Jerusalem, Israel - Police Arrest Four For Throwing Stones At Cars

Jerusalem, Israel - Four ultra-orthodox Jews were arrested in Jerusalem Shabos for throwing stones at cars traveling on Bar Ilan street.
Bar Ilan is a major road in Jerusalem, and passes through an ultra-orthodox neighborhood.

According to police, two were arrested for stone-throwing, while the other two were arrested for placing bottles in the street.

No one was injured, but damage was done to two vehicles.

Siberia +Plane Veers Off Runway+

Siberia +Plane Veers Off Runway+ A plane with about 200 people on board veered off the runway in Siberia and over 150 passengers are feared dead.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Fire at Multiple Dwelling

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY - Fire Department BC-35 was requesting in an urgent message all hands for a fire Friday night on the first floor of the three story 100x50 occupied multiple brick dwelling at 741 Wythe Avenue between Rutledge and Penn Street's, fire was DWH on arrival, FD searches turned out negative.

Tampa, FL - Monroe Man Subdues Airline Passenger Trying To Break Into Cockpit

Tampa, Fla. - A Monroe man aboard a Tampa-bound flight last night helped subdue a passenger who made a full-speed charge down the plane's aisle and tried to break into the cockpit, the man's wife said.

Adam Davisberg helped tackle the passenger, described as Neftali Alexander Laimendez, 24. He was reportedly traveling with his brother and was soon to be released from service in the U.S. Army after a recent deployment in Iraq.
Davisberg's wife, Monique, said her husband was en route to Tampa with their children to visit his parents. About five minutes before Delta Air Lines flight 1850 from LaGuardia Airport was to land in Tampa around 11 last night, Laimendez came rushing past Davisberg, who was sitting near the cockpit.
Laimendez reportedly charged the cockpit door twice, but was jumped by first-class passengers before he could try a third time. Another passenger first grabbed Laimendez and then Davisberg joined the fray, Monique Davisberg said.
She said another passenger, possibly the man's brother, called out that Laimendez was mentally ill and that he should be released. Monique Davisberg said her husband said there was no way he was going to let him go.

Laimendez was taken into custody for mental health evaluation. He could face criminal charges after that process is complete. The FBI is handling the case, the airport said.

New York, NY - Subway Ad Campaign Angers Jews

New York, NY - Some New York Jewish leaders are reported up in arms over a subway ad campaign from missionaries.

The ads were posted at subway stops and the Times Square station by the missionaries organization as part of their million-dollar campaign reported here on VOS IZ NEIAS.
Several riders, on seeing the signs for the first time, voiced displeasure, finding them offensive and inappropriate.
The transit authority said, that the signs do not violate its rules that ban only discrimination on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation or certain subjects inappropriate for children.

Brooklyn, NY +2nd Alarm Fire+

Brooklyn, NY +2nd Alarm Fire+ A 2nd alarm fire in a private dwelling at 1180 East 19th Street and Avenue "K" fire is on the 2nd floor and in the attic of this 3 story 20x80 which are fully involved, numerous LSO, fire is DWH requesting Con-Ed on a rush for the utilities, all searches are neg.

U/D: 19:14
3rd Alarm was transmitted for relief purposes only.

U/D 19:21
EMS treating 4 fire fighters for minor injuries.

Woodbury, NY - Development Approved

Woodbury, NY, - A change of heart by Councilman Michael Aronowitz provided the critical fourth vote to approve a 451-home development that has had town politics in turmoil for a year and a half.
The audience at the IBEW training hall off Route 17 burst into raucous applause when the former opponent stated his new position, which set up a series of 4-1 votes on five zoning amendments enabling the project to proceed.

They gradually built their own vigorous support, some of which stemmed from fear that Kiryas Joel developers would buy the 400 acres if the developer were thwarted.
Supporters had submitted petitions signed by more than 1,000 people urging approval.

NY State Thruway +Traffic Alert+

Tuxedo, NY +State Thruway Traffic Alert+ A motor vehicle accident on the New York State Thruway northbound at M/M 39.8 with an overturned tractor trailer that is blocking the right lane, expect delays in the area.

Monsey Hatzolah responding.

U/D: 15:05
NY State Thruway is now shut down, all lanes N/B areclosed. Causing very heavy traffic delays.

Monroe, NY - Mixed Reaction For New Rules At Smith Clove Park

Monroe, NY - For many years, people from Monroe, Central Valley, Highland Mills, Harriman, Blooming Grove and other nearby communities have frequented Smith Clove Park. But the photo identification system which began June 1 restricts use of the park to those who live in Monroe.

While the policy is meant to cut down on overcrowding and vandalism at the park, many people living in and around Monroe are less than thrilled about the new rule.

But one Monroe resident, who asked that her name not be used, said that the new policy is a step in the right direction because it will help to keep out many of the young people that don’t belong there. She also said that since those who don’t live in Monroe don’t pay taxes to use park, they don’t have the right to be there.

West Palm Beach, FL - Tower Of Pennies Represents Victims Of The Holocaust

West Palm Beach, FL - A Florida community center is collecting pennies as a way to remember the victims of the Holocaust.

The Harold & Sylvia Kaplan branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches has stacked 1 million pennies in a Lucite tower in its lobby, on the way to collecting 6 million to honor Holocaust victims.
"People always say, '6 million,' but they have no idea how much that really is," Yaron Kapitulnik, said. "We want these pennies here as a constant reminder."

Kapitulnik hopes to completes the penny project in the coming year. The $60,000 collected would be donated to Holocaust remembrance projects.

Brooklyn, NY +Dolphin Found+

Brooklyn, NY +Dolphin Found+ A 400 pound dolphin has been recoveredby Animal Control Officers near Marine Parkway Bridge along the Belt Parkway and Flatbush Avenue, units awaiting assistance of other officers.

New York, NY - 7 City Hospitals Rated Top In U.S.

Seven New York City local hospitals earned top marks in specialties ranging from cancer treatment to urology, a new report shows.

Seven hospitals in the city cracked the top 10 on this year's "America's Best Hospitals" ratings.
The city's top was once again New York-Presbyterian Hospital, which ranked sixth on the magazine's honor roll of the 14 overall best medical centers in the country, picked from a pool of 5,189.
New York-Presbyterian, which includes Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Washington Heights and Weill Cornell Medical Center on the upper East Side, earned top marks in all 16 specialties measured.
In addition to making a big push to hire hundreds of doctors and invest in state-of-the-art technology, the merger has allowed the hospital to develop expertise in several specialties.

Manischewitz Wants to Move to a Mainstream Aisle

The marketer of kosher foods, Manischewitz, is expanding efforts to reach mainstream shoppers with what the company is calling its first campaign aimed at the general market as well as at consumers who traditionally buy kosher products for religious reasons.

