Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A accident involving multiple vehicles on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway near the Kosciuzko Bridge, Hatzolah on the scene requesting multiple ambulances to respond, traffic delays in the area.

New York, NY - Property Tax Rising Again

New York, NY - City Council voted yesterday to increase property taxes. The $64 million citywide increase will cost the average single-family homeowner an extra $66 for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Tax rates for the four property classes are adjusted yearly to comply with state-mandated adjustments of the "share" of taxes imposed on each category.

By law, the Council could have increased the tax share for Class 1 properties (one-, two- and three-family homes) by as much as 5%. Instead, the Council limited the increase to 2% by increasing the tax bite on Class 3 (utilities) and Class 4 (commercial) properties. The taxes on Class 2 properties will go up as well, co-ops by an average of $114 and condos by $207.

Manhattan, NY +Accidental Mail Drop Off+

Manhattan, NY +Accidental Mail Drop Off+ A motor vehicle accident involving a US Postal Service tractor trailer on West 33th Street and 10th Avenue with the tractor trailer stopping short causing the mail it was carrying to go through the backdoor of the truck ending up all over the street, requesting additional units to assist in picking up the mail.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck on McDonald Avenue and Avenue "I" Hatzolah responding.

Monmouth County, NJ - Court Appoints Co. to Pay Creditors Affected By Dwek Bank Fraud Scheme

Monmouth County, NJ - Superior Court Judge Alexander D. Lehrer has appointed an alliance formed between Wick Co. and Sitar Co. Oncor International to market a sizable commercial and residential real estate portfolio amassed by indicted real estate developer Solomon Dwek.

The portfolio of nearly 270 properties is valued at more than $400 million and consists of shopping centers, vacant land, residential homes, and office, industrial, multifamily and mixed-use properties primarily in New Jersey's Monmouth and Ocean counties.
According to the court order, approximately 66 of the properties are currently losing money.

Dwek was charged earlier this year by Monmouth County prosecutors with scheming to defraud Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank out of $50 million. He was arrested after misrepresenting himself at two PNC branches, attempting to deposit two $25 million checks drawn from a closed business account.
The bank fraud charge carries a maximum term of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million.

Anti-Semit Feels for Racist

The Anti-Semit Mel Gibson has expressed sympathy for the embattled Michael Richards, confiding that "my heart went out to the guy".

Richards was forced to make a public apology after using racist language in Los Angeles two weeks ago.
Earlier this year, Gibson showed similar contrition for anti-semitic remarks made during an arrest on suspicion of drink driving. "I feel really bad for the guy," Gibson said. "He was obviously in a state of stress ... My heart went out to the guy."
When he was asked what the future held in store for Richards, Gibson offered a sage and sad prediction: "They'll probably torture him for a while and then let him go."

Jerusalem, Israel +Stabbing by EDP+

Jerusalem, Israel - A 35-year-old haredi man, who is mentally unstable, was arrested for stabbing and lightly wounding in the lower part of his leg an Arab employee in a shop on Rechov Yecheskal in Jerusalem.

The wounded man was evacuated by Hatzolah to Hadassah Hospital in the city for medical treatment.

Lakewood, NJ - Ex-Police Director Seeks Answers for His Ouster

Lakewood, NJ - Al Peters, the former director of the Lakewood Police Department, wants answers.
At tonight's Township Committee meeting, Peters said he will stand before the five-member panel and demand an explanation for why he was forced out as the department's leader. "My record is impeccable, and I will not let this tarnish my record in any way," Peters said.

Two weeks ago, the retired State Police major was bought out of his $119,000 annual contract, on which seven months remain. The buyout followed a Nov. 8 phone call Peters received from Mayor Meir Lichtenstein, who informed Peters that his days as public safety director were likely num-bered. No reason was provided during that conversation, Peters said.
Peters said he still is waiting for an explanation. "They had no reason to terminate the contract, so legally they had to buy me out. There was no legitimate reason for termination," Peters said.

While the committee has offered no explanation, some members of the Orthodox Jewish community have expressed concerns about the Police Department.
In particular, some residents have expressed dissatisfaction regarding what is perceived as heavy-handed ticketing for parking violations downtown, the handling of the assault of an Orthodox woman last summer and the handling of a confrontation between a Jewish school teacher and a black teenager.

New York, NY - Price-Gouging by Car Insurance Industry

New York, NY - The city comptroller released a report accusing the auto insurance industry of price-gouging.

Comptroller Bill Thompson says the car insurance industry has raised premiums between 2000 and 2005 by nearly 29-percent, raking in 10 and a half billion dollars from premiums in 2005 alone. He also found companies were decreasing payouts for claims by more than 20 percent.

Thompson's report says drivers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens are especially hard hit. He says it's not just a matter of customers shopping around for lower rates.
Thompson called on governor-elect Eliot Spitzer to create an Insurance Consumer Advocate office and called for the auto insurers to reduce their premiums by 15 percent or $1.5 billion a year.

Fort Collins, CO - Christmas Tree Vs. Menorah Debate Heats Up

Fort Collins, CO - A holiday decorations dispute involving the Christmas tree and the menorah is heating up.

Several religious leaders sent an email to the city council urging them to reconsider a decision made in the summer that said the menorah could not be displayed at the city's public holiday display.
The ruling said the Christmas tree is OK for the city's public holiday display, but the menorah is not.

"I think everyone here is Christian essentially, so a Christmas tree, Santa's workshop and everything associated with it is considered generic, everybody does it," said Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelick. "But that's really not the case."
Gorelick is trying to include a Menorah in the city's formal holiday display, but the city council said no.
"Our holiday display policy had been a simple secular Christmas tree," said Fort Collins Mayor Doug Hutchinson. "According to our attorney, the tree is secular, the menorah is not," said a spokesman of the Downtown Development Authority.

New York, NY - Rabbi Fakes His Way Out Of Traffic

New York, NY - You could see it all over the city, an unmarked car with emergency lights flashing trying to make it through traffic. But have you ever wondered while you're sitting in gridlock what the emergency was?

One man was caught in an unmarked car in a heck of a hurry. The man's name is Isaac Heschel. His official looking black Crown Victoria is his personal car. However, the lights and sirens he admits he paid someone to install.
Heschel is a rabbi who volunteers his time as a chaplain to the MTA and Port Authority Police, but both agencies said he has no right to have emergency lights, or drive like this.

All this started when a member of law enforcement who wants to remain anonymous took a home video of his driving habits and sent it to the media, and with the tape was a note that claimed Heschel was putting pedestrians and other drivers in danger.
At crosswalks he used lights to move pedestrians along, and if traffic gets too bad he drives the wrong way up a street, when lights and sirens aren't enough at a tie up at the Lincoln Tunnel he gets out and actually moves several traffic cones.

Remember, he is not a cop. He is not going to an emergency. Heschel is actually a 47th Street diamond dealer with some multifaceted perks, like a sweet free parking spot that is always waiting for him. Heschel avoided tickets by using a special parking placards.

"It goes to show us that that we have some vulnerabilities from people who pretend to be official emergency vehicles," former FBI agent William Daly said. "They could be used to transport explosive devices."

Because of his use of lights and sirens, both the MTA and Port Authority Police said that they have decided to part ways with Rabbi Heschel.

Chestnut Ridge, NY - Power Outage after DWI MVA

Chestnut Ridge, NY - A drunken driver crashed into a utility pole, causing a gas main break that fueled an intense fire on Pinebrook Road and cut power.
No one was hurt in the crash, according to Ramapo police Sgt. Michael DeMeo. But about 2,000 customers were without electricity after work crews cut power to the area.

The car's driver, a 25-year-old Pomona man, is charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. He was transported to town jail.

Medford, NJ - Teen Reports Luring Attempt

Medford, NJ - Police are searching for a man they say may have tried to lure a 13-year-old girl.

The girl had just gotten off her school bus at Lakewood Avenue when a small white SUV approached her.
The driver, a white man, asked the girl if she'd like a ride. She told him "no," police said. The driver said something else before driving away. The girl did not hear what he said, police said. Police said the driver never stopped his SUV not did he try to grab the girl.
The driver was described as about 17 to 20 years old, tan, with short spikey brown hair and thin build, police said.

Mamaroneck, NY - Back in Court for Village Against a Jewish Day School

Mamaroneck, NY - The village will continue its battle against a local Jewish school seeking to expand its campus in the region's highest court.

Village lawyers are appealing a federal judge's ruling that found the village's zoning board restricted the Westchester Day School's free exercise of religion when it denied the school's plans to build a 44,000-square-foot building on Orienta Point.
Lawyers for both sides are expected to face off in Manhattan at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.

The closely watched case tests the constitutionality of a religious land-use law that has gained popularity across the United States in recent years. "Hopefully, this will send a crystal-clear message to the leaders of Mamaroneck and to municipalities across the country that the rights of religious institutions to meet their needs are protected under the constitution," said Stanley Bernstein, the school's executive vice president and one of its lawyers.

The nearly five-year saga began when the Westchester Day School, a yeshiva for about 420 students, sought to build a 44,000-square-foot building on its 26-acre campus in the Orienta section of the village. The building would house classrooms and other small gathering rooms for private instruction and prayer.

Bronxville, NY - Man Sentenced for Extorting Rabbi

Bronxville, NY - A man who tried to extort $60,000 from a rabbi in Queens and threatened to harm him and his family if he didn't pay the money was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison.

Matthew Gross, 40, of 25 Parkview Ave., Bronxville, claimed to be collecting debts for people with whom the victims had business dealings in prior years.
Gross approached the Rabbi of the Synagogue Adas Yeshurun in Kew Gardens and threatened him. Gross told the rabbi he represented the ex-husband of a secretary who once worked for the rabbi, and for whom the rabbi had helped secure a divorce. The rabbi went to police, who arranged to secretly videotape the next meeting between Gross and the rabbi, during which Gross was recorded slapping the rabbi inside his synagogue and threatening his family with physical harm.

Gross pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree grand larceny in exchange for a sentence of five to 15 years in prison.

Queens, NY +MVA+

Queens, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident with several aided on Main Street and 72nd Avenue, FDNY and Hatzolah are on the scene requesting multiple units wit several ambulances to respond to the scene.

Brooklyn, NY - Man Pays Parking Tickets With Stolen Credit Cards

Brooklyn, NY - A man has been accused of paying parking ticket fines with somebody else's money.

