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Rockland County legislators voted last night 15-1 to amend and approve next year’s County Budget with no property tax increases, program cuts or layoffs. District 12 Legislator Charles Falciglia was the only “no” vote. District 16 Legislator Vince Tyer was absent. In a statement, the legislature said they eliminated the Motor Vehicle Tax and gave a new Gun Violence Prevention Program $70,000. Two non-profits, the African American Historical Society and the Parkinson’s Wellness Project, will each get $7,500. The $790 million amended adopted budget comes with $131 million in property taxes, that’s a zero percent increase over last year’s budget. The County Executive has five working days to issue any vetoes. The Legislature then has until December 20th to override any vetoes, with a two-thirds majority vote.

COVID has taken another life here in the county. The total now stands at 1,002 since the pandemic began. Other coronavirus statistics continue to slowly creep up, there are 17 hospitalized and 841 active cases.

A North Carolina man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a fatal shooting in Nyack. 35-year-old Jason Jabouin had pleaded guilty to manslaughter earlier this year. He shot Ryan Franklin of West Haverstraw on Midland Avenue in May 2020, following a confrontation.

Two people were arrested this weekend after a report of shots fired in Pearl River. No one was hurt in the early-morning incident on Saturday, which a report on DailyVoice.com says took place on West Central Avenue. Orangetown Police reportedly recovered a firearm. The incident is under investigation by the Orangetown Police Department’s Detective Bureau. No other information was available.

Also in Pearl River, at least six firefighters were hospitalized during a blaze yesterday and early this morning at the Rockland Indoor Shooting Education gun range on North Middletown Road. That’s according to News 12. Around 100 firefighters from two dozen fire departments in the region responded. The blaze is under control but firefighters are still on-scene. DailyVoice.com says the fire spread through the shopping center which includes Dollar General and a Dunkin’ Donuts. No word yet on the cause of the fire.

And several were displaced following a blaze this weekend in Spring Valley. The cause of the fire at the Regency Village apartments is still under investigation.

Police have captured a man they believe was responsible for the fatal hit-and-run on Route 9W in Haverstraw near Fairmount Avenue early Tuesday morning. Haverstraw Police say they arrested 43 year-old Sugundo Landi-Lucer of Queens. He’s been charged in the death of 75 year-old Haverstraw resident Juan Alberto Germosen. Germonsen reportedly lived at the Green Hills Home for Adults nearby. He was found lying in the roadway, rushed to the hospital, and later pronounced dead.

“My thanks to the Town of Haverstraw Police Department and the Town of Clarkstown Police Accident Reconstruction Team for their quick work processing the crime scene and to the NYPD and NYSP for their assistance in apprehending the suspect in this tragic case. As a former police commander, I understand and appreciate exactly how much hard work went into securing this outcome. It is my hope that the family of Juan Germosen can rest more easily tonight knowing the person allegedly responsible for his death is now behind bars and that justice will be quickly served in this case,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day in a statement.