Crowd forces end to tobacco hearing
WESTMINSTER, Mass. – A public meeting on a central Massachusetts town’s proposed first-in-the-nation ban on tobacco and nicotine sales ended early because officials say the crowd was getting too unruly to continue.
The three-member Westminster Board of Health, which proposed the ban, was escorted out by police Wednesday night. The board had asked the crowd to calm down to hear dozens signed up to speak.
Hundreds of people, many opposed to the ban, packed a school auditorium for the hearing.
The board says the ban would make it easier to keep tobacco and related products away from young people.
Many businesses oppose it, saying it won’t stop tobacco use, but only drive away customers.
Israel approves homes in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM – Israeli authorities gave preliminary approval Wednesday to build 200 homes in a Jewish area of east Jerusalem, a move that threatened to push Israelis and Palestinians deeper into conflict after weeks of unrest over the city’s holiest sites.
A State Department spokeswoman said Washington was “deeply concerned” by the decision.
Brachie Sprung, a spokeswoman in the mayor’s office, said city officials approved 200 homes in the Ramot area. Sprung said it was just a preliminary stage of the planning process – meaning construction would be years away.
She also said city officials approved an additional 174 homes for construction in an Arab neighborhood.
Associated Press
