Manhattan, NY +F.D.R. Drive Shut Down+

Manhattan, NY +F.D.R. Drive Shut Down+ A serious MVA involving 6 vehicles with one entrapment at northbound of the F.D.R. Drive at East 63rd Street, ESU and FDNY are on the scene reporting that traffic is stopped.

Mondsville, W. VA - Rescue Effort For Trapped At Power Plant

Mondsville, W. VA - One worker is unaccounted for and three were rescued by helicopter after a fire trapped them 1,000 feet atop a smokestack at a Northern Panhandle power plant of American Electric Power.

U/D: 02/05/06 01:32
Marshall County sheriff says one man was killed in the power plant smoke stack fire.

Mamaroneck, NY - Judge Backs Yeshiva In Battle

Mamaroneck, NY - A federal judge has ruled in favor of a Jewish day school's right to expand its campus in Mamaroneck, trumping the village's zoning code and upholding the constitutionality of a controversial religious land use law.
The case could be the first of its kind to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, should the village appeal U.S. District Court Judge William Connor's decision.

In 2001, the Westchester Day School, a yeshiva for more than 400 students on tony Orienta Point, sought permission to build a 44,000-square-foot building on its 26 acres.
The case landed in federal court after a series of village hearings, approvals, neighborhood objections, denials, higher court appeals and settlement attempts.

Albany - Lieutenant Governor Has Been Submitted For Federal Judge

Albany, NY - Lt. Gov. Mary Donohue is up for an appointment to a federal judgeship after Gov. George Pataki submitted her name to the Bush administration.
The Troy native confirmed that the White House is considering her for a lifetime seat on the U.S. District Court bench in the Northern District. A vacancy is being created by Chief Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. who attains senior status on March 13. Donohue is not up for the chief judge's job, only the vacant judgeship.

Patent Deal Reached in BlackBerry Dispute

The maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device, Research In Motion, has reached a settlement on Friday of its long running patent dispute with NTP, that threatened to shut down the BlackBerry wireless e-mail service.

Nazareth, Israel - Three Israelis Set Off Firecrackers In Church That Sparks Riots

Nazareth, Israel - Three Israelis set off firecrackers inside a Roman Catholic church in the Arab town of Nazareth, sparking panic among worshippers and a mass brawl outside.
One police car was torched as protesters tried to surge past police into the Church, where the three -- a man and two women -- were holed up. Police later removed them and took them away for questioning.
The incident was prompted by personal grievances they had against the government.

New Square, NY +Elctric Shock+

New Square, NY +Elctric Shock+ Hatzolah EMS units are transporting 3 boys from Skvara Yeshiva to Staten Island Hospital the boys were elctricly shocked in the Yeshiva kitchen.

Brooklyn, NY - City Inmate Population Up; Brooklyn Jail May Reopen

Brooklyn, N.Y. - The number of inmates in New York City jails has been rising faster than correction officials had anticipated, by 9 percent since Jan. 1, jail population peaks sometimes to 14,002, leaving the jails at close to their current capacity.
It is not clear why it it is happening, but if the trend continues, the City Correction Department will need to reopen the Brooklyn House of Detention, a grim 10-story tower on Atlantic Avenue between Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill, that would relieve the strain that the large number of inmates has placed on correctional and health care workers at Rikers Island.

Woodmere, NY - Man Kidnapped From Synagogue Escapes

Woodmere, NY - A 75-year-old man was robbed and kidnapped while opening a Long Island synagogue for morning prayers.
The man was stuffed into the trunk of his car for about an hour until he was able to escape.
The incident began when the man was preparing the Synagogue in North Woodmere for the morning service, and two masked robbers with guns demanded money from the man, the man told them he had no money, so they took his car and ATM card and put him in the trunk of the car, the robbers drove around for about an hour, making a couple of stops, when the car stopped and the man didn't hear voices in the car anymore, he was able to pry open the trunk, escape and call police.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +Fire In Apartment Building+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +Fire In Apartment Building+ A fire in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY on the 3rd floor of 170 Clymer Street a 3 story P/D with some people trapped, Hatzolah on the scene requesting additional units and a coordinator to the scene.

U/D: 11:07
Everone out, Hatzolah transporting.

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Loses Out On The Empire Zone Benefits

Goshen - These days, it's use it or lose it with New York's popular business attraction tool, the Empire Zone.
Albany passed legislation last year meant to correct the slow drift that had carried the zones - and their substantial tax incentives - promising property tax abatements, wage tax credits and sales tax refunds on construction materials, called Empire Zone.

Kiryas Joel, Middletown and the Town of Wallkill didn't use their zones. So, now they've lost them.

Like the five-story business center now rising in Kiryas Yoel, Monroe, NY which will be the hardest hit. Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin said the developer already invested $2 million and approached prospective tenants with the expectation of Empire Zone benefits.

"It may devastate the project," said Szegedin. "This was a major marketing tool."

Lack of Kosher Chickens Due to Sick Poultry

Israel - Lack of supply of kosher chickens in Israel is due to a high number of birds which have arrived at slaughterhouses with sicknesses, according to a supermarket chain.

A popular chain among the religious sector, reported the lack of supply. The price of all Kosher chickens has risen recently.

New Paltz, NY - Leaders Decry Anti-Semitism

New Paltz, NY - The Town Board has unanimously in a resolution condemned incidents of vandalism and behavior targeting the local Jewish community.

A recent request by Rabbi Moshe Plotkin to use his South Oakwood Terrace residence in the village as a synagoguge triggered the most recent wave of anti-Semitic behavior.
Plotkin's plan to convert the home he shares with his wife and three small children into a combination residence and house of worship, required a special permit as a nonconforming use. Village planners struggled with language in the village zoning law that did not specifically address that.
But charges of anti-Semitism surfaced when some neighbors questioned if Plotkin was in fact an ordained rabbi. Others questioned the rabbi's house being offered to SUNY students for Sabbath dinners or to provide a home away from home for them for religious purposes. At present, New Paltz has no synagogue.

Chicago - Jewish Leaders Quit Anti-Discrimination Panel

Chicago - Two prominent Jewish leaders resigned from a state anti-discrimination commission, as controversy escalated over another commissioner who is an official with the Nation of Islam.
Lonnie Nasatir, and Richard Hirschhaut, said they could not keep their posts when a commission member remained silent about controversial words recently spoken by the Nation of Islam leader.

Moscow - Hamas, Firm On Not Recognizing Israel

Moscow - Palestinian Hamas officials arrived in Russia for first talks with a major foreign power, and poured cold water on hopes of a peace breakthrough by saying they were firm in their refusal to recognize Israel.
"The issue of recognition is a done issue. We are not going to recognize Israel," a senior official accompanying exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, said after their delegation arrived in Moscow.

