LI Teacher Missing after Surfing Accident in Indonesia

(LONG BEACH, N.Y.) -- A Long Island teacher is missing after an apparent surfing accident in Indonesia Sunday.

David Bobis was reported missing after disappearing off the coast of southern Sumatra, according to his wife. Rescuers say Bobis' surfboard was found in the water with a broken leash.

The New York Post reports the 32-year-old was on vacation with his wife, Rachel, and friend Jason King, at the time of his disappearance. Witnesses say Bobis went missing after catching a 12-foot wave near a remote reef.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gov. Cuomo Signs New York Wine Industry Bill

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- New York wine lovers will no doubt be raising a glass to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Friday, he signed into law a bill designed to promote the Empire State's wineries.

The law is derived from a series of recommendations published by the New York State Wine Grape Task Force in 2008. The law enables wineries to open up to five locations with relative ease compared to liquor stores.

New York is currently home to some 1,400 vineyards that produce close to 200 million bottles of wine annually.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Record Number of Same-Sex Marriages Expected Sunday

(NEW YORK) -- Wedding bells will be ringing non-stop throughout New York State Sunday, when marriage licenses will be legally issued to same-sex couples for the first time.

The only setback may be keeping up with the demand.

Bloomberg News reports a record 3,145 couples -- 2,200 estimated to be same-sex couples -- pre-registered for marriage licenses Thursday in the Empire State.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York City officials will have their hands full. 823 lottery entries were entered by couples who wished to get their marriage licenses Sunday at city clerks' offices across the city's five boroughs -- far exceeding 764 available slots.

To keep up with demand, the city will open clerks’ offices -- normally closed on Sunday --  from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This will set the city back $70,000, according to Bloomberg News.

The high demand for these licenses is hardly a surprise as New York -- home to 19.4 million residents -- is the sixth most populous state to legalize marriage equality.

Other states to legalize gay marriage include Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, as well as Washington, D.C.

New York legislators approved same-sex marriage on June 24.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gov. Cuomo Signs Law to Prevent Pension Abuse

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Thursday that gives the state comptroller the authority to search tax records and suspend pension payments that exceed post-retirement earnings limits.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli welcomed the Retirement and Social Security Law which gives him access to the Department of Taxation and Finance's records that will help him identify retirees under 65 who receive pension payments over the limit of $30,000.

"This law sends a message to anyone looking to game the retirement system -- you will be found. My first priority is to protect the integrity of the pension fund. Governor Cuomo has helped provide my office with a tool to do just that," said DiNapoli.
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Judges Demand First Pay Raise in 12 Years

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- New York state judges appeared before a state commission Wednesday to argue their entitlement to a wage increase after spending the last 12 years in a pay freeze.

Representatives for both the judiciary system and Cuomo administration made their case to a seven-member commission over whether to award judges with their first raise since 1999. Lawyers for the judges say they have been denied close to $350,000 in standard cost-of-living increases to offset inflation and have lost valuable justices to the private sector as a result.

Officials for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo maintain that any increase to judges' wages should be met with the knowledge it will negate the state's long-term fiscal growth. The judges argue a pay raise to reflect standard of living costs would represent only a small fraction of the state budget. Judges' annual salaries currently range from $135,000 to $155,000.

The commission is expected to make its recommendation to the legislature by mid-August.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio