Today, the funeral is being held for LaShanda Armstrong, the Newburgh woman who drove her minivan into the Hudson River, killing herself and three children (her 10-year-old son escaped). A joint funeral for Armstrong and 5-year-old Landon, 2-year-old Lance and 11-month old Lanaina was originally planned, but the father of the deceased children announced yesterday that the children would be buried apart from their mother. Armstrong's aunt was seething and told the Daily News, "I am very angry. This jackass just came in here and messed everything up. She should be buried with her children, regardless of what she did." more ›

The tragic drowning murder-suicide of a woman and her three children in the Hudson River grows as it turns out her 10-year-old son managed to open a window and climb out of the sinking minivan. But Lashanda Armstrong, 25, allegedly told little Lashaun and his young siblings, ages 11 months to 5 years old, "If I'm going to die, you're going to die with me." Lashaun Armstrong also told the authorities that she grabbed his pants leg, told him, "I made a mistake," and let him go. more ›

Last night, a woman drove her minivan with her four children—ages 11 months to 10 years old—to the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY. She let the 10-year-old boy out, but then she continued driving into the river, drowning herself and a 5-year-old boy, a 2-year-old boy, and an 11-month-old girl. Apparently the women fled her husband after a domestic dispute. more ›

NY has been the site of many a Guinness World Record. But this week, not only was a Guinness record set—it was the first time anyone has claimed the record for this particular item. Newburgh residents Giulio Pistolesi and Scott Wilkinson set the record for the world's largest cannoli (or the proper singular, cannolo). The duo crafted the massive 123-pound cannoli last August in the parking lot outside Pistolesi's bakery, the Cake Bin, but it was only confirmed as the record this past week. No word on whether they left the world's largest gun. more ›

A Brooklyn man was charged yesterday with hiring two ex-cons to carry out a hit on a former suburban cop and his nephew. And by Brooklyn man, we mean an overweight, gun-toting Rabbi who claims to suffer from seizures. Basically, the whole thing sounds highly unkosher. more ›

A father-son team from Park Slope decided NASA wasn't doing enough to document the stratosphere, and decided to take matters into their own hands. After testing their "19-inch helium filled weather balloon" in Brooklyn, Luke Geissbuhler and his son Max headed upstate and launched the device, complete with a camera, into space. Here's what the planet looks like from up there: more ›

The trial of four men accused of plotting to bomb Bronx synagogues and shoot down military planes in Newburgh has been delayed indefinitely. Not only did federal Judge Colleen McMahon dismiss the jury, she also said she'd consider dismissing the indictment, "No guarantees, gentlemen. No guarantees. But I will listen to bail applications, given everything that has gone on." Why? Because the prosecution didn't turn over evidence months ago. more ›

Pop quiz: When buck naked and high on PCP and confronting cops pointing Tasers at you, do you A) comply with their commands, no matter how incomprehensible their wolfish orders sound to your hypersensitive ears, or B) RUN? Trick question: Instead, follow the amazing example set by a man wearing only sneakers in Newburgh last night. What you want to do is advance on the cops until they fire at will, thereby amplifying your PCP high with 50,000 heart-pounding volts of pure electricity. Then repeat as needed until you get that "click." more ›

Hundreds of officers and agents from local, state, and federal agencies, led by the FBI, conducted early morning raids in Newburgh, NY today, in an attempt to address the outsized violence in the small city. The Times Herald-Record reports there were two operations: "Blood Drive" which "targeted 60 suspected members of the Bloods, including the reputed leader Anthony 'Double O' Boykins and his 18-year-old replacement, Joseph McLean" and "Black Crown," which "targeted 18 members of the Latin Kings." Federal indictments are expected later this afternoon. WABC 7 reports, "The Bloods will be brought to Lower Manhattan, and the Latin Kings will be brought to White Plains." more ›

Who blinked? Not Obama! After basically bowing to NY officials who wanted the terror trials of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his accomplices out of the city (too expensive, they said) his spokesman is now telling the press that the administration is not done negotiating. “We are talking with the authorities in New York," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told CNN. "We understand their logistical concerns and their security concerns that are involved. We have been discussing that with them." more ›

The 20-year-old brother of one of the men suspected of plotting to blow up Bronx synagogues and attack a National Guard base in Newburgh is speaking out. Lord McWilliams, brother of suspect David Williams, suffers from liver disease and tells the Daily News that the informant promised his brother $20,000 for a needed operation, "[My brother] told me, 'Don't worry, when you go to the doctor, tell them you got money.'" His mother adds that Williams told her he would give her money on Thursday (the day after the plot would take place), "He was a loving, sweet kid. He took his brother's illness worse than me." However, the Post says the informant did pay for McWilliams' transplant—and also promised to take him to Universal Studios. McWilliams said of his brother, now being held without custody, "He wasn't raised to blow anyone up. We weren't raised to kills Jews and Christians." more ›

More details have emerged about the four men accused of plotting to bomb synagogues in the Bronx and shoot military places at the National Guard bas in Newburgh, NY and their ultimately unsuccessful plan. The men, Onta Williams, 32, James Cromitie, 44, David Williams, 28, and Laguerre Payen, 27, all Newburgh residents who were arrested after planting a 37-pound bomb (actually made of fake materials, provided by an FBI informant) outside one of the synagogues, are described as being Muslim, but the NY Times reports none of them were particularly active in their local mosque. The uncle of Onta Williams said his nephew "was not born Muslim. He's an institutional Muslim... He wasn't raised that way," adding that Onta Williams started following Islam after a stint in jail. more ›

Three of the four men who were arrested for allegedly plotting to plant bomb outside two Bronx synagogues and shoot planes at a National Guard base in Newburgh, NY were charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. James Cromitie, 55; David Williams, 28; and Onta Williams, 32 appeared in court and were held without bail; assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Snyder said, "It's hard to envisage a more chilling plot to bring murder to a ...community... These are extremely violent men. These people who are eager to bring death to Jews." more ›

The FBI and NYPD have arrested four men who were allegedly plotting to bomb at least two Jewish temples and attack a National Guard base. According to NBC New York, "several of the suspects are Muslims who allegedly talked about destroying two Jewish temples, including at least one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx." The men apparently ordered and received bomb making materials, but "investigators said they made sure the materials the suspects received were inert." And WCBS 2 reports, the men also wanted to "shoot military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles." The four men, all residents of Newburgh, were arrested in the Bronx this evening; apparently a friend tipped off the feds, who have been investigating them for a year. more ›

Careful ladies, sometimes there’s more than just loose change waiting beneath the couch cushions: A 27-year-old Hudson Valley man is accused of cutting a hole in a woman's couch and hiding in the carved-out space until she came home. Police in Newburgh, N.Y. say the 22-year-old woman sat on the couch Wednesday evening and felt a bump in the cushions; she jumped up and David Joe Limones – who she had previously filed a complaint against – emerged from his hiding place. more ›

Today is Heat Awareness Day. Luckily there is no excessive heat in the Big Apple to be aware of today. Morning sun should give way to afternoon clouds and the high will be 75 at best. There's a non-negligible chance of a shower or thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. more ›