Local News Updates

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September 29, 2007

Revere police officer killed in early morning shooting

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

A Revere police officer was shot early Saturday behind the city's high school.

After being reported in grave condition all day, Officer Dan Talbot died shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday at Massachusetts General Hospital, said Revere police Lieutenant John Goodwin.

Before his death, City Council President John Powers said it was "a tough thing" for the city and everyone was hoping Talbot would pull through.

Neighbors near the high school said they heard police racing there about 2 a..m.

Police and prosecutors did not immediately release any information about what happened.

But there was intense police activity in the area Saturday afternoon, with state and local police going into people's homes, interviewing people on the street, and taking people into headquarters for questioning.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:01 PM | Comments (0)

Woman dies after Malden home attack

By Stephanie Peters, Globe Staff

A 62-year-old woman who was attacked yesterday in her home on a quiet street in Malden has died, law enforcement officials said.

The attack on the woman, Zhen Q. Xie, reported shortly before 2 p.m. yesterday, shocked neighbors on quiet Orient Street in the Watts Mount neighborhood.

Xie was discovered bleeding and sufffering from severe blunt trauma to the head. She was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead early this morning.

Authorities said they had launched a homicide investigation. "I assure you that we are following all possible leads to apprehend the person responsible for this brutal crime," said Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone.

Neighbors said Xie was a hard-working, feisty grandmother who lived with her daughter and three granddaughters.

The woman had sustained head injuries, law enforcement officials said last night.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:12 PM | Comments (0)

Two dead in Interstate 495 crash

By John Forrester, Globe Correspondent

A tractor-trailor truck slammed through the median of Interstate 495 in Milford last night, killing the driver and a 40-year-old Stoughton resident who was driving on the opposite side, state police said.

The 2007 Infinity truck driven by Rodney L. Gladle, 50, of Laconia, N.H. was in the northbound passing lane of Interstate 495 at about 8:19 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, drove through the median and struck a 1991 Honda Civic driven by Yu Hui.

Gladle was pronounced dead on the scene and Hui died later at Milford Hospital. The accident remains under investigation, state police said in a statement.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2007

Sox win division title, but you wouldn't know it on the streets

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Wearing a rally cap, Jen Hosker was one of those outside Fenway Park cheering as the New York Yankees lost their game, allowing the Red Sox to clinch the American League East

By Marc Robins, Globe Correspondent

Outside Fenway Park, in front of the Game On! bar on Lansdowne Street, a crowd of several hundred people burst into cheers after the Red Sox won their first division title in 12 years.

But the crowd soon dispersed. And the streets were relatively quiet outside the park and in nearby Kenmore Square late tonight.

"You gotta believe they are going to pull through," said an exuberant Laura Cappuccio of Merrimack, N.H., after emerging from the park.

In Kenmore Square, Janaya Cameron of Boston was overjoyed: "All I can say is: this is the most amazing thing in the world for the best fans in the world."

Michael Harris of Las Vegas was in Boston for just one night, and luck apparently was on his side.

"It's phenomenal," he said. "Getting to see the Red Sox become AL East champs on my one day here was the best thing that could have happened."

The calm on the streets was a far cry from the rowdy celebrations of 2004, the year the Red Sox won the World Series. During one, an Emerson College student was fatally shot by a pepper pellet fired by Boston police.

Posted by mfinucane at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)

Bristol-Myers Squibb to pay $515 million for doctor kickback scheme

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and its subsidiary, Apothecon, have agreed to pay more than $515 million to settle a broad array of federal and state civil allegations involving their drug marketing and pricing practices, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said today.

The government alleged that from 2000 to mid-2003, BMS paid illegal remuneration to physicians and other healthcare providers to get them to promote BMS drugs. The payments were in the form of consulting fees and other programs, some of which involved travel to luxurious resorts.

The prosecutors also said that from 2002 through 2005 BMC promoted the sale and use of Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic drug, for pediatric use and to treat dementia-related psychosis, both of which were "off-label'' uses. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug to treat adult psychiatric disorders but not for use in children, teenagers, or for dementia-related illnesses.

Doctors are allowed to prescribe drugs "off-label,'' but companies are not allowed to promote drugs for those uses.

Sullivan said his office is not bringing criminal charges and that the company cooperated with the investigation, which was prompted by information from whistleblowers.

In a statement posted on its website, the company said the settlement agreement will not affect the company's ongoing business with any customers, including the government.

"Bristol-Myers Squibb is pleased to have resolved these matters from the past and is proud of its commitment to conduct business with the highest standards of integrity in its mission to extend and enhance human life,'' the company said.

Posted by aryan at 4:30 PM | Comments (0)

Casino decision won't happen this year, DiMasi says

(George Rizer/Globe Staff/file)

Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi told a group of business leaders today that there would not be a decision on the governor's plan to expand gambling.

By Matt Viser and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

WALTHAM -- After calling the unrelenting discussion of expanded casino gambling "nauseating," House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi this morning gave his harshest comments to date about the governor's plan to license three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts.

"I have concerns about every single aspect of the proposal," DiMasi told reporters after speaking to 200 business owners at a scrambled egg and pancake breakfast. "To say the least, I'm skeptical."

DiMasi, a North End Democrat who in the past has been opposed to expanded gaming, has maintained that he is open to listening to Governor Deval Patrick's casino push. However, after speaking for an hour to the members of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts about ways to build the state's economy, DiMasi thanked the crowd for not asking about casinos. Without responding to a question, the speaker went on to say that although the state's economic future may be "foggy," the expansion of gambling was far from a done deal.

"It's one option we have," DiMasi said. "It's not the only option."

The expansion of some gambling has the support of Senate President Therese Murray, which gives Patrick a significant ally on Beacon Hill. However, the fate of the governor's proposal may still lie with DiMasi, who leads the 160-seat House.

"You are not going to get a decision this year, I can tell you that much," DiMasi said today.

DiMasi also said this morning that the state lottery revenues were $120 million short for the fiscal year that ended in June. The speaker said that the money had already been distributed to cities and towns and local aid, and he vowed to investigate why revenue came up short.

The lottery is overseen by state Treasurer Timothy Cahill, whose office did not immediately return a phone message left by the Associated Press seeking comment.

Posted by aryan at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)

15-year-old held on $750k bail after JP shooting

By Globe Staff

A 15-year-old from Dorchester accused of shooting a man in the chest in what police say was a brazen daylight ambush was ordered held on $750,000 cash bail after he was arraigned today in juvenile court.

The teen -- whose name was not released because of his age -- is accused of pulling the trigger in a shooting Thursday afternoon near the intersection of Woodlawn Street and Hyde Park Avenue that sent a man to the hospital with a bullet wound in his chest.

"We've seen adult offenders exploiting the juvenile justice system by asking young people to hold guns in the expectation that they'll receive a slap on the wrist," Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement. "The bail set today should send a strong message to anyone who would use a firearm on our streets: young or old, you're going to be held and you're going to be prosecuted aggressively."

The teen was one of three defendants charged in the case. Andre L. Givens, 19, of Mattapan, and Karl P. Baxter, 18, of Dorchester, were both arraigned in West Roxbury Municipal Court. Baxter was held on $100,000 cash bail and his bail was also revoked on an unrelated assault and battery in Dorchester. Givens was held on $250,000 cash bail.

All three defendants are charged with armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawfully carrying a loaded firearm.

According to prosecutors, the three defendants were in a Dodge Intrepid with Baxter driving. They pulled next to a pickup truck just before 3 p.m. and the 15-year-old fired several shots, prosecutors said.

The victim was rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He is in serious but stable condition, prosecutors said.

Posted by aryan at 4:00 PM | Comments (0)

14 students displaced after Mission Hill fire

By Caitlin Castello, Globe Correspondent

A two-alarm fire raged through an apartment building in Mission Hill this afternoon, displacing 14 students and causing $500,000 in damage.

The blaze started at about 1 p.m. on the second floor of a building at 64 Louis Prang St. The fire was caused by a short circuit in a power strip, according to a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.

No one was injured in the blaze in the three-story building. The students attend the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts College of Art.

Posted by aryan at 3:10 PM | Comments (0)

Police continue searching for suspects in Pike carjacking

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/file)

By David Abel, Globe Staff

State Police today are searching for two men who carjacked the driver of a 2007 black Nissan Maxima Thursday afternoon at the Allston-Brighton tollbooth, troopers said.

The Maxima was in a line of vehicles at the tollbooth when the two suspects jumped into the backseat of the car and flashed a handgun, troopers said.

As the Maxima went through the tollbooth, a passenger told the toll collector they were being carjacked and asked the collector to call police.

One of the suspects then pistol-whipped the passenger, and the Maxima went a little farther, sideswiped another vehicle, and stopped, troopers said.

After the crash, the suspects fled on foot west toward a railroad depot, troopers said. The passenger sustained minor injuries and was not hospitalized.

Mac Daniel, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, called it an isolated incident.

“This is the first time in anyone’s memory that such an incident has taken place at any toll booth along the Pike,” Daniel said.

If you have any information or were at the scene, please e-mail David Abel at dabel@globe.com.

Posted by aryan at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)

Paying for College 101

(Handout photo)

Sally Donahue, Harvard's director of financial aid, answered questions about how to pay for college.

By Linda K. Wertheimer, Globe Staff

A Globe story Thursday about how some elite colleges are bolstering financial aid to students from higher-income families generated a number of e-mails. Some reacted with disbelief that some families who earn as much as $180,000 a year receive financial aid, yet also wanted to know if they could benefit from the colleges' new push.

"My husband is a teacher, I am a nurse. We have helped get two daughters through college, and they both have college loans," wrote Terri Ford of North Falmouth, whose third daughter is now considering a costly private school. "I only hope and pray that your facts are correct with the money these colleges offer now."

Sally Donahue, Harvard's director of financial aid, agreed to answer questions about how to pay for college.

Q: To many parents, it seems unbelievable that families can qualify for aid with $180,000 or higher incomes, yet Harvard and other elite schools say they are providing help in that income range. What are the caveats?

Many schools use the College Board's need analysis to determine a family's need for financial aid. Both income and assets are taken into consideration, along with family size and number of children in school. So while a family's financial aid eligibility may vary from one college to the next based on their institutional guidelines, it is not unusual for those with incomes of over $180,000 to qualify for some assistance. At Harvard, we are fortunate to have the financial aid to meet the full demonstrated need of all families.

Q: What’s the best scenario for families to qualify for more financial aid -- pay off a home mortgage before your child is nearing college age or leave it alone?

Many schools with limited institutional funds for financial aid depend on available federal funds. The federal formula does not include home equity as an asset, and the form you fill out to qualify does not even ask for information about family homes. It would make little sense to pay off a home mortgage to move family savings out of the analysis of your financial need. If you use your savings to pay off a home mortgage, then you no longer have that money available for emergency expenses, which then may need to be covered with another loan.

Schools that use their own funds for aid usually ask a family to file a College Board form, which does want information about home ownership. Schools use this information differently. Some include existing home equity (current market value of home less remaining mortgage debt) to analyze your available assets, while others cap home equity at a percentage, often 1.2 percent or 2 percent of income to address the issue of home value inflation.

At Harvard, we often exclude or dramatically reduce a family's home equity, particularly if the resulting expected parent contribution would be unreasonable. There are so many significant nondiscretionary expenses facing families with seemingly healthy incomes today. We expect families to consider paying for their children's college educations a priority, but we do not expect them to sell their homes or turn their backs on extended family members so they can pay the college bills.

Q: Is it better to scrimp to save money for college, or are colleges likely to provide more aid for families who have not saved?

Saving for college is a good thing to do. The alternative is to rely on loans. Rarely can a family come up with the entire family contribution a college expects out of current income. Like most important investments, we assume that a family will finance education expenses over time. A family who has saved carefully for education will possibly not need to borrow.

Q: A parent writes in that he makes $95,000 a year, and his daughter qualified for no aid. Can he appeal that decision? What evidence might he use to show need?

This would depend on the school, the cost of attendance, and whether or not the college had grant funds available. Most schools will consider appeals, even for determining eligibility for subsidized federal loans, as long as you can document nondiscretionary expenses that make it difficult for you to cover the costs. Appeals should be submitted in writing, with carefully itemized expenses, according to the college’s guidelines.

Q: How do colleges treat retirement savings as they calculate financial aid?

Colleges do not count retirement savings when they evaluate a family’s ability to pay for education. But the College Board form, which many schools use, does ask for information about retirement to help schools better understand better a family's financial circumstances. A family with no retirement savings is unquestionably in a more difficult situation than one with ample savings.

Q: Where could parents and students learn more about the ins and outs of financial aid, not just at Harvard, but also at other colleges?

A good place to start is at the College Board website at: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/index.html. Beyond that, most
schools include helpful information about their financial aid programs
on their websites, and are happy to speak with prospective students and
families about financing education. Questions about Harvard's financial
aid program can often be answered by visiting our website at:
http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu.

Posted by rgreene at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)

Father, son charged with larceny, fraud for work on Big Dig

By Globe Staff

A father and son from Marshfield have been indicted on charges that they stole more than $250,000 from the state while hauling construction materials for the Big Dig.

The contractors -- James Roderick Sr., 61, and James Roderick Jr., 37 -- are accused of rigging scales to inflate the amount of material they hauled away from the Big Dig when they were being paid by the ton. According to a release from the state attorney general's office, companies owned by the Rodericks perpetrated the fraud from October 2004 to February 2007. Investigators reviewed paperwork from more than 4,000 trips of hauling material from the Big Dig.

The Rodericks were indicted Thursday by a grand jury on two counts of larceny over $250 by continuous scheme, fraud in procurement, presentation of false claims, and three counts of conspiracy. They are scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 25.

The younger Roderick owned and operated a company named Durod Ltd, which hauls construction material. His father owned and operated Y2Krush, which recycled asphalt, concrete, and steel from construction sites until it went out of business in December 2006, according to the attorney general.

Posted by aryan at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)

What a long, tall ship

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

The longest tall ship in the world sailed into Boston Harbor this morning, with the three masts of La Libertad reaching some 160 feet off the water.

At 356 feet, the ship is longer than a football field, carrying 180 cadets from the Argentinean Navy. It is the country's official sail training vessel and was designed much like a windjammer, with a clipper bow and a figurehead representing an effigy of Liberty in a long flowing robe and a cruiser stern bearing the crest with the arms of Argentina.

La Libertad, the last tall ship scheduled to visit Boston in 2007, will spend the next five days docked at the east apron of the World Trade Center, where it will be open for free tours.

Saturday, Sept. 29
Public visiting hours: noon - 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 30
Public visiting hours: noon - 6 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 1
Public visiting hours: noon - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 2
Public visiting hours: noon - 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 3
Ship departs 9 a.m.

Posted by aryan at 9:26 AM | Comments (0)

One woman killed, 12 firefighters injured in Worcester blaze

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A 47-year-old woman was killed and 12 firefighters were injured overnight in a violent three-alarm blaze that ravaged a triple decker in Worcester, a fire official said.

It took 50 firefighters and 16 engines and ladder trucks to battle the flames at 49 Chilmark St., which erupted at 10 p.m. The first responders encountered a "tremendous amount of fire" on the third floor and focused their efforts on a woman trapped there, said District Fire Chief Frank Diliddo.

The woman, who was not identified, was pulled from the flames and rushed to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

"This was a very, very difficult fire to fight," Diliddo said.

Injuries suffered by firefighters included severe dehydration, heat exhaustion, cuts that required stitches, second-degree burns, an ankle sprain, and a severe back strain. Eight of the injured were taken to local hospitals, where four were admitted overnight.

"We are hoping most of them will be out by the end of the day," Diliddo said.

It took more than an hour to bring the fire under control. The cause and the origin of the blaze remain under investigation, Diliddo said.

Nine people have been displaced by the fire, which badly damaged the triple decker.

Posted by aryan at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2007

Haverhill college campus is sold

(Globe file photo)

Bradford College in 2000, the year it closed its doors.

By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff

The campus once occupied by Bradford College in Haverhill has been sold to a benefactor who plans to donate it to Rhode-Island-based Zion Bible College.

Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini announced the sale earlier this week in a press release posted on the city's Web site.

Zion Bible previously had been interested in buying the 18-acre campus, but in December that deal fell through because the college felt too many repairs were needed. The campus has been vacant for seven years.

Then the out-of-state benefactor stepped foward and saved the campus from going on the auction block. Terms of the deal weren't immediately available.

An assistant for David Green, founder and chief executive of Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby, confirmed today that Green had purchased the campus. No other information was available.

Green, who started his arts-and-crafts store empire in 1972, has been listed by Forbes as one of the richest Americans.

Fiorentini said a "wealthy benefactor" of Zion Bible was going to buy the campus and Zion Bible was going to "use the money they would have used to buy the school ... to rehab the buildings."

Bradford, which opened its doors in 1803, closed in May 2000 after having financial problems.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:20 PM | Comments (0)

Teen seriously injured as alleged bank robber tries to elude pursuers

By Globe Staff

A man who allegedly robbed a bank in Hanson led police on a chase this afternooon that ended when he smashed his car into another car in neighboring Whitman, seriously injuring the teenager driving that car, police said.

Whitman Police Officer Frank O'Rourke said that after the robbery was reported, a Whitman detective spotted in East Bridgewater the vehicle that police were seeking.

The detective tried to stop the car, but it fled. Police pursued the car, which crashed into a car on Route 14 in East Bridgewater and then headed into Whitman on Washington Street, where it crashed again at about 1:40 p.m. and the suspect was arrested, O'Rourke said.

Robert Dunbar, 27, who listed his address as homeless, is to be arraigned in Brockton District Court tomorrow. He faces a bank robbery charge in Hanson and a variety of charges in Whitman, police said.

Stephanie M. Guarino, 17, of Abington, sustained serious injuries in the Whitman crash and was flown by helicopter to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, police said.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:24 PM | Comments (0)

Former Plymouth selectmen convicted in sex case

(Globe file photo)

Dodgson at a Fourth of July parade 11 days before his arrest.

By Milton Valencia, Globe Staff

A former Plymouth selectman was sentenced today to three to five years in prison in a case in which he was charged with sending lewd pictures to teenagers over the Internet.

Sean Dodgson, 47, was convicted in Plymouth Superior Court of one count of disseminating obscene material and three counts of disseminating harmful material to a minor.

The jury acquitted Dodgson of other charges, including attempted rape of a child and attempted indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Judge Elizabeth Donovan also sentenced Dodgson to 10 years of probation during which he can have no contact with a computer or anyone under 18.

Dodgson was arrested last year after he allegedly tried to arrange a tryst at a Burger King in Kingston with what he thought were two 13-year-old girls.

The girls were police officers posing undercover. He resigned from his seat after his arrest.

Dodgson, who took the stand in his defense, said he knew all along that the "girls" were law enforcement officials, and that he was simply monitoring the criminal justice system. The case was turned over to the jury yesterday.

The investigation was part of a widespread sting called Operation Trenchcoat that resulted in the arrest of more than 20 people in the summer of 2006.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:07 PM | Comments (0)

Ogonowski, Tsongas face off in Fifth District debate tonight

By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

Democrat Niki Tsongas and Republican Jim Ogonowski will meet tonight for the first of three scheduled debates between the major-party candidates in the race to represent the Fifth Congressional District.

The Oct. 16 special election for the open seat is less than three weeks away.

Neither candidate has held elected office before. But in their campaigns, each has tried aggressively to yoke the other to the status quo. Tsongas, who wants to withdraw US troops from Iraq, has repeatedly called the election a referendum on President Bush and the war. Ogonowski, a farmer and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, has called Tsongas an insider from "tired Washington."

Tsongas, 61, is the widow of former US senator and presidential candidate Paul Tsongas. On the trail, she has touted the connections she gained during her husband's political career. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared at a Tsongas fund-raiser in Boston last weekend, and former president Bill Clinton will campaign for Tsongas in Lowell on Sunday.

