Regional Briefs – December 27, 2015

NY Cracking Down on Donated Clothing Bins

ALBANY – New York state is starting to regulate the large metal bins used to collect donated clothing, The Associated Press reported. Anyone who places bins must include information about the organizations that operate them and starting from mid-2016 the bins are banned from public property. They must be emptied regularly.

Teen Fisherman Rescued After He Gets Stuck In Mud

BRICK, N.J. – A teenage fisherman who got stuck up to his knees in thick mud Saturday was rescued 15 minutes later after he used his cellphone to call 911, The Associated Press reported. He was wading out in low tide to see if he could do some fishing when he got stuck.

NY to Increase Mental Health Training for Prison Staff

ALBANY – All staff with direct contact with inmates are required to get eight hours of annual training in recognizing symptoms of poor mental health under a new state law, The Associated Press reported. There were 20 suicides in prisons in 2010, double from the year before.

Media Station, Town Get Federal Battlefield Grants

ELMIRA, N.Y. – A public media station and a town were among the 2015 recipients of federal grants for preserving battlefields, The Associated Press reported. Public Broadcasting Council will produce a documentary on endangered Revolutionary War battlefields while Greenwich will survey sites near the Battle of Saratoga.

Police Investigating KKK Fliers Left on Cars at LI Hospital

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – Hate crimes detectives are investigating Ku Klux Klan fliers stuck early Friday on cars parked at Brookhaven hospital, The Associated Press reported. The fliers were also left on cars at a nearby apartment complex.