by
Newscast 1
Murphy
April 18, 2008
And in New York, I'm Kyle Murphy.
Catholic Teachers
There were some unhappy Catholics just a dozen blocks away from the United Nations, where Pope Benedict XVI appeared this morning.
The Lay Faculty Association, which represents 450 teachers at catholic schools in our area, set up picket lines at Cathedral High School and the nearby Archdiocese headquarters.
Association spokesman Henry Kielkucki said the Pope would be talking about social and economic justice, something the teachers say they're not getting from the Archdiocese.
The teachers, who have been out on strike since Tuesday, want an increase in wages, as well as better health plans and pensions. (:28)
Freedom Tower
The New York Post reported today that a homeless man found confidential blueprints for the Freedom Tower inside a public garbage can at West Houston and Sullivan Streets.
The plans contain detailed information on the thickness of concrete walls and the location of elevators, support columns, and electrical systems.
Robert Strang, CEO of Investigative Management Group, a worldwide security firm, called it a… treasure trove for a potential adversary. A spokesman for the Port Authority, which owns the Ground Zero property, called it a serious security lapse, which could result in the termination of employees and legal action against contractors. (:30)
New Jersey Immigration
New Jersey Attorney General Ann Milgram plans to release a video to clear up her directive issued last summer about how police should handle illegal immigrants who are arrested.
The directive ordered police to notify immigration authorities whenever a suspected illegal immigrant was arrested, but only for drunken driving and certain other crimes. The directive was enacted after three teenagers were murdered in a Newark schoolyard last year.
One of the suspects was an illegal immigrant out on bail on charges of aggravated assault and child rape. (:25)
Global Warming
The governors of Connecticut and New Jersey gathered with other state governors for a global warming conference at Yale University today.
Eighteen states, including New York, are expected to sign a declaration today after the weeklong conference.
The University says the states will pledge to review their programs and strategize on how to fight global climate change. (:17)
Weather
It's 81 degrees right now in Central Park. Tomorrow will be another sunny day, though not quite as warm, with temperatures in the upper 60's. Sunday should be nice in the morning, but increasingly cloudy with a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs also in the upper 60's. (:13)
Kyle Murphy, Columbia Radio News
Gas
New Jersey drivers are used to paying some of the lowest rates for a gallon of gas in the country, thanks to the state's low gas tax. But they're also paying more than they ever have before at $3.19 a gallon.
That's still much better off than the rest of the country, which pays $3.45 a gallon on average. One year ago, the average national price was $2.87.
DWI
A Long Island woman has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the Jan. 2007 death of a New Jersey woman.
Michelle hall, 19, was accused of telling her boy friend to leave the scene after they had just run over University of Connecticut student Carlee Wines of Manalapan, New Jersey. Wines was killed while trying to cross a campus roadway.
Hall pled guilty today in a Connecticut courtroom today to hindering prosecution, and faces six months in jail.
Hall's boyfriend Anthony Alvino, the driver of the car, is currently serving a two-year prison term. (:00)