South Follsburg, NY +Shooting+

South Follsburg, NY +Shooting+ Police Department on the scene at Scoops Bungelow colony on Lurel Street for an aided that was shot there, PD requesting Sullivan County EMS to location.

Goshen, NY - Water Tower Proposal Goes To Full Legislature

Goshen, NY - The Orange County Legislature will, after all, have the final say on a proposal by the Village of Kiryas Joel to build a water tower on less than a half acre of land at the county-owned Gonzaga property in the Blooming Grove area.

One committee rejected the request; however, legislature Chairman William Lahey cast the deciding vote in the Rules Committee to send the proposal to the full legislature for a vote.

The committee was also briefed on the costs to the county to challenge KJ’s proposal to build a water pipeline from New Windsor to the village near Monroe, said committee Chairman Spencer McLaughlin. “To date, we have a cost of approximately $150,000, $90,000 for attorneys and $60,000 for experts,” he said. That leaves a balance of $124,000 that the county allocated to challenge the pipeline.
The county maintains the village did not conduct sufficient environmental reviews on the proposal.

Massena, NY - Teen Arrested Following Cemetery Vandalism

Nassena, NY - Two teens have been arrested in the case of vandalism that happened at the Jewish Cemetery in Massena as was reported on VOS IZ NEIAS.

Police say a 15-year-old male is charged with making graffiti after painting a swastika on the driveway of the cemetery. Because Governor Pataki approved a law increasing the penalty for such an act, it will be considered a Class E Felony.
A 15-year-old girl has also been charged with making graffiti. In her case it will be considered a Class A Misdemeanor. Both teens have been petitioned to family court.

Lakewood, NJ +Working Fire+

Lakewood, NJ +Working Fire+ A working fire in a wood frame two story home on Medina Road and New Hampshire Avenue, Fire Department on the scene requesting County Fire Marshall to respond.

Akron, OH - Masked Burglars Kill Man In Home, And Restrain His Roommates With Duct Tape

Akron, OH - In the early morning hours, 22-year-old Jason Reaven collided with a dark world when three masked men barged into Reaven's Goodhue Drive home in West Akron, the intruders had plans to rob Reaven and his roommates, but the plot turned deadly.

Reaven was fatally shot about 2:40 a.m. when he walked into the front room, where the burglars already had confronted his two roommates. Police said Reaven asked the men what they were doing and was fired upon.
He died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office.
Detectives continued to look for leads, trying to determine whether Reaven or his roommates knew their assailants.

Police said the intruders restrained the roommates with duct tape and clothing, taking their money, bank and credit cards and cell phones. After the burglars fled, one of the roommates freed himself and ran to a house on nearby Meadowcroft Drive to call for help, police said.

Neighbors said Reaven had been living in the house at 66 Goodhue for more than a year. The white, split-level home with brick and wood siding had belonged to his grandparents, but sat vacant a couple of years before Reaven moved there.
He and his family have been active members of the Anshe Sfard (Revere Road) Synagogue for several years. "Jason has been a very big part of that," Rabbi Mendy Sasonkin said of the family's involvement. "He was a precious soul, very kind, very generous. He was always there to help with anything we needed for the synagogue or for another person. "He was full of heart and very considerate," the rabbi said."He was just loved by everyone."

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Traffic Alert+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Traffic Alert+ A bicyclist was struck on Broadway and Hooper Street, NYPD of the 90th Precinct are on the scene requesting EMS on a rush for aided with serious injuries but not likely, and additional units to respond for crowd control.

Lakewood, NJ - Proposal Calls For Making Streets One-Ways

Lakewood, NJ - The township's Master Plan Committee has asked the town to postpone ruling on any downtown projects until it studies how the projects affect a plan to change Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets into one-way thoroughfares.

The idea, floated in a letter the committee sent to the Township Committee this week, and was publicly unveiled by the mayor Thursday night.
Ben Heinemann, chairman of the master plan committee, said today no decisions have been made, but the committee wants to keep its options open.
Mayor Meir Lichtenstein did not say whether the town will abide by the request. But Kevin Kielt, Lakewood's planning and engineering administrator, said he does not believe the town can put a moratorium on project approvals downtown just so the committee can study its options.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +House Fire+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +House Fire+ A fire on the first floor of a 25x40 4 story moultiple dwelling at 124 Penn Street and Bedford Avenue, fire Department on the scene, Hatzolah also on the scene.

U/D: 16:48
Fire is P/W/H.
No one injured, requesting PD for crowd control.

U/D: 17:04
Fire is under control, Division-11 is transmitting a 10-41 code-1 (suspicius fire) due to the fire originating in the shed.

Kosher Food Alerts and Mislabeled Products

Tic Tac products, manufactured in Europe with Hebrew kosher certification writing on it, and distributed in Israel over the last several years, have been accepted as kosher. However, it has now been discovered that there was recently a falsifying of documents regarding that product, changing the kosher status on it.
Each package has a date on the label, and any product manufactured after January 1, 2006, should not be considered kosher, even with the kosher certification on the label. All other Tic Tac products that do not bear any kosher certification are, of course, also not kosher.
All Tic Tac product that is currently being sold in cRc supervised stores has been checked and is acceptable for consumption.

The following products Tic-Tac mints as well as Snickers, Mars and Bounty ice-cream, branded as kosher, are in fact non-kosher.

Beis Shemesh, Israel - Orthodox Jews Riot Unhappy With Not Religious Neighbors

Beis Shemesh, Israel - Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox on Monday blocked a road leading to the neighborhood near Jerusalem, and set fire to garbage carts and hurled stones at police officers who were dispatched to the area.

The reason for the commotion was a protest against a new family that moved to the neighborhood and is "not religious enough," according to the protestors. An hour later, police officers managed to disperse the demonstration and opened the road for traffic.

The demonstrators were also protesting the arrest of two ultra-Orthodox men Sunday night, after the two blocked the road with garbage bins to protest against the presence of the new family. During Monday's riots, police officers arrested five more ultra-Orthodox on suspicion of blocking the road.

Israel - Bomb Blast Near Mikvah In Jewish Settlement, No One Hurt

Israel - A bomb exploded near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, causing no casualties, The army suspected that Palestinians had planted the explosive that went off by a Mikvah well at Shomron outside Jerusalem. Soldiers launched searches for suspects.
The well targeted by the blast is frequented by religious Jews before shabbas, but none were there at the time of the explosion and there were no reported casualties.

Kiryas Joel, NY - Village Requests Water Tank Reconsideration

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Hoping to prove its determination, the Village of Kiryas Joel will make another pitch to build a pair of water storage tanks inside the undeveloped county park known as the Gonzaga property.

A 3-5 vote by the Orange County Legislature’s Physical Services Committee on Wednesday effectively killed the proposal. Today, Kiryas Joel will ask the Rules Committee to give it another chance. “I'm hopeful that the Rules Committee will keep an open mind,” Kiryas Joel Administrator said. “This is only sending it to the full Legislature. It’s not committing to anything.”
One major obstacle stands in the path. Legislator Spencer McLaughlin, R-Monroe, one of the village’s most outspoken critics, leads that committee. He said he won't let the issue on the agenda. “I'm going to deny it,” McLaughlin said, who was among the no votes Wednesday. “I got what I want. I'm not going to open the door to let them get what they want.”

Albany, NY- Two Wisconsin Tribes Lose On Catskills Casino

Albany, NY- Legislation to give two Wisconsin-based Indian tribes casinos in the Catskills and settle land claim lawsuits the tribes have against the state, died in the Legislature just days after it was introduced. Senate leaders who introduced the bill, decided late it wouldn't even be brought up for a vote. It was never considered in the Assembly.

The bill, originated by Sen. Majority Leader Joe Bruno, R-Brunswick, would have given casino rights to the Wisconsin Oneidas and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans.

The proposal was opposed by New York-based tribes, including the St. Regis Mohawks, who hope to soon gain federal approval for their own Catskill casino in Monticello, NY.

London - Mobile Phone Users Warned Of Lightning Strike Risk

London - People should not use mobile phones outdoors during thunderstorms because of the risk of being struck by lightning, doctors said on Friday.

"This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to highlight the risk of using mobile phones outdoors during stormy weather to prevent future fatal consequences from lighting strike injuries," said Swinda Esprit, a doctor at Northwick Park Hospital in England.

Esprit and other doctors at the hospital added in a letter to the British Medical Journal that usually when someone is struck by lightning, the high resistance of the skin conducts the flash over the body in what is known as a flashover. But if a metal object, such as a phone, is in contact with the skin it disrupts the flashover and increases the odds of internal injuries and death.

The doctors added that three fatal cases of lightning striking people while using mobile phones have been reported in China, South Korea and Malaysia.

"The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be used (or carried) outdoors during a thunderstorm," Esprit added.

Monsey, NY - Teachers To Instruct Youngsters Who Jeopardized Firefighters' Lives

Monsey, NY - Teachers must go beyond the basics at a Monsey school and instruct at least three young men who jeopardized firefighters' lives that they were dead wrong. If the fire had spread, the students, and the volunteers, could have been killed.

Ramapo police said that a newspaper was ignited last week inside a boys' rest room at Congregation Anshe Sfard off College Road school, and that young people there refused firefighters' orders to leave the building. When volunteers responding to an automatic alarm arrived, they smelled smoke and properly gave the evacuation order.
Common sense tells you the firefighters are the experts and must be obeyed. Yet the youngsters would not leave until police arrived, prompting Ramapo Detective Sgt. John Lynch to say "They laughed when the fire chief ordered everyone out."

