Committee approves state ban on trans fat

A key legislative committee yesterday approved a statewide ban on the use of trans fat at restaurants. The prohibition received the approval of the Joint Committee on Public Health, and the proposal will now advance for further review in the Legislature. The ban was championed by the committee's chairman, state Representative Peter J. Koutoujian, a Waltham Democrat. "The tide is definitely turning toward the use of healthier cooking oils," Koutoujian said in a statement. Trans fat, a staple of baked goods and fried food, has been linked to heart problems and is known to increase the bad form of cholesterol and lower the good type.

The New England Aquarium announced a $3 million gift from the New Balance Foundation last night. The money will go toward building the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center and developing innovative programs to promote childhood fitness using seals and sea lions. Construction will begin in the fall of 2008, and the opening will coincide with the aquarium's 40th anniversary this spring, officials said.

State lawmakers announced yesterday that they will attempt to block a toll hike approved Monday by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Board and slated to take effect in January. Dozens of legislators endorsed a bill that denounces the 25-cent increase for turnpike users and 50-cent increase for motorists in the Sumner and Ted Williams tunnels as additions to disproportionately high tolls in the area. "The cost of a trip from the North Shore into Boston is getting out of control for the everyday commuter, and this latest increase is not a drop in the bucket towards the total costs needed to improve our transportation infrastructure," Senate majority leader Frederick Berry said. If passed, the legislation would stall the increases until an impact report is released in April and a legislative panel makes recommendations. The increases approved this week would raise turnpike extension tolls to $1.25 and tunnel tolls to $3.50.

A Boston man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing a New Hampshire Wendy's, US Attorney Thomas Colantuono's office said. Joel Ramsey, 22, pleaded guilty in July to robbing the fast-food restaurant at gunpoint with two other men on April 11. Stanley Young and Maurice Works were captured within 100 yards of the restaurant, while Ramsey was captured a few hours later hiding under a parked car, the US attorney's office said. Ramsey was given more time than prosecutors requested because the court classified him as a habitual criminal, the US attorney's office said.

Police are investigating after a piece of metal was found in a candy bar collected Halloween night by a fourth-grader during trick-or-treating. The small piece of metal was found inside a 100 Grand bar received by a girl who attends Memorial School, said Police Chief Jim Hurley. A hole in the wrapper indicated that the item was placed in the candy after it was wrapped, Hurley said. Selectmen and police are offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

The remnants of Hurricane Noel, which battered islands in the Caribbean this week, could cause some headaches for New Englanders this weekend. Bill Simpson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, said early indications suggest the storm could hit Southern New England in the predawn hours tomorrow, bringing wind-driven rain, torrential downpours, and potential coastal flooding. The biggest impact will be on the coast, especially the Cape and Islands, which might see winds approaching hurricane force, Simpson said, emphasizing that the forecast is preliminary.

Two stabbings and a shooting occurred as Halloween festivities were underway in Salem last night, but police said the attacks were not connected to the celebration the town hosts downtown. Two people were stabbed after an altercation broke out near a loud house party about a half-mile from the downtown area, a police spokesman said. Meanwhile, about a mile from the downtown area, a teen was shot in the stomach.