Provided photo. Hundreds of mourners gathered May 31 for a candlelight vigil at the remains of a housefire on Sherwood Road in Cortlandt Manor to honor and remember siblings Alina and Jeremiah Toone, who were killed May 27. During the 2 a.m. fire, the teens were reportedly pulled from a second-story window, both pulseless and not breathing. Firefighters and EMS provided CPR at the scene before the two were transported to area hospitals. Alina was pronounced dead a few hours b

Residents of Brookside Senior Park in Philipstown line up for a distribution provided by the Regional Food Bank last week. Photo by Kelly Marsh. The Regional Food Bank last week launched the expansion of its senior food distribution program in Putnam County, providing 100 meals to residents of Brookside Senior Park, a 55-plus resident-owned mobile home community in Philipstown. In addition, the organization is delivering monthly meals to Gleneida Court, Hillcrest Apartments,

Mahopac School Board Trustees Tanner McCracken and Nicole Iacono have introduced a comprehensive “Parents’ Bill of Rights” aimed at strengthening transparency, parental involvement, and communication between families and the school district. “Parents are not obstacles to education – they are the foundation of it,” said McCracken. “This proposal reaffirms the principle that parents have a first and foremost right to the upbringing of their children. We want to send a clear mes

Drew Kinash Drew Kinash has been appointed deputy commissioner of the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services, effective June 8, contingent upon the County Legislature’s approval. Kinash previously served as manager of the bureau’s fire training center, overseeing operations at the county’s newly rebuilt, state-of-the-art facility. He has also served as a Putnam fire instructor since 1999, helping train generations of firefighters across the county. A longtime public serva

Alina Toone, 17, and Jeremiah Toone, 15, were killed May 27 when investigators believe a power strip failed, causing an electrical fire that consumed their home. The raised ranch home on Sherwood Road was consumed with flames when firefighters arrived just after 2 a.m. May 27. Photo courtesy of Westchester Fire Wire. By Holly Crocco Two Putnam Valley High School students were killed in a home fire May 27 in Cortlandt Manor. The fire began just after 2 a.m. May 27, in a raised

The Bookends Band performs during last year’s series. Photos by Shot By Jessy. The Town of Southeast Cultural Arts Coalition recently announced the lineup for its 2026 Brewster Summer Music Series, once again bringing a mix of musical talent and community spirit to Brewster Village. The free concerts take place Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Southeast Veterans Park gazebo on Railroad Avenue in Brewster. This year’s lineup reflects a range of genres and perf

By Holly Crocco With reassessment notices having recently been mailed out to Kent residents, Town Assessor Seth Plawsky was asked to speak at the May 19 Kent Town Board meeting to address concerns and answer questions. “Most people seem to think if your assessment is going up, it means your taxes are going up, and that’s not the truth,” he said. Plawsky explained that last year the town underwent a reappraisal because there were properties that were grossly over- or under-ass

Angel Elektra and Shay D’Pines will once again lead the celebrations at Putnam Pride. Photo by Jessy Dunn. The seventh annual Putnam Pride Celebration is scheduled Saturday, June 13. This rain-or-shine event will kick off at 1 p.m., at the Historic Courthouse in downtown Carmel, with a rally and march. A photo booth, 40-plus local vendors, face painting, entertainment, food trucks, ice cream, and a kids’ tent will round out the day at Veterans Memorial Park. “I can’t believe

Early voting by mail and absentee ballots may be obtained from the Putnam County Board of Elections, 25 Old Route 6, Carmel, during normal business hours, as well as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, June 13 and 20; and until 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 and Thursday, June 18. Putnam County will also be participating in in-person early voting for the primary election, with two voting sites: The BOE offices; and American Legion Post 275, 10 Cedar St, Cold Spring. Registered voters who ar

A public hearing regarding proposed zoning changes that are presumably related to development of the old Garden Street school property in the Village of Brewster is scheduled June 10 at 7 p.m., at Village Hall. Proposed Local Law No. 5 of 2026 pertains to updating Chapter 263 of the village zoning code, and is available for viewing at www.brewstervillage-ny.gov and at Village Hall. The local law seeks to amend the section regarding “mixed-use districts” to say that no buildin

By Holly Crocco A public hearing is scheduled June 8 before the Southeast Planning Board regarding an application by Brewster Industrial LLC to allow overnight truck deliveries for Lincoln Logistics on Pugsley Road. Dan Richmond of the law firm Zarin & Steinmetz explained during the April 27 planning board meeting that currently, no deliveries are allowed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. weekends, and 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. weekdays. On Sundays and federal holidays, deliveries may not s

By Holly Crocco Separate Article 78 proceedings were filed last week challenging findings determined under the State Environmental Quality Review Act conducted by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail project, which basically say there will be little to no impact on the environmental, social, or fiscal health, and character of the communities the project will encompass. On May 19, Protect the Highlands and

By Holly Crocco School budgets passed all six districts in Putnam County on May 19, with a mix of incumbents and newcomers being elected to the boards of trustees. Carmel Central School District’s $152.7 million budget passed by a vote of 1,427 to 862. Elected to the school board were incumbent Jordi Douglas and Daniel Minieri, with 1,039 and 1,029 votes, respectively. Jacob Yount received 847 votes, Elizabeth Alvarez received 648 votes, and incumbent James Wise received 579

