Poll: Wide support among NY voters for $15 minimum wage
ALBANY >> A new poll finds that New York voters support raising the state s minimum wage to $15 per hour. The poll released Friday by Quinnipiac (KWIHN -ih-pee-ak) University found 62 percent of voters supporting a phased-in increase. Thirty-five percent of the respondents opposed the idea. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on the state Legislature to approve a $15 minimum wage. The administration has already approved a phased-in $15 minimum for fast-food workers. That didn t require legislative approval.
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The poll found the wage increase supported by both Democrats and independents, with 65 percent of Republicans opposed to the idea. Similarly, Republicans in control of the state Senate oppose Cuomo s proposal. The Sept. 10-15 telephone poll of 1,366 voters has a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points.
Author of acclaimed Dutch history book to speak in Albany
ALBANY >> The author of a best-selling book on New York s Dutch Colonial history will be the keynote speaker at the annual New Netherland Seminar in Albany. While researching his 2004 book The Island at the Center of the World, Russell Shorto called on the expertise of Dutch Colonial scholar Charles Gehring, director of the New Netherland Research Center in Albany. Gehring has spent decades translating thousands of 17th-century Dutch documents in the state archives.
PBS recently announced that it will air an eight-part television series based on Shorto s book, tentatively scheduled to air on PBS in the fall of 2016. The New Netherland Institute is holding its 38th annual seminar at the State Museum in downtown Albany. Shorto, who lives in Cumberland, Maryland, is the featured speaker at Friday night s banquet.
New Yorkers doubt state officials can tackle corruption
ALBANY >> A new poll indicates New York voters have little confidence in state officials when it comes to tackling corruption in Albany. A poll released Friday by Quinnipiac University found only 26 percent of voters think state officials are capable of ending political corruption at the state Capitol, while 56 percent agree that all current elected officials should be voted out of office so new officials can start with a clean slate.
The state Capitol has been rocked by a series of scandals involving legislators. On Thursday, a former state assemblyman from New York City was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a bribery scheme. The Sept. 10-15 telephone poll of 1,366 voters has a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points.
Cuomo says he s unaware of federal probe in Buffalo project
ALBANY >> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he s unaware of any federal probe into the state s economic development efforts in Buffalo and nobody in his office has been subpoenaed. Asked Friday about a New York Post report citing unnamed sources that federal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking into the so-called Buffalo Billion, Cuomo says the city s economic turnaround has included more than 18,000 new jobs and $8 billion in private sector investment.
As if it s a problem that individuals getting state grants are contributing to his campaign fund, Cuomo says the practice hasn t been a problem for the past 100 years. He also that an investigation doesn t necessarily mean anything wrong was done. A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan declined to comment.
Amtrak will run dome car from Albany to Montreal this fall
ALBANY >> Amtrak is again running its Great Dome car between Albany and Montreal during leaf-peeping season. The car features an upper level with windows on all sides to provide panoramic views of Lake Champlain and the eastern edge of the Adirondack Mountains. Amtrak says the car will run for six weeks beginning next Thursday, Sept. 24. Amtrak is running the program in partnership with the state Department of Transportation and the National Park Service Trails and Rails program.
The dome car will run north from Albany on Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays. It will run south from Montreal on Fridays, Sundays, and Tuesdays.
Judge continues NY teachers free speech suit about testing
ALBANY >> A federal judge has refused to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit by five New York teachers challenging confidentiality agreements that prevent them from discussing the Common Core tests they scored last year. U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe has also refused the teachers request for a preliminary injunction that would prevent education officials from enforcing those agreements. New York State United Teachers, which represents the five teachers, says this week s ruling lets their free-speech challenge of the state gag order proceed.
They allege the restrictions prevent teachers from discussing problems with the controversial standardized tests because of the threat of being disciplined. Sharpe writes that in order to ultimately win the suit, they will have to substantiate their claims with more than just a subjective allegation that their speech was chilled.
State announces $30M for prekindergarten in high-need areas
ALBANY >> The state of New York is dividing $30 million among 34 high-need school districts around the state for prekindergarten programs. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the funding award on Friday. The money will support the expansion of prekindergarten programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Nearly 3,300 students will be covered by the funding. Districts had to apply for the money, which was awarded based on a variety of factors including districts with the greatest need. Districts receiving the money are scattered throughout the state, with the largest grants going to Rochester, which will receive nearly $12 million, and Syracuse, which will receive more than $3 million. Cuomo says early education can make a significant impact on a child s later success and that the investment will pay off in the years to come.
