Two rabbis have been indicted in connection with the fatal fire in Spring Valley earlier this year while cleaning the facility’s ovens for Passover with a 20-pound propane-injected torch. That’s according to the Journal News. They’re also accused of asking to have the facility’s fire alarm system be taken offline from the county’s central fire dispatching center and putting it in “test mode” while the cleaning ritual was underway. A Rockland grand jury handed up an indictment charging Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer and his son Aaron Sommer with multiple counts of second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, arson, reckless endangerment, and assault. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday. 35 year-old Jared Lloyd was killed fighting the blaze at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults. A 79 year-old resident of the facility also died. The investigation thus far has brought charges against the head of Spring Valley’s Building Department, the village’s chief inspector, the facility’s director, and a maintenance employee. All have pleaded not guilty.
Ramapo Planning Board Holding Hearing on Pascack Ridge Tonight
Ramapo’s planning board will be discussing the controversial proposed Pascack Ridge project tonight. Supervisor Michael Specht says the planning board will review and consider preliminary and final subdivision and final site plan approval…
The proposal calls for around 224 high-density housing units on nearly 30 acres between Rose Avenue, North Pascack Road, and Ewing Avenue on the Spring Valley-Clarkstown border. It’s a closed public hearing tonight at town hall at 8pm.
Pharma Company to Bring 250 Jobs to Chestnut Ridge
A new pharmaceutical company is taking over where Endo and Par pharma left off here in Rockland. Governor Kathy Hochul announced yesterday that Strides Pharma of India, which has operations in Florida and New Jersey, is opening and expanding a manufacturing and marketing facility on Ram Ridge Road in Chestnut Ridge. The 200,000-square-foot facility will add more than 250 jobs. The company focuses primarily on niche, low-volume modified releases, soft-gel capsules, topicals and liquids.
Orangetown Holding Public Hearing on 2022 Proposed Budget Tonight
Residents of Orangetown can come out to a public hearing tonight to discuss next year’s preliminary budget. Supervisor Teresa Kenny says they intend to keep the budget under the tax cap…
The hearing is 7pm tonight at town hall. Click here for details.
COVID Takes Two More Rocklanders, Death Toll at 990
COVID has taken two more Rockland lives since our last report about two weeks ago. The total now at 990. We’ve got 17 hospitalized with COVID and 812 active cases.