Times Herald-Record
Next round of Iran peace talks on hold
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire June 19 after escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon complicated President Donald Trump’s efforts to reach a final peace agreement with Iran. Still, negotiations to end the war appeared to be delayed,...
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LOWER CRIME RATES AT RISK
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer...
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Trump’s legacy rests in U.S. federal courts
President Donald Trump is pursuing his objectives with unbridled ambition – but whether those policies will go into effect is largely still in question. Though the legislative branch of government has shown little appetite to restrain him, the...
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WINDS OF CHANGE
The United States is in a bizarre situation in 2026: It’s facing a looming energy shortage, yet the Trump administration is making deals to pay offshore wind developers nearly $2 billion in taxpayer money to walk away from energy projects. These...
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U.S. deal with Iran leaves uncertainty
The United States and Iran were set to begin a week of high-stakes diplomacy after announcing on June 14 a framework deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary agreement that has already pushed oil prices lower but leaves the...
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Rolling into summer
The Hudson Valley food scene has much to offer, and there’s no shortage of local food trucks to try, either. If you haven’t explored this realm of the area’s culinary landscape, we’ve got you covered. We gathered food truck festivals, along with...
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FORGING TRIBUTE
Ayears-long plan to honor those who served in the quick and oft-forgot 1991 Operation Desert Storm peaks this fall when a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be dedicated as part of USA 250 celebrations. Much of the project’s...
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Views are split on White House UFC event
It was 2001, and mixed martial arts fighting was on the ropes. Banned in 36 states, booted from cable operators, derided as “human cockfighting” – it was such an outcast sport that it traded hands for $2 million. A song. The new owners of Ultimate...
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25 million people lost Medicaid after pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people covered by Medicaid rose month after month – an unusual pattern for the government’s insurance program for people with low incomes and disabilities. Why? A policy of continuous coverage during the...
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Village at Tuxedo Reserve eyes fall opening
The Village at Tuxedo Reserve, a new 1,200-acre development located near the Tuxedo Park gated community, is planned to open in the fall in Orange County. “Tuxedo Reserve represents a transformative investment in our community and the broader region,”...
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April freeze costly for New York farmers
Jeff Crist had written down the spring date an unseasonal cold front dropped on his apple farm in Walden – April 21 – destroying future crops with temperatures in the 20s. Before the freeze warning on April 20, the weather had been summerlike just days...
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In recent years, fish have spent more time near the surface of the water What is killing Atlantic sturgeon?
Mike Fitzgerald hesitated. He feared the large, white object stranded on a beach along the Hudson River could be a dead body. h It was surrounded by vultures. So, Fitzgerald grabbed his binoculars. h He spied what some call “the dinosaur of the sea,” a...
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Relics tell history’s tale
On the third floor of the New York State Museum building in Albany one recent morning, a treasure trove of American relics usually kept hidden from public view fill a seemingly never-ending room. h Up here, the mostly darkened space is quiet and warm...
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Big water problems need big solutions
When a drought turns into an urban water crisis, a city’s first step is often to limit lawn watering and launch a campaign to encourage everyone to conserve. It might raise water-use rates or offer incentives for installing lowflow devices. h While...
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Data center moratorium expected to pass in NY
A New York bill banning data center construction statewide for one year is expected to be passed by the state Legislature before their session ends this week. It’s a lesser version of a bill being championed by Assemblymember Anna Kelles, D-Ithaca,...
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Former trooper sentenced in Monica Goods’ death
Former New York State Trooper Christopher Baldner was sentenced June 2 to 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 years in state prison after he was previously found guilty of causing the death of 11-yearold Monica Goods on the New York State Thruway. New York State Attorney...
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Ads for GLP-1 drugs flooding the internet
If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight-loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. h Like millions of others around the country, if you’ve ever considered taking one of these drugs, you probably...
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Iran suspends talks over Lebanon attacks
Iran halted indirect talks with the United States over Israel’s intensifying attacks on Lebanon, according to Iranian media reports, signaling a possible breakdown in diplomatic efforts to end the 3-month-old war. The Iranian semi-official Tasnim news...
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Nancy Smith’s suspected killer dies by suicide
The 2001 murder of Nancy Smith of New Windsor has been solved, New Windsor police announced May 28. But there will be no prosecution because the alleged suspect died by suicide shortly after being interviewed by investigators in April. On Dec. 5,...