The company is sponsoring a nationwide cook-off to raise awareness of kosher products among a general audience. The multimillion-dollar campaign, now under way, carries the theme "Simply Manischewitz." It includes online advertising, and Web sites ads.

American shoppers spend more than $50 billion a year on kosher foods. Sales have been growing by double-digit percentages each year, compared with little if any growth each year for sales of packaged foods intended for the general market.
And it is estimated that only one of five buyers of kosher foods is the traditional Jewish customer.
Research has found that many non-Jewish consumers perceive kosher foods, made in accordance with centuries-old dietary laws, to be purer and higher in quality than their nonkosher counterparts.

Manhattan, NY +Temporary Power Outage At Lincoln Tunnel+

Manhattan, NY +Temporary Power Outage At Lincoln Tunnel+ Port Authority says all is back to normal now at the Lincoln Tunnel after a partial loss of power with all security cameras that also went out and the intruder alarms went off in the north and center tubs,
PAPD did conduct sweeps, and now saying that this is a PSE&G issue which is also affecting some major parts of Weehawken, NJ causing large traffic problems in the area but not effecting the tunnel.

Israel - Reform Movement Threatening Court Action Against Egged Buses, For New Mehadrin Lines That Segregated Men and Women

Israel - A reform movement is threatening to petition the High Court of Justice against the Transportation Ministry over two new segregated bus lines, known as Mehadrin lines, between Ofakim and Bnei Brak, and between Ofakim and Jerusalem, that segregat men and women, bringing to 30 the number of segregated buses that Egged is operating throughout Israel.

Line no. 494, one of the two new Egged Mehadrin lines, is the only bus that goes directly from Jerusalem to the Negev town of Ofakim and it runs at a reduced price. A resident of Ofakim who wishes to ride by regular bus to Jerusalem has to take two separate buses and ends up paying twice as much as those on the Mehadrin lines. That is one of the reasons that the center is demanding Egged define clear criteria for the operation of its Mehadrin lines. The center is not opposed to the idea of operating special lines for ultra-Orthodox passengers.

An Egged spokesman, Ron Ratner, said that the bus cooperative makes decisions according to economic viability. "In the western Negev, our customers are mainly from the religious public," he said. "We estimate that in 15-20 years it will pay off. Then, too, we will be the national carrier but we will specialize in certains sectors. Our crowning glory will be the ultra-Orthodox sector from which hundreds of thousands of passengers use our buses."

Orange County, NY - Legislators Reject Kiryas Joel Water Tank Plan

Orange County, NY - Law makers voted down a request from the Village of Kiryas Joel to build two 34 feet high water towers on the undeveloped Gonzaga property in the Blooming Grove area, a piece of land owned by Orange County and set aside for a future county park.

Kiryas Joel officials claimed that the towers are needed to supplement the rising fire suppression and water pressure needs of the village.

Village representative Ari Felberman urged legislators to consider the needs of the town residents, and to approve the towers. He said the “towers are needed to provide drinking water and fire for village residents and the women’s services center.”
Another advocate for the building of the towers, Robert Lawrence, went as far as calling those who opposed the project “anti-Semites,” claiming that any reason for their opposition to the towers was simply religious.

Several legislators responded to his comments later in the meeting, calling them unnecessary and completely inappropriate.
The request was voted down by a margin of 18 to 2, with one abstention.

New York, NY - Tunnel Terror Plot Foiled

New York, NY - The FBI has uncovered a serious plot by jihadists to bomb the Holland Tunnel with high explosives, in hopes of causing a torrent of water to drown the Financial District of lower Manhattan.

Counterterrorism officials say, the "lone wolf" terror plot allegedly got a pledge of financial and tactical support from Jordanian associates of top terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before he was killed in Iraq, but it's not clear, if any cash or assistance was delivered.
One suspect has been arrested in Lebanon, but the planning was in its initial phases and mostly overseas. Officials do not believe there are links to plotters or operatives inside the United States.

34 million vehicles pass through it every year.

Ramapo, NY - Yeshiva Case Adjourned

Ramapo, NY - A hearing to discuss the illegal operation of a day care center and a developer's complaint of increased building permit fees was adjourned by Ramapo's Zoning Board of Appeals last night.

The five-member board will next hear on Aug. 10 from developer Mosdos Chovetz Chaim, which wants to build a yeshiva with adult student housing and which has been cited by Ramapo and the state for running a preschool out of a trailer on its construction site.
The developer is appealing the town's decision to increase the building permit fees for its 60-apartment yeshiva on Grandview Avenue. The board also adjourned a hearing on the operation of the day care center that the town deemed to be illegal at the site.
Hershy Itzkowitz of Monsey said he was called by Rabbi Aryeh Zaks of the yeshiva earlier in the evening and told to attend the meeting to ask for an adjournment.
Itzkowitz said neither Zaks nor Lynch had been made aware of the meeting by the town.

"Did you see today's newspaper?" board member P.T. Thomas asked.
The board voted unanimously to adjourn the hearing after breaking for a few minutes to discuss the issue. "This is the notice," Specht said. "There will be no further notice from the town."

Williamsburg Bridge +Unusual Traffic Alert+

Brooklyn, NY Williamsburg Bridge +Unusual Traffic Alert+ At the southbound of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway at the ramp to the Williamsburg Bridge Manhattan bound an accident involving a coffee cart that overturned with coffee and more all over the roadway, crews on the scene working to clean it all up, delays are all the way back to the Kosciuszko Bridge.

London, UK - Synagogue List In Suspect's Home

London, UK - A 12-page list of synagogues across Britain was found at the home of a Muslim terror suspect accused of plotting to bomb civilian targets, a court heard.

The pages, which were found in a desk at the house of Omar Khyam, with his fingerprints on the papers, detailed scores of locations of Jewish places of worship, as well as Jewish youth clubs and other organizations, from London to Manchester.

Khyam, 24, is one of seven British Muslims accused of planning to bring carnage to mainland Britain with a huge fertilizer bomb blast.

The Old Bailey heard how the lists had been compiled from at least two web sites.

Prosecuting David Waters QC said: “A 12 page list of synagogues was found with locations all over the UK. “There were also Spanish and Portuguese synagogues. They were in alphabetical order and included email addresses. “That goes on for a number of pages. There are also Jewish organizations and youth organizations and synagogues listed in Manchester.

A bag of electrical components was also found in the same wardrobe which included solder, a battery connector, a switch and light-emitting diodes.

Los Angeles, CA - Survivors Rush To get Hungary Restitution

Los Angeles, CA - Hundreds of Holocaust survivors flocked to the city's Jewish social service agencies to get help as they rush to apply for a restitution program offered by the Hungarian government.
The paperwork must be postmarked and on its way to Budapest by July 31.

