Regional Briefs – March 13, 2018

Teen Firefighter Overwhelmed With T-shirts

BUFFALO – A 16-year-old junior firefighter undergoing leukemia treatment received about 1,500 packages from around the country after he reached out to other firefighters, WGRZ reported. Timothy Richardson said he wanted to wear a different company’s T-shirt every day during his chemotherapy.

Escaped NJ Prisoner Caught In Florida After 23 Years

CAMDEN, N.J. – An escaped New Jersey prisoner was captured in Florida Monday after 23 years on the run, The Associated Press reported. Enrique Silva, 73, walked off a prison work detail in 1995 while serving the sixth year of an eight- to 20-year sentence.

Video Shows Police Running Over Possibly Rabid Raccoon

COEYMANS, N.Y. – Video posted online shows a police car running over a raccoon that was believed to be rabid in a shopping plaza parking lot, the Times Union reported. Police said they could not shoot the raccoon because people were nearby so they killed the animal “as quickly and humanely as possible.”

Famous Buried ‘Ghost Tracks’ Reappear at NJ Beach

LOWER, N.J. – Back-to-back winter storms helped uncover famed abandoned train tracks confined to a remote stretch of a beach, NJ.com reported. The famed “ghost tracks” are all that remain of a rail line that once served as support for sand mining and munitions testing facilities during WWI.

NJ Water Utility Announces Plan for Lower Bills

TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Water bills for Suez customers may decrease next month due to the recently passed federal tax law, the Asbury Park Press reported. The company will cut rates by $14 million starting April 1. The average customer will save $22 a year.

Grocers Face Fraud Charges In Food Stamp Scheme

NEWARK – A man and his daughter were arrested Monday for fraudulently exchanging $885,000 in food stamps for cash at their grocery store, Jenny’s Deli in Newark, The Associated Press reported. Manuel and Maria Teresa Venegas each face a 20-year sentence.

This article appeared in print on page 50 of the March 14th, 2018 edition of Hamodia.