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Police & Fire
Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns Scammers Posing As NYSP Troopers, Agency Warns
Scammers Posing As Nysp Troopers, Agency Warns New York State Police are sounding the alarm over scammers posing as troopers in order to con victims out of their money. In an alert issued Tuesday, April 9, the agency said fraudsters employ a variety of tactics to con their victims, including demanding payment for a missed court date, jury duty, or other legal matter. The phony cops have also been known to claim there is a warrant for the victim’s arrest and threaten to apprehend them unless a fine is paid. In some cases, scammers have directed the victim to buy a prepaid money transfer card and give them the card number. “They might s…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Region Garnering Rave Reviews 'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Region Garnering Rave Reviews
'Fresh, Delicious Food': New Restaurant In Region Garnering Rave Reviews A new Mexican restaurant in the region is already delighting diners just days into business. Rensselaer County eatery Al Punto Picante – located in Rensselaer at 1204 Washington Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Twelve 04 – held its grand opening on Tuesday, April 9. The restaurant had not established a website or social media channels as of Friday, April 12, but Rensselaer Mayor Mike Stammel described Al Punto Picante as a “culinary gem that promises to tantalize your taste buds with delicious Mexican flavors.” It would appear that others agree; the restaurant has already rack…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Charges Upgraded To Murder In Pawling 'Gator' Stabbing Case Charges Upgraded To Murder In Pawling 'Gator' Stabbing Case
Charges Upgraded To Murder In Pawling 'Gator' Stabbing Case Charges against one of two residents in the region charged in the stabbing of a man in a fight over tools have been upgraded to murder after the victim died days later in a case involving. the presence of an alligator. Related: Live Alligator Discovered At Scene Of Stabbing In Pawling Residence Dutchess County resident Giuseppe Vassallo, age 43, of Pawling, who was initially charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of Nathaniel Vieira, age 42, also of Pawling, on Saturday, March 2, saw his charges increased to murder on Thursday, April 11, said Sinead McLoughlin of the Dutc…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff
Scammers From NY Thinking They Were Collecting $60K Land Behind Bars In Maryland: Sheriff A couple of New Yorkers tried to pull a fast one on a woman in Maryland, but were ultimately apprehended after getting greedy and attempting to go to the well one too many times.  The Washington County Sheriff's Office was advised this week about a scam involving a pair who had been collecting large amounts of cash from a Hagerstown woman, prompting an investigation that led to the arrests of Jinghai Fang and Binbin Ge. In late March, investigators say that the woman received a notification on her tablet that one of her accounts had been hacked, so she called the supplied number and fo…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man From Region Charged With Robbery Of Gas Station Man From Region Charged With Robbery Of Gas Station
Man From Region Charged With Robbery Of Gas Station A 38-year-old man from the region was charged with the alleged robbery of a gas station and attempted robbery of a dollar store.  Sullivan County resident Ollen Eck III, of Livingston Manor, was charged on Tuesday, April 9, for the Saturday, March 16 robbery of the Sunoco gas station, and the attempted robbery of the Dollar General, both in Livingston Manor on Monday, March 18, according to the New York State Police.  Following his arrest, Eck was remanded to the Sullivan County Jail. State Police were assisted by the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and the Village of Monticello…

