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Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Union Vale — Here's When, Where Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Union Vale — Here's When, Where Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Union Vale — Here's When, Where
Over 100 Hot Air Balloon Rides Coming To Union Vale — Here's When, Where Hot-air balloon rides will soon be taking off over Dutchess County as a popular Hudson Valley festival returns for its 35th year.  The JPMorganChase Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival will return to Tymor Park in the Town of Union Vale from Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6, the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce announced.  More than 100 hot-air balloon flights are scheduled throughout Labor Day weekend, giving visitors the chance to take a full balloon ride or get a shorter taste of flying aboard a tethered balloon.  The colorful launches will depend on…

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by Ben Crnic
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Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report
Cause Of Death Revealed For LI Teacher, Mom Whose Car Plunged Into Pool: Report The cause of death for Allison "Ally" Rahmani, a 40-year-old Long Island teacher and mother who died when her SUV plunged into her backyard pool late last week, has been released by the New York Post. Citing a source close to the investigation, the outlet said Rahmani suffered a medical emergency, causing her to send her 2023 GMC into her family's Hewlett Bay Park backyard pool. Rahmani was able to call 911 from the vehicle but died en route to or at the hospital, according to The Post. Rahmani worked as a math coordinator for Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR), a J…

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by Cecilia Levine
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West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is
West Point Names New Superintendent — Here's Who He Is A West Point graduate and longtime Army officer with decades of command experience has returned to the Hudson Valley to lead the U.S. Military Academy. Maj. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III was promoted to lieutenant general and officially took command as West Point's 62nd superintendent on Monday, Aug. 17, succeeding Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, West Point Public Affairs announced.  The change of command ceremony was held at Eisenhower Hall.  Bartholomees, a 1995 West Point graduate, most recently served as commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii. …

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by Ben Crnic
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NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why
NY Ranked Among 5 Most Fun States, New Study Finds: Here's Why The Northeast has some of the most fun states in the country, but several others landed near the bottom of a new ranking. WalletHub released its 2026 list of the Most Fun States in America on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The study compared all 50 states across 26 metrics of entertainment, recreation, and nightlife, including restaurants, amusement parks, movie theaters, national park access, music festivals, bars, casinos, and recreation spending. The personal finance website split the study into two main categories: entertainment and recreation, which made up 80% of the score, and nightlife, which ac…

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by Chris Spiker
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Chinese Restaurant Rebuilding After Fire In Dutchess County, Seeks Help Chinese Restaurant Rebuilding After Fire In Dutchess County, Seeks Help Chinese Restaurant Rebuilding After Fire In Dutchess County, Seeks Help
Chinese Restaurant Rebuilding After Fire In Dutchess County, Seeks Help A family behind a Dutchess County Chinese restaurant is working to rebuild after an early-morning fire earlier this month left the business with extensive damage and disrupted their livelihood.   Kai's Chinese Kitchen at 145 Route 22 in Pawling has been closed since a fire broke out around 3:15 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, leaving the restaurant with significant smoke and water damage, as previously reported by Daily Voice.   On the morning of the fire, Pawling firefighters were initially dispatched to the restaurant for an automatic fire alarm. Within minutes, heat dete…

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by Ben Crnic
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These Are Hudson Valley's Best High Schools, New Rankings Show These Are Hudson Valley's Best High Schools, New Rankings Show These Are Hudson Valley's Best High Schools, New Rankings Show
These Are Hudson Valley's Best High Schools, New Rankings Show U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026-27 list of the best high schools in the country, with several Hudson Valley schools landing among New York's top 100.  The new rankings, released Tuesday, Aug. 18, rank nearly 18,000 public high schools across all 50 states and Washington, DC, out of more than 27,000 reviewed.  U.S. News scored schools on six factors: college readiness, which carried the most weight at 30 percent; state assessment proficiency and state assessment performance, at 20 percent each; and underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and …