Ogonowski, 50, has also drawn heavily on his biography, as an Air Force veteran and small businessman but especially as the brother of John Ogonowski, the captain of one of the hijacked planes flown into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Tonight's debate will be held at the Collins Center at Andover High School. Other debates are slated for Oct. 5 and Oct. 9.

The two divide sharply on Iraq and immigration. Ogonowski has kept his distance from the president and called the war a "mistake," but he believes US forces should stay there indefinitely in pursuit of victory, which he defined as the Iraqi people being able to provide for their own safety and security.

Tsongas wants an immediate change of course, calling for a timetable that would require initial troop withdrawal within 90 days and provide another six months to completely redeploy troops, leaving a small support force in Iraq.

Ogonowski has railed against illegal immigration, calling it the number one issue for voters and stressing it as a matter of national security, economics, and fairness. He wants to send undocumented immigrants home and has warned that politicians are trying to "sneak benefits" to them, instead of spending the money on veterans' care or other programs.

Tsongas has focused on other issues, such as a plan to make healthcare accessible to all Americans, over immigration. But the Middlesex Community College dean has said she supports legislation to provide an "earned path to citizenship" while also strengthening border security and protecting wages for US workers.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:30 PM | Comments (0)

Teen convicted in Marshfield High School attack plot

(Erik Jacobs for The Boston Globe)

Kerns at an earlier court appearance.

By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff

A teenager accused of plotting a Columbine-style attack on Marshfield High School several years ago was convicted today in a Plymouth court.

A judge found that there was sufficient evidence to find Tobin "Toby" Kerns, 19, guilty of threatening to use deadly weapons and conspiracy to commit to murder.

Kerns, who was accused along with another youth, was arrested in September 2004.

Prosecutors have alleged that the two youths planned to use napalm and to lock the doors of the school so no one could escape as they shot and tortured certain school officials and students.

The verdict in the case was handed down by Juvenile Court Judge Louis D. Coffin. Sentencing was set for Nov. 5.

Kerns's former friend, Joseph Nee, 21, faces the same charges, as well as a charge of promoting anarchy, and is facing a trial as an adult in Plymouth Superior Court. Kerns was 16 at the time the plot was allegedly hatched so his case remained in Juvenile Court.

Prosecutors have said Kerns and Nee had a loose group of allies called the Natural Born Killers who practiced how to build bombs as they allegedly prepared for the attack, which was set to take place on April 15, 2005.

Kerns and Nee allegedly disclosed their plans to two other Marshfield teenagers. Before the attack could take place, police learned of the plans from Nee and the two others.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:58 PM | Comments (0)

Man, woman pulled from car in critical condition in Plymouth

(David G. Curran for The Boston Globe)

By Erin Conroy and Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

PLYMOUTH -- A man and woman spent more than 30 minutes underwater last night in a Jeep that drove over a seawall before divers were able to smash the rear window and pull them to shore, police and fire officials said today.

The occupants -- identified this afternoon as Hisha Nagarkoti, 27, and Sunil Gurung, 25, both of Plymouth -- were flown to Boston Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

At 10:22 p.m., police and fire responded to a report that a vehicle with two occupants went over the seawall at the state boat ramp near Plymouth Rock and splashed into the harbor. It is not immediately clear what caused the Jeep to go over the wall. The vehicle landed about 25 feet from shore and came to a rest upside down in 18 feet of water, according to Battalion Chief Donald Brown of the Plymouth Fire Department.

Police and fire officials were on scene in four minutes, Brown said. Officials dived into the water but were unable to free the occupants from the Jeep, police said.

A fire department dive team was in the water by 10:49 p.m. and pulled the pair out in four minutes, Brown said. They were taken by ambulance to Jordan Hospital, and then flown to Boston Medical Center.

The incident remains under investigation.

Posted by aryan at 2:25 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

Mass. to receive $11.9 million in heating assistance

By Globe Staff

Massachusetts will be given more than $11.9 million to help low-income homeowners and renters meet their heating needs this fall and winter, the federal government said today.

"This emergency aid will provide extra resources so Massachusetts can better support its most vulnerable citizens, whether young, elderly or disabled," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement.

The funds come from the federal government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The government is releasing more than $131 million nationally.

"With winter coming, I commend the Department for releasing these vital funds at this time to help keep our citizens safe and warm in the coming months. No family in need should be denied the support they deserve to help keep their home warm," US Senator Edward M. Kennedy said in a statement.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:10 PM | Comments (0)

Manholes burst into flame in North End

(John Bohn/Globe Staff)

Police and NStar workers at the scene.

By Globe Staff

Three manholes burst into flame in the North End this afternoon, and the resulting smoke required some people to be evacuated from nearby businesses, but the fire was quickly extinguished, the Boston fire department said.

No one was hurt in the incident, which was reported about 5:30 p.m. on Hanover Street, said fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald.

“We’re pretty much done down there,” MacDonald said an hour after the original call. No injuries were reported.

Massimo Tiberi, managing partner of Tresca, a restaurant near where the manholes caught fire, said there was a "big burst" and a 25-foot flame came out of a manhole in front of his restaurant.

"It was pretty crazy," he said. He said the street remains closed.

"We’re closed for tonight, so I’m a little bit upset," he said.

MacDonald said the fire department had called NStar, which was working on the wiring in the manholes and would probe what went wrong.

Caroline Allen, an NStar spokeswoman, said the explosion resulted from a cable failure, which occurs "from time to time." She said 13 buildings were without power for about three hours as a precautionary measure.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:33 PM | Comments (0)

Jury ponders former Plymouth selectman's sex solicitation case

By Milton Valencia, Globe Staff

Jurors will resume deliberations tomorrow in the case of a former Plymouth selectman charged with soliciting sex from a minor on the Internet.

Sean Dodgson, 47, was arrested in 2006 on charges he arranged a tryst at a Burger King in Kingston with what he thought were two 13-year-old girls.

The girls were police officers posing undercover. He's also charged with sending lewd pictures over the Internet. He resigned from his seat after his arrest.

Dodgson, who took the stand in his defense, said he knew all along that the girls were law enforcement officials, and that he was simply monitoring the criminal justice system. The case was turned over to the jury this morning.

The investigation was part of a widespread sting called Operation Trenchcoat that resulted in the arrest of more than 20 people in the summer of 2006.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:18 PM | Comments (0)

Investigation yields no answers in Danvers State blaze

(Mark Wilson/Globe Staff)

The aftermath of the fire.

By Christine McConville, Globe Staff

State fire inspectors do not know why a massive 425-unit housing development in Danvers went up in flames last April.

The project, Avalon at Hathorne Hill, was being built on the grounds of the former Danvers State Hospital.

About 147 apartments were destroyed when the almost-complete building ignited in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 7.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Danvers Fire Chief James P. Tutko announced today that their investigation has ended, and the cause of the fire is officially undetermined.

In a written statement, Tutko said the destruction "was so extensive that the concrete footings of the building were affected, leaving investigators with little evidence to determine the point of origin and the cause."

Posted by mfinucane at 6:08 PM | Comments (0)

Summer returns -- and a swim looks refreshing

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

Brian Bondarek brought his son Daniel, 10, to the Boardwalk at Sandwich Beach today where they jumped in at high tide.

By Globe Staff

Fall began on Sunday, but you'd never know it today. Summer made a big comeback as temperatures rocketed into the 90s.

National Weather Service meteorologist Charlie Foley says the Boston temperature is 93, just short of the record of 95, which was set in 1881. He doesn't think we'll break the record. (By just before 6 p.m. the temperature had tapered off to 86.)

In Providence, the temperature tied a record of 89.

A cooldown is ahead. On Thursday, the mercury is only expected to rise to the mid-80s, while on Friday, the highs will be in the mid-70s.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:18 PM | Comments (0)

$175K awarded to family of girl mauled by gorilla

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

Victim Nia Scott, now 6, nestled against her aunt, Maria Duarte, during the trial.

By Brian R. Ballou and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

The family of a toddler attacked by a gorilla at the Franklin Park Zoo was awarded $175,000 for pain and suffering today by a civil jury who ruled that while the ape's handlers did not act negligently, they were still liable for the girl's injuries.

After deliberating for six hours, the Suffolk Superior Court jury concluded that the zoo and its officials were not negligent when Little Joe climbed out of his enclosure on Sept. 28, 2003, and attacked Nia S. Scott, who was 2 years and 9 months old. However, as the "keepers" of a wild animal, the jury ruled that Little Joe's handlers should still compensate Scott.

Scott escaped that day with cuts and bruises, but Little Joe went on to terrorize the neighborhood near the zoo for two hours before police subdued him with tranquilizer darts. Lawyers for the plaintiffs alleged during the six-day trial that the attack inflicted long-term psychological damage that has caused Scott, now 6, nightmares, made her less outgoing, and damaged her relationship with her mother.

Terrasita Duarte-Scott filed the lawsuit on behalf of her daughter against the zoo's owner, Zoo New England, and five of its executives, including its president and chief executive officer, John Linehan, and head veterinarian, Dr. Hayley Murphy. After the verdict, Scott seemed disappointed with the verdict.

"They did what they thought was fair, but I'm speechless. Just speechless," Duarte-Scott said. "What I wanted to do was prove that they were negligent."

In addition to the money awarded to her daughter, Duarte-Scott had also sought her own financial damages, a claim that the jury rejected.

After the verdict, Linehan said that the zoo respected the jury's decision. He said the zoo's $2.3 million renovation to the Tropical Forest exhibit will ensure that Little Joe will never escape again. The gorillas are now kept in a completely enclosed glass cage that includes a stainless steel net capping the 1 1/2-inch thick glass walls.

Scott went to the zoo that day with a family friend, Courtney Roberson, who testified during the trial that she too was attacked by Little Joe. Roberson, who settled a lawsuit out of court, told the jury that she saw the gorilla slap at Scott five to eight times.

Posted by aryan at 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

Neighbor helps rescue toddler who fell in Bridgewater swimming pool

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

The toddler is transferred from the ambulance to the helicopter.

By Globe Staff

A toddler who fell into a swimming pool last night in Bridgewater was rescued with the help of police officers, firefighters, a MedFlight helicopter -- and a neighbor who knew CPR, the fire chief said.

Emergency crews raced to the scene on Stephanie Lane at about 6:46 p.m. last night and found the neighbor trying to revive the 2-year-old boy, said Chief George Rogers.

Police and firefighters took over from the neighbor and summoned a MedFlight helicopter, which just happened to be flying nearby, to speed the toddler to Boston, Rogers said.

"All the resources that we had last night... It was almost like the stars were aligned, to be honest with you," said Rogers, who said the child was at Children’s Hospital within an hour of the original call.

The toddler was in critical condition last night. Rogers said this afternoon that he had just visited Children’s Hospital and had been told the child's condition had improved.

Rogers would not release the parents’ names, saying they had asked for privacy, but he said, "They were very thankful for everybody’s efforts."

Kathleen Greene, 24, the neighbor who stepped in to help out, is a medical assistant, said the chief.

"She did administer CPR and she did a wonderful job," he said. "She definitely started everything in motion. She was definitely a piece of the puzzle we needed to have there."

Greene's mother, Judith Whynock, called police, alerting dispatcher Matt Lake to the emergency.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:30 PM | Comments (0)

Smith grad dies in Iraq

(Smith College photo)

Roselle Hoffmaster's Smith yearbook photo.

By Globe Staff

Roselle Hoffmaster, a graduate of Smith College who died while serving in the Army in Iraq, is being remembered fondly today at the Northampton institution.

"You couldn't find a more caring or compassionate person. She's a giver. She's the ultimate team person who gave her all," said Carla Coffey, who coached Hoffmaster in cross country and track and field.

Hoffmaster, 32, an Army captain, died last Friday in Kirkuk of non-combat-related causes. She was the First Brigade Combat Team surgeon, the military said this weekend in a release from Fort Drum, N.Y.

Hoffmaster, a native of Cleveland, graduated from Smith with a biochemistry degree in 1998.

She was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in 2004. She was assigned to the Tenth Mountain Division in July and deployed to Iraq this month.

She is survived by her husband and parents, the Army said in a statement.

The Army has released no further details on the circumstances of her death. The investigation is still ongoing, said Fort Drum spokesman Benjamin Abel.

Professor Christine White-Ziegler said Hoffmaster was "a real star, just off the charts in terms of her academics."

"She was just a very easygoing and approachable person. ... You could see her concern for others," she said.

"It's very sad for the whole Smith community. We're very saddened by her death," said Coffey, the coach.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

Serious crash backs up traffic on I93

By Emily A. Canal, Globe Staff

A woman was seriously hurt this morning when a sport utility vehicle rolled over on a ramp off southbound Interstate 93 in Dorchester, State Police said. The crash at 7:05 a.m. has backed traffic for miles on the expressway, with delays stretching as far as Reading.

The woman was trapped inside her 1994 SUV when it rolled over on the ramp onto Granite Avenue , police said. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, which is being investigated by a State Police collision analysis reconstruction team.

The woman, whom police did not identify, was rushed by ambulance to Boston Medical Center, police said.

The ramp to Granite Avenue was closed until 9:15 a.m., police said.

Posted by aryan at 9:45 AM | Comments (0)

Man fatally stabbed near Jamaicaway

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

A man was found stabbed early this morning on this stretch of Perkins Street, near the intersection with Jamaicaway.

By Globe Staff

A man in his 30s was killed early this morning after he was stabbed in Jamaica Plain, police said.

The victim was found suffering from multiple stab wounds at 1 a.m. at the corner of Perkins Street and the Jamaicaway. His body was near a silver pickup truck. The victim was rushed to Brigham and Woman's Hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

Police have not identified the man. Investigators are trying to determine a motive for the slaying. No arrests have been made.

Posted by aryan at 8:48 AM | Comments (0)

Escaped assault suspect captured in Dorchester

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

Edwardo Aponte was captured and handcuffed by police this morning on Columbia Road.

By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff

Boston police captured an attempted-rape suspect this morning who escaped from custody Sunday after he was allowed to go to the hospital without supervision, according to a department spokesman.

Edwardo Aponte, 29, was spotted in Dorchester just before 8 a.m. near the intersection of Vaughan Avenue and Geneva Street, said spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll. More details about his capture were not immediately available.

Aponte, of Dorchester, was considered a danger to the community since his escape, police said. He is charged with one count each of assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery, and assault and battery.

Aponte escaped when a duty supervisor allowed him to go to the hospital without police supervision. The failures in police oversight prompted a Boston Municipal Court judge to summon police officials to court Tuesday to explain what happened. The department has launched an internal investigation.

According to police, on Sept. 5 at about 3:30 a.m. a woman reported that she had been assaulted in Chinatown, described her attacker, and identified him by name. Officers canvassed the area but could not locate Aponte.

On Saturday, the victim called police and reported seeing Aponte in the South End on Berkeley Street. Officers apprehended the suspect and took him to the South End district station for booking, police said.

Between 2 and 4 a.m. Sunday, Aponte complained he was feeling ill, and police called an ambulance. He was taken to New England Medical Center.

Department rules allow duty supervisors to determine whether a prisoner can go to the hospital unaccompanied, but such allowances normally are not made for prisoners charged with serious and violent crimes.

Posted by aryan at 8:31 AM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2007

Closing arguments heard in gorilla escape case

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

The attorney for a Boston girl attacked by an escaped gorilla at the Franklin Park Zoo in 2003 said today that she still bears the scars of the encounter.

"She's not all better. She's not back to the little girl she was when she walked into that exhibition -- and she is not going to be for a long time," Donald Gibson told a jury in Suffolk Superior Court, where Terrasita Duarte-Scott is suing the zoo and five top officials on behalf of herself and her now 6-year-old daughter, Nia Simone Scott.

Gibson also told the jury in closing arguments in the case that they could award any amount of money they chose to the girl and her mother to compensate them for their physical and emotional injuries.

Kevin Kenneally, the zoo's attorney, told jurors that Nia was "remarkable" as was her mother. Reading from medical reports, he suggested the injuries to both were minor or due to other life issues. "Be fair to us, and please be fair to Nia and her mother," he said.

Jurors went home today without reaching a decision after deliberating for about three hours and will return Wednesday. In Massachusetts, a verdict in a civil lawsuit does not have to be unanimous, but five-sixths of jurors must agree. In this case, 12 of the 14 jurors deliberating must agree to reach a verdict, according to the attorneys involved in the case.

Nia Scott went to the zoo with a family friend, Courtney Roberson, on Sept. 28, 2003. She was attacked by Little Joe, a western lowland gorilla who had escaped from his enclosure at the Tropical Forest exhibit. Scott testified Monday that the gorilla dragged her and attacked her with his "claws.'' Roberson, who settled her own lawsuit, testified that the gorilla slapped at the child five to eight times.

Gibson told jurors the zoo and the officials were negligent because they did not do enough to make sure Little Joe, who had escaped from the same place the month before, could not get out. He said no one knows to this day how the gorilla defeated a ring of "hot wire" draped around the enclosure just to keep Little Joe inside.

Attorneys for the zoo and the zoo employees urged jurors to consider whether any lingering problems Nia Scott might have are solely the result of the confrontation with Little Joe or due to other issues in her life, such as the death of her father.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:45 PM | Comments (0)

Newbury Street shopper charged with driving a stolen Mercedes

By Globe Staff

The driver of a sleek, expensive car parked in Boston's chic Newbury Street shopping district this morning wasn't what he appeared to be, according to police.

Ryan F. Adams, 27, of South Boston was driving a car that that had been stolen yesterday after a break-in at a house in Stoneham, police allege.

A state trooper with the Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force was in Stoneham when he picked up a LoJack reading for the stolen Mercedes S550, said Sergeant Mike Rafferty, a state police spokesman.

The trooper followed the signal all the way to Boston where police found the car with a woman sitting inside it at Exeter and Newbury Streets. Police waited and arrested Adams when he came out of the Niketown Boston store, Rafferty said.

Emily Santos, 21, of Boston, a sales associate at the store, said Adams had been double-parked on Exeter Street. He was arrested by undercover officers when he left the store to return to the gray Mercedes.

Adams pleaded not guilty this afternoon to a charge of receiving a stolen motor vehicle, said Susan Reed, a worker in the Boston Municipal Court clerk’s office. Bail was set at $25,000.

Adams was also held without bail on a warrant for a breaking and entering charge from Woburn. A pretrial hearing was set for Oct. 10.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:53 PM | Comments (0)

Fall River police investigate shooting at Fall River office

By Globe Staff

Fall River police are investigating a shooting at an office on Stafford Road last night.

Antonio Alberto, 54, of Somerset was treated and released after being shot at about 8 p.m. at Alberto Insurance and Real Estate.

The incident is under investigation by the department's major crimes division.

Sergeant Paul Bernier said no further information was immediately available.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)

Mother screams at suspect after acquittal

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

After a 19-year-old Boston man was acquitted of first-degree murder today, the victim's mother screamed at the defendant as jurors were leaving the Suffolk Superior courtroom.

"How can you live with yourself!" Bronwen Wilson shouted before being led out of the courtroom by her husband. "He killed my baby! This isn'' justice. This isn't justice."

Wilson, who began weeping outside the courtroom, was screaming at Etanis Cumba, who was accused of fatally stabbing her son, Joseph A. Wilson Jr., 20, during a party on Huntington Avenue in October 2005.

Just before noon, the jury voted to acquit Cumba of murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. He faced life in prison without the possibility of parole if he had been convicted.

During the trial, prosecutors said Cumba donned a mask, went to the party and confronted the victim and another man, before stabbing Wilson to death.

Defense attorney Rosemary Scapicchio argued that the wrong man was on trial and accused Boston police of conducting a shoddy investigation.
.
When the jury announced its decision to acquit, a dozen of Cumba’s friends and relatives inside the courtroom quietly exhaled in relief. On Wilson's side, friends and relatives wept with frustration.

