New York City

Hawks grounded after Chihuahua attack

Trained hawks employed to keep pigeons from making a mess on visitors in a midtown park have been grounded because one of the birds mistook a Chihuahua as its lunch.

An 18-inch hawk swooped down and gouged the diminutive pooch with one of its talons while the dog was nosing around in the bushes of Bryant Park, located behind the New York Public Library.

The hawk was quickly separated from the pooch Tuesday afternoon. A park employee flagged down a cab so the dog’s owner could take it to a veterinarian, said Richard Dillon, vice president of security for Bryant Park.

The dog owner asked that her identity not be released.

The program, which aims to scare pigeons out of the park, could be finished. A final decision is expected by the end of the week.

“I sincerely believe the bird mistook it for a rat because it was in the shrubbery,” said Thomas Cullen, the falconer hired to run the anti-pigeon program.

New York City

Rat infestation forces firefighters out

A blazing building? Not a problem for New York City firefighters. A firehouse infested with vermin? Well, that’s a rat of a different color.

Horrified members of New York’s bravest have temporarily abandoned a firehouse because of massive rat infestation, and fire officials say the building must be gutted to eliminate the pervasive rodent population.

The firefighters at the 43-year-old house in Queens reported hearing rats scurrying through walls and spotting their beady eyes peering out from beneath the kitchen sink. Some of the rats were 10 inches long.

One night, firefighters captured seven rats in their kitchen and found several more dead ones behind a radiator, said Stephen Humensky, Queens trustee for the firefighters union.

Dead rats in the walls and ceilings caused the stench that finally led to Tuesday’s evacuation.

Colorado

Con artists target soldiers’ families

People posing as Army casualty notification officers have contacted the families of five soldiers deployed to Iraq in an apparent fraud attempt.

The suspects contacted the families by telephone and went to their doors in Army uniforms, said Maj. Joe Golden, rear detachment commander for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson.

The suspects told the families they had important news about their loved ones but asked to first see documents such as Social Security cards and birth and marriage certificates. One of the impersonators asked for a check for $300.

“This is not the way we do business,” said Golden, adding the Army would never ask for that kind of information.

None of the families fell for the ruse, said Capt. Bren Workman.

Chicago

State authorizes O’Hare expansion

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill Wednesday authorizing a $6.6 billion expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

“The expansion of O’Hare doesn’t just affect Chicago, it doesn’t just benefit northern Illinois, it doesn’t just benefit one or two carriers. By expanding O’Hare, all of us are lifted,” Blagojevich said.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said the plan would create “an airport for the 21st century” that would be paid for by users of O’Hare rather than taxpayers.

Supporters said the project would mean more than 195,000 jobs and $19 billion in economic benefits for the state while maintaining O’Hare’s status as a national transportation hub. The project still needs approval by the Federal Aviation Administration before construction can begin.