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News

Congestion Pricing Foes Look to Incoming Administration to Block It

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Unless legal actions brought by Rockland, New Jersey and other plaintiffs succeed, we’re just about a month away from the start of congestion pricing, which is going to charge most drivers an extra nine dollars, for now, to get into the city and drive below 60th Street. While Bronx residents are concerned about increased traffic coming through their areas to get into Manhattan, commuters west of the Hudson, including Rockland and Orange Counties, and the suburbs in the Garden State, are also not looking forward to the increased cost to get to work or to do anything in the city. Rockland Congressman Mike Lawler, covering the Hudson Valley’s 17th district, says incoming President Donald Trump is against the plan…

Lawler and Congressman Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey also have suggested defunding the MTA if the congestion pricing plan goes through. Governor Kathy Hochul re-started the plan last month after putting it on pause in June at the 11th hour just before it was to begin.

News Briefs: Arrests Made in Shots-Fired Incident, Body Found in Chestnut Ridge Park, Man Arrested for DWI in Sloatsburg

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Two Hudson Valley men have been arrested and charged in connection to a shots-fired incident late last month in Hillcrest. Ramapo Police say a 22 year-old from Yonkers and a 19 year-old from Newburgh were charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Reckless Endangerment and Conspiracy for last Monday’s incident on East Eckerson Road. Police say at least nine shots were fired from a passing vehicle, though none of the shots appears to have hit anyone. The unidentified suspects were arraigned in Ramapo Town Court. No additional details were available and the incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding the incident contact the Ramapo Police Department Investigations Division at 845-357-2400.  

Body Found in Chestnut Ridge
Ramapo Police were looking for clues after a body was found in a local park. That’s according to News 12. The body was found Friday at Children’s Park in Chestnut Ridge. Police have reportedly been using metal detectors to search through the leaves on a trail in the park and a creek that runs through it. No other information was available.

Bronx Man Charged with DWI in Sloatsburg
A Bronx man was arrested in Rockland last week and charged with driving while intoxicated with a child in the car. New York State Thruway Police from Tarrytown say 45 year-old Genaro Garcia-Cortes of the Bronx was in violation of Leandra’s Law when they spotted him around 3AM November 24th in a Nissan pick-up truck parked with its headlights on at the Ramapo Service Area. They encountered him apparently sleeping in the driver’s seat, smelling of alcohol, keys in the ignition and an empty beer bottle in the front cup holder. They also found a ten year-old girl in the car. Garcia-Cortes was arrested and after testing him at the Tarrytown barracks, police say he had a blood-alcohol content of .15 percent. He was processed, issued traffic tickets, and he is due back Sloatsburg Village Court next month.

Rockland Congressman says There’s Strategy Behind President-Elect’s Tariff Threats

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Mexico, Canada, China, now other countries are in the president-elect’s tariff cross-hairs, including Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, also known as BRICS. The BBC reported Sunday Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on those countries if they were to create currency to rival the U.S. dollar. Rockland Congressman Mike Lawler, covering the Hudson Valley’s 17th district, says it’s all part of Trump’s strategy…

The BBC says there has been some discussion from politicians in Brazil and Russia about creating a so-called “BRICS currency” to reduce the Dollar’s dominance in global trade, but there’s been no agreement on the issue. Trump supporters have called the comments by the president-elect “negotiating tactics” and “leverage.”

Rockland State Senator Looking for Answers After Millions Found in East Ramapo Central School District

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A local state lawmaker is looking for answers after $30 million was reportedly found in the East Ramapo Central School District, this after thinking the district was going to fall short millions and the state education department unilaterally raising local taxpayers’ rates earlier this year to make up the needed cash. Rockland State Senator Bill Weber of the 38th District is calling for answers from the state and the auditors…

Weber and others have cited an unfair foundation aid formula. The Rockefeller Institute is due to issue suggested revisions to that formula tomorrow. Weber’s also called for the school district taxpayers to get refunds on the money they were asked to fork over beyond the budget that was agreed upon earlier this year.

Cease-Fire Begins between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon

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Israel has approved a United States-brokered cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it went into effect early this morning. The Associated Press reports the deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and requires Hezbollah to leave the southern part of the country, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Rockland Congressman Mike Lawler covering the Hudson Valley’s 17th district, says the next step would be to end fighting in the Gaza Strip with Hamas, which he says needs to release the remaining hostages, including seven Americans, who were taken October last year…

The Hill reported that President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was briefed on the cease-fire deal.