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Congestion Pricing Yanked by President Trump Administration, Governor Hochul Sues to Keep It

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Congestion pricing has been yanked by President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Transportation, but New York’s governor is fighting to keep it. At a news conference yesterday afternoon at Grand Central Terminal, governor Kathy Hochul said she got an email from Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, pulling its approval and effectively killing the controversial MTA tax. Duffy called it a financial burden and “a slap in the face to working class Americans and small business owners.” Within seconds after getting the email, Hochul said she went into “fight mode” along with the MTA, filing a federal lawsuit that she’s confident they’ll win…

The “king” reference was made to a tweet put out by the White House, showing an image of President Trump with a crown on his head, portrayed in front of the New York City skyline. A statement attributed to the President, in mostly all-caps, read “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Rockland County Executive Ed Day was ecstatic at the news…

Day continues to insist MTA chairman Janno Lieber resign and the MTA be audited. Launched in January, the MTA’s congestion pricing plan charges most drivers nine dollars to get into the city and go below 60th Street. The Associated Press reported that the The Federal Highway Administration promised to work with the state on an “orderly termination of the tolls.”

News Briefs: Spring Valley Police Investigate Possible Murder Near Centre Street, FBI Reward for Hillcrest Murder, Two Held in Airmont Larceny

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Police in Spring Valley posted on social media late yesterday that they are investigating a possible murder case near Centre Street and East Church Street. No other details were available. This incident comes on the heels of the discovery of two alleged murder victims over the weekend in the village. WABC Eyewitness News reported the women, Evelyn and Anabelly Aguilar, were found beaten and suffering from severe head wounds in an apartment complex on Gesner Road. One died at the scene, the other at Westchester Medical Center. 19-year-old Alan Abad of Westwood, New Jersey, who reportedly identifies as Alina Abad, was arraigned on first degree murder charges. The victims are reportedly the aunts of the suspect. Click here for a GoFundMe page launched to help with their funeral costs. Anyone with information should contact the Spring Valley Police Department at 845-356-7400.

FBI Puts Up $25K Reward for Unsolved Hillcrest Murder
The FBI has put up a $25,000 reward to help Ramapo Police crack a five year-old murder case. 19 year-old Nicholas Jasiel of Nanuet was shot and killed during a confrontation on Dwight Avenue in Hillcrest in December 2019. He was reportedly found on the ground at the intersection at Mallory Road, and he died two days later at Westchester Medical Center. If you have any information on the case, call Ramapo Police at 845-357-2400.

Two Held After Alleged Theft at Airmont Walmart
Two were being held last night by Ramapo Police after they allegedly tried to steal stuff from the Airmont Walmart. Ramapo Police said the pair face charges of larceny and possession of illegal drugs. Police say one of the suspects was also wanted by the Stony Point Police Department for a previous larceny.

Governor Threatens to Activate National Guard as State Correction Officers Protest Work Conditions with Work Stoppages

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A lawsuit and threats of sending in National Guard Troops came from the governor’s office yesterday as wildcat strikes hit around 25 prisons around the state. That’s according to the Associated Press. Some local media reported picketing outside multiple facilities. The governor signed an executive order Wednesday activating more than 3,500 New York Army National Guard members, and a state judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting officers from striking or conducting work slowdowns. Governor Kathy Hochul says she understands correction officers do incredibly difficult work under what she called “challenging” circumstances…

The job actions are having a direct effect on how local jails such as Rockland’s operate. Sheriff Lou Falco says the transfer of convicted criminals into state custody has been put on hold…

Falco says the state and local jails desperately need more correction officers, as some have worked 36-hour shifts. While a contract was agreed to last March, the state correction officers union said members want higher pay, stricter security checks for prison visitors and a rollback on prison reforms, including those that limit solitary confinement. The AP noted state officials and union leaders both agree that the strikes violate rules for state employees.

News Briefs: Two Rescued After Car Crash on PIP in North Rockland

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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.