam County is a member of the Ulster Scottish Pipe Band, which won Grade 2 at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Courtney Schnee. The Ulster Scottish Pipe Band of Warminster, Penn., lifted the trophy as Grade 2 Champions at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday, Aug. 15. Among them was Mahopac resident Craig Waugh. “It is great to be a new member of The Ulster Scottish Pipe Band,” said Waugh. “The b

By Holly Crocco No one likes a parking ticket. While the Village of Cold Spring relies on income from metered parking – as well as tickets – to bring in revenue, merchants say the hefty $75 fine is not only turning customers off from shopping in the village, but making residents feel unwelcome on their own main street. During the Aug. 12 Cold Spring Village Board meeting, Mayor Kathleen Foley said village government has been working with the Chamber of Commerce and its Main S

Members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office join local law enforcement, government representatives, friends, and family at the dedication of the new Sheriff Kevin J. McConville Memorial Substation in Nelsonville last week. An impassioned crowd of law enforcement officers, elected officials, family members, and friends gathered Aug. 20 to memorialize former Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville with the dedication of the Nelsonville substation of the Putnam County Sheriff’s

In response to growing national questions about license plate reader technology, and in particular about the Flock Safety camera network in use in many communities across the country, law enforcement agencies in Putnam County are speaking with one voice to explain how the county’s system works, how it is different, and what it has done to keep Putnam residents safe. Recent national reporting has raised serious concerns about commercially operated camera networks: data stored

The Bible used in the inauguration of President George Washington in 1789 was on display recently at Philipstown Masonic Lodge 236. Photo by Legislator Bill Gouldman. Philipstown Masonic Lodge No. 236 in Cold Spring offered a rare public viewing of the George Washington inaugural Bible on Aug. 15, as part of its Revolutionary Putnam County 250 programming. The 1767 Bible belongs to St. John’s Lodge No. 1 A.Y.M. in New York City, which provided its altar Bible for Washington’s

By Holly Crocco A local law to limit and restrain the ability of local government to increase salaries for county legislators and the county executive has been proposed by Legislator Dan Birmingham, R-Southeast. Currently, each of the nine legislators make about $48,000 a year for what is considered a part-time position. “We have almost 50 employees who, whether they pave our streets or answer the phones or deal with public on a full-time basis, we have almost 50 of them maki

Putnam Valley was hit hard by the July 28 and 29 storm. Provided photo. By Holly Crocco Cleanup from not only one, but several summer storms that brought torrential rain to the area – hitting Putnam Valley especially hard – is continuing, with debris removal from blocked drains, and other efforts, proving to be a challenge. The Putnam Valley Town Board passed a resolution Aug. 12 approving the highway department to remove storm debris from various drains, waterways, and other

By Holly Crocco With a town moratorium on battery storage systems and large-scale wind energy conversion systems having expired in October, the Putnam Valley Town Board is looking to act quickly to pass another moratorium that will protect the town from not only these types of developments, but also data centers. The state recently passed a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers using 50 megawatts or more of power to assess environmental, energy, and community imp

Tatiana Brahimi By Holly Crocco The race for county executive just got a little more heated, with the Putnam County Conservative Party Executive Committee announcing Friday afternoon that it has changed its endorsement and is now unanimously backing Tatiana Brahimi for the county’s top seat. “This decision was neither hurried nor made lightly,” wrote Secretary Theresa Votano in a statement on behalf of the committee. “After careful deliberation, the committee concluded that T

A record crowd of Lake Carmel residents and guests turned out for the 34th annual Lake Carmel Summer Festival on Aug. 2. The event was organized and managed by the Lake Carmel Park District Advisory Board, in coordination with the park district crew and lifeguards, and Town of Kent Highway Department, police department, and town board. It was sponsored by local merchants. There were many winners of the swimming races, with Alex Berardi willing the annual lifeguard race – the

National Night Out was celebrated across the country Aug. 4, with police departments and law enforcement agencies engaging with the public to promote better community relations. The Carmel Police Department and Town of Carmel Recreation Department hosted a family-friendly event full of food, music, bubbles, games, and more at Airport Park in Mahopac (pictured). The Brewster Police Department hosted their event at Wells Park, and the Kent P.D. invited the community to its head

By Holly Crocco Money is on the way to local nonprofits that are helping to keep food on the table for area families in need. The Putnam County Legislature voted unanimously during its Aug. 4 meeting to release $150,000 from the county’s subcontingency budget and transfer it to Cornell Cooperative Extension-Putnam and Second Chance Foods, to fight food insecurity. In 2025, the Legislature voted to dedicate the funds to support agencies that help feed the hungry, moving the mo

The Carmel Police Department has released the name of the suspect involved in a stabbing at the U.S. Post Office in the Carmel on July 30. Howard McNiff, 38, of Nanuet, was taken into custody at the scene and has been charged with second-degree attempted murder and two counts of second-degree assault, felonies; as well as fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. Shortly before 3 p.m. July 30, Putnam County 911 received a report of a disturbance at the loc

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