Kerch, Ukraine - Worshippers At Synagogue Threatened Again

Kerch, Ukraine - For the third time in recent weeks, an uninvited visitor barged into a synagogue in Kerch, Ukraine shouting death threats and antisemitic insults. The incident took place, when a drunken young man entered the synagogue and started shouting that he was there to "finish the job that the fascists started" along with other antisemitic slogans. The man left without harming anyone.

Williamsburg +Pedestrian Struck+

Williamsburg +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with one pedestrian that was struck at Lee Avenue and Wilson Street, Hatzolah on the scene.

Monsey +Serious Motor Vehicle Accident+

Monsey +Serious Motor Vehicle Accident+ A MVA with a minivan into a pole at 11 Monsey Blvd. and Walter Drive, Hatzolah on the scene requestind FD for the extrication of the aided.

U/D: 18:49
Victim is extricated att, but wires still on top of the vehicle.

Abidjan, Ivory Coast - Court OK's Key Suspect In killing of a Jewish man near Paris, Extradition

Abidjan, Ivory Coast - A court on approved the extradition of a key suspect in the kidnapping and torture killing of a Jewish man, 23-year-old Ilan Halimi, near Paris.

Now the President Laurent Gbagbo must sign off on the court ruling allowing the transfer of Youssef Fofana to France.

Halimi, was held for three weeks and tortured after his Jan. 21 kidnapping.
He was found on Feb. 13 near railroad tracks south of Paris, and died on his way to a hospital.

U/D: 03/03/06 08:06
Ivorian president has signed the decree allowing the extradition to France of Youssef Fofana, the suspected leader of the gang that tortured and killed the young Jewish Halimi.

U/D: 03/06/06 08:24
The prime suspect insisted that money, not anti-Semitism, was the only motive.

New York - Holocaust Victims Sue French Government

New York - A lawsuit sought damages from the French government for property lost by 75,000 Jews and tens of thousands of other "undesirables" who were sent to Nazi death camps during World War II.

The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Manhattan was brought by Holocaust victims and their heirs. It said France established and ran holding camps during the war where people being shipped out were forced to turn over all personal belongings.

Those belongings included cash, securities, silver, gold, jewelry, works of art, musical instruments, clothing and equipment, the lawsuit said.

New York - U.N. Launches Anti-Semitism Investigation

New York - The United Nations has launched an investigation of anti-Semitic incidents in its security service, according to a letter to all security staff.
The letter, follows the reprimand of a security guard for drawing swastikas on a log sheet knowing a guard from Israel would almost certainly see them. The guard also made Nazi-like salutes to his Israeli colleague.

South Orange, NJ - Eruv Permitted

South Orange, NJ - South Orange Trustees on Monday permitted the boundaries of the village to be used for establishing a symbolic religious boundary, called an Eruv.

Last year, representatives of two Orthodox congregations in Maplewood approached the Township Committee with its request. Under Jewish law, the local government must approve before an Eruv can be established.

“The village will let the local synagogue know it’s been approved and they would then take the responsibility to provide for the markings,” said Village Administrator.

Far Rokaway +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Far Rokaway +Motor Vehicle Accident+ A motor vehicle accident with injuries on the 878, near Rokaway Turnpike and Brooksvile Blvd, Hatzolah on the scene.

First Roumanian-American Synagogue's End

To those of you who asked if the First Roumanian-American Congregation Synagogue is being demolished completely, or just fixed, well, judging by the activity underway on Rivington Street, here is the answer.

White House Has New Jewish Liaison

The son of the chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has been chosen as the new White House liaison to the Jewish community.
Jay Zeidman, 22, has been working in the White House Office of Public Liaison since last summer, and will be taking over.

Jeffrey Berkowitz, who became the White House Jewish liaison last year, will now focus on his main job in the presidential scheduling office.
Zeidman's father is Fred Zeidman, a Houston friend of President Bush who was named chairman of the museum in 2002 and led fund raising in the Jewish community for Bush's re-election.

New York - SEC Probing Insurance Sales

New York - MetLife Inc., the largest U.S. life insurer, said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating sales practices at its New England Securities unit.
The SEC has started a formal investigation into the unit's sales of so-called universal life policies. A formal investigation means SEC commissioners have authorized investigators to issue subpoenas. The SEC is looking at the "suitability" of the sales and the unit is cooperating fully, MetLife said.
The company said it "believes that others in the insurance industry are the subject of similar investigations by the SEC."

Palisades Parkway +Traffic Alert+

Palisades Parkway +Traffic Alert+ New City, NY in Rockland County a serious motor vehicle accident on the northbound of the Palisades Interstate Parkway near exit-11 is causing heavy traffic delays, FD is working on the extrication, EMS has been requested.

U/D: 09:30
Also all lanes southbound of the Palisades Parkway between exit's 15-16 are closed, due to multiple vehicles involved in an MVA.

Sacramento - Crash Kills Community Leader

Sacramento, California - A retired schoolteacher and prominent leader in the Sacramento Jewish community was killed allegedly by a drunken driver.
Sima Spector, 73, had just dropped off a friend and was driving to her Carmichael home as her 1998 green Toyota Avalon entered the intersection of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Watt Avenue, a 1998 white Lexus GS400 ran a red light, the Lexus hit Spector's car on the driver's side. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Lexus, Nikita Page, 31, has been arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Spector was a speech language pathologist in the North Sacramento School District for 28 years.
She was a former president of the Sacramento Jewish Women's Business and Professional Group, and a leader of the Sacramento Chapter of Hadassah, a Jewish women's volunteer service organization.

Orange County, NY +NY Thruway Traffic Alert+

Orange County, NY +NY Thruway Traffic Alert+ On the New York State Thruway near Tuxedo at MM.39 a motor vehicle accident with injuries NY State Police are on the scene requesting ALS and FD to respond to the scene.

Town of Bethel Puts Moratorium On 17B Construction

Kauneonga Lake - Bethel Supervisor Harold Russell calls for a six-month moratorium on new buildings on properties adjacent to Route 17B from the town’s eastern border in Mongaup Valley west to the Evergreen Cemetery near Bethel in Kauneonga Lake.
But none other than Bethel Building Inspector Tim Dexter is against it, “I oppose this moratorium,” said Dexter. “There hasn’t been a rush to development. . . . I haven’t heard a valid reason why [we need a moratorium].”

Flatbush +Fire In Multiple Dwelling+

Flatbush +Fire In Multiple Dwelling+ A fire on the 2nd floor of a 6 story 100x100 multi dwelling at 785 Ocean Parkway and Foster Avenue, Hatzolah BLS and ALS units are requested for burn victims.

U/D: 20:48
Hatzolah on the scene requesting additional ambulance.
Primary searches are negative, fire is DWH.

U/D: 21:11
All Hatzolah members are leaving the scene, all injuried aren't serious.

Williamsburg - City Agree on Fund To Help Business

Williamsburg - The city announced the release of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Industrial Fund, a groundbreaking initiative which will dedicate $4 million to industrial job retention and creation in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg community.
The $4 million fund was created as a result of the negotiation between the City Council and the Bloomberg Administration during the re-zoning of Greenpoint-Williamsburg in May 2005. It will provide direct assistance to manufacturing and industrial firms in the form of relocation grants, pre-development expenses, energy cost savings, enhanced production techniques, infrastructure improvements and other special projects.

