On Sunday, over a dozen members of Hatzolah of Central Jersey joined emergency services from across the county at the Ocean County Training Center for a comprehensive Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training drill. The exercise simulated a car crashing into a large food festival, resulting in dozens of injured individuals. The drill also incorporated a hazardous materials (hazmat) component, adding complexity to the real-world emergency response scenario. The drill was organized to enhance the skills and collaboration of Ocean County’s first responders. Participants practiced managing a large-scale incident, from triaging patients to working alongside fire, EMS, and hazmat teams.

Federal authorities searched the homes of New York City’s newly named interim police commissioner and seized materials unrelated to his police work, he said. The unexplained and unexpected search comes as the administration of Mayor Eric Adams reels from other federal law enforcement investigations. Thomas Donlon, who became the interim commissioner just one week ago after the resignation of his predecessor, issued a statement late Saturday through the police department. “On Friday, September 20, federal authorities executed search warrants at my residences. They took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department,” the statement said.

In a remarkable illustration of the power of collaboration, two Shomrim organizations and two law enforcement agencies successfully apprehended a suspect involved in a gunpoint robbery of a USPS postal worker in Crown Heights. The incident traces back to last week Monday night, when a USPS postal worker was accosted by two men on Union Street, between Brooklyn and Kingston Avenues, in Crown Heights. The suspects held the worker at gunpoint, stealing a large quantity of mail from her bag. The brazen crime quickly caught the attention of the U.S. Postal Police, who sought assistance from local law enforcement.

A police pursuit that began in New York City ended on Long Island with the shooting death of the driver, and seven police officers and a civilian were taken to hospitals for treatment, police said. Patrick Ryder, commissioner of the Nassau County police department, told reporters Saturday that the chase began after New York City officers tried to stop a driver in the Jamaica neighborhood in the borough of Queens shortly after 11 p.m. Friday. The driver tried to ram the two police officers, striking them before fleeing, Ryder said. Officers in Nassau County boxed in the driver at one point, but he hit two police cars and forced two officers to dive out of the way, he said.

A newly released report reveals that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo personally altered a state review that downplayed the nursing home COVID-19 death toll, contradicting his previous claims that he had no involvement. Emails and congressional documents indicate Cuomo’s direct role in editing the report, despite his denials during a congressional hearing this summer. The New York Times first reported the details of the emails, which challenge Cuomo’s assertion that he never reviewed or had any memory of the state Health Department’s report. One email from June 2020, addressed to Cuomo’s senior staff, stated, “Governor’s edits are attached for your review,” suggesting Cuomo’s personal involvement.

YWN regrets to inform you of the petirah of R’ Shalom Yosef Gottlieb z”l, the owner of Gottlieb’s restaurant in Williamsburg, which Donald Trump is scheduled to visit later today. R’ Shalom Yosef, 75, was the longtime proprietor of the popular food establishment, and widely known as a kind and caring man who performed tremendous amounts of chesed b’tzina. His sudden petirah on Wednesday morning has sent shockwaves through Williamsburg and the Orthodox Jewish community in the tri-state area, who had expected him to be standing alongside Trump today. YWN previously reported that Secret Service agents scoped out the restaurant earlier this week to ensure it would meet security protocols ahead of the Republican nominee’s visit.

YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic of Menachem Mendel Bluming z”l, a 15-year-old Lubavitcher bochur who was struck and critically injured by a vehicle outside his yeshiva two months ago.  Mendel z”l was hurt outside the Suffield Yeshiva in Connecticut, as he crossed the road. Despite immediate medical attention and a valiant fight for life, Mendel sadly succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday. After initial treatment at a Massachusetts hospital, Mendel was stabilized and transferred to a New York City hospital where he was niftar. Levaya details will be published when available. Besuros Tovos. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Six employees of New York City’s public school system took their children or grandchildren on trips to Disney World, New Orleans and other locations using tickets that were meant for homeless students, investigators said in a newly released report. The trips intended as enrichment for students living in shelters and other temporary housing also included excursions to Washington, D.C., Boston and Broadway shows, said Anastasia Coleman, the special commissioner of investigation for New York City schools.

The top legal adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned abruptly over the weekend, the latest sign of instability in the Democrat’s administration as it deals with multiple federal investigations. City Hall announced Lisa Zornberg’s departure late Saturday night. She had advised Adams and other city officials on legal strategy for over a year and often parried legal questions from the press on his behalf. She was not his personal lawyer. “It has been a great honor to serve the City. I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position. I wish you nothing but the best,” Zornberg wrote in a three-sentence resignation letter to Adams.

In Brownsville, Brooklyn, a shooting at the Sutter Ave train station left an NYPD officer and up to three others wounded, Sunday afternoon. The officer, hit in the upper torso, was transported to Brookdale University Hospital. Another officer, who was not shot, was also taken to the hospital. Among the other individuals injured in the gunfire were potential suspects, including a woman who sustained a head wound. The violent confrontation reportedly began after a call about a disturbed person with a knife, although the exact circumstances remain unclear. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)