Westchester Now
Latest news and conversation around the news from Westchester, Rockland and the Hudson Valley.
Census: Westchester gets more international; Rockland has baby boom
Photo credit: Xavier Mascarenas
Westchester is getting more international, while Rockland is having a baby boom.
That's the takeaway from new Census Bureau data released this week.
Westchester added 12,557 people from July 2010 to July 2012, increasing its population by 1.3 percent to an estimated 961,670 people, as births exceeded deaths and people arriving from abroad outnumbered those who moved to another part of...
Read more »Mag names Gibson 'most liberal House Republican'
Photo credit: Handout
Who's the most liberal Republican in congress?
It's Rep. Chris Gibson (R-Kinderhook), according to the National Journal, which ranked lawmakers based on the votes they cast last year.
That might be a surprise to heartland conservatives, but it shouldn't raise an eyebrow among Gibson's constituents, which include people from liberal bastions like Woodstock, Saugerties and New Paltz. But...
Read more »Harrison, Pine Plains districts among last handful with no approved teacher plan
Photo credit: Elizabeth Daza
Two Hudson Valley school districts are among just six statewide that have not submitted teacher and principal evaluation plans to the state Education Department, according to a news release Friday.
School districts have until Thursday to receive state approval for their plans and secure their state school aid increases for 2012-13.
Just six of 691 school districts statewide -- including...
Read more »Little time left for teacher evaluation approvals
Photo credit: Elizabeth Daza
A handful of Hudson Valley school districts are among about two dozen statewide that have yet to submit teacher evaluation plans to the state for approval.
School districts have until Jan. 17 to get state Education Department approval for the plans to receive state aid increases for the 2012-13 school year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo underlined last week that there will be no leniency for districts...
Read more »Poughkeepsie nets $100K for farm-to-school program
Photo credit: Rory Glaeseman
Leafy kale and local milk may soon be on the menu at Poughkeepsie schools, thanks to a $100,000 grant announced Thursday by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
The money will help the district put in practice a "farm-to-school" initiative bringing local foods and food-system education to the school district with money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gillibrand worked to include...
Read more »Three Hudson Valley schools collect national blue ribbons
Photo credit: Xavier Mascareñas
Representatives from three Hudson Valley schools travelled to Washington D.C. this week to collect their 2012 National Blue Ribbon awards. The schools are among 314 nationwide to receive the 2012 recognition.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes public and private schools that either have high-performing students or students showing significant improvement.
All three Hudson...
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