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From the first phone call to fiber and AI, AT&T keeps people linked How MA Bell became a Modern Giant
You’d need a pretty good chart to keep track of AT&T’s breakups, reorganizations, acquisitions, subsidiaries, CEOs, strikes, settlements, patents, innovations...The list goes on. h The telecommunications company that traces its roots to Alexander...
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Potential Iran deal puts Trump in a bind
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: He is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get U.S. gasoline prices down but at the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks...
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Testing the waters for a comeback
The grassroots movement to restart the Beacon-Newburgh ferry picked up support recently when the Orange County Industrial Development Agency agreed to kick in $100,000 for a weekend ferry pilot program. But that’s still about $100,000 shy of what’s...
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Assembly passes massive budget deal
It was a big day for the state Legislature in Albany on Tuesday, May 26, as the fourth budget bill revealed what auto insurance, Tier 6 pension and climate law changes would be coming for New Yorkers. Lawmakers deliberated the Transportation, Economic...
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‘There is no higher calling on planet Earth’
WEST POINT - As a soft rain fell May 23 at Michie Stadium, 998 West Point cadets raised their right hands and took the oath of office that officially made them second lieutenants in the United States Army. h Before that, they were welcomed by Secretary...
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THE LIMITS OF LOCKDOWNS
There have been 63 school shootings – meaning any time there is gunfire on a school campus – so far in 2026. h They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a...
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‘We Need More Love’
The new owners of a historic estate in Sparrow Bush want to contribute to the Hudson Valley region through their initiative termed, “We Need More Love.” Seeking submissions by June 1, the offering includes the gift of a wedding celebration for one...
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Could LIRR strike deal lead to fare increases?
The Long Island Rail Road resolved a three-day strike by five of its unions with an agreement Gov. Kathy Hochul said will not impact fares on Metro-North Railroad or city subways and buses. But questions remain whether some of the Metropolitan...
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Miracle on 34th?
The Trump administration and Amtrak announced a master developer team to lead the redesign and construction to expand New York Penn Station, the busiest transportation hub in North America. “We are one step closer to delivering a world-class travel...
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Trump visit sparks backlash, reactions
President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit alongside Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in Rockland County on Friday has sparked reactions online from political candidates and local officials. While supporters have promoted the event, some Democratic candidates...
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Surveillance pricing bills pass NY Senate
A ban on surveillance pricing in New York state is seeing some progress as New Yorkers are showing increased concern about the practice. The state Senate advanced two bills — one banning electronic shelving labels and another prohibiting online...
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Former Chester highway superintendent sentenced
Former Chester Town Highway Superintendent John Reilly III has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for shooting a DoorDash delivery driver. Judge Craig Stephen Brown pronounced the sentence in Orange County Court on May 18 for an aggregate term of...
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RISING COSTS
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel have been elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But recently released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread,...
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Neversink man sentenced 25 years to life for shooting father
A Neversink man previously convicted of murdering his father was sentenced May 15 to 25 years to life in state prison. Sullivan County District Attorney Brian Conaty announced the sentence for Drew Botsford, 49, of Neversink. The sentence was...
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NY officer decertified after misconduct
In November of last year, Ryan Zarnowski’s public career as a peace officer appeared to have ended. h Internal documents show mistakes and discipline marked his only year as a jail deputy at the Oswego County Sheriff ’s Office: He failed to complete...
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Weinstein’s 3rd NY rape trial ends in mistrial
NEW YORK – Harvey Weinstein’s third trial in New York over allegations he used his Hollywood clout to prey upon and sexually abuse women ended in a mistrial on May 15, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on a charge he raped the aspiring...
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Aroma Indian offers a variety of spice levels
The Goshen Plaza has a new restaurant, The Aroma Indian Kitchen and Bar, offering Indian food for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters alike. The establishment opened its doors on April 30, according to co-owner Sukhbir Singh, who can be found at hand...
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Into the tic it
Gear up, New Yorkers. This year’s tick season could be among the worst, according to federal and state experts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Tick Bite Data Tracker, which uses real-time emergency room surveillance, shows weekly...
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Illness on cruise ship renews concern
One viral outbreak on a cruise ship was already commanding worldwide attention last week when health officials reported another on a separate vessel. Oceanwide Expeditions’ MV Hondius was grappling with hantavirus cases that resulted in three deaths...
