New York’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities’ emergency management coordination was “inadequate” and left people living in group homes around the state at risk during the COVID pandemic. That’s according to a new audit released late last week by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. 657 people died in New York group homes from COVID-19, and over 13,000 got the virus in OPWDD residential programs from March 2020 to April 2022. Rockland County Executive Ed Day says the report is more proof that the state wasn’t as on top of things as it seemed…
The audit noted the office’s PPE supply ran out early in the pandemic, and group homes had trouble getting masks and gowns due to overwhelming demand. Masks were crucial to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and especially important in group home settings, where clients often have multiple medical issues and staff typically cannot socially distance while offering assistance to residents. The DiNapoli audit suggests an update to group homes’ emergency protocols, and the establishment of effective communication with staff.
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Still no budget here in New York State, and lawmakers need to approve a new temporary spending bill by noon today so the state’s 83,000 employees can get paid. Reportedly, state lawmakers will go without a paycheck until a budget agreement is finalized. Bail reform and housing are apparantly holding things up.
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One was killed and two were hospitalized after a head-on, wrong-way crash on I-87 in Yonkers early Sunday morning. New York State Police say the driver of an Acura MDX was heading southbound in the northbound lane when it struck a Honda Civic. The identity of the person killed has not yet been released. The crash remains under investigation.
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April is national Donate Life Month, honoring those who saved lives by donating organs, eyes, or tissue. Nanuet’s Roxanne Watson is the host of Michael’s Gifts here on WRCR and a heart recipient. Over the last decade or so, Watson has signed up more than 13,000 people for New York’s organ donor registries, and she says it’s become easier as people learn more about the facts…
Former Rockland State Senator David Carlucci has worked over the years to help get laws making organ donation easier in New York. Carlucci says even after a multi-year U.S. Senate investigation into organ donation issues nationwide, there’s still lots of work to do…
You can catch Roxanne weekends this month at Palisades Center in West Nyack on the third floor near the food court, speaking out and educating passers-by about organ donation from 11-4p. If you miss her at the mall, you can hear her show every Wednesday after the 9 o-clock news. For more information about organ donation visit https://DonateLifeNYS.org.
IN PRO BASEBALL NEWS…The New York Boulders have signed former Nyack native Pat Kivlehan, who spent four years in the majors with the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Arizona Diamondbacks. In his pro debut with the San Diego Padres on August 20th, 2016, in just his second at-bat, Kivlehan socked a 464-foot homerun that broke up a no-hitter. In his four MLB seasons he appeared in 137 games with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. Last season, he played for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and the Japan League’s Yakult Swallows. Opening Day for the Boulders is Thursday, May 11th.