Report: NY landfill s coal ash is contaminating groundwater
ITHACA >> A consulting geologist says dormant coal ash in a landfill near the Cayuga Power Plant in New York s Finger Lakes region has been seeping into groundwater for nearly 30 years and possibly contaminated drinking water. Mark Quarles, owner of the Tennessee-based geology firm Global Environment, was hired by the Tompkins County Environmental Review Committee to look into whether the landfill was meeting rules and regulations for its waste disposal. Quarles report highlighted a lack of monitoring wells at the landfill that now makes it impossible to determine the rate at which contamination was spreading through the groundwater.
Quarles found sulfate contamination was much higher than the EPA-recommended threshold for drinking water. The report states the contaminated groundwater has been flowing into nearby Milliken Creek.
Regulators take over NYC credit union, say it s unsound
ALBANY >> New York regulators say they have taken possession of Montauk Credit Union in New York City and appointed a conservator, citing unsound conditions at the institution. The Department of Financial Services says the federally insured, state-chartered credit union most recently had 2,893 members and assets of $178.5 million.
The department has appointed the National Credit Union Administration as conservator, saying it will continue normal member services, including access to funds, while trying to resolve issues affecting operations. Deposits remain protected by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund up to $250,000 on individual accounts. A call to the credit union was not immediately returned Friday.
Albany woman seriously injured in head-on Route 196 crash
HARTFORD >> Police say an Albany woman was hospitalized with severe injuries after her vehicle collided head-on with a tractor-trailer in upstate New York. The crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. Thursday when 47-year-old Anne Marie Rajczewski appeared to cross over into the westbound lane of state Route 196 in Hartford in Washington County and collided with the truck. Firefighters had to extricate Rajczewski from her vehicle at the scene. She was transported by ambulance to a medical helicopter and was flown to Albany Medical Center with chest, face and internal injuries.
The tractor-trailer driver, 57-year-old Jeffrey Kulas, was taken to Glens Falls Hospital with a minor back injury. The crash left debris strewn along the road, including the engine from Rajczewski s sedan and an axle from the tractor-trailer.
Man sentenced to 41/2 years for hiding drugs in buttocks
ALBANY >> A New York man is facing 41/2 years in state prison for hiding crack cocaine in his buttocks. Michael Williams, 41, of Colonie was sentenced Friday in Albany County Court.
Williams was arrested March 6 in Colonie on a marijuana charge and an outstanding warrant. He was searched at the station and found to have 6.8 grams of crack cocaine in his buttocks. Williams pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance on July 22.
Baseball prospect shot in New York restaurant parking lot
YONKERS >> Authorities say a baseball prospect has been shot and critically wounded in the parking lot of a suburban New York fast-food restaurant. Police say 23-year-old Michael Nolan was shot multiple times early Friday outside a Burger King in Yonkers, New York. Nolan attended Oklahoma City University and was drafted by the Oakland A s.
His father, Jimmy Nolan, told the television station his son is in critical condition and not doing good. Police believe the shooting may be related to an argument several days ago about a drag race. Investigators believe the shooting wasn t random. They are still trying to determine whether Nolan was targeted.
Nolan, who is 6 foot 7 and weighs 215 pounds, is a graduate of Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers.
Pedestrian killed in car accident on Long Island
BABYLON >> Suffolk County police say a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a car on Long Island. Seventeen-year-old Timothy Meyers was driving on Sunrise Highway in Copiague when his car hit 60-year-old Jorge Molina of North Amityville, who was walking in the roadway. It happened around 2:40 p.m. Thursday. Molina was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip where he was pronounced dead. Meyers, of Lindenhurst, was not hurt.
An investigation is continuing.
Missing NYC girl found safe; 2 arrested
NEW YORK >> New York City authorities say a missing 10-year-old girl has been found. They say the girls parents have been arrested on charges of custodial interference. Police say the girl, who was in good condition, lives with another family member.
