Sunday Briefing: CCA Programs End, Teacher Arrested, Police Lieutenant Demoted
This briefing draws from reporting at Talk of the Sound, analysis and commentary published in Words in Edgewise, and selected regional coverage for the week ending March 22, 2026
A Note from the Publisher
While fact-checking a statement by a Sustainable Westchester executive, I contacted the New York Public Service Commission. Their response required careful review and follow-up to confirm what they were saying: that every Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) electricity supplier in New York is no longer operating. I had previously reported that Westchester Power — Sustainable Westchester’s CCA — closed on November 30, 2025. It was not until last week that the broader implication became clear: the shutdown was statewide.
There will be additional reporting on this in the coming days. For now, one immediate consequence is clear — the practice of transferring ratepayers from Con Edison without their affirmative consent has come to an end.
Over the past two months, I have also been in contact with a now-former Spanish teacher at a New Rochelle middle school who is now drawing significant public attention following his arrest on charges that he allegedly threatened the school superintendent. What begins as background reporting or a routine inquiry can, over time, intersect with larger developments. Much of the work in local journalism happens before a story breaks, and sustained attention to emerging situations often provides the context readers need when those stories move into the public eye.
Following last week’s report on the DDoS attack targeting Talk of the Sound, I have been working with my hosting provider’s engineering team on a series of behind-the-scenes improvements in response to the surge in automated traffic. These updates — including stronger protections, streamlined systems, and improvements to caching and content delivery — are designed to improve speed, reliability and performance during periods of heavy readership. Additional fixes ensure that stories display correctly across platforms and that feeds deliver clean, properly formatted content. The result should be a faster, more stable and more consistent experience — particularly on mobile devices — even if most readers never notice the changes directly.
Below is this week’s structured briefing.
If You Read Nothing Else This Week
New York’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Programs Have Quietly Ended Statewide
Middle School Teacher Allegedly Threatens New Rochelle School Superintendent, Arrested and Charged
New Rochelle Police Lieutenant Demoted After Disciplinary Review Tied to Drug Evidence Case
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Public Safety & First Responders
Fired NY teacher accused of threatening superintendent with guns
Briarcliff Manor man arrested for allegedly harassing a school superintendent
Fired NYS teacher charged with threatening ex-boss, then posts unsettling video
Fired NYS teacher charged for threats to ex-boss posts menacing videos with nutty Scorsese claim
New Rochelle Police Announce Scooter and Moped Enforcement Campaign on Main Street, North Avenue
Video shows car slam into New York state trooper in Mamaroneck
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Courts & Accountability
Guilty plea to sex charges for New Rochelle man who moved teen’s body
Jury hears closing arguments in New Rochelle woman’s murder trial
NY sicko caught moving teen’s body admits to even more shocking crime
New Rochelle Woman Convicted of Torture-Murder in First Case of Its Kind in Westchester
Mamaroneck truck repair shop in family disrepair
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Schools & Government
Pelham Memorial High School Seniors Named National Merit Finalists
Track coach Jan Mitchell to retire after 50-plus years
New Rochelle Students Advance to National Merit Scholarship Finalist Standing
Music Tower at Playland Damaged by High Winds, Area Closed as Precaution
New York Officials Urge Residents to Reduce Household Poisoning Risks
Westchester County Offers Lifeguard Certification Scholarships for Local Students
Westchester County Golf Courses to Open for the 2026 Season
Amy Paulin’s Rape Kit Tracking Law Signed to Strengthen Accountability for Sexual Assault Evidence
New Rochelle Library Board President Lucille Renwick Receives 2025 Velma K. Moore Award
Century Milestone Prompts Call for Yearbook Booster Ads for New Rochelle High School
New York State Law Requires Stores to Accept Cash Payments Starting March 21
Port Chester Seeks Public Input on Downtown Rebranding With Survey
Westchester Salary Analysis Ranks Highest-Paid Municipal Managers
Beach Bar Deal Draws Pushback From Local Restaurant in Mamaroneck
Village Now Reporting FOIL Requests
Building Department Errors Leave Neighbors Fighting to Protect Their Properties
Drone Video Reveals Scale of Byram River Bulkhead Project in Port Chester
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Sound Shore Community & Culture
Acoustic String Open Jam Session Scheduled April 11 at New Rochelle Public Library
“Sing Your Heart Out!” Workshop for Adult Singers Scheduled at New Rochelle Public Library
Egg Hunt Sign-Ups Open for March 28 Event at Constitution Park in Larchmont
Volunteers Remove 11,541 Pounds of Trash Across Long Island Sound Region in 2025
Flint Park Day Camp Registration Now Open in Larchmont
The JCC Mid-Westchester Celebrates 70 Years of Community, Culture
CBS News Radio, Onetime Home of Murrow, Will End Amid Layoffs
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Words in Edgewise
This week’s commentary and analysis.
What Is a “True Threat” Under New York Law? A Guide to the McVey Case
Why You Can Buy Medicine in Bulk in the U.S. — but Not in Ireland
New Rochelle Touted Strong Finances as Fund Balance Collapsed Before Audit Was Finalized
The Films That Endure — Best Picture Winners Over the Years
Sustainable Westchester Hiring by New Rochelle Raises Questions
Full archive available at Words in Edgewise.
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Ongoing Investigations & Major Series
These long-running investigations continue to inform coverage across the region:
Flowers Park RFP & FOIL Litigation
New Rochelle Thimblerig Series
Sustainable Westchester Series
Alec McKenna – Kamal Flowers Archive
New Rochelle Board of Education Investigation
Nightmare on Stephenson Boulevard / NRPD PACT Unit PFFL Porn & Gambling Website
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In Memoriam
NYC TV news legend Ernie Anastos’ wake in New Rochelle draws hundreds
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Closing
Words in Edgewise is the weekly civic briefing produced by the publisher of Talk of the Sound.
Talk of the Sound exists to provide consistent, fact-based reporting on the institutions that shape daily life in the Sound Shore.
If you have information relevant to public accountability in New Rochelle or neighboring communities, you know how to reach me.
Thank you for reading — and for being part of a community that values informed civic life.
— Robert Cox
Publisher, Talk of the Sound
