Jeff Lewis

An Orange County man was killed Friday after a box truck drifted into his lane and crashed into him head-on. New York State Police say the incident happened around 4am Friday morning in the village of Harriman. Police say a box truck driven by 23 year-old Mohammed Abdulla of Richmond, Virginia, was traveling northbound on Route 17 when he entered the southbound lanes, striking a Honda driven by 37 year-old Edwin Ottenwalder Nuñez of Middletown. Police say Nuñez died at the scene, no word on injuries to Abdulla. The investigation is ongoing and anyone who saw the accident is asked to call the State Police Monroe BCI division at 845-344-5300.

Two Teens Arrested in Car Burglary Investigation in Haverstraw
Two more teens were arrested late last week in Haverstraw in connection with an alleged string of thefts from cars in the Garnerville area. Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould says Miciah Cozart and Rinoe Mitchell, both 19 years-old, face multiple counts of grand larceny and petit larceny. A 17 year-old was arrested last month in connection with the case. Gould says Cozart had outstanding warrants for criminal possession of a controlled substance and grand larceny. Cozart was arraigned in the Village of Haverstraw Justice Court, and bail was set at $25,000. Mitchell was released on an appearance ticket. Gould says the investigation remains active.

Two Reportedly Busted with Drugs on Thruway in Ramapo
Two alleged drug dealers were arrested Friday on the Thruway during a traffic stop in Ramapo. State Police in Tarrytown say they and K-9 “Odin” busted 57 year-old Robert Morales of Rensselaer and 51 year-old Irving Prado of the Bronx with about 48 1/2 grams of Fentanyl and around 56 grams of Crack Cocaine. Both were arrested and charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell, and other charges. They were arraigned and transferred to the Rockland County Jail. They are due back in court tomorrow.

Tappan Man Linked to Alleged Cockfighting Ring in NJ
An Orangetown man was among four dozen people arrested last week in connection with an alleged cockfighting ring in Galloway, New Jersey. That’s according to Patch.com. 61 year-old Bienvenid Polanco of Tappan was among the alleged participants in the “elaborate cockfighting operation” that was reportedly uncovered near Atlantic City. The Prosecutor’s Office there said an arena was built specifically for the purpose of fighting roosters, but it was stopped before the fight took place. 50 roosters in varying degrees of health were reportedly discovered in crates, storage boxes and bags in and around the arena. The event was promoted online last year, with the organizer pleading guilty last year.

With the weather starting to warm up, we are starting to see the emergence of potholes in area roadways. Clarkstown supervisor George Hoehmann says whether local, county or state roads, you can contact town hall to alert officials to get them fixed…

For pothole repair in Clarkstown call the supervisor’s office at 845-639-2050. To report a pothole on a state road, call the New York State Department of Transportation’s toll-free number, 1-800-POTHOLE – or 1-800-768-4653.

A local state lawmaker is calling for the resignation of the head of the state’s education department after nearly $100 million dollars was reportedly found in the financially-challenged East Ramapo Central School District. Assemblyman Aron Wieder of the 97th District, covering parts of Ramapo and Orangetown, says because Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa overturned last year’s school budget vote and increased residents’ taxes, she needs to go…

Wieder says the state-appointed monitors and fiscal monitors weren’t doing their jobs, though he wouldn’t name anyone from the district who may have been responsible for the financial errors. The State Comptroller’s office opened a review in January.

Some road closures are coming to West Nyack starting Monday as part of the downtown revitalization project. Clarkstown supervisor George Hoehmann says it’ll be taking place on West Nyack Road near the Post Office…

The $11 million project will improve traffic flow, add parking and new sidewalks, and address drainage issues.