Breaking News

Rockland’s County Executive unveiled his 2025 budget proposal yesterday, and the $876 million plan includes another two percent property tax decrease along with a new Cryptocurrency and Real Time Crime Center, and a 10% funding increase to nonprofit contract agencies and 224 agencies. At a presentation in Pomona yesterday, Rockland County Executive Ed Day highlighted the parkland the county has and will continue to secure and maintain as green space, and other environmental projects…

The Rockland County Legislature is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on or about November 19th. After that, the Legislature would vote on it around December 3rd, with final adoption coming by December 20th.

Rockland Democrats are moving into a busy election season in some disarray. At last week’s convention, the party reportedly failed to elect a party chair and they didn’t recommend a county elections commissioner. Ramapo Supervisor, Democrat Michael Specht, told WRCR Monday the developments are frustrating, and hopes the party can get together soon to straighten things out…

The Dems aren’t the only ones reportedly with internal issues. RCBizJournal.com reported recently that squabbling amongst the Rockland GOP has led to various accusations over among other things, campaign donations and Executive Committee rules.

Orangetown Police are looking for people who know what caused a man to walk into Montefiore Nyack Hospital with a gunshot wound. That’s according to DailyVoice.com. The man reportedly arrived at the hospital around 3:30 Sunday morning with the non-life-threatening injury that allegedly occurred in the village of Nyack. Call the Orangetown Police Detective Bureau if you witnessed the incident or have any information. Their number is 845-359-3700.

Fire in New Square, No One Hurt
No one was hurt after a fire at a construction site Friday in New Square trapped workers on the roof of the building. That’s according to The Journal News. A fire began in the basement of 18 Jefferson Avenue around 10:38 Friday morning, the site of a giant new synagogue, said to be the largest in the country and the second largest in the world. Officials think a bag of towels and flammable materials in the basement laundry room may have caught fire, starting the blaze, though the cause is still under investigation. The new synagogue will reportedly fit more than 4,000 people in 37,000 square feet. Construction should be done by May next year.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted yesterday on federal charges of bribery, wire fraud and more, accused of improperly soliciting and accepting free or heavily-discounted airline tickets, hotel accommodations and illegal campaign contributions. He is the first New York City mayor to be indicted while in office. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said Mayor Adams abused his position, putting the interests of his benefactors above his constituents, allegedly to the tune of $10 million. Rockland Assemblyman, Republican John McGowan of the 97th district, covering Orangetown and parts of Ramapo, called the developments sad…

Adams is charged with one count of conspiracy to receive campaign contributions from foreign nationals and commit wire fraud and bribery, the maximum sentence is five years in prison; one count of wire fraud, on that count he faces 20 years in prison; two counts of soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, each could be five years in prison; and one count of soliciting and accepting a bribe, that’s another 10 years. Adams professed his innocence, and said he won’t step down as Mayor. Adams had been under the federal microscope since his 2021 mayoral campaign. Several city officials have called on him to resign, and Governor Kathy Hochul is reportedly considering removing him from office.

Local officials are starting to get concerned after an Ulster County resident recently became the first person in New York to die of eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, which is carried by mosquitoes, and just the second death in the nation of the same disease. Another person died of EEE in New Hampshire last month. Orangetown supervisor Teresa Kenny says a resident reached out to her after she noticed spraying for mosquitoes was being done in nearby Bergen County…

Rockland County Executive Ed Day says the county already has an aggressive mosquito control program…

Day says if any additional treatments are necessary, they will be added to the process. Eighteen cases of EEE have been identified in horses across 12 counties in New York State so far this year. It is a rare but severe viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes to people and horses. People of all ages are susceptible to infection, but those over 50 and younger than 15 are at a high risk of acquiring the virus, for which there is no vaccine. The best defense is to wear long sleeves, tuck pants into socks, and shirts into pants when outdoors. The State Department of Health also recommends using insect repellents that contain DEET.