Government

CARMEL, N.Y. - A vote on proposed legislation that would raise the smoking age in Putnam County from 18 to 21 (Tobacco 21) has been tabled until October, although based on lawmakers’ comments at the Board of Legislators’ Sept. 5 meeting, it appears there are enough votes to pass the law.

Barbara Scuccimarra (District 1), the bill’s sponsor, was initially pessimistic about its ...

MAHOPAC, N.Y. - It took a sometimes-heated debate among Town Board members, but school buses will now be able to enter the Baldwin Meadows subdivision and drop students off along Grand Meadow Drive and Noble Court.

A seemingly routine resolution to adopt the two private roads as official town roads, enabling school buses to travel on them, met some resistance from some Town Board members but ...

MAHOPAC, N.Y. - Avon calling!

If Supervisor Ken Schmitt has his way, you won’t be hearing those words, or any other kind of come-on from door-to-door solicitors in the town of Carmel ever again.

Schmitt said he’s received numerous complaints from residents who say the number of door-to-door peddlers has grown to the point that it’s become an intolerable nuisance. At last ...

ALBANY, N.Y. - A bill sponsored by Sen. Terrence Murphy (R-Yorktown) that would require the state to study its piecemeal approach to paying property taxes on land it owns in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties was signed by the governor last week.

The bill, also sponsored by David Buchwald (D-Mount Kisco) in the Assembly, unanimously passed through both houses and was delivered to Gov.

CARMEL, N.Y. - The County Legislature’s Health, Social, Educational & Environmental Committee passed legislation last week that would raise the smoking age in Putnam County from 18 to 21. Before it can become law, the bill must now go before the entire legislature, which is expected to vote on it at its Sept. 4 meeting.

The committee, made up of legislators Barbara Scuccimarra, Amy ...

MAHOPAC, N.Y. - The Town Board hired two more police officers at its Aug. 15 meeting and promoted one to sergeant.

The hirings bring the total to six new officers who have joined the force over the past three months.

Three years ago, the board sought to initiate a feasibility study to look at the possibility of consolidating its police force with other municipalities around the county, ...

MAHOPAC, N.Y. - With the Putnam County Legislature mulling a new law that would raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 because of the dramatic increase in the number of teens using vaping products, the Carmel Town Board is considering a temporary moratorium on vaping/smoke shops in town.

Councilwoman Suzi McDonough proposed the idea at the Town Board’s Aug. 8 meeting.

“I have been ...

CARMEL, N.Y. -  Plans to build a distillery at the former Guideposts location (currently the Paladin Center) on Seminary Hill Road in Carmel took a major step forward last week when the Planning Board granted the project applicants site plan approval.

Alexandrion Group plans to invest more than $100 million into the new U.S. distillery. An initial investment of approximately $40 million ...