Putnam County, New York

Several New York Democrats running in competitive House races are putting distance between themselves and Gov. Kathy Hochul weeks before Election Day. Rep. Tom Suozzi skipped a Hochul campaign stop on Long Island, citing a scheduling conflict, while Rep. Laura Gillen attended. In New York's 17th District, challenger Cait Conley was caught on video agreeing with GOP Rep. Mike Lawler that "Hochul has got to go," later calling Hochul to smooth things over. Blake Gendebien, running in the 21st District, declined to say if he'd support Hochul. Recent Siena polling shows Hochul's favorability underwater and her lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman narrowing in suburban and upstate areas, reviving concerns about coattail effects seen in 2022.

A veteran defense attorney with nearly 50 years of experience says the self-defense claim raised by Caylen Deller, on trial in Putnam County, Florida, for killing her boyfriend Chad Mullen in 2024, is among the weakest he has encountered. Deller testified she shot Mullen twice to protect herself but never reported the shooting, the alleged abuse, or an alleged break-in to police or family. After the shooting, she fled with Tina Marie Lee-Ellis, who allegedly tried to bury Mullen's body with a cinder block in a lake before it was dug up and dumped at a landfill.

Prosecutors noted Mullen's injuries may not have been fatal had he received immediate medical care, which Deller did not seek. Analysts also pointed out the defense never invoked Florida's Stand Your Ground law before trial, a move that could have ended the case outright if the claim had merit. Testimony in the trial continues.

A Putnam County, Tennessee attorney, James Nathan "Jamie" Hargis, has been indicted after state investigators found he misappropriated more than $214,000 from the Kappa Sigma Alumni Association at Tennessee Tech University. Hargis served as the association's treasurer from February 2017 until his removal in September 2025. The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched the probe in October 2025 following allegations against him.

Investigators said Hargis used multiple bank accounts and a check-cashing account to divert association funds, including bank account withdrawals, undergraduate rent payments, and donations, to cover personal expenses such as sports wagering and debts. He repaid or covered roughly $160,000 in expenses, leaving about $54,000 unrecovered and several association bills unpaid. Investigators separately found he stole more than $10,000 from an estate he administered as an attorney. Hargis was indicted on one count of theft over $60,000 and one count of theft over $10,000, arrested, and released on bond. He had previously faced a separate theft charge tied to a real estate transaction.

Residents in Putnam County, Florida, say abandoned and stray dogs have become an ongoing safety issue, with some animals roaming neighborhoods for years. One resident, Nancy Buckner, said she and neighbors have called animal control about dogs left behind by their owners but received no response, and that funding was unavailable even for a spay/neuter voucher. She said a large dog in the area has also disrupted trash pickup, with one collector requiring stitches after an incident, prompting her to restrain the animal herself so service can continue.

County officials said every call to animal services opens a case that is investigated, and that the county accepts both abandoned dogs and owner surrenders. Deputy County Administrator Juliane Young said commissioners have directed staff to work with the county's citizen-appointed Animal Services Advisory Board to identify infractions eligible for citations. The board is expected to present proposed enforcement rules at the commission's next meeting.

A Monterey, Tennessee woman has filed a federal lawsuit alleging she was wrongfully arrested and jailed after officers mistook her for a different woman with the same first and last name. Nicole Maclellan says she was pulled over by Monterey police on June 29 over a license plate light and was told she was wanted in Cumberland County on theft and criminal trespass charges. She insists she told officers repeatedly they had the wrong person, but was arrested, transferred to Cumberland County deputies, and jailed for several hours.

The lawsuit contends the actual suspect had a different middle name, birth date, Social Security number, driver's license number, physical description, and vehicle — and was already in custody at the Putnam County Jail at the time of Maclellan's arrest. Maclellan says she lost her job as a result. The suit names the Town of Monterey, Cumberland County, and Putnam County along with several officers, deputies, and jailers.

Putnam County, Florida Sheriff H.D. "Gator" DeLoach has ordered the immediate disconnection and removal of 18 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, citing mounting community concerns over privacy, data sharing, and inadequate regulatory oversight. DeLoach said the technology has proven useful for locating stolen vehicles and dangerous offenders, but argued that laws governing its use have not kept pace with its rapid expansion, and that "individual liberty" must be weighed alongside public safety.

The move follows broader scrutiny of Flock Safety cameras across Florida, with Gov. Ron DeSantis warning against the state becoming a "surveillance state" and citing documented misuse cases, including officers tracking ex-partners. Neighboring St. Johns County's sheriff has taken the opposite stance, dismissing removal efforts as misinformed and comparing them to "defund the police" movements. The split reflects a growing national debate over license plate surveillance technology, following confirmed abuse cases in Georgia and South Carolina police departments.