Fair 64°
Police & Fire
Half-Acre Brush Fire Goes Up In Dutchess County Field, Prompts Hour-Long Response Half-Acre Brush Fire Goes Up In Dutchess County Field, Prompts Hour-Long Response
Half-Acre Brush Fire Goes Up In Dutchess County Field, Prompts Hour-Long Response A brush fire burned through half an acre in a Dutchess County field before firefighters and state forest rangers brought it under control.   The fire began at around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5, on Shultz Hill Road in the hamlet of Pine Plains, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in an announcement on Wednesday, June 17.  Two forest rangers responded after receiving a 911 radio call reporting a brush fire in the area, the DEC said. When they arrived, they found flames spreading through a field of grass and scrub vegetation. Rangers…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
11 Undocumented Migrants Among 15 Charged In $1.4M Mass SNAP, Health Benefits Fraud Case: Feds 11 Undocumented Migrants Among 15 Charged In $1.4M Mass SNAP, Health Benefits Fraud Case: Feds
11 Undocumented Migrants Among 15 Charged In $1.4M Mass SNAP, Health Benefits Fraud Case: Feds A federal investigation uncovered a massive benefits fraud scheme that allegedly drained more than $1.4 million from taxpayer-funded programs in Massachusetts. The charges were announced Thursday, June 18, after a Homeland Security Investigations probe led to indictments against 15 suspects, including 11 people living in the country illegally and four U.S. citizens. According to the Department of Justice, the scheme involved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, MassHealth benefits, disability payments, unemployment benefits, and other public assistance programs. Feder…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
3 Pounds Of Cocaine Found During Thruway Traffic Stop, NY State Police Say 3 Pounds Of Cocaine Found During Thruway Traffic Stop, NY State Police Say
3 Pounds Of Cocaine Found During Thruway Traffic Stop, NY State Police Say More than three pounds of cocaine were seized during a traffic stop on the New York State Thruway, New York State Police announced on Thursday, June 18. Robert C. Davis, 39, of Troy, Freddie J. Fields, 45, of Albany, and Terrell C. Welcome, 36, of Schenectady were arrested following the stop on Interstate 87 in Bethlehem at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, according to state police. Troopers assigned to the Troop G Community Stabilization Unit stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation while working in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, police said. Davis was identif…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Driver Hospitalized After Car Flips Against Tree In Hudson Valley Driver Hospitalized After Car Flips Against Tree In Hudson Valley
Driver Hospitalized After Car Flips Against Tree In Hudson Valley A driver was taken to a hospital after a crash in Putnam County that left a vehicle perched on its side against a tree.  The crash happened in Putnam Valley on Monday, June 15, when firefighters responded to Peekskill Hollow Road just before 5:20 p.m. and found the vehicle rolled over on its side. The trapped driver had to be rescued, firefighters said. They were later taken to a hospital to be evaluated, according to the department.  More details about the cause of the crash were not immediately available. 

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Teen Tourist Killed When Central Park Carriage Horse Gets Loose: Police Teen Tourist Killed When Central Park Carriage Horse Gets Loose: Police
Teen Tourist Killed When Central Park Carriage Horse Gets Loose: Police An 18-year-old man died after falling from a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park, police said. The incident happened near 71st Street and Center Drive at 2:47 p.m., according to the NYPD.  Officers were told the man had fallen from the carriage, police said. He was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to the NYPD. According to ABC7, the man was an 18-year-old tourist. Footage of the horse breaking free and being chased by the driver was shared to X by Gus Stalton, the managing editor of the West Side Rag. Here’s a video of the h…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Death Penalty Possible For Man Accused Of Killing National Guard Specialist Near White House Death Penalty Possible For Man Accused Of Killing National Guard Specialist Near White House
Death Penalty Possible For Man Accused Of Killing National Guard Specialist Near White House A man accused of carrying out a deadly ambush on National Guard members steps from the White House now faces new federal charges that could lead to the death penalty, prosecutors announced.  Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 30, an Afghan national, was charged in a 17-count superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, June 16, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The new charges stem from the shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured Sgt. Andrew Wolfe on Nov. 26. Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard, was killed in the sh…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Scottish Soccer Fans Are Drinking US Bars Dry, Forcing Emergency Beer Deliveries Scottish Soccer Fans Are Drinking US Bars Dry, Forcing Emergency Beer Deliveries
