East News

Maine Man Charged with Hate Crime in Black Church Arson

A Maine man accused of setting fire to a Massachusetts church with a predominantly Black congregation been charged with hate crime offenses, federal prosecutors said. Dushko Vulchev is charged in federal court with four counts of damage to religious property …

People Moves: The Hartford’s McKenna to Falvey; Safety National Hires Kostro

Falvey Insurance Group Appoints McKenna as Chief Underwriting Officer Falvey Insurance Group has hired Mike McKenna, formerly of The Hartford, as chief underwriting officer to oversee the underwriting for its group companies: Falvey Cargo Underwriting, Falvey Shippers Insurance and Safe …

Massachusetts Shoe Company Exec to Plead Guilty to Embezzling $30M

A former top executive at a Massachusetts-based shoe manufacturer has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling $30 million from the company, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Richard Hajjar, 64, the former chief financial officer of Alden Shoe Co., agreed to plead …

Owner, Builder of Solar Array Fined for Polluting Massachusetts Brook

A New Jersey solar energy company and utility Eversource have agreed to pay up to $310,000 in state fines to Massachusetts for allegedly violating state environmental laws that led to pollution of a brook and other protected areas. The settlement …

No Charges in New York Fatal Crash Involving Sleeping Deputy

A sheriff’s deputy who fell asleep at the wheel of a patrol vehicle near the Vermont border and slammed into another car head-on, killing the other driver, will not face criminal charges, New York’s attorney general said Thursday. Susan Harrington, …

Liberty University Sues Jerry Falwell Jr., Seeking Millions in Damages

Liberty University has filed a civil lawsuit against its former leader, Jerry Falwell Jr., seeking tens of millions in damages after the two parted ways acrimoniously last year. The complaint, filed Thursday in Lynchburg Circuit Court, alleges Falwell crafted a …

New Jersey Governor Proposes New Gun Control, Safety Measures

New Jersey would mandate safety courses in order to get a gun permit, require lockboxes for out-of-use firearms and change state law to hold firearm makers liable for harm stemming from gun use, among other changes proposed in the dozen …

Connecticut Reminds Insurers to Avoid Discriminatory Practices with Big Data

Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) Commissioner Andrew N. Mais issued a formal notice to insurers licensed by the department that their use of technology and big data must be in full compliance with federal and state anti-discrimination laws. The notice, issued …

Massachusetts Regulators Seek to Revoke Robinhood’s License; Brokerage Sues

Massachusetts regulators on Thursday sought the revocation of Robinhood’s broker-dealer license after charging that it encourages inexperienced investors to place risky trades without limits, while the online brokerage sued to invalidate a new rule underlying the case. Massachusetts Secretary of …

New York City Begins $1.5B Project to Protect Manhattan from Floods

New York City has embarked on a $1.45 billion resiliency project in lower Manhattan along the East River, an area devastated by flooding in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. The city’s East Side Coastal Resiliency project, …

East News Archives by Month