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Ramapo police are working to identify the school bus driver or drivers in Monsey who have been caught on video allegedly driving dangerously. That’s according to News 12. There have been several accidents in the area over the last five months involving children who were struck, two incidents resulted in fatalities.

An increase in ferry service from Rockland to Westchester is coming, but it’s not going to be very helpful for those looking to cut their transportation costs during the week as congestion pricing is set to begin on June 30th. New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul and the MTA announced late Friday the creation of a pilot program that they called “an alternative to driving to New York City.” Under the program, Metro-North will begin weekend service for the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry service. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says that’s of no help to weekday commuters…

In a statement, Haverstraw Mayor Michael Kohut said the increased ferry service was long overdue, adding it would help grow “the west side of the Hudson as a tourist and day-tripper destination.” The pilot program does also offer what the state called “massive” monthly UniTicket discounts up to 90 percent on the ferries and buses that cross the Hudson River, and a 25 percent decrease in parking rates for Orange and Rockland residents using Metro-North’s garage in North White Plains.

A federal court has ruled that a local group lacks “associational or organizational standing” and therefore cannot challenge the village of Chestnut Ridge’s 2019 zoning laws, which allow neighborhood houses of worship. That’s according to the Journal News. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals reportedly decided the group Citizens United To Protect Our Neighborhoods, or CUPON, failed to show how the law allowing houses of worship directly harmed them. CUPON has a second court case pending in the New York Appellate Division. Chestnut Ridge officials did not comment.  

Rockland’s top cop is concerned about copycats in the wake of possible hate crimes committed last month in the town of Ramapo. Police there charged four teens earlier this week with hate crimes stemming from two similar incidents involving four local teens allegedly throwing garbage and shooting water pellets from cars at pedestrians as they drove by in Airmont and Montebello. Rockland Sheriff Lou Falco says there’s no reason to get aggressive with people who are just out-and-about, living their lives…

The four were all charged with hate crimes and released without bail. No one was injured in the incidents.

Four teenagers from Airmont, Suffern and Hillburn have been charged with hate crimes in the town of Ramapo, connected to suspicious incidents last month with antisemitic overtones. Ramapo Police say on April 19th, a 17 year-old shot pedestrians walking along Cragmere Road in Airmont with an Orbeez water pellet gun while being driven in a car by another 17 year-old. One victim was struck by the water pellets but wasn’t hurt. Police say the teens yelled antisemitic slurs at them and sped away. Town of Ramapo Chief of Staff Mona Montal says several local incidents, the general tone since the war in the Middle East began, and high-tension rallies across college campuses nationwide, have prompted the Ramapo Police department and a special task force that handles these types of issues, to be on high alert…

In the second incident, a week later, one of the teens was at it again, driving the same car on Oxford Drive in Montebello with two other passengers. One teen threw trash at pedestrians walking in the roadway, striking one on the leg. No injuries were reported. A witness said the occupants of the car shouted antisemitic slurs at them and quickly fled the scene. They were also charged with hate crimes, processed at the Ramapo Police Department and released on a future court date. The charges of Aggravated Harassment for all four and Reckless Endangerment for one of the unidentified teens, did not qualify for bail.