Regional Briefs – December 21, 2017

Teen Steals Police SUV, Goes on Crime Spree

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – A 16-year-old boy stole an unmarked police SUV with two weapons inside from a trooper’s home and used it in two robberies and the theft of gas from a service station, The Associated Press reported. He was arrested Wednesday along with the guns.

Rail Tunnel Project Officials Meet Amid Uncertainty

NEW YORK – The group overseeing the Gateway rail tunnel into NYC is meeting a week after federal officials dismissed a plan to pay its $13 billion cost, The Associated Press reported. New York and New Jersey’s governors said they would pay 50 percent, but they want the feds to pay the rest upfront.

Professor Heading Back to Jail for Protesting Bear Hunt

ANDOVER, N.J. – A CUNY psychology professor is back in jail for a 15-day sentence for leaving a designated area while protesting New Jersey’s bear hunt, The Associated Press reported. The judge joked that Bill Crain’s, 73, appearances were becoming an annual event.

What’s the Smell? Residents Find Rotting Moose Parts

ARGYLE, N.Y. – Residents of the rural upstate town of Argyle have found the source of a powerful stench plaguing them this fall: hundreds of pounds of rotting moose meat dumped along a road, the Post-Star reported. It was dumped by an Argyle man who had legally shot a 665-pound bull moose.

Fire Displaces 26 Residents In Brooklyn Neighborhood

BROOKLYN – Some 26 people were forced from their Cypress Hills homes early Thursday after a pre-dawn fire broke out inside one of the houses and spread to two adjacent houses, WABC reported. Two people suffered minor injuries.

NJ Bills Ease Restriction On Expunging Records

TRENTON – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation Wednesday making it easier for residents to expunge criminal records, The Associated Press reported. Employers will be barred from inquiring whether records have been deleted.