New York

Happening Today: NYPD Funeral, Newark Water, NJ ICE Center, State Fair

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Funeral Service for NYPD Officer Who Took His Own Life

Family and colleagues of a police officer who died by suicide earlier this month will say a final goodbye to the 25-year NYPD veteran on Wednesday. A wake was held Tuesday in Jamaica, Queens for 56-year-old Robert Echeverria. He's the ninth police officer from New York City to die by suicide in 2019. The department encouraged all who were struggling to seek help and know that support was available from people who "care about your well-being."

If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741

Activists, Religious Leaders Call for Action in Newark's Water Trouble

Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network will join religious leaders in Newark on Wednesday to solidarity with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and city officials as they work to address residents' concerns about the city's water filtration systems. Representatives from the city, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency convened Monday to finalize protocols for the additional testing, according to Mayor Ras Baraka's office. The testing was prompted by readings above the EPA limit this month in two out of three homes. Residents in about 14,000 households served by the Pequannock water filtration plant northwest of the city have been eligible to receive bottled water since last Monday, and the city has distributed tens of thousands of cases.

Local Congressmembers to Tour New Jersey ICE Detention Center

Several congressmembers on Wednesday are expected to visit a privately-run ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which has been a scene of protests amid a national outcry for immigrant rights. Democratic congressman Gregory Meeks from Queens says he and his colleagues will go inside Elizabeth Detention Center to see the conditions of the facility that houses around 300 undocumented immigrants.

Butter Sculpture Unveiled as NY State Fair Begins

This year's butter sculpture at the New York State Fair portrays a young couple sharing a milkshake and a child dunking cookies with her grandfather. The sculpture crafted from 800 pounds of butter was formally unveiled Tuesday by the American Dairy Association North East. Butter sculptures have been a New York State Fair staple since 1969. Last year's sculpture depicted a farmer delivering milk from his farm to a customer in a supermarket. The fair runs from Wednesday through Sept. 2.

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