Editor's Notebook: Week in Review

This week was busy for Rye Patch, with breaking news on a major case and a fire that shut down a main thoroughfare in nearby White Plains.

Rye Patch started the week with local business owners' reactions to the state's recent passage of an increase in the tobacco tax. State legislators recently approved a $1.60 increase in sales tax on cigarettes, which local businesses say will hurt them while benefiting shops in Connecticut and New Jersey. Though the move is intended to help the state boost its revenue amid a $9 billion budget gap, business owners like Tony D'Onofrio of the Rye Smoke Shop said consumers will now just go across state lines to buy cigarettes. With the average price of cigarettes in New York at just over $9, D'Onofrio may be right. 

As temperatures hit around 100 degrees this week, we gave you tips on how to protect your kids from the sun in an eco-friendly way and interviewed workers who have the unfortunate task of having to work outside eight hours or more a day. Our Jaclyn Bruntfield suggested Burt's Bees All-Natural Herbal Insect Repellant ( which smells like lemongrass) and JASON Family Sunblock (SPF 36), a water-resistant sunscreen. We're sure outdoor workers such as postman Hasson Barry could also find these tips helpful as they battle sweltering heat. 

We also had a video this week about how coyotes are trapped. Since two coyote attacks on little girls in Rye last month, police have said they will undertake more aggressive measures to hunt and kill coyotes. We felt it was important to educate the public on exactly what trapping entailed and how difficult the process can sometimes be. We interviewed Jim Dreisacker, the owner of Westchester Wildlife Control, who has been trapping coyotes and other wildlife professionally for close to 30 years. Watch the video to see the variety of traps wildlife experts use and visit Rye Patch regularly for ongoing updates on the coyote issue.

The story that grabbed your attention the most this week was the fire on East Post Road in White Plains that injured 33 people and destroyed seven businesses. The fire started in the basement of the Bengal Tiger restaurant, a popular eatery serving Indian fare. Customers eating in the restaurant were able to escape the blaze unharmed, but firefighters were not able to contain it. Authorities are still investigating the cause. Several neighboring businesses recently shared their thoughts about the fire with our videographer, so browse through our archives to see our extensive coverage.

We also covered breaking news involving the infamous murder of millionaire Ben Novack at the Rye Town Hilton last year. The murder was Rye Brook's only one in decades and it befuddled authorities how there could be no witness to a murder in a hotel packed with hundreds of people. On Thursday, , which they said was motivated by money. Another suspect, 25-year-old Joel Rodriguez, is still at large. The indictment also lists an unnamed fifth co-conspirator. Authorities said they have strong evidence to prove their case, so we will be following this story as more details develop.

We ended the week with details on how Rye Town Park fared during the July 4 weekend. Officials told Rye Patch that the park took in $200,000 more than it did during the same period last year. Though attendance was down, the increased parking prices put extra cash in the park's coffers. Officials have not released figures for the park's expenses, so it is possible that these numbers make not be as positive if expenses surpass revenues, as it has in recent years. 

We've covered lots more this weekend, so feel free to search the site for other engaging stories from the past week. Rye Patch will be your source for everything that is happening in the Rye area---from local government and school board meetings to sports and arts and entertainment.

We'll be doing a "Week in Review" every Sunday, so if you missed anything during the week, we've got you covered.