Two teens to pay $10,000 in vandalism

Two Alton teenagers have been convicted of tampering with a sprinkler head at Prospect Mountain High School and have been ordered to pay more than $10,000 in restitution. A judge found Jolene Marshall and Brent Stranger, both 17, were guilty of criminal mischief. Police say that, on Oct. 27, the pair ignited a wad of paper, producing a flame that set off the sprinkler, causing damage to the ceiling tiles and the sprinkler head and disrupting classes at the school. Both pleaded guilty to the criminal mischief charges. Marshall was fined $500, suspended, on the condition of good behavior for one year, coupled with payment of about $5,000 in restitution to the school district. Stranger was sentenced to 90 days in jail, suspended conditional on completion of Job Corps within two years, good behavior for one year, and payment of $5,000 in restitution to the school district. (AP)

A former Soviet submarine that was featured in the film "K-19: The Widowmaker" and later sank in the Providence River during a storm last year will be converted to scrap metal if no one agrees to buy it, the president of the foundation that owns it said yesterday. The 282-foot submarine, also known as Juliett 484, began serving as a floating educational museum in 2002, until it went down during a powerful northeaster in April 2007. Army and Navy dive crews raised the sub in a training exercise last July. Restoring it to an operational museum would have cost more than $1 million, said Frank Lennon, director of the Russian Sub Museum. (AP)

Rhode Island's new highway E-Z Pass system is encountering some bumps in the road. The system went into effect this month on the Claiborne Pell Bridge in Jamestown. David Darlington, chairman of the state Turnpike and Bridge Authority, told The Newport Daily News that in the first week four motorists drove through the gates that are supposed to raise once scanners recognize the transponders and allow drivers to proceed without stopping. He said workers are adjusting the antennas that read the transponders. (AP)

The city could lay off police and firefighters to deal with an anticipated cut in state funding. Mayor Susan Menard said she is asking police and fire unions to make concessions over wages and benefits. Her request was made as Governor Donald Carcieri warned that he may propose reducing aid to cities and towns to deal with a massive state budget deficit. The cuts in state aid will be outlined in a budget that Carcieri hopes to submit before lawmakers return early next month. In a letter released to The Woonsocket Call, Menard said that if the unions do not make concessions, she will resort to layoffs. Union leaders said the mayor has threatened to eliminate the jobs of 45 firefighters and 30 police officers. (AP)

The Vermont State Police barracks is among the targets that have been hit in nine shootings in the Derby area in the last month. No one has been injured as shots have struck three churches, three private homes, an unoccupied vehicle, a country club, and the barracks. State Police Detective Lieutenant J.P. Sinclair said that on Dec. 20, one bullet went through a barracks window and hit a display case. (AP)

Lobstermen and businesses hurt by the recent ice storm will be getting loan assistance from the Finance Authority of Maine. The authority board has approved low-interest loans for Maine businesses affected by the storm. It also extended from Dec. 31 to April 30 the low-interest loan period for lobstermen who face expenses of replacing fishing line due to new regulations. The board also authorized an agreement between the Finance Authority and the Maine Health Access Foundation to implement a loan fund for some primary care practices to adopt electronic medical records systems. (AP)