Stalking allegations dating back to 2003 ensured this week that the race for the 99th Assembly District would remain as interesting as ever. In Cold Spring, congregants are seeking help with a crumbling steeple. Tragedy struck Kent when a town employee was killed in a motorcycle crash one day after he was married. A Putnam Valley angler thought he might have had a vicious little fish story to tell, but experts weren’t biting. And county officials are finally doing something about a dead-end trailway.

Herewith, I bring you the week that was “where the country begins.”

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Follow the links below to read about these stories and look for more Putnam news at lohud.com/putnam.

Ball: Rival revived old spat to smear him

Putnam to begin new phase of bike trailway

Biker killed in Kent was new husband

Fish story has teeth: Piranha cousin caught in Putnam

Church strives to restore steeple

A tragic accident claimed the life of a 5-year-old Southeast girl vacationing with her family on Long Island. Meanwhile, Putnam Valley officials took a bold step toward dealing with a property they say is an environmental hazard. Neighbors reported the abandonment of several dogs who it turns out were being cared for in their owner’s absence. Another dog wasn’t so lucky as a Southeast man stands accused in the animal’s brutal assault. And it wouldn’t be a week in review without sparks flying in the race for state Assembly, as John Degnan calls Greg Ball’s Air Force service a scam.

Without further adieu, here’s the week where the country begins…

Podcast file:

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Read about these stories and more at LoHud.com/Putnam.

A downtown ribbon-cutting was conspicuously day laborer-free. A political mailer looked a lot like a reference to a certain town official’s recent driving foibles. Carmel is experience sticker shock with its cell phones. And one local politico learned the worst time to flip off an adversary is when they are pointing a camera directly at you.

With that, here’s the week that was in Putnam…

Podcast file:

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Read about these stories and more at Lohud.com/Putnam.

Vacation’s over and the Putnam podcast is back to the weekly grind. And oh what a week it was.

Brewster officials cracked down on congregating day laborers just as a major project connected to a certain political leader was set to open. Meanwhile, tempers flared on a Southeast golf course, but it had nothing to do with a bad backswing or an uneven short game.

In Carmel, a would-be thief picked the wrong pickup truck to steal as its owners proved to be very attached to the vehicle. There aren’t quite opposing armies facing off on opposite sides of the Kent-Patterson border, but the developer of a controversial retail project has an idea for a little territorial change-of-hands to help his cause.

And the week wouldn’t be complete without a note on Southeast Supervisor Michael Rights’s continuing driving-related woes.

Podcast file:

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Click on the headlines below to read the stories covered in this week’s Putnam News in Review at LoHud.com.

With Leibell project set to open, Brewster cracks down on day laborers

Father and son held in golf course beating

Truck owners track down, hold car thief for cops

Camarda suggests Patterson could annex Kent

Southeast Supervisor takes car back without permission after DWI

The Putnam News in Review podcast is taking a week’s vacation. Check back for a recap of all the news from ‘Where the Country Begins,” as reported by The Journal News and LoHud.com.