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by Kathy Reakes
Lifestyle
Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers
Grave Affair: Inaugural Cemetery Cleanup Day Seeking NY Volunteers If you enjoy a quiet working environment and don’t mind rubbing elbows with a few ghosts, this could be the opportunity for you. The New York State Department of State is looking for volunteers to take part in the first annual “Caring for Your Cemetery Day,” on Saturday, April 27. Organizers said the idea is to raise awareness of the hard work and dedication that goes into caring for and preserving cemeteries, especially heading into the spring season. The department is also hoping to gin up more interest in cemeteries among younger people and recruit future volunteers or even officers and…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Wrong-Way Driver Crashes Into Patrol Cruiser On I-84, Police Say Wrong-Way Driver Crashes Into Patrol Cruiser On I-84, Police Say
Wrong-Way Driver Crashes Into Patrol Cruiser On I-84, Police Say A 26-year-old has been accused of driving the wrong way while drunk and striking a police cruiser in an overnight crash on a stretch of I-84 in Connecticut. Just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, April 13, Connecticut State Police received the report of the wrong-way driver in the area of Exit 8 in Danbury.  The vehicle was then stopped off Exit 11 in Newtown, state police said.  After an investigation, the operator, 26-year-old Danbury resident Ney Carrasco-Guerrero was placed under arrest and charged with: Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs and…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Measles Outbreak: Cases Surpass 2023 Numbers, NY Among Dozens Of States Reporting Sickness Measles Outbreak: Cases Surpass 2023 Numbers, NY Among Dozens Of States Reporting Sickness
Measles Outbreak: Cases Surpass 2023 Numbers, NY Among Dozens Of States Reporting Sickness Less than a month since a case of measles showed up outside of New York City, the number of cases has more than doubled across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On Friday, April 12, the CDC announced that the total number of measles cases in the US in 2024 has reached 121 — far surpassing last year’s number of 58 — with cases being reported in 18 states and jurisdictions, including New York State. The update comes after a Nassau County child under the age of 5 was announced as the state’s first measles case to be reported outside of New York C…

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by Sophie Grieser
News
Man From Region Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Man From Region Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images
Man From Region Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Years in federal prison await a man from the region who confessed to blackmailing underage girls into sending him sexually explicit images. Richard Nejame, age 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 11. Prosecutors said Nejame messaged several underage girls on social media apps, including Snapchat, while pretending to be a teenage boy between October 2022 and May 2023. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he then convinced the girls to take nude pictures and videos of…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Total Solar Eclipse Rescue: Injured NY Woman Pulled To Safety From Mountain In Path Of Totality Total Solar Eclipse Rescue: Injured NY Woman Pulled To Safety From Mountain In Path Of Totality
Total Solar Eclipse Rescue: Injured NY Woman Pulled To Safety From Mountain In Path Of Totality An injured woman was rescued during the height of the solar eclipse in an area in upstate New York that was in the path of totality. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, the incident began in the middle of the afternoon on Monday, April 8, at Adirondack trailheads in Franklin County, in the town of Santa Clara. Just after 4:30 p.m., authorities received a call about a hiker with a lower leg injury near the summit of Mount Saint Regis.  Due to the terrain and trail conditions, Forest Rangers called for assistance from the New York State Police (NYSP) Avia…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Attempted Bank Fraud: 1 Suspect Captured, 1 On The Run In Hudson Valley Attempted Bank Fraud: 1 Suspect Captured, 1 On The Run In Hudson Valley
Attempted Bank Fraud: 1 Suspect Captured, 1 On The Run In Hudson Valley A 34-year-old man has been charged with felony grand larceny and identity theft after allegedly attempting to withdraw $45,000 from a bank account that did not belong to him. The incident occurred in Rockland County on Wednesday, April 10 at the Affinity Federal Credit Union in Nanuet. According to Detective Norman Peters with the Clarkstown Police, Hanlin Yang of Virginia and a woman arrived at the bank and attempted to make a money transfer of $45,000 from an account.  Peters said Yang and the woman became "agitated" and left the area as bank officials attempted to verify the identi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
'Excitement, Sadness': Pizzeria In Region Closing After 12 'Amazing' Years 'Excitement, Sadness': Pizzeria In Region Closing After 12 'Amazing' Years
'Excitement, Sadness': Pizzeria In Region Closing After 12 'Amazing' Years After more than a decade of slingin’ pies, a well-reviewed pizzeria in the region is calling it quits. Rensselaer County eatery Village Pizza & Deli – located in the Village of Nassau at 2 Melden Street – will permanently close on Friday, May 10. “After 12 amazing years, the time has come for our family to take on a new adventure,” owners Jim and Marsha Winters said on Facebook. “It is with both excitement and sadness that we share the news that we have sold Village Pizza.” The couple told longtime followers that between now and closing day they intend to use up what they have in stock…

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by Michael Mashburn