Regional Briefs – May 31, 2018

NY Expected to Meet Peak Power Demand This Summer

RENSSELAER, N.Y. – New York is expected to have enough electricity to meet peak demand this summer, the state’s Independent System Operator said Thursday, with 42,000 megawatts available. It forecasts that peak demand will be just below 33,000 megawatts.

4 Hurt When Car Hits Brooklyn Coffee Shop

BROOKLYN – Four people were hurt, two of them seriously, Thursday morning when a car careened off the street and smashed into a Bed-Sty cafee, WPIX reported. The car ended up inside the building.

District Mulling Homework Ban Proposal From Students

STONY POINT, N.Y. – Stony Point’s school district said Wednesday it’s considering a proposal from two fifth-graders to ban homework, WNBC reported. Christopher DeLeon and Niko Keelie petitioned for the ban, saying it causes too much stress. One option would allow parents to request homework.

4 Largest States Carrying Highest Credit Card Debt

ALBANY – The nation’s four most-populated states carry the highest total amount of credit card debt, with California leading the way followed by Texas, Florida and New York, according to a report released Tuesday by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Californians racked up $106.8 billion in debt, with New York at $58.1 billion.

Conspirator Gets Prison Term For Massive Health Fraud

NEWARK – A principal figure in a massive healthcare fraud was sentenced Wednesday to 21 months in prison, reduced from 25 years owing to his cooperation, The Associated Press reported. Craig Nordman was one of 50 people, mostly doctors, involved in the scheme, in which Biodiagnostic Lab bribed doctors to perform unneeded tests.

Raw Sewage Exposure Forces Closure of Jersey Beach

BELMAR, N.J. – A sewage overflow contaminated a New Jersey beach’s water with more than twice the safe levels of bacteria Wednesday, forcing its closure, the Asbury Park Press reported. The raw sewage from a sewer line seeped into a storm drain.