New York - State Trooper Shot & Killed

Big Flats, N.Y. - A state trooper was shot and killed in the Southern Tier.
The trooper was killed during an armed bank robbery of the Chemung Canal Trust Co. in Big Flats, about 10 miles north of the Pennsylvania state line.
"Our prayers are with his family,'' said Gov. George Pataki during a news conference. "We'll do everything we can to apprehend the perpetrator of this heinous crime.''

Helicopters were circling and about 20 police units were in the area of Big Flats, near Interstate 86. All schools in the Horseheads and Elmira Heights School District were on lockdown and parents were told to pick their children up and sign them out at the end of the school day.

Police are on the lookout for a 1997 Ford Taurus with the NY Tag# DFK-4390.

U/D: 03/02/06 23:51
The suspect has been caught.

Manhattan, NY +West Side Hwy Closed+

Manhattan, NY +West Side Hwy Closed+ Northbound of the West Side Highway at 125th Street FDNY is on the scene with a vehicle on fire, all lanes are blocked, heavy traffic delays through out the area.

Israel - A First For McDonald's Corp.

Israel - McDonald under pressure from some rabbis, two branches of the fast food firm McDonald's have changed the color of their trademark signs to assure diners that their burgers and fries are kosher.
The golden arches at the two branches have new blue backgrounds, replacing the trademark red ones. The new signs also display the word "kosher".
Only 12 branches are considered strictly kosher, where the menu does not include dairy products and the food is prepared to meet religious standards. Those 12 outlets are closed on Shabbas and holidays.

Far Rockway +Very Serious MVA+

Far Rockway +Very Serious MVA+ Earlier today before noon a very serious motor vehicle accident in Far Rokaway on the 876 in front of Shar Yoshuv Yeshiva, Hatzolah responded to the female aided that had very serious injuries, and transported here in likely condition.

Flatbush, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Flatbush, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident wit a pedestrian that was struck at East 16th Street and Avenue "J", Hatzolah on the scene requesting backup.

Flatbush, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Flatbush, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+ A MVA in Flatbush at East 23rd Street and Avenue "K", Hatzolah on the scene requesting 2 ambulances to respond to the scene.

New York - Website Will Save You at Pharmacy

New York - This website run by the New York State Attorney General's Office lists prices at 600 pharmacies.
A new law will make the website more comprehensive, with the listing of prices at more than 4,000 pharmacies across the state.

http://www.nyagrx.org/

Israel - Mayor Bloomberg Buying Luxury Apartment In Jerusalem

Israel - New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg is interested in purchasing a luxury apartment in a prestigious residential project in Jerusalem, adjacent to Independence Park.
The apartment for which Bloomberg may decide to buy, offers a broad panoramic view of the capital, including the Old City.

Manhattan, NY +Large Gas Smell+

Manhattan, NY +Large Gas Smell+ FDNY were searching and evacuating the area around Hanover Square and Peral Street for multiple reports around the area for a large gas odor, command post has been set up.

FD reporting now, after all searches the smell is coming from the Duke Energy Plant in Linden NJ, the odor apparently travelled over the water to lower Manhattan.

Situation is undor control now.

New York - Mark Green To Announce AG Campaign

New York - Former NYC Public Advocate Mark Green will formally announce his AG campaign at noon in Manhattan’s Thomas Paine Park.

Spring Valley - Community Complaints Against Federal Founded Clinic

Spring Valley - The Ben Gilman Medical and Dental Clinic agreed to open seven days a week following complaints that its policy of closing on Saturdays - because the staff observes Sabbath - was preventing members of the predominantly working-class community from getting basic health care.

The clinic, had to be forced by S. Ram Nagubandi, the Rockland human rights commissioner, to promise it would open on Saturdays. Community Medical and Dental Care Inc., which runs Ben Gilman and a sister clinic in Monsey, were closing both on Shabbas.

New Hempstead, NY - Rabbi Expelled From Shul

Rockland County, New Hempstead, NY - Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, was suspended by the board of Kehillat New Hempstead, from the Rockland County synagogue he founded.
Tendler, claiming a conspiracy to wreck his career and embarrass his family, refuses to acknowledge the suspension and has summoned 10 "insurgent" opponents to a special rabbinical court with the Union of Orthodox Rabbis.
The KNH board has reportedly also frozen Tendler out of a shul bank account - a charge that Tendler also denies.

The board cited a lawsuit, declining membership, falling finances, Tendler's "continuing lack of responsibility" and the board's own inability to determine the "accuracy" of some of his statements.
Tendler, who has publicly denounced the rabbinical council's ruling and has moved to dismiss the "scurrilous" lawsuit, continues to lead the shul, said his brother, Hillel Tendler.
"This is not a legal board . . . they're nothing," Hillel Tendler said, adding that the suspension letter "is void. It has no effect," and that a majority of the shul has signed a petition backing his brother.
Tendler opponents said at least a dozen people have left KNH.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +Fire In Private Dwelling+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +Fire In Private Dwelling+ A fire in Williamsburg at 166 Hewes Street Lee Avenue and Bedford Avenue in a 4 story 35x50 private dwelling, FD on the scene PD requesting backup, Hatzola responding.

U/D: 09:47
Fd reporting heavy fire condition on the 3rd floor with ext to the 4th, extra E&T have been requested.
Fire is DWH.

U/D: 09:51
Fire is K/D
Searches are in progress.

U/D: 10:24
Searches are completed and are negative and fire is under control.

Fire Dep Div-11 has placed this fire as a 10-41 Code-1 (suspicious fire).

New York - Javits Center Architect Considering Boycott of Israel

New York - The lead architect tapped to head the $1.7 billion redesign of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City has hosted last month the founding meeting of an association of professional building designers considering a boycott against Israel.

Spring Valley - Election Set On Jewish Holiday Controversy

Spring Valley - The East Ramapo Board of Education last night announced a compromise on the timing of this year's district budget vote and trustee election.
Board President said district polls would remain open an extra 2 1/2 hours, to accommodate those celebrating the Jewish holiday Lag B'Omer, which is May 16, the same day as the vote.
Some Orthodox Jewish voters had called on the district to seek the state's permission to reschedule the vote, because many Jews attend celebrations, leaving them little time to go to the polls.
Others travel to Israel during the holiday. While those unable to vote in person could use absentee ballots, one speaker said last night that absentee ballots would be difficult to handle for a few thousand voters.

A petition was presented with more than 100 signatures against changing the date, and tense moments persisted throughout the meeting, illustrating the divisions between the district's Orthodox Jewish and public school communities, but after all they called the compromise a "win-win.".

"This is not a Jewish school district," said Kenneth Mercer, "Jewish students don't really go to the school district" he didn't understand what interest the school board would have in changing the election date to accommodate a Jewish holiday.