The large turnout overwhelmed the legal service group Bet Tzedek, whose officials hastily scheduled extra sessions to help with the complicated paperwork. Officials there said they expected about 50 or so of the approximately 10,000 Holocaust survivors in Los Angeles to sign up for the sessions. Instead, five times as many have sought help.

Advocates see the surge as a sign that elderly survivors, no longer working and in ill health, need aid more than ever.

Lawrence, NY - Orthodox Jews Take Majority

Lawrence, NY - An Orthodox Jewish majority took control of the Lawrence school board for the first time last night, with the new president vowing that the panel would "chart a path that will respect both the majority and the minority views."

Asher Mansdorf, who became the first Orthodox Jewish board member when he was elected in 2001, and David Sussman, who often sides with the new majority, were elected as the board's president and vice president by a 4 to 2 vote. "We are all partners in this endeavor and I sincerely believe that together we will overcome our differences," Mansdorf said.

With that, the newly constituted panel plowed through its agenda, with one exception drawing concern from some parents. Michael Hattan and Uri Kaufman, who were elected in May, chose to be sworn in on Monday rather than at last night's meeting, which is when new members usually take their oaths of office.

"The history of this district is that the new board members are sworn in publicly and then the central council PTA welcomes and congratulates them," said Heidi Beyer, of North Woodmere, a parent of two public schoolchildren. "We are disappointed that we didn't get that opportunity," she said.

Kaufman said he did not know that new members are normally sworn in publicly, although the swearing-in was at the top of last night's agenda. "Had I known, I would have done it. I didn't know and I apologize," he said.

Hattan said he simply wanted to avoid a public display. He also said he was concerned about a new teachers contract ratified by the board two weeks ago - before the new majority took control. "If I waited until tonight, who knows? I've seen some very strange things happen at the 11th hour in this district," Hattan said yesterday before the meeting.

Monsey, NY +MVA With Overturned+

Monsey, NY +MVA With Overturned+ A motor vehicle accident with one vehicle - a red Windstar - overturned on Herrick Avenue and Maple Avenue, Hatzolah on the scene with four aided, no one pinned.
Command requested Rescue and Pumper to the scene.

U/D: 14:48
Fire Department on the scene and going into service to upright, road will be closed for now, Hatzolah transported three aided to local hospital.

Swan Lake, NY - Looking For Volunteers

Swan Lake, NY - The Community Development Corporation is looking for volunteers to design and paint a mural on the boarded-up building on Route 55, close to the corner of Stanton Corners Road. Anyone interested should contact Mrs Levine at the Community Development Corporation.

Washington, DC - Mystery on Why Feds are Investigating Kosher Meat Slaughterhouses

Washington, DC - No one in the kosher food industry is exactly sure why the Justice Department is investigating several major kosher slaughterhouses. Nor is it known for certainty just who is the target of the investigation.
Although a number of purveyors were said to have received subpoenas for the violation
of anti-trust laws, people familiar with the kosher food industry say that collusion on price fixing is the last thing that the companies practice. In fact, the sources say, there is cut throat competition for every dollar.

While AgriProcessor was identified as one of the targets of the federal investigation, there was speculation that Empire Kosher Poultry and Alle Processing had also either received notices of the investigation or were in fact subpoenaed.
The investigation may well have been underway for the past 9 or 10 months. But no one was able to obtain any definitive information from the federal government, deepening the mystery of what exactly is being investigated.
If the identities of the three companies is correct, the target may in fact be related to kosher poultry, rather than to kosher meat in general, which again perplexes kosher officials who say that a price war would be a more fitting description of the state of the industry than price fixing.
Some even charged PETA with taking their vendetta against Agri to the next level.

Noted attorney Nathan Lewin said that Agri was told that neither the corporation, nor any corporate officer or employee is presently a target of the investigation.

Some British Jews Criticise Gaza Raids

Some 300 British Jews have signed a petition condemning Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip.

The group, says it has "watched with horror" Israel's response to the capture of a soldier. Palestinians in Gaza were being subjected to "collective punishment" because of the actions of militants, said one of them.
An Israeli spokesman said this view did not represent those of British Jews.

The petition, which appeared as a full-page advert in the Times Newspaper, condemns the way Israeli forces have responded to the capture of Cpl Gilad Shalit.

Teaneck, NJ - First Frum Mayor

Teaneck, NJ - In a 6-1 vote, the Teaneck Township Council voted in its first Orthodox Jewish - and also its youngest - mayor, 31-year-old local businessman Elie Katz.

Every two years, the town council selects a mayor from its own ranks. The council used secret ballots to elect Katz, who won his third term as councilman in May, at the council’s reorganization meeting July 1. The meeting was held after sunset to accommodate the council’s several Orthodox Jews.

Although Katz is not the first Jewish mayor of Teaneck, he said that he is the town’s first Orthodox mayor. But the lifelong resident hopes that people will look beyond his religion and focus on his past as a volunteer and longtime member of the town’s business community, and on his future actions.
"I’m hopeful that as an active member of the community, that people recognize that I have a tremendous amount of experience that should supercede peoples’ judgment of my religious beliefs," he said.

Lakewood, NJ - School District Gets Out Of Trouble

Lakewood, NJ - The Lakewood Board of Education came under fire six weeks ago when a consultant hired to review how well the district spends federal money meant for private school students reported that Lakewood administrators appeared to have violated federal law when allocating more than $1 million to public school coffers.

But now, the state is saying that's not true. In a letter to Superintendent Edward W. Luick, officials for the state Department of Education said "there are no substantive audit findings that would result in a recovery of Title I funds.''

Luick, said the findings are proof the oft-maligned district acted appropriately with its Title I program. Title I refers to money that is funded based on the number of low-income students in a given area. "It says what we have done is we've acted appropriately,'' Luick said. "It did note that maybe we can work to refine the process, which is what we have been doing.''

Luick thanked state officials, who he said worked with the district to determine whether Lakewood misspent any money.

Woodbury, NY - OCEAN Is Lobbying To Influence Two Votes Tonight

Woodbury - Whenever he's gearing up for a big government vote, Jonathan Swiller has the sleep-deprived and slightly loopy air of a college student cramming for finals. A political activist, Swiller and his citizens' group - known until recently as SOCA At Work, but now called OCEAN, or Orange County, Equality Among Neighbors - have been busy collecting petition signatures and distributing postcards to influence two votes, both scheduled for tonight.

One is a vote by Orange County lawmakers to allow Kiryas Joel to erect water storage tanks on county parkland, which OCEAN is against. The other is a Woodbury Town Board decision on zoning changes to allow a 451-home development called WP3, which OCEAN supports.

