By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

A Peabody man is facing a motor vehicle homicide charge for an early-morning crash on Friday that killed his passenger when their car slammed into a parked truck, officials said. Michael J. Fowler, 37, faces charges that include motor vehicle homicide while drunk; operating under the influence, second offense; and leaving the scene of personal injury with death resulting, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett’s office said. The victim was identified as Daniel Walker, 31, also of Peabody, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Prosecutors will be allowed to conduct criminal background checks on jurors in the trial of James “Whitey” Bulger, a federal judge ruled today. Citing the “unique circumstances of the case,” US District Judge Denise J. Casper, who is presiding over the notorious gangster’s trial, ruled this afternoon that the checks could be made. Prosecutors had contended, among other things, that given the time, effort, and resources that will be invested in the trial, the background checks should be done in order to avoid the risk that someone would be seated on the jury who should not be.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

After a whirlwind week in which he won the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C., and then flew to New York City for a round of media interviews, Sathwik Karnik came back down to earth today, returning to his middle school in Norfolk. Sathwik answered the most questions correctly at Wednesday’s bee, which was held at the National Theater in Washington. His winnings included $25,000 for college and a trip to anywhere on the globe — Sathwik chose the Galapagos.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

In an emotional ceremony today that capped off a painful two weeks, Joseph Ford Sr. was given a Purple Heart medal in honor of his late son’s service to the country, replacing one that was snatched by thieves from Ford’s New Bedford home earlier this month. Ford was originally presented the Purple Heart following the 2006 death of his 19-year-old son, Marine Lance Corporal Michael Ford, who was serving in Iraq.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, head of the Archdiocese of Boston, will ordain five new priests Saturday, the archdiocese said. The ceremony, set to begin at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, will be be broadcast live on the CatholicTV Network, the archdiocese said in a statement. O’Malley will ordain John Augustine Cassani, 32, who will be the homilist; Thomas Keith Macdonald, 28; Jacques Antoine McGuffie, 66; Gerald Alfred Souza, 27; and Christopher William Wallace, 30, the statement said.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Police have seized a large stash of narcotics, prescription pills, and guns from homes in Plymouth and Carver in simultaneous raids, and arrested three men who allegedly distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs throughout Plymouth and Bristol counties, prosecutors said. Over several months, State Police, Carver police, and the US Postal Service allegedly tracked shipments of heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, and other drugs to the two residences, where the three men were arrested Thursday afternoon, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz’s office said in a statement.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Authorities in two states are looking for Shaun Springer, who allegedly choked a person in New Hampshire and is suspected in a shooting in Lynn. The allegations against Stringer have made him the “Fugitive of the Week’’ by the US Marshals Service in New Hampshire. Springer allegedly choked a woman into unconsciousness on April 6 in New Hampshire. He is also wanted in connection with a shooting in Lynn earlier this month.

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will meet with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and visit the memorial to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings during a trip to Boston today, authorities said. Napolitano is visiting Boston Emergency Medical Services headquarters this morning and will meet with other first responders later.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Two people were shot this afternoon on Michigan Avenue in Dorchester, police said. A Boston police spokesman confirmed that a male and a female were shot at about 4:20 p.m. He said at least one of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries. He had no further information about the victims. At about 5:15 p.m., police were keeping pedestrians and reporters several hundred yards from the scene, which was located near a small public park.

By John R. Ellement and Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff

Federal prosecutors today demanded that attorneys for James “Whitey” Bulger stop engaging in “media grandstanding’’ and spreading “false facts” outside the US District Court in Boston, where Bulger is facing charges he participated in 19 murders. In a six-page request filed today, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz’s office asked Judge Denise J. Casper to impose a gag order on J.W. Carney Jr. and Henry Brennan, the two lawyers representing the 83-year-old Bulger at taxpayers’ expense. Jury selection is set to start June 4.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Suffolk County prosecutors have charged the sister of an accused murderer with threatening two witnesses in his case over the phone and on Facebook. Jelaine Flores, 18, of Boston was arraigned Wednesday in Charlestown Municipal Court on two counts of witness intimidation and one count of making harassing phone calls, prosecutors said. She is the sister of Pablo Flores, also of Charlestown, who is accused of fatally shooting Steven Jones in Charlestown on May 7.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Jane Richard, the younger sister of Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard, has been released from Boston Children’s Hospital, the Richard family said this afternoon. “While we remain devastated over Martin’s death and all that has happened to us, Jane’s determination for getting better is an inspiring source of strength for the entire family,” the family said in a statement. Jane Richard had spent 39 days in the intensive care unit. She underwent 12 surgeries. The family said the little girl, whose left leg was severed below the knee in the bomb attack, was “in good spirits.”

