Mosquito-borne virus found in 3 counties

BOSTON
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced yesterday the detection of the Eastern equine encephalitis virus and the West Nile virus in three counties. Eastern equine encephalitis was found in Bristol, and West Nile was found in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. The Boston Public Health Commission said the West Nile virus was detected in Jamaica Plain, the second detection in Boston this year. There have been no human cases of either virus identified this year, the Department of Public Health said. Least year, there were five human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis, with two fatalities, and three human cases of West Nile, with no fatalities. Positive mosquito samples are also down from last year for Eastern equine encephalitis, with five positive mosquito samples identified, compared to 50 positive samples from last year, the Department of Public Health said.

Councilor at Large Stephen J. Murphy has been offered a position with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and may take the job as soon as next week, according to two officials with knowledge of the discussions. If he leaves the City Council before his current term ends Dec. 31, the fifth-place finisher from the last council election, John Connolly, automatically gets Murphy's spot as an member at large of the council. Murphy would not say yesterday whether he planned to take the job.

A car fire that damaged the back of a Dunkin' Donuts shop in Mattapan last night has been ruled arson, the Boston Fire Department said. Two cars parked at the rear of the donut shop at 1514 Blue Hill Ave. were set ablaze, and the fire spread to the rear of the building. The Fire Department responded to an alarm at 9:13 p.m. and were on the scene for approximately two hours. No damage was done to the interior or the front of the building, and no injuries were reported. A Fire Department spokesman said that he believed the donut shop would remain open.

BROCKTON

A disbarred lawyer was sentenced to serve four to six years in prison after being convicted yesterday of stealing $1.2 million from clients and spending some of it at adult entertainment clubs and to buy a Jaguar. Prosecutors said Gerard F. Battista Jr., 59, of Norwell, used funds from his clients' accounts for personal expenses, including purchase of a Jaguar that cost more than $50,000. He allegedly spent $14,000 at strip clubs. A Plymouth Superior Court jury convicted Battista of five counts of larceny over $250 and larceny over $250 from a person over 60. (AP)

BURLINGTON

Responding to the unexpected death of Superintendent Katie Spinos, the Burlington School Committee appointed Craig Robinson as emergency interim superintendent Thursday night. Robinson, the district's director of finance and operations, will have the authority to sign new-teacher contracts and other legal documents that need to be finalized before school starts later this month, School Committee chairman Stephen A. Nelson said. The committee will meet again Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. to discuss appointing an interim superintendent. Spinos's funeral is planned for this morning in Somerville.

PROVIDENCE

A plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River, Mass., suffered a setback yesterday when environmental regulators rejected a proposal to dredge Mount Hope Bay. The decision by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management marks the second time a state government has hampered a plan by Weaver's Cove Energy and Hess LNG to build a terminal on the Taunton River. The companies want permission to dredge a 40-foot-deep navigational channel along Mount Hope Bay, so its tanker ships can reach the terminal site. (AP)

MT. TABOR, Vt.

The White Rocks National Recreation Area was renamed the Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area yesterday, in honor of the late US senator, in an invitation-only ceremony attended by some of his family members. The 22,758-acre expanse lies in the towns of Dorset, Peru, Mt. Tabor, Wallingford, Mt. Holly, and Weston. (AP)