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IN-PLAYER SHOW NOTES
Yonkers Public Schools faces a $101 million budget gap for the 2026-27 school year. The district serves 23,000 students, has a 93% graduation rate — the highest among New York's Big Five — and is running out of reserves. The state funding formula groups Yonkers with rural counties 90 miles north instead of Westchester. The budget deadline is tomorrow. Plus: the Cesar Chavez school renaming debate, Pleasantville's $17.5M bond vote, and the Rye Lake Water Filtration Plant breaks ground.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: $101 million gap, budget deadline tomorrow
0:40 Superintendent Soler on the last of the reserves
1:30 The Foundation Aid Formula problem
2:30 Rockefeller Institute findings on the cost index
3:15 Special education costs and healthcare surges
4:00 Governor's budget vs. Senate and Assembly proposals
4:30 Quick Hits: Cesar Chavez school, Pleasantville bond, Rye Lake plant
6:15 Closing remarks

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Antisemitic graffiti was found in the pedestrian tunnel at the Irvington Metro-North station. Within 24 hours, Chabad of the Rivertowns organized a vigil at the station. A second gathering followed at the Shames JCC in Tarrytown. This is the fifth antisemitic incident in Westchester County in recent months — part of a countywide pattern the ADL says increased 22% last year. Plus: measles cases in Rockland County, the Conservation District's expanded work plan, and the county launches its own podcast.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: Graffiti in the Metro-North tunnel
0:40 The Irvington incident and community response
1:30 Vigil at the station, second gathering at Shames JCC
2:30 MTA banner removal controversy
3:15 Five incidents: Scarsdale, White Plains, Pleasantville, Irvington
4:00 ADL data: 72 incidents in Westchester, 9,354 nationally
4:30 Quick Hits: measles in Rockland, Conservation District, county podcast
6:15 Closing remarks

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Email: [email protected]
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Westchester County prosecutors seized 37 ghost guns in 2023 — roughly one in seven illegal firearms recovered countywide. Statewide, NYPD ghost gun recoveries surged from 17 in 2018 to 585 in 2022. Governor Hochul's 2026 legislative package targets the entire ghost gun supply chain: the digital files, the 3D printers, and convertible pistol designs. This week's Friday Intel breaks down the data, the bill, and why it matters in Westchester.

In This Episode:
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:30) Intro and Context
(1:30) The Data — Westchester seizures, NYPD trendline, statewide PMF counts
(3:30) The Surprise — New York's first-in-the-nation 3D printer blocking mandate
(5:00) What This Means for You — Traceability, enforcement, and what to watch
(6:30) Close

Sources:
Westchester County District Attorney — 2023 and 2024 seizure reports
NYC Mayor's Office — NYPD ghost gun recovery data (2018-2024)
NYS Criminal Gun Clearinghouse — Quarterly Crime Gun Reports
NYS Legislature — S9005B / A10005B bill text

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Westchester County committed $50 million to install more than 750 EV charging ports at 79 sites across 24 municipalities — the largest coordinated EV infrastructure investment in the county's history. Free chargers are already live at the County Center. The bus fleet is getting $122.5 million in upgrades. As the federal government pulls back on clean energy, the county is stepping in. Plus: Peekskill gets a $3M micro transit pilot, NYLCV releases its Westchester policy agenda, and HPN moves forward on terminal modernization.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: 750 charging ports across 24 towns
0:40 The EV Charging Program breakdown
1:30 County Center free chargers and Bee-Line bus upgrades
2:30 Is infrastructure keeping up with adoption?
3:15 Federal rollbacks and local climate action
4:00 NYLCV Westchester Policy Agenda
4:30 Quick Hits: Peekskill micro transit, NYLCV agenda, HPN modernization
6:15 Closing remarks

Subscribe on YouTube for the video version of The Westchester Brief with full timestamps.

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
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Neiman Marcus at The Westchester in White Plains closes in May — not because demand dried up, but because Saks Global's $2.65 billion debt load collapsed. Meanwhile, UNIQLO just opened, DeCicco's launched in Sleepy Hollow, and Cross County is building a park. The story is not that retail is dying in Westchester. It is that retail is changing. Plus: Mariachi Mexico closes, DeCicco's opens in Sleepy Hollow, and Blueprint '26 takes shape.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: The wealthiest county loses its Neiman Marcus
0:40 Saks Global bankruptcy and store closures
1:30 How the debt-fueled acquisition failed
2:30 What The Westchester mall looks like now
3:15 The new retail landscape: experiential, local, different
4:00 The 143,000-square-foot question for White Plains
4:30 Quick Hits: DeCicco's, Mariachi Mexico, Blueprint '26
6:15 Closing remarks

Subscribe to The Westchester Brief at www.iliveherewestchester.com for daily local news that matters.

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Email: [email protected]
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Mount Pleasant just settled the first lawsuit under New York's John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. Four Sleepy Hollow residents challenged the town's at-large election system, arguing it diluted Hispanic voting power. The settlement expands the Town Board from four to six, creates district elections for Sleepy Hollow and Pleasantville, and sets a precedent every municipality in Westchester should watch. Plus: Ossining breaks ground on 108 affordable apartments, Cross County Center gets a four-acre park, and the county introduces prevailing wage legislation.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: Every board member has been white
0:40 The lawsuit and New York's Voting Rights Act
1:45 Mount Pleasant's demographics and the at-large system
2:30 What the settlement changes
3:30 Why this matters for every town in Westchester
4:30 Quick Hits: Ossining Station Plaza, Cross County park, prevailing wage act
6:15 Closing remarks

Subscribe on YouTube for the video version of The Westchester Brief with full timestamps.

