Postville, IA - Rabbi Menachem Meir Weissmandl, who oversees kosher supervision at the embattled Agriprocessors kosher meat packing in Postville, Iowa, denied emphatically that shochtim and mashgichim at the plant, who are technically his employees, staged any sort of job action Wednesday. In a telephone interview with The Jewish Star Wednesday evening Rabbi Weissmandl acknowledged that...

Williamsburg, NY - It is beyond inexcusable that a 5-year-old boy has died in a 10-story plunge down an elevator shaft in a New York City Housing Authority building. Jacob Neuman fell to his death because he and his 8-year-old brother, Israel, were in an elevator that had stopped between floors - with the door open. Jacob attempted to jump down to the hallway floor. Then he was gone. All...

Washington, DC - The federal government will pay $400 million to reimburse New York City-area airports for post-Sept. 11 baggage screening upgrades. The Transportation Security Administration has told New York officials it will cover the costs of installing bulky explosive detectors at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty airports. The money will be paid over two years. Rep...

Sandy Springs, GA - The Epstein School, which is located in a residential neighborhood, has experienced some friction with neighbors over plans to expand and add 200 students. The situation will go before the city's planning board, but last night, the situation got ugly. "We're concerned about the security of our children," said Stan Beiner, head of the Epstein School. The appearance of a...