Tag: New York

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New Jersey Transit Adds Extra Buses and Trains for Thanksgiving Travelers

Ridgewood Train Station

file photo by ArtChick Photography

SERVICE ADVISORY:EXTRA RAIL AND BUS SERVICE SET FOR THANKSGIVING TRAVELERS

Kids ride free on NJ TRANSIT all holiday weekend

November 22, 2016

the staffof the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Whether it’s over the river or through the woods, NJ TRANSIT is offering additional trains and buses this Thanksgiving holiday weekend to make it even easier for customers to unite with family and friends, travel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, or get started on holiday shopping at various malls throughout the state.  Plus, feel free to bring your holiday helpers as kids ride free* the entire long weekend!

NJ TRANSIT will once again offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Wednesday, November 23, for the benefit of customers leaving work early, and to provide additional capacity for customers traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport.  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the busiest day of the year at Newark Airport’s rail station, with ridership levels about twice that of a typical weekday.  Customers are urged to purchase their tickets early – round trip preferably – to avoid lines or download NJ TRANSIT’s mobile app available free at the App Store and Google Play.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains and buses to the schedule in the morning and midday hours to accommodate customers traveling to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Then on Friday, November 25, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, enhanced bus service will be offered to shopping centers throughout New Jersey and additional trains will operate to and from New York.

NJ TRANSIT customer service representatives and volunteers will be deployed at major facilities throughout the holiday weekend to assist customers with their travels.

For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.

Early getaway service from New York, Newark and Hoboken

On Wednesday, November 23, trains will operate on a weekday schedule on all lines with additional “early getaway” service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.  Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line Light Rail service will operate on a weekday schedule.  Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information.  Selected routes will operate on special holiday schedules to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 and 68 bus routes from the Hudson River waterfront between noon and 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the traditional rush hour and later in the evening due to lower ridership.  Special holiday timetables are available on njtransit.com.

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule.  To accommodate customers traveling to and from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—bus customers are advised to visit njtransit.com.  Selected bus routes will operate extra service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal for customers attending the parade.

Note:  Thanksgiving shoppers:  Service on the No. 111 bus route from New York to the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth will begin operating at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, November 24.  The No. 40 will operate on a special holiday schedule serving Jersey Gardens all night long.  Service on the No. 163, 171, 175 & 770 bus routes to Garden State Plaza in Paramus will operate on a Saturday schedule to serve the mall all day.

On Friday, November 25, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines.  Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light.  Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate on Friday, due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains on Friday.  Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.  Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.  River Line will operate on a weekday schedule.  Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit njtransit.com.

Extra bus service to New Jersey malls

Starting Friday, November 25 and continuing through December 26, NJ TRANSIT will offer additional bus service to major New Jersey shopping destinations to accommodate extended store hours and busy shopping times throughout the day.  Throughout the holiday shopping season, extra trips or expanded service will be offered on several bus routes serving malls and shopping centers throughout the state, including Garden State Plaza, IKEA Paramus, Jersey Gardens, Livingston Mall, Harmon Meadow/Mill Creek in Secaucus, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center Mall and West Belt Mall.

*Kids ride free on NJT

For the Thanksgiving holiday, NJ TRANSIT’s Family Super Saver Fare, which allows up to two children 11 and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult, will be in effect from 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 23 until 6 a.m. Monday, November 28.

Travel tips

Check Schedules in Advance:  Additional service will be provided on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.
Travel Early on Friday, November 25:  On Friday, NJ TRANSIT rail lines will operate on a modified weekday schedule with additional trains during the late morning hours.  Avoid the crowds by traveling during the traditional peak-period (6-9 a.m.) when ridership is light.
Allow Extra Travel Time:  Traffic congestion during the holidays may affect bus travel times to and from New York City, so customers should plan accordingly.
Ticketing:  Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return.  Use ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges.  Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal are reminded that tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus.
Luggage:  Travel as light as possible.  Passengers with luggage or packages should use the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces.  On multilevel trains, customers with large bags should use the mezzanine levels at the ends of each car.
Bus Gate Changes:  Some gate changes have been made at Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.  Customers are reminded to check the public timetable for new departure gate information.

