Regional Briefs – October 1, 2014

Caregiver Bill Heads to Christie

TRENTON – Hospitals in New Jersey might be required to teach family or friends how to care for a discharged patient if Gov. Chris Christie signs the bill sent him on Monday. The bill allows patients to designate a person as a caregiver. Hospitals would be required to explain to that person what the patient needs after the patient is discharged.

Bharara May Be Interested In AG Holder’s Job

NEW YORK – Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara has become the face of fighting Albany corruption and Wall Street crime. With Attorney General Eric Holder’s announced resignation last week, Bharara is seen by some as being on the short list to replace him. But he refused to say anything on Tuesday aside for joking that his “very proud Indian mother” had called newspapers, urging them to include him on short lists.

Confederate’s Grave Has Wrong Name; VA Won’t Fix

ELMIRA, N.Y. – A Confederate soldier who died in a Civil War prison camp in New York has the wrong name on his gravestone, but the Department of Veterans Affairs says it doesn’t fix historic gravestones, the Star-Gazette of Elmira reported. Tom Fagart said that his great-great-grandfather Pvt. Franklin Cauble was buried instead with the last name Cooper. Cauble and a soldier named Cooper were friends who enlisted on the same day, served in the same regiment and were captured on the same day and sent to Elmira’s prison camp.

PATH Fares to Increase On Wednesday

JERSEY CITY – PATH passengers will need more cash to ride the trains between New Jersey and New York starting Wednesday, when single-ride tickets will increase by 25 cents to $2.75 and a two-trip ticket will cost $5.50. The money will fund a 10-year capital plan, including extending PATH to Newark airport.

Ocean Parkway Most Ticketed Road in NYC

BROOKLYN – In one day this summer, a speed camera on Ocean Parkway set a ticket record in New York City, issuing 1,551 tickets totaling $77,550 in revenue. The road that separates Boro Park and Flatbush on July 7 gave out the $50 tickets as part of Vision Zero.

NYC Cracking Down on Unsafe Taxi Drivers

NEW YORK – New York City is cracking down on unsafe taxi drivers, with 5,000 safety-related TLC summonses — not including NYPD tickets — so far this year, a 95 percent increase from last year, the New York Post reported. The number rose sharply in April when the TLC increased enforcement as part of Vision Zero.

New NY Beer Named for Endangered Fish

PEEKSKILL – The beer is hoppy. The name is fishy. A new brew developed to benefit the environmental group Riverkeeper has been named Lucky Sturgeon for the endangered Hudson River fish that the group is trying to save. Voters on social media chose the name over Clean River, Estuary, Save the Hudson and Watchdog.

Florida Woman, 22, Completes Walk to Niagara Falls

NIAGARA FALLS – A 22-year-old Florida woman last Wednesday completed a 1,300-mile solo walk from her home on Florida’s Gulf Coast to Niagara Falls, the Niagara Gazette reported. Therese Simoneau finished her 81-day trek and was greeted by her four-person support team. She pushed a cart with her food and supplies the entire way and slept in a tent most nights.

NYC Council Doubles Fines For Tenant Harassment

NEW YORK – The City Council last Tuesday doubled to $10,000 the fines for landlords found guilty of tenant harassment and creates a publicly listed offenders list. Tenant harassment includes withholding repairs or other services in an attempt to force tenants out or when a landlord physically threatens or intimidates a tenant.

This article appeared in print on page 24 of the October 1st, 2014 edition of Hamodia.