Regional Briefs – July 7,2015

Train Running on Time? 🙂 Late? ;-(

NEW YORK – A “Subway Agony Index” began Monday to put some feeling into how the trains affect passengers’ mood by using face emojis, the Observer reported. Good MTA service gets a smiley and awful delays gets a frown. There are only updates for the 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 6x trains so far.

Man, 28, Loses His Balance, Falls From 6th Floor

NEW YORK – A 28-year-old man fell to his death from a sixth-floor Lower East Side balcony early Sunday, the Daily News reported. The man was sitting on the ledge when he leaned back, lost his balance and fell head-first onto the fourth floor.

Day After Big Wave, Wind Knocks Out Fireworks

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. – A day after a wave washed out Seaside Heights’s July 4th fireworks, high winds on Sunday forced a second delay, The Associated Press reported. The show was scrapped Saturday when a wave ran so far up the shore it soaked all the fireworks.

New York Sees Strong Growth in Solar Power

ALBANY – New York has seen a significant increase in solar power, tripling in the last three years, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. Solar power is a relatively small source of electricity for the state, but more affordable solar technology and a larger number of businesses that use it are boosting the numbers.

Public Advocate: Kids Spend Too Much Time in Foster Care

NEW YORK – New York City’s public advocate warned Monday that children spend too much time in foster care and between multiple homes, the Daily News reported. Letitia James says 71 percent of hotline respondents say children spent at least two years in the system.

Lawsuit: NYPD Issued Bogus Tickets to Meet Quota

NEW YORK – A lawsuit accuses the NYPD of destroying emails proving that cops issued 850,000 bogus tickets to meet a quota, the Daily News reported. One text, from a “Sgt. Carty,” sternly admonishes a cop: “We missed seat belt number by 30 last week unacceptable. if need be u guys will go with me 2 traffic stat 2 explain why u missed.”

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the July 7th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.