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Four Gang Members Charged With Armed Robbery Jersey Bar and Violent Kidnapping Of Ridgewood Taxi Driver

Ridgewood _police_theridgewoodblog
file photo by Boyd Loving
November 17,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  Four 18th Street gang members from Bergen County, New Jersey, and Rockland County, New York, were charged today with various offenses arising from their armed robbery of a Hawthorne, New Jersey, bar and the violent carjacking of a taxi that took place shortly afterwards, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Wilbur Jonathan Barahona, 20, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, 19, of Suffern New York, Juan Chiliseo-Vega, 19, of Suffern, and Jostin Reyes, 21, of Waldwick, New Jersey, were charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, carjacking, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and kidnapping. All four appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.

Balmore Carillo-Iraheta, 19, of Suffern, and Oscar Avalos-Cortez, 22, of New City, New York, are also charged in the same complaint with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. They had their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk on Nov. 1, 2016 and U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark on Nov. 10, 2016, respectively. All six defendants, with the exception of Avalos-Cortez, have been detained. Avalos-Cortez was released on a $150,000 unsecured bond.

According to the complaint:

On Dec. 25, 2016, Barahona, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, Chiliseo-Vega, Reyes, Balmore Carillo-Iraheta, and Avalos-Cortez robbed a bar at gunpoint in Hawthorne, New Jersey, while Avalos-Cortez operated the getaway vehicle.

Later that evening, Barahona, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, Chiliseo-Vega, and Reyes robbed a taxicab driver at gunpoint, hit the taxicab driver in the head with a beer bottle, and sliced his throat with a knife before leaving him on the side of the New York State Thruway near Woodbury, New York. The taxicab driver survived.

The kidnapping charge carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment. The carjacking charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The charge of brandishing a weapon in connection with the carjacking offense carries a mandatory penalty of seven years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, as well as the Ridgewood and Hawthorne Police Departments, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen D. Stringer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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ESTHER AND PATRICK FLETCHER TO BE HONORED AT WEST BERGEN’S NOVEMBER 14TH FALL NIGHT OF FINE DINING

West Bergen Mental Healthcare
November 11,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Franklin Lakes NJ, On Monday evening, November 14th, the area’s finest restaurants and caterers will join together at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes for the 24th Annual …A Fall Night of Fine Dining. On this special occasion, West Bergen is honored to present its prestigious Distinguished Service Award to outstanding community leaders, Esther and Patrick Fletcher of River Edge.

In announcing the Fletcher’s selection, Thomas H. Bruinooge, Esq., President of West Bergen’s Board of Trustees said, “I am so pleased that Esther and Pat have been selected as the honorees. They are special individuals who give freely of themselves to benefit others. Their dedication is emblematic of the spirit of commitment to West Bergen that has enabled the Agency to serve others for over 50 years.” Their partnership with West Bergen began several years ago when Pat became a Member of West Bergen’s Board of Trustees, and was Executive Vice President from 2011 to 2014. Over the years, Esther and Pat have been active and dedicated West Bergen supporters. They have been co-hosts of numerous West Bergen events, including the Annual Brunch and A Fall Night of Fine Dining. Please visit afallnight.com for reservations and complete information. Tickets are $175 per person and are tax deductible. Seating is limited.

Participating restaurants include Bibi’z Restaurant Lounge, Westwood; Blue Moon Mexican Café, Wyckoff; Chestnut Deli & Catering, Ridgewood; Caffe Anello, Westwood; Esty Street, Park Ridge; Francesco’s Restaurant, Woodland Park; Indian Trail Club, Franklin Lakes; NOVO Mediterranean Fare, Ridgewood; 103 Prime at Valentino’s, Park Ridge; Paul & Jimmy’s Ristorante, New York, NY; ROCCA Italian Restaurant, Glen Rock; Roots Steakhouse, Ridgewood; Steel Wheel Tavern, Ridgewood; Village Green Restaurant, Ridgewood and The Village Grille, Waldwick. Dessert selections will be presented by Baking Grace, Hawthorne; Ben & Jerry’s, Ridgewood; Creative Chocolates, Woodland Park; Mimi’s Cookies, Waldwick and The Plum & The Pear, Wyckoff.

