Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference earlier today, addressing concerns about the heat advisory issued by the National Weather Service until 8pm Thursday. With temperatures mounted firmly in the mid 90’s and the heat index well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the Mayor warned New Yorkers not to give into the urge to blast the AC due to possible outages. In fact, the Mayor decided to set City Hall to a balmy 78 degrees to limit electrical use, to the chagrin of reporters. (Observer)
Parks Department staffer, Daniel Roca, 54, who works at the bureau’s central communications center at Sara D. Roosevelt Park on the Lower East Side, was rushed to the hospital yesterday after inhaling “noxious odors” emanating from the park’s public restroom. Co-workers said that homeless people and junkies frequent the park, and over the weekend the toilets has been clogged with needles, rags and a hoodie. The pungent and apparently dangerous fumes made their way into the basement of the communications center, eventually forcing Parks workers to wear masks. Joe Puleo, president of the union that represents parks workers told the Post, “It smells like the Fulton Fish Market times five, and the only protection our workers get from the city are cans of air freshener.” (New York Post)
While Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s landmark announcement that LaGuardia Airport will undergo a major renovation has engendered broad support, local politicians have made it clear that they will advocate for the interests of their communities while the project is undertaken. Concerns for the surrounding Queens locales include improving air traffic control and increasing parking at the airport as well as redeveloping some of the site’s roads to ease congestion in nearby neighborhoods. Borough President Melinda Katz is spearheading a project that will use findings from a new FAA study coupled with new technology to track air traffic noise and lower the decibel level for locals. (DNAinfo)
Last night, in what appears to be a botched carjacking, an off-duty NYPD officer was shot twice while sitting with his cousin in East New York on Bradford St. Two men emerged from a blue BMW and approached the officer’s car before one of the assailants opened fire. The officer, who works for the housing bureau in north Brooklyn, managed to retrieve his weapon and fire back but was ultimately unable to apprehend the men, who are still at-large. The officer was able to drive himself to Brookdale Hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition. (Daily News)
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced that a Legionnaires disease outbreak has occurred, which seems to be most prevalent in the South Bronx. 31 cases have been reported since July 10, with at least two resulting in deaths. The disease, which cannot be spread by individuals is usually found in