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Judge Rejects Pipeline Request

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, N.Y. - The judge who ordered the villiage of K.J. to continue an environmental review of its proposed pipeline to the Catskill Aqueduct has rejected the village's request to argue the case again in his court.
Acting state Supreme Court Justice Stewart Rosenwasser brushed aside several arguments for reopening the volatile case, saying the village had raised issues he already considered before rendering his decision in October.
Rosenwasser also rejected new evidence that the village presented in its defense, saying that it came to light too late for his case.
Rosenwasser's rejection moves Kiryas Yoel to a to full-fledged appeal, which has been filed in the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court.

New York - Governor Was Sicker Than the Public Knew

New York - Gov. George E. Pataki's doctors said for the first time, that his ruptured appendix, peritonitis and abdominal abscesses and fever, had left him with two potentially life-threatening complications, and they revealed in a news conference, that it has left him more seriously ill than his staff and doctors previously acknowledged.

They would not predict when he might be able to leave the hospital, but said that it could be as long as three more weeks.

The Governor has moved his office into the hospital.

U/D: 03/01/06
Pataki Makes First Public Appearance Since Emergency Surgery.

Monroe, NY - Who Gets To Name Village Streets

Monroe, N.Y. - When it came time to name five new streets last year, village of Monroe officials chose the last names of five local victims of the World Trade Center attacks as a tribute to them.
But the developer Shlomo Ekstein who is planning to build 60 homes along those roads had something different in his mind. Something redolent of tweed, Tudor and old Scottish golf courses like Prestwick - in other words, something befitting upscale homes across the road from Mansion Ridge Golf Course.
Ekstein has sued the village and Orange County to prevent the 9/11 names from being entered into the county's E-911 system and gaining permanence. He insists the name swap will derail the marketing of homes.

"We're trying to be stately, subdued, a very elegant design," said Jeff Rosenfeld, co-owner of Monroe Realty Center, which is handling the marketing. "And when you use the names of these treasured people, there seems to be an inappropriate use here."
He argues in the lawsuit that Monroe trustees had no right to name streets that belong to Ekstein until he gives them to the village. He called their decision "an act of pure municipal arrogance, taken without an iota of legal authority."

Loch Sheldrake, NY +Fire In Private Dwelling+

Sullivan County, Loch Sheldrake, NY +Fire In Private Dwelling+ A working fire at a private dwelling at Cambridge Circle, Loch Sheldrake FD responding.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn +Pedestrian Struck+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at Lynch Street and Harrison Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene reporting aided is in and out of conscious.

Intel Building New $3.5 Billion Chip Plant In Israel

Israel - The world's largest chipmaker Intel started work on a massive 3.5 billion-dollar semiconductor plant in southern Israel, its largest-ever investment in that land.

Some 3.5 billion dollars will be invested in building the facilty, while another 1.5 billion dollars will go toward upgrading an adjoining facility.

The 200,000-square-foot (19,000-square-metre) manufacturing facility, due to be ready for operation in mid-2008, is expected to create 2,000 jobs in the local economy, increasing the size of Intel's 6,000-strong Israeli workforce by a third.

Brooklyn +Motor Vehicle Accident+

Brooklyn, NY +Motor Vehicle Accident+ A motor vehicle accident at 18th Avenue and East 7th Street, Hatzolah on the scene.

Monsey, NY +Serious MVA+

Rockland, Monsey, NY +Serious MVA+ A serious motor vehicle accident with entrapment at W Maple Avenue and Viola Road, Hatzola BLS units are on the scene requesting ALS Units to respond with a rush, als FD for extrication.

Bronx, NY - Prosecutors Are Said to Have Eavesdropped on Kerik's Calls

Bronx prosecutors investigating former Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik obtained a court order to tap his cellular telephone last summer and listened to his calls.

For more than a year, the prosecutors, along with lawyers from city's Department of Investigation, have been investigating who paid for several hundred thousand dollars in renovations on Mr. Kerik's apartment in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.

Bronx prosecutors and Department of Investigation lawyers have been presenting evidence to a grand jury in the Bronx since earlier this month, and officials have said as many as 50 witnesses will testify as part of the inquiry. Grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret.

Northfield, NJ - Synagogue Rethinking Cell Tower Proposal

Northfield, N.J. - A Shore Road synagogue is reconsidering a controversial proposal to host a 130-foot-tall radio tower on its property.
The president of Beth Israel Congregation, said based on feedback from 450 members, “We may reconsider our position and ask out of the contract.”
He said the offer from T-Mobile, the cell-phone company, to host the tower would bring the congregation about $15,000 a year - far less than the $5,000 a month that some opponents said the synagogue stood to gain from having a tower on its property.

In a meeting this month, several neighbors and parents clashed most sharply skeptically questioned an expert for T-Mobile who assured the crowd that the tower wouldn't present any health risks to people. Company representatives said repeatedly that the proposal was well within all state and federal safety limits.

Manhattan +Suspicious Substance In Tunnel+

Manhattan +Suspicious Substance In Tunnel+ FDNY and EMS are staging at the Lincoln Tunnel in regards to a suspicious substance found in the tunnel.

Israel - More and More Jews are Consulting "Virtual Rabbis"

Israel - Study shows that more and more ultra-Orthodox Jews are consulting "virtual rabbis" via the Internet.

The survey found that 25 percent of respondents regularly consulted a "virtual rabbi", 7 percent checked Internet forums for answers to religious questions, and these numbers are on the rise. Traditional methods were still more widely used, however.
Another statistic on the rise was the number of rabbis who surfed the Internet at home. According to the survey, 74 percent of ultra-Orthodox rabbis had home computers.

California - Jewish Groups Unite Behind $250 Million New Jewish Village

Palo Alto, California - A $250 million, 8.5-acre Jewish village will break ground in Palo Alto in late fall.
The main features of the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life will be the 130,000-square-foot Family Jewish Community Center and a 193-unit continuing care retirement community.

Moscow - Synagogue Accused Attacker Pleads Innocence, And Rails At Court

Moscow - The man accused of a knife-wielding attack on nine people in a central Moscow synagogue on January 11th, 2006, pleaded not guilty in an outspoken attack on the Russian judicial system.
"The Criminal Code has been written by Jews and the Jewish mafia, therefore, I plead not guilty," Alexander Koptsev, 20, told the Moscow City Court.

Prosecutor Kira Gudim said it had been Koptsev's third attempt to attack a synagogue after two previous attacks in late December and early January had ended in failure.

U/D: 03/19/06 23:58
Prosecutor demands 16 years for attacker.

London - Judge Freezes Mayor Livingstones Suspension Order

London - A High Court judge has frozen the order suspending London mayor Ken Livingstone from office.
The mayor was due to begin his four-week suspension for bringing his office into disrepute by making a Nazi jibe to a Jewish reporter. But a judge, sitting in private, ruled in an 11th hour decision that Mr Livingstone was entitled to have the controversial sanction stayed pending his statutory appeal.