Fire Chief Meier said: "We're the ones getting out of bed at 11 o'clock at night to protect them. What will it take for them to cooperate with us? Do we have to pull one of them out of a building dead one night?" Gordon Wren Jr., the Rockland Fire and Emergency Services coordinator, adds that no adults were supervising the high school-age congregants and that the students turned off some of the alarms. He notes that the school needs a plan in case of fire. Actually, we thought that any school licensed by the state Education Department requires such a plan and frequent drills, too. What happened here?
Wren: "When the alarms go off, people should leave a building with no questions asked. In this case, the alarms went off and they silenced it."

Washington - Nissan Recalling 97,000 Altima, Sentra Sedans

Washington - Nissan North America Inc. said it was recalling 97,000 Altima and Sentra vehicles after reports of excessive oil consumption and engine fires led the automaker to stop selling the vehicles.
Nissan said some 2006 sedans with 2.5 liter engines could quickly consume oil, potentially damaging the engine and leading to engine fires. The automaker has received 274 reports of excessive oil consumption and 24 engine fires.

The company said 85,000 of the recalled vehicles were in the United States, with others found in Canada, Mexico and the Middle East. The recalled vehicles were built from January to May this year.

Burach Dayen H'Ames +Habuchor Hachushiv Yochanen Fried Z''L+

New York - We all prayed and said tehillim for him, every child and adult in our community knows the name Yochanen Ben Devorah Devoshe.
Now it is with great pain and sorrow that we have to report to you, that habuchor hachushiv Yochanen Fried Z''L is no longer with us.

U/D: 08:28
The Leviay will take place in front of 152 Rodney Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the Satmar Shul at 9:00

Toronto, Canada - Jewish Man Commits Hate Crime

Toronto, Canada - A Toronto man admitted he committed hate crimes by spreading anti-Muslim posters and graffiti on the Ryerson University campus in a misguided form of revenge.

Kevin Haas, 23, confessed to police that he committed the crimes two years ago as retaliation for anti-Semitic incidents involving graffiti and the toppling of tombstones at a Jewish cemetery.
Haas was caught by campus police putting up "Death to Muslims" posters and other derogatory signs around the campus on Oct. 18, 2004.
Haas, who's Jewish, expressed his "genuine" remorse and conceded his hate-mongering actions were "just as bad as theirs," court heard.
Haas was given a six-month conditional sentence, 12 months probation and was ordered to write a letter of apology to the Arab and Muslim associations at Ryerson and perform 100 hours of community service.

Woodbury, NY - High-Density Housing Votes Rejected

Woodbury, NY - The controversial high-density housing proposal the Woodbury Town Board pushed through last year, ostensibly to block an even higher-density expansion by neighboring Kiryas Joel, could collapse after a court ruling.

Acting state Supreme Court Justice Elaine Slobod threw out a series of Nov. 3 votes by the board that would allow developers to build 451 homes near Monroe-Woodbury High School, in response to a lawsuit brought by project neighbors.

A request with an ultimatum by Pearl River-based builder Bill Brodsky, who said he might sell the property to developers from Kiryas Joel if he couldn't get the higher density on the 398-acre patch of woods and fields off Dunderberg Road, stirred fears that land around the Hasidic community of 18,000 would one day give way to the tightly packed condominiums typical within its 1.1 square miles. So Woodbury leaders wound up supporting a high-density housing while most local town halls were doing everything they could to put the brakes on development.
But in their rush to push the plan through with a 4-1 vote five days before Election Day, the Town Board failed to send the proper documents to the county planning department, which opposed the plan, Slobod said.
"What the court said is, 'If you're going to do this, do it properly,'" said Attorney Jim Bacon of New Paltz, who represented the plan's opponents. Slobod ordered a do-over: The town must file the proper paperwork and take another vote to override the county's denial.
But Supervisor Burke said he wouldn't support spending taxpayer money to appeal Slobod's ruling in court. "I've been upfront and made no bones about it," Burke said.

Woodbury, NY +Fire Destroys Bnei Yoel School Bldg+

Woodbury, NY - A major three alarm fire fully involving the entire building has destroyed the whole 3 story Bennei Yoel boys school building down to the ground, at 411 County Road 105, M/A companies on the scene from Kiryas Joel, Monroe, Lakeside, Harriman, Salisbury Mills, Cornwall and Tuxedo all with tankers, Fillsite at the Kiryas Joel, Monroe girl school on Bakertown Road in KIryas Joel.

U/D: 05:37:
Most of the fire is knocked down, M/A companies are starting to release at this time, the entire building is destroyed.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA With Overturned+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA With Overturned+ A motor vehicle accident with one vehicle that overturned and an aided that is injured but not trapped on 47th Street and 9th Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Hatzolah on the scene with multiple units.

Miami, FL +FBI Arrests Seven Men Including U.S. Citizens On Terrorism Charges+

Miami, FL -The FBI has arrested seven men including five U.S. citizens in Miami as part of an ongoing terrorism operation, during a series of raids in Mia mi Florida targeting domestic terrorism.

The men - part of a radical Black Muslim group - were planning terror acts in Miami and Chicago. The planned targets were the Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI building in Miami.

An FBI informant infiltrated the group. neutralizing the threat. It's not clear how much damage the group would have done on its own. They were making plans to purchase bomb-making materials.

Officials said no weapons or bomb-making materials had been found in the searches so far. The Miami area is under no imminent threat, according to the FBI.

New Square, NY +Major Power Outage+

Rockland County, New Square, NY +Major Power Outage+ A large blackout effecting the new section of the village of New Square. The Orange and Rockland Utility Co. crews are working on restoring power as soon as possible, there estimated time to have power back on is for about 22:00.

U/D: 19:46
Power outage is over.

San Diego, CA - Judges Reject City's Appeal To Keep Cross

San Diego, CA - A federal court rejected a last-ditch appeal by the city to keep a giant 29-foot cross standing on municipal property dedicated in 1954 as a memorial to Korean War veterans, after a 17-year legal tussle.

Mayor Jerry Sanders has argued that the cross is an integral part of the memorial and deserves the same exemptions to government-maintained religious symbols as those granted to other war monuments.

But the court disagreed, and ordered the city to remove the cross by Aug. 2 or be fined $5,000 a day.

Brooklyn, NY - Maimonides Medical Center Receives $4 Million Grant

Brooklyn, NY - Maimonides Medical Center has been awarded a $4 million grant as part of the Healthcare Efficiency and Affordability Law for New Yorkers (HEAL NY).
This grant will allow Maimonides to spearhead an initiative that extends beyond the walls of the hospital. It will enable participating healthcare providers to safely share essential clinical data at the point of care. “We’re delighted that the State of New York has recognized our leadership in healthcare information technology,” said Pamela Brier, president and CEO of Maimonides Medical Center. “This grant will benefit our patients and the Brooklyn community in countless ways.”

The funding will support the development of the Brooklyn Health Information Exchange (BHIE), a consortium of healthcare providers in the region. BHIE was formed to create a secure electronic infrastructure for sharing clinical information among multiple healthcare organizations.

Brooklyn, NY - Police Investigate Flag Burnings

Brooklyn, NY - Residents of seven homes within a few blocks in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn, woke up this morning to find that their U.S. flags had been torched.

The incident is being investigated as criminal mischief case. There were no immediate arrests.

Jerusalem, Israel - Young Woman Disguised as Chareidi Stole Purses

Jerusalem, Israel - Police arrested a young woman who disguised herself as a chareidi woman and stole dozens of purses from chareidi and other religious women.

The young secular woman, a Jerusalem resident, would wait beside the entrance to the ladies' room at the Central Bus Station and when a chareidi woman approached she would ask if she had a siddur, or Tehillim or any other sefer in her purse, offering to watch it in her purse for a few minutes while she used the restroom. As soon as she stepped inside the young thief would take off.

In several instances she would leave the purses on a bus, after emptying the contents, causing a few cases where police sappers had to be called in to check the abandoned purse as a suspicious package.

The woman admitted to nearly 50 thefts, but police believe the number is much higher. During questioning she related that while she was employed as a security worker at the Kosel Maarovi several months ago where she noticed that chareidi women did not enter the restroom with a siddur. During this period she admitted to also stealing some purses, leaving the empty purses outside.

Belgium - Two Jailed For Inciting Race Hatred

Belgium - A court sentenced two workers of the Islamic Center to 10 months in jail for inciting race hatred against Jews via the center's website.

The 26-year-old Abdel Rahman Ayachi and the 30-year-old Raphael Gendron are both held responsible for administering the center's website. Besides the jail terms, they were each ordered to pay a fine of 15,000 euros (about 18,000 U.S. dollars) and deposit 2,500 euros into the account of the center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism.

The anti-racism bureau had lodged a complaint against the Belgian Islamic Center and the monetary sentence is designed to compensate the Jewish community for the damage and insulting remarks.

The two defendants were convicted of denying the Holocaust and inciting race hatred, especially against Jews.

New York, NY - Investigator For The New York City A.C.S Was Clocked at 142 mph

NY NJ - A child-welfare worker was clocked at 142 mph on his motorcycle while leading police on a two-state chase.

Sean Virgo's wild ride allegedly started in Orangeburg, where he was pursued by New York state police. When he arrived in neighboring New Jersey, Palisades Interstate Parkway police picked up the chase, They arrested Virgo as he tried to make a U-turn on a grassy median.

Virgo, 34, of Ossining, an emergency children's services investigator for the New York City Administration for Children's Services, was charged with eluding police and first-degree reckless endangerment.

He was being held on $20,000 bail in the Bergen County jail in New Jersey.

New York - State Plans to Sue Exxon Over Underground Oil Spill in Brooklyn

New York - State environmental officials said they would sue Exxon Mobil over a big underground oil spill in Brooklyn that is still seeping sticky goo into a city waterway, decades after the leak was first noticed.