At least one juror was crying as the panel was led out of the courtroom.

Posted by aryan at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

Framingham store clerk, with more powerful gun, turns table on armed robber

By Emily A. Canal, Globe Correspondent

A grocery store clerk in Framingham had a surprise Monday night for a would-be robber who flashed a .22-caliber Ruger and demand cash, police said.

The grocery store clerk pulled out a more powerful gun.

After looking at the .22, the clerk at A & J grocery on Kendall Street grabbed a .45-caliber semi-automatic gun and loaded a bullet into the chamber, police said. As the failed robber fled, the clerk pulled the trigger, shooting a bullet that missed the man but hit an ATM machine and a door inside the store, police said.

"After the suspect was shot at, he proceeded to flee on foot toward Freeman Street," said Lieutenant Paul Shastany of the Framingham Police Department. "We searched the area to the best of our ability but could not locate the suspect."

Police did not release the name of the clerk, who was in his 40s. The robbery suspect was described as a black male with medium to dark colored skin who was between the ages of 18 and 25. He is approximately 5 feet 8 inches and 165 pounds and was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

The shooting at about 9:30 p.m. remains under investigation.

Posted by aryan at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

Bay State students again top scores on national test

By Globe Staff

Massachusetts students outscored or tied other states on a series of national reading and math exams given to fourth and eighth graders, the Patrick administration announced this morning.

Bay State students earned the top score on three of the four National Assessment of Educational Progress exams and tied for first on the fourth test. The exams, known as "The Nation's Report Card," are the only nationally representative assessment of American students' knowledge of core subjects, according to the administration.

"This is an outstanding achievement and our students, teachers, administrators and parents deserve to be congratulated," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement. "Our goal is to build on that success. To reach that goal, we must work to educate the whole child from the time they start learning before kindergarten, through grade 12 and higher education, and continue that effort in work force development and lifelong learning."

The governor was scheduled to visit the Aborn Elementary School in Lynn today to discuss the scores. Massachusetts students also ranked first on all four tests in 2005, the last year the tests were administered.

This year, Bay State fourth graders had the highest scores in the country on the reading and math exams. Eighth graders ranked first in math and tied for first in reading with Montana, New Jersey, and Vermont.

"Today's announcement not only shows that we are making progress, but it also proves that Massachusetts is committed to being a leader in education," Senate President Therese Murray said in a statement. "Students and teachers are working hard to transform our education system into the best in the nation, and government will continue to support them in that cause. Our children and our future deserve nothing less."

House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi added: “Our successes on NAEP and on the MCAS exams show that, through reform and steady improvement, we have built a solid foundation in Massachusetts. As we reach higher, we must build upon that platform to help our students compete even better in the increasingly global economy.”

Despite the overall gains, an achievement gap was still evident in the state’s results, according to the administration. Hispanic students made some gains in fourth grade, but showed flat results in eight grade. Results for black students were not statistically different in 2007 than in 2005.

Fourth graders with disabilities made gains on only the math portion of the test, and scores for non-native English speakers were flat across the board.

“We must strive to ensure that all students are improving, regardless of race, ethnicity or disability,” said Jeffrey Nellhaus, the acting education commissioner. “Our ultimate success in reform will be judged by our capacity to narrow and ultimately close these achievement gaps.”

Other findings for Massachusetts students on the 2007 exams include:

• Male students scored higher than female students in math in both grades 4 and 8.
• Female students outscored male students in reading in both grades 4 and 8.
• Students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch made significant gains in grade 4.
• Suburban and rural students outscored urban students on all four exams.

Posted by aryan at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)

Men with deep voices may be more fertile, study finds

By Globe Staff

Men with deep voices may be better at more than just wooing women with gruff one liners. According to a study by researchers at Harvard University and other schools, a deep pitched voice can be a predictor of fertility.

The study, published online this week in the journal Biology Letters, examined the reproductive patterns of the Hadza, a Tanzanian hunter-gatherer tribe that lives much the same way that human beings did 200,000 years ago.

"We don't know the exact reason that these men with deeper voices have fathered more children," said Coren Apicella, a doctoral candidate in the anthropology department at Harvard, who helped lead the study. "It may be that they have increased access to mates, begin reproducing at an earlier age or their wives have shorter inter-birth intervals because they provide more food to them."

The study, also led by David Feinberg of McMaster University and Frank Marlowe of Florida State University, is the first to examine the correlation between voice pitch and child bearing success, according to a press release from Harvard.

The Hadza were chosen because they provide a window into the past, according to the researchers. The females gather berries and dig for wild plants. The males hunt animals and collect honey. Marriages are not arranged, so men and women choose their own spouses. The Hadza are monogamous, but extra-marital affairs are common, and the divorce rate is high.

For the study, the researchers collected voice recordings from 49 men and 52 women between the ages of 18 and 55. Participants provided the names of their children and were recorded speaking the Swahili word for "hello" into a microphone. The vocal recordings were analyzed for fundamental frequency.

The researchers found men with lower voice pitch fathered more children.

"It's possible that vocal dimorphism has evolved over thousands of years, partly due to mate selection," Apicella said in a statement. "Perhaps at one time, men and women’s voices were closer in pitch than they are today."

Posted by aryan at 9:44 AM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2007

Girl, 6, recalls gorilla attack

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/file)

Nina S. Scott, 6, recalled today how she was mauled by Little Joe, shown above in June.

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Wearing braids and a pink-colored plaid shirt, Nia S. Scott, 6, sat with confidence in the witness chair today and recalled being attacked by the 300-pound gorilla named Little Joe, answering most questions with a yes or no.

Scott, who was 2 years and 9 months old when the gorilla escaped from his enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo, fidgeted on the stand and glanced occasionally at the jury in her civil lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court.

"He hit me," Scott said when asked to describe the attack. "Then he hit me with his claws. Then he dragged me and gave me stitches."

Scott, who testified for 18 minutes, received stitches in three places near her hairline, has scars on her legs where Little Joe grabbed her, and had needed some dental work because the gorilla "pushed up" her teeth.

"Were you crying?" her lawyer, Donald Gibson, asked.

"Yes," Scott said.

"Did you want your mom?"

"Yes," Scott said, adding that she was afraid that Little Joe would try to get her at the hospital.

The lawsuit by Scott's mother accuses zookeepers of failing to build a safe exhibition space for a gorilla that had nearly escaped in 1999 and had gotten free the month before the attack. Scott told the court today that she has nightmares of being dragged by Little Joe and is "still scared to sleep in my own room."

Kevin Kenneally, a lawyer representing Zoo New England, has suggested during the trial that officials did all they could to keep the public safe from the gorilla. During his cross examination today, Kenneally asked Scott whether anyone had reminded her what happened the day Little Joe attacked. She said no.

After Scott's mother takes the stand this afternoon, the plaintiffs are expected to rest their case.

Posted by aryan at 1:02 PM | Comments (0)

SJC: Man can be retried in killing of girl, 10

(Globe file photos)

Joseph Cousin, shown in court in December 2004, can be retried for the killing of Trina Persad, whose picture is being held by her mother, Bernadette Fernandes, during a press conference.

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

The state's highest court ruled today that a man who is accused in the notorious 2002 killing of 10-year-old Trina Persad can be retried, rejecting defense arguments that Suffolk County prosecutors in fear of an acquittal deliberately caused a mistrial by reporting that five jurors had concealed their criminal records.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled that prosecutors had the right to run criminal background checks on members of the jury, which had deadlocked on the fate of Joseph Cousin, particularly given a note from the jury foreman saying that several jurors seemed biased and were claiming that Cousin and a codefendant had been "set up" by Boston police.

The background checks uncovered that five jurors had criminal records -- two of them extensive -- that they had failed to disclose on questionnaires during jury selection. As a result of the checks, Superior Court Judge Margaret Hinkle sent three jurors with criminal records home, leaving too few jurors to continue the trial.

"Inquiring into the criminal records of jurors in a criminal case for the purpose of determining their qualifications to serve and their impartiality fits squarely within the 'criminal justice duties' of prosecutors,'" Justice Judith A. Cowin wrote on behalf of the court, quoting the state law on criminal records.

As a result of the mistrial, the court system ended up revising jury questionnaires.

Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, said that his boss hailed the ruling and that prosecutors "fully intend to retry Mr. Cousin." He gave no timetable.

Cousin's lawyer, Willie J. Davis, was not immediately available for comment.

Posted by aryan at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

Police: Claiming to be a wounded Iraq vet, man runs $4,000 bar tab

(Barnstable Police Department)

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Christopher Lee Proe came to Pufferbellies nightclub in Barnstable with a taste for expensive champagne and no shortage of stories: He was an Army lieutenant fresh from a tour in Iraq who survived being shot by a .22-caliber gun. He was a Detroit police officer on leave from the National Guard.

After a few weeks of spending cash on pricey drinks, Proe, 23, was on a first -name basis with the staff at Pufferbellies, which prides itself on being friendly to the armed services, waving the cover charge for patrons with military IDs, said Mike Travers, the nightclub's general manager. So when Proe wanted to rent out a VIP room to celebrate his homecoming with his Army buddies and police friends, Pufferbellies allowed him to pay with an out-of-town check, according to a Barnstable police report. Over five days in August, Proe ordered $300 bottles of Dom Perignon and Cristal and paid each time with a check, racking up a tab that topped $4,000.

The checks all bounced, police said.

Proe never served in the military. Never went to Iraq. And isn't a Detroit police officer. Proe is an unregistered sex offender from Indiana wanted on charges in two other states.

"We treated this guy like he was a war hero," Travers said today by phone, recalling that Proe even showed him what he claimed was a Detroit police badge. "For somebody to have that much gall, to go that far with something for a few nights of partying, it's hard for me to understand."

Proe is scheduled to be arraigned today in Barnstable District Court on five counts of larceny over $250. He is also charged as a fugitive from justice for failing to register as a sex offender in Indiana, where he was convicted in 2001 of sexual misconduct with a minor. There are also outstanding warrants for Proe's arrest in Virginia and Ohio, where he is accused of violating a court order by impersonating a police officer.

When word spread in Barnstable that Proe had been arrested over the weekend, a father came to the police department with a picture of his son. His son was lying in a hospital bed after he had been injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, according to Sergeant Sean Sweeney of the Barnstable Police Department.

"The father came in and said, 'I want this guy to know that this is what a vet is,'" Sweeney said. "A real vet."

Posted by aryan at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

Lawmakers seek to protect mentally ill who turn to ERs

By April Simpson, Globe Staff

Lawmakers are pushing for better treatment of psychiatric patients who turn to hospital emergency rooms for care and are holding a hearing today at the State House to discuss regulations that would protect the rights of the mentally ill.

Representative Ruth Balser, a Newton Democrat who is chairwoman of the Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, spoke to reporters before the hearing to lobby for the legislation. "Why would anyone oppose that when people seek medical care, they receive it with respect and dignity?" Balser asked as she stood before mental health advocates who had gathered on the Grand Staircase.

The Globe reported in July that the state investigated at least 21 complaints that emergency departments mistreated psychiatric patients since 2006. Officials cited hospitals in half those cases for problems that included wrongly forcing patients to undress, punching or hitting patients, and restraining others for hours without proper monitoring.

The cases are a sign of the growing strain on the state’s overcrowded emergency rooms and also reflect a shortage of services for the mentally ill, the challenge of caring for sometimes-aggressive psychiatric patients, and inconsistent training of harried ER staff, according to providers, patients, and state officials.

The legislation to be discussed today before the Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse would require the Department of Public Health and the Department of Mental Health to adopt regulations for protecting the mentally ill.

Posted by aryan at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)

Homeland security report calls for improved communication

By Globe Staff

Three large-scale evacuation centers, a statewide text-messaging alert system, and inspections of all smaller chemical facilities -- those are some of the steps Massachusetts can take to improve its homeland security, according to a report released today by the Patrick administration.

"We have created, with the advice and help of our many federal, state and local partners, a comprehensive strategy for homeland security in Massachusetts," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement. "The strategy is aimed at preparing the state to effectively prevent or respond to disasters -- both natural and manmade."

The report stresses that the most important step the state can take is to improve communications between first responders and state and local officials. It also calls for the consolidation of the evacuation plans of Boston with those in other cities and towns as well as modernizing the government's preparation for and management of crises.

Juliette Kayyem, undersecretary for homeland security, said that while local communities have learned lessons from the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, only the state can coordinate large-scale disaster management. The state must focus on defending systems that would have regionwide repercussions if attacked, she said.

"As state homeland security funds from the federal government decline, the state’s obligation to its citizens requires a developed and comprehensive approach to homeland security that also addresses the needs of citizens who may need extra assistance in an emergency, such as those with disabilities," Kayyem said in a statement.

To read the entire report, click here.

Posted by aryan at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2007

A gem of a day

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

With temperatures rising toward the 80s this afternoon, it was a fine day to go to the beach and soak up some rays, as this couple demonstrated in Swampscott.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:52 PM | Comments (0)

Shooting injures one in Dorchester

By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff

Boston police are investigating a shooting early today in the city's Dorchester section that is believed to have followed a disturbance at a hotel on Morrissey Boulevard.

Police responded at about 1:16 a.m. to a report of a fight on the third floor of the Comfort Inn. But upon arrival, the individuals had fled out a back door to Tenean Street, where gunshots were fired.

A person was transported to Boston Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Police did not identify the victim. The individuals involved in the disturbance were not registered guests at the hotel, said Ed Friedrich, the general manager.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:31 PM | Comments (0)

Driver charged after allegedly hitting three motorcycles

By John Forrester, Globe Correspondent

A 28-year-old Tewksbury woman was arrested for drunk driving last night after an alleged hit and run incident involving three motorcycles on the Zakim Bridge, state police said.

Suzanne E. Paolini was driving a 2006 Mercedes SUV north on Intersate 93 across the bridge when she struck three motorcycles at 11:20 p.m., said Sergeant Robert Bousquet, a state police spokesman.

Paolini was pulled over by a trooper near Exit 27 where she was arrested for operating under the influence and other charges. Two of the three motorcyclists were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Paolini suffered no injuries.

Paolini, who will be arraigned Monday at Boston Municipal Court, had no comment when reached by phone today.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:26 PM | Comments (0)

Card game at elderly housing complex hit with pepper spray

By Marc Robins and Daniel M. Peleschuk, Globe Correspondents

Three people were taken to the hospital for observation after someone released pepper spray at a card game last night at an elderly housing complex in Jamaica Plain.

The incident happened at about 7 p.m. as about a dozen people played cards in the common room at the Woodbourne Apartments on Southbourne Street.

"I just don't know how this could have happened," Josephine Baker, 89, said in a telephone interview last night. "I've been here 20 years, I have nice neighbors, and nothing like this has ever happened."

"We were just sitting down to play ... and a few minutes later, everyone got to coughing," said another resident, Priscilla Sequeira. "It's a shame that you can't live in your building in peace."

Lt. Chris Stratton, Emergency Medical Services spokesman, said eight residents were evaluated by paramedics and three were transported to the Faulkner Hospital for observation. No arrests were made.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:12 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2007

State says third 'most wanted' child support deadbeat arrested

By Marc Robins, Globe Correspondent

A third person has been arrested after being placed on the state Revenue Department's "ten most wanted" list for alleged nonpayment of child support.

Germaine Robert Jensen, 32, was arrested yesterday at a bus stop in Annapolis, Md., the department said.

Jensen, whose last known Massachusetts address was in Pembroke, owes $24,195 in unpaid child support for a 9-year-old and 5-year-old child, the department said.

It was the third arrest since a new list of "most wanted" child support deadbeats was released on Sept. 10.

Posted by mfinucane at 9:39 PM | Comments (0)

Somerville police ask people to register GPS devices

(Business Wire Photo)

A prime target: a Magellan GPS device.

By Globe Staff

The Somerville police are trying a new tactic in an effort to combat the rising number of GPS thefts in the city.

The police are asking people to register their devices, which could help in recovering them someday. The registration can be done by simply going to the department's website.

Captain Paul Upton, a police spokesman, said that GPS thefts have been going up while house break-ins are going down.

"The hit in the car is so quick and easy," he said.

Upton said 172 GPS thefts have been reported in the city since the beginning of the year He said the department's registration program, which is also offered for laptops, is unique, as far as he knows.

Increases in GPS thefts have been noted in many places, including the Boston area, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and even Australia and Britain, The Associated Press reported recently.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:40 PM | Comments (0)

After false asbestos scare, Lawrence stops construction at $40-million development

(Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff/file)

Bob Ansin, shown above in February, halted construction today on a project to convert a former Lawrence mill into condos and retail stores.

By Russell Contreras, Globe Staff

LAWRENCE -- The developer of a massive loft and retail project in Lawrence announced today he was suspending construction because a California bank backed out of financing $40 million of the deal after a local newspaper reported incorrectly that asbestos was found in the building.

Robert D. Ansin said officials from United Commercial Bank of San Francisco were upset over the story that appeared in Sunday's edition of the North Andover-based Eagle-Tribune that reported that "workers in Tyvek suits and respirators were on site ... clearing the contaminated material out of the building." The paper later printed a correction.

Ansin said no asbestos was recently found inside the building. He said asbestos was found in a small pocket of soil outside of the building and was removed in half a day.

When asked about the decision to halt construction, Gretchen Putnam, the managing editor of the newspaper, read a statement. "We at the Eagle-Tribune stand by our reporting and our story," she said.

Now Ansin said it may take him three to 12 months to secure another bank loan because of the downturn in the real estate market. "We were almost there," said Ansin, who has not ruled out legal action against the Eagle-Tribune. "But we'll get the financing."

The paper also reported that subcontractors working on the Monarch on the Merrimack project haven't been paid in months because of cash problems, something Ansin said he was working on.

Ansin bought the Wood Worsted Mill in 2003 for roughly $4.5 million and wanted to build environmentally friendly condos on the 60-acre site. Located along the Merrimack River, the mill is the site of the famous "Bread and Roses Strike of 1912." Ansin has already spent $25 million of his own money on the project.

The 600 condos were expected to range in price from $250,000 to $500,000. A movie theater and retail stores were also planned.

Ansin said he has already informed the 55 or so buyers who've already put down deposits to purchase lofts of his decision to suspend construction. He said he is giving them the option of staying with the project or returning their deposit.

Buyers John Grange, 61, said he and his wife, Peg, are sticking by Ansin. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have questions," said Grange, who plans on moving into the lofts as soon as they are finished. "But Bob has been very forthcoming and honest. I believe in his vision."

Posted by aryan at 4:36 PM | Comments (0)

Episcopal leader pushes for a compromise on gay rights

(AP Photo/Judi Bottoni)

Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican spiritual leader, spoke to reporters today in New Orleans.

By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff

NEW ORLEANS -- Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said today that the breakup of the Anglican Communion would mark an unacceptable "failure" and that he believes compromise is possible between opposing factions over gay rights.

After a tense morning of meetings, at which an Egyptian bishop said some Anglicans now view the Episcopal Church as "a different religion," Williams acknowledged that "temperatures are very high" in the 77-million member global Anglican Communion. But he sought to tamp down talk of an imminent schism, saying that "despite what has been claimed, there is no ultimatum" facing the Episcopal Church.

Williams also urged unhappy conservative Episcopalians to try to stay in the church and said that the recent trend of African Anglican leaders consecrating American priests as African bishops constitutes "foreign incursions" in the United States and "make it more difficult to find solutions.''

Williams spoke to the media after a day and a half of talks with about 159 Episcopal bishops who have gathered here for their semi-annual meeting. After the press conference and a lunch, Williams departed for Armenia; he said that next week, after the Episcopal bishops wrap up their meeting, he would review what actions they take in response to criticism from conservatives before deciding how to proceed.

Posted by aryan at 3:43 PM | Comments (0)

Man charged with indecent assault in East Boston

By Globe Staff

Police charged a man with indecent assault and battery this morning after a woman was allegedly attacked in East Boston, and investigators are trying to determine whether there is a connection to a string of sexual assaults in the neighborhood.