At the event, each restaurant will serve individual portions of their most innovative entrée, enabling attendees to experience a variety of cuisines. Chuck Russo, owner of Carlo Russo’s Wine and Spirit World in Ho-Ho-Kus, will select a variety of wines and craft beers for the occasion. Music for dancing will be provided by Modern Jazz Trio, which will perform classic standards and Broadway favorites by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and others.

Sponsoring this year’s event is Boiling Springs Savings Bank. Reservations for …A Fall Night of Fine Dining can be made on the new website, www.afallnight.com or by contacting Carol Cohen, Director of Development, at West Bergen Mental Healthcare, (201) 444-3550.

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Sources: U.S. intel warning of possible al Qaeda attacks in U.S. Monday

Omar Mateen, Terrorist Who Attacked Orlando Gay Club

Last Updated Nov 4, 2016 7:43 AM EDT

NEW YORK —  CBS News has learned about a potential terror threat for the day before the election.

Sources told CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton that U.S. intelligence has alerted joint terrorism task forces that al Qaeda could be planning attacks in three states for Monday.

It is believed New York, Texas and Virginia are all possible targets, though no specific locations are mentioned.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sources-us-intel-warning-of-possible-al-qaeda-attacks-in-us-monday/

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Funding approved for new Hudson rail tunnels. Will tolls go up?

Lincoln Tunnel

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 20, 2016 at 5:58 PM, updated October 20, 2016 at 5:59 PM

Tolls on the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels will not be increased to help fund construction of new Hudson River rail tunnels, officials said Thursday after approving a financing plan for the Gateway Project.

Authority officials will discuss revising the agency’s 10-year capital plan next month to include Gateway, building a new Port Authority Bus Terminal and replacing the aging Newark Airport Monorail, said John Degnan, the board chairman.

Both Foye and Degnan said revising the capital plan won’t include a toll hike. The last toll hike took place last December as part of an increase that was phased-in over five years.

“The two governors said the Port Authority will take the lead for a financing plan,” Degnan said. “We’re not accepting that the Port Authority will pick-up the entire (local share of costs).”

The federal government and both states have agreed to a 50-50 financing plan for Gateway, but New York and New Jersey officials said they would turn to the Port Authority for some of that funding and to create a development corporation to apply for financing.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/10/funding_approved_for_new_hudson_rail_tunnels_but_will_tolls_go_up.html#incart_river_home

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Gov. Christie On Train Crash: Don’t Jump To Conclusions, Let Facts Lead You To The Proper Conclusion

Hoboken Train Station Crash

September 30,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, full transcript of Governor Christie addressing yesterdays train crash in Hoboken.

