Today marks the 51st annual Earth Day celebration, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland is marking the occasion by streaming environmental presentations the entire day. The 2021 “Earth Day Stream-a-thon” begins at 10 with a reading of the Dr. Seuss story “The Lorax.” There’s a new presentation every hour through 8pm, including a Spring Home Energy Check-up and a Backyard Composting Demo Tour. Go to RocklandCCE.org for more information and to register, click here.
New Yorkers 60 and Older Can Get COVID Vaccines without Appointments at State Facilities Starting Friday
If you’re a New Yorker 60 or older and you haven’t gotten the COVID vaccine yet and you’ve blamed the internet as the reason you can’t get an appointment, you no longer have that to fall back on. Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday said starting tomorrow you can walk into one of 16 state mass vaccination sites around the state, though NOT including the one at RCC, and you will be given the vaccine…
COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we lost another to COVID, the total is 946. We’ve got 21 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 1,108 active cases. Our total case count is 45,849, that’s 54 more than Wednesday.
Last-Minute Military Tribute Banners Available in Orangetown, Deadline to Order is Friday
You can still get your military tribute banners in the Town of Orangetown, but you have to get your order in by the end of the day tomorrow. Supervisor Teresa Kenny says they are placed all over town Memorial Day through Labor Day …
Money raised goes to veterans’ organizations. To order a banner, the absolute deadline is tomorrow, call Alison at town hall, 845-359-5100.
Rockland Officials Applaud George Floyd Verdict in Minnesota
Rockland officials are applauding yesterday’s guilty verdict in the George Floyd murder case, in which former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all three counts. In a statement, Congressman Mondaire Jones said George Floyd should still be alive, so the verdict wasn’t full justice, and added now’s the time to address violent, systemic racism in America. In a statement, Rockland County Legislator Toney Earl said he was grateful to the jury for refusing to be “hoodwinked by the nonsense spewed by the defense.” Chauvin faces a maximum of 40 years in prison.
Area Lawmakers Push “Paula’s Law” to Keep Those Who Murder and Sexually Assault Young Teens in Prison
A bi-partisan group of area state lawmakers is pushing for the state to enact “Paula’s Law.” It’s named for 16 year-old Paula Bohovesky, the Pearl River teen who was brutally raped and murdered by two men in 1980. Rockland State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick says “Paula’s Law” would extend 2004’s “Joan’s Law,” which bans parole for those convicted of killing and sexually assaulting a child under the age of 14, and therefore apply to older teens…
Rockland Assemblyman Mike Lawler is disturbed that the parole board let Richard LaBarbera out in 2019, and this June will be considering parole for his co-defendant…
LaBarbera was re-arrested last year on parole violations.