2020-11-03 E-Edition

Legislature Adopts $164 Million Budget in 8-1 Vote; Spending Plan Includes 2.4 % Pay Hike for Lawmakers


By a vote of 8-1, the Putnam Legislature has adopted a 2021 county budget totaling $164 million that includes 2.4 percent salary raises for lawmakers and elected officials while eliminating the Sheriff’s Department Marine Division patrols along the Hudson River and Lake Mahopac. The approval of the raises, on Thursday evening (Oct. 29), came just days before the election. They […]

Veterinarian Services Costs Soar at Tilly Foster Farm


Several unforeseen occurrences at the Tilly Foster Farm have resulted in higher than budgeted veterinary bills. Christopher Ruthven, Deputy Commissioner of Parks, reported to members of the county Legislature “mini-horse Sunny became very sick with laminitis and almost had to be put down earlier in the year. This resulted in many vet visits, new medications, special hoof trimmings and x-rays […]

Ralph Behringer Passes Away

Former Radio Technician for WCBS Radio in New York City

A memorial service is planned for Friday at the Cargain Funeral Home in Carmel to recall the life of Ralph Behringer. Behringer died last month at the age of 82. Behringer worked for many years as a radio technician for WCBS Radio in New York City. He retired in 1997 and was an active member of the Carmel Fire Department […]

County Receives Federal Grant

$35K to Address Food Insecurity

Four local agencies will be addressing solutions to food insecurity, thanks to a federal grant received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The $35,000 stipend will be shared by the Putnam Health Department, Putnam Community Action program, SPACE on Ryder Farm and Second Chance Foods. The United Way of Putnam-Westchester reported last week that 28 percent of Putnam households struggle […]

Expansion at 9-1-1 Center Leads to Merger


Three new consoles have been added to the Putnam 9-1-1 Dispatch Center increasing the number of stations to nine where calls can now be received. Beginning in the spring of next year all emergency dispatch will take place from the Bureau of Emergency Services Training and Operations Center in Carmel with dispatchers from the Sheriff’s Department relocating to the expanded […]

News Briefs

Sheriff’s Deputy Is One of Two from Mahopac Killed in County Line Crash An off-duty Putnam County Sheriff’s Deputy was killed last Sunday evening, Oct. 25, along with a 56 year old Mahopac woman in a two vehicle crash on Route 6N south of Archer Road at the Putnam-Westchester County line. Yorktown Police identified the victims as Deputy Sheriff Michael […]

CUNNINGHAM’S CORNER

FREE Election Day, At Last

Almost without let up, hordes of people waited in lines in Carmel, in Fishkill, in New York City and across the entire country to vote in ‘early voting.’ This happened beginning the weekend before last (Oct. 24 and 25) and continued throughout last week, and again this past weekend. We are headed for a historic election turnout, with millions more […]

from the Archives

EARLY MAILING FOR CHRISTMAS URGED

Friday Afternoon November 14, 1924 Christmas, with its attendant mailing troubles, is fast coming and the Post Office department is commencing its efforts toward early mailing. It has been announced that packages intended for delivery on rural routes should be mailed in advance since the experiment of last year, giving the rural carriers Christmas as a holiday, has become an […]

September Sales Tax Revenue Soars


Sales tax revenue received by Putnam County in September totaled $9.1 million, the most ever for a single month in the county’s history. Despite the infusion of funds, Putnam sales tax coffers remain at just under $1 million less than last year’s tally for the first nine months of the year. Commissioner of Finance William Carlin said the administration was […]