Regional Briefs – April 18, 2016

Some NJ Offenders Can Have Records Expunged Quicker

TRENTON – A new law went into effect in New Jersey Monday cutting from 10 years to five the amount of time people have to wait to have some criminal records cleared, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Advocates say the law will give low-level offenders a second chance to put their past behind them.

SUNY Buffalo Issues 5,000 Fraudulent Emails

BUFFALO – More than 5,000 prospective students were mistakenly notified by email last Wednesday that they had been accepted into SUNY Buffalo, The Associated Press reported. A second email sent hours later apologized.

Traveling Exhibit of New York Shipwrecks Coming to Albany

ALBANY – A traveling exhibit of New York shipwrecks is heading to Albany from May 4 to May 27, The Associated Press reported. The shipwrecks span nearly 300 years, including a miniature replica of the Land Tortoise, North America’s oldest warship which was sunk by the British on Lake George in 1758.

Jersey City Limits Parking for Neighboring Bike Share Users

HOBOKEN, N.J. – Jersey City barred neighboring Hoboken’s bike-share users from using its bike racks longer than two hours, NJ.com reported. The city council passed a measure Wednesday night, with one lawmaker accusing Hoboken of “monopolizing” the racks by dropping off large numbers of bicycles.

New York Deer Take Declines in 2015-16 Season

ALBANY – Hunters in New York killed 15 percent fewer deer during the 2015 season than the year before, the state Department of Environmental Conservation reported. The 203,000 deer killed, including about 99,000 antlered bucks, are older than normal hunt seasons.

NY Launches New Bid to Increase Teen Driver Safety

ALBANY – New York state is launching a new effort to reduce teen driver fatalities through public awareness and stepped up law enforcement near high schools, The Associated Press reported. The “No Empty Chair” initiative refers to the seats at high school graduations left empty.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the April 19th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.