New DWI Laws Take Effect Friday

From Gannett News:

Tougher laws on drunk drivers who have a child in the car are set to take effect Friday.

The new law, known as Leandra's Law, makes it a felony to drive with a blood-alcohol level greater than .08 and a passenger in the car under the age of 16. A first offense will carry a potential prison sentence of up to four years; up to 15 years if a child passenger is seriously injured; and up to 25 years if a child is killed....

The law also requires drivers charged with drunk driving with a child in the car to surrender their licenses pending prosecution. And if convicted, an ignition-interlock system must be installed in the car for at least six months. The system requires a clean Breathalyzer test to start the car. On Aug. 15, the law will expand to require the system for any driver convicted of misdemeanor or felony DWI.

Search for Unclaimed Cash

Many New Yorkers have unclaimed property. This property could include utility deposits, forgotten bank accounts and insurance benefits.

Click here for a useful site to find unclaimed property that belongs to you. Just click on your state and enter your name. You’ll get a list of unclaimed property that might be yours. You’ll also find information on claiming it.

New York Law Puts Some Children Back in Booster Seats

The Post-Standard (Syracuse New York):

Just in time for Thanksgiving travels, a change in a state law will require all children under 8 years old to sit in a child safety seat or booster seat.

Under the current law, children were required to be in a child seat or booster seat until their 7th birthday. The new law takes effect Tuesday (November 24).

Parents can be fined anywhere between $25 and $100 and receive three points on their license for not following the law.

Town of Romulus Now Regulates Puppy Mills

Finger Lakes Times:

ROMULUS — The Town Board has banned so-called puppy mills.

Meeting Nov. 18, members voted unanimously to permanently regulate “inhumane’’ facilities whose purpose is to breed puppies for sale.

The law follows a nearly two-year moratorium on puppy mills.

It requires pet breeders to provide humane housing for dogs and cats and ensure that such animals are treated properly. It provides for periodic inspections and penalties for cruel treatment.

The law was drafted by the town Planning Board, headed by Barry Roach, and attorney Steven Getman.

New DWI Penalties Proposed

Gannett News reports:

The state Legislature is expected to pass legislation that would toughen drunken-driving laws, making it a felony for driving while impaired with a child as a passenger.

The measure would also require people convicted of a DWI in New York, and every person convicted of a DWI-related crime, to have an ignition interlock installed as a condition of their sentence.

NY texting while driving ban starts Sunday

WHAM-TV:

The state-wide ban on texting while driving goes into effect on Sunday....Violators face fines up to $150 if caught using handheld devices or laptops to send or read text messages, images or data while a vehicle is moving.

Ovid Attorneys Work to Preserve Historic Local Courthouse

Gannett News service:

Trustees of the Friends of the Three Bears, a nonprofit organization working to preserve and find new uses for the Seneca County courthouse complex in Ovid, have decided to create some new positions to lessen the workload on their president of the past six years, Dan Motill....

Ovid attorney Mark Sinkiewicz has been selected to serve in the newly created position of administrative president. The other duties of president will be spread among other people. Another attorney, Steven Getman ... former Seneca County attorney, has taken over the duties of secretary...

More information on the Friends of the Three Bears can be found here.

State ends first-time home buyer incentive program

As reported here:

A new incentive program offered by New York state to encourage first-time home ownership has halted its application process.

Less than two month after rolling out the Mortgage Credit Certificate program, the state asked its lenders this week to stop taking general applications....The program was meant to bridge a gap for first-time buyers who may have run out of time to qualify for the $8,000 federal tax credit

New York Troopers launch cell phone crackdown on Thruway

More here. As noted in the article, "drivers caught breaking the law face a maximum fine of $100, along with a mandatory $60 surcharge."

Presentation: Stopping Scam Artists Before They Strike

A representative from the New York State Attorney General's Office will be in Waterloo on Thursday, October 22 at 11:30 a.m. The purpose of the talk is to advise senior citizens on how to stop scam artists.

More details here.