An estimated 17 million gallons of petroleum once lay in a vast plume beneath the streets of the Greenpoint neighborhood that was home to many oil refineries for more than a century.

The oil business has largely moved elsewhere, but countless small and large spills went unnoticed for decades and eventually formed a subterranean blob of more than 50 acres. Authorities have been aware of the problem since 1978. Exxon Mobil accepted responsibility for much of the damage in 1990 and has since pumped some nine million gallons out of the ground. The slow pace of the cleanup, however, has increasingly angered Greenpoint residents and elected officials, who have launched a series of lawsuits against Exxon in the past year.

The Department of Environmental Conservation said yesterday that it has joined the fray, and asked New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to initiate legal action against Exxon "to ensure that the company fulfills its obligation to clean up petroleum contamination" in Greenpoint.

A Day Of A NYC Sanitation Worker In Brooklyn

Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY - In front of 212 Kingston Avenue between Park Place and Sterling Place, a New York City sanitation worker was just picking up garbage when a woman the landlady of the building walked up to him with two trash bags that were outside her door, and inside was a dismembered human body DOA.
NYPD of the 77th Pct Homicide Division have a major investigation underway, and working to identify the victim and find out how long the body had been there. ESU also on the scene, and the medical examiner is working to determine the cause of death.

Albany, NY +Governor Pataki Receives High Mark From New York's But Not From Jewish Voters

Albany, NY - New Yorkers feel Governor George Pataki's three terms have been mostly or somewhat successful by better than a two to one margin according to a poll conducted.

When registered voters were asked "How would you rank George Pataki's twelve years as governor?" 19 percent said "mostly successful," 47 percent "somewhat successful" and only 17 percent rank his years as "somewhat unsuccessful" and 15 percent "mostly unsuccessful." Three percent had no opinion.

More than 50 Percent of Democrats View Governor's Years as Successful

The Governor's highest rankings came from voters living in the NYC suburbs or upstate, from voters who identified themselves as white or African-American, from those 18 to 34 years of age and from Catholic and Protestant voters. His years as governor are less favorably viewed by residents of New York City, by Jewish voters and by Latinos, 63% of whom ranked his administration as "somewhat" or "mostly" unsuccessful.

Is Kiryas Joel Eying On A New Hasidic Community In Lew Beach?

Lew Beach, NY - Kiryas Joel leaders could collaborate on the development of 520 acres in this pocket of the Catskill Mountains.

Representatives of the growing Hasidic community 65 miles southeast of Lew Beach have been discussing development of the property with Robert Lawrence Jr., a Realtor who works in Goshen and whose family has owned the huge Sullivan County tract in the Town of Rockland for generations.

Lawrence, describes the project as an effort to build a new Hasidic community far from the lacerating disputes in southern Orange County. "I owned it, and I struck a deal to develop it with them as a Jewish village," Lawrence said. "It's just going to be an extension of Kiryas Joel at this point."

But there were also indications yesterday that the notion of a full-fledged community cropping up in the midst of trout-fishing country is overblown, or at least highly premature. Kiryas Joel leaders, who asked to remain anonymous because they insist plans are undefined, suggested the property might be developed with second homes for Orthodox empty-nesters - similar to those proliferating in other parts of Sullivan County - and Orthodox summer camps.

But a Lew Beach sequel to Kiryas Joel is not in the cards at this point, village leaders said.

Iraq - Hundreds of WMD's Found

Iraq - The United States has found 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003, and more weapons of mass destruction are likely to be uncovered, two Republican lawmakers said.
"We have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons," Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said in a press conference late.

Reading from a declassified portion of a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, Santorum said: "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist."

Kiryas Joel’s Request For Water Towers Rejected

Goshen, NY - An Orange County Legislature oversight committee rejected a request from the Village of Kiryas Joel, Monre, NY to construct two water towers on less than a half-acre of land on the undeveloped county-owned Gonzaga park property.

The village asked County Executive Edward Diana to advance the proposal, which would need state legislative approval. “I brought through a municipal request from a municipality,” he said. The county legislature saw it in their wisdom to vote no.”

Kiryas Joel officials say they needed the additional water pressure for firefighting efforts.

Those who opposed the request said it was contrary to the legislation which gave the property to the county for use exclusively as a park.

Brooklyn, NY +Hazmat/Contamination+

Brooklyn, NY +Hazmat/Contamination+ Medical Units NYPD of the 66yh Pct and Fire Department are all on the scene transmitted an MCI at 4021 12th Avenue and 41st Street with three aided that got allergic rashes from an unknown contamination and have difficulty breathing inside a building, ESU, FD Haz-Mat and EMS Haz-Tac Units enroute to the scene.

U/D: 09:20
One female was transported to Lutheran Hospital.

U. K. Parliament Stained With Swastikas

U.K. - Vandals have scratched swastikas into wooden panels at the House of Commons.

Officials said the Nazi symbols, in two lifts, were being cleaned off as quickly as possible.
Lib Dem MP Tim Farron called for an inquiry to find those responsible.

Ramapo, NY - Planning A New Preschool

Ramapo, NY - A preschool that provides early intervention for special-needs children plans to build a new 25,000-square-foot school in Ramapo within the next year or so.

The Hebrew Academy for Special Children Inc., which is renting space in Chestnut Ridge, bought 4.4 acres at 47 Mountain Road and applied to the county Industrial Development Agency for approval to sell tax-exempt bonds to finance the new building through the IDA.

The IDA approval was granted. Now the preschool's parent organization must come up with firm plans and timelines, find an agency willing to back the bonds and get an agreement signed by the county executive's office before the process goes further.

Liberty, NY +Working Fire In Camp+

Sullivan County, Liberty, NY +Working Fire In Camp+ A working fire at Upper Ferndale Road - Camp Agudah, Fire Department on the scene calling all hands to work on arrival and requesting additional M/A companies to the scene, all companies are heavily engaged.
Hatzolah BLS also on the scene and requesting additional BLS and ALS units, they have one aided that jumped from the roof of the burning private dwelling and sustained injuries, and five additional aided trapped including two babies on the roof working on removing them, Medivac has been placed on stand by.

U/D: 04:01
Hatzolah and Fire Department rescued all trapped from the building and are now treating two aided for burns. Fire Department is calling for a 2nd Alarm, and the fire is D/W/H.

U/D:
Aided that jumped off the building was Medivaced.

The main building, kitchen, lunchrooms, apartments and offices burned down.

Suffern, NY - Good Sam Hospital Doctor Arrested At Hospital, With Marijuana In His Possession

Suffern, NY - A Good Samaritan Hospital has dismissed an emergency room doctor who was arrested at work for possessing marijuana. Dr. Eric Silva was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation, and third-degree aggravated harassment.

Police said they went to Good Samaritan with a warrant for Silva's arrest and found a marijuana cigarette in his possession.

Dr. Michael Lippe said that, Silva is no longer associated with the hospital. Lippe is the hospital's emergency room director.

Lakewood, NJ +Water Main Break+

Lakewood, NJ +Water Main Break+ Police Department closed down Route 88 and Clifton Avenue, due to a water main break.

Jerusalem, Israel - Orthodox In Uproar Over Organ Donation Incident

Jerusalem, Israel - The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem is known for its strict adherence to Jewish law, since its establishment 100 years ago. But this week, a storm erupted among the Orthodox Jews, after the hospital allowed an operation to remove organs for donation on a brain dead patient at the hospital.

The surgery was carried out on a man being treated in the hospital who was declared brain dead . The Charedi sector was infuriated by the deed because it is forbidden by halacha rule and violated agreements with Orthodox rabbis against carrying out such operations in the observant hospital.

The hospital’s rabbinical committee forbids the removal of organs from patients that are still alive, and in the past ruled that if the family requests the organs be donated, the surgery must take place in a different hospital. Hospital officials responded that doctors went through with the operation at the hospital in compliance with a special request by the patient’s family, and the organs saved the lives of two other patients. The Shaare Zedek Medical Center has operated in accordance with Jewish law for decades, and until recently was subordinate to the authority of Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, who died about a month and a half ago. Rabbi Halberstam served as chairman of the Hatzolah Israel organization and as the halachic authority for the hospital. All questions regarding Jewish law that arose there were posed to him, and he decided the hospital’s conduct.

The storm broke out when the incident leaked to the Orthodox community, who specifically choose to be treated there above other hospitals because of its reputation of being observant. And that family members said they only agreed to donate the organs only after they were pressured by doctors. The Orthodox court plans to hold an emergency meeting on the matter, and have already decided to appoint a rabbi to supervise the question of organ donations at the hospital in the future. Sources from the Charedi public said, “Since Rabbi Halberstam passed away, the hospital lets itself do what it wants and ignores the halacha regulations practiced there for years.”

New York, NY - City Raising Towing Fees

New York, NY - The Department of Finance is raising towing fees by $35. The move won't put an extra dime into city coffers, but will make more than a dozen politically connected tow companies richer.

The $35 increase will bring the tow-company fee to $185, so towed car owners will pay at least $265 in total towing, storage and other fees.

United States - Neo-Nazi Movement Strengthens

United States - The National Socialist Movement (NSM), a Minneapolis-based hate group known for its Nazi uniforms and open display of explicit Nazi symbols, has outpaced its rivals in both membership and activity, earning it the dubious distinction of being the largest neo-Nazi group in the United States today

With chapters in 32 states and a growing Internet presence, the NSM has substantially raised its profile in the last year by holding public events in various cities while dressed in full Nazi regalia and shouting “Seig Heil!.” Klan members and other white supremacists have joined NSM rallies to denounce Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, and immigrants.

