Regional Briefs – August

Three Men Struck by Lightning in Queens

QUEENS – Two men playing soccer at a Flushing park Tuesday evening were struck by lightning, with a third man hit in Jamaica, The Associated Press reported. One of them is in critical condition. The fierce storm featured lightning blitzes every second or so.

6 Arrested for Roles in Luxury Car Theft Ring

NEWARK – A luxury car theft ring was broken up with the arrest of four men responsible for eight stolen cars last month in several New Jersey towns, The Associated Press reported. The men searched in driveways for cars with key fobs left inside. All cars were recovered.

Trooper on Vacation Saves Swimmer Caught in Riptide

WEST TRENTON, N.J. – A state trooper vacationing in North Carolina on Saturday saved a woman who got caught in a riptide, NJ.com reported. Craig Kempinski paddled out 200 yards and brought the woman to shore. The woman wasn’t injured.

2 Lives Down: Cat Survives Being Hit Twice by Cars

GRAFTON, N.Y. – A cat used up two of its nine lives after it was hit by two vehicles on an upstate road, The Associated Press reported. The cat ran into the road, where it was hit by one car and thrown into the path of the second vehicle. It was taken to an animal hospital and is expected to fully recover.

Niagara Gets Grant to Preserve 19th Century Papers

LOCKPORT, N.Y. – Niagara County historians received a $51,000 grant to preserve the story of the region by digitizing 28,000 newspaper pages dating to the 1800s, The Associated Press reported Many of the local newspapers were the last known surviving copies.