By Peter Schworm and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A Maine man was sentenced today to two consecutive terms of 18 to 20 years behind bars, a punishment delayed for some 34 years because he fled Massachusetts after being convicted of kidnapping and raping three young women during the summer of 1978. Gary Alan Irving was captured by Massachusetts State Police earlier this year in Maine where he was living as Gregg Irving, a quiet family man who worked at phone company and was both a doting father and grandfather.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Boston officials today announced a sweeping plan to curb summer violence among the city’s youth by expanding recreational and job programming and making police more visible. “I have directed my summer safety teams to do more this year,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement. “We will be more proactive, more visible, and more available to the public than ever before. We will not tolerate anyone trying to disrupt summer in Boston with violence.”

By Lauren Dezenski and Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondents

A 24-year-old Lowell man is facing charges for shooting at an undercover Lowell police detective at least five times Wednesday night, officials said. A not-guilty plea was entered on behalf of Ccshron Arthur Brown at his arraignment today in Middlesex District Court on charges that included armed assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm without a license, and firing a firearm within 500 feet of a building, said MaryBeth Long, a spokeswoman for the Middlesex district attorney’s office.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Lawrence police have arrested the city’s clerk on drunken driving charges after he allegedly forced another car off the road and onto the porch of a house on South Union Street and failed a breathalyzer test, police said. William J. Maloney, 56, was arraigned in Lawrence District Court today on operating under the influence and marked lane violation charges, said Carrie Kimball Monahan, a spokeswoman for the Essex County district attorney.

By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff

The Patrick administration, which has been under fire for not doing enough to battle welfare fraud or waste, said today it had made significant progress in making sure benefits only go to those eligible to receive them. The Department of Transitional Assistance has begun implementing a number of changes, including matching its recipient list with information from other agencies, such as the Registry of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue, to make sure benefits do not go to people who have moved out of state or earn too much to qualify, said Interim Commissioner Stacey Monahan.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will hold the first of six public meetings tonight to discuss the transition to electronic-only tolling on the Tobin Bridge, which is slated to begin early next year. The DOT’s plan calls for the elimination of cash toll booths on the bridge, and all tolls to be paid by E-ZPass electronic transponders, which will be available for free at the meeting at 6 p.m. in the Lynn City Hall Chamber.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

The Rev. Joseph F. Byrne has been reinstated in the ministry after the Archdiocese of Boston cleared the 69-year-old priest of sexual abuse allegations, the archdiocese said today. Byrne was placed on administrative leave in May 2012 after someone contacted the archdiocese with an allegation that he had sexually abused a child in the 1970s.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

A Medway doctor is facing charges that he allegedly wrote fraudulent narcotics prescriptions, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. Authorities allege Nicholas Pacella, 50, wrote seven oxycodone prescriptions for a woman who was not his patient between June 2007 and June 2008, prosecutors said. The woman then filed the prescriptions using her private health insurance — and the two allegedly shared the drugs.

By David Filipov, Globe Staff

Just days before he was shot and killed by an FBI agent during an interrogation in Orlando, Fla., Ibragim Todashev telephoned his father in Russia to say he was coming home — after he met with law enforcement investigators to discuss the Boston Marathon bombings. “He was supposed to be on a plane tomorrow, but he told me he had to meet with the FBI,” the father, Abdulbaki Todashev, said today in an emotional telephone interview from Grozny, Russia. “I asked him what the meeting was about, and he told me it was in connection with the terrorist attack in Boston.”

By Wesley Lowery, Globe Staff

The wife and best friend of the Chechen man shot and killed here by an FBI agent on Wednesday insisted today that authorities never questioned him, or them, prior to the fatal confrontation, about an unsolved triple slaying in Waltham, Mass, just outside of boston. Ibragim Todashev, 27, a friend of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was shot and killed after allegedly attacking an FBI agent who was interviewing him along with two Massachusetts State Police troopers.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

Another day, another shot at severe weather. Showers are possible all day, with chances for storms increasing as the day goes on, National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Foley said. This afternoon, showers and thunderstorms bringing strong winds and heavy downpours are expected to pop up across the state until roughly midnight, the weather service said in a hazardous weather outlook issued this morning.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

A woman was killed while trying to cross Cranberry Highway in Wareham Wednesday evening, Wareham police said. Officers responded to a car accident involving a pedestrian near the Liquor Locker on Route 6/Route 28 around 8:30 p.m., and found the woman’s body. She was struck by an eastbound 2002 Jeep Cherokee driven by a 22-year-old Wareham man, police said in a statement issued last night. The driver was not injured.

