Orange & Rockland Utilities is gearing up for the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, expected to be packing strong wind gusts and heavy downpours here in our region tomorrow and Saturday. O&R is bringing in 150 additional mutual aid workers to make repairs and restore electric service, as necessary. The rains from Debby along with the already saturated soil from thunderstorms and rain showers earlier this week could mean trouble for overhead electrical lines. Please do not touch or approach any downed wires. Assume they are energized and dangerous. Call O&R immediately toll-free 1-877-434-4100 or your local police department.
News
Pearl River Dunkin’ Re-opens Following Fire Nearly Three Years Ago
More than three years after it was destroyed in a fire, a beloved Pearl River donut shop recently made its long-awaited comeback. Orangetown supervisor Teresa Kenny says the Dunkin’ shop on Middletown Road had its grand re-opening last week…
The original Dunkin’ Donuts was destroyed in November 2021 when a fire hit the RISE Firing Range and Dollar General in the shopping center at the corner of Middletown and Blauvelt Roads. The firing range was not rebuilt, but Kenny says the Dollar General store is expected to return after signing a new lease, but it’s not clear yet when that might happen.
NY Governor Brings Social Media Listening Tour to Hudson Valley
New York’s governor continued her social media listening tour this week in the Hudson Valley. Governor Kathy Hochul is concerned about the effects social media is having on kids, particularly when they are tempted to access their accounts during school time. In Westchester Monday, Hochul said social media companies make their product so alluring to kids, it becomes addictive and a detriment to their growth…
During the round-table discussion, Assistant Superintendent of the Yonkers Public School district, Dr. Michelle Yazurlo, said some school districts have already taken steps to curb cell phone usage by students…
Hochul recently signed the “Safe for Kids Act” last month restricting social media companies’ “addictive feeds” for kids under 18 and barring social media notifications between midnight and 6am without parental consent.
Get Fit at Rockland Senior Club Meeting Friday at RCC’s Student Union
The RCC Senior Club is holding their monthly meeting tomorrow. Acting club President Lou Morris says the guest speaker will focus on how to stay fit at any age…
The meeting is Friday, that’s tomorrow, at noon on the second floor of the RCC Student Union, not at the Tech Center as it usually is. You are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to local food pantries. For more information and to learn more about the group, call 845-540-9739 or visit their website, RocklandCountySeniorClub.org.
News Briefs: Congers Man Pleads Guilty in Three Fentanyl Fatalities, Faces up to 40 Years in Prison
A Congers man faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty yesterday to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, resulting in three fatalities and three non-fatal poisonings between February 2020 and April 2022. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, says 25 year-old Justin Turnick regularly distributed narcotics to local residents, including his friends, partners, and acquaintances. The three fatalities attributed to Turnick were Gustaf Olsen, Jonathan Shashoua, and Ione Koenig. A sentencing date was not released.
NYPD Sergeant Arrested, Charged with DWI in Alleged Hit-and-Run
An NYPD sergeant from the town of Chester was arrested Sunday on DWI charges after allegedly hitting a car on the Palisades Parkway in Rockland, fleeing the scene, and leading police on a chase into Orange County. New York State Police say the incident occurred Sunday just after 6pm near exit 10. A Trooper attempted to stop the gray 2009 Honda traveling north near exit 13, but the driver refused to stop, and a chase began. 34 year-old Dysmairy DeJesus was eventually stopped in the town of Highlands. She was arrested for DWI and Unlawful Fleeing. DeJesus also faces Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident charge. She was released and is due back in Town of Highlands Court next month.
Tomkins Cove Resident Charged with Wrong-Way DWI
An alleged wrong-way driver was nabbed earlier this week in Stony Point and now faces DWI charges. Stony Point Police Chief Greg Becker says 30 year-old Mynor Recinos-Gonzalez of Tomkins Cove was caught by a DWI patrol just after midnight Sunday. Chief Becker says Recinos-Gonzalez was spotted by an officer driving northbound in the southbound lane of North Liberty Drive. He was arrested and charged with Felony DWI with a previous DWI conviction in the last ten years, and misdemeanor DWI. He is due back in court next week.