A Brooklyn native, Swiller has been active in politics for the last few years, ever since joining the fierce opposition to Kiryas Joel's proposal to tap the Catskill Aqueduct. At times like these, the rumpled 57-year-old is virtually a full-time activist, rallying the troops, firing off broadsides, fielding a barrage of cell-phone calls.

As someone fighting Kiryas Joel and its allies in state and county government, Swiller bristles at the anti-Semitism charges arising from battles involving the Hasidic community. "As a Jew, I resent it, and I hate it," he said. "I see real anti-Semitism out there. Opposing water towers in a park - calling that anti-Semitism means that when you see the real stuff out there, who's going to believe you?"

Orange County, NY - Is Kiryas Joel Hasidic Community Singled Out By Lawmakers?

Orange County, NY - Montgomery had an emergency communications problem. So, without so much as a legislative request or a heads up to the executive's office, county officials gave the Montgomery Fire Department permission to enter county-owned Winding Hills Park two years ago and attach a new ultrahigh-frequency radio system to the tower.

In recent years, county officials have approved or claimed ignorance of half a dozen efforts to use county parkland for non-recreational purposes, two cell towers were built in county parks and at least three agencies were allowed to lay pipes or access roads across the Heritage Trail.

That track record places lawmakers in an awkward position as they rally around the latest parks flare-up: blocking the Village of Kiryas Joel's request to build two water tanks in an undeveloped section of a county park.
Rejecting the request could leave lawmakers open to claims that the insular Hasidic community has been singled out. Kiryas Joel says it needs the tanks for firefighting in a particularly fast-growing section of town.

"I don't see the logic to opposing this based on our pattern of past behavior," said Legislator Michael Amo, R-Central Valley, who represents Kiryas Joel. "Over the years, nobody raised a question about whether or not we could do it. All of a sudden, when Kiryas Joel wants to place water towers in a county park, everybody wants to stop it."

In light of such confusion, some lawmakers see Kiryas Joel's water-tank plan as a good time to try to draw a line. Legislator Spencer McLaughlin, R-Monroe, says the project's potential to feed future growth makes it fair to single out.

"Parkland is parkland and to surrender parkland for the purpose of over development is adding a cherry on top of this already corroded sundae," McLaughlin said. "I would never support something that permanently takes away parkland."

And the Winding Hills radio outpost? "Well, that's going to have to come down," he said.

Lakewood, NJ - Realty Company Charged With Ethnic Bias

Lakewood, NJ - Federal housing officials have charged Triple H. Realty LLC of Lakewood, an embattled realty company here with discrimination, alleging a pattern of racial and religious preferences at Cottage Manor Apartments that benefited the Jewish families who lived there while neglecting minority tenants, they are accused of violating the Fair Housing Act by attempting to segregate non-Jewish black and Hispanic tenants at the 104-unit, six-building complex on Woehr Avenue, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported Wednesday.

The charge is the first housing discrimination case filed in Lakewood's recent history, despite some residents' frequent accusations that the township's large Orthodox Jewish population receives preferential treatment.

HUD's investigation began after a complaint was filed by two residents in June 2004, according to case documents. Cottage Manor, formerly known as the Congress Apartments, has had problems in the past.

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Manhattan, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck on the upper East Side of Manhattan on 1st Avenue and 80th Street, Hatzolah responding.

Thompson, NY - Town Cracks Down On Unauthorized Bungalows

Thompson, NY - Town officials fined two owners in the Garden Bungalows near Monticello Raceway $3,000 each and ordered one owner to tear down a bedroom and porch addition because it wasn't built to code. The other owner built a laundry room.
Also were the projects done without building permits and during a temporary construction ban in bungalow colonies. That ban has since been lifted.

"They tell their neighbors they will just pay the fine and it will be OK," Thompson Supervisor Tony Cellini said. "Well, it is not going to be OK. We have laws. Everyone else abides by the laws."

Thompson recently tightened its building laws for bungalows and has been on the prowl lately for shoddy work. "It was basically shoddy construction," the town Planning Board's attorney, Paula Kay said. "They are building where children are living. The town is not going to tolerate it when families, especially children, are put in danger by shoddy construction work."

"I don't believe people are doing it on purpose," said Rabbi Bernard Freilich, the state police's special assistant to the superintendent and a liaison between the towns and the Hasidic and Orthodox communities. "I think a lot of people are just unaware."

Friday, Thompson evicted six families in the Empire Cottages colony off Route 42 near the high school. That colony was building without several permits, and didn't have hot water in some of the bungalows.
"We went door to door and told people to leave," Kay said.

Washington, DC - New York City Transit Agencies To Get A $10M Security Boost

Washington, DC - The Bush administration is boosting anti-terror funding to New York-area transit systems by about $10 million this year, after being criticized for recently slashing city Homeland Funding Security money by $83 million.
The transit funding will rise from $37.5 million last year to $47 million this year, a 25 percent increase, "It's positive news, considering we went down 40 percent in the last month," said House Homeland Security chairman Peter King (R-Seaford), who has lobbied the administration for more funding. "It's a small step in the right direction."

City and state officials have urged Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff to help offset New York's losses by increasing funding in other programs.

Albany, NY - DMV Extends Licenses And Registration For Storm Victims

Albany, NY - Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced the extension of the expiration date for licenses and registrations for the victims of the storms that devastated the people of New York. All residents of the 13 counties under a state of emergency declared by Governor George Pataki in response to last week's heavy storms and subsequent severe flooding will have more days added to the expiration of their license and registration to help people as they recover.

All licenses and registrations that expired on or after June 28, 2006 will now be valid through July 18, 2006.

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+

Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident with vehicle overturned on Ocean Avenue and Avenue "N" with Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics to back them up, EMS on the scene NYPD of the 70th Pct are requesting ESU to upright, no one pinned.

Amityville NY - Nurse Charged With Grand Larceny And Falsifying Her License Application

Amityville NY - Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced that an Amityville woman has been charged with stealing more than $40,000 by falsifying time sheets for nursing care she never provided. In a second case, she was charged with falsifying the license renewal application she filed with the state.

Astra Brown, 42, was employed at White Glove Placement, Inc., a nursing agency that had assigned her to work at Medford Multicare Center, a nursing home in Suffolk County. Medford terminated Brown in early October 2005, but Brown continued to submit time sheets to White Glove through January 2006. In order to get paid, Brown forged the signature of a Medford supervisor on thirteen time sheets for numerous shifts that she did not work. As a result, White Glove paid Brown more than $40,000 and billed Medford for hours that Brown never worked.

Also did Brown falsify her license renewal application in June 2004, by denying that she had any criminal charges pending against her when, in fact, she had been arrested earlier that month. The falsified application was filed with the New York State Education Department and her license was renewed, permitting her to continue to work without further scrutiny.

Brown was arraigned on both charges by Suffolk County District Court Judge Paul M. Hensley. Bail was set at $50,000.