Iraq - Saddam Hussein on Hunger Strike

Iraq - Saddam Hussein and his seven co-defendants are refusing to eat, after another of their defense lawyers was killed. The top defense lawyer says the former Iraqi leader and the others are on a hunger strike until ``international protection is provided to the defense team.''

The slain lawyer was shot to death today after being abducted from his Baghdad home by men in police uniforms. He's the third member of Saddam's defense teams to be killed since the trial started eight months ago. The chief defense lawyer blames the Interior Ministry for the killing.

Army To Eliminate Green Uniform

The U.S. Army plans to eliminate the green uniform worn by its soldiers for more than 100 years and switch back to traditional blue worn by those fighting the Revolutionary War. Everyday uniforms will include a dark blue jacket, light blue trousers and gray shirt, the Army said. Soldiers' dress uniforms are already blue.
Soldiers will begin wearing the new garb by the middle of next year and all soldiers must have them by the end of 2011, the Army said. A date for eliminating the green uniform hasn't been set.

The blue was ordered for the Continental Army by Gen. George Washington to contrast with the red of the British.

Rockland County, NY - Program For Free Or Low-Cost Health Insurance

Rockland County, NY - Program For Free Or Low-Cost Health Insurance

Rockland County, NY - Residents who qualify can sign up for free or low-cost health insurance offered through two state programs.

The Rockland Department of Health can help most uninsured children gain health insurance through a program called Child Health Plus. Adults ages 19 to 64 with limited income and resources also may be eligible for free health insurance through a program called Family Health Plus.

Both programs have income guidelines. The programs are funded through the state of New York and administered through the Rockland Department of Health. For Child Health Plus, there is no monthly premium for families whose income is less than 1.6 times the poverty level, or about $460 a week for a three-person family or about $560 a week for a family of four.

Atlanta Jewry Soars

Atlanta’s Jewish population grew by 60 percent during the past decade, according to a recent study. It's Jewish population is nearly 120,000, making it the 11th-largest Jewish community in America.
The study, designed by Ukeles Associates in coordination with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, measured demographics and Jewish identity. Nearly 20 percent of Atlanta’s Jews are Georgia-born; of those born elsewhere, 30 percent hail from New York.

Lawrence, NY - Teachers Contract Approved

Lawrence, NY - A new teacher's contract approved became the latest skirmish in a bitter struggle over control of the Lawrence school board, which will soon be led by an Orthodox Jewish majority that has been sharply critical of district spending.

With just two weeks before the new majority takes over, many of them from the Orthodox community, landed in court yesterday as three sitting board members unsuccessfully sought a court order to block the vote on the teachers' contract. Instead, hours after Nassau Supreme Court Justice Zelda Jonas rejected the injunction, the board voted 4-2 to approve the deal. After the vote, the audience of about 300 in the middle school auditorium exploded in a standing ovation that lasted more than a minute.

Under the new deal, teachers will get a lump sum raise of $2,000 next year and increases of between 2 percent and 3 percent for the following four years. The contract also calls for class-size limits.

The three board members who sought the court order were Asher Mansdorf, Murray Forman and David Sussman. Forman and Mansdorf will, along with two new members to be sworn in on July 5, comprise the new Orthodox majority on the panel.

Stephen Clement, the outgoing teachers union president, said he was pleased with the new contract but concerned about the tensions on the board. "It certainly doesn't bode well," Clement said.

Sussman was booed when he spoke against the contract. "We have a lot of problems in the district and this contract leaves us in the lurch," he said. "We have not adequately discussed how we are going to pay for it."

Massachusetts Jewish Burial Records Now Online

Newton, MA - For the first time, anyone can perform genealogical searches online and can locate burial records at any one of the Jewish Cemetery Association of Massachusetts' 100+ cemeteries online.

People are fascinated with their family histories making genealogy one of the fastest growing popular research endeavors. Now the Jewish community has access to JCAM's 55,000 online burial database to fill in the blanks on family trees or simply for visitation purposes. This is another way of reconnecting Jewish families with their past and perpetuating the continuity of Jewish cemeteries well into the future.

Sevastopol, Ukraine - Holocaust Memorial Vandalized again

Sevastopol, Ukraine - A Holocaust monument was vandalized in Ukraine for the second time in less than three months. The memorial in Sevastopol was smeared with pink paint and swastikas.

An act of vandalism on the same site took place in late March as was reported at that time on VOS IZ NEIAS. Police arrested at that time a 21-year-old man who is to stand trial on charges of hooliganism.

Brooklyn, NY - NYPD Beefs Up In Flatbush

Brooklyn, NY - The NYPD has dispatched additional 100 extra officers to the troubled Brooklyn precinct that leads the city in shootings this year.
Top brass ordered the additional cops to the 67th Precinct because the neighborhood has the lead in New York in gunplay.

As of June 11, the number of shooting in East Flatbush was up 45 percent, for the same period this year. By comparison, shootings in the city have declined by 3.2 percent.

Poland Faces One Billion Euro Lawsuit Over Pre-War Bonds And property's

Poland faces a one billion euro lawsuit over pre-war state bonds, which till now it has refused to repay.

The class action suit has been filed in a New York court by US lawyer Ed Fagan on behalf of the families of Holocaust victims living in the States. Fagan has gone on record saying that since 1945 all Polish governments 'knowingly misled bondholders by failing to honor debts or establish a programme through which such claims could be paid'.

Polish restitution lawyer Maciej Tamka from Hogan and Hatson says that Fagan's lawsuit doesn't just cover the issue of bearer bonds. "It refers not only to the bonds. It refers also to the property which was expropriated in Poland without any fee, any reimbursement. That's true what Fagan says that Poland failed to restitute the property or to pay any reimbursement for that money and that refers not only to the communist time, but also to free Poland. It is because it is extremely difficult and expensive for this country to do that and because there is no political will to do that."

Lodi, NJ - Yeshiva Security Guard Facing Aggravated Assault Charge

Lodi, NJ - A high school security guard has been charged with aggravated assault on a 13-year-old girl, assaulting her several times over the last year. The girl was not a student at the school, they said.

Homer Bishop, 33, a security guard at Frisch Yeshiva High School in Paramus, was jailed on a first-degree charge of aggravated assault and second-degree on endangering the welfare of a minor.
Bishop is being held on $300,000 bail at the Bergen County Jail.
Bishop had limited contact with pupils at the private Jewish high school. "He wasn't a teacher or someone who worked with kids every day," the prosecutor said. "He wasn't someone who was in a closed classroom with pupils."
Police charged Bishop, of East 30th Street in Paterson, after the teen told her mother about the yearlong contact. Bishop, who is separated from his wife, has been a security guard at the school for the past three years.

Yerushalayim - Israeli Police Arrest Three Jewish Men For Weapons Smuggling

Yerushalayim - Israeli Public Security was working with police in Jerusalem, on the arrest of three Jewish men after they attempted to smuggle weapons from the US to Israel, in an attend to kill Palestinians.
Police confiscated the cargo at Haifa port which included a machine to produce bullets and hundreds of bullets.

Yekaterinburg, Moscow - Violent Man At Synagogue Restrained

Yekaterinburg, Moscow - An unidentified man climbed over the fence of a Yekaterinburg synagogue, ran up to the entrance and, shouting anti-Semitic slogans.

The attacker was seized and placed in the Yekaterinburg Oktyabrsky district's lockup, and the administration of the local Jewish community reported the incident to the prosecutor's office.

Queens, NY +Multiple Jumpers Down+

Queens, NY +Multiple Jumpers Down+ Some troubled teenagers locked in at the Holliswood Psychiatric Hospital at 87-37 Palermo Avenue made an attempt on a group escap late last night, by climbing down about 20 feet with bedsheets they hung out from the 3rd floor window, but they got hurt when they dropped to the ground. EMS and hospital officials were requested, one aided got her femur broken.

Goshen, NY - Officials Battle Kiryas Joel's Water Tank Request

Goshen, NY - An application to build two 750,000-gallon water tanks inside an undeveloped county park, for Kiryas Joel, to, in part, serve women convalescing after childbirth, needs the Legislature's permission. And this seemingly innocuous water tank request has emerged as the latest battleground between the Legislature and Kiryas Joel.

"One, it's Kiryas Joel, which a lot of the legislators and a lot of people from the surrounding communities don't trust," said Legislator Spencer McLaughlin, R-Monroe. "It's also become a big deal because what's proposed would be a significant nonrecreational use for a county park."
Woodbury Supervisor John Burke, in whose town the tanks would be erected, said that's his main objection. He said using even an admittedly remote section of the parkland for something other than recreation opens the door for other projects.
Burke was among almost two dozen county lawmakers and town officials from Blooming Grove and Woodbury who visited the park site where the storage tanks would be erected.

Today, the county Legislature committee that led the field trip will discuss the proposal. Committee Chairman Frank Fornario, R-Blooming Grove, promises "lots of questions."
But the stakes are high for Kiryas Joel, as well. Without the tanks, village residents can't occupy a women's health center and hundreds of planned housing units. The tanks would boost water pressure to the level needed for firefighting.
That's why Legislature Chairman Bill Lahey, R-New Windsor, says he thinks lawmakers should end the standoff. "I don't know of a hidden motive here," Lahey said. "If we can help, we should help. We would do that for any other community."

Brooklyn, NY - Judges Explore The Authority Of Late Grand Rebbe Teitelbaum

Brooklyn, NY - For more than a quarter century, Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum led the Satmar chasidim. The pronouncements of the grand rebbe once reverberated among thousands of families across the globe.

