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If preventing horrible illness and potential death by getting the free COVID vaccine isn’t enough reason to get it, the state of New York is upping the ante. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says 18 million New Yorkers have gotten vaccinated so far, but since that’s not enough, those who get vaccinated next week have a chance to win big bucks…

It’s a pilot program for just next week, and you have to get vaccinated at one of ten mass vaccination sites in the state. Rockland’s is NOT one of them, the nearest one is in Yonkers. The program runs May 24th to May 28th.

COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, no new deaths, the total unchanged since Monday at 957. We’ve got 10 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 218 active cases. Our total case count is 46,731, that’s 16 more than Thursday. And here’s a new stat we’ll be regularly reporting, the total number of vaccine doses administered: 206,210.

Markets have been taking a beating lately, the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and the NASDAQ all down yesterday, though they did manage a rally toward the end of the trading day. WRCR’s Market Analyst Ken Mahoney of Mahoney Asset Management in Chestnut Ridge says global events are partially to blame…

Cryptocurrencies are also starting to lose their sheen in the marketplace. Bitcoin yesterday dropped to a three-month low before recovering a bit. CNBC says a reversal in the broader acceptance for cryptocurrencies, and regulatory concerns appear to be the reason for the slide.

More people are out on the roads as more get the vaccine and so-called normal life resumes again. With an increase in drivers comes an increase in traffic tickets. Rockland Sheriff Lou Falco says the most popular infractions are speeders and those who don’t fully stop at “stop” signs, but officers are trying to be more understanding these days when they pull people over, depending on the violation…

And though the mask mandate has been lifted for those who have already been vaccinated, that rule doesn’t apply everywhere, including the sheriff’s office and jail…

COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, no new deaths, the total unchanged since Monday at 957. We’ve got 10 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 218 active cases. Our total case count is 46,715, that’s 11 more than Wednesday.

Cooper Drive in Nyack was honorarily renamed yesterday for Dr. Frances Pratt, the former long-time head of the Nyack NAACP. She’s lived there for decades, and Orangetown supervisor Teresa Kenny, who along with the town board honored her back in February, says yesterday’s street renaming is well-deserved…

Dr. Pratt was given the Key to the County in February. She retired from the NAACP in December after 40 years.