Attorney General Spitzer thanked Medford Multicare Center for referring the case to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Brooklyn, NY +Kings Plaza Power Outage+

Brooklyn, NY +Kings Plaza Power Outage+ NYPD are calling for a level one mobilization due to a large power outage in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, Flatbush Avenue and Avenue "U" including the Kings Plaza Shopping Mall.

New York, NY - Lawyer Defends $4.1M Fee in Holocaust Case

New York, NY - Law professor Burt Neuborne says $4.1 million is a fair payment for his work distributing the $1.25 billion settlement he won from a Swiss banks over their World War II-era dealings. But many disagree with him, they pilloried him for billing Holocaust survivors at a rate of $700 an hour, that's when Mr. Neuborne went public with his arguments for the multimillion-dollar fee.

The New York University professor said that he would not withdraw his legal bill despite the outrage it has provoked from American Holocaust survivors who say his fee request would take too much from the settlement.
 
"This is money I've earned," Mr. Neuborne said. "I'll be damned if I'm going to be railroaded into giving it up because of a group trying to stampede the courts and ignore the law."
 
Just how much Mr. Neuborne receives for his seven years of work since the settlement is up to a magistrate-judge in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, James Orenstein, who is still hearing the case. Critics of the fee request say Mr. Neuborne gave the impression that he was doing the work pro bono and has inflated the number of hours he worked.

Hollywood, FL - Synagogue Agrees To Settle Dispute With City

Hollywood, FL - A five-year battle between the city of Hollywood and an Orthodox Jewish synagogue appears to be over.

The two sides agreed to end the feud today, signing a settlement deal that will allow the Hollywood Community Synagogue to stay in two homes in a residential neighborhood permanently and expand to three other homes in the future. The city would also pay the congregation $2 million.

The deal was hand-delivered by city attorneys to the federal courthouse in Miami, ahead of a deadline set by Judge Joan Lenard on Monday. Lenard has to approve the settlement, but city officials said the fight is over. 

In return for the right to stay and expand, the synagogue and the U.S. Justice Department agreed to drop their religious discrimination lawsuits against the city and Commissioner Sal Oliveri.

If the settlement deal was not signed by 3 p.m., the federal trial would have started Thursday morning.

Israel +Suicide Bombing Attacks Foiled+

Israel - A snap terror alert was clamped down on the Shomron and Sharon districts north of Tel Aviv, and the would-be bomber was captured in the Barkan industrial zone between Rosh Ha’ayin and Ariel, riding in a Palestinian taxi and wearing an explosives belt.

In a second incident, police shot dead a Palestinian terrorist wanted for a 2001 murder. An explosive device was found in his possession.

New York +NYS Thruway Traffic Alert+

Sloatsburg, New York +NYS Thruway Traffic Alert+ A ShopRite tractor trailer overturned on the southbound of I-87 the New York State Thruway at the Exit 15 ramp M/M 31.32. New York State Police are on the scene reporting a large diesel spill.

Expect major delays in the area.

Postville, Iowa - AgriProcessor Receives Clean Bill of Health

Postville, Iowa - Officials of AgriProcessor were given high grades for their animal welfare practices by Professor Temple Grandin of Colorado State University, following a tour of the plant by the nationally recognized animal welfare expert.

Accompanied by Rabbi Menachem Genack, Chief Executive Officer of OU Kosher which certifies the plant, Dr. Grandin inspected the facility and surveyed the various systems that are in place to assure the highest level of humane treatment of animals.
AgriProcessor has been the subject of considerable criticism by animal rights activists. “It is of great importance for us at the Orthodox Union,” said Rabbi Genack, “that the kosher consuming public be reassured that all the practices associated with shechitah, the kosher method of slaughter, are carried out in a humane and appropriate fashion. We are pleased that on an ongoing basis Professor Grandin will continue to monitor the plant to assure that the standards she found there will be maintained."

Borough Park, Brooklyn +Pedestrian Struck+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian an elderly female that was struck by an auto, aided is unconscious on Fort Hamilton Parkway and 46th Street, Hatzolah BLS units on the scene are requesting ALS Medics to respond.

U/D: 11:09
Aided was transported to Lutheran Hospital with numerous lacerations and with serious head trauma. NYPD Highway A.I.S. Team was notified for the possible A.I. job.

U/D: 11:31
Aided is in likely condition at Lutheran.

+Ex-Enron Chief Dead+

Aspen, Colorado - +Ex-Enron Chief Dead+ Kenneth Lay, founder and ex-boss of collapsed US energy giant Enron, has died aged 64, of heart attack. He was awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of conspiracy and fraud.

Baku, Azerbaijan - Celebrates The Opening Of A New Mikva

Baku, Azerbaijan - The head of the Jewish Community of Azerbaijan and Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Azerbaijan Meir Brook celebrated the opening of a new mikva.
The inauguration ceremony involved more than 50 members of Azerbaijani Jewish communities, who were excited to see the new mikva.

The mikva is laid with beautiful tiles the same color as the marble interior of the building. The mikva has two pools connected with each other, separate shower rooms located adjacent to the ritual bath hall, a heating system and a special filtration system, designed for purifying rain water.

Addressing to the community members, Rabbi Brook reminded them that the ritual bath is essential for observing the laws of the family purity. "These laws are so important that a community is required build a mikva even before building a synagogue. And now we are proud to announce that Jews of Baku have both a new synagogue and a new mikva!"

Borough Park +MVA+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn at 17th Avenue and 44th Street, Hatzolah on the scene.

Jerusalem, Israel - Charedim Attack Police

Jerusalem, Israel - Several dozen ultra-Orthodox men have attacked Border Guard policemen who arrived to arrest an illegal worker in Charedi neighborhood of Meah Shearim. One of the policemen was lightly injured and the illegal Palestinian laborer's employer managed to escape.
 
The incident started this morning when a Border Guard unit arrived to arrest the illegal Palestinian laborer in Meah Shearim. The team officers attempted to arrest the employer, and an row has erupted as a result.
After the laborer was arrested several dozen of Charedim gathered around the Border Guard team and begun beating them up. A few others even punctured the tires of their squad jeeps. One police officer was lightly injured during the confrontation and was treated on the scene by paramedics, the Border Guard unit fired one shot in air to deter the attackers and hurled two stun grenades but no one was injured.

The suspected attackers managed to escape, including the employer of the illegal laborer, and the police are searching for the perpetrators.

Toronto, Canada - Convicted Drug Trafficker Shot In Hotel Elevator

Toronto, Canada - A man sentenced in New York for masterminding an ecstasy smuggling ring using Orthodox Jews to get millions of pills through the world's airports was shot three times in an elevator of a Toronto luxury hotel after a drug deal went awry.

