Breaking News

Many of the roadways in North Rockland and Orange County have been re-opened following last week’s devastating floods. 99th district Assemblyman Chris Eachus, who covers Stony Point and portions of Orange County, says concerns about the future of the infrastructure and insurance payouts are secondary issues at the moment, because people in the area can still use a helping hand…

Governor Kathy Hochul Friday asked President Joe Biden to give the area a major disaster declaration so aid can be released by FEMA. Rockland State Senator Bill Weber says he’s hopeful the president will soon come through on the governor’s request…

Meanwhile, Governor Hochul yesterday announced emergency state funds are now available to homeowners in Orange County who need to fix their homes, if they meet certain income guidelines…

The state program is administered by the Orange County non-profit “Rural Development Advisory Corporation.” New York State Homes and Community Renewal will oversee the program. Eligible Orange County homeowners can apply for funding at www.rupco.org or call 845-713-4568 x114 for more information. If you’d like to find out how you can assist the folks in North Rockland and Orange County you can call Assemblyman Eachus’ office at 845-469-6929.

The State Department of Transportation says they have re-opened many roads in the area of North Rockland and Orange County impacted by heavy rains earlier this month. The DOT says those roads include Route 9W in both directions south of the Bear Mountain Bridge through Stony Point, Route 6 / 202 also known as Bear Mountain Bridge Road in both directions between Route 9-D and U.S. Route 9 in the Town of Cortlandt, and Route 9W is open in both directions with reduced lanes between Cornwall and the Stony Lonesome Gate entrance to West Point/Mountain Avenue. The Bear Mountain Bridge is open to all traffic, and the Palisades Parkway is also reportedly open in both directions with some lane limitations.    

Monsey Man Convicted of Fraud Heading to Prison

A Manhattan bank director from Monsey faces 125 years in federal prison after being convicted last week by a federal jury on five counts of fraud. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, says 65 year-old Mendel Zilberberg conspired with Toms River, New Jersey businessman Aron Fried and another person 14 years ago to obtain a $1.4 million loan from Zilberberg’s Park Avenue Bank through a phony borrower. The three split the proceeds, and the bank collapsed when the loan defaulted. Fried pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud last November and was sentenced in April to one year and one day in prison. Zilberberg is scheduled to be sentenced November 29th.

Harriman Man Charged with Spring Valley Robberies

Spring Valley police have nabbed a man they say was responsible for three robberies last week within a 12-hour period. Police say last Monday there was an armed robbery around 1AM at a gas station on Main Street. Around ten hours later, there was an attempted robbery a little further south on Main Street, and then about an hour and a half later, the Metro PCS Store at 12 South Central Avenue allegedly became the third victim of the same suspect. With assistance from the FBI New York-Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, police tracked down and arrested 40-year-old Adham Mohamed El-Gamal, Wednesday morning at his Harriman home. He is charged with two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, one count of Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, and federal weapons violations. He was brought to federal court in White Plains and was being held in federal custody.

A Central Nyack teen was killed early Friday morning in a hit-and-run accident in West Nyack. Clarkstown Police say 18 year-old Dariel Rivera was found around 4am lying in the roadway of Route 303 southbound just south of the Route 59 overpass. Police say a heavily damaged electric scooter was nearby. A witness who stayed on-scene recalled seeing a white SUV that appeared to have hit something in the roadway and continued heading south. The witness pulled over and called 911. Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene. As the Clarkstown Police Department Accident Investigation Team was checking the scene, about two hours after the accident occurred, 35 year-old Patrick Sharkey III of Garnerville arrived at the Clarkstown Police station in New City to turn himself in. Sharkey has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident – injury resulting in death, and other charges. He was arraigned at Clarkstown Justice Court and bail was set at $50,000.

Teen Turns Himself in After Hit-and-Run in Chestnut Ridge

An 18 year-old teen from Mexico has turned himself in as a suspect in a hit-and-run Friday. Ramapo Police believe the teen drove a van into a home around 1:40 Friday morning on Andrew Drive in Chestnut Ridge. He was charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He is scheduled to appear in the Village of Chestnut Ridge Justice Court at a future date. No one was reported injured.

Farm Stand Returns to Spring Valley

The Rockland County Department of Health’s “Farm Stand” returns tomorrow (Tuesday July 18) to a local library after a successful launch last week. Fresh fruits and veggies will be available tomorrow for sale at the Finkelstein Library in Spring Valley from 10am-5pm.

The Columbian Fire Engine Company Number One in Spring Valley is calling on Rockland’s District Attorney to resign immediately, following the plea deal given to the two Rabbis who had been charged with starting the fire at the Evergreen Adult Home that killed one of their volunteers over two years ago. In a statement last night, the Columbian’s Officers and Members said they were outraged by D-A Tom Walsh’s decision to offer Rabbis Nathaniel and Aaron Sommer no jail-time, calling it a grave miscarriage of justice and an insult to Jared Lloyd, who died in the blaze. The Sommers are scheduled to be sentenced September 20th.

Rockland’s former Congressman is officially running to get back the seat he lost last year. Spring Valley High School and Harvard Law graduate, Mondaire Jones, announced yesterday he is running for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 17th Congressional District next year. In a promotional video Jones posted on Twitter yesterday, the one-term Congressman said he’s running to finish the work he began..

The seat is currently held by Republican Mike Lawler, who narrowly defeated former Representative, Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, last year. In a statement, Lawler called Jones a radical progressive endorsed by AOC and “the Squad.” After the district’s lines were re-drawn, Jones tried his luck in a different district in 2022. Jones finished third in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th District, which now covers portions of Manhattan and Brooklyn.