Regional Briefs – January 10, 2016

Firefighter Loses $78,096 Job for $7.98 Robbery

EGG HARBOR, N.J. – A firefighter on Friday forfeited his $78,096-a-year job for shoplifting $7.98 worth of items, The Associated Press reported. Ashton Funk, 34, wasn’t on-duty when he left a store without paying for sunflower seeds, a sandwich, Gatorade and coffee.

NJ Kids, Rejoice! Bill Requires Recess for K-5th Grade

TRENTON – Both the Assembly and Senate passed a law guaranteeing 20 minutes a day of recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, outside if possible, The Associated Press reported. It now goes to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk.

Bill Allows Pre-Treatment License ID Photos

TRENTON – Drivers getting medical care that changes their appearance would be able to continue using pre-treatment licenses under a bill approved Thursday, The Associated Press said. It now heads to Gov. Chris Christie. The DMV last year barred a cancer patient who lost her hair from using a photo of her with hair.

Cuomo Proposes Expanding Education in Prisons

NEW YORK – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday proposed helping inmates get an associate’s and bachelor’s degree, or an industry certificate. The $7.5 million would come from criminal forfeitures by the Manhattan DA’s office. The plan adds 1,000 inmates to the 1,000 already getting an education.

Fort Gets $10K Grant to Study Army/Chocolate Relation

TICONDEROGA, N.Y. – Fort Ticonderoga received a $10,000 grant to research how chocolate was used by the armies that occupied the site during the Revolutionary War, The Associated Press reported. Mars Chocolate wants to highlight how it was an 18th-century commodity and key to a soldier’s diet.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the January 11th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.