Daniel Markovitz was busted after using stolen credit cards to pay off 53 parking summonses worth more than $4,700, the city Department of Investigation said.
Some of the tickets belonged to his family and friends, who were duped into believing he had a connection to reduce their fines, the DOI said. "People should be forewarned: If a deal looks too good, it probably is,'' DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said.

Markovitz, 23, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of grand larceny, scheme to defraud and identity theft, Hearn said.

The investigation began after the city Department of Finance determined Markovitz might have used stolen credit cards to make payments over the Internet on his own parking tickets, Hearn said. The DOI then determined that he had used three stolen cards to pay off 53 tickets for himself, his friends and relatives, Hearn said.
Although Markovitz told his victims that he could get parking tickets reduced through his connections with the Parking Violations Bureau, he instead took their cash and paid the tickets with the credit cards, and he pocketed more than $2,000, the DOI said.
Even worse, the cost of all the tickets was reinstated by the city.
But Michael Farkas, attorney for Markovitz, said there was more to the case than the DOI version. "We sincerely hope that there is no rush to judgment on this matter as we believe Mr. Markovitz may soon be shown to be a victim in this case himself,'' Farkas said. "We believe there's more to this case that needs to be investigated.''

Seattle, WA - Jewish Center Shooting Victim Gives Birth

Seattle, WA - A pregnant Seattle woman who instinctively covered her belly to protect her 17-week-old fetus from a gunman during last summer's deadly Jewish center attack has given birth to that baby.

Dayna Klein, who survived the July 28 rampage at the Jewish Centerof Greater Seattle that killed a colleague, gave birth to Charley Paz Klein at an undisclosed Seattle hospital, her spokesman said. He weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces.
Police officials have called Klein a hero for saving her baby when she came face to face with the gunman. When the guman pointed his weapon at her, Klein swung her left hand over her belly to protect her fetus. A bullet went through her arm and grazed her thigh before lodging in the carpet.
The spokesman said mother and child are doing well.

Monsey, NY +Fire in Commercial Building+

Monsey, NY +Fire in Commercial Building+ Fire Department responding to confirmed fire in the elevater shaft at 15 Monsey Blvd Home for Adults.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Missing Children+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Missing Children+ Hatzolah, Shomrim and Chavirim are all involved in a major search for two missing girls since 1600 hours from a special education school, command post is now setting up at Lynch Street & Marcy Avenue.

U/D: 20:26
Search is over, girls have been located.

Brooklyn, NY - Spitzer Targets Mortgage Fraud Ring

Brooklyn, NY - A mortgage fraud ring duped home buyers and lenders by falsifying documents and overstating property values, ruining the credit of many people who bought homes in minority neighborhoods, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said.

Spitzer sued 11 people, four defendants agreed to settle by paying nearly $1.8 million to help compensate victims, and accepting increased oversight of, or restrictions on, their activities. Spitzer is seeking fines, restitution and other penalties from the other defendants.

According they bought properties at foreclosure sales or "distressed" prices in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and East New York neighborhoods, hoping to "flip" them to make quick profits.

Spitzer said the scheme artificially raised home prices in the area, making it harder to buy and sell, and defrauded lenders who made the bad loans.

London - Radiation Found on British Airways Planes

London - Authorities found small traces of radiation on two British Airways 767 jetliners, as investigators widened their search for clues into the poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

Secretary John Reid disclosed the search following a meeting with COBRA, the government's emergency committee. Reid said two planes had been tested so far and that another would be tested.
The initial results of the forensic tests had shown very low traces of a radioactive substance onboard two aircraft, British Airways said in a statement. The company added that the investigation is confined to the three planes, which will remain out of service until further notice.

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg's Blunder

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg's decision, in the midst of the crisis over the shooting of Sean Bell, to turn to the Al Sharpton is one of those errors that he is going to have to deal with as he contemplates a campaign for the presidency in 2008.

The mayor's reputation suffered, certainly thousands of New Yorkers shook their heads in amazement when they picked up their newspapers to see the pictures of the mayor embracing Rev. Sharpton. Amazement turned to dismay as the mayor promptly pronounced the firing of 50 shots by the police "excessive" and "unacceptable." It may well be that something went wrong, that the police erred. But it was precisely the mayor's responsibility at that moment to stress the need for avoiding the pronouncement of judgments.
If he can be rushed into a premature pronouncement by the likes of Rev. Sharpton, how would he perform in a showdown with the likes of, say, Presidents Putin or Hu.

Albany, NY - So That's Where Our Tax Dollars Went!

Albany, NY - State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver gave out almost $7.5 million in pork-barrel cash this year, records show.

That makes the Manhattan Democrat tops in the Legislature, which doled out a total of $170 million in the so-called "member item" grants at the discretion of individual legislators without public debate or vote.

Silver's grants included:
* $14,000 to the Council for a Cleaner Chinatown and $35,000 for the Chinatown YMCA.
* Grants totaling $543,000 to the United Jewish Council of the East Side.
* $200,000 to the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty.
* $265,000 for the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services.

"A lot of things we use the fund for are items that we haven't been able to get done through the budget," a Silver spokeswoman said.

Jerusalem, Israel - Yeshiva Students Paint Swastikas

Jerusalem, Israel - Three Jerusalem yeshiva students were arrested for spray painting graffiti near the reputed burial site of Shiman H'Tzadik.

The three teens, aged 14-16, were caught spray-painting Stars of David and swastikas near the grave of Shiman H'Tzadik in east Jerusalem, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

Iraq - US Soldiers to Get 'Chutzpah' CD's Just in Time for the Holidays

Iraq - The U.S Military will get an extra helping of "Chutzpah" with their holiday treats from a California based record company.

The music group will ship several hundred CD's from the LA to the fighting men and women based in Iraq, set to arrive just in time for the holidays.

The group's David McLees noted, "The holiday appropriateness of the track 'Chanukah's Da Bomb' on this particular CD seemed a perfect gift to give to those fighting for our freedom in Iraq. The humor along with the holiday cheer of the content seemed very appropriate."  Dean Schachtel, the group's National Director of Sales added, "We felt the need to do something to lift the spirits of our brave men and women in Iraq. We're pleased to bring some music and some laughs to the troops."

East St Louis, I'll - Prison Term for Threat Against President

East St Louis, I'll - A mental patient who threatened to castrate President Bush was sentenced to federal prison, but a judge ordered him freed because of time he's already served.

Arafat Nijmeh, 27, was sentenced to seven months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening the president. He was released after U.S. District Judge David Herndon credited him with the eight months he spent in custody after being charged.

Nijmeh was accused of threatening to harm Bush in comments to workers at the Alton Mental Health Center and to two Secret Service agents the following day. Nijmeh told the agents that his earlier threat to castrate Bush was "not too harsh, considering what he has done to my country."
Nijmeh is a Palestinian born in Israel but a U.S. citizen.

Secret Service agent John Brooks has testified that Nijmeh told a supervisory nurse at the center he was going to "make her life a living hell'' and threatened to kill Jews.

Monticello, NY - DOT Sets Public Hearing for Route 17 Exit

Monticello, NY - The state Department of Transportation has proposed rebuilding Route 17’s Exit 106.

The DOT proposes to add an eastbound exit from Route 17 to County Route 173 and to build a new overpass. The changes would help bring Route 17 into compliance with Federal Highway Administration standards for interstates.

Tel Aviv, Israel - Ben Gurion International Airport Empty Due to Strike

Tel Aviv, Israel - Both arrivals and departures halls at Ben Gurion International Airport lay empty as the general strike of the entire public sector in Israel  began in the morning hours after negotiations between union leaders and Finance Ministry officials could not reach an agreement.

An American tourist who arrived with his tour group at the airport only to find an empty hall, thinks that things could have been done differently. "Everything here is ridiculous. It's all too governmental. If the things would have been thought through, this strike would not have been happening. These things are typical to Israel and this is the reason it looks the way it is," he said.

New York, NY - One in Four New Yorkers Can't Speak English

New York, NY - Almost one in four New Yorkers admit they can't speak English well, almost three times the national average, according to U.S. Census data.

About 5.7 million of the 7.3 million city residents age 5 and older claimed to know the English language "very well." This compares to more than 1.6 million residents who know English "less than very well."

New York City's command of English stood in stark contrast to national figures. Only 8.6 percent of America's 268.1 million residents over 5 struggle with English, Census data showed.
Spanish is the No. 1 foreign language spoken in New York, with 1.8 million speakers, Russian is No. 3 foregin language, with 198,969 speakers, Yiddish is No. 8 with 77,392 speakers, and Arabic No. 10.

Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island's Astroland Sold, Will Close Next Year

Brooklyn, NY - The vintage Astroland Amusement Park, one of the anchors of Coney Island since its 1962 opening, was purchased by a developer intent on restoring the Brooklyn beachfront as a $1.5 billion year-round resort.

The Albert family, owners of the well-known park, will close the 3.1-acre attraction at the end of the 2007 summer season under the deal reached with Thor Equities. The Alberts will continue to operate the landmark Cyclone roller-coaster, which turns 80 next year, under an existing agreement with the city.
The decision to sell was "very difficult and made only after months of extensive discussion," said Carol Hill Albert, co-owner of Astroland with husband Jerome.

Stamford Hill, London +Serious Motorcycle Accident+

Stamford Hill, London +Serious Motorcycle Accident+ Met Police and Scotland Yard are on the scene closing down Stamford Hill between Holmly and Dunsmare for a motoecycle accident with the aided seriously injured after four under cover detectives were in pursuit of the motorcycle.

Hatzolah and London Ambulance are all on on the scene aiding the victim and CPR provided by LAS.
London Helicopter responding with a crew will be air lifting the aided.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck and is unconscious in front of 1379 Coney Island Avenue between Avenue "J" and Avenue "K" Hatzolah on the scene.

Australia - Increased in Anti-Semitism

Australia - Anti-Semitic incidents have increased in Australia.
A study cited 442 anti-Semitic incidents from October 2005 to September 2006, an increase of 110 incidents over the same period a year earlier.

Manhattan, NY - Pfizer to Slash Sales and Staff

Manhattan, NY - Pfizer Inc. said that it plans to cut its sales staff by 20% nationwide as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts.
The Manhattan-based drug maker said last month that it would undertake a comprehensive review of all of its operations.

