In brief: Concrete removed in search for boy

NEW YORK – Authorities began sifting through dirt in a New York City basement Saturday as part of an ongoing search for the remains of Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who vanished in 1979.

The basement’s concrete floor was removed Saturday and the area was broken into quadrants, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.

Authorities dug into portions of the dirt floor, Browne said.

Etan disappeared May 25, 1979, after leaving home to walk to a school bus stop.

The search for the boy was renewed Thursday after an FBI dog indicated the scent of human remains in the room, on a stretch of Prince Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The building is on the block where Etan lived and where his parents still live.

Crash hurts several near Times Square

NEW YORK – Police say a car involved in a crash about a block from New York’s Times Square flipped over onto a sidewalk, injuring several pedestrians.

Nearly a dozen people were hurt in the chaotic crash at West 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue.

Police say approximately eight people were hospitalized.

GLAAD awards honor Chaz Bono

LOS ANGELES – Chaz Bono picked up a pair of trophies at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 43-year-old transgender activist was honored with the outstanding documentary prize and Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 23rd annual Media Awards for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Other honorees were “Modern Family” for comedy series, “Beginners” for wide-release film and “Drop Dead Diva” and “Hot in Cleveland” in a tie for individual TV episode.

“The Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson won the Vanguard Award, which honors efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community.

The awards salute fair, accurate and inclusive representation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.