The woman told police she was walking on Lexington Street at 8:44 a.m. when she was grabbed from behind and groped. She said she broke free of the man's clutches and fled.

The woman immediately called police and gave a detailed description of the assailant, saying he was a Hispanic male with short black hair and a medium build. He was wearing a diamond earring in his left ear, a black T-shirt with white and green lettering, jean shorts, and was carrying a black backpack with the letters RW.

Police spotted a suspect riding a bicycle on Condor Street who fit that description. Carlos Alfredo Bonilla, 18, of East Boston, was arrested. He will be arraigned this afternoon in East Boston Municipal Court.

Investigators have been searching for a man responsible for assaulting three women in East Boston earlier this month near Porter Street and the Airport MBTA stop. Bonilla has not been charged with those crimes.

Posted by aryan at 2:55 PM | Comments (0)

MIT student arrested at Logan in bomb scare

(Bill Brett for The Boston Globe/AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, pool)

Star Simpson was charged with possessing a hoax device today at Logan International Airport for wearing a sweatshirt that had a circuit board affixed to the front with green LED lights and wires running to a 9-volt battery.

By Anna Badkhen, Michael Levenson, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

An MIT student wearing a device on her chest that included lights and wires was arrested at gunpoint at Logan International Airport this morning after authorities thought the contraption was a bomb strapped to her body.

Star Simpson, 19, was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and approached an airport employee in Terminal C at 8 a.m. to inquire about an incoming flight from Oakland, according to Major Scott Pare of the State Police. She was holding a lump of what looked like putty in her hands. The employee asked about the plastic circuit board on her chest, and Simpson walked away without responding, Pare said.

Outside the terminal, Simpson was surrounded by police holding machine guns.

"She was immediately told to stop, to raise her hands, and not make any movement so we could observe all her movements to see if she was trying to trip any type of device," Pare said at a press conference at Logan. "There was obviously a concern that had she not followed the protocol ... we may have used deadly force."

Simpson was arrested, and it was quickly determined that the device was harmless.

"She said it was a piece of art and she wanted to stand out on career day," Pare said. "She was holding what was later found to be playdough."

Affixed to the front of her black sweatshirt was a pale beige circuit board with green LED lights and wires running to a 9-volt battery. Written on the back of the sweatshirt in what appeared to be gold magic marker was the phrase "socket to me" and below that was written "Course VI," which refers to the electrical engineering and computer science program at MIT.

(Bill Brett for The Boston Globe)

Simpson was charged with possessing a hoax device and was arraigned today East Boston Municipal Court. She was held on $750 cash bail and ordered to return to court Oct. 29.

"Thankfully because she followed our instructions, she ended up in our cell instead of a morgue," Pare said. "Again, this is a serious offense ... I’m shocked and appalled that somebody would wear this type of device to an airport."

According to the MIT website, Simpson is from Kihei, Hawaii, and is a sprinter on the school's swim team. On Simpson's personal website at MIT, she says she is studying computers and enjoys tinkering in a student-run machine shop.

"In a sentence, I'm an inventor, artist, engineer, and student, I love to build things and I love crazy ideas," the website says.

Posted by aryan at 1:15 PM | Comments (0)

Hot air balloon crashes in Westport

(Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)

David Gifford, the owner of Balloon Adventures of New Bedford, stood by his balloon basket this morning and talked about the crash in Westport.

By Globe Staff

A hot air balloon carrying seven people hit two utility wires this morning and crashed in Westport, leaving one passenger with minor burns and knocking out electricity to 100 customers, according to aviation and utility officials.

The balloon, registered to Balloon Adventure of New Bedford Inc., came down at 7 a.m. near Sodom Road, according police and Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the crash.

"The pilot indicted to our investigator at the scene that he encountered a down draft," Peters said.

The balloon was being piloted by David Gifford. A phone message left at Balloon Adventure of New Bedford Inc. was not returned.

Electricity was restored to the 100 customers near Sodom Road in about 90 minutes, said NStar spokesman Michael Durand.

Because there were no serious injuries and the balloon did not sustain much damage, the National Transportation Safety Board will not investigate the crash, Peters said. The FAA will issue a report detailing its preliminary findings in a few days, he said.

Posted by aryan at 9:37 AM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007

Safety of school buses and vans scrutinized in Boston

By MIchael Levenson, Globe Staff

Boston police and state Registry of Motor Vehicles officials handed out 155 citations yesterday, the most since 2003, during an annual crackdown dubbed "Operation Guardian Angel," in which officials conduct surprise inspections of school buses and vans across the city.

Registrar of Motor Vehicles Anne L. Collins said the violations, which resulted in $5,375 in fines, revealed a "pervasive problem" among the motley fleet of buses, vans and station wagons, as well as their drivers, who are responsible for safely ferrying the city's children to public and private schools and day care centers.

"We're only stopping a small percentage of the vehicles out there and, if this is the number of violations, this is a sign of real trouble," Collins said.

This was the ninth such operation, but the first time inspectors have targeted traditional school buses in addition to station wagons and vans outfitted with yellow "School Bus" signs.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:19 PM | Comments (0)

Tractor-trailer truck knocks down poles on Route 1

By Globe Staff

A tractor-trailer truck hit a number of telephone poles on Route 1 southbound in Peabody this afternoon, causing the road to be closed briefly.

The incident happened in front of Chili's Restaurant, said Sergeant Mike Rafferty, a State Police spokesman.

The southbound section of the road was opened after 10 minutes; the northbound section was opened after 30 minutes.

No charges are pending, Rafferty said.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:15 PM | Comments (0)

Two women allegedly brought small children on shoplifting trip

By Globe Staff

Two women allegedly brought two small children along with them when they went shoplifting last week at a Somerville store.

April Robinson of Boston's Roxbury neighborhood and Tarshesha Ross of Somerville, both 26, allegedly stole items at a Middlesex Avenue K-Mart last Wednesday.

The two women had brought along Robinson's 2-year-old child and a 4-year-old who was either Ross's child or niece, according to a Somerville police report.

A store security guard told police he saw the defendants selecting merchandise and handing it to the 4-year-old who then placed it in the rear of a stroller. He said he also saw the child selecting items on her own and putting them there, the report said.

A total of $61.13 worth of items was found in the rear of the stroller, police said. The group also allegedly did not pay for a 20-ounce soda that Robinson gave to her child.

Both Robinson and Ross were also arrested on a number of outstanding warrants, the report said. Robinson also faces a charge of giving a false name to police.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:03 PM | Comments (0)

Christ statue vandalized at library, Lucifer left untouched

(Boston Public Library)

The bust of Christ, left, was broken into pieces. A nearby sculpture of Lucifer was unharmed.

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A 160-year-old marble bust of Christ was attacked at the main branch of the Boston Public Library, knocked from its perch on the grand staircase and sent crashing to the floor. Nearby, a matching marble bust of Lucifer was left untouched.

Library surveillance video given to police showed a man and a woman attacking the bust at 2:40 p.m. on Sept. 12. The female suspect was seen on the video throwing an object at the sculpture and forcing it off a ledge, according to a police report.

"People reported hearing a crash," said Mary Bender, the library's communication manager.

The two suspects ran out of the library. Police canvassed Copley Square without luck.

The two busts were sculptured by Horatio Greenough circa 1845 and have adorned the landing between the first and second floor since the library opened in 1895. The works sat protected behind a railing.

The head of Lucifer has long, handsome locks of curly hair to portray the archangel shortly after he fell from grace, before evil and sin sullied his good looks, Bender said. The bust of Christ rested on two angels, which sat on top of a coiled snake.

This was not the first time Christ was attacked.

In the 1970s, a man lunged at the bust and tried to vandalize it, Bender said. Before the man could do any harm, he was tackled by an employee from the circulation desk coming back from lunch, she said. Lucifer was again left untouched.

After the latest attack, the library plans to fix the bust of Christ, which broke into a few pieces, Bender said. Lucifer has been removed from the grand staircase until the library can determine a secure way for it to be displayed. The library cast doubt on any role Lucifer -- statue or devil -- may have played in the vandalism of Christ.

"You never know," Bender said. "He also works in mysterious ways, I suppose. Who knows what goes through someone's head when they do something like this."

Posted by aryan at 3:10 PM | Comments (0)

Motorcyclist injured in West Bridgewater accident

By Globe Staff

A motorcycle rider was seriously injured in a crash today on the ramp from Route 106 to Route 24 southbound in West Bridgewater.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the driver of the 2006 Harley-Davidson lost control before the accident, which happened at about 11:34 a.m., State Police said in a statement. The man was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Route 24 northbound was closed for about 15 minutes, while the right travel lane on the southbound side was closed for about an hour, State Police said.

No further information was immediately available.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:05 PM | Comments (0)

Man sentenced to life for 2002 murder

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

A Suffolk Superior Court judge sentenced John Gomes, 30, to life in prison without parole today one day after a jury convicted him for the 2002 murder of a father of two.

As relatives of Gomes and the victim, Ildobrando Correia, wept in the packed courtroom, Judge Charles Spurlock also sentenced him to four to five years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to nine to 10 years in jail for possession of the 25-round magazine that was in the firearm, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, he used to kill Correia. The sentences will be served concurrently, before the life sentence for first-degree murder in state will begin.

Prosecutors said Gomes fired 18 rounds at Correia as he sat in his car at 9 p.m. Aug. 13, after dropping off an elderly co-worker on Ridgewood Street in Dorchester.

Correia's widow, Maria DePina, read from a prepared statement before the sentencing. When Correia was killed, DePina was pregnant with their second child, a son, who is now about 5 years old and is named after his father.

"The worst part of all this is that his son, Ildo, will never get to know his own father," she said, crying. "I know justice will be served if that man is put away for the rest of his life, because he didn't have the right to take away Ildo's life."

Gomes, who wore a suit and with his graying hair looked much older than 30, did not speak. His mouth had been wired shut after his jaw was broken less than a month ago during a fight at Suffolk County House of Correction at South Bay, while he was awaiting his trial, said his lawyer, Russell Sobelman.

During the proceeding, Sobelman read a statement on behalf of Gomes, in which he proclaimed his innocence and said he knew Correia, a fellow Cape Verdean whom he often saw driving through the neighborhood to drop off his co-worker.

“He would never do anything to hurt Ildo," Sobleman said after the proceeding. Sobelman said he has already filed an appeal of the conviction.

Posted by aryan at 1:08 PM | Comments (0)

Asbestos cleanup halted near burst steam pipe

By Globe Staff

The cleanup of a burst steam pipe beneath Otis Street in the Financial District was halted because the company hired for the work did not have a license to remove asbestos, a fire department official said today.

Hazmat inspectors visited the site Wednesday evening and determined that the company, Walton Systems of Chelsea, was using the wrong type of truck and did not have the license required to remove asbestos, according to Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department. The 14-inch steam pipe burst last week as it was being repaired and spewed insulation that contained asbestos in downtown Boston.

Fire officials measured the air quality on Otis Street Wednesday night and did not find any harmful contaminants, MacDonald said.

Trigen Energy Cos., which operates a 22-mile network of steam pipes beneath the city, had hired LVI Services to cleanup the area near Summer Street, MacDonald said. LVI in turn hired in Walton Systems, which was not licensed to do the work, he said.

Fleet Environmental Services, which has an asbestos license, has been hired to continue the cleanup. Fleet is expected to start its work today, MacDonald said.

Posted by aryan at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

Truck hits sign at entrance to westbound Ted

By Globe Staff

A tall truck hit an electric sign near the entrance to the westbound Ted Williams Tunnel this morning, forcing traffic on Interstate 90 down to one lane, State Police said.

Both lanes of the westbound tunnel were closed for roughly 10 minutes while workers took down the sign, police said.

Both lanes reopened to traffic at 8:48 a.m. but delays persisted, backing up into East Boston.

Posted by aryan at 8:39 AM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007

Boston officer honored for rescuing woman from kidnapping

(Bill Brett for The Boston Globe)

Atencio and Giannopoulos at the ceremony.

By Globe Staff

A Boston police officer was honored today in a City Hall ceremony for coming to the rescue of a woman who was allegedly being kidnapped.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared today to be "Patrolman Peter Giannopoulos Day" as the woman Giannopoulos helped, Alexandria Atencio, 22, of Brighton looked on.

Giannopoulos was driving down Cambridge Street just before 3 a.m. Tuesday when he saw a man struggling with Atencio.

Giannopoulos jumped out of his car and chased the man on foot. Other officers eventually caught him.

Police said Atencio's attacker had threatened her at knifepoint and forced her to walk with him from Franklin Street, over a bridge that spans the Massachusetts Turnpike, and then onto Cambridge Street.

The proclamation signed by Menino said that Giannopoulos "exemplifies what the men and women of the Boston Police Department do to serve our city."

The alleged assailant, Bruce L. Saidi, 25, of Chelsea, has pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, and trespassing. Police are still looking for a second man who they believe was Saidi's accomplice.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:29 PM | Comments (0)

Suspect found hiding in dryer after lengthy standoff with police

By Globe Staff

A 41-year-old woman was arrested on a breaking and entering charge yesterday after a lengthy standoff with police at a home in Dorchester.

Laura Buchman, who was found hiding in a dryer, was not armed and did not resist when police arrested her, said Officer David Estrada, a police spokesman.

Police were called to a Washington Street home at about 9:30 a.m. for a possible break-in. Once they arrived, they heard noises in the house.

Officers summoned the department's special entry team. Police moved cautiously because of concerns that the person in the house might be armed, Estrada said.

Police finally entered the house at about 2 p.m. and found Buchman, said Officer James Kenneally, a police spokesman.

Buchman, who also had outstanding warrants for a variety of other charges, was scheduled to be arraigned today in Dorchester District Court.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:09 PM | Comments (0)

Band manager in deadly nightclub fire to be released in March

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

Daniel Biechele, the band manager who lit the pyrotechnics display that sparked the deadly Rhode Island night club fire in 2003, will be released from prison after serving less than half his sentence, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced today. He will be released in March.

"The Board carefully considered the institutional and public input of the victims, both opposed and in favor of his release -- the numerous support letters, his progress in the correctional system, his proposed release plan and his low score on our Parole Release Risk Instrument," the board said in a statement.

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch had opposed Biechele's parole. Relatives of the fire's 100 victims have had varying opinions on the possibility of Biechele's release after serving about 18 months of a four-year sentence.

Some were receptive, crediting Biechele for apologizing and acknowledging his role in the fire early on, while others urged that Biechele be required to serve the entire term.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:52 PM | Comments (0)

Medical examiner: Immigrant died from cocaine, hydroxyzine

Edimar Alves Araujo, shown above in a family photo with his niece, died Aug. 7.

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

Edimar Alves Araujo, the 34-year-old Brazilian immigrant who died Aug. 7 while in federal custody in Rhode Island, died of "acute intoxication" from the combined effects of cocaine and hydroxyzine, a medication used to treat anxiety and vomiting, the Rhode Island medical examiner's office reported today. Araujo, whose body was sent to Brazil for burial, also had a chronic seizure disorder that contributed to his death.

Araujo's official cause of death had been in dispute for weeks. His family had criticized police after he died, saying they rebuffed his sister's pleas to give him his epilepsy medicine. Police had denied the claim and said Araujo, an illegal immigrant, was fine when they turned him over to federal immigration authorities.

Araujo later fell ill and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Providence. Araujo's family declined to comment today because other investigations are ongoing, said lawyer Randy Olen.

Posted by aryan at 4:04 PM | Comments (0)

State health department warns of tainted lettuce

By Globe Staff

The state Department of Public Health is asking people to take a close look at the lettuce they have in the refrigerator because it could be contaminated with bacteria.

The department says that lettuce recently recalled by the Dole Food Co. may have been sold in Massachusetts.

Dole recalled the lettuce Monday because of concerns the bags may be contaminated with the E. coli bacteria. It acted after a tainted bag was sold in Canada.

The Massachusetts health department asked people to check their refrigerators and dispose of lettuce labeled "Dole Hearts Delight" with a "best if used by (BIUB)" date of Sept. 19 and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B."

The salad was sold in half-pound plastic bags with a UPC code of 071430-01038.

Exposure to E. coli can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea, and it can lead to a complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, the health department said.

While warning that the lettuce may have been sold in the state, the department said it didn't know how much might have been sold or where it might have been sold.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:44 PM | Comments (0)

Police say Everett arsonist confessed

By Globe Staff

A 20-year-old Methuen man pleaded not guilty today to an arson charge in a fire early Monday in Everett that displaced about 35 residents of an apartment building and damaged a halal meat market and dance studio in the complex.

Brandon Kwedor was arraigned in Malden District Court before Judge Matthew Nestor on charges of arson of a dwelling and causing injury to a firefighter. (A firefighter was injured when he ran out of oxygen inside the building.)

The judge ordered Kwedor held pending a dangerousness hearing on Sept. 24, said Middlesex district attorney's spokesman Corey Welford.

In the third of three interviews at the police station, Kwedor confessed to setting the fire "using the blunt he was smoking and a piece of plastic and gasoline from a gasoline can that was in a storage unit he was smoking the blunt in," an Everett detective said in a police report filed in Kwedor's case.

The report did not say what Kwedor's alleged motive was.

Authorities said the blaze, which broke out in the basement of 362 Main St., caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.

Kwedor’s attorney didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:23 PM | Comments (0)

Tractor-trailer jackknifes on Mass Pike

(Essdras Suarez/Globe Staff)

Traffic crawls by the accident this morning as rescuers tend to the injured driver.

By Globe Staff

A major traffic artery was clogged this morning in Boston when a tractor-trailer truck jackknifed on the Massachusetts Turnpike westbound.

The truck, an unloaded car carrier, jackknifed at about 10:48 a.m. three-quarters of a mile short of the Allston-Brighton tolls, said Trooper Eric Benson, a State Police spokesman. All but one of the highway's lanes had to be closed.

The truck was cleared out of the way by 11:47 a.m., Benson said. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation, Benson said.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:40 PM | Comments (0)

NStar driver charged in death of girl, 13

(Trainor family photo)

By Globe Staff

The driver of an energy company truck that struck and killed a 13-year-old Walpole girl riding her bike was charged today with negligent motor vehicle homicide, according to the Norfolk district attorney's office.

Kenneth Phillips, 59, was driving an NStar truck Monday afternoon and hit Justine Trainor, a seventh-grader at Eleanor N. Johnson Middle School, prosecutors said. The Norfolk resident is also accused of not using a turn signal and driving without corrective lens, which are required by his license. Trainor was struck 400 feet from her home as Phillips turned into an NStar utility yard.

Phillips has the right to contest the charges and request a probable cause hearing before a Wrentham District Court clerk magistrate, according to the district attorney's office.

Phillips's attorney, Michael Joyce, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Caroline Allen, a spokeswoman for NStar, said that it was company policy to let the legal process proceed and not discuss pending matters.

"Ken Phillips has been an NSTAR employee for 27 years and takes his job very seriously," Allen said in an email. "This is a tragedy for everyone involved and as a father and citizen, he is feeling a tremendous sense of pain and sorrow right now because of this accident. As his employer, we have an obligation to ask that this long-standing employee’s privacy be respected."

Posted by aryan at 11:59 AM | Comments (0)

Despite new Patrick appointees, Tocco remains UMass chairman

(George Rizer/Globe Staff/file)

Stephen P. Tocco, shown above last year, was reelected today as chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees.

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

LOWELL -- The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees reelected Stephen P. Tocco as its chairman this morning over the objections of new board members appointed Tuesday by Governor Deval Patrick.

Four of the five new trustees tried to delay the vote until next month but did not have enough support to sway the 19-member committee, which includes 12 holdovers appointed by Republican governors.

"In the spirit of advancing the university, which has been pretty tumultuous over the past nine month, we believe this vote should happen today," said Robert Manning, vice chairman of the board.