Earlier this year, Pfizer said it would cut about 270 jobs at its Brooklyn manufacturing plant, which makes many of the products that will face generic competition as their patent exclusivity runs out. “The changes we are making today will better align our sales organization to our overall customer and business needs,” said Pfizer Chief Executive Jeffrey Kindler in a statement.

Tel Aviv, Israel +Fatal Bicycle Accident+

Tel Aviv, Israel +Fatal Bicycle Accident+ A fatal accident with a child and his friend that were riding a bike when it was hit by a vehicle, one child was pronounced dead and his friend was lightly injured.

Poughkeepsie, NY - Pipe Pilferer to Pay Restitution

Poughkeepsie, NY - A man who stole $6,000 worth of copper and brass pipe from a home in the Town of Poughkeepsie was sentenced to five years on probation.

Dutchess County Court Judge Gerald V. Hayes imposed the sentence on Judah Nadav, 32, of Brooklyn. Under the terms of his probation, Nadav will be required to make restitution for the stolen items.
Nadav admitted he stole the piping. He entered a guilty plea to third-degree burglary, a felony.

Manhattan, NY +Triborough Bridge Being Raised+

Manhattan, NY +Triborough Bridge Being Raised+ Traffic alert for the Triborough Bridge Harlem River span, the span will be raised for 25 minutes for marine traffic.

Bavaria, Germany - German Police Raid Neo-Nazis

Bavaria, Germany - Hundreds of German police raided the homes of neo-Nazis in Bavaria and seized 55 rifles, pistols and machine guns.

Four people were arrested in the raid, part of an investigation by Munich public prosecutors into the far right scene. They face charges of forming a criminal group and illegal weapons possession.  
Some 370 police officers searched 15 buildings in the towns of Rosenheim, Erding and Traunstein. Police also seized large quantities of Nazi flags and helmets bearing the Nazi swastika, a symbol banned in Germany. "According to information available so far the suspects didn't plan any crimes, the weapons were instead seen as 'status symbols' in the far-right scene," police said.

Bavarian authorities have been investigating 10 people. Arrest warrants have been obtained for four of the men aged between 24 and 26. The other six, aged between 24 and 56 years, are still being questioned, police said.

Brussels, Belgium - Jewish Interpol to Rescue Agunos

 
 
Brussels, Belgium - Men who refuse to grant their wives a Get (Jewish divorce) and disappear in order to avoid a verdict on the dissolution of their marriage may soon be forced to cooperate, with the launch of a new Jewish "Interpol" style organization.   
 
A new enforcement and information organization will be discussed at a judicial conference of leading rabbis and Jewish religious judges, organized by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), to be held in Brussels.  
The organization would operate in conjunction with European rabbinical courts to ensure the immediate transfer of information to community leaders and rabbis on men who flee a verdict or refuse to issue an annulment and continue living in a place where their past is unknown.  The organization will provide information on the person and will try and force them to issue a decree.

Roosevelt, NJ +Arrest Made in Paintball Incident Against Yeshiva+

Roosevelt, NJ An arrest has been made in connection with the paint-ball attack on a Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah, a Orthodox Jewish high school.
Details were not immediately available, but information on the arrest is forthcoming.

About midnight on Nov. 20, between 60 and 70 paint-ball pellets struck the side of a private house used by the Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah on Route 571, which is called North Rochdale Avenue in Roosevelt.
The dwelling houses 10 to 15 students, who were awakened around midnight Nov. 20 by the sounds of pellets striking the building, according to Josh Pruzansky, executive vice president of the yeshiva.

New York, NY - Two Councilmen Say 'No Thanks' to Pay Raise

New York, NY - Two City Councilmen have notified the council's personnel office that they won't be accepting the 25 percent raise that was recently approved.

Democrats Tony Avella (Queens) and Mike McMahon (S.I.) sent letters asking that their base salary remain at $90,000 and not rise to $112,500.

Lakewood, NJ - Town Hall Style Meeting To Air Local Concerns

Lakewood, NJ - A town hall-style meeting on several hot-button issues will be held 6 p.m. Wednesday at the municipal building at 231 Third St.
Issues such as Lakewood's muster zone and landlord/tenant concerns will be discussed.

The forum will be hosted by Samuel Z. Brown's Lakewood law firm, which routinely conducts civic awareness seminars in the township.

Lod, Israel - Rabbi's Aide Accused of Torah Theft

Lod, Israel - The chief aide to a late Israeli mystic was arrested for allegedly stealing two Torah Scrolls from a synagogue.

Moshe Nimni, 41, who served under the late Rabbi Yitzhak Kadouri (who died in January at the age of at least 106) and is also the deputy head of the country's powerful trade union, was apprehended in connection with a break-in and robbery at a Lod synagogue. The two Torah scrolls and other stolen Judaica were found in Nimni's Jerusalem office.
A synagogue official confirmed that the scrolls found in his office were those stolen from the synagogue.
Nimni, denies the allegations against him. He provided the police with the names of other suspects in the case, and he was released on NIS 1,000 bail by a Jerusalem court during a remand hearing.

Police said they were also checking whether Nimni was involved in other synagogue robberies in the Jerusalem area.

Wellington, FL - Vandals Spray Paint Homes

 
Wellington, FL - Deputies are looking for vandals who spray painted racial epithets and swastikas on properties in Wellington.

Garage doors, driveways, cars, signs and even pavement outside homes in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Primrose Lane were blanketed with blue spray paint, and also were mailboxes knocked-over, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Other vandalism at the homes in the Sugar Pond Manor neighborhood was more sinister: Racial epithets about Jews and blacks scrawled in blue letters, along with numerous swastikas.  Ming Chen, 40, said swastikas were spray painted on his front door and garage door, as well as his Toyota Corolla. The vandals also painted "Jew Hater" on his driveway and slashed the Corolla's tires.

The incidents spurred deputies to increase their patrols of the neighborhood, said sheriff's office spokeswoman Teri Barbera.

Brooklyn, NY +Alligator Found+

Brooklyn, NY +Alligator Found+ NYPD ESU responding to Granville Payne Avenue and Croton Loop at the Starrett City section in Brooklyn, NY for an alligator found in the rear of the location.

Cancer Alarm Ringing In New York City

New York, NY - About 88,230 Big Apple residents were diagnosed with cancer this year and 35,600 died - many from preventable lung and prostate cancers, a new study shows.

The American Cancer Society found that too many people still die from preventable diseases - particularly lung and colon cancers. There are too many smokers, and an alarming number of residents don't get colonoscopy screenings, according to the study. Still, the report noted that overall cancer rates have dropped in the city, mirroring a national trend, thanks to medical advances and better monitoring.

Staten Island had the highest cancer rate in the city from 1999 through 2003 - 191.7 per 100,000 people. But the mortality rate fell 20 percent from a decade ago, the study said.

In Brooklyn 196 residents are diagnosed with cancer each week, and breast cancer accounted for 9.6 percent of cancer deaths this year, the highest such mortality rate in the city. The study estimates 75 Brooklynites per week have died of cancer this year. Despite that, the cancer-death rate in Kings County is 17 percent lower than a decade ago.

In Queens, 68 residents have died each week from cancer in 2006. Nearly one in four deaths in the borough are caused by lung cancer, 12 percent from colon cancer, 9 percent from breast cancer and 5 percent from prostate cancer.

Brooklyn, NY +BQE Traffic Alert+

Brooklyn, NY +BQE Traffic Alert+ An Accident between two tractor trailers and leaking fuel on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway eastbound at the Kosciusko Bridge closed down two lanes and is causing heavy traffic, Fire Department enroute but they have difficulty accessing the scene due to heavy traffic.

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY - Unusual Discovery After FDNY Extinguished Fire

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY - Firefighters arrived to a fire at 186 Madison Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, they got the fire out, but when they went down to the basement they made a startling discovery.

They found a man's body with his hands bound with duct tape to a chair and set on fire in the that apartment.
He was pronounced dead at the scene but it is not known if the person was killed prior to the fire or in the fire.
Accelerant was recovered at the scene of the crime. No arrests were immediately made. And authorities were not immediately able to identify the victim.

Gainesville, FL - As Jewish Population is Declining Hasidic Population Grows

Gainesville, FL - A new study shows that in an era when the Jewish population in America is stable or declining, the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish numbers are growing rapidly -- a trend that may make the Jewish community not only more religiously observant but also more politically conservative.
So says a University of Florida population geographer who recently completed the first estimate of the Hasidic population based on the U.S. Census.

Geography professor Joshua Comenetz estimated today's Hasidic population at about 180,000, just 3 percent of the approximately 6 million Jews in the U.S. However, Comenetz calculated that the Hasidic population doubles every 20 years because Hasidic Jews tend to have many children. That's occurring even as demographic studies show that the non-Orthodox Jewish population is flat or falling.

If current trends continue, Hasidic and other growing ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups will constitute a majority of U.S. Jews in the second half of this century - a potentially profound cultural and political change.

Nanuet, NY +Palisades Pkwy Traffic Alert+

Rockland County, Nanuet, NY +Palisades Pkwy Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident with injuries on the southbound of the Palisades Interstate Parkway at Exit 10 (N Middletown Road) is closing down one lane and causing heavy traffic, expect delays.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +MVA with Entrapment+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +MVA with Entrapment+ A motor vehicle accident with entrapment on 14th Avenue and 57th Street, Fire Department using the hurst tool for the pinn, ESU and Hatzolah responding.

Roosevelt, NJ - Town Officials Helping in Investigation of Yeshiva Paint-Ball Attack

Roosevelt, NJ - Mayor Elsbeth Battel said she and the Borough Council are "sickened'' by the paint-ball attack on a dorm where Orthodox Jewish high school students were sleeping one week ago today, as was reported on VOS IZ NEIAS.
"We provide our full support and cooperation to the State Police for the prosecution of the perpetrators to the full extent of the law, including the use of hate crime provisions of the state criminal statutes,'' Battel said.

About 70 paint-ball pellets struck the side of the private dwelling used by the Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah on Route 571 (North Rochdale Avenue) to house 10 to 15 students. The students were asleep inside the building at the time of the attack around midnight.

Monsey, NY - Monsey Trails Planning Route Changes

Monsey, NY - Monsey Trails plans to alter its Manhattan bus route to avoid going through side streets and neighborhoods in Monsey.