Ramapo - Yeshiva Project Faces Charges

Ramapo - The developer of a yeshiva with adult-student housing has been issued a violation for using a construction trailer for a pre-school program.
Mosdos Chofetz Chaim is due in Ramapo Justice Court on March 20 to answer charges that the trailer had been occupied by children without a certificate of occupancy. "We're not going to permit a school to operate in the middle of a construction site," Town Attorney Michael Klein said.

Yesterday, Rockland Commissioner of Highways Charles Vezzetti dispatched an inspector to ensure that workers were complying to a county demand to halt work in the road's right-of-way.

Kashrus Questions Are Being Raised On Frozen Broccoli And Cauliflower

Some are concerned about the Kashrus of frozen cauliflower and broccoli and say that they could no longer be marketed as kosher.
Lab tests of cauliflower and broccoli samples from some areas, show high levels of infestation of insects and worms, and there is practically no possibility of removing them, on the home level, and certainly not on the industrial level.
The main reason is due to that the usual cold weather of the winter months reduces the number of tiny insects found in these vegetables, for this reason all processing and marketing of the frozen produce is done during the winter exclusively.
But this year due to the unseasonably warm weather of this winter, produce samplings tested in a laboratory showed an increased number of bugs.
USDA regulations permit 60 or more aphids, thrips or mites per 100 grams (3.6 oz.) in frozen broccoli.

New York - Gov. Pataki On IV Amid New Risk

New York - Gov. Pataki, still in the hospital 13 days after an emergency appendectomy, is receiving intravenous antibiotics because he's now at risk of developing an abscess.and Pataki, who is being treated at New York Presbyterian Hospital, has experienced only "a slow return of normal digestive function" and, as a result, "is eating small amounts of food, but remains on intravenous nutrition." The possibility that Pataki would develop an abscess, a localized collection of pus formed by tissue disintegration and surrounded by an inflamed area, and a date has not been set for the governor to be discharge and doctors will continue evaluate the governor on a daily basis.

U/D: 17:43
Gov. Pataki has an infection from his burst appendix and will remain hospitalized for the near future, his doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center said.

New York - US Helicopter Delays JFK Shuttle Start

New York - US Helicopter has pushed back to March 27 its start date for regular helicopter shuttle service to JFK Airport.
The service, originally scheduled to begin March 13, promises to deliver passengers to or from the airport in eight minutes for an introductory $139 one-way fare, plus taxes and security fees.
The company's web site is going live today to accept bookings.
Its Wall Street heliport will include federal security screeners, meaning that passengers bound for flights on American Airlines, where the helicopters will land, will be able to bypass the security and check-in lines at JFK.

Woodbury, NY - Kiryas Joel Man Charged With Harassment On A Deli Worker

Woodbury, N.Y. - A Kiryas Joel man was arrested after harassing a woman working at Danny's Market & Deli in Central Valley.

Police say that after thumbing through magazines, the Kiryas Yoel, Monroe 24-year-old man approached the clerk and offered her $5 if she would shake his hand or $20 if he could touch her. But when she refused, he reached over the counter and allegedly harassed her, investigators said. Police stopped his vehicle Oldsmobile in Highland Mills after he fled.

He is charged with harassment, a violation. He was released after posting $3,000 cash bail.

Uzbekistan - Jewish Groups Urges Thorough Investigation Into The Murder Of Tashkent Rabbi

A leader of the Tashkent Jewish community in Uzbekistan, Rabbi Avraham Yugudayev HaCohen, was murdered last Tuesday on his way to the synagogue in Tashkent.
The Rabbi’s friends found him lying mortally wounded on the street near where the synagogue is located. Rabbi HaCohen, 35, died of his wounds after being transported to the hospital.
The local police suspect a criminal motive, but the local Jewish community is convinced that anti-Semites are behind the murder, because the Rabbi was not robbed of his possessions.

U/D: 15:46
Authorities describe it as a traffic accident, and they have warned that it is "dangerous" to speculate that the car accident wasn't accidental.

U/D: 03/03/06
Police are urged to investigate the mysterious death of the rabbi amid fears he may have been the victim of an anti-semitic attack.

Durham - Donation To Duke To Support Jewish Programs

Durham - Duke University's president says a $2 million donation by the founders of the Sci-Fi Channel will support Jewish life programs at the school.
University President Richard Brodhead says the donation will help assure that Jewish student life at Duke will continue to flourish through cultural and educational programming.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn - NYFD Firefighters Discover Marijuana-Growing Operation

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Firefighters of Ladder 108 who battled a Brooklyn blaze yesterday about noon time at 131 Kent Avenue and North 6th Street, discovered a marijuana-growing operation that included about 40 pounds of pot wrapped and ready for sale.
As the ladder company dodged flames on the 2nd floor and searched the rest of the building, they spotted the illegal drug den on the top floor of the four-story building, of about 150 marijuana plants, 40 pounds of packaged drugs and a sophisticated hydroponic pot-growing setup with rows of lights and other equipment.

Albany, NY - Speaker Silver Belittles Suozzi's Bid For Governor

Albany, N.Y. - The most powerful Democrat in state government, Sheldon Silver, yesterday belittled the political reform effort begun by the Nassau County executive, Thomas Suozzi, while dismissing Mr. Suozzi's chances of being elected governor.

New York - NYPD's Bait Snags Thievest

New York Subways - The bait is a cheap handcart carrying groceries and $5 in a purse left on a subway platform.
Cops watch nearby, waiting for a would-be thief to snag the items.
It's a crafty ploy that netted 14 people in its first setup. But while authorities crow that among those nabbed are many serial criminals - including one man previously busted 57 times - critics blast it as everything from entrapment to a costly example of wasted police manpower.
Officials said those busted in Operation Lucky Bag face raps of petit larceny and possession of stolen property, both misdemeanors. They already had a total of 146 prior busts on their criminal records, including grand larcenies, robberies and the attempted murder of a cop.

But prominent criminal lawyer Gerald Lefcourt said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that police cannot induce someone to commit a crime unless they have prior knowledge that that person is likely to commit a crime.
"I don't think the government ought to be spending taxpayers' money to induce citizens to commit crimes. There's plenty of things for them to do without doing that," Lefcourt said.
One police source disgruntled with the program also blasted it a waste of manpower.
The source said there were 10 cops — one sergeant and nine officers — involved in the Jamaica sting that nailed Myers and no other perps during a three-hour surveillance.
The source suggested that Lucky Bag was cooked up by recently promoted police Transit Chief James Hall to boost his division's arrest numbers. "You don't get promoted through the ranks unless your numbers are better than the other guy's," the source said.
An NYPD spokesman denied the claim.

Baghdad, Iraq - Many Dead In Bombings A Day After Curfew

Baghdad, Iraq - At least 36 people are killed and many are injured in a series of bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a day after a curfew ends, prompting fears that sectarian violence was continuing following last week's bombing of a Shiite shrine.

