Regional Briefs – December 24, 2017

More Than 260,000 Tons of E-waste Collected in NY

ALBANY – More than 260,000 tons of electronic waste has been collected in the six years since New York made $3 million available to help municipalities collect them, The Associated Press reported.

NY’s Health Plan Marketplace Enrollment Tops 4 Million

ALBANY – Enrollment in health plans through New York’s official marketplace has reached 4 million, exceeding last year’s enrollment by 700,000, The Associated Press reported. The deadline is Jan. 31, though enrollment in Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan goes on throughout the year.

Cuomo Picks 23 Sites for State, National Historic Lists

ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday selected 23 sites for inclusion on the state and national registers of historic places. These include a Hudson Valley refuge for escaped slaves, Utica’s 200-year-old commercial district, and the Catskills retreat of “Soda Fountain King” John Matthews.

Ex-Police Officer Among 10 People Pardoned by Christie

TRENTON – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday issued 10 pardons, including to a Mount Olive officer who gave confidential information to a neighbor who wanted to know if there was an arrest warrant for an employee, The Associated Press reported. Most of the others were minor criminals.

Boy Collects Patches, Raises Money for Cancer Research

SEWELL, N.J. – An 8-year-old boy who was inspired after meeting a police officer at the 9/11 memorial is raising money for pediatric cancer research, WPVI reported. Jaden Hummel is collecting law enforcement patches and raises money by getting sponsors for them.

Wood-burning Power Plant Shutting Down

LYONSDALE, N.Y. – A 22-megawatt wood-burning power plant is shutting down this weekend after it lost state subsidies in favor of “renewable energy,” The Associated Press reported. The ReEnergy plant’s closure will lead to the loss of 18 jobs in the wood-burning plant, plus 100 in the logging and trucking industries.