But two months after his death, a panel of state judges is exploring what limits, if any, existed to the scope of Rabbi Teitelbaum's authority over his congregation based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The issue is a $500 million property dispute - consisting of the synagogues, schools, and property that the congregation has amassed more than 50 years of life in New York.
The specific question that faced a four-judge appellate court in Brooklyn is whether Rabbi Teitelbaum had the power to expel the vice president of the congregation from the Satmar community. One faction in the bitter succession struggle among two of the grand rebbe's sons says the rabbi did just that in January 2001. The court's ruling will determine which of the two factions that have formed around the sons, rabbis Aron and Zalmen, has control of the assets.

"The result of this appeal will only be to decide which side has to dig into their pockets to build new institutions," the editor of a newspaper, Joel Weiss, said.

A similar case is also before the same court on appeal. The question has split the two lower court judges who have examined the issue.

Williamsburg +Pedestrian Struck by Bicycle+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck by Bicycle+ An accident with a pedestrian that was struck by a bicycle in front of 626 Wythe Place, Hatzolah on the scene requesting PD to respond.

New Federal Medicaid ID Law Might Cause Problems For Orthodox Jews

Health officials in many states warn that a federal law requiring Medicaid recipients to prove citizenship starting July 1 could lead to long lines, dropped coverage and general confusion for the program's participants.

At least 46 million people on Medicaid for the first time will need to produce documents showing they were born in the United States or are here legally, and this might also hurt American citizens.

Four states - Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire and New York - already require Medicaid applicants to prove their citizenship with documents. The rest rely on sworn statements from Medicaid enrollees. But after this month, that won't be enough. Recipients in all states will have to show a complete birth certificate, passport or other citizenship documents to receive health coverage.

And that creates problems for Americans without birth certificates or those who have uncompleted ones. And there are many reasons people may not have complete birth certificates. For example, Orthodox Jewish boys often leave the hospital without a first name, because they don't receive their given name until circumcision. That means their birth certificates read “Baby Boy” and the child’s last name.

Blooming Grove, NY +Route 17 Closed Both Directions+

Blooming Grove, NY +Route 17 Closed Both Directions+ A serious motor vehicle accident on eastbound of Route 17 near exit 129, has Fire Department and all services including Hatzolah are working on the extrication of the aided who is heavily pinned and has serious head injures and is unconsious, Stat Flight Air-2 has been launched L/Z near the scene of the accident

New York - Blue Lights Approved For Law Enforcement Vehicles

New York - Governor Pataki signed legislation authorizing law enforcement agencies to install blue lights on the rear half of the light bars on patrol vehicles. Most police vehicles in New York state have used red and amber lights.

The addition of blue lights, long sought by the New York State Sheriffs Association, is intended to make flashing police lights easier to see. The group says studies have determined blue lights are more visible than the traditional red and amber.
The legislation allowing the use of blue lights was also supported by the state Association of Chiefs of Police. But the organization had been pushing for converting fully to blue lights, and may still continue to do so.

A state police official in Albany said that the agency is evaluating a conversion to blue lights on trooper vehicles.

New Yorker's Are The Politest People In The World

New Yorkers to have even better manners than people in London, Toronto and Moscow.

That's the conclusion of reporters that went undercover to 36 cities, in 35 countries, to measure courtesy. New York was the only American city on the list.

The survey tests more than 2,000 unwitting participants. New Yorkers turned out to be the best bunch: 90 percent held the door's open, 19 out of 20 store clerks said "thank you," and 63 percent of men and 47 percent of women helped picking up flying papers. In short, four out of five New Yorkers passed the courtesy test.

For his part, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he's not surprised.

Swan Lake, NY - Man Hit Co-Worker With Pipe

Swan Lake, NY - A Chester man whacked a co-worker at a local camp in the head with a steel pipe during an argument.

Juan Rubesindo, 44, who lives at Camp La Guardia in Chester, and 44-year-old Antonio Bienvenido argued at the camp where they both work on Swan Lake-Bushville Road in Swan Lake.
Rubesindo grabbed a steel pipe and hit Bienvenido in the head and shoulder, leaving Bienvenido with a gash in his shoulder. Rubesindo was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, a felony.
Bienvenido was treated at Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris and released. Rubesindo was arraigned and sent to Sullivan County Jail without bail, pending an appearance in Bethel Town Court.

Jerusalem, Israel - Charedim Outraged Over Mixed School Show

Jerusalem, Israel - Female students at an ultra-Orthodox school in Jerusalem left the school's theater after men and women appeared on stage in a ceremony to award prizes for best looking schools in Jerusalem. Representatives from 32 schools from across the education spectrum, ultra-orthodox, religious, secular, and Arabs participated in the ceremony.

In order not to offend any of the attendants, the actors, who performed in scenes representing Jerusalem, were instructed how to behave on stage. "The Education Administration in Jerusalem, which organized the ceremony and invited everyone, warned the acting company that Charedim will also attend the ceremony. They asked us to be modest, have the women wear long sleeves and refrain from singing. They also asked us not say the word God explicitly when we read passages," said the actors' group leader Osher Ohana.

Despite the fact the acting group adhered to all the preconditions, female students left the theater. After the incident "there was certain unrest among members of the ultra-Orthodox council, who apparently thought that the performance wasn't up to their standards, and we decided to stop the show in order to continue the ceremony in a more pleasant atmosphere," chairman of the parents association in Jerusalem, Eti Binyamin said. "The actors complied with all the requests and wore modest cloths. We're not sure what really bothered the Charedim," she said.

Antalya, Turkey - First Kosher Resort To Open

Antalya, Turkey - A Glatt kosher restaurant - Turkey’s first - is set to open soon in the resort town of Antalya.
The restaurant is set to open in a new hotel called Silence Park Resort, in the Side region, on which construction is currently being completed. The hotel will have 701 rooms and is expected to open in July.

Moscow - Synagogue Vandalized In Khabarovsk

Moscow - Vandals have scrawled anti-Semitic slogans on the fence of the Jewish Cultural Center in Khabarovsk and on the local synagogue. "A criminal case has not been initiated in order not to exacerbate tensions. The inscriptions were just painted out," officials said.

New Gene Tied to Added Breast Cancer Risk

Icelandic women with a bad gene that raises their risk of breast cancer were virtually certain to develop the disease if they also had a mutation in a second gene, scientists reported, and researchers believe the discovery will help unravel the genetic underpinnings of the most common cancer in women worldwide.

Two genes discovered a decade ago - BRCA1 and BRCA2 - have been linked to hereditary forms of breast cancer. Women with one of them have 3 to 7 times the risk of developing the disease compared with women who lack such genes. And scientists long have searched for other genes that may act alone or with them to raise risk. Now one called BARD1, appears to do that.

More surprisingly, the risk of developing breast cancer roughly doubled for women with the BARD1 mutation and the BRCA2 mutation most common in Iceland. "When you get them together you basically have almost certainty of breast cancer," scientists say.

In the United States, BRCA1 is more common than BRCA2, especially among Ashkenazi Jewish women. Many women with one of these bad genes agonize over whether to have mastectomies or other preventive treatments.

"A lot of people don't really want to deal with these issues unless they've had breast cancer" and are worried about it returning, said Ronit Elk, a prevention researcher at the American Cancer Society. If more research bears out the role of BARD1, women might be able to make better decisions, she said.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn with a pedestrian that was struck at Kingkston Avenue and Empire Blvd, Hatzolah requesting BLS and ALS units to respond.

U/D: 11:19
Hatzolah transporting ALS on board to Kings County Hospital.

Blaine Plains Brooklyn Bridge Stunt

Brooklyn, NY - Illusionist David Blaine is planning to dangle by his arms off the Brooklyn Bridge for his next stunt. .

The 33-year-old daredevil, who failed to break the world record for holding his breath underwater last month,will hang off the New York City landmark, 135 feet above the East River.
Blaine is planning for the stunt on the bridge suspension wires. He says, "Challenging myself on this bridge is a life-long dream."

Brooklyn, NY - Man Arrested Over Phone Threat

Brooklyn, NY - The NYPD have arrested and charged a Midwood man with criminal contempt for threatening a woman over the phone.
Police have arrested Simcha Shelonchik, 59, of East 14th Street in Brooklyn, NY for threatening to beat up his 21-year-old victim.

Massena, NY - Vandals Strike Jewish Cemetery

Massena, NY - Vandals struck a Jewish cemetery, spray painting swastikas on the driveway, the vandals used paint left on the premises for a fence painting job to paint swastikas in the driveway of the Maple Street cemetery. Town Supervisor Gary Edwards told the paper that two sets of initials, “DL” and “RR”, were painted next to the swastikas. Edwards called it a repulsive act of vandalism and said it’s not something normally seen in Massena.

"Hopefully they will find out who did this. The people that did this may be surprised to find out something like this could fall under federal laws for hate crimes and even terrorism.”

The vandals could face a felony under a new State law, which makes painting, drawing, or burning onto public property symbols of hate punishable by up to four years in prison.

Brooklyn, NY - Yeshiva Plan Draws Opposition

Midwood, Brooklyn, NY - Residents are furious over a yeshiva's plan to build a second school on a street they charge has already been overrun by yeshiva-related traffic.

Rabbi Meir Gutferund wants to build a 250-seat yeshiva high school less than a block down Elmwood Avenue from the Cheder School, a yeshiva that opened in 2002.

'The traffic is terrible during the day and there's no peace at night," said the president of the Kensington-Flatbush Association. "it's terrible."

But Gutfreund's lawyer said that the Cheder School draws traffic because it houses pre-K through ninth-grade students, who typically get rides from parents or school buses, but the proposed yeshiva would take high school-aged statements, who would walk or take trains.

