Hudson Valley Post — Flash Briefing for Friday, Aug. 2

Two schools in the Hudson Valley are closing, one in Ulster County the other in Dutchess. A letter to families stated John A. Coleman Catholic will complete its mission on August 30th. Officials say despite their best efforts, enrollment decreased making the school no longer sustainable. Meanwhile, the Kil-do-nan School will not reopen in September. Concerned parents did their best to try and keep the Amenia school open, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

A new law now allows New York first responders to legally remove pets from a hot car if they are locked inside. Lawmakers say the bill also helps reduce wait times when calls are made to 911 that a pet is in danger. Animal Rescue officials say it could take less than ten minutes for an animal to become distressed if they're left inside a locked vehicle in extreme heat or cold. The new law goes into effect immediately.

Prosecutors in the Bronx say they will not pursue a criminal case right now against the Rockland County dad who claims he accidentally left his 1-year-old twins in a hot car to die while he went to work. Juan Rodriguez has told authorities that he thought he dropped his children off at daycare last Friday, but instead he left them in their car seats for eight hours, where they died. The Bronx DA has decided not to put the case before a grand jury. A wake for the Rodriguez twins will take place today.

Police say they quickly caught up and arrested a would-be mugger in the Poughkeepsie Galleria Tuesday afternoon. Cops say 24-year-old Ethan Awaise tried to steal a woman's purse and shopping bag in the mall parking lot. He took off when the woman fought back. Cops say they found the Californa man walking around the mall a short time later. He’s been charged with attempted robbery

A police chase in Newburgh ended in a head-on crash into several cars, injuring at least seven people. Police say the SUV was flagged by troopers around 11 a.m. Thursday as the car of a suspect wanted for questioning in a felony investigation. Cops say the SUV led troopers on a high-speed chase on the Thruway before eventually crashing into three vehicles in front of a car wash on 17K. Police say one of the people in the SUV suffered serious internal injuries and was air-lifted to the hospital.