Under the proposal, buses no longer would begin their service runs by stopping at Francis Place, Ida Road, Rita Avenue and Jill Lane. Instead, riders would have to meet the bus at the corner of Kearsing Parkway and Route 306.

The changes likely would take effect at the end of the year, pending approval from county officials.

Bronx, NY +Traffic Alert Man Trapped in Cement Truck+

Bronx, NY - NYPD ESU and EMS were on the scene at 438 East 166th Street between Park Avenue and Washington Avenue in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, with a worker that got sucked into and trapped in the mixer of a cement truck in the truck's payload he had been cleaning, traffic was shut down while the aided was removed and transported to the hospital in an unknown condition.

Area is still closed and police are on the scene investigating this accident.

U/D: 11/28/06 06:46
Worker a father of three was pronounced dead at Lincoln Hospital.

Czech Republic - Agreement Reached on Jewish Cemetery

Czech Republic - An Israeli firm building a parking lot over a Jewish cemetery in the Czech Republic agreed to raise the structure to protect the graves.  

Plaza Centers, which is to build a shopping center and parking lot on the Pilsen site, made the agreement.  
Last month, archaeologists discovered several graves on the land, which a local researcher said housed a 15th century Jewish cemetery, they estimate that as many as 50 graves may be located there.  

Plaza Centers has had several consultations with the Czech Chief Rabbi Karel Sidon and the London-based Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe, which resulted in a verbal agreement to place the parking lot on cement stilts.

New Paltz, NY - New Effort Launched to Save Catskill Game Farm Animals

New Paltz, NY - The closure of the Catskill Game Farm last month left three African lions, three mountain lions and a black panther with no new home.

Now, Wildlife Watch in New Paltz has arranged for them to spend their remaining days at the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minn. But the problem is Wildlife Watch needs $25,000 to make this all happen.

The organization needs to raise $5,000 to transport the animals to Minnesota and another $20,000 to erect these local cats a shelter, said Anne Muller, president of Wildlife Watch. "If we do not come up with the money, the sanctuary will not be able to take them," Muller said.

Washington, DC - +Lincoln Memorial Closed+

Washington, DC - The FBI is helping the U.S. Park Police and Washington, D.C. police investigate what is described as the discovery of an "anthrax threat letter" and a suspicious package at the Lincoln Memorial.

The incident started when a strange liquid was found in the women's restroom on the property. Authorities would not confirm what the note said or what the substance may have been.

There are no reports of anyone being sick, nor have any ambulances been called.

Virginia +Airport Protest+

Virginia - Rabbi's, Imam's and Ministers are staging a "pray-in" demonstration at Reagan Washington National Airport and are demanding an apology from US Airways for barring six Muslims from a Minneapolis to Phoenix flight last week, as was reported by VOS IZ NEIAS.

Crown Heights Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Crown Heights Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, Hatzolah responding Code-1 BLS and ALS.

U/D:
Aided being removed to KCK Hospital.

Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY +MVA with Pin+

Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY +MVA with Pin+ A serious motor vehicle accident between five vehicles with a confirmed pin on East 31st Street and Avenue "N" Hatzolah, NYPD and Fire Department are all on the scene puttint the hurst tolls to work.

London +Radioactive Traces Found+

London - Traces of radiation have been found at two new locations in London after the investigation widened over the poisoning death of a former Russian spy.

Traces of highly radioactive Polonium 210 had already been found at the Millennium Hotel, a branch of the Itsu sushi restaurant and the house of Alexander Litvinenko, who died Thursday of polonium-210 poisoning.
Two new locations - an office block in London's west end and another address in the neighborhood of Mayfair - also showed signs of radioactivity.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Armed Robbery+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Armed Robbery+ NYPD of the 90th Pct are in pursued of a male black perp that jused robbed a person at gunpoint while leaving Gem Check Cashing on Flushing Avenue between Lee & Warsoff Avenue's, perp fled into the Marcy Projects.

Brooklyn, NY +Serious MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +Serious MVA+ A motor vehicle accident at Kings Highway and Bedford Avenue between a city bus and motor vehicles with a mother and her children injuried has Hatzolah responding with multiple BLS and ALS units and three ambulances all to the scene

U/D: 09:26
Mother transported by EMS, one child in serious condition transported by Hatzolah on a rush, other child also by Hatzolah.

Sderot, Israel +Rockets from Gaza Hit Town+

Sderot, Israel +Rockets from Gaza Hit Town+ Rockets from Gaza hit the Israeli town of Sderot despite ceasefire, Emergency units are on the scene.

New York, NY - City Council Speaker Raising Mayoral Speculation

New York, NY - City Council Speaker Quinn kicked off a five-borough "Community Conversation" in Brooklyn - raising speculation that she's considering a run for mayor.
The speaker has crisscrossed the city talking to communities about hospital closings, universal pre-kindergarten, hunger issues, reforms in the Buildings Department, and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity on behalf of city school kids, all of this is increasing her profile as a mayoral contender in 2009. "There is no question in my mind that someone who is as competent as her and has the leadership skills she has shown should run for higher office," said Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn).

But Quinn insists "You can't have good policy if you don't go visit all parts of the city," Quinn (D-Manhattan) said, insisting there's no politics involved in her effort to reach all corners of the Big Apple.
Maura Keaney, one of Quinn's top aides, pointed out that her boss is an organizer who works best by talking directly to those involved. "It's a better learning experience for her than listening to a policy person," she said.

Iraq +US Jet Crashes+

Iraq - One of the fighter jets of the U.S. military has crashed in Iraq with one pilot aboard.

Amberley, OH - Path Proposal Stirs Debate

Amberley, OH - A proposal to build a hike-and-bike path along busy Section Road in the southwestern part of the village is sparking a debate between supporters and opponents.
Amberley Village officials rejected the proposal 12 years ago, but at the urging of some residents, the village has pulled the hike/bike path proposal off the shelf and will reconsider it.

The main proponents of the proposal are the village's Orthodox Jews, who don't drive motorized vehicles to synagogue on Shabbas and some Jewish holidays. They say a path along Section Road, which has no sidewalks, would make it safer to walk to their synagogues.
Howard Mayers, an Orthodox Jew, and his wife, Marlene, walk on Section Road to Golf Manor Synagogue. "We also walk at night for recreation," he said. "At night, it's extremely dangerous to walk along Section Road. There have been a few times when the cars came awfully close to us."

Village Council decided to revive the proposal because of society's increasing interest in health and exercise and the influx of young families into Amberley, Mayor Chuck Kamine said.
But Charles and Loraine Wolf, who have lived on Section Road since 1980, oppose it for safety and privacy reasons. Wolf said she's concerned that a path would cause some of the crime in neighboring communities to seep into Amberley. "We feel quite vulnerable," said Wolf. "If a walking path is put in, there will have to be lighting for people walking at night. That will be a further intrusion into our privacy." I think it's a waste of taxpayers' money, some said, the Orthodox Jews who want the path knew Amberley had no sidewalks when they moved to the community.

Vienna, Austria - Jewish School Vandalised, Man Named Hitler Questioned

Vienna, Austria - Vienna police on are questioning a man suspected of smashing the windows of a Jewish school in the Austrian capital using an iron rod.

The man, who gave his name as "Adolf Hitler" was arrested at the Lauder Jewish school after residents alerted police because of the noise, police spokesman Herbert Hutter said. The man's motive was not immediately clear.
In addition to broken windows, glass and other objects were damaged in the school's restrooms, Hutter said.

Israel - Holocaust Survivors Seek More Funds

Israel - A Jewish Agency and Holocaust survivor groups joined forces to demand more money from the Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
"If money continues to be allocated the way it has been, it will still be sitting in the bank when the last of the Holocaust survivors is gone," they said. "Holocaust survivors are at the end of their lives," "in another 15 years only a very few survivors will remain. We should give them the money they deserve now, while they are still alive, and not wait until it is too late."

In a memorandum they specify that 60 percent of the funds be spent in Israel. "In light of the centrality of the State of Israel... 60% of the funds... will be allocated in Israel and the remainder will be distributed in the rest of the countries of the world."

Sloatsburg, NY +Suspicious Package in Rest Area+

Rockland County, Sloatsburg, NY +Suspicious Package in Rest Area+ New York State Police and Sheriff Units are on the scene for a suspicious package at the upper level parking lot of the Sloatsburg Rest Area of the New York State Thruway, upper level is closed at this time for investigation.

Washington, DC - Small Fire at Naval Observatory

Washington, DC - There was a small fire at the U-S Naval Observatory where the vice president lives.

D-C Fire officials say it was a small electrical fire in the ceiling of a lab. Firefighters were able to quickly put out the flames, and no one was injured.

The vice president's residence was not affected.

Manhattan, NY +Lincoln Tunnel Closed+

Manhattan, NY +Lincoln Tunnel Closed+ Traffic alert PAPD on the scene reporting of a Greyhound bus on fire inside the Lincoln Tunnel tubes heading into NYC, Fire Department working the scene, fire out but requesting additional ventilation inside the tunnel to clear the smoke.
Tunnel is closed, expect heavy delays.

New Port, FL - Missing Woman Feared Kidnapped, Found Dead Behind Bookcase

New Port, FL - A woman missing for nearly two weeks was found dead in the home she shared with family members looking for her, wedged behind a bookcase in her room.

M. Weber, 38, returned home Oct. 28 and greeted her mother, then wasn't seen again. Her family thought she had been kidnapped and contacted authorities. Family members scoured her room for clues but found nothing, though they did notice a strange smell.
But when here sister went into her bedroom and looked behind a bookcase, she saw a foot. Using a flashlight the family saw Weber was wedged upside-down behind the unit. "I'm sleeping in the same house as her for 11 days, looking for her," her mother, Connie Weber, said. "And she's right in the bedroom."

Weber's family thinks she may have been trying to adjust a plug to a television that was behind the bookshelf. Both Weber and her sister had previously adjusted the plug by standing on a bureau next to the shelf and leaning over the top. Her family believes Weber, who was 5-foot-3 and barely 100 pounds, may have fallen headfirst into the space. "She's a little thing," her mother said. "And the bookcase is 6 feet tall and solid. And she couldn't get out."

A spokesman for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said the death is not suspicious and that Weber appeared to have died because she was unable to breath in that position.

