Armonk, NY
Sports
Play Ball! 12-Year-Old From Westchester Raises $20K For Youth Baseball Play Ball! 12-Year-Old From Westchester Raises $20K For Youth Baseball
Play Ball! 12-Year-Old From Westchester Raises $20K For Youth Baseball A big-hearted baseball fan from Westchester is making sure that all kids his age have the opportunity to “play ball.” Scarsdale resident Evan Schiff, 12, is donating more than $20,000 in brand new baseball equipment, including bats, balls, gloves, helmets, catching gear, and more to help build up Mount Vernon’s RBI youth baseball program.  “I want kids to be able to enjoy the sport as much as I do,” Evan said. “So, I teamed up with an amazing non-profit organization called Pitch in for Baseball and Softball. They’ve helped me locate teams in need of equipment and have supported my efforts i…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Politics
Mayor In Westchester Scheduled To Appear In Court For Criminal Case Mayor In Westchester Scheduled To Appear In Court For Criminal Case
Mayor In Westchester Scheduled To Appear In Court For Criminal Case Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas is scheduled to appear in court for his first appearance since being arraigned in May on charges claiming he stole campaign funds and failed to disclose his use of inaugural funds during his initial run for office. Thomas is due in Westchester County Court on Friday, where he will answer charges that include grand larceny and filing a false instrument after being accused of stealing more than $12,000 from Friends of Richard Thomas, his campaign committee when he ran for mayor three years ago. He is also accused of allegedly failing to report nearly $50,000 t…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Politics
Mayor In Westchester Fails To Have Felony Charges Dropped In Court Mayor In Westchester Fails To Have Felony Charges Dropped In Court
Mayor In Westchester Fails To Have Felony Charges Dropped In Court Richard Thomas will be heading to court for allegedly stealing campaign funds and lying about money he diverted from his inaugural committee for personal benefit. Earlier this year, the Mount Vernon mayor was charged following an investigation which exposed that he allegedly stole $12,900 from his campaign committee and diverted more than $45,000 from his inaugural committee for personal use and failed to disclose that information to officials. Thomas was charged with third-degree grand larceny and two counts of third-degree ordering a false instrument for filing, all felonies. He was also …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
Politics
State Pledges $5M For Memorial Field If Mount Vernon Gives Up Control State Pledges $5M For Memorial Field If Mount Vernon Gives Up Control
State Pledges $5M For Memorial Field If Mount Vernon Gives Up Control As the battle over Memorial Field rages in Mount Vernon, New York State has offered $5 million to help rebuild the once vibrant park - but with a caveat. New York State has offered the money, but only if Mount Vernon cedes control to Westchester County to handle construction efforts, officials said. The field has been a sore spot for locals and elected officials as it lays dormant, with thousands of tons of illegally dumped dirt and debris on its surface. The county seized control of cleanup efforts earlier this year amid the controversies.  Earlier this year, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Th…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Lifestyle
Westchester Mayor, Hip-Hop Star 'Diddy,' Discuss Historic Memorial Field Westchester Mayor, Hip-Hop Star 'Diddy,' Discuss Historic Memorial Field
Westchester Mayor, Hip-Hop Star 'Diddy,' Discuss Historic Memorial Field The battle over the historic Memorial Field in Mount Vernon has gone Hollywood. Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas was in Los Angeles last week to meet with hip-hop star Sean “Diddy” Combs to “continue collaboration talks to grow Mount Vernon’s sports and entertainment economy.” The meeting came following a similar get together with the mogul in Miami earlier this year. Thomas said that talks included restoring Memorial Field, “making it a premier east coast destination for Olympic athletes and local champions to train, compete and connect with the community.” "I thank Diddy for the in…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
Lifestyle
Restraining Order On Memorial Field Cleanup Stays In Place Restraining Order On Memorial Field Cleanup Stays In Place
Restraining Order On Memorial Field Cleanup Stays In Place A restraining order remains in place following stalled work at Memorial Field, as Mayor Richard Thomas and other elected officials continue to butt heads, this time before a Supreme Court Judge. On Tuesday, lawyers representing both sides of the debate met with New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerald Loehr to discuss the debacle that has become Memorial Field, which remains a destitute destination in the city after decades of being one of Westchester’s premier locations for families and events. Memorial Field remains a point of contention among elected officials in Mount Vernon, with the …