A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up at a gas station in the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood, killing 23 people and injuring 51.

A car bomb targeting a police patrol in the same neighborhood killed nine people and injured 17, all civilians.

Another car bomb exploded near a Shiite mosque in the crowded southeastern Karada neighborhood, killing four people and injuring 16.

U/D: 12:29
Another blast kills 16, wounds 40 near Shi'ite mosque and market north of Baghdad.

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Person Shot+

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY +Person Shot+ A male about 47-years-old Efraim Klien HY"D a member of the Lubavitch community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y. was shot once in the right arm and once in the upper right side of his chest and killed in middle of the night out side his home on Carroll Street between Schenectady and Utica, after moving his car from one side of the street to the other, Hatzolah transported the aided in traumatic arrest to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced DOA. NYPD of the 71st Pct, ESU, Evidence Search NYPD Highway A.I.S. And Shmira Patrol Units are all working on the scene. PD are calling for a level one mobilization.

U/D: 03:32
Vehicle exploded, aided was pulled from the vehicle by bystanders.

U/D:
$10,000 reward for clues into the fatal shooting.

U/D: 10:17
ESU has been requested now again for a daylight evidence search in regards to the homicide that occurred about 01:30 in the morning.

One Of The Top 10 FBI Fugitives Was Captured In Mexico

A Mexican man who is among the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives for allegedly murdering his 4-year-old stepson in 2003 has been arrested in Mexico.
U.S. officials plan to seek extradition of the suspects.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Overturned Vehicle+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Overturned Vehicle+ A motor vehicle accident with one vehicle overturned on its side at 50th Street and 17th Avenue, all occupied are out of the vehicle with minor injuries, being handled by Hatzolah, PD and FDNY are also on the scene, ESU requested to upright the auto.

Brooklyn +Suspicious Package+

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious Package+ PD of the 90th Pct, ESU and the Bomb Squad on the scene at Lorimer Street and Powers Street with a confirmed explosive suspicious package, requesting Highway Patrol Units to assist in escorting the package to Rodmans Neck.

New York Ranks Last in Tax Study

New York - A new report is warning that New York State has the most hostile business tax climate in the nation, largely due to its higher-than-average personal income, sales and business taxes.
New York ranks last among the 50 states in terms of the burden placed on businesses by a variety of state taxes, according to a "business climate" study published by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group that was founded in the 1930s during the Depression.

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck Henry Hudson Pkwy+

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck Henry Hudson Pkwy+ At the northbound of the Henry Hudson Parkway near the George Washington Bridge exit #15, a elderly pedestrian male was struck on the roadway, PD and ESU are on the scene closing down some lanes in both directions, EMS requested on a rush for the aided that has serious head injuries.

U/D: 09:47
Highway completely shut down, EMS on the wrong way.

U/D: 09:56
Highway has been reopened ATT.

Brooklyn Heading For The Catwalk

Brooklyn plans to unveil the borough's first-ever fashion week. The three-day event, to be held in a former DUMBO tobacco warehouse, will feature roughly 30 designers.
"The whole point is to put Brooklyn on the map as a fashion destination," said Rick Davey, creative director for what is being called BK Fashion Week.
If all goes well, the event would happen twice a year they say.

Bayswater - Battle Rages Over New Limits On Building

Bayswater - This tiny community is feeling the same development pressure that has sent real estate prices skyrocketing and refashioned neighborhoods across the five boroughs.
There is a clash between those who say they want government to limit further growth and others who say they fear that such restrictions would prevent them from realizing the full value of their property.

A large group of mostly elderly Bayswater residents made the trip of more than an hour to a public hearing at the Planning Commission in Lower Manhattan to ask the city to save their peaceful, suburban community from "overdevelopment." They say the neighborhood's unique character is under assault and that increased density is putting pressure on the area's infrastructure, including its roads, schools, parking, and sewer system.
The Planning Commission will vote by April 5 on a plan to downzone Bayswater, where many homes that are more than a century old are being sold at higher prices. New owners are demolishing the homes, subdividing the lots, and rebuilding shiny, multi-unit developments.

New York - Subway Crime Takes A Big Dip

New York City - Subway crime has plummeted more than 37%, Robberies are down 21% so far this year. Grand larcenies have declined 46% and assaults have fallen 55%, NYPD data show.
One person has been murdered in the subway system, new police statistics reveal.
Hoodlums have committed 318 felonies in subway stations and on trains through Feb. 19, compared with 510 during the same period last year.
The crime slide comes as authorities have installed more surveillance cameras in the city's 468 subway stations. About 4,300 cameras will be recording in the subway system by the end of 2007, officials said.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praised and credited Chief James Hall, the new head of the bureau, for the decrease in subway crime.

A London-Based Energy Company To Take Over Brooklyn-Based KeySpan

Brooklyn-based KeySpan Corp. will announce this morning that it has agreed to a buyout by London-based National Grid in an all-cash deal valued at $7.3 billion that will create the country's third-largest utility company, with just under 8 million customers.  
The $42-per-share deal was approved by KeySpan's board of trustees over the weekend.
Brooklyn-based KeySpan is expected to announce that the transaction. The company will retain the KeySpan name, its regional workforce and related operations.   KeySpan is the largest power generator in New York State, with plants on Long Island and in Queens, and the company manages the Long Island Power Authority's electric grid.

Borough Park +Power Outage+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Power Outage+ NYPD of the 66th Pct are reporting a large power outage in Boro Park, Brookly, NY from 44th Street to 47th Street from 14th Avenue to 16th Avenue, and 18th Avenue and Dahill Road power outage with FDNY on the scene for some transformer explosions.
Also reports of some power outages in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Nyack - Tappan Zee Bridge Work Begins Tomorrow

Nyack - Tappan Zee Bridge begins work tomorrow.
Repair and maintenance work will shut down one southbound Tappan Zee Bridge lane daily this week.

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY - Suspicious Fires Causing Fear In Neighborhood

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY - Police are patrolling the streets in neighborhood and asking residents to come forward if they know who may have set Friday's deadly fire, and fire officials are reportedly trying to figure out if the fire was the work of a serial arsonist.

Four people died in Friday's fire, including a woman and her two small children who never made it out and another woman who died after jumping out an upper floor window.

Investigators have already said at least two other fires were deliberately set on Pacific Street, one of them at the same time as Friday's deadly three-alarm blaze.
Authorities are looking at nearly a half-dozen fires on the street, including one in December where one person died.

Someone was already being sought in that case, but the FDNY says there's no reason to suspect a connection to the other fires.

All this has neighborhood residents on edge. Residents say they fear their home could be the next to go up in flames.

U/D: 02/27/06
Reward is offered In this Brooklyn arson nvestigation.

London - Brit Church's Slap To Israel Angers Jews

London - Church of England leaders have created a rift with Britain's Jewish community by pushing for a selloff of the church's investment in the American company Caterpillar that makes bulldozers used by Israeli troops to demolish Palestinian homes.

