Around the Region

Warwick: Farmers Suffer Fire Loss

The Cold Spring Farmers’ Market has organized a fundraiser for the owners of the Rogowski Farm in Orange County, one of its longtime vendors, who suffered a kitchen fire that destroyed their prep kitchen and much of their home. 

Cheryl Rogowski and her sister, Sue, are the second generation of the family to run the 10-acre farm, which was founded in 1955. Known at the Cold Spring market as “the scone lady,” Cheryl received a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2014 for her work with community-supported agriculture. 

According to the Farmers’ Market, the $10,000 fundraiser at bit.ly/rogowski-benefit “will help to re-establish their kitchen equipment, pay some rent for a commercial kitchen space and offset the future cost of rebuilding their home and any living costs, such as new clothes, especially during the winter months.”

Orange County: Senator Alleges Corruption

The FBI has issued a subpoena to the administration of the Orange County executive as part of an investigation into contracts issued for information technology work, according to the Mid Hudson News.

In October, state Sen. James Skoufis alleged that the county improperly awarded $822,900 in no-bid contracts to the brother-in-law of the human resources officer. Skoufis said he filed complaints with the state attorney general and the FBI.

Skoufis alleges that the human resources officer, Langdon Chapman, hired Isaac Sacolick, president of a Westchester tech company, in a series of “quickly escalating and auto-renewing” contracts over eight months. He claims Chapman delayed hiring a chief information officer so the county could continue to pay Sacolick.

In a statement, Chapman said: “I was asked if I knew anyone in the digital transformation field. I gave the only name I knew and disclosed the relationship. I had no part in the actual decision to hire the vendor and Skoufis has not offered any evidence to the contrary.”

Mount Vernon: 2-Year Sentence for Conductor Assault

A 23-year-old Bronx woman was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting a Metro-North conductor on the Harlem Line.

According to the Westchester County district attorney, Alexis Adams, 23, pleaded guilty Dec. 7 to felony assault. 

On Oct. 11, 2021, at about 6 p.m., Adams argued with a conductor at the Mount Vernon West station over a fare and struck her in the face with a pumpkin. Adams fled but left behind her purse and IDs. The conductor was treated for lacerations around her eye and ear. 

Poughkeepsie: DA Names Chief Investigator

Anthony Parisi, the new Dutchess County district attorney, named a newly retired City of Poughkeepsie detective as his chief investigator. 

Jeffrey Wright retired Jan. 12 after 28 years with the Poughkeepsie police to take the county job. From 2012 to 2022 he was part of a violent-crimes task force that worked with the FBI.

“I intend to devote resources to combat violent crime in the City of Poughkeepsie and Detective Wright’s knowledge and experience in the city will be invaluable in this effort,” Parisi told the Mid Hudson News.

Patterson: Man Accused of Painting Squirrels

The Putnam County SPCA on Jan. 13 charged a Town of Patterson man with three misdemeanors for allegedly catching and spray-painting squirrels.

Mark Kuhn, 62, was charged with poisoning or attempting to poison animals. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said he trapped squirrels on his property, placed them in wire cages and painted them with red Rust-Oleum before releasing them elsewhere in town.

Peekskill: Residents Bitten by Rabid Fox

The Westchester County Department of Health issued an alert after a fox that bit two Peekskill residents on Jan. 13 tested positive for rabies after being captured and killed. The victims, who were together, are receiving treatment.

The Health Department said unusual behavior in an animal, such as being abnormally aggressive or unusually tame, can be the first sign of rabies. They may also stagger and froth at the mouth. “If you see an animal that is acting aggressively, stay away from it and contact local police immediately,” said Dr. Sherlita Amler, the health commissioner.

[Update: On Jan. 20, the Health Department said two other residents who were bitten by the fox contacted the county after seeing news reports.]

Kingston: Molinaro to Run for Second Term

Marc Molinaro, the former Dutchess County executive serving his first term in the U.S. House representing the 19th District, announced Jan. 12 that he plans to run for re-election this fall. 

The Republican will again face Democrat Josh Riley, whom he defeated in 2021 with 51 percent of the vote. But the boundaries could change after the state’s highest court in December ruled that the congressional maps must be redrawn. The Independent Redistricting Commission must present its proposed map to the Legislature by Feb. 28.

New Paltz: Boards Will Consider Merger

The boards of the town and village of New Paltz are scheduled to begin talks at a joint meeting on Wednesday (Jan. 24) about whether to consolidate. The issue would be placed on the November ballot, reported the Daily Freeman. 

According to the proposal, after a merger one person would serve as town supervisor and village mayor, and a single board of trustees would be elected.

The building departments, code enforcement offices, planning and zoning administration, buildings and grounds offices, highway departments, financial administration and clerks’ offices would be combined. The town and village already share an assessor, fire company, police and court.