Tocco thanked the board for its support and said he would reach out to the new members. "I do think moving forward with the business of the university takes precedence," he said.

Philip W. Johnston, the former head of the state Democratic Party, and three other new trustees abstained from the vote to reelect Tocco, a longtime Republican operative who was appointed by former Governor Mitt Romney. The fifth new trustee -- Kerri Osterhaus, a Hudson physician who received her medical degree from the UMass Medical School -- did not attend today's meeting.

"The university is at a crossroads," Johnston said, who wanted the new trustees to have more time to acclimate themselves. "It does seem to me that the process that is followed here should be very transparent.”

While governors appoint trustees, the board chooses its own chairman. In addition to Johnson, Patrick on Tuesday also appointed James Karam, the former chairman of the Board of Trustees who lost his leadership role to Tocco. At the time, some trustees criticized Karam’s ouster as political payback because he had opposed Romney's attempts to remove former UMass president William M. Bulger and supported a plan to establish a new public law school in the face of Romney's opposition.

Posted by aryan at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

Arson charges filed in Everett blaze

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

A 20-year-old Methuen man is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow on arson charges in a fire early Monday in Everett that displaced about 35 residents of an apartment building and damaged a halal meat market and dance studio in the complex.

Brandon Kwedor faces charges of arson of a dwelling and causing injury to a firefighter. (A firefighter had to be helped from the building after he ran out of oxygen inside.)

Everett Police Lieutenant Paul Landry said the fire appeared to have been intentionally set in the basement of the building at 326 Main St., but authorities did not say how or why the fire was allegedly set.

Police Chief Steven Mazzie said early reports that immigrants were targeted in the fire were unfounded, and Fire Chief David Butler said the fire appeared to be an isolated incident, unrelated to any other fires in the city.

Authorities said the blaze, which injured only the firefighter, caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. Butler credited the lack of any deaths or serious injuries in the fire to the presence of working smoke alarms.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:57 PM | Comments (0)

Carver mother acquitted in her son's murder, committed to state hospital

By Globe Staff

A Carver mother charged with strangling her 3-year-old son was found not guilty by reason of insanity today, but a judge quickly committed her to a state hospital.

Helen Kirk faced a second-degree murder charge in the March 8, 2005 strangling death of her son, Justin.

Brockton Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Donovan today found her not guilty, said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz.

Prosecutors immediately asked that Kirk be committed to a state hospital. The judge held a hearing and, determining that Kirk had a "major mental illness" and posed a danger to herself and others, agreed to the state's request, Cruz said.

Kirk, 36, will be held at the hospital for up to six months, provided that she continues to be deemed mentally ill and dangerous. After six months, the hospital and district attorney's office can petition to commit her again for a year, the district attorney's office said. The commitment can be renewed annually after that.

"We'll certainly be monitoring this case and make sure the public remains safe," Cruz said.

Cruz said the prosecutors had done an exhaustive investigation in the case, which he called a "terrible, tragic situation."

"We had an obligation to that little boy ... to make sure we looked at everything. I'm confident we did that," he said.

Jack Atwood, Kirk's attorney, said he knew early on that his client was suffering from a major mental illness.

He said four experts had agreed that she was "not only mentally ill but that she couldn’t conform her conduct to the requirements of the law."

"It really left the judge no choice," he said. "It was the only appropriate verdict."

Atwood said his client wanted to be punished.

"Her thinking is very concrete. It's clear to me she knows she's done wrong, now, and that she views the hospitalization as not only a punishment but also a potential cure," he said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:33 PM | Comments (0)

Brockton post office may soon be named after Rocky Marciano

(AP Photo)

Marciano punches Joe Louis in a 1951 non-title fight.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Rocky Marciano, the rugged 1950s heavyweight champ who is the pride of Brockton, may get yet another honor in his hometown.

US Representative Stephen Lynch plans to submit a bill in Congress to name the post office on Commercial Street after Marciano.

"In many ways, Rocky Marciano epitomized the people and the City of Brockton. He worked hard his entire life, persevered through difficult times, and in the end, achieved more than anyone thought possible. Rocky Marciano was proud of his hometown, and it's fitting that the Brockton Post Office will bear his name," Lynch said in a statement.

Marciano "really put the city on the map," said Mark Casieri, a boxing fan who owns Marciano's boyhood home. Casieri, who is a postal worker, said he came up with the idea.

"It will define Brockton as a city that regards Rocky in high honor, high prestige," said Charlie Tartaglia. A former city council member and owner of a well-known local eatery, George's Cafe, Tartaglia was another Marciano fan who pushed the proposal.

Marciano. the "Brockton Blockbuster," was undefeated in 49 professional fights, with 43 knockouts. He reigned as world champ from when he knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia in September 1952 to April 1956, when he retired. He died Aug. 31, 1969.

"The city of Brockton and the name Rocky Marciano are synonymous. We couldn't be more honored," said Peter Marciano of Plymouth, the champ's younger brother.

In order for a post office to be named after someone, a bill has to be passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president, said Christine Dugas, a spokeswoman for the United States Postal Service.

Such bills are usually noncontroversial, said Matt Ferraguto, Lynch's spokesman.

Having his name on the post office wouldn't be the first honor Rocky Marciano has received in the city. The high school football stadium is named after him, as is the street where he grew up. He also has a plaque in a park near his childhood home.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:41 PM | Comments (0)

Patrick appoints 5 to UMass Board of Trustees

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick today named five new members to the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, including former chairman James Karam, in a broad shift that could realign the balance of power on the committee.

Karam had begun his third term as board chairman last September when he was ousted by Governor Mitt Romney in an effort to reshape the board and install Stephen Tocco as chairman. Karam had opposed Romney's attempts to oust former UMass president William Bulger and had supported a state law school despite Romney's opposition.

Another familiar name among Patrick's five appointees is Philip W. Johnston, who stepped down as chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party earlier this year. The other new board members are Kerri Osterhaus, Henry M. Thomas III, and Ed Collins.

The reconstituted board will meet Wednesday morning at UMass-Lowell and may vote to name its chairman, raising the prospect that Tocco, a veteran Republican operative, could be ousted. The 19-member committee governs UMass campuses in Amherst, Lowell, Dartmouth, Boston, and Worcester.

"To be a world leader in education, we have to continually strengthen our leadership," Patrick said in a statement. "The broad range of skills and depth of experience that these new trustees bring will help ensure that the University of Massachusetts flourishes."

Here are the biographies of the new appointees, as provided by the Patrick administration:

James Karam, president and founder of First Bristol Corporation – a development company in Fall River, is a former chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees and an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Philip W. Johnston is a health and human services consultant, a former chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, and a former state legislator and cabinet member. He was also the New England director of the US Department of Health and Human Services under President Clinton from 1993 to 1996. Johnston also chairs the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation Board of Directors. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dr. Kerri Osterhaus, of Hudson, is an obstetrics and gynecology physician based at Women’s Health of Central Massachusetts. She received her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed her medical residency at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Osterhaus will fill the seat designated to the Medical School.

Henry M. Thomas III, of Springfield, is president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield. A visiting professor at the University of Massachusetts in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from 1998 to 2001, Thomas was also a member of the State Board of Education from 2001 until August 2007.

Ed Collins, of Springfield, who has been named to the labor seat on the board, attended the University of Massachusetts and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Westfield State College. Collins is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers AFL-CIO & CLC.

Posted by aryan at 4:36 PM | Comments (0)

Police: driver could face charges in Walpole fatal

(Trainor family photo)

By Erin Conroy, Globe Correspondent

Charges could be brought against the driver of an energy company truck that struck and killed a 13-year-old girl riding her bike Monday afternoon, Walpole Deputy Police Chief Scott Bushway said today.

Police are still investigating whether the truck driven by Kenneth Phillips of Norfolk was speeding when it turned onto the access road and struck Justine Trainor, a seventh-grader at Eleanor N. Johnson Middle School, Bushway said. Phillips did not immediately return calls to his home for comment.

Trainor's friends and family gathered today at a makeshift memorial in front of the NStar utility yard entrance where she was killed, just 400 feet from her home.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)

Police thwart alleged kidnapping in Allston

Bruce L. Saidi's mug shot.

By Globe Staff

A young woman walking down the street early this morning in Boston's Allston section was briefly abducted by a man wielding a knife, but a police officer scared off her assailant, law enforcement authorities said.

Bruce L. Saidi, 25, of Chelsea is facing kidnapping and other charges and police are searching for his accomplice, the Suffolk district attorney's office said this afternoon.

The 22-year-old woman was talking on her cell phone and walking her bicycle along a street shortly before 3 when she was approached by two men. One held her at knifepoint, while the other man took her bike.

The man with the knife allegedly forced the victim to walk with him over a nearby footbridge that crosses the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Officer Peter Giannopoulos said he was driving down Cambridge Street when he saw a man with a woman in a kind of a "reverse headlock" at the Highgate Street intersection and heard the victim cry for help. Giannopoulos jumped out of his car and the man fled, disobeying the officer's orders to stop.

Giannopoulos gave chase. "We started going through the back of people's houses, over fences, over trash bins, and what not," he said.

Giannopoulos kept radioing the man's position and description during the chase. The suspect was eventually caught by other officers on nearby train tracks.

In Saidi's pockets were a single glove and length of white rope, police said. Police were unable to find the second suspect.

Giannopoulos said he was glad he had happened on the scene.

"I'm very glad. That girl was obviously in a lot of distress," he said.

Saidi pleaded not guilty today in Brighton District Court to charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, and trespassing. Bail was set at $25,000 cash and Saidi was ordered to return to court on Sept. 24.

"There is no telling what could have happened to this young woman had police not spotted her in time," said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. "We will spare no effort to hold this defendant accountable for his actions."

Giannopoulos said all-out foot chases aren’t that common on his late-night shift. But "if it's there, it happens. Then we've got to do what we do."

Posted by mfinucane at 3:53 PM | Comments (0)

Two hands on the wheel: legislators take aim at driving with cellphones

By April Simpson, Globe Staff

When state Representative Joseph F. Wagner makes the two-hour trip between the State House and his district office in Chicopee, he said it seems as if every driver is yapping on a cellphone.

"The phones that used to be in our homes are now attached to our ears," said Wagner, a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation.

Eight separate bills restricting cellphone use for drivers were discussed at a 20-minute hearing today at the State House. Some would require all drivers to use hands-free phones when behind the wheel. Others would bar the use of cellular devices for any drivers under age 18. The bill proposed by Wagner would do both.

Under some of the bills, young drivers would lose their licenses for a year if caught chatting and driving. Other suggested penalties included a $500 fine for repeat offenders who failed to use a hands-free device while talking on the phone.

"They need to understand the fact that when they're behind the wheel that’s their primary focus," Wagner said.

The transportation committee is expected to roll the competing bills into a single piece of legislation that may come to a vote as early as next week. It is unclear how much support the restrictions have in the Legislature. Senator Steven A. Baddour, the other co-chair of the transportation committee, said today that he supports the ban for teenage drivers but is against requiring all drivers to use hands-free devices, according to the Associated Press.

Posted by aryan at 3:52 PM | Comments (0)

300-pound gorilla attacked toddler at zoo, witness testifies

(Michael Dwyer for The Boston Globe/Globe file photo)

Courtney Roberson described today in Suffolk Superior Court how she and Nia Scott, 2, were attack by Little Joe, shown above in a file photo.

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

When Little Joe broke out of his enclosure at the Franklin Park Zoo in 2003, Courtney Roberson, 18, grabbed a toddler in her arms and tried to shield the 2-year-old from the 300-pound ape.

Little Joe couldn't be stopped, wrapping fingers twice as large as a human's around the leg of the 35-pound toddler and yanking hard, Roberson testified today during a civil trial in Suffolk Superior Court. While Roberson cried and screamed for help, the gorilla grabbed her by the shirt, lifted her off the ground, and threw her down, knocking Nia out of her arms.

"I couldn't believe that I was getting attacked by a gorilla at the zoo," said Roberson, who was an off-duty zoo employee at the time.

After the ape bit Roberson on her back, she testified, Little Joe turned his attention to Nia, who was sitting alone on the ground crying. "Joe was very close to her," Roberson said. "He was standing over her on all fours. Right over her."

"I saw Joe repeatedly hit Nia," Roberson said, recalling that she saw the gorilla swing his right arm at Nia five to eight times. Under cross examination, Roberson acknowledged that she never saw Little Joe make contact with Nia and could see his arm swing in her direction.

Roberson's testimony came on the first day of a civil trial stemming from a lawsuit filed by Nia's mother against Zoo New England and five of its executives, including its president and chief executive officer, John Linehan, and head veterinarian, Dr. Hayley Murphy. Nia and Roberson escaped that day with cuts and bruises, but Little Joe went on to terrorize the neighborhood near the zoo for two hours before police fired tranquilizer darts to corral him.

The lawsuit, filed by Terrasita Duarte-Scott, accuses the zoo of not taking adequate steps to contain Little Joe, who had climbed out of his enclosure the month before attacking Nia and nearly escaped in 1999. Since the attack on Sept. 28, 2003, Nia has had nightmares, cannot sleep by herself, is not as outgoing, and has not had the same relationship with mother, the lawsuit alleges.

Lawyers for the zoo and its executives disputed the plaintiff’s claims. They said that Little Joe "left" his enclosure in the tropical forest exhibit, and were careful not to use the word escape. While zoo officials said they were sorry about what happened, they were not liable because the Franklin Park Zoo took adequate precautions to protect the public, which was underscored by the fact that no zoo professional from other parts of country would testify against them, the lawyers said. While they acknowledge that Nia was hurt, the lawyers allege that her injuries were not as extensive as described by the plaintiffs.

Posted by aryan at 1:27 PM | Comments (0)

Arson eyed in Everett apartment fire

By Globe Staff

State fire officials said today that a four-alarm fire in an Everett apartment building early Monday was the work of an arsonist.

"This fire was deliberately set," State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said this morning by phone. "An arson investigation is underway and we are pursuing all leads."

The blaze broke out shortly after 2 a.m. in a building on Main Street. One firefighter had to be rescued when he became trapped in the flames. No injuries were reported.

Coan said the arson probe involved State Police assigned to his office, Everett fire officials, and investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Posted by aryan at 11:55 AM | Comments (0)

Gambling debate flares after Patrick's proposal

(Wiqan Ang for The Boston Globe)

Representative Daniel Bosley (left), a longtime casino foe, squared off this morning against state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who supports the expansion of gambling. Rev. Richard McGowan, a gambling researcher at Boston College, sat between the two men during the panel discussion at the Omni Parker House.

By Michael Levenson and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Passions flared on both sides of the gambling debate this morning as opponents and supporters of Governor Deval Patrick's plan to license three casinos in Massachusetts squared off at a forum in a hotel ballroom in downtown Boston.

About 100 lawyers, lobbyists, and lawmakers attended the panel discussion at the Omni Parker House, which included Representative Daniel Bosley and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill -- two Democrats on opposite sides of the issue -- and the Rev. Richard McGowan, a gambling researcher at Boston College.

The most passionate comments of the morning came from a lawmaker in the audience, state Senator Susan Tucker, who blasted the governor's plan in a sarcastic speech.

"The fact is that this is an industry that depends on addiction for its resources," said Tucker, a Democrat from Andover. "Why don't we just promote smoking so we can use the extra tax on cigarettes to pay for public health problems?"

The discussion, hosted by MassInc., a nonpartisan think tank, had been scheduled before Patrick unveiled his casino plan Monday. The timing made it one of the first vigorous debates of the proposal to expand gambling throughout the state.

Cahill called the governor's plan "brilliant," saying that casino gambling became a reality that needed to be addressed after the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe won federal recognition this spring. While state treasurers have historically been against casino gambling to protect Lottery revenues, Cahill said that young consumers tend to view Keno, scratch tickets, and other Lottery contests as "their father's game." That has allowed a large revenue stream to leave the state for casinos in Connecticut and beyond.

"We should start to capture that money," Cahill said. "If people want to spend their money on gambling, who are we to say they can't. We just want to make it an attractive setting."

Bosley, a North Adams representative and longtime critic of casinos, argued that the governor overstated the economic benefits of legalized gambling. He said it would be impossible to limit casinos to three regions in the state and warned it would mushroom like the Lottery, which started with one green ticket in the 1970s and has grown to nearly 40 types of scratch-off tickets, Keno with its drawings every four minutes, and a bevy of other games.

"That's a cautionary tale for us, because the same thing will happen that happened with the Lottery," Bosley said.

Opposition to expanded gambling has been growing since 1996, Bosley said, and he estimated that 101 of the 160 members in the state House of Representatives vote against casinos the last time the issue surfaced.

Cahill said that the way to build support was simple: make sure casino revenues will be spread to each of the state's 351 cities and towns, ensuring that each legislator gets a piece.

McGowan, the gambling researcher, agreed that the governor may have been too optimistic about the financial windfall and had a warning for lawmakers hoping to fill budget gaps with casino revenues. "Once you get on to the medicine, you can't get off it," he said.

Posted by aryan at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)

Rocks thrown from overpass in West Bridgewater

By Globe Staff

Large rocks were thrown off an overpass on Route 24 in West Bridgewater overnight and damaged a car and a pickup truck, State Police said.

The vehicles were traveling north near Exit 16 at 11:55 p.m. when rocks were thrown off the Walnut Street overpass, police said. No one was injured.

One rock hit a 2002 Ford F350 pickup truck driven by Paul Nunes, 36, and damaged the passenger mirror, window, and door. The other rock damaged the front end and undercarriage of a 1995 Honda Civic driven by Kathleen A. Johnson, 55.

Police searched the area near the overpass and did not find the person or people who threw the rocks.

Posted by aryan at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

Under Patrick plan, casino revenues would ease property tax, fix infrastructure

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

Governor Deval Patrick described his plan today at a State House press conference after months of study.

By Andrew Ryan and April Simpson, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick today outlined his plan to license three resort casinos in Massachusetts that he said would create 20,000 permanent jobs and generate $400 million in new annual revenues that would be dedicated to fixing crumbling roads and bridges and offering a $215 property tax credit for homeowners.

The three casinos -- in Southeastern Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and metropolitan Boston -- would be regulated by the "most rigorous and robust" gaming commission in the country, which would be funded by an assessment on every slot machine and table game, according to the administration. Each casino would also have to give 2.5 percent of its gross revenue to a new Public Health Trust Fund, which would combat gambling addiction and fund battles against other societal ills, including domestic violence and child abuse.

"I believe resort casinos can bring significant economic benefits to the Commonwealth, with manageable impact on communities," Patrick said. "Done the right way, resort casinos can join the many other reasons why Massachusetts is an international destination for travelers and tourists and a wonderful place to live."

The governor described his plan this afternoon at a State House press conference after months of study and a long stretch of public silence. His plan still needs to be approved by the Legislature and could meet significant resistance.

All three 10-year licenses would be put up for competitive bid, an auction that would immediately generate $600 million, revenues that would be used to jump-start the property tax credit program, according to the administration. Special consideration would be given to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe, which has already inked an agreement with the town of Middleborough to build a $1 billion resort casino. "At least one of the licenses I have talked about will have a Native American component," he said.

Once the casinos are built by 2012, the resorts would generate $400 million after the costs of additional public health programs, public safety, and other impacts on neighboring cities and towns.

"I'm not interested -- and I don't think most people are -- in turning Massachusetts into Las Vegas," Patrick said.

"They would be resort casinos," he continued. "I'm not just interested in a gambling hall. I'm interested in what amenities go around them -- the hotels, the entertainment, maybe a golf course, for example, because that’s where the largest economic impact seems to come from."

Under the proposal, $200 million of the new revenue would be used each year for a property tax credit for more than 1 million homeowners. The average credit would be $215 and would be based upon the percentage of a homeowner's income devoted to paying property taxes, according to the administration.