When Toronto police were called to the 1,000-roon waterfront Westin Harbour Castle, they found one man bleeding from gunshot wounds, another who had been handcuffed by his assailants and a woman who was with them. Four kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $400,000, hidden in an ice dispenser, were also uncovered.
Sean Erez, a 36-year-old Quebec man, was shot in the stomach and legs, investigators say. He survived, but has been charged with drug trafficking. Mr. Erez, an Israeli-Canadian, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn, NY in 2001 to conspiracy to import ecstasy into the U.S. He admitted he recruited young Orthodox Jews to smuggle more than a million pills to the U.S. from 1998 to 1999, the pills were hidden under the Chasidic hats.

Woodbourne, NY +Structure Fire+

Sullivan County, Woodbourne, NY +Structure Fire+ A 2nd alarm requested by command for a heavy fully involved structure fire on arrival at a private dwelling at 57 Budd Road off Firehouse Road and Route 52 earlier this morning, M/A to the scene from surrounding towns, Monticello's Fast, Loch Sheldrake and Fallsburg with Eng.'s, also requesting additional PD units and EMS to respond on a rush due to entrapments.

Queens, NY +S/B B.Q.E. Is Shut Down+

Queens, NY +S/B B.Q.E. Is Shut Down+ All lanes going southbound of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway at Roosevelt Avenue, is completely shutdown after a fatal accident earlier this morning between two vehicles, with one vehicle a livery cab went under a tractor trailer and caught on fire with aided trapped inside DOA and a 2nd aided was in traumatic arrest.

NYPD Highway A.I.S. Team are working the scene with one confirmed DOA still trapped under the T/T and three other aided, one in traumatic arrest, 2nd transported by FDNY EMS with non life threatning injuries and the 3rd is RMA.
Major traffic delays for the entire morning rush.

North Korea - +Launches Missile+

North Korea - +Launches Missile+ North Korea launched a long-range missile that may be capable of reaching the United States but it failed after 35 or 40 seconds, two State Department officials said.
The missile was one of at least three that were fired. The two others were short-range missiles. All landed in the Sea of Japan.

The long-range missile was the Taepodong-2, North Korea's most advanced missile with a range of up to 9,320 miles.

The United States, Japan and other countries have warned North Korea against a long-range missile test, saying it would be considered a provocation.

U/D
North Korea tested seven missiles in all.

Boston, MA - Jews And Muslims Trying To Settle Mosque Dispute

Boston MA - A group of Jewish leaders are working to settle a bitter dispute over a new mosque in Boston. Work on the massive mosque has stopped amid allegations that Islamic extremists are behind its construction, so they've sued several individuals including Jewish leaders, denying any terrorists sympathies

The dispute has severely strained relations between area Jews and Muslims.

A 40-member panel has spoken to both sides, fearing acrimony over the case will linger long after any court battle.

Lawyers for both sides said they welcomed the reconciliation attempt. But they said the facts are on their side and they're willing to continue to court.

NY/NJ +Serious MVA G.W. Bridge+

NY/NJ +Serious MVA G.W. Bridge+ A serious motor vehicle accident on the upper level New York bound of the George Washington Bridge, PAPD on the scene with multiple aided, Hatzolah on the scene requesting multiple ambulances to respond.
Traffic very slow.

Brooklyn, NY - Off-Duty Firefighter Lit Firecracker In His Kitchen

Brooklyn, NY - An off-duty firefighter lost at least three fingers on his right hand when he lit a powerful firecracker in the kitchen of his Brooklyn home - and it blew up as he tried to toss it out a window.
But the firefighter Michael Decker of Ladder Co. 118 insisted that it isn't so, only that he accidentally cut himself and refused to discuss the nature of his injury.

But police sources said Decker, 33, lit an illegal "blockbuster" firecracker in his home. An explosive that is banned in the United States.

A shotgun was also found in the firefighter's house, the source said.

When Decker was asked about the firecracker allegation, he insisted, "I don't know what you're talking about," but acknowledged, "There are a lot of fireworks in the neighborhood."

Jerusalem, Israel - Two Arabs Held For Stabbing

Jerusalem, Israel - Two Arabs residents of east Jerusalem are under arrest for allegedly stabbing a Charedi teenager near the Damascus Gate six weeks ago.

The two suspects, aged 17 and 23, are in custody throughout the duration of their trial, and will be indicted later this week in the Jerusalem District Court. The prime suspect in the case told investigators that he had planned the stabbing for six months.

The Jewish teen stabbed in the attack suffered light to moderate wounds.

Lakewood, NJ Co. Buys Detroit Complexes Compriseing More Than 5000 Units

Lakewook, NJ Home Properties Inc. said it has sold its Detroit-area apartment complexes for more than $230 million. The Lakewood, N.J.-based Lightstone Group bought the 19 complexes, which comprise more than 5,000 units.

The Rochester apartment firm has said it was looking to dispose of the portfolio because it wasn't delivering the results the company wanted. "The sale of the Detroit portfolio will improve the company's future financial performance, which was muted in recent years by the negative net operating income growth of these properties," the President and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement.

Brooklyn, NY - Empty Bags Puzzle Police

Brooklyn, NY - The NYPD are investigating whether a slew of unattended bags found around Brooklyn was a hoax.

About 1500 hours, police started spotting suspicious briefcases, luggage and duffel bags in Park Slope. A grid search of the area turned up bags on Eighth Ave. and Carroll St. as well as spots on Union St., Montgomery Place and Berkeley Place. About nine bags had been found as of last night. "The more we're investigating them, the more we are seeing them," a police source said.

The bags were all empty. So far, none of the bags contained anything hazardous.

Kiryas, Joel - Court Battle Enlivens Internet Chat Rooms

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - In a place where rabbis condemn the Internet for poisoning impressionable minds, young Web users zip to an Israeli Web site called Hyde Park to post their rumors, photos and partisan potshots.

It is in two Hyde Park chat rooms for the Satmar Chasidim that visitors blast updates on the bitter, high-stakes court battle being waged by two Satmar factions in Kiryas Joel and Brooklyn.
Now, this free-for-all Yiddish bulletin board has itself become fodder in the Satmar legal fight.

An attorney for the side supporting Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum of Williamsburg has complained to a state appellate court about recent Hyde Park postings that purport to say how its judges have voted behind closed doors on two pending Satmar cases, and both decisions supposedly sided with supporters of Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum of Kiryas Joel, Zalmen's older brother and rival for control of the Satmar empire.

The lawyer, Scott Mollen, acknowledges in his June 26 letter that "anyone can make predictions," but calls these "exceedingly troubling" in light of a previous Hyde Park scoop about a judge recusing himself that turned out to be true.
Lawyers for Aron's faction responded June 28 with a letter to the court mocking Mollen for his "ill-considered and inflammatory letter" and for his "visit to an Internet chat room, which is virtually the lowest form of public discourse."

