LOHUD | Putnam News

More than 20,000 students in both affluent and needy Westchester and Putnam districts will need extra help next year to rank as "proficient" on the state's English and math standardized tests.

It's not just fare increases Metro-North Railroad is looking at. Soon, many riders will have to pay more to park their cars at the station.

Putnam County Legislator Mary Ellen Odell withstood a challenge to her nominating petitions for Putnam County executive by GOP opponent, state Sen. Vincent Leibell.

Assemblyman Greg Ball said Wednesday that he had secured an Opportunity to Ballot, giving Conservative voters the chance to write in his name on that line in a September primary against Somers Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted to set September hearings on fare and toll increases as it received a four-year financial plan with a proposed $12 billion 2011 budget.

A White Plains woman is looking to bring awareness to a disease that often goes unnoticed.

Neighbors in the Lake Oscawana watershed recently formed the Valley Septic Association, allowing them to negotiate competitive pricing based on volume for the periodic maintenance of their septic systems.

KENT: The business community of greater Putnam County has been supportive of Arts on the Lake and its many offerings throughout the year. This year's program advertising has provided new opportunities for advertisers to support the arts and get yearlong value for their commitment.

NEW CITY — Hudson Valley lawmakers with interest in environmental issues gathered today to figure out if counties in the region can work together on problems that cross political boundaries.

Do you park at a Metro-North Railroad station? The railroad is considering raising the rates at its lots later this year. This would affect only those lots owned by the railroad, not those owned by local cities, towns or villages. Give us your thoughts on the plan, for possible use in a news story. Please contact reporter Ken Valenti at 914-696-8255 or klvalent@lohud.com.

Transit riders in the region would face fare increases next year — up to 9.4 percent on Metro-North Railroad — along with a host of other measures to raise cash under proposals in a preliminary $12 billion 2011 budget Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials will present to the agency's board this morning in Manhattan.

CARMEL — Putnam County legislators recently refused to set aside some of the county's watershed money to pay for expensive stormwater controls mandated by the state and federal governments, confusing local officials working on those measures.

CARMEL — A former Southeast attorney, who admitted to stealing $339,000 from a client at a real estate closing but won't say what she did with the money, appeared briefly Tuesday in Putnam County Court, where a judge told her she would be sentenced next week.

ALBANY — Declines in home values and tax revenues have put more pressure on local governments to raise property taxes to pay for services and programs, a report Tuesday from Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found.

Pottery Bard Kids is the latest company to issue a recall of drop-side cribs, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission moves to adopt more rigorous testing.

The mysterious call made from Diane Schuler's cell phone the night before the July 26, 2009, fatal crash on the Taconic State Parkway lasted 9.7 minutes, not more than nine hours as reported Sunday in a Page One article. The error was due to a misreading of cell-phone records obtained from police that listed the duration of calls in seconds, not minutes. In this instance, the call lasted 587 seconds, and not 587 minutes.

CARMEL — A former Southeast attorney, who admitted to stealing $339,000 from a client at a real estate closing but won't say what she did with the money, appeared briefly today in Putnam County Court, where a judge told her she would be sentenced next week.

Troopers charged four motorists with driving while intoxicated in recent traffic stops and investigations in Westchester and Putnam counties, state police said today.

YORKTOWN — A Mahopac man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated after a weekend traffic stop, police said.

The sale of new homes jumped in the Northeast in June, yet local home builders say the recovery is still moving cautiously as unemployment and tighter lending requirements continue to hobble buyers.