Police in North Rockland are investigating whether spray-painted swastikas at a local playground could be a hate crime. News 12 reports the graffiti was found at the North Garnerville Elementary School playground. Haverstraw supervisor Howard Phillips said whoever did it would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Breaking News
Former Orangetown Supervisor Hospitalized Following Crash in Westchester
A former Rockland lawmaker is reportedly in stable condition at Westchester Medical Center after what’s been described as a “horrific motor vehicle accident.” Former Orangetown supervisor and current Peekskill City Manager 56 year-old Andrew Stewart underwent surgery Wednesday after the crash. News 12 says he was heading east on Bear Mountain Bridge Road in Cortlandt when his car went into the westbound lane and hit a rock wall, possibly following a medical emergency. Peekskill officials are expected to meet tonight to appoint an Acting City Manager. Stewart has been Peekskill’s city manager since January last year.
Rockland Mourns Death of Art Aldrich, Publisher of Our Town Newspaper
Rocklanders are mourning the loss of long-time area journalist and teacher, Art Aldrich, the publisher of the Our Town newspaper, who died on Monday. In a tribute to Art on their Facebook page, the Blauvelt Free Library noted he continued to teach a marketing class three weeks before he passed, and called him “arguably, the hardest-working Defensive Driving instructor in the county.” Rockland Sheriff Lou Falco, who followed Art’s weekly Wednesday segment on the air here on “The Morning Show,” said he hopes his newspaper continues to bring readers his unique brand of local news…
Back in 1980, Art covered the court cases held for the two men who were eventually convicted of killing Pearl River teen Paula Bohovesky, and the subsequent attempts her killers made to get parole…
Funeral arrangements have not yet been made public. We will share them as soon as we learn the details.
North Rockland School District Gets Tax Relief from State Budget
The North Rockland School District is getting millions from this year’s state budget and residents are getting a freeze in property taxes for the upcoming school year. At a press conference yesterday at the North Rockland School District’s office, state senator James Skoufis called it an historic investment for North Rockland schools that provides long-awaited Mirant debt relief for local taxpayers…
And that was Rockland assemblyman Ken Zebrowski. The money helps stem the district’s $11 million of debt each year due to Mirant Energy, the largest tax certiorari in New York history at $365 million. District superintendent Dr. Kris Felicello said everyone in the community has worked hard despite the financial challenges…
Debbie Brennan is the head of the North Rockland Teachers’ Association, and said the battles were finally worth the effort…
And that was Board of Education president Richard Fernandez. Under the plan passed in the budget, North Rockland will get just over $52 million in core school aid, a $10.2 million increase from last year, that’s a 24% increase.
Nyack Man Charged with Selling Illegal Handguns
A Nyack man has been arrested and accused of selling illegal guns. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh says Darren Jemison turned himself in last week. The County Drug Task Force and Orangetown Police have been working the illegal gun investigation since January 2020. Jemison is accused of selling two loaded Taurus 9mm pistols and a loaded Taurus .38 special revolver near the Nyack Plaza housing complex.