News

The Pearl River St. Patrick’s Day Parade was cancelled yesterday along with many other events around the region and nation, the NBA and NHL seasons were put on hold, Major League Baseball will start at least two weeks late, the NCAA basketball tournaments have been shut down, Disneyland has closed, along with many local events and meetings. The Rockland County Medical Examiner, meanwhile, is investigating a death in Suffern that they acknowledge has been rumored to be linked to coronavirus, though there has been no official determination on the cause of death. In Rockland County, there are now seven confirmed cases. In his daily update yesterday, governor Andrew Cuomo said events with 500 or more people must be cancelled or postponed, nursing homes can only accept medically necessary visits, the first public drive-through testing facility on the East Coast will start testing today in New Rochelle, and the state is looking to increase its testing capacity to 5,000 a day…

Stony Point supervisor Jim Monaghan says it’s important to be safe, but it also is just as important to live your life…

If you are concerned about symptoms or travel, call the Department of Health’s coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065. The Rockland County Health Department has a website with information on coronavirus – click here to view it.

While all the coronavirus activity is happening, New York still needs to get a budget done in just a few weeks. Rockland assemblyman Ken Zebrowski says school funding is part of the process, and there’s a big fight over Medicaid that they’ll have to deal with…

The governor had been hoping to get a pot bill passed this year as well. The budget is due April first.

The former Ramapo finance official, a whistle-blower in the federal investigation that brought down former Supervisor Chris St. Lawrence, and the town have settled her lawsuit for retaliatory dismissal. The Journal News reports Melissa Reimer will get around $2.4 million from the town. The plan was approved Wednesday night by the town board. She had been suspended with pay from her $170,000 job in June 2013.

Funeral services are being held today for former Clarkstown Town Attorney Murray Jacobson, who died Wednesday at age 87 from complications of pneumonia. Jacobson served under three supervisors, Paul Mundt, George Gerber and Charles Holbrook. He also served as a county attorney.

SUEZ New York and the National Association of Water Companies are offering seven $3,000 scholarships to area high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree in a water industry related field. Suez New York’s Director of External Affairs Bill Madden says the winners are chosen by a panel of judges…

Completed applications must be submitted by March 31. Visit mysuezwater.com for more information or click here.