Phillip Pantuso

Kingston

Managing Editor at Times Union (Albany)

Hudson Valley editor @timesunion | https://t.co/giIEFBPmYt

Articles

Four killed in Taconic State Parkway crash in Westchester

3 weeks ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

NEW CASTLE — A fiery crash killed four people on the Taconic State Parkway and shut down the roadway for several hours Wednesday night. The crash occurred near mile marker 9.2 in the town of New Castle, Westchester County. State Police said a Sprinter van traveling southbound crossed the center median into the opposite lanes, where it rammed into a northbound Honda sedan. Article continues below this adThe impact caused the van to overturn and become engulfed in flames.
Measles outbreak confirmed in Orange County

4 weeks ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

GOSHEN — Orange County health officials confirmed three measles cases in children under the age of 5, making New York the 12th state in the U.S. with a measles outbreak in 2025. Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s confirmed measles case count was 935 as of May 1, more than triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The CDC dashboard is expected to be updated later Thursday. A three-month outbreak in Texas accounts for the vast majority of cases.
Liberty teacher allegedly possessed, promoted obscene material involving children

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

LIBERTY — A math teacher a Liberty High School in Sullivan County faces multiple felonies for allegedly possessing and promoting obscene material involving children, State Police said Wednesday. Christopher A. DeDonato, 26, of Liberty, was charged with seven counts of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child under 17 and an additional charge of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child under 16.
Man charged for Rough Draft outdoor dining destruction

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

KINGSTON — Police said they have arrested and charged a man they allege is responsible for destroying the outdoor dining area at Rough Draft Bar & Books in Uptown Kingston last month. Police said a 31-year-old Ulster Park man struck the parklet with his 2013 Chevy pickup at 4:45 a.m. on April 24 and then drove away from the scene without reporting the accident, according to security camera footage.
Police arrest Chester highway superintendent in shooting of DoorDash driver

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

CHESTER — The highway superintendent of this Orange County town was arrested Saturday for allegedly shooting a DoorDash food delivery driver who apparently got lost. John J. Reilly III, 48, is the town of Chester highway superintendent and a federally licensed firearms dealer, State Police said in a release. Police said Reilly was home Friday night when a DoorDash driver attempting to deliver food to a residence in the neighborhood became lost and unable to navigate using the app.
Hiker’s body recovered from West Kill Mountain

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

State Police are investigating a death last week on West Kill MountainLEXINGTON — State Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a hiker whose body was recovered last week from West Kill Mountain. At 7:15 p.m. on April 24, forest rangers responded to a call from a hiker reporting an unresponsive body approximately one mile up West Kill Mountain, one of the taller Catskill High Peaks and part of the notoriously difficult Devil’s Path hiking trail.
Parklet at Rough Draft bookstore in Kingston destroyed

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

KINGSTON — The parklet at Rough Draft Bar and Books in Uptown Kingston was destroyed Thursday, the bookstore said in a social media post. The post showed a photo of the destroyed area, which had outdoor seating and a small performance space just off the sidewalk on John Street. The post included a joke that a “mega corporation” had damaged the parklet as part of a campaign to sabotage Independent Bookstore Day, which this year falls on Saturday, April 26.
Hospital system put psychiatric patients at risk, attorney general finds

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

WMCHealth, the largest hospital system in the Hudson Valley, routinely discharged vulnerable mental health patients without adequate evaluation or stabilization measures and improperly kept inpatient psychiatric beds closed for years despite a growing need for those services, an investigation by the attorney general’s office found.
Kingston chiropractor’s sexual abuse material case moved to Ulster County Court

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

ULSTER — The case against local chiropractor John Boyle, who faces multiple felony charges of possessing and promoting child sexual abuse material, has been adjourned to Ulster County Court from local court. Boyle was in Ulster Town Court this week, where he waived his right to a speedy trial, according to a court clerk. The proceedings last less than a minute before Ulster Judge Kelly Flood-Myers said Boyle’s criminal case can proceed to Ulster County Court.
3 indicted for murder in 2021 taxi cab killing in Newburgh

1 month ago | timesunion.com | Phillip Pantuso

NEWBURGH — Three suspects were indicted Wednesday in connection with a grisly 2021 killing that stunned Newburgh but has gone unsolved for years. Nehemiah Clarke, 20, and Jordan Burch, 19, were arraigned in Orange County Court on an array of charges, including second-degree murder and first-degree attempted robbery, and conspiracy. Damani Cruz, 20, was also charged with conspiracy and criminal weapons possession, according to a release from Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.