NY Briefs – September 9, 2014

Attempt to Oust Bees Sparks House Fire

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A homeowner’s attempt to get rid of bees sparked a house fire and left 10 firefighters with bee stings, the Times of Trenton reported. The resident dumped hot coals on the hive Sunday to get them to leave. That ignited a mulch pile, which consumed the rear of the home and into the attic.

New Service Offers Female Drivers for NYC Women

NEW YORK – Starting next week Tuesday, women in New York City will be able to request a female driver through a new livery service called SheTaxis-SheRides, The New York Times reported. The service will take requests for rides through an app. Men will be redirected to other car services.

Explorers Find Rare Schooner Wreck in Lake Ontario

OSWEGO, N.Y. – A team of shipwreck enthusiasts found the sunken wreck of a rare dagger-board schooner that went down in a Lake Ontario gale during the 1830s, The Associated Press reported. The four passengers of the 45-foot-long Three Brothers in July were never found. Dagger-boards were only used until the 1830s.

National Grid Shuts Service To 24K Households

SYRACUSE – National Grid has shut off electric and gas service to 24,000 upstate homes over the summer because of unpaid bills, prompting state regulators to ask them to “maximize restraint,” the Syracuse Post-Standard reported. The numbers are the highest in a decade and led to one death.

Boy Injured When Tombstone Falls on Him

COLONIE, N.Y. – A 4-year-old boy was seriously injured Sunday when a tombstone fell on him in a cemetery, The Associated Press reported. The boy was at the Albany Rural Cemetery when family members heard a noise and found the child underneath the tombstone unconscious but breathing. He underwent surgery for a serious head injury.

NJ Sandy Fund Prepares For Final Grants

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – The New Jersey Relief Fund is preparing for its fifth and final round of grants to Sandy victims. It will award $3.5 million by the end of October for housing assistance and mental health support. The fund, which is chaired by first lady Mary Pat Christie, has distributed $37.2 million. 

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the September 9th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.