By Rob Sample Putnam County regularly ends up on lists of the most wealthy counties in both the U.S. and in the state. Yet, studies have shown that one in nine Putnam residents are affected by food insecurity. During a recent meeting of the County Legislature’s Health Committee, lawmakers discussed ways to resolve the resource shortages that keep food insecurity a nagging public concern. Committee Chairwoman Nancy Montgomery, D-Philipstown, noted that taking action was made c

Roy and Lucille Ettere, founders of The Nicole Ettere Memorial Gardens Foundation, Inc., at the new Garden of Hope & Healing in Carmel. Photo by Chloe Gordon-Wareham. Those mourning the loss of a loved one through suicide now have another place to honor their memories, with the Garden of Hope & Healing, located along the Putnam County Trailway in Carmel, just behind CoveCare Center on Route 6. The location was dedicated May 15 by The Nicole Ettere Memorial Gardens Foundation,

The Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center in Garrison opened as the new home of Hudson Valley Shakespeare on May 14. Photo by Thornton Tomasetti consulting firm. The new home of Hudson Valley Shakespeare – the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center in Garrison – opened May 14 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, celebrating the culmination of a seven-year journey to create the company’s first permanent home and theater. The summer season will kick off in June, featuring William Shakespeare’s

This year’s Putnam County Coumbus Day Parade & Festivities honorees include, from left, special honoree Paul Camarda; Grand Marshal Frank Miele; scholarship recipients Lola Lauro, Jake Lauro, and Gabriella Bartholdi; Miss Columbus Madeleine Zeolla; and Honorary Grand Marshals Jake D’Angelo, Carmine Cedrola, and Urania Cedrola. The Italian American Club of Mahopac recently announced the names of its 2026 Putnam County Columbus Day Parade & Festivities honorees. Mahopac Superin

Erik Lichack on fife and Sean Kmiotek on drum of the Hearts of Oak reenactors lead participants in a march. Provided photos. Early American music and musket fire enlivened a unique experience for Desmond-Fish Public Library patrons May 9 in Garrison. A visit from the Hearts of Oak reenactors and storyteller Jonathan Kruk complemented the library’s exhibit “Choosing Liberty,” featuring Col. Nicholas Fish. (He and friend Alexander Hamilton, students at King’s College, were memb

By Holly Crocco The County Legislature in October voted to put aside more than $6 million to create a property tax relief program for homeowners in Putnam County, but several months later, the funds are still sitting in purgatory. Former Legislator Paul Jonke, who retired from the governing body in December, returned before the board during its May 12 Rules Committee meeting to get a status update. He explained that in October, the county voted to return $200 to the 30,000 ow

By Holly Crocco With the Putnam County Legislature failing to approve the addition of a “taxpayer transparency” chapter to the county code during a committee meeting in April, one last attempt was made at the Legislature’s May 5 meeting to move the matter forward. Proposed by Legislator Laura Russo, R-Patterson, earlier this year, the Taxpayer Transparency Act would formalize many actions that are already taking place. It would require the commissioner of finance to maintain

By Holly Crocco The Putnam County Legislature is considering changing the way volunteers are appointed to the county’s Board of Ethics. Currently, the board is comprised of five individuals who are appointed by the county executive and approved by the Legislature. During the May 12 Rules Committee meeting, Legislator Tommy Regan, R-Southeast, proposed amending the county code to state that two members be appointed by the county executive, two by the Legislature chairperson, a

Family of John McArdle, a former NYPD lieutenant from Carmel who oversaw rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero, in front of the sign that honors him. McArdle died in 2023. By Holly Crocco Members of the law enforcement community, as well as friends and family of John McArle, joined lawmakers, elected officials, and other advocates May 2 along Route 301 in Carmel/Kent for the unveiling of a sign designating a portion of the roadway between Belden Road and Gipsy Trail R

By Holly Crocco A simple request to use $12,895 from the sheriff’s department contingency funds to pay off the remainder of a lease for a vehicle dedicated to the Co-Response Team prior to the grant’s conclusion recently sparked a greater conversation about the future of the program. “This is a very complex fund transfer,” said Legislator Nancy Montgomer, D-Philipstown, at the County Legislature’s May 5 meeting. The county received a $400,000 Community Oriented Policing Servi

By Holly Crocco The Putnam County Legislature voted 8-1 last week to send a memorialization up to Albany supporting State Sen. Rob Rolison’s proposed “utility tax holiday.” Rolison, R-Poughkeepsie, has proposed a one-year suspension of utility bill and tax surcharges and a two-year suspension of green energy gas taxes, with the hopes of providing relief to residents facing high utility costs. “All of us in this room have received calls from residents that their utility bills

It was a team effort between the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center, the Department of Social Services, and local law enforcement agencies, but after months of advocacy, Putnam was selected as one of five counties across the state to partner with the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence to join the Coordinated Community Response Pilot and develop the county’s first Domestic Violence High-Risk

From left are The Station Co-Owner Kamel Jamal, General Manager Peter Colavecchio, and Inventory Manager Adam Dee in the Beacon store. By Holly Crocco We’ve come a long way since buying nickel and dime bags of weed on the street corner while looking over your shoulder as to not gain the attention of law enforcement. Today, residents and visitors in New York State can walk into a cannabis dispensary and make their selection among a variety of products of different consumption