*A Manhattan toddler who fell from her second-floor bedroom window has survived with just bumps and bruises after landing on a plastic garbage can. Firefighters who work next to the 2-year-old girl’s Harlem apartment building say she apparently was leaning on a guard rail in the window before she fell Wednesday evening. The girl fell almost 20 feet into an alleyway. The girl was treated at a hospital before being sent back home.

*The Triborough Bridge is going to renamed in honor Of Robert F. Kennedy. The former senator and younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, was shot to death in Los Angeles during the 1968 presidential nominating campaign. [Complete store on YWN]

*One man died and two women were injured after federal agents raided a suspected Bronx drug den Wednesday. DEA Agents were executing a search warrant for an apartment at 2045 Story Avenue in Castle Hill when they say the suspects tried to make their escape out of a ninth floor window. DEA officials say the man died when he landed on a sixth floor balcony.

*The acting boss of the Colombo organized crime family, the under boss, and ten other members and associates of the crime family were named in a seventeen count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday, prosecutors say. The charges include racketeering, murder, robbery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, and loansharking, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Benton J. Campbell said.

*A total of 150 of the 156 sirens in the Indian Point nuclear power plant warning system worked Wednesday when the system was tested – more than 96 percent success rate. Three sirens did not sound in Westchester County, one failed in Rockland County and two failed in Orange County. Entergy expects to have its new siren system up and running in August, and until then, the existing system will remain on line.

*NJ Governor Jon Corzine today threw his support to Sen. Barack Obama, saying he “absolutely” will fight for the Democrats’ nominee as he challenges Sen. John McCain for the White House.

*Church & Dwight, the Princeton-based manufacturer of Arm & Hammer brand products, said today it will close its North Brunswick laundry detergent manufacturing plant and relocate the operations to Pennsylvania in a move that will cost $170 million.

*A New Jersey Assembly committee today plan to review bills that would extend for six years the life of building permits for stalled commercial and residential development projects.

*TRI-STATE WEATHER: This morning’s clouds will gradually yield to sunshine by afternoon, and the high will be near 76, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight will be cloudy, with a low near 61. Winds will be calm, forecasters said. On Friday, there is a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11:00AM.

BALTIMORE AREA NEWS:

*BREAKING NEWS: AMBER ALERT: The Maryland State Police at the request of Prince George’s County Police have issued a Maryland Child AMBER Alert for Jose Benjamin Mejia. Jose Benjamin Mejia is further described as being 3′ and 48 pounds. The child was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt with red “Nike” lettering, black sweatpants and black baseball hat. The child was last observed at approximately 11:02 p.m. in the area of the 9400 block Sandy Creek Road in Fort Washington. The suspect in the abduction is
described as being a Hispanic male, 5′ 9″ inches and approximately 160 pounds. The suspect may be wearing a brown plaid shirt and baseball hat.

*REGIONWIDE ―  Wednesday’s storm caused major damage. There are reports that a funnel cloud was sighted in southern Anne Arundel County. Power was knocked out in several areas. There are also many reports of car accidents. MARC says it has canceled all trains on the Brunswick line on Thursday because of downed trees on the tracks after severe weather rolled through the area. Severe weather rolled through the mid-Atlantic
region Wednesday, downing power lines and trees and killing two people, authorities said.
A woman was killed in the Annandale area when a tree fell on top of a vehicle, Fairfax County fire department spokesman Lt. Raul Castillo said. Another man died when he drove through high water.

*POWER OUTAGES:

BGE: More than 34,000 BGE customers are in the dark.
PEPCO: Pepco spokesman Bob Dobkin says Pepco also is looking at a multi-day effort to restore power for everyone. To report Pepco outages, call 1-877-737-2662.
As of 8 a.m., Pepco reports close to 102,000 outages. Most are in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

*DUNDALK, Md.  ―  Two steel mill workers weren’t seriously injured after a crane they were working on collapsed during a storm Wednesday. A wind gust of more than 90 miles an hour is believed to be the cause of a spectacular crane collapse that left two men trapped. The collapsed skeleton of a huge industrial crane used to help transport coal and ore from freighters for making steel.  Rescue crews scrambled to the scene moments after high winds at the Sparrows Point complex toppled it to the ground near the company’s ore pier.

*HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A new phone directory has hit the streets, which lists your phone number. Even if you pay extra to be unlisted Verizon sold the data to the Ogden Publishing Company. Included were 12,000 unpublished numbers. Verizon officials say they’re looking into it and it appears to be an internal glitch. “There’s a reason they’re
unlisted,” Police Union President Wayne Hose said.  “Safety is paramount for our people.”  The Public Service Commission is also upset, saying “As far as we’re concerned, this was totally unacceptable.”  “It’s very upsetting because I’ve got some guys who need that security and now it’s violated,” Hose said. Verizon is offering to refund the fee or change numbers for free.  They say, “We apologize.  It wasn’t anyone else’s fault; it was ours.”

*BALTIMORE — One day after community leaders held a summit on how to stop school violence, students from a Baltimore city school got in trouble after students got into several fights and trashed a nearby convenience store. About 30 police units had to respond to Edmonson High School shortly after noon on Wednesday when students got out of school early due to exams.

*DELMAR, Del. – Authorities say a Millsboro man died after thousands of pounds of soybeans fell on him as he worked on a grain silo. It happened around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the silo at Allens Hatchery in Delmar.

BALTIMORE WEATHER: Today – Patchy fog early this morning. Otherwise partly sunny this morning, then mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Chance of rain 40 percent. Tonight – Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 70s downtown – and in the upper 60s in the suburbs. Chance of rain 30 percent. Friday – Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. Friday Night – Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 70s.

Baltimore Shkia: 8:30PM