🌱 UPD Arrests 2 In Tainted Marijuana Case + Tomato Pie Day Returns

Hello again, Utica! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Let's get this week started off right with a quick guide to the most important things going on around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Mostly cloudy with a shower. High: 52 Low: 33.
• Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with a shower. High: 54 Low: 33.

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Here are the top three stories in Utica today:

1. Utica police have made two arrests and seized what they believe is tainted synthetic marijuana after investigating several overdose cases. Local authorities issued a public safety alert earlier this week, stating that the victims had consumed synthetic marijuana laced with benzodiazepine. Following searches of two area smoke shops, investigators found synthetic pot laced with Alprazolam and arrested Robert Hill and Bandar Altairi, both 36-year-old residents of Utica. (WIBX AM 950)
2. Tomato Pie Day is returning to the Utica Recreation Center from noon to 4 p.m. on Apr. 29. Admission costs $3 in advance or $5 at the door and includes tastings of all the different tomato pies offered by various local vendors. Guests can also enjoy entertainment from Utica Royalties, face painting, hair braiding, and various vendors and crafters selling their goods. (Rome Sentinel)
3. Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol announced the "No Empty Chair" campaign down the road at Holland Patent High School last Friday, Apr. 21. The campaign, created by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, aims to educate young drivers on how to stay safe while driving. Law enforcement will have an increased presence around local high schools and will be enforcing the state's Graduated Driver Licensing Law, which requires drivers to keep their permits for six months and complete a certain number of hours in various traffic conditions. (WUTR/WFXV - CNYhomepage.com)

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Today and tomorrow in Utica:

Monday, April 24

• PAL: Parents Of Addicted Loved Ones At The Good News Center (6:00 PM)
• Rising Tide Utica: Game Night At thINCubator (6:00 PM)

Tuesday, April 25

• Art In Your Pocket At Utica Public Library (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Utica Mayor's Gala made its return this past Saturday. This year's event, hosted by Mayor Palmieri and his wife Susan at the Delta Hotels by Marriott downtown, raised funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. (WKTV)
• The Rotary Club of Utica is currently accepting nominations for its Service Above Self Award, issued to those who go "above and beyond" in the name of community service. Nominations are due to the club by Monday, May 8 — a month ahead of the Service Above Self Gala on Friday, Jun. 9. (Free: Rotary Club of Utica; Subscription: Rome Sentinel)
• Heads up, local house hunters! Five new houses have just hit the Utica real estate market. (Utica Patch)

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with a new update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.