Regional Briefs – July 6, 2016

Boy Falls From Fifth Story Window — and Survives

BRONX – A 5-year-old boy who fell from a fifth-floor bedroom window Tuesday evening was hurt but is expected to survive, The Associated Press reported.

NJ City Criticized for Altering Monopoly Game Art

JERSEY CITY – Jersey City has come under fire for squelching free speech for painting over a 33-foot Monopoly board mural that originally depicted a black man behind bars, the Jersey Journal reported. Some residents questioned whether the image was racist.

Court OKs NJ’s 21-day Voter Registration Deadline

TRENTON – A state appeals court on Friday rejected a challenge to New Jersey’s requirement that voters register 21 days before an election, The Associated Press reported. The Rutgers University Student Association had argued it represents an undue burden on citizens. The state said it prevents voter fraud.

Six NJ Firefighters Exposed to Chemicals, Hospitalized

CARTERET, N.J. – Six firefighters exposed to a “chemical haze” pouring out of a warehouse early Tuesday were hospitalized, NJ.com reported. The building’s owner, Cyprus Amax Minerals Company, doesn’t process chemicals, but houses raw materials to be shipped overseas.

NY Report Shows Public Authorities’ Debt, Expenses Rising

ALBANY – Some 577 state and local authorities statewide had outstanding debt of more than $263 billion in 2015, up 8 percent since 2011, according to an Authorities Budget Office report. All authorities showed $31.5 billion in operating expenses, led by the MTA’s $15.3 billion.

Hundreds of Accordion Players, Fans Convening in Buffalo

BUFFALO – Remember accordions? Before the one-man band, they were the instruments that made music at chasunas and melaveh malkas. On Wednesday, hundreds of accordion players are squeezing into a Buffalo hotel for the annual American Accordionists’ Association convention.