Voters in the Nyack Union Free School District will be heading to the polls next week to decide whether to purchase a one-acre site at 366 North Highland Avenue in Upper Nyack. It’s just south of Christian Herald Road, where “The Pie Lady and Son” used to be. The money for the $687,500 purchase has already been set aside so it wouldn’t directly impact taxpayers. In a video posted to the school district’s website, school superintendent Dr. James Montesano says they need the space for extra parking…

And that was Board of Education president Michael Mark. The vote is being held on January 22nd. For a PDF file with more information, click here.

Area lawmakers are urging the state to let high school athletes play their sports, with the proper COVID safety precautions in place. Rockland assemblyman Mike Lawler and Stony Point and Orange County assemblyman Colin Schmitt are introducing legislation to allow all interscholastic sports to be played this year. Schmitt says sports are important for kids’ health and well-being…

Spring Valley High School Head Football and Track Coach Andrew Delva agrees…

While some sports are being played in New York, basketball, football, ice hockey, and others are not.

In honor of Martin Luther King Junior Day, you can check out a free, online screening and discussion of an Emmy Award-winning documentary being held this weekend. Elizabeth Roberts is the Director of Programs & Communications with Creative Response to Conflict at RCC, and says the film “True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality” focuses on the criminal justice system…

The “True Justice” movie event is being held Sunday the 17th starting at 2pm. To register for the event, click here.

History was made yesterday as President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice, with a majority of the House of Representatives, including ten Republicans, finding he incited the riot at the Capitol last week. Rockland Congressman Mondaire Jones, a Democrat, took the floor and announced his intention to vote to impeach president Trump…

That audio courtesy of C-SPAN. Published reports say the earliest the Senate could start its trial would be Tuesday, the day before Trump’s term expires.

Rockland Republicans have come under fire by county Democrats for scheduling a Zoom fundraiser for last night featuring an upstate congresswoman who’s been vocal about her support for President Trump. Representative Elise Stefanik joined more than 100 House members and objected to the certification of former vice-president Joe Biden’s Electoral College win, which was interrupted when the riot took place. Orangetown supervisor Teresa Kenny, a Republican, said Stefanik wasn’t wrong in doing what she felt was her duty…

The Rockland County Democratic Committee last week had called upon the County Republican party to cancel their fundraiser, calling it a “blatant attempt to monetize” a “false, dangerous narrative.” Stefanik said she didn’t take her stand lightly and condemned the mob’s actions.

Despite widespread reports of delays and COVID vaccine shortages and technical glitches in registering for appointments, at least one Rockland man was able to get his first dose of the vaccine pretty easily. Bob from Pearl River said he had to go to the Bronx to do it, but it was worth the trip…

The state, meanwhile, is working to expand testing and hospital capacity. Three state-run vaccination sites opened yesterday at the Javits Center, the Westchester County Center and the New York State Fair Expo Center in Syracuse. A site is opening today at Jones Beach and tomorrow at SUNY Albany. Rockland assemblyman Mike Lawler says Rockland can’t be ignored…

Additional vaccination sites will be announced soon, though whether that includes Rockland is not yet known. Vaccinations elsewhere are by appointment only. To see if you’re eligible and schedule an appointment to get your first dose, click here or call the State’s Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4VAX (1-833-697-4829).

COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we lost four more to COVID, the total is 800. We’ve got 85 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 2,910 active cases. Our total case count is 30,557, that’s 284 more than Wednesday.

Make it legal! In his State of the State address Monday, governor Andrew Cuomo said the time has come to join the 15 other states that have already legalized marijuana…

Rockland state senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick says we need to do this, carefully regulating and taxing it…

But Rockland assemblyman Michael Lawler says he’s not in favor of the push to make it legal, but he says he is willing to listen to those arguments in favor of it…

Rockland Business Association CEO Al Samuels says police and medical organizations are all lined up against it, and he sides with them…

Cuomo says a Department of Health multi-agency study found that decades of keeping pot illegal have failed to achieve public health and safety goals and, particularly in communities of color, have led to unjust arrests and convictions.