Bnei Brak, Israel +Security Alert at Satmar Viznitz Wedding+

Bnei Brak, Israel +Security Alert at Satmar Viznitz Wedding+ At the Satmar/Viznitz wedding in the lot of Osem on Shomer Street, a suspicious person tried entering the heavily guarded area, but was stopped by security personal they blocked him from entering the property.
A fight broke out between them that's when the suspicious person stabbed the guard in the chest, the aided was taking to the hospital with minor injuries.

Israel - Orthodox Zionis Rabbis Use SMS Messages to Answer Halakhic Questions

Israel - Orthodox Zionis Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, writes and receives an average of no less than 3,000 cellphone text (SMS) messages a month. Almost all are questions of halachha, to which Aviner responds in short, permitted or forbidden, without giving the reason.

The questions vary: Is it permissible to prepare tehina on Shabbat?
Only if it is watery, Aviner responds.

‪Can I have physical contact with my three-year-old niece?
Up to age nine is the answer.

Can one steal from an Arab, who probably stole one's merchandise?
No, stealing from a thief is prohibited.

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis prohibit the use of SMS even for secular purposes. But Orthodox Zionism adopted it some years ago as a means of direct communication, and Aviner was one of the pioneers. "My phone number is not unlisted," he said. "That's the rabbi's job, to be available. During the war, I received 600 SMS messages a day. A soldier wrote me from inside a Lebanese house in the middle of the battle, asking whether he could use the electricity to recharge his cellphone. I said yes. The next day he wrote me that he had in any case decided to leave NIS 10 in the house."

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY +BB Gun Shooting+

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY +BB Gun Shooting+ New York State Police have arrested four perps for shooting with BB gun into the front window of 29 vehicles most of them in the Village of Kiryas Joel and some of them in the surunding communities, no one reported any injuries.

River Edge, NJ - Religious Special Ed Growing

River Edge, NJ - A shortage of programs and lack of funding make it difficult for parents to find appropriate religious education for children with learning disabilities.

In many cases, families who would have preferred religious school must enroll their child in public school programs instead. But religious educators are expanding their resources and finding new ways to deliver religious studies to special-education students.

A new school for special-needs Orthodox Jewish children recently opened in North Jersey -- giving some parents an alternative to an after-school program run in River Edge.
The Sinai School, an Orthodox Jewish private school for children with learning disabilities, has been a blessing for Laurie Gopin of Bergenfield.   The removal of a brain tumor when he was 18-months-old left Gopin's son, Shmuel, now 5, with some communication delays. Gopin and her husband enrolled him in a Bergenfield afternoon public school program last year because the district could address his disability. But the family was still not satisfied; they wanted him to learn about his Orthodox Jewish heritage. 
"We wanted him to be in a religious setting, especially because he loves all the religious aspects of school," said Gopin, of Bergenfield. "We felt at this time that a religious program would benefit him and make us feel more comfortable."

Tuition is $27,500 a year at Sinai School. The school also is funded through private donations. It is not eligible for state funding because it is religiously affiliated.
Sinai is the only Jewish private school in Bergen County completely dedicated to children with learning disabilities.

Staten Island, NY +Bridge Closure Traffic Alert+

Staten Island, NY +Bridge Closure Traffic Alert+ The Bayonne Bridge is closed in both directions due to a motor vehicle on fire, PD on the scene requesting FD and tow.

U/D: 14:07
PAPD advising all units to keep a safe distance due to live 2 boxes ammunition discharging from inside the trunk of the vehicle.

Harriman, NY - Village Scores Victory in Annexation Fight

Harriman, NY - The village has won a big round in its fight to annex 8.5 acres from the Town of Monroe to foster construction of a senior-citizen complex with 189 apartments, near the intersection of Route 17 and 17M and the Silver Maples trailer park.   

An appeals-court panel weighing the annexation dispute between Harriman and Monroe has decided that the need to build affordable housing for seniors outweighed the town's preference for commercial development.    
Two judges and a lawyer serving on the Appellate Division panel issued a report recommending that the court allow Harriman to annex the property, as requested by New City developer American Senior Communities LLC.   
The developer arguing that Harriman could provide services, such as police protection and water, better than Monroe.   The village supported the request, but Monroe officials protested that they would lose commercially zoned property that might otherwise attract tax-paying businesses. That sent the matter to the Appellate Division.   

A court panel that heard oral arguments in July has rejected the town's commercial concerns, noting that no businesses have wanted the property so far and that the enormous Harriman Commons shopping center is already giving the town a huge influx of rateable's.

Elad, Isral +Fatal MVA+

Elad, Isral +Fatal MVA+ A very serious accident with fatalities happened near Elad in Israel.

A three car motor vehicle accident on Route 444 killed two men, with one of the vehicles bursting into flames trapping some of the aided, another aided a women was seriously injured, there were also 2 children in one of the vehicles but no word on there condition.

Brooklyn, NY - Councilman Simcha Felder Welcomes Stars & Stripes at PS 226

Brooklyn, NY - New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Simcha Felder presented PS 226 Principal Stephen Porter with new American flags at the school at 6006 23rd Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. 

The presentation commemorated an initiative by Felder to ensure that all schools in his 44th Council District have American flags in every classroom.   “I was shocked to learn that almost every school in my district doesn't have enough American flags,” said Felder.  It is an honor to stand here with Speaker Quinn and Principal Porter and assure that all students in my district’s public schools have an American flag to salute each morning, he said.

Quinn stressed, “Simcha Felder asked the schools what they needed,”  “and when the schools said they needed flags, he did what he could to deliver them.”

East Rutherford, NJ - Growing Kosher Market Arrives at Stadiums to Feed Hungry Fans

East Rutherford, NJ - Jeffrey Striks has taken a bite of a new niche in the American kosher food market: sports stadiums, and business is so good that he's expanded his company, Strikly Kosher.

His core market is the most observant Jews who follow the laws of kashrut, which restricts what food can be eaten and how it is prepared. But he's also attracting customers who aren't Jewish and perceive that kosher food is healthier. They enjoy his knishes, chicken nuggets and "knockwurst," not the traditional German sausage but a chicken product designed to look like a hot dog.

Striks, 49 a Queens, NY native, offers a dog and a prayer. In the seventh-inning stretch during baseball games and during halftime at football games, Striks coordinates a minyan, a Jewish prayer service that must have at least 10 men. At a recent New York Jets game, about 30 men joined in prayer near a Strikly Kosher stand. "We pray for the team to win," "we want playoff games because we make a lot of money."

Joel Felderman, an observant Jew, said the kosher stadium stands allow him to enjoy games more. He had always eaten before games because he didn't have glatt kosher alternatives in the stadium. "It makes me feel like I'm a real fan," "I can buy a hot dog like everyone else and not compromise my religious beliefs. I can get the total experience."

New York, NY - New Supported Scaffold Law, Goes Into Effect

New York, NY - A new supported scaffold law, goes into effect on November 19, 2006.
To ensure safe and compliant construction throughout all five boroughs, all supported scaffolds 40 feet or higher will require a permit.

In addition, Local Law 52 of 2005 requires individuals who use, erect, maintain, dismantle, repair or modify a supported scaffold to be certified by completing a training program (approved by the Department of Buildings) in scaffold safety.

Brooklyn, NY +Power Outage at Mall+

Brooklyn, NY +Power Outage at Mall+ NYPD on the scene evacuating and closing down the Kings Plaza Mall on Flatbush Avenue and Avenue "U" due to a power outage in the mall.

Mea Shearim, Israel +Protest over the Desecration of Ancient Graves+

Mea Shearim, Israel - Several dozen haredim rolled a city garbage bin into the main intersection of Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood late motzai shabbas, in protest over the desecration of ancient graves during the construction of a national highway.

Israeli archeologists say that the graves inquestion near Highway 6 in the center of the country are not being disturbed during the work on the highway.

New York, NY - Missed Mortgage Payments Rise

New York, NY - In the third quarter of this year, the number of city residents who had missed more than three months of mortgage payments jumped by 20 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago. Still, New Yorkers often have more time to try to hold onto their homes than homeowners in the rest of the country.

Data collected by PropertyShark .com, a real estate data company based in Brooklyn, shows that 1,468 city homeowners missed mortgage payments from July to September, compared with 1,220 in the comparable period last year. That puts them in what is commonly known as preforeclosure, when banks typically warn people that they are at risk of foreclosure so the homeowner will take steps to catch up on the payments. (The city has 3,018,000 homeowners.)

The neighborhoods with the highest number of preforeclosures are in Brooklyn and Queens.

Israel - Ceasefire Agreed Between Israel and Palestinians

Israel - Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip on Saturday to end a five-month Israeli military offensive and the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Saturday.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed the cease-fire, saying it would take effect at 6 a.m. Sunday.
Abbas telephoned Olmert late Saturday to tell him he had arrived at an agreement with all Palestinian factions to stop firing rockets into Israel from the coastal strip, Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin said.
Abbas asked that Israel reciprocate by stopping all military operations in Gaza and withdrawing its forces, and Olmert agreed.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Fire in Occupied Dwelling+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Fire in Occupied Dwelling+ Fire Department are on the scene of a fire in the basement of a 2 story 20x40 brick occupied private dwelling at 49th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue's 4 engines, 2 trucks, Rescue and Squad are all assigned due to numerous calls.

Fire Department transmitting a 10-41 Code-1 (suspicious fire, occupied dwelling)

Monsey, NY - Inadequate Pickup of Recyclables, Why?

Monsey, NY - Shimmy Adler trashes the erratic recycling pickup, he wants to see the recyclables in his neighborhood picked up on a regular schedule. He said that filled recycling bins regularly line Meadow Lane where he lives, as well as neighboring streets, long after their scheduled pickup day has passed, some times they don't pick up for three weeks in a row.
Adler's sought assistance from the Ramapo Department of Public Works, but the calls were followed by the dispatching of a small truck, Adler said, which would pick up the recyclables at his address, while leaving his neighbors' materials behind. "This small truck would be sent just to shut me up," Adler said.

But Ramapo's deputy supervisor, Nat Oberman, said the most common problem with recyclable collections involves cardboard, and that's supposed to be tied and flat, Oberman said, carters don't have time to pick up individual boxes.
"They're not following the rules," said Joseph Miele, owner of Miele Sanitation. "Everything is strewn out in any old way. I can't clean it up if they don't cooperate."
Miele said cardboard boxes, which were the main problem, had to be broken down, tied up or placed in the recyclable containers. We spends hundreds of dollars in overtime on workers, who must break down cardboard boxes and then continue on their routes. "I've talked to the people, and it works for a while," Miele said. It's a nice neighborhood, but it looks like a dump some mornings.

