Regional Briefs – February 17, 2016

De Blasio: Calls to Close Rikers ‘Noble’ — But It’s Complicated

NEW YORK – Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that calls by the governor and council speaker to close violence-prone Rikers Island are “noble” but raise major financial and logistical issues, The New York Times reported. “There’s “a certain appeal to the notion of starting over,” he admitted. But he has to “look out for the taxpayer.”

Large Sinkhole Shuts Down Syracuse Street

SYRACUSE – A street being salted was shut down Wednesday morning after a 20-foot-deep sinkhole opened up, The Associated Press reported. An official said it’s one of the largest sinkholes he’s seen.

Consultant Gets Prison For Inspections Fraud

NEW YORK – A consultant who fraudulantly certified as safe more than 40 NYC construction sites was sentenced to one to three years in prison, The Associated Press reported. Richard Marini hired interns to go to job sites and sign the safety logs. In some instances, he used a dead person’s name.

Car Trying to Beat CSX Train at Intersection Hit

PAULSBORO, N.J. – A car trying to beat a freight train at an intersection was hit by the CSX train on Tuesday, dragging it several hundred feet, NJ.com reported. The driver was walking and talking when emergency crews arrived and emergency crews are working to remove the car from the tracks. The train sustained some damage