Scottish Soccer Fans Are Drinking US Bars Dry, Forcing Emergency Beer Deliveries The British may have marched on Boston centuries ago, looking for a fight. This time, the Scots are here looking for a pint.  Scottish soccer fans have descended on Massachusetts for the World Cup, and in less than a week, they've helped drink some of the city's bars dry. The "Tartan Army" spent the past week filling restaurants and pubs, and in some cases helping empty beer taps across the city, according to NBC Boston. The fans took over the streets last weekend after Scotland claimed a 1-0 win over Haiti on Saturday and marched to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game on Sunday. Sam Ad…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man, 81, Killed In Route 66 Crash In Hudson Valley Man, 81, Killed In Route 66 Crash In Hudson Valley
Man, 81, Killed In Route 66 Crash In Hudson Valley An 81-year-old driver was killed in a head-on crash on Route 66 in Columbia County.  The crash happened at around 2:20 p.m. on Monday, June 15, when troopers responded to a two-car crash on Route 66 in Ghent, New York State Police announced on Wednesday, June 17. Investigators found that a 2026 Honda CR-V driven by Jere Wrightsman, 81, of Chatham, was traveling southbound when it crossed into the northbound lane and collided head-on with a 2024 Mazda CX-50, State Police said.  A 64-year-old woman from Ghent was driving the Mazda. Both drivers were taken to Albany Medical Cen…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Laser Strike Forces NY State Police Helicopter Off Flight Path; Man Charged With Felony Laser Strike Forces NY State Police Helicopter Off Flight Path; Man Charged With Felony
Laser Strike Forces NY State Police Helicopter Off Flight Path; Man Charged With Felony A laser pointed at a New York State Police helicopter during a nighttime training flight has led to a felony arrest, authorities announced. Daymian S. Massago, 20, of Saratoga Springs, was charged with Directing a Laser at an Aircraft in the First Degree after allegedly aiming a laser at a State Police Aviation Airbus H145D3 helicopter, New York State Police said on Wednesday, June 17. The incident happened at approximately 10:10 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, while the helicopter crew was conducting night training over Saratoga Springs, according to police. Investigators said the aircraft was…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Wilmington Hospital Shooter ID'd: Cops Wilmington Hospital Shooter ID'd: Cops
Wilmington Hospital Shooter ID'd: Cops A 23-year-old Delaware man was arrested in Philadelphia after police say a shooting at Wilmington Hospital left one 19-year-old dead and another critically injured. John Wallace-Bey, of New Castle, DE, was taken into custody Tuesday night, June 16, in Philadelphia and is awaiting extradition to Delaware, Wilmington Police announced. Wallace-Bey has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and carrying a concealed deadly weapon, police said. The shooting happened at Wilmington Hospital in t…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Trapped Driver Rescued, Airlifted After Crashing Into Tree In Dutchess County Trapped Driver Rescued, Airlifted After Crashing Into Tree In Dutchess County
Trapped Driver Rescued, Airlifted After Crashing Into Tree In Dutchess County A driver was airlifted to a hospital after becoming trapped inside their heavily damaged vehicle that crashed into a tree in Dutchess County.  The crash happened at around 11:18 p.m. on Monday, June 15, when firefighters responded to a crash in the Town of Dover involving a vehicle that had struck a tree, according to the J.H. Ketcham Hose Company. Arriving crews found the driver stuck inside the wreckage. Firefighters faced a significant challenge during the rescue because of the extensive damage to the vehicle, which severely limited access to the driver.  However, th…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
17 Horses Killed In Devastating Barn Fire At Saratoga Casino Hotel Facility 17 Horses Killed In Devastating Barn Fire At Saratoga Casino Hotel Facility
17 Horses Killed In Devastating Barn Fire At Saratoga Casino Hotel Facility A devastating early morning fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel harness racing facility claimed the lives of 17 horses and destroyed a barn, according to reports. The fire was reported just after 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, at the harness racing complex located at 25 Nelson Ave. in Saratoga Springs, according to the Saratoga Springs Fire Department.  When firefighters arrived, they found a barn heavily involved in flames. Because of the serious fire conditions, crews began a defensive attack while working to protect nearby buildings and prevent the blaze from spreading.  Mutual …

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by Ben Crnic