Morning News Brief
Written by Michael Baldwin on July 2, 2021
Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed legislation authorizing forest rangers, park rangers and environmental conservation police officers to possess and administer EpiPens. Epinephrine is commonly used to treat serious allergic reactions such as bee stings, insect bites & more. Cuomo said this commonsense legislation allows a wider range of professionals in state parks and other natural areas to use EpiPens and keep New Yorkers safe in the wild. Cuomo added…This will give hikers, bikers and other outdoor travelers a greater sense of security as they navigate New York’s natural areas.
The New York State Police will increase patrols and crack down on drunk and drugged driving and other traffic infractions this 4th of July weekend. State Troopers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and target reckless and aggressive driving statewide to keep New York highways safe during one of the busiest summer holidays for travel. The campaign begins today and runs through Monday. Last year, the State Police issued nearly 9,214 vehicle and traffic tickets during the 4th of July weekend. Troopers arrested 180 people for DWI and investigated 456 crashes and one fatality.
New York officials have announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended from today to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6, to ease travel throughout the July 4th holiday weekend. Motorists should be aware that some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs. AAA predicts travel over the holiday weekend to nearly fully recover to pre-pandemic levels, making it the second-highest Independence Day travel volume on record.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has signed legislation prohibiting public employers from penalizing employees who use sick leave or compensatory time to quarantine, seek medical treatment, or for other absences related to a COVID-19 diagnosis or contact. This new measure builds on COVID-related employee protections signed into law by Cuomo, including guaranteed paid leave for New Yorkers under mandatory or precautionary quarantine due to COVID, and guaranteed time off from work to receive the vaccine.
Officials with the New York Army National Guard say a “procedural error” led to a fatal helicopter crash in Mendon this past January. Three people were killed. Between the three of them, they shared more than 50 years of combined flight experience. Their UH-60 medical evacuation helicopter was on a routine mission, performing night vision proficiency training, when it went down. The New York Army National Guard says an investigation into the crash determined a procedural error that took place during an emergency training maneuver led to the crash.
In a recent Siena Poll, overall voters approve of how Governor Cuomo handled the pandemic by a 51-32% margin. Of those polled, voters say that Cuomo did a good job with managing vaccines, keeping NY informed, and the reopening of the state. (54-33%). What continues to plague the Governor is the nursing home scandal, as 60-22% say he did a bad job answering questions on nursing homes and COVID.