By James Vaznis, Globe Staff

The Boston School Committee Wednesday night offered the interim superintendent post to John McDonough, the school department’s chief financial officer.

The offer, made in a 5-0 vote, is contingent on negotiating terms of a contract and conducting a background check.

McDonough, who has worked for the school department for more than 30 years, would start his duties this summer after Superintendent Carol R. Johnson retires.

By Meghan E. Irons, Globe Staff

She had expected to see her friend when she opened her apartment door that horrifying afternoon Jan. 21, 2009. But it was former upstairs neighbor Keith Luke – the man she knew as “the fat guy who lived upstairs” – who pointed a gun at her face and forced his way inside. Unleashing incredible brutality, he handcuffed her, pulled her hair, and, as prosecutors alleged, raped her. Then he shot her five times. The sole survivor of a triple shooting that terrorized Brockton four years ago testified today.

By Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, Globe Staff

Two tornado warnings were issued late this afternoon for areas of Worcester and Franklin counties in Western and Central Massachusetts as strong storms rumbled through, but there were no immediate reports of a funnel cloud touching down. Still, strong storms with potentially damaging winds, hail, lightning, and rainfall may continue into the evening, according to a tweet by the Massachussets Emergency Management Agency.

By Maria Sacchetti, Michael Rezendes, Wesley Lowery, Maria Cramer and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A Chechen man with ties to Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was shot and killed by an FBI agent in Orlando while he was being questioned about an unsolved triple homicide in Waltham, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the investigation. The FBI identified the person shot and killed as Ibragim Todashev, 27. The Waltham victims had their throats slashed and marijuana sprinkled over their bodies when they were killed on Sept. 11, 2011.

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

Ibragim Todashev revealed his hot temper in a 2010 fight with a Brighton man who nearly came to blows with the Russian immigrant following an argument over Todashev’s reckless driving. Todashev later agreed to admit to sufficient facts in court, which allows a defendant to avoid a conviction while at the same time conceding there is enough evidence for a guilty finding.

By Todd Feathers, Bob Hohler, Maria Cramer and John R. Ellement, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

Ibragim Todashev, the man shot to death in Florida by authorities investigating the Boston Marathon bombings, fought as a lightweight in the mixed martial arts sport in Florida and was quick to fight with others he disagreed with, according to public records and some who knew him. On May 4, Todashev was arrested in Orlando after a heated dispute over a mall parking space with a father and his adult son that ended with the son lying in a pool of blood, his teeth loosened by the blows Todashev delivered, according to a police report.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

The director of a venerable church in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood is facing charges that he took over the church and intimidated its members while he and his associates looted its coffers. Police arrested Edward J. MacKenzie Jr., 54, of Weymouth today after a federal grand jury indicted him on more than a dozen charges, including racketeering, mail fraud, money laundering, extortion, and bribery, prosecutors said.

By Brian Ballou, Globe Correspondent

A fast-moving fire laid waste to a church on Liberty Street in Lynn early Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 200 people from a nearby apartment complex, according to authorities. The cause of the blaze that destroyed the El Siloe Seventh-Day Adventist Church has not been determined but investigators were scouring the charred debris for clues. The first 911 call came in at 5:14 a.m. and by 5:30 a.m., a third alarm was struck, said Lynn District Fire Chief Robert Bourgeois. No one was injured.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

A 13-year-old boy was found safe in Cambridge on Tuesday night about three hours after his father had allegedly kidnapped him after an altercation in Roxbury, prompting an Amber Alert and an intensive police search, officials said. Boston police said that Jonathan Moore Sr., 36, allegedly took his son, Jonathan Jr., by force from a home on 9 Highland St. in Roxbury at about 7:30 p.m.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Globe Correspondent

Boston bicycle advocacy officials said they will study safety concerns as enthusiasts demanded action after six riders were killed locally in the past year and a half -- including a woman last weekend. The annual biking summit on Tuesday, dubbed “State of the Hub,” comes after visiting MIT scientist Kanako Miura, 36, was struck and killed by a truck driver as she was bicycling near the intersection of Beacon Street and Charlesgate West in the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood on Sunday.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Two people were shot Tuesday night near Bowdoin Street in Dorchester, police said. Boston police spokesman David Estrada said the shootings occurred at about 7:30 p.m., and both victims were taken to Boston Medical Center.