The remaining $200 million would be used to repair roads and bridges and help close the $15 billion to $19 billion funding gap for maintaining the state's transportation infrastructure. The money would help the state fix its nearly 600 structurally deficient bridges and address the backlog of rehabilitation and maintenance projects, according to the administration.

Suffolk Downs in East Boston and Revere's Wonderland Park immediately began jockeying for one of the three casino licenses, while gambling foes began mobilizing and vowed a major fight against casinos.

Posted by aryan at 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

Partial transcript of Patrick's casino announcement

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

We cannot reject the gaming industry out of hand. Economic growth is critical in order for us to deal honestly and responsibly with the neglect of the past 16 years. Our roads and bridges need billions of dollars of repairs and ongoing maintenance. We must further reform our education system, to prepare young people for competitive challenges and opportunities for today's and tomorrow's global economy.

And we must accomplish all this without putting an unfair burden on those in our community who have been hit hardest in the past few years by rising property taxes. The only way to meet these responsibilities fairly and equitably is to advance initiatives that will provide long-term sustainable economic growth. Our initiatives in life sciences, renewable energy, and education reform, together with the day-to-day work we do, with and for supporting businesses that are already growing and creating jobs here, are central to our strategy to stimulate long-term economic growth in the Commonwealth.

Destination resort casinos can serve a useful role in our overall economic plan. But there is a right way and wrong way to proceed, because some of the impact of casino gambling is negative. Studies show that gambling addiction increases within areas surrounding a casino, particularly in the early years, in the first few years. Increases in drug and alcohol abuse, personal bankruptcy, and even domestic violence have been documented. It's true that many of our residence already gamble at out-of-state facilities and bring these very problem home to Massachusetts. And the incidence of any one of these the social ills is statistically small, about 4 or 5 percent, but the impact on the affected individual or families can be devastating.

These realities compel us to treat this industry differently than any other kind of business. In my view, the right way to introduce casinos to Massachusetts is to adhere to sound economic, public safety, and public health principles. As well as establish a public mechanism for oversight and regulation.

To that end, we will limit the number of resort casinos to three. Fewer casinos will maximize the potential economic benefits. At the same time, it is important to allocate these few casinos equitably around the Commonwealth and to assure that each is tasteful and appropriate in order to attract tourist and other patrons from different regions of New England and beyond. I envision one in Western Massachusetts, one in Southeastern Massachusetts and one in the greater metropolitan Boston area.

We will also regulate casinos vigilantly, professionally, and independent of politics. Oversight and regulation of resort casinos should be entrusted to a new independent gaming commission, while enforcement should be the responsibility of a new division in the Attorney General's office. All the cost of regulation and enforcement will be born by an assessment of the resort casinos themselves. We will also provide significant recognition to mitigate any anticipated social cost.

Specifically we will set aside a portion of the casino revenue in a separate trust account, the Public Health Trust Fund is what we are calling it, for state of the art programs to prevent and treat compulsive gambling, drug and alcohol abuse, and other related public health concerns so that we can address and monitor the impact on people for whom gambling is more than harmless entertainment.

In addition, we will set aside the portion of monies in a community mitigation trust fund for host and surrounding communities who will bear the kinds of burdens in public safety, transportation, and related kinds of burdens associated with any significant increase of people and traffic. We will also provide for any short-term impact on the state lottery.

After providing for public health and safety, for local and community state lottery mitigation, and for the cost of regulation, three modest size resort casinos would generate between $400 and $500 million in state casino tax revenue at full build out. We will dedicate the revenue to improving transportation and reducing property taxes.

Our roads rails, buses, and bridges are showing the effects of over 16 years of neglect. Without better and safer transportation, we compromise our economic future and our quality of life. By investing casino tax revenue in refurbishing and expanding our transportation systems, we accelerate the growth of economic opportunities in every region, we ensure the safety of our public roadways and bridges, and we address one of the greatest fiscal challenges we face without an increase in the gas tax.

The remaining casino tax revenue will be distributed to homeowners across the state in the form of property tax relief. Families, seniors, and young people seeking to settle here face rapidly escalating property taxes, as you all know. New resources from casino taxes give us an opportunity to deliver property tax credits to homeowners and thereby lessen the burden on working families.

Needless to say our way forward does not depend, nor should it, on the governor's views alone. The Legislature will have to enact new laws to make this vision a reality. The needs and wishes of the effected communities must be heard. No casino should be sited before receiving a transparent, engaged public review in compliance with environmental protection laws and sustainable and smart-growth development principles will be absolutely necessary.

But if we proceed under these conditions, with care and transparency, I believe resort casinos can bring significant economic benefit to the Commonwealth with manageable impact on communities. Done the right way, resort casinos can join the many other reasons why Massachusetts is an international destination for travelers and tourists and a wonderful place to live.

Posted by aryan at 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

Pike board delays toll vote

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

Turnpike Authority board member Mary Connaughton said today that proposed toll increases put too much of a financial burden on commuters from the western suburbs.

By Noah Bierman and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board today voted to delay a decision about toll increases for two weeks, with board members saying at their monthly meeting that they needed more time to explore ways to cut costs.

"We want to make sure we've turned over every stone," said Bernard Cohen, turnpike chairman and state secretary of transportation and public works.

The board plans to hold a special meeting in two weeks to vote on tolls, which are tentatively scheduled to rise on Jan. 1 from $1 to $1.25 at the Allston and Weston booths and from $3 to $3.50 at the Ted Williams and Sumner tunnels to help cover about $1.4 billion in Big Dig debt. Higher costs and lower projected revenues have made larger increases likely, with some estimates as high as a 75-cent increase at the Allston and Weston tolls and $3 in the tunnels.

This morning board members spent much of the meeting talking about ways to cut costs and agreed to a hiring freeze for nonessential personnel for the next two weeks. Other options included ending the Fast Lane discount of 25 cents off the $1 tolls and 50 cents off the $3 charge at the tunnels.

Board member Mary Connaughton said that the proposed increases would put too much of a financial burden on commuters from the western suburbs.

"They're paying for the Big Dig," Connaughton said. "It's just not fair to stick that on one portion of the population."

Cohen acknowledged that the final decision will be difficult. "At the end of the day, this is going to be a little bit painful for everybody," he said.

Posted by aryan at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

Walker finds body in West Yarmouth pond

By Emily A. Canal, Globe Correspondent

A walker discovered the body of an apparent drowning victim this morning in Sandy Pond in West Yarmouth, police said.

The walker found the body of a woman in her 60s at 6:30 a.m. and called 911. A police diver was able to reach the victim, who was floating in 10 feet of water.

"It appears that the person went out for a swim and suffered some sort of medical issue and didn't make it," said Lieutenant Frank Frederickson of the Yarmouth Police Department. "The death does not seem suspicious."

It appeared that the woman died sometime Sunday night. Police are trying to identify the woman.

Posted by aryan at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

1 teen killed, 2 seriously hurt in alleged drunken-driving crash in Worcester

By Globe Staff

An 18-year-old woman was killed and two other teens are in serious condition after police say a drunk driver veered onto the wrong side of the road overnight in Worcester and rammed a car.

Police said that Matthew Galvin, 20, had been drinking when he got behind the wheel of a 1998 Chevy pickup truck with an 18-year-old man from Leicester sitting in the passenger seat. At 10:45, Galvin was driving west on Cambridge Street when police said he veered into oncoming traffic and hit a 1999 Ford Escort wagon head-on.

The 18-year-old woman who was killed was a passenger in the Escort. The driver, a 17-year-old woman, suffered serious injuries, police said. The 18-year-old passenger in Galvin's truck was also seriously hurt. Police did not release the names of the three teenagers.

Galvin, of Leicester, was not injured, police said. He was charged with homicide by motor vehicle with the operator under the influence, negligent operation, two counts of operating under the influence and causing serious bodily injury, operating to endanger, and failure to stay in marked lane.

The accident remains under investigation.

Posted by aryan at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)

Patrick to announce gambling decision this afternoon

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/file)

By Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick will announce his decision this afternoon about the expansion of casino gambling in Massachusetts, according to a scheduled issued by his staff.

After months of study and a long stretch of public silence, Patrick is holding a press conference at the State House to discuss legalized gaming.

The Globe reported Sunday that Patrick will propose that the state sell licenses for three full-scale resort casinos, citing their potential to spur economic growth, create jobs, and generate new government revenue. The casinos would be licensed in three regions: Southeastern Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and an area that includes Boston and points north, officials said.

All three licenses would be put up for competitive bid, in a process that is expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in immediate and direct state revenue. Suffolk Downs in East Boston and Revere's Wonderland Park immediately began jockeying for one of the three casino licenses, while gambling foes began mobilizing and vowed a major fight against casinos.

Patrick's plan would not give preferential treatment to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe, which has already inked an agreement with the town of Middleborough to build a $1 billion resort casino. The tribe would have to outbid other competitors for a license or could proceed with a longer, more arduous federal approval process that could result in a fourth Massachusetts casino. Shawn Hendricks Sr., the tribal council chairman, and other Wampanoag leaders have scheduled a press conference in Mashpee today at 3:30 p.m.

Posted by aryan at 9:49 AM | Comments (0)

Firefighter rescued from 4-alarm blaze in Everett

By Emily A. Canal, Globe Correspondent

An Everett firefighter searching for victims became disoriented in a four-alarm this morning and had to be rescued by ladder from a second-floor window, a fire official said.

The firefighter got separated from his crew members in the blaze on Main Street and issued a distress call after 15 minutes, according to Chief David Butler of the Everett Fire Department.

"He was able to make his way to the window and another firefighter rescued him with a ladder from the firetruck,'' Butler said. The firefighter was conscious and suffered minor injuries, he said.

The fire in an apartment building at 326 Main St. was reported at 1:10 a.m. The fire started in the basement and caused extensive damage to the building. The cause remains under investigation. No other injuries were reported.

Posted by aryan at 9:25 AM | Comments (0)

Two dead after man, 82, drives wrong way in Agawam, police say

By Globe Staff

Two people were killed and a juvenile suffered serious injuries Sunday night when an 82-year-old man driving the wrong way on Route 57 in Agawam hit another car head-on, State Police said.

Burdette Rounds was driving a 1993 Lincoln sedan east in the westbound lanes at 9 p.m. when he crashed into a 1995 Mitsubishi hatchback driven by Cinthya Alejandro, 33, of Enfield, Conn.

Rounds of Springfield was pronounced dead at the scene. Alejandro and a juvenile passenger in the Mitsubishi suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Alejandro died. Police did not release the condition of the juvenile, who was not identified.

The crash remains under investigation.

Posted by aryan at 8:45 AM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2007

Townspeople mourn as Duxbury crash victim dies

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

DUXBURY -- A vigil planned to pray for the recovery of three teenagers injured in a car crash on Friday became a memorial service today.

Hundreds of teenagers, parents, religious leaders, and residents gathered at the Millennium Town Green, about five miles from the crash site, to remember Steven Laramee, an 18-year-old Duxbury High School senior, who died Saturday evening at Boston Medical Center.

His brother and fellow crash victim, Eoin, 16, was sent to BMC and is expected to recover, relatives said. Their friend, Spencer Meine, another senior hurt in the crash, was in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, officials said.

Laramee, who was driving, crashed into a tree about 7 a.m. Friday after losing control of the 1986 Audi station wagon on Union Bridge Road. Police were investigating whether speed was a factor.

Laramee's grandmother, uncle, cousins and aunts stood among his friends in the park, listening to those who stepped to a microphone describe Laramee as a funny, impish teenager who loved computers and strode through the halls of Duxbury High with a confident gait.

"Everyone had a smile on their face when they were with him," Phil Della Noce, 15, told the mourners. "I miss him already."

The stories moved Laramee's relatives, who held each other during the service, sobbing at times.

"I knew he was loved by this community," his uncle, Mark Laramee told the crowd. "You guys have shown me that Duxbury is one of the greatest communities to be involved in. We will always cherish this day."

Globe Correspondent Courtney Brooks contributed to this report.

Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com.

Posted by gwitherspoon at 8:48 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2007

Resident unscathed after Everett home bursts into flame

By Michael Naughton, Globe Correspondent

An elderly man escaped serious harm with the help of neighbors and firefighters after his Everett home became engulfed in flames this afternoon.

The man, identified by neighbors as Rudy Scenna and in his 70s, became trapped on his second-floor back porch as flames and smoke started billowing out of his three-story house on School Street at about 5:30 p.m.

He was treated at the scene for minor injuries. His daughter, Lisa, and a woman who rents out a first-floor bedroom, were able to escape on their own, neighbors and officials said, but Scenna had to be rescued by a neighbor and firefighters.

Firefighters arrived as Scenna was helped by his neighbor down the rear porch steps.

"We're right around the corner, and when we arrived it was blowing out pretty good. There was heavy smoke and fire on the second and third floors," said Everett Fire Captain Joe Hickey.

Firefighters from six other departments, including Massport and Boston, helped to put out the blaze.

Posted by mfinucane at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

Broad daylight shooting in Roxbury injures one

By Christine McConville, Globe Staff

One person was injured when shots were fired this afternoon on Langdon Street in the city's Roxbury section.

Police said the victim, a male, was taken to Boston Medical Center. But no further information was immediately available on his identity or condition.

Homicide detectives and canine units were sent to the scene.

The shooting occurred about a block away from the Emerson Street playground and across the street from a community garden called "The Food Project." Police said the shooting was reported at 4:44 p.m.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:55 PM | Comments (0)

Homeless man dies after being run over by truck at shelter

By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent

A homeless man lying under a truck at a homeless shelter in Boston was killed today when the truck began to drive away.

The man was lying under the truck at the Pine Street Inn on Harrison Avenue. Police and shelter officials are investigating what he was doing there.

Authorities wouldn't release the man's name.

The driver, an employee of the shelter, was devastated, said Alicia Ianiere, a spokeswoman for the shelter.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:33 PM | Comments (0)

Hunt for 'superkiller' Bulger makes Italian newspapers

By Globe Staff

Some Italian newspapers are giving good play to yesterday's announcement by the FBI that fugitive mobster James "Whitey" Bulger may have been sighted in April in the seaside resort town of Taormina.

"Il superkiller cercato dall’FBI visto a Taormina (Superkiller sought by the FBI seen in Taormina)," says the headline on the website of the newspaper La Stampa.

The Corriere Della Serra, one of the country's major newspapers, posted the story on the front page of its website.

The newspaper quotes Salvatore Cilona, a Taormina city official, as saying the sighting of Bulger in town might be good for tourism.

Taormina has been a draw in the past for famous criminals, Cilona said, noting that notorious New York mobster Lucky Luciano was hosted there by a friend in 1962.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:57 PM | Comments (0)

Worry, concern in Duxbury after crash injures three students

By Ryan Haggerty, Globe Correspondent

Duxbury High School students anxious for information about three of their classmates who were injured in a car accident while driving to school yesterday gathered at the student union today to meet with counselors and comfort each other, said Susan K. Skeiber, superintendent of the Duxbury public schools.

"We just wanted to be sure that the students had some place to go if they wanted to," Skeiber said.

The three students -- two seniors and a sophomore who was the younger brother of one of the seniors -- were injured when the older brother apparently lost control of the 1986 Audi station wagon, which skidded across Union Bridge Road near Franklin Street and wrapped around a tree.

The brothers were flown by helicopter to Boston Medical Center, where the older brother was still listed in critical condition today while the younger brother was upgraded from good to fair condition. The other senior, who was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital, was upgraded from critical to serious condition.

Police and school officials refused to identify the students today.

Police, who said yesterday that they were investigating whether excessive speed caused the crash, said today that the accident is still under investigation.

Teachers informed the school's roughly 1,000 students of the accident during classes yesterday, Skeiber said.

"As students started to process it, it became more difficult for some who realized that their classmates were injured," Skeiber said. "The word around school yesterday was that they are all wonderful students, wonderful members of the student body."

Counselors will also be available at the student union on St. George Street tomorrow from noon to 3 p.m., Skeiber said.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007

No foul play seen in Weston blaze

By Stephanie Siek, Globe Staff

Fire officials do not believe that the three-alarm fire which destroyed a Weston duplex early today was suspicious, according to Weston Acting Fire Captain Justin Woodside.

The white clapboard home had been sold three weeks to a month ago. No one was inside at the time of the fire, although it had recently been shown to prospective renters, Woodside said.

The fire was reported at around 2:35 a.m. today by a man driving home from work. When the fire department responded, between 60 to 70 percent of the roof at 269-271 North Avenue was already in flames, Woodside said.

He said the fire is believed to have started in 271, the left-hand-side unit. The house, built in 1850, has been declared a total loss.

The state fire marshal's office and the Weston police and fire departments are investigating.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:45 PM | Comments (0)

Missing man and his granddaughter are found in Newton

(Newton Police photo)

Sarah Wei and her grandfather, Jia Min Lee.

By Globe Staff

There is a happy ending today in the case of a 58-year-old man and his 2-year-old granddaughter who went missing in Newton.

A Newton police dispatcher said Jia Min Lee and Sarah Wei have been found in Boston's Brighton neighborhood.

Lee, who recently arrived from China, was taking care of Wei this morning. He was supposed to pick up the little girl's 5-year-old sister from kindergarten at the Mason-Rice Elementary School on Pleasant Street at 12:30 p.m., but he never showed up.

Lee's family was concerned because he's diabetic, he's been here only a week, and he speaks no English.

Newton police mounted a search and alerted the media and other departments. Late this afternoon, Lee and Wei were found in Brighton Center, the dispatcher said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:36 PM | Comments (0)

Boston police arrest "most wanted" child support deadbeat

By Globe Staff

Boston police say they’ve arrested another one of the state’s "most wanted" child support deadbeats.

Gene Kerswell, 47, of Hyde Park was arrested today in the Readville neighborhood, on two warrants for failure to comply with support orders, said Officer Sharon Dottin, a police spokeswoman.

Kerswell owed more than $50,000 in back child support, said Department of Revenue spokesman Bob Bliss.

Kerswell is the second "Ten Most Wanted" child support deadbeat to be arrested since the department issued a new poster on Monday, Bliss said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:01 PM | Comments (0)

High bail set for Revere child sex assault suspect

By Globe Staff

A Revere man who allegedly fled to Canada after failing to appear in court on charges that he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl was ordered held today on $500,000 bail, Suffolk County prosecutors said.

John Canadyan, 54, was arraigned July 30 on two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He failed to appear at an Aug. 20 court date.

Investigators tracked him to an Indian reservation in Canada. He was apprehended when he attempted to return to the United States by train Tuesday.

Chelsea District Court Judge James L. LaMothe slated another hearing for Oct. 15.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement that Canadyan may face additional charges for failing to appear at a scheduled court date.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:08 PM | Comments (0)

Falmouth doctor faces marijuana charges

By Globe Staff

Police responding to a burglar alarm at a doctor's home in Falmouth earlier this week allegedly stumbled across evidence that he was growing marijuana.

Dr. Alfredo Gonzalez faces charges of cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, the district attorney's office said.

Gonzalez was released on personal recognizance after arraignment today before Falmouth District Judge Michael Creedon, said Brian Glenny, first assistant district attorney for the Cape and Islands. A pretrial hearing was slated for Oct. 12.

Gonzalez didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment at his answering service. A woman who answered the phone at the office of his attorney, Richard Russell, said “No comment, thank you” and then hung up.

Russell Aims, a spokesman for the Board of Registration in Medicine, said, “The board is aware of the situation with Dr. Gonzalez, but I really can’t say anymore.”

An officer found an open door when he responded Wednesday morning to an alarm at the house on Chambers Hill Road in north Falmouth. He called for backup and the two officers checked the residence, said Kimberly Pacheco, a Falmouth Police records clerk.