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AI-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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Massive data center planned in East Fishkill
Plans are afoot behind the scenes for a new data center in Dutchess Center with vast power needs — far greater than any similar facility now operating in New York. The site is a wooded tract in East Fishkill where a New Jersey developer initially...
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Historic Trust group recognizes Opus 40
Opus 40, a massive sculpture park in Saugerties, has received new national recognition from a major historic preservation organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced May 5 that Opus 40 was one of 13 new members joining its...
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RACE TO REDRAW NY POLITICAL MAP
New York Democrats are vowing to redraw the state’s congressional lines to match Republican-led states in the latest burst of partisan redistricting around the U.S. to grab House seats and hold power. But a long battle lies ahead before New York can...
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NY lost $1.2 billion to toll evaders
Police could confiscate the license plates of drivers caught trying to evade tolls on New York roads, bridges and tunnels under legislation proposed by Albany lawmakers in response to a surge in ghost plates. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority,...
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U.S. says ships sailed through strait
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on May 5 said two U.S. commercial ships and two Navy destroyers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, embarrassing Iranians who claimed the key waterway was closed and demonstrating it is safe to pass while a blockade of...
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More than 25 ways to make mom’s day
Planning for Mother’s Day just got a lot simpler. For the special mother in your life, we’ve pulled together more than 25 mid-Hudson Valley options to help you plan the perfect celebration. The big day is coming up soon on Sunday, May 10, and the...
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their small...
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How American Express built a global reputation on reliability, innovation, and connection
American Express has been around for more than two thirds of the United States’ existence. h Like the nation, AmEx has seen dramatic growth and cultural shifts. h With a business model that has adapted to changing needs and changing markets, American...
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Prediction markets see explosive rise
Though prediction markets have been legal in the United States for less than 18 months, they can’t stop making news and making money. On prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, users can stake real money on just about anything, from the...
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Public hearing explores reparations
NEWBURGH – The New York State Community Commission on Reparations Remedies held a public hearing centered on education inequality at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Newburgh on April 25. The commission was created in December 2023 through a bill,...
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Stronger rent protections close for NY mobile homes
A bill to control rent increases in manufactured home parks in New York passed in both houses. If signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the legislation would require mobile home park owners to provide a written justification and documentation for rent...
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MAGA-esque politics popular in the U.K.
LONDON− King Charles III isn’t an elected politician. But his trip to the United States has political implications. And with extreme movements on the rise in the United Kingdom, echoing divisions among Americans, the monarch’s state visit to mark...
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U.S.-Iran negotiations remain at a standstill
Work has not halted to bridge gaps between the United States and Iran, sources from mediator Pakistan said, despite the failure of face-to-face diplomacy after President Donald Trump called off a trip by his envoys over the weekend. Iranian sources...
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Cornwall siblings raise heart health awareness
Malory Saki was shocked to learn during a routine check-up that her 6-monthold son, Gabe, had a hole in his heart. Though a common occurrence in babies, the hole within Gabe’s heart, an atrial septal defect affecting the top heart chambers, required an...
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JOINING FORCES
What began as a minor traffic stop in Westchester County quickly mushroomed into a life-altering event for Juan Esteban Rosas Jimenez. The 22year-old was driving to church with his wife on a Sunday morning last fall when a Port Chester police officer...
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Cornell map tool tracks spring bird migrations
Birds are on the move as they take flight for their annual spring migration and Cornell University is looking to help people track their journeys. Radar tracking allows you to follow along to see what birds are flying overhead as the birds move to...
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World’s great fish migrations collapsing
Hidden beneath the surface of the world’s rivers, some of Earth’s great animal movements unfold – migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti. h For centuries, fish migrations were as...
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Fuel for budget talks
The New York Senate’s majority leader has used Albany state budget talks to press the Hochul administration for answers about the New York Power Authority $7.5 million plane, questioning why struggling ratepayers should get stuck with part of the tab...
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Mirbeau bringing luxury spa to Beacon
The Howland Estate, which has been uninhabited for 20 years, will soon be the home of Mirbeau Inn & Spa Beacon — the “pinnacle” of the Mirbeau collection and their most “ambitious project to date,” according to Vice President and Partner with Mirbeau...
