A task force has been created to help advise the East Ramapo Central School District on how to use the $162 million they got in American Rescue Plan funding. In a press conference Wednesday, Rockland Congressman Mondaire Jones, a graduate of the district’s Spring Valley High School, said the money will exclusively assist the public schools within the district…

East Ramapo Interim superintendent Dr. Ray Giamartino said the funds will help level the playing field for all students in the district…

The federal funding will be used to purchase PPE, hire additional staff, invest in mental health supports, purchase technology, pay for after-school and summer programs to address learning loss during the pandemic, and help safely and quickly reopen public schools.

COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, two days in a row with no fatalities, the total remains 930. We’ve got 50 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 1,748 active cases. Our total case count is 44,642, that’s 139 more than Thursday.

A Clarkstown playground has undergone some improvements and officially re-opened yesterday. Supervisor George Hoehmann says Congers Lake Memorial Park’s playground got a much-needed makeover this winter…

The park is located at 6 Gilchrest Road in Congers.

The town of Stony Point has launched its military banner tribute program for 2021. Supervisor Jim Monaghan says there are 160 banners available for display throughout the town…

To order a banner call Monaghan’s office at 845-786-2716 x111.

A resident at a Spring Valley adult home is charged with arson and attempted murder after allegedly setting a fire there earlier this week. The Journal News says Barbara Desilva was charged by Spring Valley Police with deliberately setting two fires at Golden Acres on Prospect Street Tuesday morning in an attempt to cause harm to another resident there. She was arraigned and is being held at the Rockland County Jail on $100,000 bail. Golden Acres recently took in displaced residents from the Evergreen fire last month, and is owned by the same family.

With the legislature in agreement with the governor’s 212 billion dollar budget and just the formality of voting to be done, New York’s governor outlined highlights from the spending plan yesterday. A big part of that is spending on COVID programs. During his presentation, Andrew Cuomo said the global COVID crisis has created opportunity, but we haven’t turned the corner just yet, and it’s not just going to go away…

COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, the total death count is unchanged since yesterday at 930. We’ve got 47 hospitalized confirmed with coronavirus, and 1,748 active cases. Our total case count is 44,503, that’s 119 more than Wednesday.

Rockland’s Holocaust Museum and Center for Tolerance and Education is hosting two special virtual observances to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day tonight and tomorrow. Tonight’s Zoom webinar features a presentation on “Women in the Holocaust” by Sarah Cushman, the Director of the Holocaust Education Foundation of Northwestern University. Tomorrow’s Zoom webinar, which begins at 12:30, will focus on “The Importance of the Justice System in our Democracy” and “Why We Must Never Forget.” The keynote speaker is Thane Rosenbaum, a law professor and Middle East analyst. For more information and to connect to the two webinars, visit HolocaustStudies.org or find this news article on our website and click the link.

The folks who do the Nyack Penguin Plunge each year have a new fundraiser this weekend to help two area kids with their medical bills. Event coordinator Barbara Noyes says everyone will enjoy “Pocketbook BINGO” and helping this worthy cause…

To participate it’s just $40 per player and it’s being held via Zoom on Sunday at 7pm. You can find more information on the group’s Facebook page.

The town of Stony Point, working with the town’s Police Athletic League, is starting up its free Drive-in movie series again tomorrow night. Supervisor Jim Monaghan says there’s lots of fun to be had through the spring…

Friday night’s event is at the Roh building on Club House Lane in Stony Point and it is free, but you have to pre-register. To do that go to StonyPointPAL.org. The movie is “Sonic the Hedgehog.” Parking opens up at 6pm, Bingo starts at 6:30 and the movie starts at 7:30.