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Westchester Now

Newsday Westchester's news blog, covering snippets of government, politics, crime, transportation, education and local events in Westchester, Rockland and the Hudson Valley.

Latest posts from

Amanda Koval

Amanda Koval is a senior at Iona College where she is majoring in mass communications with a concentration in journalism. She is Newsday Westchester's fall social media intern.

Spring Valley Village Board to revote after call-in blunder

Spring Valley Village trustee Anthony Leon speaks to

Photo credit: Lili Holzer-Glier

Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin has been mum with the media since her arrest last week -- under the advice of her counsel -- and seemingly focused on avoidance of any further public embarrassment.

But on Tuesday, at her first Village Board meeting since the arrest, she slipped up, allowing one trustee to vote by phone -- a move that's against the state's open meeting laws, according to...

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Red light cameras eyed for several New Rochelle intersections

A red light camera at an intersection. (July

Photo credit: AP

If you're passing through New Rochelle in the next few weeks, you might want to be sure not to run any red lights. New Rochelle officials are studying several intersections to see whether they are dangerous enough to warrant the installation of red light cameras to crack down on traffic scofflaws. To install the controversial traffic control devices the city would need state legislative approval...

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Albert D'Agostino targeted by East Ramapo students

Students convene their own board meeting to talk

Photo credit: Meghan Murphy

For the second school board meeting in a row, a group of outraged East Ramapo students will take to the sidewalk outside of the administrative building Tuesday night to give board members and the community something to think about.

Last month, about 100 students held up English and Hebrew signs calling for the restoration of graduation day on a Sunday rather than Monday and at their schools...

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MTA's East Side Access Project at Grand Central reaches milestone as blasting ends

Contractors work on the East Side Access Project

Photo credit: Charles Eckert

Teams of sandhogs toiling 160 feet below Grand Central Terminal have finished blasting through 500 million-year-old rock bed to build the massive caverns that will house a brand-new Long Island Rail Road terminal, MTA officials announced Tuesday.

The East Side Access Project reached a major milestone this week when the last of the subterranean caverns were carved out after six years of blasting...

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Ferncliff move from Yonkers to Greenburgh nixed, but who was behind the decision?

Gov. Cuomo's secretary Larry Schwartz in an interview

Photo credit: News12

Westchester County’s political circles are still buzzing about the state’s decision last week to nix a plan to let Ferncliff, the Yonkers school for developmentally disabled children, move to county-owned land in Greenburgh.

“I was as shocked as all involved,” said Assemb. Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), who had been lobbying state officials to support the plan. “I was really shocked.”

A host...

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Metro-North adds 187 trains this week

A southbound train pulls into the New Rochelle

Photo credit: Angela Gaul

They say more is better, and that's likely true at Metro-North, the nation's busiest commuter rail, which this week is rolling out 187 trains as it continues the largest service expansion in its 30-year history.

Most of the trains will be added to weekend and off-peak weekday hours as Metro-North tries to top the 83 million riders it tallied last year.

"By adding off-peak and weekend...

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Sean Patrick Maloney hauling in campaign cash as freshman congressman

Democratic congressional candidate Sean Patrick Maloney speaks to

Photo credit: Faye Murman

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Spring) raised more than $500,000 in the first quarter of 2013, an eye-popping haul for a freshman lawmaker.

Maloney, 46, defeated Republican incumbent Nan Hayworth last November. He was one of 82 freshmen joining the 435-seat House, where Republicans continue to hold a 233-200 advantage despite losing a net eight seats in November.

“I’m overwhelmed...

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Bramson and Jenkins racking up support in Westchester race

From left, Noam Bramson, Ken Jenkins and Bill

Photo credit: Newsday

The two front-runners vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Westchester County executive made gains last week on the campaign trail.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson received the endorsement of State Sen. George Latimer (D-Rye), who has enjoyed some stature in county Democratic circles for defeating his Republican rival last year despite how GOP outsiders dumped money into the district.

And...

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Night of poetry, music to honor Grand Central at 100

Poet Billy Collins attends Grand Central Terminal 100th

Photo credit: Getty Images

Poetry there will be.

To honor Grand Central on this its jubilee.

And music too

Beside the clock

Keeping time so you don't have to

Tick tock tick tock

100 years and still glowing

Where are all these people going?

The poetry promises to be a lot better than that when some of the nation's finest poets and musicians gather in Grand Central Terminal's...

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Peekskill Middle School students study climate change

Scott Tabone, an adviser of the Peekskill Middle

Photo credit: Megan Murphy

Students at Peekskill Middle School have turned the destruction from superstorm Sandy into a months-long investigation of climate change that they will present at a symposium in Florida next month.

Gathered to practice their 20-minute speech Thursday in a middle school art room, the students spoke of how power outages, downed trees and spoiled food made them think more about why two major...

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