Airmont’s Deputy Mayor, who also serves as a Ramapo deputy building inspector and part-time court officer, was arrested yesterday at his home, stemming from a federal, county and local investigation into the purchasing of illegal gun parts. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh says 47 year-old Brian Downey was busted allegedly purchasing a rifle suppression device over the internet. Department of Homeland Security agents notified the D-A of the delivery of the illegal device to his home on Edgebrook Lane in Airmont. Downey is charged with multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon. During the raid on his home yesterday, local and federal investigators removed what the D-A called “an arsenal of weapons.” In a statement, Walsh said “Our community is without a doubt safer today than it was yesterday.” The investigation is on-going, and Walsh said he expects additional charges to be forthcoming. We reached out to Deputy Mayor Downey for comment, but did not hear back.
Breaking News
Remnants of Hurricane Ida Plow through Rockland, Creating Traffic, Power Disruptions, and School Closing
The remnants of Hurricane Ida came plowing through the county yesterday, dumping just over six inches of rain in our area since yesterday. At one point some 17,000 O&R customers lost power, but at last check this morning a little more than 27-hundred customers were still in the dark. O&R says company and contractor overhead line technicians and tree removal experts have been deployed to a number of scenes and are working to restore power as soon as possible. They warn you not to go near downed wires.
The Clarkstown School District, which just started classes yesterday, is closed today due to flooding of a number of major roads in town. Pearl River schools, which also opened yesterday, are open today.
Traffic-wise, the New York State Thruway is closed on the southbound side heading toward the bridge between Exit 14 at Route 59 and Route 303 Exit 12. The northbound side is shut down between exit 12 and the Palisades Parkway. As such traffic on the Westchester-bound side is backed up all the way to Suffern-Mahwah near the 87-287 merge.
Other trouble spots in Rockland include Route 59 in West Nyack by Palisades Center and on 59 in Nanuet near the Shops at Nanuet. It’s also a slow go on Route 9W and River Road in Piermont. There’s also a slowdown on Route 202 in Ramapo near Lime Kiln Road. Westchester, Northern NJ and the city appear to be the hardest hit with sporadic closures on the Garden State Parkway, the Turnpike, the Sprain, the Bronx River Parkway, the Hutch, I-95, the Harlem River Drive, and a number of major roadways in Brooklyn and Queens. There were sporadic delays on mass transit, you should check with your carrier before you head out. Hudson Link service is currently suspended.
Rockland’s Major Roadways, including PIP, Rapidly Flooding
Statement from Rockland County Executive Ed Day:
According to reports from our Office of Fire and Emergency Services conditions within Rockland are rapidly deteriorating with flooding on major roadways including the Palisades Interstate Parkway and many other locations around the County. I ask all of our residents to stay off the roads for the remainder of the evening and overnight until the conditions we are seeing improve.
We have requested that the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services relocate their prepositioned water rescue assets to the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Pomona which they have agreed to do in case they are needed locally.
This storm is dangerous and the risk to your life if you attempt to travel right now is severe. Please stay off the road, stay safe and allow our first responders to do their jobs.
NY Takes Steps to Stem COVID Spread
New York’s governor is looking to tackle COVID head-on to keep the numbers from getting any worse here in the state. Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday announced a plan to test school staffers who are not vaccinated on a weekly basis. Hochul also wants to decentralize booster shot distribution and put it in the hands of local health departments…
Hochul said there won’t be a need for any shutdowns as long as people stay vigilant – by getting the vaccine, wearing masks, washing their hands, doing the things that have been working.
Rockland Loses Another to COVID; Rockland Democrats to Hold Re-scheduled Convention Tonight in Haverstraw
Another Rocklander has died due to COVID-19, the first reported coronavirus fatality since August 11th, the total now 971. We have 18 hospitalized with COVID and a total of 641 active cases. Meanwhile, state health officials are now reportedly requiring face masks at all schools. Published reports said the state Health Department filed an emergency regulation Friday requiring all students, faculty and staff of all public and private schools to wear masks inside school buildings.
After delaying their convention due to COVID concerns, Rockland Democrats will be holding their nominating convention tonight at Bowline Park in Haverstraw. That’s according to the Journal News. The convention is being held to choose a party chair, recommend an elections commissioner, and fill committee vacancies.