Police vehicles at night with emergency lights on. Stock photo for RFTUV.
By June Mercer | November 6, 2026
No new arrest reports came from Dutchess County agencies Friday. But the day brought notable developments on several fronts. A grand jury charged a man with murder in a Hyde Park case. An Ulster County official faced a public-corruption indictment. Putnam legislators paused a drone program modeled on Dutchess County's. A statewide roadside-safety campaign ran its final day.
Hyde Park Homicide: Grand Jury Charges Peterson
A Dutchess County grand jury indicted Nicholus Peterson, 31, on one count of second-degree murder in the death of William Wein, 71. This follows reporting in the October 24 blotter.
The alleged incident occurred on Albany Post Road in Hyde Park between September 17 and October 1. A welfare check on October 6 found Wein deceased. The Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. State Police Troop K took over the investigation.
The indictment alleges Wein was stabbed roughly 27 times about the head and neck. He was also stabbed once in the abdomen, prosecutors say, with a sharp instrument. Peterson was arrested October 17 and remanded without bail. His next court date is Tuesday, November 10.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi issued a statement. "The brutality of the violence alleged in this case is shocking," he said. "William Wein lost his life in a horrific act of violence. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of William Wein during this difficult time." His office said it is committed to pursuing justice fairly and in accordance with law.
State Police Troop K: 845-677-7300.
Sources: Poughkeepsie Journal | New York State Police
Ulster County: Former Supervisor Indicted on Corruption Charges
Across the county line, a public-corruption case emerged in Ulster County. Peter DiSclafani, 68, former supervisor of the Town of Shandaken, was arrested November 5 following a grand jury indictment. He faces one felony count of third-degree grand larceny and two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct.
Prosecutors say that in May 2024, DiSclafani applied for and received a $50,000 loan from SHARP, the Shandaken Area Revitalization Project Committee, a nonprofit. As town supervisor, he sat on the SHARP board. After the loan was approved, prosecutors allege he unilaterally transferred $50,000 in town funds to the committee to cover his own loan. He did not disclose the transfer to the town board and did not obtain proper authorization. SHARP's account would otherwise not have had enough money to issue his check.
DiSclafani made no loan payments from May 2024 until State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's auditors found the arrangement during a town audit. He did not disclose the loan to any board member during that period and was voted out in December 2025. The town board ended its contract with SHARP on May 5, 2025.
DiNapoli said DiSclafani allegedly took advantage of his office to loan himself town funds for personal benefit.
DiSclafani was arraigned before Ulster County Court Judge Bryan Rounds and is due back January 7, 2027. His attorney's name was not immediately available. The case is a joint action by DiNapoli's office and Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji.
Source: Times Herald-Record
Putnam County Pauses Drone Program
Putnam County legislators voted October 28 to hold funding for a Drone as First Responder program. They set aside a $312,000 request by Sheriff Brian Hess, pending a Legislature briefing on November 18.
The program resembles Dutchess County's, which launched its Drone as First Responder program in June 2025 under a contract with Flock. Next year's proposed Dutchess budget includes $60,000 for three Skydio drones.
Hess said a first-responder drone can be over a scene in 30 seconds. The average officer response time runs about 10 minutes.
The vote comes against a shifting backdrop. In September, Dutchess County announced it would stop using 65 Flock license-plate readers. Beacon Police had already withdrawn from Flock's national network earlier this year, cutting access from thousands of agencies to 400, while Beacon's city attorney reviews the contract.
Source: The Highlands Current
Crash Responder Safety Week Ends; Mental Health Hours Briefly Cut
Friday closed Crash Responder Safety Week, which ran November 2 through 6. New York State Police ran the campaign with the state Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority. The theme: "Slow Down, Move Over. Lives are on the Line!"
New York expanded the Move Over Law on March 27, 2024. It now covers all vehicles parked, stopped, or standing on the shoulder or any portion of a parkway or controlled-access highway, not only emergency vehicles.
Also Friday, the Dutchess County Department of Mental Health office at 230 North Road, Poughkeepsie closed from 2 to 5 p.m. for staff training. The 24/7 Stabilization Center at the same address and the 988 HELPLINE remained fully operational.
Sources: New York State Police | Dutchess County
Veterans Appreciation Day Saturday in Hyde Park
Dutchess County's Veterans Appreciation Day and Resource Fair is Saturday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event takes place at the Henry A. Wallace Visitor and Education Center of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, 4079 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park. Admission is free. No registration is required.
Twenty-two local organizations will participate, with complimentary light refreshments. Speakers take the stage from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. At 1 p.m., the county holds its November Veteran of Distinction ceremony, honoring U.S. Army First Lieutenant Henry Bialosuknia, a Poughkeepsie native and Vietnam War veteran.
The county's annual Veterans Day ceremony follows Wednesday, November 11, at 11 a.m. at the Dutchess County War Memorial in Poughkeepsie.
Contact: Dutchess County Office of Veterans Affairs, 845-486-2060.
Source: Dutchess County
Charges are accusations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
As of publication, no release dated November 6 was found from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office (the most recent on file is an October 30 Drug Task Force arrest), the City of Poughkeepsie Police, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police, Hyde Park Police, Beacon Police, Fishkill Police, or the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office. No new Troop K Dutchess County arrest release dated November 6 appeared in the State Police newsroom.