While they were in the house, the officers became suspicious. A detective was summoned and Gonzalez also returned. Police searched the house, allegedly finding, among other things, a “bloom box” used for growing plants and a glass vial with marijuana residue in it. Pacheco said the investigation was continuing.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:45 PM | Comments (0)

FBI probing Mashpee Wampanoag finances

By Sean P. Murphy, Globe Staff, and Christine Wallgren, Globe Correspondent

Federal agents today began examining financial records of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe as part of a probe into how the tribe used the millions of dollars it received from investors as it pushed to develop a casino, a tribal spokeswoman said.

FBI agents executed a subpoena requested by the office of US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The subpoena indicated the Internal Revenue Service sought the records as part of an investigation. It was unclear if records were seized.

Amy Lambiaso, a spokeswoman for the tribe, said the investigation focuses on Glenn Marshall, the former tribal chairman. Marshall resigned last month after acknowledging a 1981 rape conviction and repeatedly lying about his military record as a Marine.

"It's our understanding it is an investigation into Glenn Marshall and not any of the other tribe members," she said. Marshall could not be reached for comment. A cell phone number that he previously used has been disconnected.

Lambiaso said the governing tribal council was cooperating with the investigation.

"It's a question of the financials," said Scott Ferson, another spokesman for the tribe. "There's been a lot of rumors swirling around and apparently the government thought it was worthy of taking a look."

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe was officially recognized as a sovereign nation by the federal government in February. But to finance lawyers, lobbyists, genealogists and others to present the case for recognition, the tribe accepted as much as $15 million from the Detroit investor Herb Strather.

Strather recently sold a portion of his interest to Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman, developers of Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. The tribe and the investors have proposed a casino in Middleborough with 4,000 slot machines, 180 table games, a 10,000-seat auditorium, a golf course, a hotel, and other amenities.

Governor Deval Patrick is expected to announce next week whether he supports an expansion of legalized gambling in Massachusetts.

Gail Marcinkiewicz, an FBI spokeswoman, declined comment when asked about an investigation into the Mashpee tribe. A spokesman for Sullivan's office didn't immediately return a call.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:13 PM | Comments (0)

Detective's lucky drive wins him a car

By Globe Staff

A Bourne police detective is driving around in a new car after making a lucky shot in a charity golf tournament last month.

Dave Lonergan, 48, of Sandwich hit a hole-in-one during the tournament organized by the Barnstable County sheriff's department at a country club in Mashpee.

The prize for a hole-in-one at the 170-yard 11th hole was a new car, a 2007 GMC SUV.

"The other three guys didn’t get on the green, so I was just hoping to get on the green," Lonergan. "Next thing you know, it bounced once and trickled right in."

Posted by mfinucane at 2:30 PM | Comments (0)

Some improvements seen in school performance

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

No new school districts in Massachusetts were added to the list of those in need of improvement and 86 were removed from the list after making two consecutive years of progress on the MCAS and other measures required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, state officials said today.

In total, 46 districts in Massachusetts, 19 percent of all those statewide, as well as 668 schools, 39 percent of all those in Massachusetts, are now on the list of those in need of improvement, according to a survey released by the Massachusetts Department of Education.

Even as state education officials hailed the overall drop in the number of schools needing improvement, they acknowledged unwelcome findings. The state gave 86 schools the harshest designation this year, up from 60 last year and 30 in 2005. Many of the schools are located in urban districts that have long struggled to improve student performance. The designation means the schools may need to be restructured by the state.

"It is encouraging to see so many of our districts and schools meeting their AYP targets," said Acting Education Commissioner Jeffrey Nellhaus, using the acronym for Adequate Yearly Progress. "It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of teachers, students and parents. Still, too many of our schools - particularly in urban areas - are not making enough progress year to year."

The new Boston Public Schools Superintendent, Carol R. Johnson, said she looked forward to working with the state to aggressively improve students' performance.

"We are pleased with the news that more of our schools have made significant progress and are now in good standing, but we acknowledge that there is still more work to do," Johnson said in a statement. "We will review the schools that have made significant improvements so that we can learn and share best practices with other schools."

Posted by mfinucane at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

Manchester-by-the-Sea library may have found a treasure, not in the attic, but in a crawl space

(Hirschl & Adler Galleries photo, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library photo)

The sculpture "America Honoring Her Fallen Brave" being offered by a New York gallery side by side with the sculpture found in the crawl space at the Manchester-by-the-Sea library.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A valuable piece of Civil War-era sculpture may have been found in a crawl space underneath the reading room at the public library in Manchester-by-the-Sea.

The white marble sculpture, titled "America Honoring Her Fallen Brave," could be worth as much as $200,000 according to one expert.

"It’s not a bad find for a basement, is it? I wish I'd find something like that in my basement," said Eric Baumgartner, senior vice president at Hirschl & Adler Galleries in New York.

Baumgartner said he reviewed pictures sent to him by a reporter at the Gloucester Daily Times and was certain that the statue is a work by James Henry Haseltine.

Why so certain? Baumgartner knows exactly what the work looks like. His own gallery is offering an identical statue, which it had believed was unique, for $185,000.

Dorothy Sieradzki, the library director, said someone needs to get into the 3-foot-high crawl space and turn the bust over to see the inscription on the back and make a positive identification, but "it’s very heavy and we don't want to scratch it by rolling it over."

Sieradzki said the town would probably sell the bust if it's valuable, but until that day, she wants to find a place to display it.

"No matter what the details turn out to be, I think it’s a wonderful little piece of history and whatever happens in the end, it’s just a great thing to happen," she said.

Posted by mfinucane at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)

FBI posts pictures of possible Whitey Bulger sighting in Italy

(FBI Photo)

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

Fugitive gangster James "Whitey" Bulger and his girlfriend, Catherine Greig, may have been spotted in Sicily in April by a vacationing federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent who shot a brief video of the couple before they slipped away, according to law enforcement officials.

The FBI posted the video and a still photo today on its website and launched a media blitz in Italy and throughout Europe in an effort to boost the international profile of Bulger, 78, one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted," and Greig, 56, who is believed to be traveling with him.

"Law enforcement authorities are requesting the public's assistance in positively identifying the unknown couple,'' the FBI wrote under the photo.

"This could be Mr. and Mrs. Smith from Iowa on vacation in Sicily for all we know and that's why we're asking for help," said Warren T. Bamford, the special agent-in-charge of the FBI's Boston office.

The video taken April 10 shows a white-haired couple strolling past shops in the seaside resort town of Taormina. The man is wearing Bulger's trademark sunglasses and baseball cap and dressed in khaki pants and a sweater over a plaid shirt. He's accompanied by a woman with short hair, also wearing sunglasses.

If it is Bulger and not just another look-alike, it would be the first confirmed sighting of the South Boston gangster since he was spotted in September 2002 strolling alone down a busy street near Piccadilly Circus in London.

The FBI didn't disclose the circumstances of how the video and photos were shot or whether the person approached the couple, but law enforcement officials said they were taken by a DEA agent who was on vacation.

In a press release issued this morning, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan's office said an individual had observed a couple believed to be the fugitive and his girlfriend and videotaped them.

"A facial recognition analysis was conducted and proved to be inconclusive," Sullivan's release said.

Italian law enforcement authorities, the DEA, and members of the Bulger Task Force, comprised of investigators from the FBI, Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, have not been able to rule out the possibility that the picture shows Bulger and Greig.

Investigators were unable to resolve whether it was the couple even after interviewing their former associates and showing them the photos, according to Sullivan's office.

"Therefore, law enforcement is interested in speaking with anyone who was visiting the area of Italy during the months of March, April and May 2007 and may have observed or had contact with the two individuals in the photograph and video," Sullivan's press release said.

"Some people are saying, 'Absolutely that's him,' and others are saying, 'I don't think that's him at all,'" said Bamford. However, he added, investigators who have been tracking Bulger for years agree it's "a very good look-alike, probaby the best they've seen in a very long time."

After the reported sighting, Bamford said, Italian authorities helped investigators from Boston try to locate the couple with "some good-old fashioned detective work," searching hotels, marinas, bars, ferries and other areas throughout the country. Bamford said there was no audio of the couple so it was unknown if they are American.

"They weren't able to develop any logical leads for us," Bamford said. "Now we're all at a dead end here and it's time to put the video and pictures out to the public."

Bulger, a longtime FBI informant, was warned to flee just before his January 1995 federal racketeering indictment in Boston by his former handler, retired FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr. Bulger has eluded authorities ever since, despite a worldwide manhunt. Since he fled, he's been charged with 19 murders. The FBI is offering a $1 million reward for information that leads to his capture.

Three months before his indictment, Bulger took a European vacation, stopping in Venice and London and Dublin, according to the FBI. The FBI has scoured the world to investigate reported sightings that were later eliminated as look-alikes in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Connolly was convicted in 2002 of racketeering and obstruction of justice for protecting Bulger from prosecution and is serving 10 years in prison. The former agent is also awaiting trial in Florida on charges that he helped Bulger and fellow informant, Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, orchestrate a 1982 gangland slaying.

Posted by mfinucane at 10:48 AM | Comments (0)

Three Duxbury High students injured in crash

By Emily Canal, Globe Correspondent

Three Duxbury High School students were airlifted to hospitals after their car struck a tree on Union Bridge Road this morning.

A resident called 911 at about 7 after the 1986 Audi station wagon left the road, police said.

Duxbury Police are investigating. Police said they believe the victims were on their way to school or picking up another student on their way to school.

Two of the students were taken to Boston Medical Center; one was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, police said. No information was immediately available on their condition.

"At this time we know that there was a serious accident involving high school students, and as we get more information we will inform the community," said Lea Rose, an employee at the school district's administrative office.

Richard McLaughlin, who lives across the street from the accident scene, said, "We heard the brakes screech and we heard the impact. I ran out and I saw the car wrapped around the tree. There was also a tree down in the middle of the road."

McLaughlin said he saw the youths in the car. The driver was unconscious, but the two passengers were conscious, he said.

Posted by mfinucane at 9:51 AM | Comments (0)

Excerpts from the US attorney's statement on possible Bulger sighting

Here are some excerpts from this morning's statement from US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan's office:

"On April 10, 2007, in Taormina, an Italian city on the island of Sicily, an individual observed a couple they believed to be FBI Top Ten fugitive James J. Bulger and his girlfriend Catherine Elizabeth Greig. The individual was able to take a brief video recording of the Bulger look-a-like and his companion.

"To date, the coordinated efforts of the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Department of Correction, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Italian law enforcement authorities have not been able to exclude the two people photographed in Italy as James J. Bulger and Catherine Elizabeth Greig. A facial recognition analysis was conducted and proved to be inconclusive. Additionally, interviews of associates of Bulger and Greig did not resolve the question for law enforcement that these two individuals were "look-a-likes" or are in fact Bulger and Greig. Therefore, law enforcement is interested in speaking with anyone who was visiting this area of Italy during the months of March, April, and May of 2007 and may have observed or had contact with the two individuals in the photograph and video. ...

"A reward of up to $1,000,000 is being offered for any information leading directly to the arrest of James J. Bulger. Individuals with information concerning Bulger should take no action themselves, but instead immediately contact the nearest office of the FBI or local law enforcement agency. Bulger is considered armed and extremely dangerous. For any possible sighting outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Tips may be directed to 800-CALL-FBI or http: //www.fbi.gov/tips."

Posted by mfinucane at 8:19 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

Skateboarder in critical condition after accident on Boston street

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

A skateboarder in his 20s was critically injured today after he was struck by a car on Cambridge Street in the city's Allston section, Boston police said.

The man, who was not identified, was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital with head injuries.

The driver, a woman in her 40s, told police the skateboarder jumped in front of her car around 2:55 p.m. as she was traveling eastbound on the street near the Harvard Avenue intersection. She has not been cited, but police plan to conduct a follow-up investigation tomorrow, said Officer David Estrada, a Boston Police spokesman.

Edward Smith, 22, works at Jack Young Co., an auto supply company directly in front of the accident site. He said he saw the man, wearing shorts and a short-sleeve T-shirt, lying in a pool of blood in front of the car moments after the accident.

"It looked like he was trying to get up but couldn't," said Smith.

A skateboard remained wedged under the front driver's side tire of the gray 2004 Toyota Corolla.
There was a dent on the hood and the windshield was partially shattered on the driver's side.

Estrada said the skateboarder was not wearing a helmet.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:08 PM | Comments (0)

Cocaine found in system of man who died in police custody

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

A 25-year-old Brazilian immigrant who died Tuesday after falling ill while in State Police custody had cocaine in his system at the time of his death, preliminary medical reports show.

But it is too early to determine whether the drug played any role in the death of Maxsuel Medeiros of Framingham, said Steve O'Connell, a spokesman for Essex District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett.

Officials will release a cause of death following the results of a toxicology examination. O'Connell did not know when those results would be available.

Medeiros was arrested after a traffic stop Aug. 31 on Interstate 495 near I-93. The driver was allowed to leave. But Medeiros, the passenger in the car, was arrested on outstanding warrants from Framingham District Court charging him with possession and intent to distribute cocaine, the district attorney's office said.

Later that evening, Medeiros fell ill while in custody at the Andover State Police barracks. He was sent to Lawrence General Hospital and then to Massachusetts General Hospital. Medeiros died at 6 a.m. Tuesday after being taken off life support.

Medeiros's family declined to comment today.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:38 PM | Comments (0)

State GOP names new executive director

By Globe Staff

The state Republican party has named a new executive director, turning to 29-year-old Robert Willington of Reading, who became political director of the party in January 2006.

"Rob has proven himself as a capable and innovative leader ... He is a person I can count on in our efforts to grow the grassroots, and return two-party competition to Massachusetts," Peter Torkildsen, the party chairman, said in a statement issued by the party.

Willington graduated from Salem State College where he studied political science. His political experience includes working for various politicians' campaigns and managing the VoteOnMarriage.org campaign to gather 170,000 signatures for a ballot question that would have banned gay marriage.

"I’m looking to help build a dedicated network of knowledgeable activists that can effectively carry the GOP banner throughout the Commonwealth. The change starts today," Willington said in the statement. In the past few weeks, Willington has been serving as interim executive director.

Brian Dodge, the previous executive director, left the job in mid-August. He said he was taking a new job out of state.

The party suffered its first gubernatorial loss in 16 years last year and Republicans are vastly outnumbered by Democrats in the Legislature. Torkildsen, a former congressman and state representative, took the job of chairman in January, saying he hoped to revitalize the party.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:30 PM | Comments (0)

City asks for review of 22 miles of steam pipes after asbestos scare

(Jodi Hilton for The Boston Globe)

Emergency workers used plastic sheeting Wednesday to seal off Otis Street.

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

City officials today asked Trigen Energy Cos. to conduct a comprehensive review of its entire 22-mile network of subterranean steam pipes after a joint ruptured Wednesday beneath a street and sent a plume of steam and asbestos spewing from a manhole in the Financial District.

"This is not just about one incident," James W. Hunt, the city's chief of environmental and energy services, said this afternoon. "We have concerns about the 22 miles of pipe that Trigen operates."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has been pushing legislation to allow the state Department of Public Utilities to regulate pipes that help heat and cool 240 buildings in metropolitan Boston. Problems with steam pipes have caused a spate of minor injuries, city officials have said. In New York City in July, one person died of cardiac arrest and more than 20 others were injured when a steam pipe burst beneath a street in Midtown Manhattan.

On Wednesday, no one was injured when the 14-inch pipe burst beneath Otis Street, but three workers and a passerby had to be decontaminated at local hospitals. Pipe insulation containing asbestos was shot high in the air and coated a portion of the block with brown dust.

In a statement released this afternoon, John Shea, the environmental hazards program director for Boston Public Health Commission, said tests found air quality in the "normal range" for a city environment. "The incident resulted in no significant asbestos risk to the public health based on asbestos monitoring results," Shea said. He also said low levels of asbestos, mostly from natural sources, are always found in air quality tests.

The pipe that burst was being repaired when an expansion joint apparently ruptured, according to a preliminary investigation, said Nancy Sterling, a spokeswoman for Trigen Energy. A routine inspection conducted in the last two weeks found a problem with the pipe, and two workers for Trigen and a subcontractor hired by the company were making repairs when there was an explosion at noon Wednesday.

Trigen is conducting a formal investigation that will include interviews of the employees who were working on the pipe, Sterling said. A final conclusion will not be reached for several weeks, she said.

Posted by aryan at 4:15 PM | Comments (0)

Marblehead man plans solo sail around the world

(sitesALIVE! Photo)

Rich Wilson plans to sail the 60-foot Great American III in the race.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A Marblehead man is hoping to sail around the world alone in a race next year.

Rich Wilson, 57, is already an accomplished long-distance sailor. But the Vendee Globe race is a tough race. It will take more than 100 days and cover more than 25,000 miles.

"I've spent a fair amount of time at sea, but this will be the biggest challenge, for sure," said Wilson.

Wilson has completed three transatlantic runs by himself and other longer voyages with a shipmate, including 15,000-mile trips from San Francisco to Boston, from New York to Melbourne, and from Hong Kong to New York.

Wilson is the president of sitesALIVE!, a company whose mission is to connect students to "learning adventures" on land and sea.

Wilson plans to write a diary from the boat during his trip, sharing it with schoolchildren through the Newspaper in Education program.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge and to being in nature that long and trying to solve all the problems that will come on and trying to write the best pieces I possibly can for the schoolkids," he said.

The next hurdle is a qualifying race in December from Brazil to France.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:38 PM | Comments (0)

After 5 weeks in hospital, man accused of strangling cousin, 6, sent for more competency tests

(Globe file photos)

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A 20-year-old Weymouth man charged with rape and murder in the strangling of his 6-year-old cousin was sent back Bridgewater State Hospital today for more tests to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Ryan Bois stood in Quincy District Court in a light gray prison jumpsuit and said little during the 10-minute proceeding. He is accused of raping Joanna Mullin at her grandmother's home on Aug. 5 and fleeing in the grandmother's sport utility vehicle with the girl's naked body wrapped in a blanket.

The decision today by Judge Diane E Moriarty to send Bois back to the hospital has postponed his arraignment in Norfolk Superior Court, which had been scheduled for Monday.

Bois was first sent to the hospital on Aug. 7. It is not clear why the staff did not complete a competency evaluation. Mental health evaluations are not public record and are viewed only by the judge and the defense attorney.

Robert Nelson, an assistant Norfolk district attorney, said after the hearing that the judge told him the evaluation deemed Bois a suicide risk. An arrest report released shortly after the slaying said Bois screamed for officers to kill him as he was taken into custody. A full competency evaluation is not expected until Oct. 1, Nelson said.

The only spectators at today’s hearing were four friends of Bois, who declined to give their names because of the horrific crime of which he is accused.

"I knew he wasn’t right in the head, but I could never image he’d do something like that," said an 18-year-old woman who has known him for four years. "He was my best friend."

Posted by aryan at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

Revere sexual assault fugitive arrested in New York

By Globe Staff

A 54-year-old man wanted by Revere police for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl has been arrested, police said.

John W. Canadyan was arrested in late July for the alleged assaults in June and July.

He failed to appear in court last month to face two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He fled to Canada, where he was spotted on the Kahnawake Indian Reservation. Before he could be captured, he fled again, police said.

Canadyan was arrested in New York Tuesday as he reentered the United States, police said. He is expected to be returned to Chelsea for arraignment in district court Friday.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

Steam pipe was being repaired when it burst

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

The 14-inch steam pipe that burst and spewed asbestos in downtown Boston was being repaired when an expansion joint between two pipes apparently ruptured, according to a preliminary investigation, a spokeswoman for Trigen Energy Cos. said today.

A routine inspection in the last two weeks found a problem with the pipe underneath Otis Street, and two workers for Trigen and a subcontractor hired by the company were making repairs when there was an explosion at noon Wednesday. Trigen is conducting a formal investigation that will include interviews of the employees who were working on the pipe, said Nancy Sterling, a company spokeswoman.

"We don't expect we are going to have a cause probably for a few weeks," Sterling said.

