Just What the Doctor Ordered

NEW YORK — A city doctor who tried to help uninsured patients by charging them a low monthly fee might get some help from Albany.

State Sen. Andrew Lanza introduced a bill allowing physicians like Dr. John Muney to charge patients a flat fee.

City Unveils Faster 911 System

NEW YORK — The city debuted its new 911 dispatching system this week with hopes that a new streamlined system will reduce response times to emergencies, officials said Tuesday.

The new system – which went into effect Monday at 5 a.m. – will funnel all calls to NYPD operators so a caller to 911 would only have to describe an emergency once before help is dispatched, officials said.

Raccoon Ringworm Disease Hits Brooklyn Teen and Baby

BROOKLYN, NY — A rare, deadly disease that has left an infant brain damaged and a teenager blind in one eye, has been detected in Brooklyn, the Daily News has learned.

The city’s Department of Health is on alert for Raccoon Ringworm, a disease contracted through contact with raccoon feces. It can cause permanent nerve damage and death.

NY Governor Wants Immediate Vote On MTA Bailout

ALBANY, NY [NY1] — Governor David Paterson wants the state Legislature to vote Monday on his plan to bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The plan still calls for a payroll tax to raise more than a billion dollars for the agency and stave off huge fare hikes and deep service cuts.

Report: Few NYC Drunken Drivers Do Jail Time

NEW YORK [CBS] — The numbers could be enough to drive someone to drink.

New York City police made nearly 10,000 drunken-driving arrests last year, but of the more than 6,000 cases that have gone through the courts so far, only 187 offenders have landed behind bars. That’s according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Paranoia: City ERs Flooded With Swine Flu Fears

NEW YORK [CBS] — New Yorkers were able to breathe a breath of fresh air Friday when Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there were no new confirmed cases of the swine flu, or what officials calling the H1N1 virus. Yet plenty of people are still afraid the virus is spreading, causing a paranoia that’s clogging up the system at local hospitals.

NYPD Hands Out Cards People Stopped and Frisked

NEW YORK — The NYPD didn’t answer lawmakers’ questions about its controversial stop-and-frisk policy Thursday, but people who get patted down are getting clarification – on a card.

The department has begun handing out informational cards to people police stop and frisk, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Thursday. The cards, in seven languages, list general reasons why police might deem the encounters necessary.

‘BAD COP’ Suit$ Cost the City a Half-Billion

NEW YORK, NY — The city has coughed up $540 million in payouts related to improper police actions since 1998 — and taxpayer cost for such cases hit a record high last year.

In 1998, the city paid lawsuit settlements or judgments to 571 claimants who accused the NYPD of bad behavior. That figure more than doubled to 1,265 in 2008, according to Law Department data.

Stats Say Crime Low Despite Economic Downturn

NEW YORK [CBS] — The economy may be dismal, but the recession doesn’t seem to be driving New Yorkers to commit crime.

The New York Police Department says the crime rate for the first three months of the year is the lowest since comparable record keeping began in the 1960s.

Swine Flu Confirmed in Queens Students

QUEENS [WABC] — New York City was dealing with a growing public health threat Sunday after tests confirmed that eight students at a private Catholic high school had contracted swine flu. Some of the school’s students had visited Mexico on a spring break trip two weeks ago.

Traffic Agent Lying to Justify Tickets?

NEW YORK — A Brooklyn animal rights activist arrested after complaining about parking tickets being given to volunteers at an animal adoption fair is suing the city.

Laurie Bleier claims the NYPD traffic enforcement agent who arrested her falsely accused her of punching him. Bleier says their run-in came after she complained the summonses being given to people dropping off homeless pets were hurting the non-profit Brooklyn Animal Foster Network.

8 Likely with Swine Flu in NYC

NEW YORK [AP] — At least eight students at a New York City high school probably have swine flu, but health officials say they don’t know whether they have the same strain of the virus that has killed people in Mexico.

New York Gov. David Paterson has directed the state Department of Health to monitor and respond to the cases.

Drivers Beware: NYC Cracks Down on Idling Cars

NEW YORK, NY [AP] — An idling taxi, truck, or car sitting stagnant in the street is not an uncommon sight in NYC, however a new city-wide green initiative is aiming to change that.

Regulators Grant Con Edison a $523.4 Million Increase in Delivery Rates

NEW YORK — State regulators on Tuesday approved a $523.4 million one-year increase in Consolidated Edison’s rates for delivering electric service. Typical residential customers will see an increase in their monthly bill of about $6 in New York and about $8 in Westchester County.

Critics of the utility decried the decision, saying it would harm economically vulnerable customers as the region struggles through a recession. Con Edison said it was disappointed by the decision, saying there was not enough money for essential infrastructure maintenance.

The State Public Service Commission also authorized raising $198 million through a temporary surcharge on bills to pay for state-mandated assessments, for a total increase of $721.4 million. The overall increase on electricity bills will be 6.1 percent across the Con Edison system.

Latest MTA Bailout Proposal Includes New Taxi Fee

NEW YORK, NY [WCBSTV] — There’s another bailout plan being floated to try to solve the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s cash crunch.

You may be paying a dollar more per cab ride.

Feds Hit Sharpton with Record $285,000 Fine

The Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network have been slapped with a record $285,000 fine for violating a slew of federal election rules during his 2004 bid for president, the Post has learned.

In a decision to be made public next month, the Federal Election Commission found that Sharpton’s Democratic primary campaign accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from private sources.