PCSB Acquires CMS Bancorp for $25 Million



The Putnam County Savings Bank is expanding. The lending institution consisting of 10 branches in Putnam, northern Westchester, southern Dutchess and Rockland counties has acquired the CMS Bancorp group for $25 million subject to approval of federal and state baking regulatory authorities. All required regulatory approvals for the merger have been received and the stockholders of CMS approved the adoption […]

St. Lawrence O’Toole Church Prepares for the Next 100 Years with Expansion



St, Lawrence O’Toole Church in Brewster is ready for the next 100 years following a $3.6 million renovation and expansion of the century old house of worship. Last summer, the church closed to make way for the historic renovation of the Gothic-style stone church that has served parishioners since 1915. Church administrator The Rev. Richard Gill invited this reporter to […]

Parents Revolt on State Testing, Hundreds Opt Out



There were hundreds of empty seats across Putnam County on Tuesday as students refused to take the New York English Language Arts exam, the first of six days of required testing. The New York State Education Department has repeatedly warned of consequences for districts that have more than 5 percent of their students opt out. The English test continued Wednesday […]

Sale of Small Fireworks Legalized Across Putnam



Putnam lawmakers have legalized the sale of small fireworks across the county despite objections from fire and EMS officials. Last November, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a chapter of the Laws of 2014 strengthening safety provisions for the possession and use of dangerous fireworks which clarifies and recognizes that certain pyrotechnics should not be labeled as dangerous. The state […]

Roger Ailes Named One of 35 Most Powerful in Media



Roger Ailes, of Garrison, has again been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the 35 Most Powerful People in NY Media. Ailes is the chairman and CEO of Fox News. Those on the list were hailed during a reception at the Four Seasons last week. The magazine wrote that “even as technology and innovation exert their Darwinian effect, personalities […]

Son Killed, Father Injured in Lake Carmel Accident



A 44-year-old man is dead while his 67-year-old father remains in intensive care at the Westchester Medical Center following a bad crash Monday evening in Lake Carmel. Kent Police were summoned to the mishap at 6:45 p.m. and according to Chief Alex DiVernieri, officers found “pieces” of a demolished 1998 Chevy pick up scattered along Towners Road adjacent to a […]

Fatal Route 684 Crash Snarls Traffic



A fatal crash Tuesday evening on Route 684 in Southeast snarled traffic along the heavily traveled interstate for hours—backing up vehicles for more than 15 miles into Katonah. State Police said a Buick SUV headed northbound around 7:30 p.m. struck a vehicle before spinning out of control about two miles south of the I-84 interchange, careening off the road and […]

The April Death of Two Presidents



At Hyde Park, New York, on April 15, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was laid to rest at his beloved family home. On the very same day eighty years earlier in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln breathed his last in a rooming house across the street from Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. President Abraham Lincoln, worn down the previous night after […]

Confirmation of New EMS Commissioner Stalled



Putnam County legislators agreed Monday that Tony Sutton had seen it all during his years in the emergency services community, and the licensed paramedic was the man for the job as Putnam’s new Commissioner of Emergency Services. However, because former Commissioner Adam Stiebeling is suing the county in an attempt to get his former position back, Legislative Counsel Clem Van […]

Mahopac’s New Super Calls for Unity



Mahopac’s new Superintendent of Schools Dennis Creedon wants greater Mahopac to unite behind its schools. Creedon met his constituency last Thursday evening at a Meet and Greet at the Mahopac Falls Elementary School—a gathering that was attended by some 100 residents. Creedon began his hour long presentation by advising the audience that he is dyslexic: “You don’t know what you […]