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CULTIVATING INTERESTS
TOP: From left, Matthew Cusa, 5, of Highland, Bronson Tatum, 5, of Wallkill, and Hudson Hurd, 4, look at a worm under a microscope during the spring planting kids class at Hurds Family Farm in Modena on April 19. This is the fourth year that Hurds...
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Gov. Hochul moves to curb ties with ICE
Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing to curb police involvement in federal immigration enforcement across New York in response to pressure for stronger steps than she offered earlier this year. Her new proposal would bar local police officers from helping...
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New rail trail will link Chester and Cornwall
Hikers, birders and nature lovers can look forward later this year to a new 2mile stretch from Camp LaGuardia in the Town of Chester to Craigville Road. As part of Phase 1 of the Schunnemunk Rail Trail Project, the ongoing construction on this section...
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Strait of Hormuz opened amid two-week ceasefire
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” to all commercial vessels, the country’s foreign minister said, meeting a central demand of the United States as the two countries teased another round of peace talks and the clock wound down on a...
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Blu Pointe takes area brunch crown
For your next brunch, have a “serene” morning on the Hudson River waterfront at Blu Pointe, according to General Manager Joe Stevens. h Feel the open air and natural light when you walk in with their vaulted ceilings and accordion floor-to-ceiling...
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Iran pledges retaliation for U.S. naval blockade
Iran on April 15 vowed to retaliate against the U.S. naval blockade by halting all trade in the Persian Gulf region as an intensifying standoff threatens to upend a delicate two-week ceasefire between the warring nations. Ali Abdollahi, leader of...
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‘We’ll make sure that ICE is out’
GOSHEN — About 100 Hudson Valley residents and immigrant welfare advocates rallied in the Village of Goshen on April 12 to demand an end to the Orange County Jail’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The event was directed at...
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Airlines withstand Iran war turbulence
A combination of rising prices and geopolitical uncertainty are making many American travelers question if it’s better to stay closer to home or travel farther afield this summer. “Out of the three international trips, I’ve already canceled the first...
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Why third partie perform best in Northeast U.S.
A majority of Americans say they are “frustrated” or “angry” – or both – with Republicans and Democrats, according to the Pew Research Center. But that rarely translates into support for independent or third-party candidates. One exception has been in...
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A higher standard?
As the historic social justice movement gripped the nation in 2020, Sgt. Ferdinando “Fred” Pacicca III and his fellow Rome police officers were dispatched to a Black Lives Matter protest in a small city in upstate New York. h It wasn’t long before...
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Iran sets conditions for further talks with U.S.
Iran vowed on April 10 not to participate in negotiations unless a ceasefire takes hold in Lebanon and Iran’s assets are unfrozen, throwing doubt over highstakes peace talks set to begin the following day in Pakistan. Iran’s parliamentary speaker,...
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U.S.-Iran ceasefire on tenuous ground
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran was on tenuous ground on April 9 after Israel launched its deadliest day of strikes on Lebanon yet and Tehran vowed not to desert its allies. A day after announcing the Iran war ceasefire, Trump took to...
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U.S., Iran declare victory with ceasefire
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is underway following an eleventh-hour deal struck just before a deadline imposed by President Donald Trump, who threatened to wipe out a “whole civilization” if Iran did not capitulate to U.S....
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NY bill could expand hiring for area jails
Rockland and Orange counties’ sheriffs could soon hire corrections officers who live outside those counties, as long as the workers reside within 45 miles. State legislation passed in the Assembly and Senate would change longstanding residency...
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Wallkill farm draws egg hunters on Easter Cracking the case
Hunters in the 6-12 year old group dig in a dirt mound for the golden egg during the 13th annual Easter egg hunt at the Pallet Farm in Wallkill on April 4. Frankie Degroodt, 2, of Wallkill holds up an Easter egg she found. Kira Castro Giovanni, 5, of...
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Experience final days of Revolutionary War
The New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and the history of its birth through “Cessation of Hostilities” and other special events throughout 2026. The site housed the Continental Army led by Gen. George...
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Billion-dollar nonprofit dogged by lawsuits, probes
ASBURY PARK, NJ – New Jersey-based Kars4Kids, known by its ubiquitous radio jingle, has built a multimillion-dollar fundraising empire based on the simple premise of car donations to benefit children. While that happy jingle burrows into our brains,...
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