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Northwell Health is acquiring roughly 240 physicians from Optum in Westchester County, the latest chapter in a healthcare consolidation saga that started when CareMount Medical sold to Optum in 2020. The deal centers on surgical specialties—urology, orthopedics, general surgery—and marks the third identity change in six years for patients. What does this mean for your doctor and your care? Plus: Yaranush closes after 38 years, Chef Psilakis brings Klēma to Larchmont, and the county launches its own podcast.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: 240 doctors traded like assets
0:40 CareMount to Optum to Northwell — the full timeline
1:45 What went wrong under Optum
2:45 The Northwell-Nuvance merger and expansion
3:30 What this means for patients
4:30 Quick Hits: Yaranush closes, Klēma opens, county podcast launches
6:15 Closing remarks

Subscribe to The Westchester Brief at www.iliveherewestchester.com for daily local news that matters.

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Westchester County ranks #1 in the nation for property taxes — $12,812 per year. But county government only controls 15-18% of your bill. This week on The Friday Intel, we break down the 2026 budget: a $197.7 million deficit, 180 eliminated positions, an 8% cut across every department, and a 5.27% tax levy increase that costs the average homeowner about $60 a year. The real threat? Up to $700 million in federal aid at risk.

In This Episode:
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:30) Intro and Context
(1:30) The Data — Budget Cuts, Workforce Reductions, and Sales Tax
(3:30) The Surprise — What County Taxes Actually Control
(5:00) What This Means for You
(6:30) Close

Sources:
Westchester County Executive Office — 2026 Budget Signing Press Release
Westchester County Tax Commission — Property Tax Rates
Tax Foundation — Property Taxes by State and County, 2026
Westchester County Legislature — 2026 Budget Public Hearing
News 12 Westchester — 2026 Budget Coverage

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I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Email: [email protected]
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Twenty-one million dollars from the Environmental Bond Act is heading to the Blind Brook corridor in Rye and Rye Brook to replace flood-bottleneck bridges and restore a buried stream. The county capital budget adds another $9 million for flood projects including Lake Isle Dam in Eastchester. Is $30 million enough? Plus: Ossining breaks ground on 108 affordable apartments, ConEd rates climb, and the rabies alert continues.

In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open: $21 million for a problem that's been destroying homes
0:40 Environmental Bond Act funding breakdown
1:45 Playland Parkway and Oakland Avenue bridge replacements
2:30 East Blind Brook restoration in Rye Brook
3:15 Insurance, property values, and the resident cost
4:00 Is $30 million enough? The climate vulnerability gap
4:30 Quick Hits: Station Plaza Ossining, ConEd rates, rabies alert
6:30 Closing remarks

Subscribe to The Westchester Brief at www.iliveherewestchester.com for daily local news that matters.

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

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Email: [email protected]
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From Ski Accident to Healthcare Entrepreneur | Brian Dombal | I Live Here Westchester

In this episode of I Live Here Westchester, Jim sits down with Brian Dombal, partner of ProClinix Sports Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, to talk about the personal story that led him into healthcare—and how a life-changing injury at 14 set him on a path to building one of Westchester’s premier wellness practices.

Brian shares how a devastating skiing accident sparked his interest in physical therapy, the challenges of navigating the healthcare system as both a patient and a practitioner, and why he eventually left the corporate healthcare model to build a clinic focused on quality care, patient outcomes, and community wellness.

The conversation explores the realities of the modern healthcare system, the economics of physical therapy, and what it really takes to start and grow a healthcare business in Westchester.

If you're interested in entrepreneurship, wellness, sports recovery, or the business of healthcare, this episode offers an inside look at how one local founder turned adversity into opportunity.

• The skiing accident that changed Brian’s life at age 14
• Discovering physical therapy during a year-long recovery
• The reality of PT school and the rising cost of healthcare education
• Starting a career in physical therapy and the challenges of corporate healthcare models
• Why Brian chose to leave and build a patient-focused clinic
• The economics of modern healthcare and insurance reimbursements
• Building a healthcare business from scratch in Westchester
• The philosophy behind ProClinix and its approach to wellness and recovery

Brian Dombal a partner of ProClinix Sports Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, a multidisciplinary wellness practice serving Westchester County.

After suffering a severe leg injury as a teenager, Brian discovered physical therapy during his recovery and decided to pursue it as a career. He later went on to build ProClinix with a mission to deliver higher quality care, longer patient interaction, and better outcomes than the traditional high-volume healthcare model.

Today, ProClinix offers a range of services including physical therapy, chiropractic care, sports rehabilitation, and performance training.

ProClinix is a Westchester-based healthcare practice focused on integrated sports medicine and rehabilitation.

Locations include:

5 N. Greenwich Rd. Armonk, NY

134 Marble Ave,  Pleasantville, NY

1 Elm Street, Ardsley, NY (in House of Sports)

371 S. Broadway, Tarrytown, NY (in Shames JCC

1385 Boston Post Road, Larchmont, NY 

354 Downing Drive, Yorktown Heights, NY

1 Westchester Park Dr. W. Harrison, NY  (in LifeTime Athletic) 

130 N Bedford Rd. Mount Kisco, NY 

Learn more:
https://proclinix.com

00:00 – The origin story: Brian’s life-changing skiing accident
02:00 – Discovering physical therapy during recovery
03:00 – Getting into PT school and the cost of healthcare education
05:00 – Entering the workforce and frustrations with corporate healthcare
07:00 – The realization that there had to be a better model
08:30 – Writing a business plan and starting a practice
09:30 – Finding a business partner in an unexpected place

Support the show

I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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