Regional Briefs – July 24, 2015

Thursday, July 23, 2015 8:05 pm | 2 Minute Read

L.I. Beachgoers Evacuated After Shark Sighting

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. – About 2,000 Long Island beachgoers were evacuated from the water at around noon Thursday after lifeguards saw what appeared to be a shark, The Associated Press reported. Police searched in a helicopter for the shark, which was about 4 to 5 feet long.

Family Gets $115K From NYC For Mistaken Embalming

NEW YORK – The family of a woman whose corpse mistakenly wound up at a medical school for research received $115,000 from New York City, the Daily News reported. Aura Ballesteros, 85, died in May 2014 at a Bronx nursing home. A pending state law would require family consent before releasing a body to a medical or embalming school.

Raritan Panel Votes to Place Flemington Merger on Ballot

RARITAN, N.J. – Raritan Township residents will be asked whether the town should discuss a possible merger with Flemington on November’s ballot, the Courier News reported. Flemington was part of Raritan until it went on its own in 1910. But the towns share a school district. The referendum will be non-binding.

Port Authority Approves Redo of Disputed $1 NJ Transit Lease

NEW YORK – The Port Authority on Thursday approved the renegotiation of a $1 lease for a parking lot used by NJ Transit that was the subject of a criminal probe, The Associated Press reported. The lease will now cost $875,000 a year through 2018 for the North Bergen lot initially acquired for the construction of the Lincoln Tunnel.

Feds Say Southwest Captain Erred in 2013 Nose Landing

WASHINGTON – Federal officials said Thursday that the captain of a Southwest plane that made a hard nose landing in 2013 should have pulled up and attempted a fresh approach to LaGuardia Airport, The Associated Press reported. The NTSB also faulted the captain for taking the controls when the plane was just 27 feet off the ground. Eight people suffered minor injuries, and the Boeing 737 was heavily damaged.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the July 24th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.