Boston

City Council approves boosts in parking fines

For the first time in a decade, the city is increasing parking violation fines. The City Council on Wednesday approved the increases by an 11-1 vote. Mayor Martin J. Walsh is expected to sign off on the new fines, a mayoral spokeswoman said. The fine for a resident permit parking violation would increase from $40 to $60. The fine for parking in a no-parking zone downtown would increase from $55 to $90; the one for parking in a no-parking zone elsewhere in the city would go from $25 to $55. Fines for double-parking, parking in a no-stopping zone, and parking in a loading zone are also set to be increased. Under the proposal, unpaid meter fines would jump from $25 to $40, and tickets for those who don’t move their cars for overnight street cleaning would be bumped from $40 to $90.

Woods Hole

Ferry passengers briefly trapped in elevator

Seven Steamship Authority passengers were briefly trapped in a ship’s elevator when it malfunctioned Wednesday afternoon, officials said. The passengers were aboard the Martha’s Vineyard vessel, docked in Woods Hole, when they entered the elevator around 2:15 p.m., according to a statement from Steamship Authority general manager Robert Davis. “Just before reaching the upper deck, the elevator stopped operating properly, preventing the door from opening,’’ the statement said. One of the passengers called 911 and a friend also on the vessel. The friend notified the ship’s crew, and the chief engineer got the passengers out safely before the local fire department arrived, the statement said. The elevator has been taken out of service while an elevator technician determines the cause of the issue. This incident comes after the agency’s vessels faced a series of mechanical problems earlier this year, including losing power and needing to replace an electrical panel.

Concord, N.H.

Report recommends more diversity, inclusion

Republican Governor Chris Sununu’s council on diversity is recommending that New Hampshire amend an antidiscrimination law to include gender identity and consider reviewing the holidays it observes. The council states that New Hampshire is one of five states that don’t recognize Juneteenth, a holiday popular in black communities that marks the end of slavery in the United States. The recommendations are part of a preliminary report released Thursday from the council to assess how to create more diverse and inclusive communities across the state. (AP)