Sentencing could come next month for six Ramapo residents who pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing millions of dollars from the federal “E-Rate” program, which provides computers and technology to underprivileged students. That’s according to the Journal News, which says prosecutors want each to do prison time, with the mastermind potentially looking at five years behind bars. A seventh could just get probation. The case first began when the FBI and local police and D-A detectives raided several area ultra-Orthodox private schools and companies back in March 2016. Peretz Klein and his wife, Susan Klein, both of Spring Valley, and Simon Goldbrenner, Moshe Schwartz, Ben Klein, Sholem Steinberg and Aron Melber, all of Monsey, all pleaded guilty in February.
Head of NAACP Nyack to Step Down After 40 Years
After 40 years, the head of Nyack’s branch of the NAACP is stepping down. Dr. Frances Pratt was hailed as a “trailblazer and icon” by Rockland’s Commissioner on Human Rights, Constance Frazier. The Journal News says Dr. Pratt will be succeeded by Nikki Hines, who currently works at the Center for Safety and Change in New City, and chairs the Nyack Housing Board.
Local State Lawmakers Differ on Whether to go the Legal Pot Route to Raise Money
A local state lawmaker says New York is going have to legalize adult use recreational marijuana to keep pace with other states that have already gone that route. Rockland assemblyman Ken Zebrowski says New York can’t afford to lose those sales to neighboring states…
But another local state lawmaker, Western Ramapo and Orange County assemblyman Karl Brabenec, says legal pot isn’t the way to go…
Legalized marijuana has the support of the governor. Brabenec yesterday was made Deputy Minority Whip of the Assembly Republican Conference.
Rockland’s 32-year Congressional Representative Delivers Farewell Remarks on House Floor
Amid the chaos of the last-minute scrambling on the COVID relief bill Sunday night, Rockland’s congressional representative delivered her farewell remarks on the House Floor. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who in her 32 years of service rose to become the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the title she cherished most was “representative from New York”…
Lowey’s 32 years of service officially come to an end January 2nd.
Airlines to Conduct COVID Testing for Passengers Coming to NY from the UK; Stana’s Travel OK’d by NY Gov; COVID Cancels Clarkstown Celebration
A federal program to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff began yesterday in New York. The program will continue for the next two weeks. President-elect Joe Biden got his Pearl River-based Pfizer vaccine yesterday afternoon.
Three major airlines will be testing travelers for COVID coming to New York from the UK, where a new, highly contagious strain of the virus was discovered. British Airways, Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are administering the tests. In his press conference yesterday, governor Andrew Cuomo said he didn’t want to see a repeat of what happened here in the spring…
The governor continues to ask the federal government to impose similar travel restrictions, which at the moment has not yet been done. Despite the COVID, Cuomo says Santa will be coming to town…
Unfortunately, due to the anticipated large crowds it would have drawn, Clarkstown supervisor George Hoehmann says they decided to cancel their popular annual Winter Wonderland this season…
COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we lost six more to COVID, the total count is at 745. We’ve got four hospitalized being examined, another 81 there are confirmed cases, and a total of 2,056 active cases. Overall, we’ve had 25,413 reported cases, 430 more than Monday.