Brooklyn, NY +Child Seriously Struck Tuesday+

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+ A motor vehicle accident in front of 403 Marcy Avenue between Middleton Street and Lorimer with a 5-year-old child that was struck by a vehicle that passed a school bus while picking up children and had its red flashing lights on and its stop signal out, child is in traumatic arrest life threatening, Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics on a rush. NYPD of the 90th Pct units on the scene.

U/D: 08:30
NYPD Highway A.I.S. To respond in for the accident investigation.

U/D: 08:37
Child has been pronounced DOA at Brooklyn Hospital. NYPD Squad on scene for the criminal investigation.

Florida - Prisoner Sues For Kosher Food, And The Right To Grow His Beard

Florida - Ross Lawson used to rob and terrorize strangers to support a crack-cocaine habit. Shortly before he was sentenced to life in prison, he became Orthodox after a Surfside rabbi visited him in jail in 1997. As an Orthodox Jew, Lawson is supposed to eat kosher food and, at certain times, refrain from shaving or cutting his hair.

But state prison authorities have refused to accommodate him, citing, among other things, security risks inherent in beards and the high cost of bringing in prepackaged meals.
Faced with a shaven face and nonkosher food, Lawson, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, is suing the state in the hopes he can change their mind.
''Lawson sincerely believes that he is required to obey all 613 commandments encompassed with the holy Torah,'' said Justin Uhlemann, a Miami attorney representing the inmate.
Prison officials say they don't plan to make kosher meals a habit. Instead, they've instituted the Jewish Dietary Accommodations Program at a handful of the state's facilities. There, the kitchens try and keep meat and diary products separate. But officials concede the food doesn't meet the strict requirements of a kosher kitchen.

Moscow - Shul Stabber's Verdict Annulled

Moscow - Russia's Supreme Court overturned a 13-year sentence against a man convicted of attempted murder in a knife attack on a Moscow synagogue, thereby granting the appeal filed by the Prosecutor General's office.

On March 27, Moscow City Court found Alexander Koptsev, who was 20 at the time of the attack, guilty of the ethnically and religiously motivated attempted murder of nine people at a synagogue in central Moscow on January 11, but cleared him of instigating racial hatred.
"The sentence of the Moscow City Court is quashed, and the criminal case of Koptsev will be sent for retrial at the same court but with a different composition," the court ruling said. The court ruled that Koptsev should be remanded in custody.

Koptsev's lawyers had asked the Supreme Court to reduce the 13-year prison sentence, which they said was too tough as their client suffered from a serious psychological disorder and a severe eye complaint. "Koptsev's eyesight is getting worse, and he will be absolutely blind by the time he leaves the colony in ten years," they said in court. His lawyers also said the verdict should be more lenient as Koptsev had admitted his guilt.
The Moscow Prosecutor's Office and lawyers for the injured parties had appealed the decision, to try again to charge him of ethnic incitement.

Iraq - +Missing U.S. Soldiers Found Dead+

Iraq - There are reports from a senior Iraqi military official, that the bodies of two U.S. soldiers, Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston and Pfc. and Thomas Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., believed to be kidnapped in Iraq, have been found dead north of Baghdad, the bodies found showed signs of torture and of being killed in "a barbaric way."

U/D: 07:11
The U.S. military said it confirms the report.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA in Borough Park+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA in Borough Park+ A motor vehicle accident in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn at Fort Hamilton and 51st Street, Hatzolah responding.

Bank of New Zealand Security Alert Warning

Bank of New Zealand customers are being advised not to respond to a security warning email claiming to be from the Bank’s security department, it's a hoax email.

Manhattan, NY +Bomb Threat+

Manhattan, NY +Bomb Threat+ All lanes of the Lincoln Tunnel New Jersey bound are closed due to a bomb scare in the tube, all traffic diverted to other crossings except buses at this time.

Queens, NY - Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing at JFK

Queens, NY - A Delta Air Lines flight traveling from New York to Cincinnati made an emergency landing shortly after takeoff when the plane's pilot had to shut down one of its two engines.
Flight 806 left LaGuardia Airport at about 3:15 p.m. and was to land in Cincinnati at 4:54 p.m. But it was diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport, where the Boeing 757 landed after aborting the first landing attempt, at 4:04 p.m. No injuries were reported among the 170 passengers and seven crew members. Delta was making alternate travel arrangements for the passengers.

A warning light for the plane's No. 2 engine under the right wing triggered, and the pilot turned the engine off as a precaution. The engine is being inspected.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident on 16th Avenue and 60th Street, Hatzolah responding.

Long Island, NY - Change for good

Long Island, NY - When students at three North Shore synagogues set out in September to collect 40,000 quarters - one for every Long Islander who goes hungry each day - they had little understanding of how many people that was, and little faith such a task could be completed by the end of the school year.

When 1,000 coins came in that first month, their minds began to change. By December, they had gathered 10,000. By May 30, they had 31,000. The rest of the quarters came flooding in the last two weeks, with 13-year-old Madelaine Reis, of Port Washington, bringing in the final 400 in her mother's yoga bag.

"It feels really good because we've been working the whole year on this," Reis said, as students laid the coins on the blue carpet of the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore in Manhasset. "It really makes me feel like we're giving back to the community."

The quarters - $10,000 worth - were presented to the Interfaith Nutrition Network, which aids and tracks the number of hungry people on Long Island.

"I really didn't realize how huge the number 40,000 was," said Ben Chernov, 10, of Great Neck. "But as the quarters started to come in, that changed." "I kept thinking, 'We're not going to make it, we're not going to make it,'" said Steven Krainin, 11, of Port Washington. "Finally, we got to the critical point. Our numbers got bigger and bigger and I am very happy we made it."

New York, NY +Power Outage+

New York, NY +Power Outage+ A smoking manhole ended up cutting the power inside several Upper East Side buildings.

Fire Department is the scene at East 81st St and Park Ave with four residential buildings along Park Ave and in one on East 81st.
Con Ed crews are responding, there is no need for any evacuations yet.

U/D: 19:26
NYPD Sgt of the 19th Pct is calling for a level one mobilization in regards to the ongoing power outage.

Washington, DC - Top Court Won't Hear Holocaust Claim Case

Washington, DC - The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday from Holocaust survivors in the U.S. who claim they have been cheated out of a fair share of a $1.25 billion settlement over looted assets.
Justices had been asked to review a federal judge's decision to split up the money in part based on need. Under the formula, survivors living in the former Soviet Union could get more money than those in California or Florida. At issue in the appeal was the settlement to a group known as the Looted Assets Class. U.S. District Judge Edward Korman in Brooklyn set aside a greater percentage of money for destitute survivors living in the former Soviet Union.

Miami attorney Samuel Dubbin told justices that the distribution formula for part of the settlement ignores the needs of as many as 45,000 poor U.S. Holocaust survivors. Survivors should have been treated equally, Dubbin said. But New York lawyer Burt Neuborne, the court-appointed representative for survivors worldwide, told justices that U.S. survivors have gotten more than their fair share. More than $875 million has been distributed to about 400,000 people, he said, including $190 million to people in the United States.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA Rollover+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA Rollover+ A motor vehicle accident with a confirmed rollover and injuries at Kings Highway and East 26th Street, Hatzolah responding with multiple units and two ambulances.

Brooklyn, NY - Borough President In The Hospital

Brooklyn, NY - Borough President Marty Markowitz had two stents inserted in his arteries after feeling some physical discomfort and checking himself into the hospital, his office said.

Markowitz checked into Maimonides Medical Center on Saturday. After an evaluation, he underwent a procedure in which the stents, which are small tubes, were put into two of his arteries to help keep them open.

His office said Markowitz was resting comfortably and was expected to leave the hospital on Tuesday.

London - Mayor Livingstone Cleared Of Anti-Semitism

London - Mayor Ken Livingstone was cleared of anti-Semitism by an official investigation launched after he told two Jewish businessmen to "go back to Iran and try their luck with the ayatollahs". Mr Livingstone's jibe was directed at billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben at a City Hall press conference on March 21 during a row over the redevelopment of the Olympics 2012 site in east London, as reported at that time on VOS IZ NEIAS.

A member of the public complained to the local government watchdog, the Standards Board for England, which referred the matter to the Greater London Authority's monitoring officer for an investigation which could have led to a three-month suspension for the Mayor.

But they found no evidence of anti-Semitism, racism or malice and ruled that Livingstone did not breach the GLA's Code of Conduct or bring his office into disrepute.

Woodbury, NY +Traffic Alert Major Accident+

Woodbury, NY +Traffic Alert Major Accident+ A serious motor vehicle accident with aided trapped inside the vehicle on Dunderberg Road and Ninninger Road New York State Police on the scene requesting Fire Department from surrounding towns, m/a has also been requested from Kiryas Joel on a rush.

U/D: 12:54
EMS transporting one aided in serious condition to trauma center via ALS units, 2nd aided being transported to Arden Hill Hospital via BLS units.

Boston, MA - Demonstrators Clash At Pro-Israel Rally

Boston, MA - People gathered for a pro-Israel rally in Boston, with demonstrations becoming heated when opposing protesters showed up.

The rally at City Hall Plaza started as a celebration, but turned tense when others showed up to protest, some demonstrators calling for freedom for Palestine.

"The biggest misconception is the mislabeling of us as though we're fighting the Israelis to take something from them that is legitimately theirs, and in actuality we're fighting to take back what is legitimately ours," said pro-Palestine demonstrator Rawan Baraket of the Committee to Defend Palestine.

