Livingston Manor robbery arrest

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY —Ryan A. Yeneic, 23, of Livingston Manor  has been arrested on a robbery charge.

 On May 26, 2018 at approximately 10 p.m., troopers responded to the report of a robbery at the Sunoco Country Store on Main Street in Livingston Manor. Upon arrival, troopers interviewed the victim who was working as the store cashier at the time of the robbery. The victim said that she was in the cooler re-stocking beverages. When she exited the cooler, a male subject with a covered face confronted her and demanded money.

The clerk complied with the orders and the suspect then fled out of the main door toward Main and River streets. There were no other customers in the store at the time of the robbery. The suspect left with an undetermined amount cash from the register.

 The arrest was made as the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by New York State Police in Liberty.

 Yeneic was arraigned in the Town of Rockland Court by Town Justice Richard Dane. Bail was set at $30,000. Yeneic is being held in the Sullivan County Jail pending a court appearance.

PA legislation to protect personal information

HARRISBURG, PA — State Rep. Ed Neilson, on April 1 introduced legislation that would protect consumers across the commonwealth by requiring the opportunity to opt out of having their personal information sold to third parties.

“Everyone deserves the right to know what personal information is being collected and sold,” Neilson said. “Businesses are profiting on selling a customer’s information to third parties, and most Pennsylvanians are getting tired of the robocalls and unwanted solicitations from these third parties trying to sell them something they never wanted.”

Specifically, H.B. 1049 would allow customers to opt out of having their information sold or even have the information deleted.

“In today’s electronic world in which we live, we read about security breaches in the paper every day. Just because you purchased goods or services does not mean we need to be in their system and others forever, nor should we have to be certain that their technology is updated on a regular basis,” Neilson said. “The people of Pennsylvania deserve better.”

New New York State smoke alarm law

ALBANY, NY — For the millions of New York State residents that rely on battery-operated smoke alarms for their home safety, the hassle of replacing batteries is now a thing of the past.

As of April 1, a new state law requires that all battery-operated smoke alarms sold within the state must include a sealed, non-replaceable battery that’s meant to last for the entire 10-year lifespan of the alarm. This requirement applies to any battery-operated device that detects smoke, including combination alarms that detect both smoke and carbon monoxide (CO), according to the New York State Department of Codes.

“Each year, nearly 3,000 Americans die from home fires—the vast majority in homes where a working smoke alarm is absent or disabled,” said Tarsila Wey, director of marketing for First Alert. “For homes without hardwired or wirelessly connected alarms, this law will help ensure that all New York residents have better protection against such avoidable tragedies.”

Battery-operated CO alarms that do not detect smoke are not affected by this new law. In addition, the law does not apply to newer construction homes with hardwired alarms.

Legislation to increase vaccinations

HARRISBURG, PA — On March 28, State Sen. Daylin Leach on March 28 announced legislation designed to increase the number of Pennsylvania school children who are immunized against diseases that spread easily among groups, interrupt school life and threaten public health.

Pennsylvania law requires that children receive certain vaccinations before they may attend school. However, exemptions from that requirement exist for anyone who has a pre-existing health problem that conflicts with the immunization requirements, a religious objection to vaccines, or a philosophical exemption to vaccines, which is characterized in law as “a strong moral or ethical conviction similar to a religious belief.” Leach’s bill would eliminate the religious exemption and the “philosophical” exemption. Leach’s bill would not affect the medical exemption.

“The law requires us all to get vaccinated to attend school because that’s the only way we can protect the health of students who are medically unable to get a vaccination. Some claim that vaccines cause autism, but according to all research and most doctors and scientists, that’s simply not true,” Leach said. “Vaccines prevent disease. The risks are far greater for your child when you choose not to vaccinate.”