A 70 year-old man crossing the street in Ramapo was killed late yesterday after being struck by two cars. Ramapo Police say the man was walking with another man across the intersection of West Maple Avenue and Kingspoint Lane just after 6pm last night when he was hit by a car traveling northbound. He was thrown into the southbound lanes and struck by another car heading south on West Maple. Hatzolah Ambulance Corp. took him to Good Samaritan Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 51 year-old was taken to Westchester Medical Center, News 12 says he has a non-life-threatening leg injury. Both drivers remained on-scene. The crash is being investigated by the Town of Ramapo Police Crash Investigation Unit.
Progress Made in Orange County Brush Fires, Nearly 70% Contained
Progress is being made in the fight against the Jennings Creek / Sterling Forest fire. The Journal News reports the fire was reportedly inching closer to the town of Tuxedo, but was nearly 70 percent contained by late yesterday. Haverstraw supervisor Howard Phillips says there is concern fires could be sparked in his area…
More than 300 firefighters from six state agencies and dozens of volunteer fire companies were at the scene yesterday. More support is coming today, including a team of 20 wildland firefighters from Montana.
Commuters Get Ready, Barring Any Other Delays, Congestion Pricing to Begin in January
Congestion pricing will officially return in two months. After temporarily shelving it in June just before it was about to start, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said Thursday instead of $15, it’ll cost $9 to drive into the city below 60th street…
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said the money raised by congestion pricing will fund many desperately-needed MTA projects…
Ron, a “Morning Show” caller, says the scheme deftly places the burden of rescuing the MTA on the shoulders of those who have no say in the matter…
State law requires that congestion pricing raise money for the MTA and decrease traffic and pollution. If it’s not stopped, Hochul is targeting early January for it to begin.
News Briefs: Spring Valley Man Convicted of Robbing Pot Dealer, Trump Looks to Remove U.S. Attorney for Southern District, Haverstraw PD Rescues Alligator in Garnerville
A Spring Valley man faces decades behind bars after he was convicted Wednesday of robbing a pot dealer’s Chestnut Ridge home, and beating an innocent bystander who was there five years ago. U-S Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said 34 year-old Thierry Antoine was convicted after a five-day trial in White Plains Federal Court of robbing the drug dealer and using a firearm during the crime. Antoine will be sentenced in April next year.
President-elect Trump Looks to Replace U.S. Attorney for SDNY
Speaking of Damian Williams, the President-elect is looking to remove him from his job. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, yesterday, Donald Trump said he favors Jay Clayton, his former SEC chairman. Williams has had several high-profile cases, including Jeffrey Epstein pal Ghislaine Maxwell, and crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.
Gator Rescued in Garnerville by Haverstraw PD
Haverstraw Police rescued an alligator that was spotted in the Minisceongo Creek in Garnerville yesterday. Police say they successfully removed the gator from the water just after 11 Thursday morning, and turned it over to the Hudson Valley Humane Society of Pomona. No word on where the gator came from.
Rockland Enters Drought Watch as Firefighters Struggle to Contain and Control Blazes in Orange and Passaic Counties
Thousands of acres of woods continue to burn with no relief in sight from the weather, as firefighters at the Jennings Creek / Sterling Forest blazes in Orange and Passaic Counties struggle to keep them contained. That’s according to The Journal News. The fires forced the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District in Orange County to cancel all after-school activities Wednesday, and cancel classes today and tomorrow. So far Rockland has been spared the huge wildfires that Orange and Passaic are experiencing, though recently Clarkstown had smaller fires to contend with, which supervisor George Hoehmann says charred about 3.5 acres…
As of late yesterday afternoon, officials said the fires were being controlled, but only about 20 percent contained. Meanwhile, the lack of rain prompted Rockland yesterday to officially enter a “drought watch” in which residents are encouraged to conserve water. Water levels at Lake Deforest are near-average, but water conservation efforts are suggested to preserve drinking water resources and keep water available for fighting fires.