Paris, France - Mob Attacks Jews

Paris, France - A mob of up to 300 attackers chased five French Jews on Friday screaming "Death to the Jew."
The five ran in different directions and the Jew was cornered alongside a black plainclothes police officer. When his tear gas failed to dissuade the attackers, he fired one warning shot in the air, which apparently hit two of the mob, later resulting in the death of one.

Monroe, NY - Mayor Urges State to Lower Quickway Speed Limit

The following is a letter written by Monroe Village Mayor John M. Karl III to the state Department of Transportation:
---------

Mr. Robert Dennison III
Director D.O.T. Region 8
Eleanor Roosevelt State Building.
4 Burnett Blvd. Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Dear Mr. Dennison,


I would like to request the Department of Transportation give serious consideration to lowering the speed limit on New York State Route 17 back to 55 mph from the current 65 mph.

As you may be aware, serious accidents have occurred in the southern area of Orange County on this highway which is highly traveled, not to mention the deaths that have occurred as well.

As a first responder for 30 years, I have seen first hand the results of death and injury along this state road. I urge you to reduce the speed limit back to 55 mph to lessen the chances of high-speed accidents. It will be a move that will save lives and property now and in the future. Sincerely,

John M. Karl III

Mayor

Brooklyn, NY +Water Main Break+

Brooklyn, NY +Water Main Break+ FD are on the scene in front of 95 Ross Street between Bedford Avenue and Wythe Avenue for a small water main break in middle of the street. DEP has been requested.

Monsey, NY - Preschool Allowed to Stay Through School Year's End, But Only After Agreeing To Pay Alot

Monsey, NY - A preschool for developmentally disabled children that faced eviction will be allowed to remain at its location until the end of the school year.

The decision came following negotiations between HASC, and Congregation Birchos Yosef, said Marcy Glicksman, HASC's program director. Congregation Birchos Yosef is buying the property on which the school is located from its owner, the Monsey Jewish Center. "The buyer did settle with us," Glicksman said. "We're sending a note to parents now. It's very comforting to know that we have a home, at least for a little longer."

After the center finalized the sale of its property, it moved in state Supreme Court to evict the school. HASC wanted to remain in its Route 306 location until the end of the school year.
An acting state Supreme Court justice ruled that the owners of the Monsey Jewish Center could evict HASC. The school filed an appeal but was also negotiating with the buyers to let students remain until June 2007.

Officials at HASC gave no details of the agreement but said an offer of substantially higher rent to the new owners clinched the deal. The academy paid $95,000 annually in rent to the Monsey Jewish Center. "It was about a number they were happy with. It was for a lot more money than we would have liked to spend," Jeanne Alter, chief school administrator, said.

Washington, DC - Teenager Sentenced for Murder of Former Union of Jewish Students Chairman

Washington, DC - A teenage boy has been sentenced to six years in jail for his part in the murder of former Union of Jewish Students chairman Alan Senitt.

Senitt, 27, was attacked in the Georgetown area of Washington DC in the early hours of July 9 while walking home. He was in Washington as a volunteer to former Virginia Governor Mark Warner.
The teen, who is one of four involved in the crime, cannot be named and he was not accused of delivering the stabbing himself, but by knowingly taking part with the others in the robbery, made him guilty of murder.

Following the sentence, Senitt's family said: "It is completely unjust that the juvenile should be released as a free man at the age of 21 (or even before then). We hope and pray that no leniency be shown to the three adults when they go to trial next year.”

The other three adults who were arrested by police, Christopher Piper, Jeffrey Rice and Olivia Miles, are awaiting trial.

Manhattan, NY +MVA/FDR Traffic Alert+

Manhattan, NY +MVA/FDR Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident with vehicle that overturned and multiple aided trapped inside including children on the south bound of the FDR Drive at 15th Street, NYPD ESU and EMS are on the scene requesting additiona EMS to respond on a rush.

Woodbury, NY +Traffic Advisory+

Orange County, Woodbury, NY +Traffic Advisory+ Very heavy traffic on the north bound of the NY State Thruway I-87 before Exit 16 Thruway is backed up for at least 8 miles, also Route 32 is very heavy, all due to holiday shoppind at the woodbury common mall.

Monsey, NY +Armed Robbery+

Rockland County, Monsey, NY +Armed Robbery+ Police and Chaveirim on the search for three black males armed with handguns for an armed robbery of Monsey Glatt Supermarket at 190 Route 59 where an aided was robbed and beaten by three perps dressed in black and their faces covered, aided managed to run to the Getty Gas Station from where Monsey Hatzolah transported him to the hospital, K-9 Units enroute.

Rockland County, Monsey, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+

Rockland County, Monsey, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident with aided trapped on the New York State Thruway at MM 25, vehicle is in the woods and partialy in water, NY State Police and FD on the scene rescue going to work.

Port Ewen, NY +Route 9W Traffic Alert+

Port Ewen , NY - As Ulster County Sheriff's Deputies talked with Timothy Halpin on the shoulder of the 9W road, after they were called for a fight going on, he got angry, really angry, and that's when he began striping all his clothes.

Sheriff's Deputies say, Halpin "stood in the southbound lane of 9W completely naked, to the discomfort of the passing vehicular traffic." That's why says the sheriff's office, Halpin, 43, was arrested and charged with public lewdness and resisting arrest, misdemeanors.

It started when deputies were called to Halpin's home in Port Ewen, where he was fighting with someone. When deputies arrived, the two were arguing in the middle of Route 9W. 
Deputies began talking to Halpin on the shoulder of the road. That's when he got angry and the clothes started coming off, traffic in the area was heavy.

London +Poisoned Russian Spy Dies+

London - Poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died in an intensive care ward.

Litvinenko, a fierce critic of the Russian government, suffered a rapid deterioration in his health on Thursday, but doctors still were unable to determine the cause of his death, a spokesman said in a statement.

U/D: 11/24/06 10:28
A large amount of alpha radiation, probably from polonium-210, was found in the urine of the ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, an expert says.

Washington, DC +Suspicious Package at White House+

Washington, DC +Suspicious Package at White House+ Secret Service are on the scene and police are responding to 1600 Penninsylvia Avenue to the White House for a suspicious package, EMS and HazMat are also requested.

Nyack, NY +NYS Thruway Closed+

Nyack, NY +NYS Thruway Closed+ A four vehicle accident on the north bound of the New York State Thruway at M/M 18.0 near Exit 12 with one aided pinned inside the vehicle has the NY State Police close down all lanes northbound.

Hawaii +Earthquake Hits Island+

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit off the big island of Hawaii, no damages or serious injuries were reported.

Detroit, MI - Stolen Van for Kids with Cancer, Recovered

Detroit, MI - A local program called Kids Kicking Cancer recovered its van, a day after it was stolen, police said.

The van was the only handicapped-accessible vehicle the program owned, said Rabbi Eli Melech Goldberg, the program's founder.  
Police said the 15-passenger van was stolen from an associate's home on Detroit's eastside.
Family services director Cindy Cohen said plans were to use the vehicle to take several children to the America's Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday. She said she is happy to hear the van was found so quickly.

Nassau, NY - Death Threats to School Board Trustees

Nassau, NY - Death threats were mailed to the school board president and three other trustees who were not identified.  

The threats were mailed to the home and office of Dr. Mansdorf. Police said the letters included threats against Mansdorf's children and grandchildren.   Dr. Mansdorf, who in 2001 was the first District 15 trustee to be elected from the Orthodox Jewish community, said he's acting on the advice of detectives and would not comment on the threats.
The letters threatened harm against the board members and their families should any more schools be closed in District 15.    

Fourth Squad Detective Sgt. Ronald Nesbitt said detectives have submitted the papers and envelopes from the letters to the Nassau County Police Department's forensic evidence lab to look for both DNA and fingerprint clues to determine who sent them. He said he hopes to have the lab results in the near future.  "Hopefully, we'll get something we can act on," said Nesbitt. "We're examining every possible angle."

Roosevelt, NJ - Police Probe Paint-Ball Attack at Yeshiva

Roosevelt, NJ - A paint-ball attack on a dormitory for a yeshiva has not been ruled out as a religiously-motivated attack, according to the State Police.

The side of a private dwelling housing 10 to 15 students was struck by about 70 paint-ball pellets just after midnight, said Josh Pruzansky, executive vice president of Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah.  "In the past, it's been verbal harassment," Pruzansky said. "This is the first physical act and hopefully the last."  

State Police spokeswoman Sgt. Jeanne Hengemuhle said the incident is under investigation and witnesses are being interviewed. "We welcome any information that anyone has," Hengemuhle said.

Pruzansky said on occasion people will drive past the yeshiva and shout epithets from their vehicle windows.  "The world still has many biases, and there are many prejudices," said Pruzansky, who suspects that the perpetrators behind the attack may hold those biases. 

"I don't know exactly who it is," he said. "The theory is that there was a pickup truck with someone sitting in the back with the paint balls while someone was driving the pickup. It's just a theory."   Pruzansky said that prior harassers have come in a pickup truck, and tire tracks found at the scene match the tracks of such a truck.

Nichols, NY - Man Arrested for DWI

Nichols, NY - A 43-year-old man was charged for DWI driving his lawnmower while intoxicated.

The Tioga County Sheriff's office said David Dascher was driving his Craftsman lawnmower with an open can of beer along the road in Nichols, about 170 miles southwest of Albany.
Dascher was charged with misdemeanor counts, one for driving while his ability was impaired and was driving while intoxicated. He also was cited for operating the lawnmower with an open can of beer and littering.

Dascher was issued an appearance ticket to go before Nichols Town Justice Joann Caloroso on Dec. 11.

Jerusalem, Israel - First Haredim Job Placement Center Opens

Jerusalem, Israel - In an effort to encourage more haredi adults to join the workforce the first of six ultra-orthodox oriented job placement centers was dedicated in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem center director Naftali Flintstein said that expectations are running high. "The phones are ringing off the hooks."

But this project however is far from complete as more than a few Rabbis voice there concern over the change. "It's hard to say that all the Rabbis are encouraging employment," said Flintstein who acknowledges that there are still setbacks to overcome, "but certainly is a man reaches a situation where he has difficulty supporting (his family) then he must go to work. He is told to do this and not remain in his current situation."

