$10,000 is being offered by the family of a cab driver for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in his June murder. That’s according to the Journal News. International Taxi driver 28 year-old Luis Guaman-Espinoza was found in the back of his cab with multiple gunshot wounds. He had been parked behind CVS off Old Nyack Turnpike, near Chestnut Ridge Village Hall. If you have information call Ramapo Police detectives at 845-357-4626.
News
Contract for Spring Valley Mayor’s Aide not Renewed by Board of Trustees
Convicted felon Anthony Mallia, Ramapo’s former building inspector has been removed by the Spring Valley Board of Trustees as Mayor Alan Simon’s top aide after they voted against amending his contract, which has been maxed out. The Journal News says Simon can try to get the board to vote again, but he’s already failed two other times. Mallia was hired in January last year after pleading guilty to undercharging contractors for permits and shortchanging taxpayers by $150,000. He got five years’ probation, but no jail time. He originally faced a 188-count indictment, which included dozens of felony counts of falsifying and tampering with business records.
Area Lawmaker Calls for Dissolution of NYS Public Finance Reform Commission
The New York state Democratic Party is allegedly recruiting people to oppose the fusion voting system that’s been in place for decades in the state, and that has an area lawmaker seeing red. According to a recent article on Politico.com, the Public Finance Reform Commission, which is supposed to be studying and fixing how elections are funded, has been asking committee members to speak out against fusion voting, the process by which major party candidates can also run on minor party lines at the same time. Assemblyman Colin Schmitt says the commission is trying to do the state legislature’s job…
Schmitt notes that the chairman of the State Democratic Committee, Jay Jacobs, is also on the public financing commission. Schmitt, a Republican, says the entire commission should be dissolved.
Rockland Office for the Aging Senior Picnic Tomorrow
The Rockland County Office for the Aging’s senior picnic is being held tomorrow in Haverstraw, after being cancelled last week due to rain. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says he’ll be there keeping busy…
It runs from 11:30 to 1:30. There’s still time to register if you’d like to go to the picnic tomorrow. Call 845-364-2110.
State Puts the Brakes on License Plate Replacement Plan
The Cuomo administration has put the brakes on the controversial plan that would have forced New York motorists to replace older license plates. That’s according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. A recent Siena College poll found 75% of voters thought the $25 license replacement fee was unfair. Rockland State Senator David Carlucci says it wouldn’t have been right to force motorists to get new license plates when the ones they had were just fine…
North Rockland state senator James Skoufis said “New Yorkers are already nickeled and dimed to death” and is pleased the proposal is dead, calling it “a win for hardworking New Yorkers.” The state estimates the 3 million plates that are ten years or older out there would have brought in 75 million dollars. The plan was to have gone into effect in April.