However accurate the Hyde Park predictions prove to be, Aron's side wasn't celebrating yesterday. One Aron supporter in Kiryas Joel called the "victory" postings a hoax that Zalmen supporters placed in their own Hyde Park chat room to sow confusion.
"Everybody knows it's a joke," he said.
The same goes, he added, for almost all rumors traded on Hyde Park: "It's not a serious place for discussion. The serious place for discussion is the mikvah, not the Internet."

Swan Lake, NY +Overturned Truck+

Sullivan County, Swan Lake, NY +Overturned Truck+ A serious motor vehicle accident with one overturned truck on State Route 55 near Broadway, Hatzolah on the scene operating.

London - Police Are Looking For More Jewish Support Officers

London - The Metropolitan Police is looking to recruit more police community support officers (PCSO) from London's ethnic communities including Jewish Londoners.
It hopes an additional 1500 people will take on the roll as part of the extension of the Safer Neighbourhood Project (SNP) which puts three police officers supported by three support officers dedicated to an area.

Police community support officers can earn up to £25,000 a year and are entitled to a number of benefits including free bus travel.
A recruitment day taking place this Friday between 9am and 4pm as well as on Saturday in south east London aims to provide information to the public on the role of a support officer and what opportunities there are.
"PCSOs contribute to policing in London by providing a visible and reassuring presence," said Chief Superintendent Steve Bloomfield, head of the Safer Neighbourhoods Programme. "They also play a vital role in Safer Neighbourhoods Teams where they work alongside Police Officers. The teams work with the local community to identify and tackle local problems such as anti-social behaviour or graffiti."

Hartford, CT - Lieberman Fights For Political Life

Hartford, CT - Senator Joe Lieberman says he'll collect signatures to run for re-election as an unaffiliated candidate should he lose next month's primary.

Hollywood, FL - Request For More Time Over Synagogue Deal Denied

Hollywood, FL - A judge has denied requests for more time in a religious discrimination lawsuit brought against the city of Hollywood by an Orthodox synagogue.

Hollywood city officials had offered the Hollywood Community Synagogue a last-minute deal to end the five-year dispute, and the congregation wanted more time to consider the offer. But the judge decided against that.
The lawyers in the case now have until Wednesday afternoon to have reached a settlement, the federal judge gave the city of Hollywood and the Orthodox synagogue until 3 pm Wednesday to sign a deal ending their feud or be ready to start trial Thursday morning.

Holocaust Survivors at Higher Long-Term Cancer Risk

A new study finds that rates of cancer and cancer-related death are especially high among survivors of the Holocaust.
A research team found that Holocaust survivors who emigrated from Europe following World War II are at higher risk for cancer compared to European Jews who emigrated before the war began.

Much of the difference can be attributed to cancers found among the youngest Holocaust survivors. Specifically, male and female immigrants born in Europe between 1940 and 1945 faced the highest odds of developing breast or colorectal cancers, the researchers found.

New York, NY - Housing Construction Up 515 Percent

New York, NY - A analysis of census records shows that building permits for more than 31,000 residential units were issued last year. That's a huge jump from the roughly 5,000 units built in 1995. The 2005 total is up 25 percent from 2004 and 87 percent from 2001.

The neighborhoods seeing the greatest growth are Chelsea-Clinton in Manhattan, Greenpoint and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, and the Rockaways in Queens.

The New York Building Congress, which is a trade organization, estimates that another 30,000 units will be built in the city each year through 2008.

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - The Largest Spender On Lobbyists In New York Is The Village of KJ

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY - Cities that have hired lobbyists are spread throughout the country, and are generally clustered in population centers.
The Village of Kiryas Joel, in the town of Monroe, NY is spending the largest amount of money for lobbying, compared to any other municipality in the entire state of New York. The total amount they have spend on lobbyists was $615,000 compared to the City of New York which has spend just $85,000.

Hollywood, FL - City Seeks Extension To Review Settlement With Synagogue

Hollywood, FL - Lawyers for the city of Hollywood are expected to ask a federal judge for more time to review a settlement with a synagogue.

A five-year battle between the city and Hollywood Community Synagogue seemingly ended last week when attorneys for both sides announced that an agreement had been reached over where the Jewish community can worship. Now, the congregation wants time to consider the offer.

Under the terms of the settlement, the city agreed to give the synagogue $2 million. The synagogue would also be allowed to stay and would not be required to apply for a special permit that allows religious groups to operate in a residential zone. The city must also comply with the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which prohibits governments from making land use and zoning decisions that discriminate against religious groups.

City commissioners had sided with area homeowners who complained about noise, garbage, traffic and parking problems, but the U.S. Justice Department intervened when the synagogue threatened to sue.

The settlement must still be approved.

Washington, DC - Defense Dept. Imposes Loyalty Test On Americans Related To Israel

Washington, DC - The Pentagon has sought and succeeded in removing security clearance from dozens of Americans, mostly Jews, who either lived, worked or have relatives in Israel. Official documents report that American Jews, employed by major defense contractors and denied access to military projects, were asked by Pentagon examiners whether they would join a U.S. attack on Israel and abandon their relatives if the Jewish state was threatened.

"The policy didn’t start yesterday," a Pentagon source said. “But those applying for security clearance are coming under greater scrutiny than ever for ties with foreign countries, and that especially includes Israel."

In some cases, the sources said, the Pentagon even sought to remove the security clearance of high-ranking U.S. officers who served as consultants in Israel. Some of the Pentagon’s decisions were overturned on appeal.

During a hearings by the Pentagon’s Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, officials and judges asserted that Israel was spying on the United States. "The Israeli government is actively engaged in military and industrial espionage in the United States," a Pentagon administrative judge ruled. "An Israeli citizen working in the U.S. who has access to proprietary information is likely to be a target of such espionage."

Baghdad, Iraq - Al-Zarqawi's Cell Phone Yields Surprises

Baghdad, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had the phone numbers of senior Iraqi officials stored in his cell phone, according to an Iraqi legislator.

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Borough Park, Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck on 16th Avenue and 39th Street in the Boro Park section of Brooklym, NY has Hatzolah on the scene requesting Medics to respond as well.

Stamford Hill, London - Danger Heat Wave Hits Local Community

London - Unusually hot weather blanketed England, with temperatures expected to get even higher in the next few days.

The Department of Health warned that the heat wave could be dangerous, especially to the elderly, the very young and people with chronic respiratory problems. The temperature is expected to hit 91 degrees in the London area. The health department said those at high risk should try to remain indoors as much as possible and keep properly hydrated by drinking water or fruit juice.

Hatzolah and London Ambulance Service (L.A.S.) urge and warns the over 1/2 million Charadisha Jews living in London, to be on the lookout for the children at schools and for the elderly at there residence or at assistance living units.