The rally also attacted a group of Orthodox Jews who said they oppose Israel's position regarding Palestine. "I am Jew who is against the fact that we have a country, Israel, that is actually using tanks, billions of dollars, and massacring Palestinians," said protester Amirah Goldberg.

From bomb-sniffing dogs to Secret Service, there was heavy security, but still protesters clashed in the streets, some screaming at each other. Even some white supremacists showed up to protest, but others at the rallies demonstrated against them, calling them 'Nazi Scum.'

Queens, NY - +MVA On Grand Central Parkway+

Queens, NY - +MVA On Grand Central Parkway+ A motor vehicle accident with one vehicle overturned with injuries on the East bound of the Grand Central Parkway and Francis Lewis Blvd near the Mobil Gas Station, one vehicle is on fire and two other vehicle are also struck, Hatzolah responding with multiple units, Fire Department is on the scene.

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine - Rare Torah Scroll Finds New Home

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine - The Jewish Community of Dnepropetrovsk received a wonderful gift, a rare Torah scroll. It was presented by a French citizen, Alain Grin, to the Synagogue of Beis Baruch Retirement Home.

The story of this: On Crystalnacht, like lots of other synagogues, a synagogues in Hamburg, Germany was destroyed by fire, but one of its worshipers risked his life to save the Torah scroll from destruction. He brought it out of the synagogue wrapped in flames and then, for a long time, kept it buried.
After the war, he recovered the treasure and brought it to Israel. Even now, one can see the scorch of Crystalnacht on this scroll.

Thanks to Grin, this Torah scroll has now arrived at its new home in the Synagogue of Beis Baruch Retirement Home, the home of those who survived the horrors of the war.

Lakewood, NJ - Shomrim Born Out Of Lost Faith In Cops

Lakewood, NJ - The recent history between the Lakewood Police Department and the Orthodox enclave that defines the township is the reason many community members now say they've lost faith in the cops. "There's a total lack of confidence in the Police Department in terms of their ability to do what's referred to as community policing," said Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg, a member of the Vaad, an influential group of Orthodox leaders. "Confidence is at an all-time low." And that hat lack of confidence has led to the creation of the Lakewood Shomrim organization.

The nascent group is a neighborhood watch, complete with a start-up Web site and a hotline for residents to call. Its burgeoning presence is an ode to the growing disconnect between the Police Department and many of the township's 6,000 Orthodox families. "Everyone's scared," said Aaron Kugielsky, 24, a Lakewood resident and one of Shomrim's organizers. "People stay home, especially girls."

Privately, some township and community leaders are wary of what the neighborhood watch could morph into. They fear rogue groups of young men who, convinced police officers are of no help, try to solve situations themselves.

Middletown, NY +Industrial Accident+

Middletown, NY +Industrial Accident+ A worker at Lee Tires at 1182 Dolsontown Road in Mideltown, NY was inflating a tire when it blew up, EMS on the scene with worker who has serious injuries requesting chopper to fly, medevac was launched and L/Z is at Randall Airport.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian struck+ A motor vehicle accident on McDonald and "I" Avenue's with a pedestrian that was struck, Htzolah on the scene.

New York, NY - Mayor Bloomberg To Greet Bush At JFK Airport

New York, NY - President Bush is now stepping off Air Force One at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Mayor Bloomberg is there to greet him.

President Bush is landing now at JFK and then he is traveling by helicopter to the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, where he is scheduled to deliver the commencement address.

Brooklyn, NY +Battery Tunnel Closure+

Brooklyn, NY +Battery Tunnel Closure+ Inbound of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is closed due to a motor vehicle accident inside the tube involving a motorcycle, MTA PD are on the scene, delays are back onto the Brooklyn Queens Expressway from the Prospect Expressway, EMS responding.

Orange County, NY - Another Good Neighbor

Orange County, NY - Last week, the Kiryas Joel Alliance - a coalition of groups opposed to the dominant faction in the Satmar Hasidic village leadership - wanted to be a good neighbor, so Alliance leaders gave Blooming Grove Supervisor Charles Bohan $1,200 to cover the overtime expenses police incurred during the funeral for there spiritual leader in April, as reported by VOS IZ NEIAS.

Now it was Chabad of Orange County, Rabbi Pesach Burston who wants to be a good neighbor too. He handed schools Superintendent from Washingtonville, Marilyn Pirkle a check for $900 to cover the operating costs of a summer camp the religious outreach group will host at Taft Elementary School.
"We wanted to be good neighbors," Burston's wife, Chana, said. "The school's been wonderful to us."

The summer camp will be using the school and its grounds for three weeks in July.
The district has a policy that allows nonprofit groups, even ones not based in the community, to use school facilities free of charge, but parents expressed outrage over the district's policy, highlighting the Chabad camp as an example that it needs to changed.

Pesach Burston said. "Our goal is to bring unity to the community."
Pirkle called it a "gesture of good will." The school board must officially accept the Burston's donation.

University City, Missouri - Neighborhood Calm After Threats, Crude Bombs

University City, Missouri - Police are patrolling the streets and residents are remaining calm in a University City neighborhood of several Orthodox Jewish families that has been the target of threatening letters and homemade bombs.

Letters were left on cars in the neighborhood just to the north of Delmar Boulevard, which has four synagogues. The letters appeared to be photocopies and said, "We are the people your mother warned you about," and "We know your every move." They were signed, "The People," and had "666" at the bottom, a swastika was also written at the bottom of the letter.
Two nights later, families were awakened at 3 a.m. by explosions, the next morning, they found two fertilizer bombs made of 2-liter soda bottles that had exploded in a front yard. Nothing was damaged.

Police are trying to determine who is behind the threats, and in the meantime can often be seen driving up and down the streets.
Members of an Orthodox Jewish family that lives nearby said they were not overly concerned. "There are always kids that do pranks and want to scare people," said the mother, who did not want to give her name.

Wisconsin - Student Groups Call For Prosecution Of Nazi

Wisconsin - Student groups at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee calld for the prosecution of a local man who claims to be a former Waffen-SS officer and announced last week that he planned to set up a public shrine in his backyard to commemorate the life of Adolf Hitler.

Ted Junker, 87, a retired farmer from Walworth County, Wisconsin, made headlines last week as reported on VOS IZ NEIAS, when he announced that he was building a memorial to Hitler. Even after protests from county officials caused him to retract his plans, student groups say it is important to protest against Junker and his ideology.

"The fact that this Nazi has the gall to openly flaunt his vile ideology, 61 years after the defeat of fascism, is sickening," said some Jewish student group. "The First Amendment's protection of free speech ensures that Junker can continue his hateful propagandizing, yet it does not protect him from criminal investigation and prosecution relating to potential crimes against humanity committed during his days in the Waffen-SS," added Brostoff.

Brostoff said the goal of the protest was to urge the Office of Special Investigation at the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute Junker, who claims to have volunteered for the Nazi SS in 1940 and served on the Eastern Front in World War II. "The SS played a key role in the Holocaust, rounding up Jews and running the concentration/extermination camps in which millions of Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Russians and Roma died," said Brostoff. "The Nuremberg Trials declared the entirety of the SS as a criminal organization, because of its implementation of racial policies of genocide in the Holocaust."

Queens, NY +Cemetery Defaced+

Queens, NY +Cemetery Defaced+ NYPD of the 104th Pct and ESU division all responded to the Ahavits Cheded Cemetery in Queens on Grandview Avenue and Metropolitan Avenue in regards to defacement and destroyed property at the location.

Russia - Synagogue Attacker Unfit For Trial

Russia - A man who earlier this year stormed into a synagogue and attempted to attack worshippers was found mentally unfit to stand trial.

A court in Rostov-on-Don ruled Vadim Domnitsky should undergo psychiatric treatment. The man was facing hooliganism charges for his attempted attack last January.

Witnesses said the man was also shouting anti-Semitic threats before he was pushed to the ground by the synagogue security.

South Africa - Artist Found Guilty Of Hate Speech

Mpumalanga,South Africa - A man who painted anti-Semitic graffiti on the walls of his Jewish neighbor's home was found guilty of hate speech in the first such case to come before the equality court.

Gerhard Barkhuizen was found guilty in the equality court in White River, Mpumalanga, on the grounds that he knew his neighbor was of Jewish origin and that the slogans and symbols of anti-Semitism were offensive. His punishment will be announced later this month.
Yaron Fishman, a businessman who has South African citizenship and has lived in the country more than 20 years, complained about Barkhuizen's slogans to the Human Rights Commission last August. Barkhuizen painted a swastika and the phrase Habrizo Mamzer, which means "spiteful Hebrew bastard".

"I am happy with the judgment because it sets a precedent for all South Africans to realize that the verdict will influence future incidents of hate speech," Fishman said. He said the verdict confirmed that South Africa's legal system was fair and working well for people who believed their rights had been violated. "Although I was born in Israel, South Africa has been home for more than 20 years, I also have citizenship. I have friends across the rainbow but not once did I expect something like this to happen to me," he said.

South Africa's equality law - the promotion of equality and prevention of unfair discrimination act - prohibits hate speech.

Brooklyn, NY - Most Watched 'Race' War For Congressional Seat

Brooklyn, NY - One of the political season's most-watched contests is the battle for a congressional seat in central Brooklyn that has exploded into a racially charged feud over the presence of the lone white candidate, City Councilman David Yassky (D-Brooklyn).

The Rev. Al Sharpton and several other black leaders have been rallying the black community to ensure the seat being vacated by longtime Rep. Major Owens, of the 11th District, remains in African-American hands. "This is not an anti-white drive," Sharpton said at the Black Brooklyn Empowerment Convention. "But [the seat] has to reflect the citizens of this district."

