New York

Charges for marrying gay couples dropped

A prosecutor dropped all charges Tuesday against a small town mayor who could have faced up to a year in jail for marrying gay couples on the steps of the village hall.

New Paltz Mayor Jason West, then 26, was among the first public officials in the nation to marry same-sex couples, following San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in February 2004.

He had been charged with 24 misdemeanor counts of violating the state’s domestic relations law after marrying about two dozen gay couples in ceremonies that drew national attention to the village of about 13,000 residents 75 miles north of New York City.

Ulster County Dist. Atty. Donald Williams said Tuesday he dropped the charges because he believed a trial would be unnecessary and divisive.

West called the decision a “complete vindication.”

Wyoming

Commission approves grizzly boundaries

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission set boundaries Tuesday for where grizzly bears can roam in the state in hopes of ending special federal protections and giving Wyoming, Montana and Idaho more control over the bears.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering removing grizzlies from Endangered Species Act protection, citing steadily growing populations and adequate protections for the bear and its habitat in the Yellowstone National Park area.

Each of the three states had to develop a federally approved management plan to keep the bear population stable once the federal protection is removed.

Under the plan, the primary habitat for grizzlies would lie in Yellowstone and the surrounding national forests and wilderness areas. The bears would be allowed in most adjacent U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service areas within 50 to 100 miles of the park, where there are few people.

Outside the parks, controlled hunting, relocation and other means would be allowed to keep bear populations stable and away from populated areas. Currently, the law prohibits killing species listed as endangered.

Chicago

Governor directs $10M for stem cell research

Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday ordered that the state spend $10 million on stem cell research, making Illinois the latest state to allocate money for what has become a contentious ethics debate.

The state’s lawmakers had considered related measures several times, but they never approved them as people questioned whether state funds should be used for research in an ethically sensitive area.

Under the governor’s order, which does not require legislative approval, the money will be given in grants to medical facilities for research on adult cord blood and embryonic stem cells. It is not to be used for reproductive cloning. The Illinois Department of Public Health will oversee a program to distribute grants this year.

New York City

Sikh sues restaurant, those accused of assault

A Sikh man who was beaten, stomped and left unconscious outside a restaurant last year has filed a lawsuit against the eatery and the five men who were charged with attacking him.

Rajinder Singh Khalsa, 55, told reporters Tuesday he was unable to work for four months after the beating. He said that he has lost most of the vision in his left eye.

Five men were arrested in August 2004 and indicted on charges of assault and harassment, and assault as a hate crime.

They are scheduled to go on trial in October and each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Attorney Amardeep Singh, the legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said the lawsuit alleges that the suspects had been drinking in the restaurant and that the business is being sued under laws that bar serving booze to people who are already intoxicated.