Traffic headaches could be in store for residents of Airmont and areas nearby thanks to a New Jersey bridge that desperately needs to be replaced. The Hillside Avenue Bridge, located in Upper Saddle River between Upper Saddle River Road and Oratam Road, is expected to shut down tomorrow so repairs can be made. Airmont officials say they were notified of the situation, which has become worse of late reportedly thanks to increased truck traffic looking to avoid congestion on Route 59. The borough of Upper Saddle River is looking for grant funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and unless funding can be found, the bridge will remain closed, possibly permanently.
Rockland County Executive to Review Legislature’s Amended 2021 Budget Proposal
Some of the amendments the legislature made to the $729 million county budget approved last week are being reviewed by the county executive and his team. As it stands, the budget for next year would raise taxes $12 for the average property owner. Ed Day told “The Morning Show” Friday that among the amendments he’s looking at was the legislature’s decision to take nearly $69,000 from the Department of Health’s Relief Line to fund a position on the Water Task Force…
Legislature minority leader Lon Hofstein says it was good to not only see the legislature pass the spending plan unanimously, but also to give taxpayers a bit of a break after lower-than-expected healthcare costs came in at the last minute…
The legislature also added $7,500 for the Haverstraw African American Connection nonprofit, and $5,000 for a nonprofit called “Trap, Neuter Return,” which works with feral cats. The county executive is expected to return the budget to the legislature this week, possibly with some vetoes. The Legislature then has until December 20th to override any vetoes.
COVID Cases Rise in Rockland, Pfizer Vaccine to Go Before FDA This Week
Rockland COVID cases continue to rise following the Thanksgiving break. The current 7-day rolling average in the yellow zone is at 5.8 percent, up from 3.55 percent last month. The FDA on Thursday is expected to start its review of Pearl River-based Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, and the UK is expected to start distributing it there tomorrow.
COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we’ve got one in the hospital being examined, another 52 there have been confirmed with coronavirus, and a total of 1,953 active cases. The state says since the crisis began, we’ve had a total of 22,421 reported cases, 200 more than Friday, and the number of deaths in the county since the pandemic began remains where it was on Friday, at 707.
Haverstraw Police Offer $10,000 Reward in Fatal Shooting
Haverstraw police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who fatally shot Andy Urena-Marrero in September. Urena-Marrero was in the yard of his Hudson Avenue home with another man when both were shot. Urena-Marrero was shot in the head and died at Westchester Medical Center. The second man, an unidentified 20 year-old, was treated at Montefiore Nyack Hospital and released for a gunshot wound to the leg. No arrests have been made in the shooting. If you have information, contact Haverstraw Police at 845-354-1500.
U.S. Marks 79th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack
Today is the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. That audio courtesy of the U.S. Navy. The coronavirus pandemic is preventing survivors from attending an annual ceremony in Hawaii. The Associated Press reports the National Park Service and Navy have closed the event to the public. There will be a moment of silence, a flyover in missing-man formation and a speech by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.