NYC briefs

No charges for cop in incident with judge

City prosecutors won't bring criminal charges against a police officer accused of attacking a state Supreme Court judge without provocation.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown conducted a three-month investigation intoinvestigated the June 1 incident involving the judge, Thomas Raffaele. Brown's office said Wednesday the facts do not warrant charges and referred the incident to the NYPD.

Raffaele says he was struck when he came upon officers wrestling with a man wielding a pipe on a Jackson Heights street.

He says he called 911 because the crowd was getting out of control, and the officers yelled and cursed, then one struck him in the throat.

Brown's office also ruled there was not enough evidence to show officers used excessive force in restraining the man wielding the pipe.

Quinn to lead West Indian Day Parade

The City Council speaker will mark the end of the Labor Day weekend celebrating Caribbean pride.

Christine Quinn was named Wednesday as the grand marshal of the West Indian Day Parade.

Organizers said the councilwoman has always supported promoting the city's diversity.

"The Honorable Christine Quinn has been at the forefront within all communities of the City of New York as an inclusive leader, respecting all cultures," William R. Howard, first vice president of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, said in a statement.

The parade will be held on Sept. 3 in Brooklyn.

-- amNEWYORK

New garbage transfer station gets approval

Despite protests from Upper East Side residents, the federal government gave the greenlight this week for the city's new garbage transfer station.

The Army Corps of Engineers permit is the final approval needed for the $240-million project at East 91st Street. In a statement Sunday, Deputy Mayor Cas Halloway said work could begin at the end of the year and the station would open in three years. Residents who live near the site say the smell and noise of the garbage vehicles would disturb their neighborhood.

Halloway reassured that the facility will be safe and not infringe on their quality of life.

-- amNEWYORK

Supporters rally for bill seeking paid sick leave

Supporters of a supermarket worker who died after delaying medical care for stomach pain that turned out to be cancer are calling on legislators to pass a bill guaranteeing paid sick days for many workers in the city.

Supporters of the bill rallied on the steps of City Hall Wednesday. The measure would require paid sick leave in businesses with five or more employees.

The bill has the support of at least 36 City Council members -- enough to override an anticipated veto from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has declined to bring the matter to a vote.

Quinn argues that the goals of the bill are laudable but it would cost jobs and hurt small businesses that are already struggling.

4 city colleges ranked among top-20 'sober'

It turns out New York City is a hotbed of sobriety.

The Princeton Review released its college rankings this week, with categories including top party schools, best food and best athletic facilities.

The list of top 20 "stone-cold sober" schools is headed by Utah's Brigham Young University, where Mormon students eschew alcohol. Other sober schools include the U.S. Naval Academy and the church-affiliated Pepperdine University.

Four of the 20 sober schools are in the city. They include three City University campuses: City College, Brooklyn College and Queens College. The list also includes the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Greenwich Village.

City College spokesman Ellis Simon noted that the college's students typically commute to school and have work and family responsibilities.

-- Compiled with wire service reports