Man dies in morning crash on Route 24

A 42-year-old Middleborough man died after a crash on Route 24 North in Bridgewater yesterday morning. State Police said that James Stone lost control of his 2003 GMC Sierra pickup truck, which left the road, and rolled over at about 5:45. Stone was not wearing his seat belt. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton where he later died. Police are investigating the cause of the crash. The right lane of Route 24 North was closed for more than two and a half hours after the crash.

A man was killed yesterday afternoon when he was thrown from his motorcycle on Interstate 93 in Medford, State Police said. Eric Armington, 34, of Canton, reportedly lost control of his 2006 Ducati motorcycle while traveling north on the highway, just before the exit to Route 60, at about 1:45 p.m. His motorcycle struck a concrete median barrier and a light pole, and he was declared dead at the scene, police said. Two lanes northbound and one southbound lane were closed for about three hours because of the accident, which remains under investigation.

The state Supreme Court suspended Judge Patricia Coffey on Friday for three years after concluding she was complicit in a fraudulent property transfer involving her husband and evasive and misleading to investigators. But Governor John Lynch says three years is not enough. He wants Coffey, 54, a Superior Court judge in Rockingham County, to resign. "The public has the right to expect its judges will meet the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and will follow the law at all times," Lynch said Friday. "Judge Coffey's misconduct violates the public trust, and for that reason, she should no longer be allowed to serve as a judge." (AP)

A former Londonderry man has pleaded guilty in a scheme to steal more than $10,000 in Postal Service property, mostly stamps. Richard Melcher, 47, was arrested in Virginia in November. He pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring with four others to steal property in 2006 from post offices in Salem, N.H., and Woburn. He will be sentenced in July. (AP)

Rafting outfitters say bookings are up for the upcoming season, but they are cautious about what the summer may bring with record high gasoline prices and the sluggish economy. Russell Walters, president of Northern Outdoors, said spring bookings have been good, but that he remains unsure about the season. "The jury is still out on gas prices and everything else," said Walters, whose company offers rafting trips on the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Dead rivers. Outfitters had their best snowmobile season in at least three years, but costs are rising and the economy makes them hesitant to raise prices for outdoor adventures. (AP)

The grand opening of the new Hollywood Slots gambling complex in Bangor is set for July 1. Officials briefed members of the Maine Gambling Control Board this week about the timeline for the opening of the facility that will house 1,000 slot machines. That's more than twice the number of machines at the Hollywood Slots' temporary home at the former Miller's Restaurant. The slots operator plans to shut down the interim facility on June 29. The move to the new complex would then take place within 24 hours, allowing for the July 1 opening. A seven-story hotel connected to the slots parlor will open in August. The complex also includes a four-level parking garage with 1,500 spaces. (AP)

Police in Warren are investigating what caused a brush fire that damaged a boardwalk owned by the state Audubon Society. Police say witnesses heard three juveniles saying they did not want to be caught, and then saw three jet skis leaving the area after the blaze started Thursday afternoon. The boardwalk cost $1 million to build in 2000. (AP)

Governor Jim Douglas says an economic stimulus package he is proposing could give a $214 million boost to Vermont's economy. The Republican governor, who has been at odds with the state's Democrat-controlled Legislature, outlined his proposal yesterday at the Champlain Valley Fair. The proposal calls for $17.4 million in housing initiatives to help spur affordable housing construction, a $22 million "New Neighborhoods" initiative, $18 million worth of low-interest loans for business expansions, and $10 million for bridge and culvert rehabilitation. (AP)