Amount of kids under watch in the Charadisha Jewish community, are over 6000 kids between 2 and 13.

In Stamford Hill the break down of the amount of children
Skever 400, Satmer 1100, Visnits 300,. Belz 400 , Tashbar 357, Yasoday
Hatorah 800

The weather in Scotland was cooler with clouds

Brooklyn, NY +pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a pedestrian that was struck at East 18th and Avenue "M" Hatzolah on the scene requesting an ambulance.

Valencia, Spain +Many Killed In Rail Crash+

Valencia, Spain - As many as 30 people are feared to have died when from an underground train derailment in eastern Spain derails.

New York - How Safe And Clean Are Your Kids' Camps?

New York - For the roughly 400 camps in the Catskills and Hudson Valley, Health Department inspections, turned up hundreds of violations last year, the citations usually were mundane: But there were also extreme examples:
An August 2005 inspection of Camp Bnos Skwere in Fallsburg found that a medical director who was not qualified for invasive procedures was assisting a camper in administering an enema. The camp was also cited for trash strewn throughout the grounds, raw fish improperly stored and an unapproved trip to Lake Superior.

Camp Ohel Elozen Be'er Hatorah in Bethel was cited for operating last year without a valid permit. The camp was also written up for sewage discharging onto the ground, a leaky chlorine pump, and for having two fly strips hanging over work tables in a canteen area.

Health inspectors say almost every camp has at least a handful of violations to address before a permit is issued each summer. "It's very rare, if not impossible, for a camp to get a 100 percent on a pre-operational inspection," said an environmental health aide for the Ulster County Department of Health.
Sullivan County faces the biggest challenge, with more than 170 camps, roughly 100 of them overnight camps. In contrast, Orange and Ulster counties have fewer than 100 camps each.

Supervision also seems to be an issue for camps. New York regulations require camp counselors to maintain visual or verbal contact with campers at all times. Still, camps are repeatedly cited for unsupervised campers, considered a major infraction.
Camp Bais Yaakov in Ferndale was fined after a July 27 inspection discovered several campers unsupervised. A second fine was issued for the same thing a few weeks later.

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Palestinian Militants Issue Ultimatum

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Palestinian militants holding Israeli soldier give Israel until Monday 11 p.m. EST to release Palestinian prisoners or "pay the consequences."

Israeli forces gather along Gaza border.

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Pedestrian Struck+ A motor vehicle accident on 15th Avenue and 53rd Street, Hatzolah on the scene

Queens, NY +MVA+

Queens, NY +MVA+ A motor vehicle accident at Queens Boulevard and 78th Ave, Hatzolah on the scene, ALS units also responding.

U/D: 19:11
Hatzolah on the scene canceled everyone, including the bus.

Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+

Brooklyn, NY +Child Struck+ A motor vehicle accident with a child that was struck on Avenue "C" and East 2nd Street, Hatzolah responding, FDNY EMS on the scene.

Manhattan, NY - Kerik's Name Removed From City Jail

Manhattan, NY - The city jail renamed to honor former police commissioner Bernard Kerik in 2001 has gone back to its former name in the wake of his guilty plea on charges of taking money from a construction firm with alleged mob ties.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered Correction Commissioner Martin Horn to remove the sign from the Bernard B. Kerik Complex in lower Manhattan, and it was removed today and replaced with one bearing a familiar name - Manhattan Detention Complex.

New York - Man Who Rescued 406 Jews In WWII Dies

Catskill, New York - Jaap Penraat, an architect and industrial designer who helped 406 Jews sneak out of the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, has died at his home in Catskill, New York, the cause was esophageal cancer.

Born in Amsterdam in 1918, Penraat was in his 20s when he began forging identity cards for Jews. After being discovered, he was imprisoned for several months and tortured, but refused to tell his captors anything.
After his release from prison, Penraat and other resistance members began disguising Jews as construction workers hired to work on a wall Hitler was building along France's Atlantic Coast. He made 20 trips, accompanying about 20 Jews each time to Lille, France where the French underground transported them to neutral Spain.

After the war, and he moved to the U-S in 1958.

Kiryas Joel +Ambulance Stuck+

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY +Ambulance Stuck+ A KJ Ambulance enroute to Hackensack Hospital with aided on board, got stuck on the New York State Thruway Exit 15, Monsey Hatzolah sending bus to transport the patient.

New Jersey - Driving Ticket Fines To Increase In Mid August

New Jersey - Starting on August 15th, the price of a ticket for violation of NJ Law 39:3-29 (failure to show your driver's license, registration, or insurance card at the time you are stopped) is going from $44.00 to $173.00. And the fine for not having all three documents is $519!!!
The fine for hand held cell phone use while driving will be going up to $180.00.

One Jewish Senator Apologizes To An Arab American Group Another Senator Dos Not

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) was among lawmakers who helped defeat a plan to hand management of six major U.S. ports to a Dubai-owned company. “We wouldn’t transfer the title to the devil; we’re not going to transfer it to Dubai,” Lautenberg said earlier this year. Now he apologized in a letter to the Arab American Institute after meeting with its representatives.
“I have respect for our Arab American community and want to work to foster a positive relationship,” the letter of this Jewish Senator said. “I believe our discussion clearly confirmed that we have a great deal in common regarding our families, our security policies, and our country.”

Another Jewish lawmaker, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), compared the proposed sale to dealing with skinheads. He has refused the AAI’s calls on him to apologize.

Kiryas Joel +Sudden Death+

Kiryas Joel, Monroe, NY +Sudden Death+ A 23-year-old boy a student in a school for special children in the outskirts of Kiryas Joel, has passed away, not awakening.

Vilnius - Lithuania Will Not Tolerate Anti-Semitic Actions

Vilnius, Lithuania - The Lithuanian public was shaken by an act of vandalism at a Jewish cemetery in Vilnius, where bout 20 monuments were torn down at the cemetery. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus outlined that Lithuania would not tolerate anti-Semitic actions. Police have not detained any suspects yet.

Albany, NY - Sullivan County Declared As Disaster Area By President Bush

Albany, NY - President Bush declared disaster areas in eight upstate counties that were struck hard by the recent flooding.

In an immediate statement, Gov. George Pataki called the federal response "disappointing." "While we appreciate the complexity and magnitude of the enormous task at hand, some determinations are simply self-evident," his statement said. "I will continue to press FEMA for a swift, complete and full disaster declaration that meets not only the needs of local government, but also the needs of individual hard-pressed New Yorkers."

Pataki announced a $35 million state emergency relief package to boost recovery efforts in 13 upstate counties and asked Bush to declare the region a federal disaster area.
The Presidents declaration made federal aid available to state and eligible local governments in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, Sullivan, and Ulster counties.