Car crashes into statue; two injured

BOSTON

Two people were injured when a car crashed into a statue in front of a church in Roxbury. The 12-foot stone statue of Christ the King toppled onto the front lawn of St. Patrick's Church, at the corner of Magazine and Dudley streets. Police said they had been pursuing the car for speeding and running a red light but had broken off the chase before the crash. The injuries to the car's occupants were not life-threatening. The statue was a memorial to members of St. Patrick's parish who died in World War II, the pastor of the church said. The impact of the Lexus caused the statue to break into pieces, and it probably can't be repaired, he said.

City, county, and state offices -- with the exception of the Registry of Motor Vehicles -- will be closed in Suffolk County tomorrow in observance of Bunker Hill Day. Schools and libraries in the county will also be closed, and metered parking in Boston will be free. Street cleaning will begin at 10 a.m. instead of 8 , but trash and recycling collection will be on its regular schedule. Retail stores, banks, and liquor stores will be open today, as will state and local government offices outside Suffolk County.

Ninety-two percent of Massachusetts residents are aware of a new law requiring all state residents to have health insurance, according to a new poll. But the poll also suggested that 73 percent were doubtful that all will purchase the required coverage. The poll of 400 residents statewide was conducted by the Suffolk University Political Research Center from June 4 to June 7. The margin of error was 4.90 percentage points.

REVERE

A man was arrested early yesterday morning after he allegedly stabbed someone on Constitution Avenue , police said. Shawn McNiel, 22, of Revere was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, according to Sergeant Joseph Meoli. McNiel is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday. The male victim, whom police would not identify, was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was in critical condition. Meoli said police did not have a motive for the stabbing, which occurred at about 2 a.m.

Springfield

The University of Massachusetts is losing at least $11 million in expected donations because of a leadership shakeup at the flagship campus in Amherst, according to key fund-raisers. News that Chancellor John Lombardi will step down next year has prompted concerns by some about UMass-Amherst's moneymaking abilities. "There were donors who were weeks within committing an additional $11 million to the campus," said John Armstrong, vice president of the UMass Amherst Foundation, the school's independent fund-raising arm. "They're so furious about the actions from the president's office that they're holding back now." Armstrong has called for the resignations of UMass president Jack Wilson and trustee chairman Stephen Tocco. (AP)

CONCORD, N.H.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with breaking into the New Hampshire Democratic Party's headquarters in February and stealing electronic equipment and cash. Police say David Peters of Concord took five laptop computers, two digital cameras, and a video recorder from the party's headquarters on Feb. 23, and then tried to sell some of the items. Peters is being held at the Merrimack County jail on $500 cash bail. (AP)

PEMBROKE, N.H.

Fallen Manchester police Officer Michael Briggs was remembered at his alma mater, Pembroke Academy, on Friday night. Briggs's former police partner, Nathan Linstad, told graduates Briggs was a hero because he "didn't take the easy way out." Briggs was killed in October while responding to a domestic disturbance. He was a 1990 graduate of Pembroke Academy. (AP)

MANCHESTER, N.H.

A Hooksett man was beaten to death just blocks from where his sister's high school graduation was happening, and officials said they don't think it was random. Ryan Carlson, 20, was part of a fight between two groups of young men Thursday night near Manchester Central High School's graduation at Verizon Wireless Arena. State prosecutors said they were waiting for the autopsy results before moving forward. "Based on what we know so far, it doesn't appear this was a random act," state homicide prosecutor Jeff Strelzin said. (AP)