THE BRONX

AUDIT FINDS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD TOO SLOW WITH CASES

An audit by William Thompson Jr., the New York City comptroller, found that the Bronx office of the Environmental Control Board has failed to ensure timely case adjudications. Examples of extreme delays found in the audit include an October 9, 2001, citation for a Bronx residence having a dirty sidewalk. There was a hearing a month later, but the decision wasn’t prepared until April 16, 2004. Also, on May 15, 2001, a recycling violation was issued to the owner of a commercial property. A hearing was held a month later, but a decision wasn’t approved until July 2004. As of October 21, 2003, there were 4,891 cases listed in the office’s overdue action report. For 35% of those cases, the last action had occurred in 2003 or earlier. Twenty-seven of those cases had been waiting for action since the 1996 to 1999 time period. The audit recommended that the office keep better records and work toward more timely case completion. In response, the Environmental Control Board said it generally agreed with the audit’s findings and would work with employees at the Bronx office to improve performance.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

QUEENS

TWO BODIES FOUND ON STREET IN ASTORIA

Two bullet-riddled bodies were found on a street in Queens early yesterday morning, police said. Police responded to a 911 call at about 5 a.m. and found the men, identified as Carl Turner, 21, and Curt Wilkes, 29, lying unconscious on Vernon Boulevard in Astoria.They were rushed to New York Hospital, where they were both pronounced dead on arrival, police said. No motive for the shootings had been determined as of yesterday, police said, and no arrests had been made.

– Special to the Sun

MAN ARRESTED FOR FIGHTING FIREMEN WHO BLOCKED QUEENS BOULEVARD

A man was arrested early yesterday morning after starting a violent argument with firefighters because they had temporarily closed part of Queens Boulevard after a car accident, police said. The man, identified by police as Ronald Lyons, 31, attempted to drive into the westbound lane of Queens Boulevard despite the fact that it was closed.When firefighters blocked him, he got out of the car and began arguing with them and at one point threatened physical violence, police said. The firefighters were helping people who had been in a two-car accident shortly after 5 a.m., police said. Mr. Lyons was charged with two misdemeanors and a violation: obstructing firefighter operations, disorderly conduct, and harassment, police said.

– Special to the Sun

LONG ISLAND

DEAD BODY FOUND FLOATING OFF JONES BEACH

A fisherman found a dead body floating in the ocean five miles off Jones Beach yesterday morning, police said. The U.S. Coast guard recovered the male corpse, which was then transported to the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s office for further investigation, Nassau County Police said in a news release. The fisherman discovered the body at 9:20 a.m., police said. Jones Beach, a 6 1/2-mile oceanfront state park, is 33 miles east of Manhattan. Also yesterday, the badly decomposed body of a man was found in the Hudson River just north of Bloomfield Street in the West Village at about 12:30 p.m., New York City police said. Police said the city Medical Examiner’s Office would determine the cause of death.

– Associated Press