She was seen being picked up by her mother from her Manhattan school on Wednesday. The mother, Jaqueline Hendricks, and the girl s father, Carlos Hicks, were arrested Friday. They also face aggravated harassment charges. It wasn t immediately clear if the parents had a lawyer who could comment on the charges.
Painting by Kazimir Malevich to bring up to $45M at auction
NEW YORK >> A November sale will feature a painting by Kazimir Malevich that was returned to the artist s heirs after a half-century in an Amsterdam museum. Sotheby s says Mystic Suprematism (Black Cross on Red Oval) could bring as much as $45 million on Nov.5. The 1920-1922 work is the last of a group of five paintings returned to the Russian artist s heirs.
The work was exhibited in Berlin in 1927. Born in Ukraine of Polish descent, Malevich was unable to leave the Soviet Union. Eventually the painting was sold to the Stedelijk Museum. Amsterdam returned it in 2008. Of the four other restituted works, two sold at Sotheby s one for a record $60 million. One went to the Art Institute of Chicago and another to a private collector.
LI high school computer system hacked
COMMACK >> Authorities say a Long Island high school s computer system containing class schedule and student identification data has been hacked. The Commack school district said in a statement on its website that an unauthorized person breached the system Thursday night. But it says there was no evidence that any specific student information was downloaded. The district believes the breach applies to a very limited number of high school student records.
Suffolk County police say they have a suspect but did not release additional information.
NYC comptroller calls for more family friendly workplaces
NEW YORK >> City Comptroller Scott Stringer is releasing a report that calls for New York City workplaces to adopt more family friendly policies. The report calls for more flexible working arrangements, more predictable work schedules and better paid family leave plans. Stringer said Thursday that shift workers like at a retail store or fast food establishment especially needed better policies.
Stringer was joined by several city council members and advocates. He says New Yorkers should not have to choose between a job and taking care of a loved one. He called on Congress, Albany and City Hall to pass legislation that would establish more rights for workers. The comptroller said his office surveyed more than 1,100 New Yorkers for the report.
Bronx DA seeking nomination to become judge
NEW YORK >> Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson says he wants to be nominated to become a state Supreme Court judge. In a statement Friday, Johnson said he s asked Bronx Democratic Chairman and state Assemblyman Marcos Crespo for the nomination. Johnson has served as the Bronx County District Attorney since 1989.
Before that, he was a criminal court judge, an assistant district attorney and worked for the Legal Aid Society. Johnson says he would need to be nominated during a political convention on Sept. 24. He says he will seek re-election if he is not nominated to the judicial post.
Crespo said in a statement that for Johnson to be on the ballot, delegates would need to choose him as their candidate at the upcoming political convention.
Hasidic village expansion to be challenged by NY county
GOSHEN >> A Hudson Valley county plans to sue over a proposal to allow a fast-growing Hasidic Jewish village to annex 164 acres of adjacent land. Orange County lawmakers on Thursday authorized spending up to $200,000 as they seek to join local municipalities in a lawsuit over the planned expansion of the village of Kiryas Joel. The village and the adjacent town of Monroe recently approved the expansion request, which still must be considered by voters in the area that would be annexed.
Leaders of the densely settled enclave of ultra-Orthodox Satmar Hasidic Jews have said Kiryas Joel needs more land to accommodate its fast-growing population. Opponents of the annexation request, which was made by out-of-village Satmar, say they fear increased congestion from more apartment buildings in the suburban area.
Rikers Island guards accused of organizing inmate assault
NEW YORK >> Two Rikers Island guards are accused of organizing a prisoner assault by a group of four other inmates to settle a personal score and later falsifying records to cover it up. Nakia Gales and Herman Jiminian were charged with assault, falsifying records and official misconduct in the January 2014 attack on inmate Gilbert Bacallao.
Gales pleaded not guilty to the charges Thursday. She was suspended without pay. Jiminian was scheduled to be arraigned Friday. It s not clear if they had lawyers who could comment on the charges.
Prosecutors say Gales locked Bacallao in a vestibule area where the alleged assault occurred. Norman Seabrook, president of the correction officers union, says he s troubled by the allegations. But he says the officers have the right to a vigorous defense under the law.