Sydney, Australia - Robbery at Gunpoint

Sydney, Australia - Police are searching for a group of people who robbed two men at gunpoint in Ruschcutters Bay.

The two men, who are Jewish said, they were walking home just before 3am when they heard someone calling them from inside a vehicle.
In the vehicle - a black SUV - were two men and three women asking them for directions. “I went to the car first as I didn’t think anything of it,” one of the men told police, the driver pulled out a firearm and demanded money. “They were quite aggressive, yelling at us, so I refused to give him my wallet. That’s when I realised it was serious as he put a gun to my chest and I put my hands in the air,” that's when they handed over their wallets before the vehicle, which was stolen, and the vehicle sped off.
“They first went up a dead-end street and while they were trying to turn around, I rang the police and gave them their licence number and their descriptions. The police were great, they were there two minutes later.”

Washington, DC - Capitol Attack is Inevitable

Washington, DC - The Senate's top security official says that an attack on the Capitol is inevitable as long as it remains open to the public.
Outgoing Senate sergeant-at-arms William Pickle said that keeping the Capitol building secure is almost impossible. The number of elected people who need to be protected in Congress makes it a harder place to secure than the White House, he said.

Pickle spent nearly 30 years in the Secret Service before his three years with Senate security.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at 41st Street and 16th Avenue and has severe head trauma and is unconscious, Hatzolah responding with multiple units BLA and ALS on a rush.

U/D: 18:21
Aided transported to Lutherian Hospital in serious condition.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Collapse+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Collapse+ A portion of a building being demolished collapsed onto the sidewalk at 13th Avenue and 41st Street, no one trapped, NYPD ESU division and FD are on the scene requesting units to respond in, also requesting the Buildings Department.

New Square, NY - Woman Dragged by Taxi

New Square, NY - A 58-year-old Spring Valley woman was scraped on her head and face after her coat got caught in a taxi door and was dragged several feet across an asphalt parking lot.

Esther Goldberger was being evaluated at Westchester Medical Center after the incident. Her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening

Taxi driver Gary P. Buiges, 52, was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and was free on $150 bail.

Cook County, IL - Lawsuit Against Maker of Hot Dogs

Cook County, IL - Three Cook County residents have filed suit against Vienna Beef, alleging that the company mislabeled hot dogs as "pure beef" when the products had a pork casing. 
The plaintiffs--Morris Gershengorin, Marina Smolyansky and Marina Bartashnik--suffered emotional distress after learning they had ingested the pork-intestine casing, according to the lawsuit.   

Each of the plaintiffs is described in the suit as "an observant Jew." They are seeking to bring the suit as a class action on behalf of others who have eaten the hot dogs. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court seeks unspecified damages.  
Vienna's advertising does not claim the hot dogs are kosher but does use terms such as "all-beef hot dogs" and "pure beef franks," according to the suit.

Company officials have not yet reviewed the suit but stand behind their labeling, Vienna Beef spokeswoman Susan Stoga said. "The few products that we do have (with pork) are labeled as such," Stoga said.

Nanuet, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+

Nanuet, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+ A serious motor vehicle accident on the south bound of the New York State Thruway at M/M 22.6 with aided unconscious, EMS requested on a rush, PD closing two lanes.

Montreal, Canada - Police Clear Up Misunderstanding Between Them and Chassidim

Montreal, Canada - Police say, there was no directive that female officers step aside and allow their male colleagues to handle interventions with chassidic men, Insp. Paul Chablo, said, It’s all a misunderstanding.  

He said it was a “suggestion” and comparable to the police trying to respect a sexual-assault victim’s request to speak to a female officer, for example.

The chassidic communities, meanwhile, say don’t blame them; they never made a request for special treatment by the police and there have been no problems.  
What was intended to enlighten the force about the customs and beliefs of Chassidim in order for officers not to misunderstand certain behaviours has been taken by the police union as undermining the equality of male and female officers on the job.

Minnesota - Kosher Butcher Fired, Lawsuit Dismissed

Minnesota - A kosher butcher was fired after more than 10 years of successful employment when a new rabbi found his qualifications religiously suspect. The court had to decide whether to treat the case as religious or secular.

AER Slaughtering services provides slaughtering services for companies that sell kosher meat products. Leo Maruani went to work for AER as a shochet in 1993.  
In 2003, Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag became the certifying authority and he reviewed Maruani's qualifications and decided that he was not "God-fearing in the public's eye." He offered several reasons: Maruani drove to synagogue services instead of walking as required; he did not wear a full beard and dark suit; and his wife, a convert to Judaism, did not cover her hair or use the Jewish ritual bath. AER terminated Maruani.

Maruani sued AER in Minnesota state court and AER removed the case to federal district court. In his complaint Maruani claimed that AER discriminated against him on the basis of religion in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. 
AER claimed that the court had no jurisdiction over Maruani's claims. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
 
The court decision was that AER was clearly a secular employer, operating as a for-profit business and not owned by any church; it was thus not entitled to First Amendment religious protection. Maruani's job, on the other hand, clearly was religious in nature as it involved slaughtering animals according to Jewish ritual. Inquiring into Maruani's religious discrimination claim would involve the court's consideration of the rabbi's rules and Maruani's own religious conformity; accordingly, the court dismissed that claim.

Manhattan, NY - Jewish Museum Free on Saturdays

Manhattan, NY - Like many other cultural institutions in town, the Jewish Museum has raised its admission price, but at least it will be free one day a week.

The Jewish Museum is now free every Saturday, in honor of Shabbas. While most of the exhibits will be open, the cafe, shops, interactive electronics and children's exhibition will be closed also in honor of Shabbas.

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Unruly Crowd+

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Unruly Crowd+ A large fight broke out early this morning between a large unruly crowd at 770 Eastern Parkway at Kingston Avenue the NYPD called for a level one mobilization and requested backup units for crowd control, Hatzolah and Shomrim units were also responding on a rush.

New York - Younger Teitelbaum Wins Another Round in Court Battle Over Control of Satmar

New York - Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum has won another victory over his older brother Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum in their bitter battle for control of the Satmar Hasidic sect.

The New York Court of Appeals has struck down the request of the older brother and his followers in the Village of Kiryas Joel, in Monroe NY, to overturn a lower court decision that granted authority of the Satmar Chasidim and their Brooklyn congregations to his younger brother Rabbi Zalmen.

Both Rabbi Zalmen, 54, and brother Rabbi Aron, 58, rabbi of Kiryas Joel congregation in Orange County, claim they're head of the Brooklyn flock. When the dispute over who's boss went to court, a Brooklyn judge ruled in favor of Zalmen.
The decision handed down by the New York State Court of Appeals yesterday upheld's Zalmen's leadership, a ruling that followed the wishes of his father, Grand Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum, who died in April.

Towson, MD - Police Officer Given Flexibility for Shabbas

Towson, MD - A Towson University police officer will be allowed to rearrange his work schedule to observe Shabbas under an agreement reached with school officials.

David Brown converted to Orthodox Judaism about five years ago. Since then, he's missed shifts that fall on the Jewish Sabbath, causing a dispute between him and the University, as was reported on VOS IZ NEIAS.
The dispute prompted protests and petitions by students and accusations that the university discriminated against Brown when it suspended him.
The agreement was reached before a hearing that could have led to Brown's termination. Under the agreement, Brown will be given leeway to find other officers to work shifts that fall on the Sabbath.
"I feel pretty excited about going back to the job," Brown, 34, said. "It's like a weight has been lifted off."

Poughkeepsie, NY - Human Bones Found at Construction Site

Poughkeepsie, NY - Portions of at least four human skulls and other skeletal remains were discovered at a City of construction site.

Construction workers called police, Sgt. Matthew Clark said. The adult remains were found at 364 Mansion St., where crews are working on a new residential building.
Although authorities can't offer an estimate about the age of the remains until an anthropologist has more time to examine them, Clark said they're "very old" and "there's no indication this is anything criminal."
"It looks like a burial site and we're trying to determine if there was a burial site there," they said, there is a Jewish cemetery in the area but that's not close enough to be connected to the remains.

U.S. - Passports Needed for Re-Entry

U.S. - Nearly all air travelers entering the United States will be required to show passports beginning Jan. 23, including returning Americans and people from Canada and other nations in the Western Hemisphere.

The requirement marks a change for Americans, Canadians, Bermudians and some Mexicans. Currently, U.S. citizens returning from other countries in the hemisphere are not required to present passports but must show other proof of citizenship such as driver's licenses or birth certificates.

In a few cases, other documents still may be used for air entry into the United States by some frequent travelers between the United States and Canada, members of the U.S. military on official business and some U.S. merchant mariners.

Waikiki, Hawaii - White House Staffer Robbed and Beaten

Waikiki, Hawaii - The acting director of the White House Travel Office was robbed and beaten in Waikiki outside a club.

Three men mugged Greg Pitts at about while he was walking through the International Marketplace near Bobby Club.
Pitts accompanied President George W. Bush on a brief visit to Hawaii. While Bush stayed at Hickam Air Force Base, White House staff, crew from the airplane and reporters stayed at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. A group was at Duke's for dinner and crossed over to Bobby near the International Marketplace.

Paramedics treated Pitts and took him to Queen's Medical Center. He did not return with the president to Washington.

Israel - Man Dies from Rocket Attack

Israel - An Israeli man struck by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip has died of his injuries in hospital.

The armed wing of the ruling Hamas group claimed responsibility for the latest of a series of rocket strikes at Israel.

Manhattan, NY +West Side Hwy Traffic Alert+

Manhattan, NY +West Side Hwy Traffic Alert+ A fatal motor vehicle accident on the Henry Hudson Parkway and West 83rd Street with one vehicle that overturned, major traffic delays in the area.

U/D
Driver that caused this deadly accident was arrested for drunk driving.

Manhattan, NY +Armed Robbery+

Manhattan, NY +Armed Robbery+ NYPD of MTN Pct are on the scene at 2 West 46th Street and Broadway for an armed robbery of a jewelry store at that location, two armed male white perps wearing masks and displaying a fire arm fled with lots of jewelry. ESU responding for evidence search.

Woodbury, NY +Route 6 Traffic Alert+

Orange County, Woodbury, NY +Route 6 Traffic Alert+ A serious motor vehicle accident with entrapment and ejection on Route 6 before Route 293, New York State Police on the scene screming for Fire Department and EMS to respond in a rush for one aided that was ejected from the vehicle and two others are pinned with serious injuries, some of the aided are children, two medevacs being launched. car split in two.

