Lincoln man killed in one-car crash

A Lincoln man was killed after driving into a utility pole in Concord about noon yesterday, State Police said. Richard A. Nenneman, 78, was driving a 2003 BMW 525 on Route 126 when he drifted off the road and struck a pole near the intersection with Route 2. Nenneman was pronounced dead at Emerson Hospital in Concord, police said. Police are unsure whether Nenneman was wearing his seat belt. The crash remains under investigation.

A father arrested in Belize for allegedly abducting his 6-year-old son and fleeing the country was flown into Logan International Airport last night based on an arrest warrant from Falmouth District Court, State Police said. Richard T. Warren, 44, was taken following his arrest to Houston, where he was charged Dec. 17 with being a fugitive from Massachusetts. Warren allegedly kidnapped his son from the boy's Falmouth home and took him to Washington D.C., then to Cancun, Mexico, and finally to Belize. The boy was reunited with his mother Dec. 16. It is unclear when Warren will be arraigned, police said.

The section of Gloucester affected by the Dec. 14 fire that killed one man and destroyed several buildings has been declared a disaster area by the Small Business Administration, Governor Deval Patrick's office announced yesterday. Owners, tenants, and businesses affected by the fire will receive federal aid to help recover. Residents or businesses can apply for long-term, low-interest loans to help replace uninsured property, officials said. SBA officials will be available for meetings with applicants at Cape Ann Savings Bank on Main Street Jan. 2-10.

A onetime aide to former mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci who was convicted of accepting bribes served the city honorably for most of his career and should not be denied his $70,500 annual pension, his lawyer, John Harwood, told the Providence Retirement Board yesterday. Frank Corrente's pension was suspended after he was convicted in 2002 of corruption charges. An FBI witness caught Corrente on tape accepting $2,000 in bribes. Larry Ritchie, a professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law and a hearing officer for the retirement board, will review the testimony and make a recommendation. (AP)

A homeless man pleaded not guilty yesterday in Northampton District Court in a recent flag-burning incident in Northampton. Douglas Wight is charged with trespassing, defacing property, and a charge related to improper burning. A prosecutor said Wight, 65, has been linked to recent flag burnings in Amherst, Palmer, and Greenfield. Wight's lawyer said he is a former teacher who came to the area in 2001 to join a spiritual community. A judge set bail at $500. (AP)

A 29-member advisory committee has been formed to hold interviews for the three finalists for the state Commissioner of Education. The committee includes educators, business leaders, students, parents, and legislators. "These panels of key constituents will give the board invaluable perspective, from the multiple angles, on our three extraordinary finalists," said Paul Reville, Board of Education chairman, in a statement. The interviews are scheduled for Jan. 7, according to the Massachusetts Department of Education. The board is expected to vote at its meeting Jan. 22. The three finalists are Karla Brooks Baehr, Lowell superintendent; Mitchell Dan Chester, Ohio senior associate state superintendent; and Richard Laine, Wall Foundation education director.

Three Holyoke police officers have been suspended with pay while investigators look into an alleged assault outside a city bar. Police Chief Anthony Scott said he has asked the Hampden district attorney and the Springfield FBI office to assist in the probe. The three officers were off duty at the time of the incident and have not been publicly identified. Christopher Martinez of Holyoke said he was treated at a hospital for injuries to his face after being assaulted by the officers Dec. 18. (AP)