Paris - Group That's Tied To Killing Of Halimi, Targeted Others

Paris - The gang that kidnapped, tortured and killed 23-year-old Ilan Halimi a Parisian Jew had also threatened several prominent businesspeople, lawyers and a well-known humanitarian activist.
The group behind the killing, which authorities have linked to anti-Semitism, tried to extort money from a founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders. Also targeted were the director of the Arte TV channel, a Paris lawyer and the head of a supermarket chain.

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious White Substance In Hotel+

Brooklyn, NY +Suspicious White Substance In Hotel+ The NYPD of the 84th Pct are on the scene with a confirmed white substance in the basement of the Mariot Hotel at 340 James Street in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y. They are requesting ESU to respond to the scene.

Brooklyn Apartment Tests Negative For Anthrax

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY - Tests on an apartment where a man worked on unprocessed hides obtained from the man diagnosed with anthrax last week have tested negative for the bacteria, city officials said.
As a result, three people who had been started on antibiotics as a precaution—a man who had worked on hides in the apartment and his family-have been told that they can stop taking them.
Four other people continue to take preventative antibiotics, though none of then have any symptoms of anthrax infection.

Anthrax has been found in the space in the Brooklyn space where Diomande works and the apartment in the West Village where he lives. Both locations will be cleaned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Montreal - The Cote Des Neiges Synagogue Is Closing After 45 Years

Montreal - The Cote des Neiges synagogue known officially as Congregation Chevra Shaas, Adath Jeshurun, Hadrath Kodesh, Shevet Achim, Chaverim Kol Yisrael d'bet Abraham, is closing after 45 years at the corner of Lavoie and Bourret Aves.
That name is the product of years of mergers among smaller congregations, each of which was once a house of worship in the older Jewish neighbourhoods. As immigrants poured in, the community and its congregations moved westward, from the east end and downtown to the St. Urbain St. area made famous by Mordecai Richler and then to Cote des Neiges and Snowdon.
But the area is changing. Jewish families have moved, leaving only about 150 members in the synagogue with an average age over 70.
With the sale of the building and today's closing ceremonies, the 10 Torah scrolls will be carried to the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation on nearby St. Kevin Ave. Most congregants from the closed synagogue will will become members at the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation and run their own services in the Ashkenazic (European) style in a separate sanctuary.

French Protest For Murdered Jew

Paris - Some 100,000 French people marched in silence through Paris to protest against racism and anti-Semitism after the kidnap and murder of a young Jew.
Ilan Halimi, 23, was killed three weeks after he was kidnapped by an extortion gang.
Marchers lit candles and released white balloons in his memory.

Suffolk, NY - Teens Bar Mitzvah K'NEX Synagogues

Suffolk, NY - A 15-year-old from Suffolk, N.Y., has created models of synagogues from around the world with K'NEX pieces. They are on display at the Watson Children's Museum at the Alper Jewish Community Center.

K'NEX pieces, billed as the world's most creative construction toy, have achieved that distinction in the hands of teenager Jason Gross of Suffolk, N.Y.
As part of a project for his bar mitzvah, Gross used the building pieces to create replicas of 12 various synagogues from around the world, from the Synagogue of Worms in Germany to the Touro Museum in Rhode Island.
The models were shipped from New York to Florida and were on display at the Watson Children's Museum at the Alper Jewish Community Center in Miami.
Last June, Jason knew he would need to undertake a creative project for his bar mitzvah. He went to his rabbi, Ian Silverman of Suffolk City, N.Y., who suggested he construct two model synagogues. Jason was intrigued with the idea and decided to increase the scope of the project after his mother Terri Gross suggested he create a model as a centerpiece for each table at the event.
Ordinarily, the volume of K'NEX pieces required for such a project would be prohibitively expensive. But K'NEX donated nearly 1,000 pounds of construction pieces, and the vision became a reality.

Newport, RI - Restoration Lets Historic Synagogue Breathe Again

Newport, RI - Touro Synagogue in Newport is putting the finishing touches on a $2.6 million renovation.

With the project complete, services should resume in the synagogue within weeks, and tourists should be welcomed in again by Memorial Day weekend.

The overhaul is the latest chapter in the synagogue’s long history. Originally designed by renowned architect Peter Harrison, the building is one of only 28 sites covered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY - Classes Help Immigrants Pass Naturalization Exam

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY - The Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, is working to make the way to naturalization a bit easier for Russian-speaking immigrants by offering free citizenship courses, and lessons on how to get that coveted blue passport.
The program, launched last May, "Nearly 400 people took part in the program and have already applied for citizenship through us, and 100% of them received it," said Lyobov Mikityansky, the Jewish Community House associate director of immigrant services.
There are 150 people on the waiting list for the courses.

Applicants unfamiliar with all the technical details of the complex naturalization process are likely to fail to submit necessary documents and paperwork. That is where the professionals at Marks Jewish Community House step in.
"We carry the full and personal responsibility for everyone's application," they say.

New York - Delta Air To Cut Florida flights, JetBlue To Add

Delta Air to reduce routes between New York and Florida, with about 13 flights a day, or 25 percent.

Delta said the cuts were capacity adjutments, and not permanent.

JetBlue, which has added seats between the New York area and Florida, said Delta's move would give it a boost.

In addition to the Florida reductions, Delta is slightly reducing flights to Los Angeles and Seattle.

London - Mayor Appeals Nazi Jibe Ban

London's mayor Livingston is to take legal action and to seek a judicial review to challenge a four-week suspension by the Standards Board for England for comparing a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard.

His ban is due to start on Wednesday so any review could start as early as Monday.

If the appeal fails, Mr Livingstone will be responsible for paying his own legal costs, estimated at £80,000, although he will continue to be paid.

Chicago - Students Charged With Hate Crimes

Hinsdale, Chicago - Three Hinsdale Central High School students were charged with hate crimes after they allegedly drew anti-Semitic messages, including swastikas, on school property.

The boys, all juveniles, went to the school about 2:30 a.m. and drew the messages on a sign at the football field, school officials and the DuPage County state's attorney's office said.

School spokeswoman Charla Russell said the students are being disciplined, though she would not give details. They were charged in Juvenile Court with hate crimes, criminal damage to property, institutional vandalism and criminal defacement of property. All three were released to their parents.

It was the second time this month in the western suburbs that students were accused of exhibiting swastikas in public places. A Lisle student was suspended for allegedly placing a swastika flag on a Jewish teacher's car.

New York - Bird Flu Has Authorities, On High Alert

New York - Eight EU countries have confirmed cases of the highly pathogenic bird flu H5N1 strain: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia. The United States so far has been spared.
Still, the Big Apple, hit hard by the "Spanish flu" that killed 40,000 here in 1918, for months has been gearing up, increasing inspections, while New York state unveiled a plan to respond to a pandemic.
Authorities have their eye on live poultry markets in this culturally diverse city of 8.2 million, where shoppers have a choice of more than 90 markets from the Bronx to Chinatown and Spanish Harlem.
The spread of the disease is worrying scientists and governments because of fears the virus could mutate into a form that is easily transmissible between humans, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions.