By George Rizer and Maria Cramer, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

Boston police conducted a major sweep of gang associates in the Roxbury section of the city today, a targeted raid meant to crack down on drug dealing and violent crime associated with the group, authorities said. As of midafternoon, 75 people were facing charges, according to Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. The sweep, called “Operation H,” is continuing, he said.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

The summer construction season is poised to kick off in Boston, as Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced $13.75 million worth of renovations to roads and sidewalks today. The mayor’s office warned property owners who hope to begin their own construction projects along the 45 miles of roadway slated for repairs to consult the proposal’s fact sheet before beginning, because conflicts between private projects and the road work may result in a loss of permit.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz on Tuesday urged female business leaders to help other women succeed in their fields, citing the continued lack of women in leadership roles at the nation’s top companies. Speaking at the Seaport Boston Hotel, Ortiz, whose office is prosecuting James “Whitey” Bulger and alleged Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, described the gender gap in stark terms.

By Brian Ballou and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Police today credited the Amber Alert system for leading to the quick recovery of two children who were allegedly kidnapped from a foster home in Braintree Monday by their father, who has no custody rights. Braintree Police Chief Russell Jenkins said the father, Jon T. Lockwood, is in custody in Connecticut and will be charged with parental kidnapping once he is returned to Massachusetts.

By Meghan Irons, Globe Staff

After his arrest for a murderous rampage, alleged killer Keith Luke described to police his plot to invade the homes of non-whites, kill them, and drive to a temple hosting bingo night, where he had intended to have a “happy ending” by committing suicide. “I decided I was going to kill as many non-whites as possible, and then kill myself,’’ Luke told police, his defense attorney said today in court.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

A bear meandered across backyards and roads in Acton this weekend, but disappeared before police could find it. The bear, first reported near Partridge Pond around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, could have been the same one spotted roaming Lincoln and Weston, said Marion Larson, a spokeswoman for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Both animals appeared to be black bears, which are known to travel long distances, she said.

By Lauren Dezenski, Haven Egresitz and Martin Finucane, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

Thunderstorms rumbled across much of Massachusetts this afternoon, at one point raising fears of a tornado. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the southwestern corner of the state after a trained weather spotter across the border in New York state saw a tornado spinning east towards Massachusetts.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

A woman was taken to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital today after being bitten in the hand by a pit bull while she was trying to break up a fight between it and another dog, police said. A 52-year-old woman called animal control officers to her Ridge Street apartment in Roslindale around 8:30 a.m., police said. She requested that the dog that bit her be removed, and animal control officers took custody of the 5-year-old pit bull, police said. There was no further information on the severity of her injuries.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

The state’s highest court today upheld the first-degree murder convictions of two Boston men for a 2003 shooting on an Orange Line train that wounded a pregnant woman and claimed the life of her unborn son. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled against Chimezie Akara and Andre Green,who contended their joint trial in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston was riddled with so many legal errors the only way to repair the damage would be to grant them new, separate trials.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

A man was fatally struck by an empty commuter rail train in Brockton just after 2 p.m. today, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. The victim was trespassing on the tracks and hit by the outbound train at 2:15 p.m. near Montello Station on Spark Street, Pesaturo said.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

There are patches around Moore, Okla., where the leaves are still on the trees and the houses are undamaged, and there are swaths where the trees are torn out by the roots and the buildings completely erased, Rich Hamel said. The 45-year-old storm chaser from Southborough, Mass., spoke from his car this morning, less than an hour after passing through the scar of property damage and grief that cuts through Moore, a suburb to the south of Oklahoma City.

By Wesley Lowery, Globe Staff

About two dozen Tea Party protesters rallied outside the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in downtown Boston today demanding further investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of some Tea Party and conservative groups for scrutiny when applying for non-profit status. The protest was one of many coordinated Tea Party demonstrations at federal buildings across the country that occurred as IRS officials appeared before a congressional hearing into the budding scandal.

By Lauren Dezenski, Globe Correspondent

The queen of New England Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank has returned to her throne. Or, in Myrtle the green sea turtle’s case, to the waters of the newly refurbished 20,000-gallon Caribbean coral reef exhibit. Though the tank doesn’t officially open until July 1, aquarium divers have been slowly but surely adding 2,000 animals of the nearly 200 species that will call the giant tank home, aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse said.

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

Cash will not be accepted at Tobin Bridge tolls beginning early next year, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is hoping to transition several other major thoroughfares to electronic-only payment systems within several years, the state transportation secretary said today. Davey said the changes would necessitate a widespread shift to E-ZPasses. He announced that the passes will now be provided to AAA members for free at 17 AAA offices across the state.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

BRAINTREE — A police search for two children who were allegedly abducted here on Monday afternoon by their father came to an end several hours later when the youths were found safe in Connecticut. Massachusetts State Police said shortly before midnight that the father, identified by Braintree police as Jon T. Lockwood, 54, and his two children were found Monday night at a 7-Eleven convenience store in South Windsor, Conn.