Regional Briefs – June 1, 2015

Comptroller: Nonprofit Contracts Approved Too Late

ALBANY – New York agencies were late 77 percent of the time in approving contracts with nonprofit service providers last year, resulting in interest payments that cost the state nearly $200,000, the state’s comptroller said in a report Friday. That’s an improvement from the 87 percent in 2013 but it runs afoul of the Prompt Contracting Law.

Jewish Woman Struck, Injured by NJ Transit Bus

LAKEWOOD – A Jewish woman visiting from Baltimore suffered serious leg injuries on Shabbos when she was struck by a NJ Transit bus, TheLakewoodScoop.com reported. Debra Cohn-Dobkin, 68, was walking near Route 9 and 6th Street. No charges have been filed.

Lakewood Driver Charged With Passing School Bus

LAKEWOOD – A Lakewood man was charged Thursday after a dashcam caught him speeding past a stopped school bus that was picking up children, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors say they were “amazed” at Alfonso Rodriguez-Rojas’s “blatant disregard for safety.”

Thief in Search of Shade Steals $30,000 Worth of Sunglasses

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. – A shade-challenged thief made off with several hundred pairs of pricey sunglasses from a parked car overnight Friday, The Associated Press reported. There was $30,000 worth of name-brand glasses in the car, which belonged to a 55-year-old woman.

Chase Closing Branches, Downsizing Across N.Y.

NEW YORK – Chase Bank will cut 5,000 jobs over the next year because more customers were doing everyday transactions online, the Wall Street Journal reported. CEO Jamie Dimon said that the average branch would lose one employee. They now have 5,570 branches.

Appeals Court Upholds Conviction of ex-Councilman

NEW YORK – A federal appeals court on Wednesday turned down an appeal of a former Bronx councilman’s conviction. Larry Seabrook, 63, is serving five years in prison for misdirecting $2 million through sham non-profits to his family.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the June 1st, 2015 edition of Hamodia.