On the Lower East Side, under the Williamsburg bridge the market boasts. An elderly Chinese lady selects her bird which is weighed on an old scale before it is slaughtered in the back room.

City health officials in any event are planning a potential quarantine, hospital coordination and public information strategy just in case the virus hits and mutates, becoming communicable between humans.

Milwaukee - Former Nazi Guard Loses Appeal

Milwaukee - A Caledonia man who served as a guard at Nazi concentration camps during World War II has lost his appeal, clearing the way for his deportation.
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld a ruling that said 81-year-old Josias Kumpf broke the law when he failed to disclose his work at the camps.
A federal judge earlier said Kumpf's citizenship should be revoked because it violated the Refugee Relief Act of 1953.
That law says people who have persecuted others are not allowed to enter the country. Kumpf came to the United States in 1956.
Kumpf contended he was forced into the SS and feared he would be killed if he left.
He stood guard at the perimeter of the Trawniki Training Camp in Nazi-occupied Poland and the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp near Berlin.
Kumpf said he never hurt or killed anyone.

NY Mayor Bloomberg Buying Mansion In Florida

New York - Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a contract to buy a large Wellington home on 11 acres of prime horse-country land, in Florida.
Although no confirmation came from the mayor's office, word in the gated community of Mallet Hill is that If all's well, Bloomberg will be paying about $9 million for a 10,000-square-foot Mizner-style home, a horse barn and three lots adjacent to the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. The contract was signed quietly three weeks ago.
Bloomberg, 64, whose media fortune is estimated at $5 billion, is expected to use the home for winter vacations. But his plans also include building a private show-jumping ring for his daughter, an up-and-coming rider who could qualify for the next Olympics.
She owns a house at the nearby Equestrian Club Estates but not enough land to train.

Postville, Iowa - Deal reached over wastewater discharge from kosher meatpacker

Postville, Iowa - A deal has been reached between a meatpacker, state water quality officials and an environmental group that would end a lawsuit and clear the way for the meatpacker to operate its own wastewater treatment facility.
Officials say the resolution was made possible when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources amended its permit allowing Agriprocessors Inc., a kosher meatpacker based in Postville, to discharge sodium in a local stream.
The legal tussle began in 2004 when an environmental group filed a lawsuit against the DNR. It claimed the original permit would have allowed dangerous levels of chloride to be discharged into Hecker Creek, a tributary of the Yellow River.
Environmentalists also worried that salt and bacteria in the waste stream would flow into the groundwater and contaminate drinking water and threaten fish downstream.
Last summer, a Polk County District Judge agreed with some of the environmentalists' complaints and sent the permit, back to the DNR for changes.
New the state agency issued a draft amendment to the permit and scheduled a public hearing for March 28. The revision calls for a reduction in the allowable discharge of chloride.

In a letter to Postville residents, company vice president Sholom Rubashkin said the compromise benefits the environment, the local economy and the company.
Rubashkin also said the new $11 million water treatment facility, subsidized in part by a $7 million in federal grants and loans, represents "a huge leap forward in our ability to clean wastewater."

UK - Anti-Semitism Is At Its Second Highest Level In 20 Years

UK - Anti-Seitism across the UK is at its second highest level in 20 years.

The Community Security Trust's (CST) 2005 anti-Semitic incidents report, published this week, says that during the year there were 83 violent anti-Semitic assaults and 107 incidents targeting synagogue buildings and their staff in the UK.

The report does not provide a breakdown of the numbers of attacks in specific areas.

But the report showes that 2005 was 14 per cent lower than 2004, though there are concerns over longer-term trends and public attitudes towards Jews.

Ocean Township, NJ - Developer Charged With Bribing Former Township Mayor

Ocean Township, NJ - A real estate developer surrendered to federal authorities, after being indicted on conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for allegedly paying the former mayor of Ocean Township $50,000 in return for approval of one of his projects.

The developer Moshe G. Gohar is charged with bribing former Ocean Township Mayor Terrance D. Weldon in 2001.   Gohar was seeking approval to build 75 units on an 81-acre development. He could get 10 years in federal prison if convicted.   
According to the Indictment, Gohar gave the $50,000 in cash to Weldon in a paper bag at Gohar's home. Weldon kept the money in the attic of his home until Jan. 23, 2002, when it was seized by the FBI.   Weldon pleaded guilty to similar charges in October 2002 and is awaiting sentencing.

India - Jews Celebrate Renovation Of One Of The Oldest Synagogue In The World

Chendamangalam, India - Jews living outside the country recently returned home to participate in a function to celebrate the renovation of the Chendamangalam Synagogue built near the Cochin coast.
The event was celebrated by Jews whose ancestors and forefathers had lived for years and generations at Chendamangalam, a small town in Kerala's Ernakulam District.
The synagogue at Chendamangalam is one of the oldest in the world, it is said to be built in 1614.

Jews first arrived in Chendamangalam following the destruction of the second temple and the desolation of Jerusalem in (A.D. 69).
According to historical sources, Jewish merchants came to India form Judea and Israel during the time of King Solomon for commercial purposes. Gradually the Jews settled in Kerala, lived in peace but later they were persecuted by the Portuguese for religious reasons.
Presently, there are 17 Jewish families with just 50 head adults and children residing in Kerala.
The part of the city where the Jews resided is still known as 'Jewtown'. In 1948 most of them left.
The synagogue on Jew Street in Mattancherry, Old Kochi, is said to be the oldest in India and was built in 1568.

Bronx +MVA Closing Major Deegan+

Bronx +MVA Closing Major Deegan+ A serious motor vehicle accident on the southbound of the Major Deegan Expressway (I 87) south of W. Fordham Road with one vehicle a Toyota Camery overturned with the victims pinned in the auto, PD of the 52nd Pct and FDNY are on the scene requesting EMS forthwith, all 3 southbound lanes are closed at this time.

UK - Head Teacher Of Satmar, Slammed Council For Creating A Hazard So Near To Their School

UK - A building site containing temporary buildings has become a permanent danger to pupils at a Stoke Newington school - all because the council is trying to make the area friendlier for pedestrians.

Pupils at Satmar Orthodox Jewish Primary School in Chardmore Road have put up with the temporary buildings and mounds of building material on land outside their school for more than a year.

So Liberal Democrat councillor for Cazenove ward, Joseph Stauber, who is also the interim head teacher at Satmar, has slammed the council for creating a hazard so near to a school.
"It's like a building site on our doorstep and it's been like that for two years," he said.

Fellow Lib-Dem and Cazenove ward councillor, Ian Sharer, said the council had promised to move the buildings a year ago after another contractor had moved out of them, but had not fulfilled that pledge.