Syracuse park to undergo renovation

Forman Park on East Genesee St. in downtown Syracuse will undergo a $2 million renovation beginning this fall, according to the Post-Standard.  Most of the funding will come from state grants through Syracuse University and city funds.  The redesign of the park is part of the Connective Corridor project, which Syracuse University already has $10 million in grants for.

A major feature of the new park will be a pathway of bricks honoring members of of city police officers that have died in the line of duty.  Peter Ruszczak is a former police officer that is heading the brick drive.  He said that each brick is $75 and half of that cost will go towards actually installing the brick and the other half will set up a police welfare fund.

The renovation will begin this fall and continue into next year.

More than 200,000 jobless are counting on extension

Jobless Americans were expected to stop receiving unemployment benefits last week because lawmakers took a two-week recess without extending the April 5 deadline to file for federally-paid benefits.  According to CNN, senators will return to work today and are expected to make the first vote that can push the deadline back to early May.

Monday's vote is simply a procedural step and a final vote will probably not come until later in the week.  Right now the unemployment rate is stuck at 9.7 percent and the average time of unemployment is about 31 weeks.

There have already been two short-term extensions made of the filing deadline since December, but with 11.2 million people now receiving unemployment benefits, consumer advocates are urging another extension.

Avril  Lavigne and Brody Jenner aren't slowing down

Paparazzi caught singer Avril  Lavigne and The Hills star, Brody Jenner, kissing last week, and it seems like that was just the spark of this new romance.  According to People, the couple went to Las Vegas on Friday and a source described  them as being "all over each other."

They had dinner together on Friday night and went to a nightclub afterwards and on Saturday they were seen together at the grand opening party for Mario Barth's King Ink. 

Although Lavigne and Jenner avoided the red carpet, and therefore any questions from reporters, they were seen dancing together on Saturday night. 

Later that night, Lavigne got a tattoo of a lightning bolt on her wrist and soon after Jenner got the same lighnting bolt tattooed behind his ear.