Governor Christie: “ Good afternoon. I’m pleased to be joined here today by Lieutenant Governor Guadagno, by my partner in New York, Governor Cuomo. Governor Cuomo and I have just taken a tour of the damage inside. Obviously an extraordinary tragedy. We pray for the family of the one fatality that we have confirmed for her and for her family. We now have a revised total of injured. We have 108 injured in this accident and all of those have been evacuated to local hospitals, where they’re receiving the care they need. We pray for their recovery. The engineer who was operating the train was also critically injured. He is at a local hospital and cooperating with law enforcement officials in the investigation. What we know is that this train came in at a high rate of speed into the station and crashed through all of the barriers bringing it right to the interior wall of the Hoboken Terminal. Extraordinary reaction from local law enforcement and EMS along with civilian passengers, who assisted EMS, and local police and State Police in evacuating the trains as quickly as possible and helping with the triage of the passengers who were injured and getting them immediately to local hospitals for them to receive health care. There will be others who will speak today about some of the specifics, Commissioner Hammer, Mr. Prendergast from the MTA, about the specifics of commuting both this afternoon and tomorrow. We won’t address that specifically. Both Governor Cuomo and I come from a law enforcement background, as does the Lieutenant Governor. My admonition when I was U.S. Attorney all the time to my prosecutors and agents was, don’t jump to conclusions, let the facts lead you to the proper conclusions, and so we’re not going to speculate about the cause of the accident. It is that we’re in the midst of an investigation. I was called by the White House today as well. They have not only dispatched the NTSB and the Federal Railway Administration but also have pledged any resources that we need additionally to deal with the victims or to deal with what’s happened here at the Hoboken Terminal. We were pleased to get that call. As I said to a number of you earlier today, from the time that the incident happened this morning, Governor Cuomo and I have been in communication since the train began its journey today in the state of New York and we have a number of New York citizens who were on that train as well coming here to New Jersey, and so we’re going to work together to make sure that the investigation is seamless and coordinated, that we come to a conclusion as quickly as possible and then if there are steps that need to be taken thereafter to provide for even greater assurance of safety for the people of our states, you can be assured that we’ll work together through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, MTA and New Jersey Transit to make sure that that occurs. And so we again, we pray for the victims and their families. We are on the scene. We’re going to continue to monitor what’s going on. We have engineers that are examining the structural integrity of the building now. We have no estimate as to when the terminal will be able to be reopened, except to say that it appears that the PATH terminal, the structural integrity there is fine and so that PATH trains will be able to use the terminal. As for the New Jersey Transit portion, we don’t have an estimate yet on that and we’re going to need some time to do that, so I want to turn this over to Governor Cuomo. We will also have Commissioner Hammer and MTA director Prendergast to make some comments and then Governor Cuomo, and I will come back to take on-topic questions.”

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New Jersey Makes the Top Ten: 2016’s States with the Highest Tax Burdens

Trenton_New_Jersey

Trenton

New Jersey Places Number 7 in States with the Highest Tax Burdens

April 11,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood bog

Ridgewood Nj, With a week remaining until Tax Day and many Americans finding the current tax code too confusing to determine exactly how much their home states are actually taking from their income in taxes, the personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s States with the Highest & Lowest Tax Burdens.
In order to determine which states tax their residents most aggressively, WalletHub’s analysts compared the tax burdens of the 50 states by measuring property taxes, individual income taxes, and state and gross receipts taxes — the three components of state tax burden — as percentages of the total personal income in each state.

States with the Highest Tax Burdens (%) States with the Lowest Tax Burdens (%)
1 New York (13.12%) 41 Texas (7.67%)
2 Hawaii (11.86%) 42 Wyoming (7.62%)
T-3 Maine (11.13%) 43 Alabama (7.41%)
T-3 Vermont (11.13%) 44 Florida (7.22%)
5 Connecticut (10.91%) 45 Oklahoma (6.95%)
6 Minnesota (10.46%) 46 South Dakota (6.94%)
7 New Jersey (10.38%) 47 New Hampshire (6.88%)
8 Rhode Island (10.36%) 48 Tennessee (6.56%)
9 Wisconsin (10.32%) 49 Delaware (5.91%)
10 Illinois (10.19%) 50 Alaska (5.18%)

Comparing the States

  • Red states have a lower total tax burden, with an average rank of 32.00, compared with Blue states, which have an average rank of 19.38. (The lower the rank, the higher the burden)
  • New Jersey has the highest property tax as a fraction of personal income, 5.41 percent, which is four times higher than in Oklahoma, the state with the lowest, 1.42 percent.
  • New York and Oregon have the highest individual income taxes as a fraction of personal income, 4.76 percent and 4.04 percent respectively, whereas Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming do not levy such a tax.
  • Hawaii has the highest total sales and gross receipts tax as a fraction of personal income, 6.95 percent, which is six times higher than in Oregon, the state with the lowest, 1.15 percent.

For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-highest-lowest-tax-burden/20494/

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Almost Half of Homes in New York and D.C. Are Now Losing Value

realesate

A new home-price index is a warning sign for some property markets

September 3, 2015 — 8:00 AM EDT

Prashant Gopal

Almost half of single-family houses in the New York and Washington metropolitan areas are losing value, a sign that buyers’ tolerance for high prices in many large U.S. cities may be reaching a limit.

