The Westchester County Police Department is mourning the loss of an officer who died from injuries sustained in an off-duty accident. The death of Westchester County Police Officer Alfred R. Mosiello, Jr. was announced by the department on Friday, May 3.  According to the department, Mosiello, whose age was not detailed, succumbed to injuries sustained in a tractor accident at his home on Thursday, May 2.  Beginning his career with the Pelham Manor Police Department in 2013, Mosiello spent more than a decade in law enforcement. He eventually transferred to Westch ..read more

A school bus carrying students was involved in a crash in Northern Westchester just a short time after beginning its route, officials said. The crash, which happened on Friday afternoon, May 3 in Mount Pleasant, occurred shortly after Bus 4 left the Westlake High School campus in Thornwood. The incident was a minor crash and caused no injuries, Mount Pleasant Central School District Superintendent Peter Giarrizzo said. Members of the Mount Pleasant Police Department and Mount Pleasant Central School District staff were at the scene, Giarrizzo added. A replacement bus was brought in ..read more

An Army veteran from New York is accused of lying about earning one of the nation's highest military honors in order to rake in six figures from the government and donors to her charity. Orange County resident Sharon Toney-Finch, of Newburgh, was arrested by the FBI’s White Collar Crime Task Force on Wednesday, May 1, following a two-year investigation. According to federal prosecutors, Toney-Finch falsely claimed that she suffered combat-related injuries during a mortar attack and a separate vehicle rollover while serving in Iraq in 2010. Those claims reportedly led to her receiving hundreds ..read more

Motorists who regularly travel on a busy parkway in Westchester are being warned of upcoming lane and ramp closures that will affect traffic for several days. Lane reductions and ramp closures are planned for the Hutchinson River Parkway in Scarsdale and Harrison beginning on Monday, May 6, and lasting through Thursday, May 9, the New York State Department of Transportation announced. The closures, which will last between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. each day, will include:  The northbound parkway will be reduced to one lane between Exit 12 (Mamaroneck Road) in Scarsdale and Exit 14 (North Street ..read more

A school in Westchester has announced it will cease operations at the end of the academic year.  In an announcement on Wednesday, May 1, the Office of the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York revealed the Transfiguration School in Tarrytown would close at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.  Officials attributed the decision to close the Catholic school to shifting demographics and lower enrollment, which have "significantly impacted" its ability to continue operating.  The St. Simon Stock School in the Bronx will also close for similar reasons, the o ..read more

A horse has been returned to its owners after it was found wandering in Westchester in an apparent attempt to grab a morning coffee.  The horse was found by New Rochelle Police early on Friday morning, May 3 after escaping from its owners in Larchmont.  Eventually, after running through Larchmont, the horse made its way to New Rochelle, where it was found in the parking lot of the Starbucks at 80 Huguenot St. across from a Taco Bell, according to the Fairfield-Westchester Professional Horsemen's Association.  Once police found it, officers then had to figure out how to corral a ..read more

Around 70 students and faculty members were taken into custody during pro-Palestine protests at a college in Westchester. The arrests were made at Purchase College on Thursday night, May 2 after protesters refused to leave the campus once quiet hours began, according to the school's Assistant Director of Public Relations Betsy Aldredge.  According to Aldredge, the events leading up to the arrests began earlier on Thursday, when students peacefully protested for several hours while following the college's rules for maintaining order.  Several outsiders and non-students were turn ..read more

After six years, a Hudson Valley superintendent has announced his upcoming move to a nearby district to remain closer to his family. Superintendent Phil Benante of Putnam County's Haldane Central School District announced on Tuesday, April 30 that he was appointed head of the Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County, according to a letter written to the district community.  In his letter, Benante wrote that he chose to move to the Arlington district because it would allow him to work closer to his family.  The Arlington district includes parts of Beekman, La Grange ..read more

Two New York residents are accused of conning a medical supply company out of millions of dollars in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Long Island resident Jonathan Cannon, age 58, of Miller Place, and Erie County resident Julie Dotton, age 51, of Orchard Park, are both charged with wire fraud in a complaint unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, May 2. According to prosecutors, a Canadian company serving as an official provider of personal protective equipment paid Cannon and Dotton $8.2 million for surgical masks needed due to the pandemic. In exchange, Dotton agreed to ..read more

A 61-year-old Westchester man with a previous conviction once again faces charges after authorities discovered a trove of stockpiled firearms, ammunition, and explosives materials during a search of his home and storage units, federal officials said. James Neff, who resides in Dobbs Ferry, was taken into custody on charges related to weapons possession. The arrest was made on Thursday, May 2. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed that a search of his home and two storage units yielded a significant number of firearms and materials that could be used to ..read more