Regional Briefs – November 20, 2014

NYC Gets $10 Million in Pledges for Brooklyn DNC Bid

NEW YORK – New York secured $10 million in pledges for Brooklyn’s bid to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, 10 percent of the $100 million needed, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The host committee was also expanded to 101 people, all of whom have pledged money.

Retiring Lt. Gov. to Lead Rochester Business Group

ROCHESTER – Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy will be president and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance when he steps down at the end of the year. Former Buffalo Rep. Kathy Hochul will replace Duffy, a former mayor and police chief in Rochester.

Man in Slapping Video Arrested at Mall

WILTON, N.Y. – A man whose recorded slapping by an officer resulted in the cop’s arrest was arrested on Monday, the Albany Times-Union reported. Colin Fitch, 20, was escorted from the Wilton Mall due to a previous ban from the property. Angered, he drove recklessly in the parking lot, nearly hitting a guard.

Landowner Sued Over Cemetery Flooding

CORTLANDVILLE, N.Y. – The New York attorney general on Tuesday sued a landowner for a 2012 flood that unearthed at least 10 graves in a Cortland County cemetery. James Stevens illegally cleared 120 acres of land, diverting stormwater onto a cemetery and highway. The resulting floods unearthed several caskets.

New de Blasio Poll Has Sharp Racial Divide

NEW YORK – Bill de Blasio’s approval rating holds steady at 49 percent thanks to black support, but whites increasingly disapprove of his job, according to a Quinnipiac poll out Wednesday. While 50 percent of whites disapprove, blacks like him by 71 percent. Poll director Maurice Carroll chalked the divide to de Blasio’s alliance with Al Sharpton, who has a 45 percent disapproval rating.

Ray Kelly Losing Police Protection Unit

NEW YORK– Former NYPD chief Ray Kelly’s $1.5 million-a-year 10-officer security detail will be coming to an end on Jan. 1, DNAinfo reported. Officials said the threat level surrounding Kelly has subsided, and he earns a seven-figure salary.

This article appeared in print on page 9 of the November 20th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.