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Lifestyle
Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester
Feds Invited To Speak On Hutchinson, Bronx River Discharges In Westchester With Mount Vernon facing millions of dollars in fines for violating the Clean Water Act, Mayor Richard Thomas has invited members of the federal government to appear at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The City of Mount Vernon is facing a lawsuit from the EPA and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for allegedly discharging raw sewage and other pollutants from its storm sewer system into the Hutchinson and Bronx Rivers. The fines may top $100 million. Officials announced the lawsuit last month, claiming that Mount Vernon has failed to comply with the Clean Water Act sto…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Police & Fire
Suspect Apprehended For Shooting Outside Westchester Apartment Complex Suspect Apprehended For Shooting Outside Westchester Apartment Complex
Suspect Apprehended For Shooting Outside Westchester Apartment Complex A suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting a Mount Vernon man in the head, sending him to the hospital. Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas and Police Chief Richton Ziadie announced that a suspect has been apprehended in relation to the shooting on Sunday, July 1, outside a South 9th Avenue apartment complex, which sent local resident Diesel Mercedes to the hospital. Ziadie said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing. No cause for the shooting has been released by investigators. "This is a significant milestone in bringing someone to justice who made a very bad decision th…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
News
Feds Sue Mount Vernon For Hutchinson, Bronx River Raw Sewage Discharges Feds Sue Mount Vernon For Hutchinson, Bronx River Raw Sewage Discharges
Feds Sue Mount Vernon For Hutchinson, Bronx River Raw Sewage Discharges The City of Mount Vernon is facing a lawsuit from the EPA and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for allegedly discharging raw sewage and other pollutants from its storm sewer system into the Hutchinson and Bronx Rivers. Officials announced the lawsuit on Thursday, claiming that Mount Vernon has failed to comply with the Clean Water Act storm sewer permit requirements designed to prevent raw sewage and other illicit pollutants from flowing from the city’s storm sewer system into the rivers. The discharges have allegedly been going on since January 2012. According to Ge…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
Police & Fire
VIDEO: Firefighters Battle Two-Alarm Blaze In Mount Vernon VIDEO: Firefighters Battle Two-Alarm Blaze In Mount Vernon
Video: Firefighters Battle Two-Alarm Blaze In Mount Vernon Smoke can be seen for several miles in Mount Vernon as crews attempt to battle a raging two-alarm fire that broke out inside an East 4th Street home on Wednesday morning, trapping three residents. Officials said that the fire started at approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13, in a large home near the Pelham town line, sending flames billowing into the air of the home. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear as firefighters attempted to knock down the flames. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof of the home while crowds watched on as it slowly destroyed the structure and…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Vernon, NY
Police & Fire
Roof Collapses As Two-Alarm House Fire Breaks Out In Mount Vernon Roof Collapses As Two-Alarm House Fire Breaks Out In Mount Vernon
Roof Collapses As Two-Alarm House Fire Breaks Out In Mount Vernon Smoke can be seen for several miles in Mount Vernon as crews attempt to battle a raging two-alarm fire that broke out inside an East 4th Street home on Wednesday morning. Officials said that the fire started at approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13, in a large home near the Pelham town line, sending flames billowing into the air of the home. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear as firefighters attempted to knock down the flames. Flames could be seen shooting out of the roof of the home while crowds watched on as it slowly destroyed the structure and the roof collapsed.  Fir…

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by Zak Failla
Armonk, NY
Politics
Mayor In Westchester Seeks To Have Corruption Indictment Dismissed Mayor In Westchester Seeks To Have Corruption Indictment Dismissed
Mayor In Westchester Seeks To Have Corruption Indictment Dismissed Embattled Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas is seeking dismissal of an indictment claiming that he stole campaign funds and failed to disclose his use of inaugural funds during his initial run for office. Thomas was arraigned on felony corruption charges on March 12 that included grand larceny and filing a false instrument after being accused of stealing more than $10,000 from his campaign committee and lying about it on finance filing forms. The mayor was scheduled to appear before a Westchester County grand jury last month, but failed to do so. According to a lohud report, Thomas failed t…

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by Zak Failla