TIMELINES 1/20/16

Spring Valley Murder Case

After the stabbing and death of 20 year-old Orange County volunteer firefighter, Justin Speights, police have begun an investigation into the case. Coincidence would have it that an apartment owned by Spring Valley Trustee Vilair Fonvil’s family was raided by police in the search for the assailant. Police believe a renter could be involved as several Spring Valley residents were at the Orange County party. The police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of Speights’ killer. State police have not reported any arrests yet.

Flint Michigan Water Crisis

Both Michigan’s governor and City of Flint’s mayor have declared a state of emergency due to water pollution in the city. Governor Snyder has called in the National Guard to help deliver clean water to the city’s nearly 100,000 residents. The controversial clean water crisis began when the state decided to temporarily switch Flint’s water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River in order to save money until a new supply line was ready. According to CNN ,Virginia Tech researchers found the water was highly corrosive and damaging the community’s lead pipes. Once the town made the switchback to Lake Huron the damage to the pipes had already been done and the current crisis unavoidable.

Anti-overdose medication Naloxone available now at CVS

A drug used to reverse and prevent opioid overdoses, Naloxone, will soon be available over the counter in a CVS pharmacies in New York. The medication costs roughly $40-$50 and the insurance coverage depends on the patients health plan. The medication prevents an overdose by allowing a stricken individual to regain consciousness and resume normal breathing. It is said to be effective for 30 to 90 minutes, after that point the individual should go to an Emergency Room. The release of the medication over the counter to CVS is a part of Governor Cuomo’s battle against opioid drug use in New York.

Women’s Equality Law takes effect

The Women’s Equality Act was recently passed through the New York Legislature and took effect this week. The provisions that passed included equal pay, prohibiting sexual harassment, removing barriers to remedy discrimination, ending discrimination based on family status and trafficking victims Protection and Justice Act, allowing electronic filing for orders of protection.

New City American Idol contestant

New City native, 17 year-old Harrison Cohen auditioned for the farewell season of American Idol and has progressed to Hollywood. For his audition, the Clarkstown North Senior sang an original song titled “No Time.” After hearing Cohen sing, not only did all three judges give him a unanimous yes, but judge Jennifer Lopez said she believed could hear the song on the radio one day. Cohen has starred in a 2013 staging of “The Sound of Music” at Westchester Broadway Theatre. For now, Cohen is preparing for his Hollywood performances, which airs Jan. 24.

East Ramapo parents sue Department of Education

Parents of children in the East Ramapo school district are suing the NYS Dept. of Education for “failing to bring oversight to the splintered district.” Parents are calling for the state to take action instead of allegedly pandering to the needs of private schools in the area. Brad Elias of the the New York City law firm O’Melveny & Myers, and David G. Sciarra and Wendy Lecker of Education Law Center are representing the parents free of charge.

NY again the top-taxed state

Although the tax burden has gone down around the country in recent years, New York still pays the highest taxes in the nation. The state and local tax burden per capita in New York was $6,993, while the income per capita was $55,047. Westchester County and Upstate New York pay the most taxes out of the New York area in all.

Zombie property apocalypse

Abandoned or neglected home all over Rockland have been renamed ‘zombie homes.’ These homes, real estate agents say, drive down the prices of neighboring properties and even attract trouble. Haverstraw Town Supervisor Howard Phillips says that abandoned homes that are unkept are more likely to attract vandalism and crime. In response to the declining property values, areas with ‘zombie houses’ are asking the banks that own them to take action and keep up the appearance of the homes.

Fonvil vs. village clerk attracts police attention

Trustee Vilair Fonvil and Deputy Clerk Herby Jean-Charles got into a heated quarrel over board resolutions and edicts. After seeking a liquor license for a restaurant called La Cascada, at 10 South Main St, Fonvil became concerned that the paperwork had not been sent through to the State Liquor Authority. After the heated debate ensued at the main office, mayor Delhomme then sent Fonvil a letter Thursday telling him to stay out of village offices without Delhomme’s permission.

Sanders vs Trump?

According to recent polls, there is a very real possibility that the presidential campaign may come down to Bernie Sanders vs. Donald Trump. Donald Trump is the current Republican front runner in the presidential race, but Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is just recently passing Clinton in the polls. In response to the impending threat, Clinton has began to strike Sanders on his gun control and health care stance. Sanders, not seeming worried, says he believed Clinton was “getting desperate” by attacking him.

Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump

Former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has openly given her support to Republican front runner Donald Trump. This past Tuesday in Iowa State University, Palin proclaimed “Are you ready for the leader to make America great again?” She went on to announce “I’m here to support the next president of the United States — Donald Trump.” As of now, it is unclear what kind of impact Palin’s support will bring but it may offer Trump a boost in Iowa. In Palin’s speech she criticized other Republicans for not standing by Trump, calling them sellouts and praising Trump for “going rouge.” Notably, Trump’s top competitor at this time, Senator Ted Cruz, had in the past credited Palin’s endorsement for giving him the win in his Texas senatorial election.