Articles by Michael Hill

Woman Who Says She Was Taped in New York Hotel Shower Sues for $100M

A woman who claims hidden-camera footage of her in a hotel shower was posted on a dozen pornographic web sites by someone who tried to extort her filed a $100 million lawsuit. The Chicago resident, identified only as Jane Doe …

Calls for New Regulation Mount as New York Limo Crash Victims Mourned

The day after a mourning community said last goodbyes to eight of 20 victims of a limousine crash – four sisters and four other relatives – the Senate’s top Democrat called on federal regulators to formulate new safety standards for …

Limousine Company Operator Arrested Following Deadly New York Crash

Police charged a limousine service operator Wednesday with criminally negligent homicide in a crash that killed 20 people, while the man’s lawyer said that he wasn’t guilty and that police were rushing to judgment. Prestige Limousine operator Nauman Hussain was …

Limo Service Lawyer Says Violations Fixed Before Fatal New York Crash

The limousine service under scrutiny after a crash that killed 20 people fixed safety violations in its fleet before the tragedy, said a lawyer who suggested the driver was unfamiliar with the rural road. Prestige Limousine has been criticized for …

New York Governor Says Limo That Crashed Shouldn’t Have Been on the Road

The supersized limousine that crashed and killed 20 people outside a country store failed a safety inspection last month and shouldn’t have been on the road, and the driver wasn’t properly licensed, New York’s governor said Monday. The state moved …

N.Y. Aims to Improve Storm Forecasts With Automated Weather Stations

Counting every raindrop or measuring every gust of wind is impossible, but New York is getting closer with a uniquely extensive statewide system of automated weather stations that should paint a dramatically clearer picture of developing storms. Described as the …

New York Holds Line on Volunteer Firefighters After Declines

More new firefighters are volunteering in New York state after years of declining membership, though companies are still seeking recruits to meet more calls. Fire companies statewide attracted 12,665 new volunteers in 2011 and 2012 amid aggressive recruiting efforts, according …

Cleanup From Deadly Thunderstorms Gets Underway in Eastern States

Residents of this rural central New York town on Wednesday picked through debris from homes battered by a deadly tornado, and utility crews worked to restore power in several Eastern states hit by severe storms. In all, five people died …

Congress Raises Anxiety, Anger Levels of Disaster Victims

For disaster victims rebuilding their homes, towns and lives, the anxiety is matched only by anger at Congress for entangling their future in a political battle over government spending. A sharply divided Congress has repeatedly rejected a deal that included …

Insurance Agency Sued by New York AG over Old Oil Spill on its Land

Donald Forsythe and Fred Wilder, founders of Wilder-Forsythe Inc. insurance agency, picked an awful location to sell insurance. The small office building they bought in 1974 in the far-northern New York city of Ogdensburg sits on land, formerly a gas …