Regional Briefs – September 22, 2016

NY OK’s New Insurer for Property, Casualty Coverage

ALBANY – New York regulators approved the application of Lemonade Insurance Co. to sell property and casualty insurance. Policies start at $5 a month for renters and $35 for homeowners. It takes a fixed fee, buys reinsurance, uses the rest to pay claims, and will donate leftover money to a nonprofit.

‘Keeping Up With the Joneses’ Mansion Sold

RHINEBECK, N.Y. – Turns out it wasn’t that hard to keep up with the Joneses. The mansion believed to have inspired the phrase sold at auction Wednesday for $120,000, The Associated Press reported. The 24-room Wyndclyffe Castle built in 1853 prompted owners of nearby Hudson Valley estates to build even bigger mansions.

Team Destroys Old Military Explosive Found Near Newark

FORT DIX, N.J. – Sappers on Thursday detonated an old military explosive which was found near Newark, The Associated Press reported. The Navy explosive are typically buried for disposal or kept as souvenirs by veterans.

Placid Scene May Replace Village’s Controversial Logo

WHITESBORO, N.Y. – A 20-year-old college student’s design is being considered to replace an upstate village’s official logo, which appears to show a white man throttling an Indian, The Associated Press reported. Whitesboro native Elizabeth Brigham designed a logo of a placid illustration of birds winging over a hilly river valley.

Muslim Group Sues Yonkers For Landmark Designation

YONKERS, N.Y. – A Muslim group sued the city of Yonkers Wednesday for a landmark designation of a house it had purchased to turn into a mosque, The Associated Press reported. The designation makes it difficult to make any changes.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the September 23rd, 2016 edition of Hamodia.