A group of Jewish summer camps have filed a second lawsuit against the town of Wawarsing, New York, in an attempt to undo newly enacted zoning rules they say will make it difficult for their camps to operate and nearly impossible to expand. This lawsuit comes after a group of 8 camps sued Wawarsing in federal court arguing that regulations enacted by the town concerning camps were done out of religious animosity. Two other camps filed suit in state court, saying the the town had skipped required steps before passing the law. The new laws say that camps cannot house more than 400 children and adults, banned loudspeakers, limited cabins to 10 people, prohibits structures or any activities within 250 feet of property lines, and requires campers to be surrounded by a fence.

A New York state trooper fatally shot a driver Saturday during a traffic stop, and authorities said they were looking into what might have precipitated the deadly interaction. The driver was shot as he put the vehicle in reverse and tried to flee, briefly dragging a trooper who was reaching into the vehicle as the car began moving, New York State Police Maj. Carla DiRienzo said during a news conference. The car backed into a highway ramp before overturning, she said. The driver, who was in a vehicle with out-of-state license plates, died at the scene, she said. Neither the driver nor the trooper involved — a 14-year veteran of the state police — were immediately identified publicly. Gov.

The town of Wawarsing in Ulster County, NY, has been hit by a federal discrimination lawsuit filed by the administrators of eight Orthodox Jewish summer camps and a school who say that the town passed onerous restrictions on them. Last fall, the town passed ordinances confining new camps to just two areas and set rigid rules about their capacity, fencing requirements and cabin occupancy. The camps and school say the new requirements will make it impossible for them to expand or make upgrades without facing near-insurmountable hurdles. The camps suing the town over the restrictions serve approximately 4,300 frum boys each summer.

A 44-year-old parolee from Monticello is spending time in the Sullivan County Jail for cutting copper pipes out of a bungalow in the Town of Thompson. The Sheriff Department tells YWN that on Monday December 13, at about 10:49 AM, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the Sunny Forest Bungalow Colony located at 127 Old Liberty Road in the Town of Thompson. Sheriff’s deputies and back up units from the Monticello PD found an open door at unit #2. When they searched the residence they found Joshua Whidbee, 44, of Monticello in the basement removing copper pipes with a saw. Whidbee fled the basement and a brief foot chase ensued across the parking lot of the colony.

Town of Fallsburg Police Chief Simmie Williams announced the arrest and arraignment today on a Sealed Indictment of James Greco, 52, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. Greco is accused by the Indictment of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, for allegedly having operated a pickup truck on Route 42 in the Town of Fallsburg on May 21, 2021, while impaired by the drugs fentanyl, alprazolam and/or oxycodone, crashing into and causing the death of the operator of another vehicle. Fallsburg police investigated the crash in conjunction with the New York State Police, and the case was subsequently presented to a Sullivan County Grand Jury, which returned the indictment, upon which an arrest warrant for Greco was issued.

Republican Katherine Rappaport has knocked off incumbent Fallsburg Supervisor Steven Vegliante after a judge ruled that several hundred challenged ballots could be counted. An attorney by trade, Vegliante led the town of Fallsburg for 12 years and was seeking reelection to another 2-year term as town supervisor. Rappaport, a school board member, created a third-party ballot line to run for the office. Immediately after election day, Vegliante led Rappaport by 406 votes, but that lead evaporated after election officials began counting the some 990 absentee ballots cast in the election.

In a massive win for New York yeshivos, a state judge ruled that a school district must provide busing for non-public school students on days that public schools are closed. The case was filed by the Orthodox Jewish community in Blooming Grove in July, saying that the guidance affected some 170,000 frum students in New York, and around 400,000 students in total.

Senator Schumer visited the village of Kiryas Joel on Sunday afternoon, where he was welcomed by Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin. Schumer, who was accompanied by Ezra Friedlander, had lunch in Kiryas Joel with Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin and others where Szegedin gave the Senator an overview of the incredible growth of the Village and expressed his appreciation to the Senator for his help in ensuring the vibrancy of the community. Schumer also paid a visit to the home of the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A judge has denied bail for a New York state trooper charged with murder after a pursuit on the Thruway ended with the death of an 11-year-old New York City girl. An Ulster County judge on Thursday ordered Trooper Christopher Baldner held without bail until his trial in the death of Monica Goods, whose family was traveling through the Hudson Valley on Dec. 22, 2020 when Baldner stopped them for speeding. Baldner pepper sprayed the vehicle during the stop and Monica’s father, Tristan Goods, drove off. Baldner pursued the SUV and rammed his police vehicle into the SUV twice. The SUV flipped over several times and came to rest upside down, according to prosecutors. Monica was ejected from the vehicle and died.

Askanim in Orange County, NY, are accusing the Board of Elections of deliberately withholding the results of the write-in votes in South Blooming Grove’s Ward 4 district election after a major grassroots voter turnout effort and write-in effort by the Chasidic community. As of Wednesday afternoon, the other races in the entire county had already been tabulated and publicized but for the Ward 4 District. A federal civil lawsuit is also reportedly being considered over allegations they say amounts to voter suppression, intimidation, and blatant discrimination by officials in the Board of Elections.