Regional Briefs – April 10, 2018

Lottery Tickets Worth Nearly $1B Sold 150 Miles Apart

TRENTON – Two lottery prizes together worth almost a billion dollars and sold just 150 miles apart are still waiting to be claimed, The Associated Press reported. A $521 million Mega Millions was sold in Riverdale, N.J., while a Powerball worth $457 million was sold in Manheim, Pa. Both tickets were the sole winners.

Dental Receptionist Jailed for Stealing 653 Patients’ IDs

NEW YORK – Annie Vuong, dental receptionist, received a 2-to-6-year prison sentence for stealing 653 patients’ names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for a theft ring that made $700,000 in purchases, The Associated Press reported.

Swiss Drone Maker Wins Cuomo’s Million Dollar Contest

ALBANY – A Switzerland developer of a kite-like tethered drone (with video cameras that can fly up hundreds of feet) won the $1 million grand prize in a GENIUS NY business competition announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Postal Worker Arrested After Feds Seize Undelivered Mail

BELLMORE, N.Y. – Richard Schaaf, 44, a postal worker, was arrested after federal agents found dozens of black bags containing almost 1,000 pieces of undelivered mail at his home, Newsday reported. Some of the mail was dated to March 2017. He blamed the “pressure” of getting “different routes every day.”

Biologists Say Upstate Fish Die-Offs are Common in Spring

ROCHESTER – Officials say that the large numbers of dead fish seen in some upstate waterways doesn’t indicate a problem — it’s a common occurrence in late winter, The Associated Press reported. Gizzard shad, a type of herring, are especially prone because they’re very sensitive to cold.

Plaque Honors Night Watchman Killed in 1911 Capitol Fire

ALBANY – A plaque was unveiled at the state Capitol to honor the night watchman who died when a massive fire tore through the statehouse more than a century ago. Samuel Abbott, a 78-year-old Civil War veteran, was at his station on March 29, 1911.

This article appeared in print on page 42 of the April 11th, 2018 edition of Hamodia.