Regional Briefs – August 17, 2015

Cuomo Vetoes Giving Doctors Final Say on Medicaid Drugs

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday vetoed legislation to give doctors the final say on which prescription drugs to prescribe for their Medicaid patients. He says the law would have raised costs beyond budgeted amounts, which could limit other Medicaid services.

Camaro Decked Out as Lamborghini Crashes

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – A Camaro tricked out to resemble a high-end Lamborghini crashed into four other cars in Jersey City on Thursday, sending three people to the hospital, the Jersey Journal reported. Kamal Deep, 19, was charged with driving while intoxicated.

EMT Who Performed CPR At Camp Suffers Stroke, Dies

EFFORT, Pa. – An EMT who fell ill while performing CPR for the first time at a camp for the developmentally disabled died on Tuesday, the Pocono Record reported. Samantha Agins, 22, unsuccessfully did CPR on a woman who went into cardiac arrest at New Jersey Camp Jaycee and began to feel ill immediately afterward. She later suffered a series of strokes.

More Than $7M in Back Pay Unclaimed in New Jersey

TRENTON – Nearly 10,000 workers in New Jersey may not know that they’re owed $7.2 million in back pay, says the U.S. Department of Labor. It’s holding $720 per worker, collected from employers in fines, The Record reported. After three years, it goes to the U.S. Treasury.

Boy, 5, Drowns at Beach

QUEENS – A 5-year-old boy drowned in a tragic accident Saturday at a Rockaway Peninsula beach, The Associated Press reported. Ezekiel Gray of Brooklyn was unconscious when a lifeguard pulled him from the water.

NY Bans Sales of Powdered Alcohol, Joins 20 Other States

ALBANY – New York is joining more than 20 other states in prohibiting the sale of powdered alcohol, a freeze-dried alcohol that is mixed with water to create beverages. Cuomo says it can lead to unsafe levels of intoxication by improperly mixing it or ingesting the powder. Federal regulators authorized its sale in March.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the August 17th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.