Regional Briefs – September 4, 2016

Rockland Unveils Reusable Water-Filled Flood Barriers

POMONA, N.Y. – Rockland County bought 21 water-filled orange flood barriers as tropical storm Hermine heads up the East Coast, the Journal News reported. They cost $150,000, are reusable and can be filled in minutes — much faster than setting up sandbags.

Man Arrested for Stealing Dead Brother’s Pension

ALBANY – A Florida man was arraigned Thursday for stealing $180,000 of his late brother’s New York state pension benefits over seven years, The Associated Press reported. Robert Schusteritsch, 71, took the pension of his late brother Martin Petschauer, which was deposited into a bank account of which Schusteritsch was the sole trustee.

Elderly Woman Who Sent Alert on Fire Found Dead

HOPEWELL, N.J. – An elderly woman who used a medical alert device to notify authorities about a fire at her home was killed in the blaze, NJ.com reported. Firefighters who went to the home of Patricia Gennett, 85, Friday morning broke down a door and found her body. No one else was inside.

Court Overturns $20M Verdict In 2010 Motorcycle Accident

TRENTON – A New Jersey court on Thursday overturned a verdict that awarded more than $20 million to a motorcyclist and his wife after he was struck and injured by a pickup truck, NJ.com reported. They ruled that Steven Visaggio’s award was “grossly disproportionate to the injuries.”

2 Hurt When Scaffolding Collapses in Harlem

NEW YORK – At least two pedestrians were seriously injured late Saturday after scaffolding collapsed on them, WNBC reported. A driver apparently lost control and hit the scaffolding, causing it to fall on a family walking underneath.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the September 5th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.