The values of 45 percent of houses in both the Washington and New York areas slumped by at least 2 percent in June from a year earlier, according to a new index created by Allan Weiss, co-founder of the Case-Shiller home price indexes. In June 2014, only 15 percent of Washington residences dropped in value, while 20 percent fell in New York. Because the index is of only single-family homes, it doesn’t include Manhattan. More properties also were in decline in Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix and Miami.

A steady rise in U.S. home prices since the bottom of the market combined with weak income growth has made housing less affordable, especially in big cities. Credit remains tight and demand is now being driven primarily by buyers dependent on mortgages, as foreign buyers and investors pull back from the market.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-03/almost-half-of-homes-in-new-york-and-d-c-are-now-losing-value

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Local Man Accused of Trying to Organize ‘Small Army’ of ISIS Fighters in New York, New Jersey: Officials

‎islamic jihad

By Jonathan Dienst and Joe Valiquette

A 20-year-old New Jersey man has been charged on terror-related counts for allegedly trying to help organize a “small army” of ISIS fighters in New York and the Garden State, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Nader Saadeh was taken into custody May 5 while allegedly attempting to travel overseas to join ISIS. He had lived in Rutherford until that point.

Saadeh’s brother, Alaa, along with at least three others in New York and New Jersey, were arrested in recent months in connection with the alleged ISIS cell.

The FBI said Nader Saadeh posted anti-American messages online beginning in 2012 and repeatedly viewed ISIS videos. The agency said he praised the burning alive of a captured Jordanian pilot by ISIS fighters and said that, as well as the murders of several staff members of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris earlier this year were justified.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/New-Jersey-ISIS-ISL-Islamic-State-Arrest-Material-Nader-Saadeh-Support-FBI-CIA-Syria-Iraq-321263241.html

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New York Sponsor of Port Authority Reform Bill Rejects a New Jersey Compromise

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog

Portauthority_theridgewoodblog.net_

New York Sponsor of Port Authority Reform Bill Rejects a New Jersey Compromise

ALBANY — A legislative sponsor of an effort to overhaul the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said on Monday that a possible compromise bill suggested by a leading New Jersey Republican would not be acceptable in New York, all but dooming its chances as currently imagined.

The sponsor, Assemblyman James F. Brennan, a Democrat from Brooklyn, said that the compromise bill, proposed by Senator Thomas H. Kean Jr., did not include several elements that he felt were necessary, including independent oversight of large capital projects, requirements to disclose the compensation of top officers and an obligation on the part of the chief executive to certify that financial statements are “true and accurate.” (McKinley/The New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/nyregion/new-york-sponsor-of-port-authority-reform-bill-rejects-a-new-jersey-compromise.html?_r=0

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Leaders in New York and New Jersey Defend Shutdown for a Blizzard That Wasn’t

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Deblasio with signer ,why is this guy still mayor?

Leaders in New York and New Jersey Defend Shutdown for a Blizzard That Wasn’t

It was an unprecedented step for what became, in New York City, a common storm: For the first time in its 110-year history, the subway system was shut down because of snow. (Flegenheimer/The New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/nyregion/new-york-blizzard.html?_r=0

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Enterovirus D68 sickens more than a dozen in New York

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Enterovirus D68 sickens more than a dozen in New York

By Jacque Wilson, CNN
updated 5:27 PM EDT, Fri September 12, 2014

CNN) — More than a dozen cases of Enterovirus D68 have been confirmed in New York state, according to officials.

“EV-D68 is causing cases of severe respiratory illness … sometimes resulting in hospitalization, especially among children with asthma,” the NYS Department of Health said in a statement Friday.

Enteroviruses are quite common in September; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 10 to 15 million people are infected by these viruses each year. But doctors believe this particular type of enterovirus, Enterovirus D68, is causing more serious problems than others have in years past.

As of September 11, more than 80 cases in six other states — Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri — have been confirmed to be EV-D68, according to the CDC.

New York is the first state in the Northeast with confirmed cases.

https://www.cnn.com/2014/09/12/health/enterovirus-new-york/