TRISTATE

Excommunicated Cleric Installs Married Men As Priests

An excommunicated Roman Catholic archbishop defied the Vatican when he ordained two married men as priests on yesterday. In front of a sea of reporters and photographers and several dozen congregants, Raymond A. Grosswirth of Rochester, N.Y., and Dominic Riccio, of the Newark Archdiocese, were installed by Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo at the Trinity Reformed Church. The ceremony concluded a two-day convention of Mr. Milingo’s advocacy group, Married Priests Now! In a visible break from tradition, the wives of both men helped their husbands on with their vestments before each man was anointed. Mr. Milingo, 76, installed four married men as Roman Catholic bishops in September, including Peter Paul Brennan of New York and Patrick Trujillo of Newark. Mr. Milingo was later excommunicated by the Vatican.

— Associated Press

STATEWIDE

L.I. Man Rescued After Days Stuck Under Debris in Home

A 64-year-old man trapped since Tuesday by a pile of garbage and appliances in his Long Island home was rescued early Saturday morning, authorities said. Charles Ruoff suffered dehydration, hypothermia and general weakness, Suffolk County police said. He was taken to the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northport after he was found by police on the second floor of his house, a decrepit structure with major damage, including a wall destroyed by a fallen tree. Centerport Fire Department Chief John Giacoppi said the house, which has been condemned, was extremely unsafe. He said Mr. Ruoff apparently was living among the pile of debris, which stood about 7 feet high and went from wall to wall in his second-floor bedroom, and became caught between the pile and a wall.

— Associated Press

CITYWIDE

With More Staff, Children’s Agency Tackles Larger Load

The city’s child welfare agency has beefed up its caseworker staff by one-third, increased its coordination with other city agencies, and implemented a new case tracking system in the year since the beating death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown. At the same time, it has seen an extraordinary increase in the number of child abuse and neglect reports, the agency says in a progress report. This year so far, the Administration for Children’s Services has taken in about 64,000 reports of abuse and neglect — up about 33 percent from last year. The agency is better equipped to deal with the increase after several initiatives to improve responses to cases, and an additional $16 million in funding from the city. The agency had fewer than 900 caseworkers in the field at the end of last year. It expects to have 1,300 by early next year, despite losing staff through ongoing attrition, ACS Commissioner John Mattingly said.

— Associated Press

Parole Officers Overburdened by Heavy Caseloads, Report Says

Parole officers in Manhattan and the Bronx often do not spend sufficient time supervising ex-convicts, have too many cases and lack resources and support to do their jobs, according to a report expected to be released from Borough President Scott Stringer’s office. The report surveyed 99 parole officers, or 50 percent of those who manage active cases in Manhattan and the Bronx. Among the findings of the report, 84 percent of the officers surveyed said they had a caseload higher than the weighted average of 40 cases set by state policy. A majority of officers also said they did not spend enough time in the field supervising their clients and have insufficient training to deal with caseloads. Of the officers, 91 percent said they did not have enough resources and support to do their job well.

— Associated Press

POLICE BLOTTER

Teenager Douses Girlfriend With Alcohol And Ignites, Police Say

A young man who doused his teenage girlfriend with rubbing alcohol and set her ablaze was charged with assault, police said yesterday. The 18-year-old girlfriend, who suffered second- and third-degree burns, was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla after the incident early Saturday. The patient, whose name was withheld, was in good condition, nursing supervisor Joan Cleary said. The boyfriend, Master Dobson, 20, was being held in jail while awaiting a court appearance on the felony charge, police sergeant Mario Curzio said.

— Associated Press

Queens Woman Arrested For Ignoring Pet Dog’s Neck Wound

A woman accused of ignoring a 10-inch neck wound on her pet dog for more than a month was arrested Saturday on a charge of animal cruelty, authorities said. Marisol Zayas, 26, of Queens, would be arraigned within 24 hours, said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the arresting agency. The agency began investigating in late October after Ms. Zayas called the city animal control agency and said she wanted to get rid of the dog, a 2-year-old Siberian husky named Trinity, Pentangelo said. The dog was found emaciated and anemic due to loss of blood, he said. Investigators have not determined how the dog sustained the gash around her neck. But they believe that instead of seeking help for the animal, Ms. Zayas tied her to a closet door and ignored the injury for more than a month.

— Associated Press

City Pledges Kind Enforcement Of New Food Rule

Restaurants will have more than a year to completely rid their food of artificial trans fats, and city officials are promising to be gentle when it comes to enforcing the first-in-the-nation ban. But the food industry is fearful that the ban — approved last week — will lead to an avalanche of fines against kitchens that inadvertently fail to remove trans fats from every item on the menu.

— Associated Press