NYPD: Man sought in hotel deaths is arrested
NEW YORK >> New York City police say a man they d been seeking for questioning in two hotel deaths has been arrested in connection with one of them. The New York Police Department said Friday that 36-year-old Joseph Danclair of Brooklyn has been arrested on a murder charge. It wasn t immediately clear whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
He s charged in connection with the death of Antoinette Marin. She was found on Sept. 8 in the Manhattan Broadway Hotel on West 38th Street. The other woman, Chrissy Bevelaqua, was found on July 23 in the Bushwick Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. According to The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1Ok34BR ) police said it appeared she had been strangled.
Narcotics detective gets jail for perjury
WHITE PLAINS >> A former Yonkers narcotics detective has been sentenced to eight weekends in jail after lying to get a search warrant for a raid in which a man died. Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced the perjury sentence for Christian Koch on Thursday.
He and another officer previously pleaded guilty. Neil Vera was sentenced in May to six months of weekends in jail. A tenant in the building, Dario Tena, was killed when he fell out of a window during the March 2014 raid.
Court urged to overturn manslaughter conviction
ALBANY >> The attorney for a Rochester man is urging New York s top court to throw out his manslaughter conviction, arguing the trial judge improperly instructed jurors on the justification for using deadly force. Christopher Walker fatally stabbed Bobby Simmons in 2007 while Simmons was fighting with Walker s brother on Simmons porch.
He said the victim was hitting his brother in the head with a hammer. The judge told jurors that Walker s use of deadly force wouldn t be justified if he was the initial aggressor. Attorney Timothy Hoover says that instruction shouldn t be given where force was used in defense of someone else.
Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Geoffrey Kaeuper says the instruction still applies if Walker was first to use deadly force. Walker was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Ridership is up on the Staten Island Ferry
NEW YORK >> Ridership is up on the Staten Island Ferry following a recent expansion of service. The increase was reported in the Mayor s Management Report for fiscal year 2015.
Ridership rose four percent over the previous year, to 21.9 million from 21 million. The city didn t directly link the increase in ridership to the expansion. But the growth came after the Department of Transportation added more overnight and weekend trips. A DOT spokeswoman says several factors contribute to an increase in ridership, including tourism and holiday travel.
Another 26 round trips are expected to be added this fall.
Canadian man convicted in tax conspiracy to defraud USA
ROCHESTER >> A 52-year-old Canadian man has been convicted of conspiracy in a multimillion-dollar tax scam involving the Internal Revenue Service. According to court documents, Kevin Cyster of Burlington, Ontario was the ringleader of a group of Canadian citizens who forged IRS forms claiming almost $10 million in income had been withheld on their behalf by various Canadian financial institutions. The group arranged to file the false forms electronically with the IRS and then filed false federal income tax returns seeking refunds based on the fictitious withholding amounts.
Refunds totaling more than $3.5 million were sent to Cyster and his co-conspirators before the scope of the fraud was detected. Cyster was convicted Wednesday in federal court in Rochester and will be sentenced in January.
Buffalo Bills fans go for world record for loudest fans
ORCHARD PARK >> The Buffalo Bills theme song is Shout and there will be a lot of that going on during Sunday s game against the New England Patriots. Bills fans are going to try to set a new world record for being the loudest fans.
An online funding campaign raised enough money to bring in a representative from Guinness World Records to measure the roar of the crowd. The Bills organization has given its blessing to the effort. The current record of 142.2 decibels is held by Kansas City Chiefs fans in Arrowhead Stadium during a Sept. 29 game last season, also against the Patriots.
Police officer dies while searching field for pot growing
CRAWFORD >> Authorities say a veteran police officer has died after suffering a medical emergency while checking out a report of illegal marijuana growing in a rural upstate New York town. Crawford police Sgt. Eric Meier and another officer were investigating a tip Thursday afternoon that someone was growing pot in a section of fields and woods along the town border with Wallkill in Orange County.
Troopers say during the search the 51-year-old Meier suffered a medical emergency. His partner called 911 for help, and emergency responders took Meier to Orange Regional Medical Center in Wallkill, where he was pronounced dead. Crawford Police Chief Dominic Blasko says Meier was a well-liked in the community and had been with the department for more than 25 years.
Police: NY shoplifting suspect rescued from sewer
BATAVIA >> Police say a New York shoplifting suspect has been rescued after he tried to hide in a sewer drain. It happened Friday night in the Genesee County city of Batavia.
