Open up this road? Independent legal counsel hired by the Board of Aldermen reported Monday that the Board has the authority to renegotiate the 1990 contract that closed portions of High and Wall streets to general vehicular traffic. That contract required a one-time $1.1 million payment and $50 million in economic development projects from the University over a ten-year period, in addition to annual monetary contributions.

A ca-champion. Along with his groupmates in the a cappella group Pentatonix, Kevin Olusola ’11 was crowned champion of the third season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” an a cappella competition hosted by Nick Lachey. For their victory, Olusola and the Pentatonix will receive $100,000 and a recording contract with Epic Records.

Globally inclined. In its second year, the global affairs major received nearly three times as many applications for admission as spots in the major, Jackson Institute Director Jim Levinsohn said. Last year, the major admitted 50 students from a pool of over 100 applicants.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal LAW ’73 sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Monday asking him to open up a federal probe into the safety of rental vehicles in response to the U-Haul crash at the Harvard-Yale tailgate that left one woman dead and two others injured.

So close, yet so far. Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, a star of the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore,” brought the party to Ansonia, a town just northwest of New Haven, drawing a crowd of over 100 to a restaurant where she was dining last Friday and a crowd of 900 to a club later that night.

Politicos, get pumped. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill announced Monday that Connecticut will host its primary election for the 2012 election cycle on April 24, 2012, the same day as primaries in New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Hipsters, rejoice! The state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority announced Monday that customers of both Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating will see their rates drop starting Jan. 1, 2012. Monthly savings for UI customers will amount to as much as $13.50 — enough for a Book Trader Tempesto and a drip coffee, with change left over.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY

1727 Congregationalist minister, theologian, Semitics professor, president of Yale College and famed residential college namesake Ezra Stiles 1746 is born in North Haven. Today would be his 284th birthday.