Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS: Reuters and other media outlets are reporting that the Trump Administration has put an end to NYC’s Congestion Pricing. More to come tomorrow on “The Morning Show with Jeff & Will.”

An early-morning crash Monday sent a car down a 100-foot embankment off the Palisades Parkway in North Rockland. DailyVoice.com says 26 year-old Steven Beleno of Blooming Grove appears to have lost control of his car when he was reportedly cut off by another car, causing him to swerve and plunge down an icy embankment north of exit 13 around 4:07 Monday morning. He was charged with DWI after showing signs of impairment, but he reportedly refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test. Crews from the Thiells Fire Department, State Police, Haverstraw EMS, and Rockland County Medics used 250 feet of 2½-inch hose as a rescue line to reach Beleno and an unidentified passenger. Beleno was sent to Nyack Hospital to treat injuries, and he is due back to State Police barracks in Haverstraw at a later date for processing.

Brewster Man Arrested Asleep in Tractor on NYS Thruway
A Brewster man was arrested Saturday night on the New York State Thruway in Westchester after he was found asleep at the wheel of a tractor with a snowplow attached, blocking the ramp to get onto the Sprain Brook Parkway. State Police say the 47 year-old was blocking the eastbound exit 3 ramp onto the Sprain in Elmsford when they arrived. Troopers woke the man up and was reportedly so drunk he was unable to perform standard field sobriety tests. Police took him to the Tarrytown station where he was registered 0.22% blood alcohol level. Police say the tractor was not only unregistered, but the man also didn’t have a license. He was arrested and charged with Aggravated DWI, Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle, and several vehicle and traffic violations. He is due in the Elmsford Village court on February 26th. 

Fire Destroys Home in Pomona
A fire at a home in the town of Ramapo engulfed the property, but the home was empty at the time and thankfully there were no injuries reported. The home on Summit Park Road in Pomona was engulfed in flames Sunday night around 10PM. The Spring Hill Community Ambulance Corps said on social media that high winds and freezing temperatures required several ambulance units to support the volunteer firefighters who were battling the blaze. No word yet on the cause of the fire.

At least five people have already tossed their hat into the ring to become Spring Valley’s next mayor. Alan Simon announced he is not seeking re-election, a position he’s held since he was elected in 2017. Ramapo supervisor Michael Specht says he’s known Simon and worked for him for many years…

Lately the mayor had come to be known as much for his temper as anything else, including this event recorded during a meeting at his office in 2021…

And that audio was courtesy of RocklandReport.com. News 12 says five candidates attended a forum last week at the Louis Kurtz Center, including Darnett Davis, Reginald Anderson, Chrispin Eugene, Schenley Vital and Demeza Delhomme, who already had his own tumultuous stint as mayor prior to Simon. A primary is scheduled for June 25th.

Teen in Custody After Two Woman Found Dead in Spring Valley

Two women are reportedly dead and a teenager is in police custody after an incident over the weekend in Spring Valley. News 12 reported police did a wellness check on Gesner Drive around 8:30 Saturday night, and found the two victims, one dead of apparent head injuries, one gravely injured, who died later at the hospital. 19-year-old Alan Aba of Westwood, New Jersey, was reportedly arrested yesterday, and faces first-degree murder charges. Police ask anyone with information to contact them at 845-356-7400.

O&R Battles Power Outages
A handful of O&R customers remains without power this morning after weekend storms left 8,400 of them in the dark across the utility company’s service area, but the worst isn’t over. They say high winds up to 55 mph are expected to persist through the evening, posing significant threats to electric service. The winds could bring down tree limbs and overhead power lines. As of last night, power was out to about 200 customers in Rockland, and over 1,200 in Orange County. O&R warns everyone not to touch or approach any downed wire. Assume it’s energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free to report outages or downed wires at 1-877-434-4100.

Report: Pomona Woman Pleads Guilty in Fatal Hit-and-Run
A Pomona woman has reportedly admitted to a hit-and-run that killed a 72-year-old man a year ago. That’s according to News 12. Daniel DeSerio of Pomona crossed Thiells-Mount Ivy Road near the Hillcrest Fire Department around 6:25 in the morning of January 26th last year when he was fatally struck by two cars. The other driver stopped and called 911, but 28-year-old Rosana Dipaolo fled the scene and was arrested two weeks later. She allegedly could face one to three years behind bars when she’s sentenced on two felony charges in May.

“Stranger Danger” Reminder in Airmont
An incident that involved what was at first feared to be an attempted kidnapping last week is turning out to be an educational moment for area students and parents. The Ramapo Police Department says a man asked a girl at an Airmont bus stop if she wanted a ride to school. When she said no, he asked a second time, and again she declined, leading him to drive away. The student reported the incident to her mother, who contacted the police. They reviewed surveillance video, license plate reader data and other information and were led to an Airmont man. He corroborated the story, but noted he was simply offering the ride because the weather was cold and he’s done the same before. Police say he did recognize what he was doing could be construed as cause for concern. Ramapo Police say similar school-related checks are on the rise, with 1,345 so far this year alone, an increase of nearly 2.5 percent over last year. Police suggest parents and guardians speak to their kids about school bus stop safety and “stranger-danger” incidents to make sure they know what to do.

Stony Point’s supervisor is hanging it up as the head of Rockland’s northern-most town when his term concludes at the end of the year. Jim Monaghan has decided against running for re-election as supervisor, a spot he first won back in 2015. Monaghan says after he leaves office, he’ll just focus on his family…

Monaghan cited other recent accomplishments that he’s proud of, including building a new community center for area seniors, increased investments in town parks, the new pickleball courts and splash pad, and the partnership with the North Rockland Central School District to put a police officer in their schools.