Police say two men ran from a Kmart store after allegedly stealing merchandise. Authorities told the television station that one of the men tried to escape through the sewer system but ended up trapped underground. The two men, whose identities were not immediately released, were taken into custody at the scene.
Police said the man who was rescued from the sewer was being treated for hypothermia.
1 dead, 2 injured after tractor-trailer collides with van
CICERO >> Authorities say one man is dead and two others injured after the van they were in was struck by a tractor-trailer carrying construction vehicles. Officials responded to the crash at 5:04 p.m. Friday on Route 31 in Cicero, a Syracuse suburb. The Onondaga County Sheriff s Office says the tractor-trailer was traveling south on Route 81 and exited onto Route 31. It failed to stop at a traffic signal and struck the van traveling on Route 31.
The van then rolled onto its roof. The tractor-trailer s cab landed on top of the van. Authorities say two men in the van were taken to a hospital with serious injuries. One man was pronounced dead. The driver and passenger of the tractor-trailer had no injuries.
None of the victims have been identified.
College student killed crossing road on Long Island
FARMINGDALE >> Authorities say a 24-year-old college student was killed as he attempted to cross a Long Island roadway. Suffolk County police say Eyyad Almargi, of Yonkers, was pronounced dead following the crash in Farmingdale Thursday evening. They say he was a student at Farmingdale State College.
Police say the driver of the vehicle was traveling westbound on Melville Road when he struck the victim. The car was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing.
Suffolk County allocates $1.5M to ailing MacArthur Airport
RONKONKOMA >> Suffolk County officials say they will allocate $1.5 million to help turn around the ailing Long Island MacArthur Airport. One million dollars of the funding will be used for construction of a new federal inspection station for international flights.
The proposed inspection station could cost upward of $10 million to build and still requires approval from the Department of Homeland Security. Town figures show the airport lost nearly $4.2 million from 2010 to 2012. Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter says the addition of international flights would help the Ronkonkoma-based airport rebound.
The airport built a customs facility catering to small, private international aircrafts last year. County Executive Steve Bellone says the remaining funds $500,000 will be used for marketing the airport.
Newburgh educator named New York Teacher of the Year
ALBANY >> A 22-year classroom veteran is New York State s Teacher of the Year. The state Education Department on Thursday announced Dana McDonough as the 2016 honoree. She has taught first or second grade in her hometown of Newburgh for her entire career.
Education officials say McDonough meets with the families of each of her incoming students, often at their homes, and emails parents weekly with updates about lessons and activities. As state Teacher of the Year, she will represent other teachers on issues throughout the year and will be New York s nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
NYPD: Man sought in hotel deaths is arrested
NEW YORK >> Police say a man they d been seeking for questioning in two hotel deaths has been arrested in connection with one of them. The NYPD said Friday that 36-year-old Joseph Danclair of Brooklyn has been arrested on a murder charge. It wasn t immediately clear whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
He s charged in connection with the death of Antoinette Marin. She was found on Sept. 8 in the Manhattan Broadway Hotel on West 38th Street. The other woman, Chrissy Bevelaqua, was found on July 23 in the Bushwick Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. According to The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1Ok34BR ) police said it appeared she had been strangled.
NYC child-care center closed; mother says boy forgotten
NEW YORK >> A New York City child-care center has been closed after staff members were accused of forgetting about a 2-year-old boy and leaving him at a playground. Ethan Huachi was apparently left alone at a playground in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn for more than an hour on Thursday.
A bystander found Ethan and called police. The boy was reunited with his mother, Diana Huachi, later Thursday. The mother says workers at the Quality of Life Academy day care miscounted the children and never noticed Ethan was missing. No one answered the day-care center s phone on Friday.
Workers from the facility called parents Thursday night to tell them to make other plans for their children while the matter was being investigated.
5, including 2 special-needs students, hurt in LI bus crash
HOLTSVILLE >> Police say five people, including two special-needs students, have suffered minor injuries in a crash on eastern Long Island. The accident involving a mini school bus and an SUV happened shortly before 8 a.m. Friday in Holtsville. Police said the bus was taking the students to Samoset Middle School in Holbrook. The crash occurred at the intersection of Portion Road and Leeds Boulevard.
