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NY's new laws honor Lucy, clamp down on dog fights

New York's newest laws pave the way to require New York City children to start their education at 5 years old, name a bridge for comedienne Lucille Ball, and prohibit the use "cat mills," ''breaking sticks" and "fighting pits" in animal fighting. WAMC's Dave Lucas has details...

The bills were passed by the Legislature this session and signed into law this week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

They include a ban on the manufacturing, sale and possession of some grisly items used in the illegal trade of fighting by dogs and other animals usually for gambling. The items include a rotating "cat mill" in which a cat is held just out of reach of a running dog.

Another law names a bridge in Chautauqua County for film and TV actress Lucille Ball.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.