Bear Mountain Bridge
Workers Create Home for Ospreys
Six crew members at the Bear Mountain Bridge constructed a nesting site for ospreys atop the 2,255-foot suspension bridge just south of Philipstown.
Ospreys survive by diving for fish in the Hudson River. When the birds nested atop the bridge, large sticks and branches fell onto the roadway, according to the New York State Bridge Authority, which maintains the crossing.
If the nests had no eggs, crew members would dismantle them. But the birds kept returning, so the team created a galvanized steel structure with mesh to contain the sticks.
Spring Valley
Attorney General: Car Wash Had Jewish Price
The state attorney general said on Monday (March 31) it had ordered a car wash to stop charging orthodox Jewish customers more for service.
According to its investigation, Super 4 Seasons ran a “Passover special” that cost three times the standard price. In the days before Passover, many Jewish families clean their cars, homes and other spaces to remove chametz (leavened products).
The Attorney General’s Office said it opened the investigation after receiving complaints that the Rockland County car wash was charging orthodox Jewish customers $169 for a service otherwise available for $47. When a state investigator dressed in traditional orthodox clothing asked about standard pricing, he was told the car wash was “not doing anything except shampoos and Passover cleanings.” The employee said: “We are doing this just for you guys.”
Wappingers Falls
Village Dismisses Police Commissioner
The Village Board on March 26 fired Police Commissioner Dave Fisher, who told Mid Hudson News he was dismissed because he complained about the mayor and village treasurer to county and state law enforcement.
“I think this was all about silencing the whistleblower,” Fisher said.
Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said that the New York State Police had investigated Fisher’s allegations and found no support for them. The mayor said Fisher was terminated after the board hired its own investigator and also found them to be unsubstantiated.
Fisher was the third police commissioner in a year. In April 2024, the board dismissed Paul Italiano and appointed Carl Calabrese, who previously held the job from 2009 to 2020. Fisher replaced him in October.
Carmel
Appeals Court Rejects Lawsuit Against Jail
A federal court on the U.S. Court of Appeals on March 27 rejected a claim made by the mother of an inmate at the Putnam County jail that corrections officers had contributed to her death.
According to court records, Alexandra Grimaldi, 23, of Carmel, attempted to hang herself at the jail in October 2015 while suffering from acute heroin withdrawal. She died from her injuries in May 2016, and her mother, Nancy Lara-Grimaldi, filed a lawsuit seeking damages, alleging “deliberate indifference” by officers who put her daughter on routine, rather than suicide, watch.
A lower court dismissed the lawsuit, concluding that “no reasonable jury could find that these individual defendants knew or should have known that there was an excessive risk that Grimaldi would attempt suicide.” The appeals court confirmed that decision.
Woodstock
Century-Old Ashes Will Receive Burial
The cremated remains of a woman who died of a stroke will be buried in Oswego County on May 1 after going unclaimed for 100 years.
Kate Gary Richardson, 56, died in July 1923, soon after arriving in Woodstock for a visit. Somehow her remains ended up at Lasher Funeral Home; when it closed, they were sent with 36 other cremains to a rural cemetery. Of those, 17 remain unclaimed.
Kathy Wade, a volunteer at the cemetery, discovered Richardson was a schoolteacher and published poet. It’s not clear why she was in Woodstock but Wade wonders if she was inspired to visit because of her interest in the arts. She said the only relative she could locate was an 86-year-old great nephew in Florida.
Mount Vernon
Residents to Receive Free Security Cameras
City officials announced on March 18 that they would provide free doorbell cameras to the first 400 residents who agreed to provide footage to police upon request.
The initiative is the first part of a $1.5 million program that will create a real-time crime response center. Businesses with cameras can also participate.
The 400 residential cameras are expected to cost $61,000, which would be covered by federal American Rescue Plan funds. Residents must agree to keep them for at least two years and must agree not to post footage online or share it with anyone but the police for seven days.
Kingston
Executive Signs Transgender Protection Order
Citing “very concerning actions at the federal level,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger signed an executive order on Monday (March 31) designed to protect transgender individuals.
The order says the county government “shall strictly follow” state and county human rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression and directs employees to “promote a safe and inclusive environment” in county buildings, facilities and services. The county has a Preferred Name and Pronoun Plan that allows its employees to use names and pronouns that reflect their personal gender identity.
Fishkill
Man Charged Over ‘Swatting’ Incident
The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Fishkill man on March 18 after police officers were sent to an East Fishkill home to investigate a report of shots fired.
Kieran T. Maddock, 41, is accused of making a prank call to emergency services that sent officers to the address. He was charged with falsely reporting an incident, a felony.
Saugerties
Court Clerk Charged with Altering Records
A former court clerk was arraigned on March 14 on 28 felony and 16 misdemeanor counts for allegedly altering court records.
Haley Whalen, 26, is accused of dismissing tickets for friends in 2022 and 2023. She is on leave without pay, according to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.
