CVS, Dunkin' might sell scratch tickets

The Massachusetts State Lottery is considering expanding the sale of scratch tickets to chain stores such as CVS and Dunkin' Donuts, Mark J. Cavanagh, director of the State Lottery, said yesterday. "We've been in discussions off and on," he said in a phone interview. "We're always looking at opportunities that would be beneficial to lotteries, but nothing is imminent." The state sells lottery tickets at about 7,500 retail locations around Massachusetts, mainly convenience stores and gas stations.

A 21-year-old man was killed yesterday when the Pontiac Bonneville he was driving veered out of control and slammed into several parked vehicles at a used-car lot on Cambridge Street in Worcester. The driver, a Worcester man whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at St. Vincent Hospital. Sergeant Donald LaRange said speed may have been a factor in the crash, which occurred shortly after 2 a.m. No one else was in the car, according to police. (AP)

A search committee will continue to gather names of possible candidates for the job of chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst until Feb. 4, the next time the panel meets. UMass spokesman Robert Connolly said the committee has already collected a "substantial list" of candidates. Some applied for the post, while others were nominated or identified by a consultant hired by the committee. The panel is expected to eventually present university president Jack Wilson with three finalists to replace John Lombardi, who stepped down in September to become president of the Louisiana State University System. Thomas Cole, who has been serving as interim chancellor, is not a candidate for the permanent post. (AP)

Baby Jesus was discovered missing from the nativity scene of St. Peter's Church in Concord on Christmas morning. Parishioners reported the theft of the approximately foot-long figure at 8 a.m. and estimate its worth at $100. Authorities discovered remnants of the statue's feet when they searched the site and believe the figure is damaged. According to Concord police, it is the first time this has happened at the church in several years.

Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan is giving his department heads until Friday to respond to a state Department of Revenue report critical of the city's management. Sullivan says he wants a "point-by-point" response leading to strategies that will address concerns raised in the report, many of them focusing on the treasurer's office. Sullivan in May asked the Revenue Department to review the city's financial record-keeping and management practices. That followed a report by the state inspector general that was critical of the city's treasurer. The Revenue Department report recommends that the treasurer create a monthly cash flow budget; comply with electronic filing requirements; and cease writing manual checks. The treasurer said most of the concerns have been addressed. (AP)

A Christmas morning fire destroyed T.R. Brennan's Restaurant in Manchester. The eatery caught fire about 1 a.m. No one was injured and the dining room was closed at the time. Officials say the building is likely a total loss and damage is estimated to be about a half-million dollars. (AP)

A 93-year-old Natick woman who was reported missing on the afternoon of Christmas Eve was found in Seekonk yesterday. Katherine Michael's family reported her disappearance after she did not show up for a Christmas Eve Mass at St. Zephrin's Catholic Church in Wayland. Natick police notified hospitals and surrounding police departments about the missing woman, and she was pulled over for erratic driving around 4 p.m. yesterday, said Natick police. She was physically fine, and only could recollect that she had been going to get gas, police said.