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by Ben Crnic
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WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Dutchess County WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Dutchess County WATCH: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Dutchess County
Watch: Dog Trapped In Storm Drain Rescued By Officer In Dutchess County A police officer climbed into a storm drain in Dutchess County and endured a few nips to the hand while rescuing a trapped dog before reuniting the animal with its owner, police said.  The rescue happened on Saturday, Aug. 15, after Town of Hyde Park Police Officers Wolf-Davidson and Fein responded to a report of a dog trapped inside a storm drain, the department said on Monday, Aug. 17.  After arriving, the officers located the dog and could hear him barking from inside the drain, police said. The department also released body camera footage of the rescue, showing Wolf-Davidson …

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by Ben Crnic
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New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate
New Website Reveals Millions Of Flock Searches: How To Check Your License Plate A new website is helping drivers see whether their license plate has been searched in Flock Safety's controversial surveillance system. HaveIBeenFlocked.com says it has compiled data on nearly 242 million unique searches involving more than 4.6 million plates. The records range between December 2021 and July 2026. According to the website, the data comes from audit logs released through Freedom of Information Act requests and Flock-provided transparency portals. "The dataset is incomplete," the website says on its FAQ page. "Few governments provide easy access to these …

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by Chris Spiker
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Aging I-84, I-684 Bridges To Be Replaced In $24.5M Project In Hudson Valley Aging I-84, I-684 Bridges To Be Replaced In $24.5M Project In Hudson Valley Aging I-84, I-684 Bridges To Be Replaced In $24.5M Project In Hudson Valley
Aging I-84, I-684 Bridges To Be Replaced In $24.5M Project In Hudson Valley A $24.5 million project is now underway to replace two nearly 60-year-old bridges at a key interstate interchange in Putnam County, state officials announced.  The project will replace two 59-year-old bridges carrying the ramp from I-84 westbound to I-684 southbound in Southeast, the office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday, Aug. 17.  One of the bridges crosses I-84, while the other crosses I-684. Both will be replaced with wider structures designed to improve safety and accommodate emergency vehicles.  The new bridges will also provide 16 feet, 6 inches of c…

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by Ben Crnic
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Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash
Flock Unveils Major Changes Amid Growing Surveillance Camera Backlash Flock Safety is making major changes to how it stores data as nationwide privacy concerns rise over the controversial surveillance cameras. The company announced the updates in a blog post on Thursday, Aug. 13. Flock says it will cut its recommended default retention period for automatic license plate reader (ALPR) data from 30 to seven days. The changes also include new safeguards that Flock says will prevent law enforcement from misusing data. Flock will require agencies to use a system that flags unusual searches, automatically locks some users out pending review…

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by Chris Spiker
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Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG
Toxic Weedkiller Settlement Cash Going Toward Pollinator Gardens In Hudson Valley, LI: AG Several Hudson Valley and Long Island organizations are receiving thousands of dollars to create pollinator gardens, restore habitats, and expand environmental programs through money stemming from a settlement over toxic consumer weedkillers.  New York Attorney General Letitia James and The New York Community Trust announced $505,000 in grants for 28 organizations across the state to support pollinator conservation projects in historically underserved communities.  The funding includes grants for organizations in Kingston, Hudson, Nyack, Newburgh, Ossining, Brookhaven, Mastic Beac…

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by Ben Crnic
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Child Found Abandoned In NY Hallway Reunited With Cops Who Saved Her After Adoption Child Found Abandoned In NY Hallway Reunited With Cops Who Saved Her After Adoption Child Found Abandoned In NY Hallway Reunited With Cops Who Saved Her After Adoption
Child Found Abandoned In NY Hallway Reunited With Cops Who Saved Her After Adoption More than two years after being found abandoned as a newborn in the hallway of a Westchester apartment building, a little girl was reunited with the police officers and medical workers who helped save her — and this time with her new family by her side.  The child, who police identified as Baby Melanie, recently reunited with members of the Yonkers Police Department and staff at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla following the finalization of her adoption, Yonkers Police announced on Wednesday, Aug. 12.  Melanie's story began on Feb. 6, 2024, when Yonkers Police Officers…

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by Ben Crnic