U/D: 14:41
EMS command on the scene now requesting a third medevac to respond (Stat Flight, Lifeguard and Northstar from Jersey) L/Z on Route 6 at Turkey Hill Parking near the scene, numerous injuries on the scene.


U/D: 20:26
The 3-year-old child was just pronounsed dead at Westchester Medical Center.

Beit Shemesh, Israel - One Sidewalk for Men, One for Women

Beit Shemesh, Israel - The orthodox community of Beis Shemesh is taking a further step in its quest for disengagement. The sidewalks on one of the main streets in the orthodox neighborhood have been divided - one for men and one for women.

Due to a problem they have in the Nachala Menucha neighborhood, the orthodox community came up with a solution. There are several synagogues in the neighborhood where men flock to pray. The problem is that while they head towards their synagogue they encounter women taking their children to the adjacent health clinic. Fearing that the rules of modesty will be broken, it was decided to impose complete segregation.

Women are permitted to walk on one side of the sidewalk while men on the other. Signs have been posted on the men's side of the street instructing women to leave the sidewalk and to cross over to their side, and during certain hours of the day a synagogue custodian is stationed outside to make sure the rules are adhered to.

"They are putting up illegal signs, running wild and throwing stones," one of the residents said, "and no one is doing anything to prevent this. The municipality and the police are powerless."

Israel +Terror Alert in Jerusalem+

Jerusalem, Israel - District police are on alert after receiving warnings that a suspicious car is on its way to the capital.

Police said the car could be carrying terror suspects.

St. Paul, MN - Muslims Removed from Plane

St. Paul MN - Six Muslim imams were removed from a US Airways flight at Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport and questioned by police for several hours before being released. The six were among passengers who boarded Flight 300, bound for Phoenix.

A passenger initially raised concerns about the group through a note passed to a flight attendant, and police were called after the captain and airport security workers asked the men to leave the plane and the men refused.
"They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," said Omar Shahin, of Phoenix. Three of the Muslims stood and said their normal evening prayers together on the plane, Shahin said. He attributed any concerns by passengers or crew to ignorance about Islam. "I never felt bad in my life like that," he said. "I never. Six imams. Six leaders in this country. Six scholars in handcuffs. It's terrible."

The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 141 passengers and five crew members, were re-screened for boarding, Rader said. The plane took off about three hours after the men were removed from the flight.

Nanuet, NY +Palisades Parkway Traffic Alert+

Nanuet, NY +Palisades Parkway Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident with entrapment on the south bound of the Palisades Interstate Parkway near Exit 7 has the Fire Department and PD currently blocking all lanes, heavey delays in the area.

Moscow, Russia - Three Men Sentenced for Hate Crimes

Moscow, Russia - A Russian court on sentenced three young men to between 12 and 18 months of internal exile for a racially motivated beating of a prominent cultural figure.

The Moscow Izmailovsky court found the three men guilty of causing bodily harm to Zaur Tutov, a singer who serves as culture minister in his native Kabardino-Balkariya republic in southern Russia, out of ethnic hatred. Tutov has been hospitalized with a broken cheekbone, concussion and bruises. He said the assailants shouted "Russia is for Russians! Get out!"
A sentence of internal exile requires a person to live in a remote settlement.

Russia has seen an increase in hate crimes against dark-skinned foreigners, Jews and immigrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Sderot, Israel - Gaza Rockets Hit Town During U.N. Visit

Sderot, Israel - Palestinian'sin Gaza fired rockets into an Israeli town during a visit by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, critically wounding one person.

Commissioner Louise Arbour, on a tour of the Palestinian territories and Israel, was unhurt in the attack in Sderot. "They (the rockets) landed a few hundred yards away from where we were," said Christopher Gunness, a U.N. spokesman who accompanied Arbour on the visit to the town. "She was in a car but the delegation had parked very briefly when we heard very loud explosions. There were two plumes of smoke," he said.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said a factory worker was critically wounded.

Izz el-Deen al-Qassam from Hamas, said it launched the makeshift rockets at Sderot and had not known Arbour would be there.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA/Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident on the west bound of the Belt Parkway at Bay Parkway, Hatzolah on the scene requesting two ambulances, expect delays in the area.

Tokyo, Japan +Submarine Accident+

Tokyo, Japan +Submarine Accident+ A Japanese submarine collided with a civilian vessel in southern Japan waters during surfacing exercis off the coast of Miyazaki, no injuries were reported among the crew members.

U/D: 23:05
Condition of the aided on the civilan vessel is unknown.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident in Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY with a pedestrian that was struck at Havemeyer Street and Division Avenue, NYPD and Hatzolah responding BLS and ALS units.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Water Main Break+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Water Main Break+ A large water main break at 106 Ross Street and Bedford Avenue which is undermining the street, Fire Department are on the scene requesting DEP to respond.

Ocean County, NJ - Woman Arrested for Putting Poison in Sandwich

Ocean County, NJ - A woman who police say tried to poison her live-in sister and her sister's fiance by putting rat poison in their sandwiches has been charged with two counts of attempted murder.  

Dana Simons, 43, was arrested after her sister called police to report finding rat poison pellets in the couple's sandwiches on two separate occasions.  
The sister, 51, and her fiance, 50, did not eat the sandwiches and were unharmed.  

The first time Simons' sister noticed something odd, was when Simons brought home sandwiches for the couple that appeared to have a blue-green pellets mixed in with the chicken. The couple thought it was strange and threw out the food without eating any.  
When Simons came home again with sandwiches for the couple, they figured out what the pellets were made of.  
"They saw the blue-green pellets again and made the connection to the container of rat poison they found in the house," Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Martin Anton said. 

Simons, who worked at a nearby deli, faces five to 10 years in prison for each attempted murder charge if convicted. She was released on her own recognizance.

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck on East 85th Street and Park Avenue, Hatzolah responding.

Matawan, NJ - Man Arrested for Supporting Terror

Matawan, NJ - A man was arrested and charged with material support for terrorism, in New Jersey.

Investigators said Saleh Elahwel, of Matawan, was taken into custody by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task force at his home. Elahwel is expected to be arraigned in federal court this afternoon.  
U.S attorney Michael Garcia is expected to announce that Elahwel is a second man to be charged in connection with helping a Hezbollah television station reach viewers here in the U.S.    

The Hezbollah station -- Al Manar -- has been designated a terrorist entity by the U.S. government, and the State Department lists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

Lakewood, NJ +School Break-In+

Lakewood, NJ - Police are investigating a break-in at a local school.

The break-in of a private, girls Orthodox Jewish school was reported this morning, said Lt. William Addison.

Officers Anthony Caraballo and Joseph Przewoznik responded to the Bais Rivak School on River Avenue and found an open window in the back of the school, a broken window inside the school office, and loose change on the floor, Addison said.

But it was unclear this if anything was missing from the building.

Bnei Brak, Israel - Member of Knesset Asking for Criminal Investigation for Racism Against Arabs

Bnei Brak, Israel - Fliers distributed in the Bnei Brak neighborhood of Pardes Katz called on neighborhood residents to refrain from selling or renting houses to Arabs.

"Our homes have become non-Jewish. In Pardes Katz, there are hostile Arabs, not of our people, who have brought to our streets destruction and fear," "we must not agree to an atmosphere so dangerous to our souls and bodies! We cannot allow them to destroy the education of the youth in our neighborhood!" the flier states.
 
The fliers, were printed to censure recent apartment rentals to Arab students studying in nearby educational institutions.

Knesset Member Dov Khenin, who serves as chairman of the Knesset's human rights lobby, received a copy of the flier and said that disease of racism seeping into Israeli culture and he wished to appeal to the attorney general to open a criminal investigation against its authors. "The distributors of this flier violated the law prohibiting racist incitement against Arab students, and it's the duty of the judicial committee to take a tough stand against them," he said.

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg's Worth Far Larger Than Previous Estimated

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg's net worth is far larger than previous estimates indicate, and may be in the $20 billion range, given the value of his financial news company.

An analysed said that the company, which has 125 news bureaus worldwide, is worth approximately $22.5 billion and possibly more - far higher than most estimates assume.
In September, Mr. Bloomberg ranked 44th on the "Forbes 400" listing of the wealthiest Americans. His net worth was pegged by Forbes at $5.3 billion, a figure directly linked to Bloomberg LP, the company he founded and in which he still owns a 72% stake. But with the higher company value, Mr. Bloomberg's personal worth would be closer to $20 billion, catapulting him past News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin on the Forbes list, into the top 10. It puts him up there with the heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune and makes him, perhaps, the wealthiest resident in New York City.

Bloomberg LP is a private company and is not required to publicly report its earnings, making it impossible to determine its exact value. But the company's revenue streams are relatively easy to follow.

Venice, CA - Coastal Commission Approves Eruv

Venice, CA - The California Coastal Commission last week approved for a three-year period a request by the Pacific Jewish Center a Orthodox synagogue in Venice to build an eruv along the beach from Santa Monica to Marina del Rey.
Streamers will be placed on part of the eruv to prevent endangered birds, the least tern, from flying into it. Also the synagogue must develop a method for monitoring the impact of the eruv on the terns.

Lakewood, NJ - Recall Petitioners Lay Low

Lakewood, NJ - The motives and the people behind an effort to remove Township Committeeman Charles Cunliffe from office remain murky as those involved stay in the shadows.

Cunliffe a Democrat, learned on Thursday that an organization has been formed in an effort to toss thehim out of office.

The recall committee took the first step in the recall process when it submitted a letter of notice to the clerk's office, informing Cunliffe that the recall group had been formed. The letter was signed by three women: Audrey Faust of Huntington Drive, Janet Heulitt of Sterling Court and Clara Ward of Malvern Court.

A source close to the recall movement said the women who signed the petition have support from a group within the Orthodox Jewish community. While there is no single issue, some people believe that Cunliffe isn't responsive to the concerns of the Orthodox community, according to the source.
Cunliffe, believes the recall movement may be related to his concerns about the influence of developers in shaping the township's approach to growth. Another reason for the recall effort may be his support of ousted Police Director Al Peters.

State law limits the recall effort to 160 days from the date of the notice of intention. The petition requires the signatures of 25 percent of the township's registered voters. That translates into about 8,900 signatures.