The biggest problem in the headlines has been Yassky, who moved into the district to run and has far outpaced his rivals in fund-raising.

Yassky says he is not budging from the race. "For what it's worth, my candidacy's been endorsed by a number of real community leaders in every part of the district."

The three black candidates are state Sen. Carl Andrews, Councilwoman Yvette Clarke and Owens' son, Chris - none of whom have directly called on Yassky to quit.
Yassky said he's stumping at subway stations in East Flatbush and Brownsville, and spending time talking about issues such as housing and asthma.

Chris Owens called Yassky's move "incredibly disrespectful."

Andrews, who is slated to get endorsed by his old boss, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, this week, said race is not the main factor. "If anyone wants to vote against David Yassky there are many other reasons to vote against him, the color of skin is not one of them," he said.

Uzbekistan - Arrest Made In Uzbek Jewish Murders

Uzbek - Police in Uzbekistan arrested a man suspected of killing a Jewish family.

The 27-year-old man, whose name police have not released, has reportedly confessed to the June 15 robbery and killing of Karina Loifer and her mother, Svetlana. The two women were found strangled in their apartment in the city of Tashkent as reported by VOS IZ NEIAS.
The killing alarmed the Jewish community because Karina Loifer, 20, was the secretary to the country’s chief rabbi.

Jewish leaders in Uzbekistan have said they do not believe the killing was motivated by anti-Semitism. Police have reportedly recovered some articles that previously belonged to the Loifer family in the suspect’s home.

New York - Al-Qaida Planned Gas Attack On Subways

New York - U.S. officials received intelligence that al-Qaida operatives had been 45 days from releasing a deadly gas into the New York City subways when the plan was called off by Osama bin Laden's second-in-command in 2003.

According to the investigative report by a journalist, an informant close to al-Qaida management told U.S. officials that Ayman al-Zawahri canceled the plan in January 2003, despite the likelihood that the strike would have killed as many people as the Sept. 11 attacks. The informant said that operatives had planned to use a small, easily concealed delivery system to release hydrogen cyanide into multiple subway cars. U.S. officials had already discovered plans for the device in the computer of a Bahraini jihadist arrested in February 2003, and they had been able to construct a working model from the plans.

London - Facing Shrinking Numbers, Day School Admits Non-Halachic Jews

London - The decision by a London-area Orthodox day school to admit students with only a Jewish father is provoking outrage in parts of the community.

King Solomon High School’s move brought a vehement reaction from some members of the local community, including Rabbi Alex Chapper, who said the policy “effectively recognizes the liberal definition of who is a Jew.”

King Solomon’s headmaster, defended the move. With a 2003 English law prohibiting state-funded religious schools from holding empty places for members of their own faith, the school had to seek solutions to fill the spaces or admit students with no Jewish ancestry.
Under the law, all schools must have 30 students in each classroom.
“It wasn’t our decision. The law dictates what we must do to fill our spots,” said Spencer Lewis, the school’s director of Jewish studies.

Chapper contended that most parents in his congregation condemn the decision. “A majority of parents chose to send their children to the school in the knowledge that they would be mixing with only Jewish children, and this is now undermined,” he said in a recent sermon. “Parents of existing pupils have been betrayed.”
But the school said they hadn’t heard any complaints from parents. Discussions between Chapper and the school’s governors are ongoing. “The policy is set for 2007, but I’ve been having meetings with school leaders and hope we can find alternatives for 2008,” Chapper said. “I’m against the decision the governors made, not the school itself."

Brooklyn, NY - Residents Disgusted Over Proposal To Add 3500 Units To The Williamsburg Neighborhood

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - A proposal to bring 28 soaring towers to north Williamsburg is the latest in a line of high-density projects supersizing the neighborhood's skyline - and it has fed-up residents.
Quadriad Realty Partners, a development company that counts former Rep. Herman Badillo as a partner, presented its vertical vision of Williamsburg at a community meeting, and it includes 28 towers ranging from 12 to 40 stories. The towers would be built over seven blocks between North Third and North Sixth streets and Bedford and Kent avenues. Most of the buildings would stand between 16 and 18 stories.

The area's zoning allows a maximum of only six stories, but Quadriad plans to request a zoning change to permit the development, which would yield about 2,500 units of market-rate luxury housing and 1,000 units of affordable housing. "This is the only way I know for affordable housing to get built without using any government dollars," said Quadriad managing member Henry Wollman.

Under the plan, each of the seven blocks will have four towers, a public park, retail stores and community facilities, like schools, theaters, day care and health care. "In an area where land costs $250 to $300 per square foot, the only way to build everything, including amenities for the community, is to build higher," Wollman said.

Residents, however, say the area is already overwhelmed by massive projects. In fact, 20,000 units are predicted for the Brooklyn waterfront. "We drew a line knowing this neighborhood was going to face higher density," Stephanie Thayer said. "We wanted this part of Williamsburg to stay affordable and protected."

Rockland County, NY - Computer Crimes Task Force Casts A Wide Net

Rockland County, NY - It's a criminal world without guns, where faceless thieves steal and strangers prey upon the trust of children. That world is the beat of the Rockland County Sheriff Department's Computer Crime Task Force, one of scores of police agencies investigating illegal activities online.

"Basically, it's technological warfare," said Shlomo Koenig, a Sheriff's Department detective assigned to the task force that was begun six years ago by the Sheriff's Department and District Attorney's Office.

Since 2000, 137 arrests have occurred as a result of investigations by the task force, including 126 cases involving suspected pedophiles chatting up prospective victims on the Internet.

The number of pedophiles has surprised some law-enforcement officials.

All of the cases involving Rockland children have been prosecuted federally after investigations by the local task force.
Since the task force began, it has assisted other police agencies on nearly 700 occasions and conducted nearly 300 forensic examinations of computer hard drives.

Cases have included homicides and even suicides in which law-enforcement agencies sought access to computer files as part of their investigations.

With a few taps of his keyboard, Koenig summons Web sites advertising stolen credit cards, and buyers looking for specific cards. There are driver's licenses offered for sale from every state, and sellers offering thousands of e-mail addresses to spammers. "Companies tell you they're losing sales every day to the Internet," Koenig said. "Well, the criminals are moving there, too."

New York - +NYS Thruway Shut Down Due To MVA+

New York - +NYS Thruway Shut Down Due To MVA+ A serious motor vehicle accident on the southbound of the New York State Thruway at M/M 43 near Tuxedo between two buses who pulled off to the shoulder because of a mechanical problem, and a 24-foot box truck who about five minutes after the buses stopped drifted over to the shoulder and slammed the back of the second bus, forcing that bus forward into the first, one aided is pinned between the two buses, BLS and ALS units working on the scene and requesting a chopper Air-1 to fly, L/Z on the Thruway, all lanes are closed, CMD on the scene FD and NY State Police are also on the scene requesting additional engine and Rescue from Woodbury.

The box truck slammed into the back of one bus, pushing it 15 feet forward into the back of the second bus, trapping the man who was working the broken down bus, in between. The victim who was a driver of one of the buses was pronounced dead on the scene.

Brooklyn, NY - Two Arrested After Fistfight

Brooklyn, NY - Police have arrested two men on assault charges after a fight broke out at a party in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, NY.

The incident began at about midnight on June 13th, when Bentzion Keller, 17, and his friends showed up uninvited to the soiree at Marc Bahar's home at Avenue L and East 21st Street.
Keller argued with Bahar, 22, and struck him in the hand with a broomstick, and then a fistfight then broke out.
Police arrested Keller and Bahar at the scene and charged them with assault and menacing. Bahar was also charged with criminal mischief. No one was seriously injured.

U/D: 06/18/06
Bentzion Keller passed away Shabbos.

Painting Seized In WWII To Be Sold In NY

New York, NY - A painting seized by pro-Nazi French officials during World War II from its Jewish owners has been returned to their heirs and will be sold at a Christie's auction in New York. Its expected to fetch up to $7 million when it goes on the auction block.

The painting has been held by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, which agreed to hand it over to the heirs of its former owners, John and Anna Jaffe, after an investigation into the work's history. Pro-Nazi Vichy authorities illegally seized and sold the family's property in 1943. A group of Jaffe heirs has been searching for the past two years for confiscated paintings from the Jewish art collector's collection.
The painting changed hands several times until 1966, when it was purchased by the Kimbell Art Foundation.

Monsey, NY - Wal-Mart Developer Asked To Do Economic Study

Monsey, NY - A decision to have the developer of a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter provide a study of the economic ramifications of the project has proved to be a plus for the development's opponents.

"This is a victory for the community," said Richard Lipsky, director of the Manhattan-based Neighborhood Retail Alliance, which fights for the rights of small businesses. "It's great that discretion was used to expand the scope and look at these essential issues. It's important information that needs to be examined." And after the board reviews the studies a public hearing will be set.

Abraham Stauber, who runs the Jewish Business Counseling Center in Spring Valley, said he did not see how the project could be good for the heavily Orthodox Jewish community. "We're not fighting Wal-Mart, we just want to preserve our community," said the Monsey man, who ran a diamond business in Manhattan for 28 years. "Look what happened to downtown Spring Valley when the Nanuet Mall opened. I don't see a silver lining in the whole thing. It's like putting a toll booth on Route 59."

Orange County Sheriff's Office K-9 Division Ranked Number One In The U.S.

Orange County, NY - Members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Division placed first overall as a team in United States Police Canine Association Region 7 trials in East Haven, CT.

Sgt. Dave Campbell and K-9 Max, deputies Justin Butterfield and K-9 Faro, Dustin Palen and K-9 Jake, and Ed Kania and K-9 Hunter all received Police Dg One certification at the trials.