North Shore
A string of storms ripped through the North Shore last night, with heavy winds downing trees and power lines and lightning striking houses. Four people 's canoes capsized in the Merrimack River in Newburyport about 7 p.m. , according to the US Coast Guard. None of the boaters was wearing a life jacket, and they all survived but had signs of hypothermia. The water temperature was about 64 degrees, with winds gusting to 20 miles per hour and seas around 1 foot, according to the Coast Guard. Two homes, in West Newbury and Haverhill, caught fire after being struck by lightning, according to WCVB-TV . The storms also caused about 5,500 house s on the North Shore to lose power last night, according to National Grid spokeswoman Vanessa Charles.
REVERE
Police probe apparent suicide near T stop
State Police are investigating the apparent suicide of an unidentified man who shot himself in the head on train tracks near the MBTA Blue Line station after being chased by police last night, according to Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley . The event followed a routine traffic stop by State Police on Route 16 shortly after 7 p.m., Wark said. The dead man had been one of four people in a car whose owner was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Armed with a handgun, the man fled the scene and was chased on foot by State Police and Revere police officers before he shot himself , Wark said.
BOSTON Pedestrian critically hurt in hit and run
A black SUV struck a man in his 40s at Judson and Julian streets in Roxbury at about 7 p.m. yesterday, then took off, according to police spokesman James Kenneally. The man was transported by ambulance to Boston Medical Center, where he was in critical but stable condition last night. Police were investigating, Kenneally said, but had made no arrests as of late last night.
Menino breaks ground for police station
Mayor Thomas M. Menino broke ground yesterday for a new police station in the Charlestown section of Boston. The facility, expected to open in Hayes Square next year, has been designed to be environmentally friendly. Features will include a reflective roof and reduced water use. Construction will cost $10 million. Menino was joined in the groundbreaking ceremony by Boston police officials, local political figures, and community members, a mayor's spokeswoman said.
MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA
Whale carcass discovered offshore
A 30-foot whale carcass was discovered just offshore yesterday, according to Manchester-by-the-Sea police. The whale was there several days, with some residents mistaking it for a large rock, until a local landscaper gave it a closer look and notified authorities, police said. Specialists from a Gloucester aquarium were called in, but as of last night, authorities were unsure what they would do with the carcass.
CONCORD, N.H.
State's energy use ranks among lowest
New Hampshire uses less energy as a state and less energy per resident than most other states, according to a US report. The state ranks 42d in the nation in energy use per resident, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Its report, based on 2003 figures, said transportation is the leading energy-consumer in New Hampshire. The agency looked at how much each state is contributing to global warming through emissions. (AP)
HARTFORD
Medicinal marijuana bill passes Senate
A measure legalizing medicinal marijuana won final legislative approval in the state Senate Friday night, capping a five-year struggle that pitted broader patients' rights against concerns over easier access to an illicit drug. The bill, which was approved 23-13, now heads to Governor M. Jodi Rell, who has said she has mixed feelings about the measure. A spokesman said Friday she has not yet made a decision. The state House of Representatives approved the measure on May 23. (AP)
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE
Michigan woman slips off rocks, drowns
A Michigan woman drowned Friday after slipping off rocks and into the water at Schoodic Point peninsula. Park officials say Faith Wise, 56, of Trufant, Mich., had a cellphone in one hand and a small dog in the other when she slipped off the rocks at about 2:20 p.m., according to Ranger Ed Pontbriand. After Wise fell into the water, the tide pulled her from shore. The victim's daughter went in after her mother but was unable to save her. (AP)
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