New York Briefs – September 4, 2014

3 Bird Strikes in 4 Hours at LaGuardia Wednesday

NEW YORK – Three planes hit birds within a four-hour period Wednesday morning at LaGuardia Airport, The Associated Press reported. Two were coming in for a landing and a third was taxiing on the runway. No one was injured.

Another Whale Sighting Off Queens Coast

NEW YORK – A whale was seen breaching Tuesday in Belle Harbor, CBS reported. Beachgoers spotted the whale off the Rockaways as an increase in sightings over the summer culminated last week in a picture of a majestic whale throwing itself out of the water.

Obama Won’t Replace JFK On NJ Building

WILLINGBORO, N.J. – President Barack Obama’s name will not replace John F. Kennedy’s on a Willingboro, N.J., recreation building after all. The council on Tuesday voted 5-0 to reverse its decision after a protest. A councilman apologized to the crowd of 200 at the meeting, saying he failed to think through the change.

NY Aims to Help Police ID Unknown Remains

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed into law a directive for the Division of Criminal Justice Statistics to provide descriptions of unidentified bodies to every law enforcement agency in the state, The Associated Press reported. The state has 681 active cases involving unidentified bodies dating back to 1969.

Foundation, Not NYC, Running 9/11 Events

NEW YORK – For the first time, the Sept. 11 foundation is in charge of the annual 9/11 anniversary ceremony, The Wall Street Journal reported. The board’s chairman, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, set the transition going in 2012 and Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed to his decision.

Trucker Who Hit Pedestrian Was on His Cell

OTISCO, N.Y. – A trucker was talking on his cell phone when he struck and killed Gerald Merriman, 92, in a crosswalk last November, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported. Deputies initially attributed to poor weather conditions and visibility, and David Prentice wasn’t ticketed. But a subsequent investigation showed him on his cell phone at the time. He is to be arraigned on Oct. 7.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the September 4th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.