A boy and a girl, a bus matron and bus driver, and the SUV driver were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital. No names were released. The crash is under investigation.
NY businessman who admitted $18M Ponzi scheme gets 6 years
CENTRAL ISLIP >> A suburban New York investment fund manager has been sentenced to six years in prison for running a nearly $18 million Ponzi scheme. James Peister of St. James, on Long Island, pleaded guilty last November to committing securities fraud, bilking 74 investors of $17.9 million.
The scheme went on for nearly a decade. Prosecutors say he promised investors money would be invested safely in a variety of securities, but instead spent it on personal luxuries. They say he sent phony account statements to investors and submitted bogus financial statements to an independent auditor. The scheme collapsed in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, when he could no longer keep up with investors redemption demands.
His sentence includes paying restitution to his victims.
French representative to attend NY Revolutionary War event
EAST FISHKILL >> A representative from the French government will attend an event in the Hudson Valley where National Park Service display panels are being unveiled at a Revolutionary War site. The panels mark the Fishkill Supply Depot site s inclusion on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Historic Trail, which follows the path the French army took toward Yorktown, Virginia, to help the Continental Army defeat the British in 1781. The Fishkill Supply Depot in Dutchess County was Gen. George Washington s main source of supplies for his northern army.
Local preservationists are holding their sixth annual Revolutionary War weekend on Saturday. The trail panel unveiling is set for 1 p.m. Organizers say a representative from the Consulate General of France will attend. Historical groups are working to preserve the depot s cemetery where hundreds of soldiers are believed to be buried.
Task force meets to address Times Square s topless women
NEW YORK >> The City Hall task force charged with solving the problem of topless women and costumed panhandlers in Times Square has held its first meeting. Mayor Bill de Blasio convened the group after a growing number of complaints about the women, who wear body paint and little else.
A decision was not reached after the group s first meeting on Thursday. The meeting included city council members, commissioners and civic leaders. Several of those who attended said there was support for a plan advocated by the Times Square Alliance business group.
The alliance proposed placing the women and costumed panhandlers in a separate, distinct zone. It also advocated preserving Times Square s pedestrian plazas, which some have considered destroying.
2 LI men charged with starting upstate NY forest fire in May
MAMAKATING >> Authorities have charged two Long Island men with starting a fire that burned more than 2,500 acres of forest along an upstate New York mountain ridge last spring. Michael Schiliro, 62, of East Meadow and 52-year-old Walter R. Drobecker III of Bethpage were charged with reckless endangerment of property and illegally burning garbage. They both pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
State forest rangers say the two men burned wood and yard waste in an outdoor fire pit at Schiliro s property in the Sullivan County town Mamakating on May 3, when a state s ban on open burning was in effect. The fire spread across the Shawangunk Ridge into neighboring Ulster County, eventually scorching about 2,700 acres before it was brought under control on May 8. No homes were damaged.
Suburban NY town appeals ruling on day laborers
MINEOLA >> A suburban New York town is appealing after a federal court ruled its law restricting where day laborers may stand while seeking work is unconstitutional. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto said in a statement that the ordinance, enacted in 2009, narrowly and properly addresses safety concerns. The law bars day laborers from using town streets and sidewalks to look for construction, landscaping and other work.
U.S. District Court Judge Denis Hurley ruled earlier this month that the law violates the First Amendment. He suggested the town s concerns about public safety could be addressed by enforcing existing state vehicle and traffic laws. New York Civil Liberties Union lawyer Corey Stoughton said she s very confident of winning the appeal. Because of the ongoing litigation, the town has never enforced the ordinance
DA: NYC woman indicted on murder charge in toddler s death
NEW YORK >> Prosecutors say a New York City woman has been indicted on a murder charge after allegedly smothering her 20-month-old son in the bathroom of a Manhattan restaurant.
Thirty-six-year-old Latisha Fisher pleaded not guilty Friday to a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of her young son, Gavriel Fisher. Fisher was arrested on March 30 after locking herself in the bathroom of a Sixth Avenue restaurant for about 25 minutes. A restaurant worker opened up the door after customers became concerned and found Fisher cradling the unresponsive child.
Prosecutors say she told first responders that the devil made her put him to sleep. They say she smothered the child by holding her hands over his face. Her attorney did not immediately respond Friday to a message seeking comment.
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