No one was injured in the blast, but the three workers and a passerby had to be decontaminated at local hospitals, Sterling said. Pipe insulation containing asbestos was shot high in the air and coated a portion of the block with brown dust.

James W. Hunt, the city's chief of environmental and energy services, said Wednesday that officials believed the contamination was confined to a "very limited area." The city did not return phone messages this morning inquiring about air quality tests and the environmental impact.

All streets in Downtown Crossing reopened this morning with the exception of the block of Otis Street where the pipe burst, between Summer and Franklin streets.

Trigen operates 22 miles of subterranean steam pipes in metropolitan Boston that are used to heat and cool buildings.

Posted by aryan at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)

Asbestos incident may snag morning rush hour downtown

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The chief executive of Trigen Energy Companies has promised a complete investigation of the steam pipe rupture Wednesday that sent a plume of steam -- and some asbestos -- shooting into the sky on a downtown street.

"We are running a safe operation. We inspect our system on a daily basis. ... We'll find out what went wrong," said Lance Ahearn.

Asbestos tests were expected to continue into this morning in the area near Otis and Summer streets where the steam was released.

Transportation Commissioner Thomas J. Tinlin said cleanup of the area would also continue into this morning and streets in the area might still be closed for this morning's rush hour.

The incident began about noon Wednesday. No one was injured, but a host of local and state agencies raced to the scene, concerned about the asbestos release.

James W. Hunt, the city's chief of environmental and energy services, said Wednesday evening that officials believed the contamination was confined to a "very limited area."

Larry Plitch, general counsel for the Trigen Companies, said some of the older steam pipes in the city are insulated with asbestos.

Plitch said tests had indicated that there was asbestos in a brown material that spewed, along with the steam, out of the manhole.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2007

Worcester DA says new evidence uncovered in woman's death

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

Investigators have uncovered new evidence in the death of a 35-year-old woman whose body was found in woods off Route 122 in Rutland last week, Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said today.

Investigators are sharing the information with the Middlesex district attorney's office and other agencies investigating the deaths of at least three other women who died under similar circumstances, he said.

"We are all working in a collaborative effort although we are treating this as a single murder, in and of itself," Early said in a telephone interview.

The woman, Linieda Olivera, was reported missing in February. A hunter discovered her remains on Sept. 3 while checking the condition of a hunting blind about 200 yards from Route 122.

Early would not say today what new evidence was uncovered or how it helped advance the investigation. He also would not say whether investigators have any suspects in the case.

The case bears similarities to the discovery of other women's bodies in Central Massachusetts in recent years, but officials have hesitated to say definitely that they are looking for a serial killer.

In September 2003, two women's remains were found in Marlborough, and in March 2004, a woman's skeleton was found in the neighboring town of Hudson.

Marlborough Police Chief Mark F. Leonard said officials from each of the jurisdictions involved have been sharing information since the discovery of Olivera's body.

Police plan to release the body to Olivera's family on Friday. A wake is scheduled for Saturday in Marlborough, said her sister, Marilyn Olivera.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

Street closures due to the downtown asbestos release

By Globe Staff

Boston officials are advising people to avoid driving near the site of a steam pipe break that released asbestos at Otis and Summer streets downtown.

Transportation Commissioner Thomas J. Tinlin says the closures may continue into the Thursday morning rush hour as the streets are cleaned up.

The closures:

-- Summer Street is closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic from Lincoln Street to Chauncy Street

-- Otis Street is closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic from Devonshire Street to Summer Street

-- Devonshire Street is closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic from Franklin Street to Summer Street

-- Kingston Street is closed to vehicular traffic from Summer Street to Bedford Street

-- Lincoln Street is closed to vehicular traffic from Devonshire Street to Summer Street

Tinlin also noted that the MBTA bus stop at Otis and Summer Street will be temporarily relocated to Federal Street and Franklin Street.
.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:29 PM | Comments (0)

Four Boston officers terminated after alleged detail improprieties

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis terminated four officers today after investigating charges that they obtained paid-detail shifts improperly and inflated the detail hours they worked.

The officers, Sergeant Jacqueline Creaven, Lieutenant Haseeb Hosein, Lieutenant Timothy Kervin, and Lieutenant Ghassoub Frangie, will remain on paid administrative leave pending termination appeal hearings, said Elaine Driscoll, a Boston police spokeswoman.

"These officers engaged in activity that could bring both criticism and discredit to the Boston Police Department," Davis said in a statement.

The officers faced hundreds of charges, including untruthful reporting of hours, performing details that conflicted with a scheduled tour of duty, and receiving details through unauthorized means.

Davis announced the officers' termination following an investigation by the commissioner and the Boston Police Internal Affairs Division.

In 2005, Kervin made $237,272.34, more than any other city official. Hosein made $228,807.33, and Frangie made $171,916.94. The base salary for a lieutenant is about $78,000. Creaven made $186,208.68, well above her base salary of about $67,000.

An official at the officers' union, the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation, said the group had no comment. Previously, Sergeant Mark Parolin, vice president of the federation, defended the officers, calling the charges "trumped up."

Driscoll said officials had not determined whether to file criminal charges against the four officers. She said they would not be required to pay back any of their 2005 earnings.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:08 PM | Comments (0)

Child support deadbeat who owed $75K arrested

By Globe Staff

A 49-year-old man who was on the state's just-released list of "Ten Most Wanted" child support deadbeats was arrested last night in New Hampshire, the state Department of Revenue said.

Peter Gerald Cantin, formerly of Beverly, owed his ex-wife and their two children $75,496 in child support, the department said.

The 14th edition of the Ten Most Wanted list had been released Monday morning.

"The arrest is fresh evidence that this poster campaign works to send the message about the importance of supporting children and the consequences of failure to do so," Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray said in a statement.

Cantin appeared today in a New Hampshire court. He will be brought back to Massachusetts for arraignment in Salem District Court on criminal charges of failing to comply with a support order and leaving the Commonwealth without supporting a child, the Department of Revenue said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:10 PM | Comments (0)

Steam spews from downtown manhole; streets closed because of asbestos worries

(Jodi Hilton for The Boston Globe)

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A thick plume of steam spewed from a manhole today after a steam pipe under a downtown Boston street apparently ruptured. Several workers were decontaminated and streets in the area were closed because of concerns that asbestos had been released.

The steam was released from a 14-inch pipe owned by Trigen Boston Energy Corp., said Larry Plitch, general counsel for the Trigen companies. Plitch said some of the older steam pipes in the city are insulated with asbestos.

Plitch said tests have indicated that there was asbestos in a brown material that spewed, along with the steam, out of the manhole at Otis and Summer streets. He said the air in the area is still being tested.

He said it wasn't clear how the steam was released, but he promised that the company would "get to the bottom of the incident."

"We’re going to do a full-blown investigation, obviously, and make all of our findings available to the authorities," he said.

Scott Salman, Fire Department spokesman, said the incident was reported at about noon today. Four people were decontaminated. He said no serious injuries were reported.

George Charles, 25, of Chelsea, who works in a nearby office building, said he looked out his window and saw several manhole covers emitting steam. Charles said a worker pulled the cover off one and a plume of thick steam rushed out, rising as high as the buildings in the area, which are five to six stories.

John Tzamalas, owner of John's Clothing and Tailoring, which is near the intersection, said he is concerned that people won't be able to get to his business because of street closures in the area.

"My son went out for lunch and he can't come back," he said.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:29 PM | Comments (0)

Boston police find missing disabled woman

(Boston Police Department)

Kerlande Meho, shown above, was found at Tremont and Park streets.
By Globe Staff

Boston police have found a mentally disabled woman who went missing this morning at North Station.

Kerlande Meho, 35, was located this afternoon at Tremont and Park streets. She had disappeared at 7 a.m. today at North Station. Police said she is unable to care for herself.

Posted by aryan at 3:17 PM | Comments (0)

State appeals judge's decision to close Fernald

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/file)

JudyAnn Bigby, secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said that the state has successfully moved many residents out of institutions in recent years to community settings where their quality of life has improved.

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick's administration announced today that it is appealing a federal judge's decision that halted the state's plan to close the Fernald Development Center in Waltham, saying it unfairly intrudes on the state's ability to decide how to best care for its mentally retarded residents.

The state notified Judge Joseph L. Tauro today that it was appealing his ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

"Our decision to appeal Judge Tauro’s ruling is about making sure the state has the latitude to provide the care people need in settings -- whether they be institutional or community placements -- that also make fiscal sense. Fernald is not such a setting," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement.

In an Aug. 14 ruling hailed as a victory by families of those who remain at Fernald, Tauro ordered the state to allow the 180 profoundly mentally retarded residents who have lived at the facility for decades the opportunity to stay.

Tauro, who monitored Fernald for decades while presiding over a landmark class-action lawsuit filed in 1972 over abuse of residents there and at four other state facilities, found in August that there has been a "systemic failure'' by the state to consider the individual needs of longtime Fernald residents while pushing its plan to close the facility.

The judge maintained that his ruling didn’t mean the state could never close Fernald. JudyAnn Bigby, secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, said that's exactly what the decision does by forcing the state to provide Fernald as an option.

"It's the most expensive institution that we're operating,'' said Bigby, adding that it costs $239,000 per person annually to care for residents at Fernald, compared to about $102,000 per person in a community setting.

If the state wins on appeal, Bigby said, officials would like to continue the plan started under the Romney administration and close Fernald over the next three or four years by gradually transferring residents to community residences or smaller state facilities where they would receive equal or better care.

Senate minority leader Richard R. Tisei, a Wakefield Republican, fired off a letter to the governor today urging him not to appeal, saying that families of the severely mentally retarded should be offered a range of care options, in both institutional and community-based settings.

"For many, it is the only home they have ever known,'' Tisei wrote. "Transferring these residents to unfamiliar surroundings at this stage in their lives, and in defiance of their families' wishes, would be detrimental to their personal well-being.''

Bigby said she was sympathetic to family members who are concerned about moving Fernald residents from the only home they've known for decades. But she said the state has successfully moved many residents out of institutions in recent years to community settings where their quality of life has improved.

"The level of comfort people feel there now is a level of comfort based on not having any other experience,'' Bigby said. "People are surprised when they leave the institution at how their qualify of life can be improved.''

Posted by aryan at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

MCAS scores rise in all grades

By James Vaznis, Globe Staff

State standardized test scores improved for students in all grades last year -- the first time in three years that scores increased across the board, the state Department of Education announced this morning.

The improvement in Grades 3 through 8 reversed two previous years of flat or declining scores that caused concern about whether the state's more-than-decade long effort to bolster academic achievement had peaked.

At the same time, nearly nine out of 10 sophomores, or 87 percent, passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test on the first try -- the highest rate since the test became a high school graduation requirement in 2001. Last near, 84 percent of sophomores passed the test on the first try.

"These improvements are indicative of the hard work and dedication of educators, students, parents/guardians, and many others across the Commonwealth," Acting Education Commissioner Jeffrey Nellhaus said in a statement. "We must now strive to sustain these improvements and push even higher."

The results also showed improvement among racial and ethnic minority students, but a performance gap persists, with black and Hispanic students lagging behind their white and Asian peers.

On the 10th-grade exam, 73 percent of black and 67 percent of Hispanic students passed on the first try compared with 91 percent of white students and 90 percent of Asian students. In 2006, 67 percent of black and 61 percent of Hispanic students passed the test on the first try compared with 89 percent of white students and 89 percent of Asian students.

"Let's not lose sight of the fact that while kids with disabilities and limited English proficiency, and minority kids, are improving, the achievement gap persists. We have work to do there," Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement. "If we are to move education forward in this Commonwealth it is essential we work to educate the whole child from the time they start learning before kindergarten, through Grade 12 and higher education, and continue that effort in work force development and lifelong learning."

A summary of the scores, released by the Department of Education:

On the math test in Grades 3 through 8, the percentage of students who scored in the top two testing categories, advanced and proficient, increased 5 to 8 percentage points. The scores ranged from a low of 45 percent in those two categories for Grade 8 and a high of 60 percent in Grade 3.

On the English test in Grades 3 through 8, the percentage of students who scored in the top two testing categories rose 3 to 6 percentage points. Scores ranged from a low of 56 percent for Grade 4 to a high of 75 percent for Grade 8.

On the science and technology test, which is given in Grades 5 and 8, scores increased by 1 percentage point for each grade to 51 percent in Grade 5 and 33 percent in Grade 8.

On the Grade 10 exam, the percentage of students scoring in the top two testing categories in English and math each increased by 1 percentage point to 71 percent in English and 68 percent in math.

The state will release scores for the 10th-grade science test next month. Sophomores who took the exam last year will be the first graduating classes in Massachusetts that must pass the science exam in order to receive high school diplomas.

Posted by aryan at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)

Cambridge toddler killed by fall from hotel window

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A 2-year-old boy from Cambridge wiggled out of his father's arms Tuesday, pressed against a screen, and fell three stories to his death from a window in a hotel in Atlantic City, police said.

Aftab Master was holding his son, Miron, on his hip with one arm when the boy reached out and pressed against a screen at the Best Western Envoy Inn on Pacific Avenue at 10:15 a.m.

"The screen just gave way and his momentum caused him to fall through," said Lieutenant Richard Roff of the Atlantic City Police Department by phone today. "The father couldn't hold on."

Miron was rushed to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead. Master and his wife, Firoza, another son, Qounen, and another family member were staying at the hotel. The Master family lives in Cambridge. Atlantic City police would not release their address, citing the family's request for privacy.

Police interviewed the family and investigated the fall with the help of local prosecutors and the state Division of Youth and Family Services.

"It was determined to be accidental," Roff said. "Charges will not be filed."

When Miron pressed against the screen, the entire fixture gave way, including the frame.

"As far as I know, the screen was in place properly," Roff said. "The child just banged hard enough."

Posted by aryan at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)

Man charged with running North Andover prostitution ring

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A 43-year-old Millbury man pleaded not guilty today to charges that he ran a prostitution ring in North Andover with girls as young as 16.

Anthony D. Gorgoglione Jr., the second person to face charges stemming from the alleged prostitution ring, was arraigned in Lawrence District Court, according to Steve O'Connell, a spokesman for Jonathan Blodgett, the Essex district attorney.

He faces three counts each of inducing a minor into prostitution, maintaining a house of prostitution, deriving support from prostitution, posing/exhibiting a child in a sexual act, and distribution of obscene material.

Judge Lynn Rooney set bail at $150,000 and scheduled a probable cause hearing for Oct. 15.

Last week, Melissa Halstrom, 32, pleaded not guilty to several charges, which included allegations that she derived support from prostitution and provided prescription drugs to some of the girls.

Halstrom, a mother of two, was wrongly accused, according to her lawyer.

In Halstrom's case, authorities alleged that she and a man she called "Tony" took photographs of the girls while they were naked, wearing lingerie, or performing sex acts, according to a North Andover police report. The photos were posted on a website that listed a phone number and e-mail address and included pricing, specials, and a "frequently asked questions" page, the report said.

Posted by aryan at 10:55 AM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2007

State senate race decided

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

A year after he withdrew as a candidate for state Senate in the name of party unity, Cambridge City Councilor Anthony D. Galluccio won a vacant Senate seat Tuesday in a special primary election.

Galluccio, a former Cambridge School Committee chairman in his fourth legislative campaign, said his priority in the Senate would be improving education and working on other issues related to youth.

"I've focused much of my adult life working on conditions for children," Galluccio said in an interview. "There isn't a facet of education that I'm not really interested in improving."

Four Democrats were vying for the Middlesex-Suffolk-Essex Senate seat left vacant when Jarrett T. Barrios quit in May to take over as president and chief executive of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.

No Republicans were on the ballot Tuesday, so Galluccio will run unopposed in a special general election scheduled for Oct. 9.

With all 24 precincts reporting in Boston and Cambridge, Galluccio led Timothy R. Flaherty, a Cambridge lawyer, 1,933 to 1,389, according to unofficial results. Voters also went to the polls in Saugus, Everett, Somerville, Chelsea, and Revere. A complete tally of unofficial results compiled by Galluccio campaign workers, showed he led Flaherty 4,388 to 2,232.

The other candidates were Jeff Ross, a lawyer from Cambridge, and eight-term City Councilor Paul Nowicki of Chelsea.

Flaherty conceded the race to Galluccio Tuesday night, said Flaherty’s spokeswoman Dorie Clark. "I am disappointed in the results of the election, but very proud of the campaign we ran," Flaherty said in a statement provided by Clark. "I congratulate Anthony Galluccio on his victory and look forward to working with him in the future to improve the lives of residents in the district.’’

Galluccio, 40, was mayor of Cambridge in 2000 and 2001. He lost a bid for state representative in 1996. In 2002, he lost to Barrios in a three-way primary race for the Senate. Last year, he withdrew before the election and endorsed Barrios when the incumbent decided to seek reelection rather than run for district attorney.

In addition to education issues, Galluccio said he would work to expand healthcare, protect the environment, and improve public housing.

Posted by gwitherspoon at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

Forecaster: rain, rain will go away

(Essdras M Suarez/Globe staff)

Two umbrella-toting passersby crossed paths at an alley in Boston's South End.

By Globe Staff

Today's storm dumped buckets of rain on the thirsty earth in some parts of the region. But gardeners worried about their plants may not be out of the woods yet.

Mansfield, Braintree, and Hingham were among the places registering two or more inches, said Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, a National Weather Service meteorologist. At Logan Airport, 1.28 inches was reported.

Vallier-Talbot said plants may still need more rain. When rain falls too fast, she said, it doesn't have time to soak in.

"If the water comes really fast, it rolls right off," she said.

The rain today came after more than a month of dry weather. August was the second driest month on record, with only 0.66 inches of rain recorded in Boston. By last week, the dry spell had parched plants, lowered stream levels, and encouraged dozens of small wildfires.

Vallier-Talbot said the weather is supposed to be clear to the weekend, with only small showers Friday night and Saturday morning.

"And after that, it's dry again ... It's going to be nice and dry," she said.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:47 PM | Comments (0)

A downtown park with a touch of feng shui

(MassPike photo)

By Globe Staff

It's not your typical, old-fashioned city park. A portion of a new park to be opened in Chinatown tomorrow has been designed using the principles of feng shui, the Chinese art of placing things in order to create harmony.

The park also includes a fountain running over smooth stones and an artificial stream. And at one end, there's a modern version of the gate that marked the entrance to Chinatown for many years.

The one-acre space is one of a series of parks planned for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

The park, which cost $4.5 million to build, is the southernmost of several that have been made possible by the Big Dig, which removed the elevated north-south highway that ran through the city's downtown, placing it in a tunnel.

The opening of the Chinatown park is the first of a series of openings that will happen throughout the next two months on the greenway, said Mac Daniel, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

The 1 p.m. ceremony tomorrow will include the mayor, the lieutenant governor, and other dignitaries.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:55 PM | Comments (0)

Zoo auctions gorilla's art on the Internet

One of Okie's masterpieces.

By Globe Staff

Sometimes artists can be real animals. Just ask Okie, a western lowland gorilla, the creator of three paintings that could sell for thousands on the Internet this week.

The Franklin Park Zoo is auctioning off three of Okie's "masterpieces" on eBay to celebrate the end of a summer-long gorilla art exhibit.

Most of the paintings in the exhibit were by Okie, who seems to enjoy fingerpainting, which is part of the zoo's efforts to keep the animals intellectually stimulated, said zoo spokeswoman Brianne Barrett.

The zoo, which will use the proceeds to pay for its continued revitalization, has sold such paintings before, with the pictures fetching $2,500 to $10,000 apiece, Barrett said.

The exhibit also includes several paintings by Little Joe, the gorilla who made headlines when he escaped in 2003 and attacked and injured a teenager and toddler.

Okie is considered the group's carefree artist-in-residence. He's been fingerpainting since 2004.

The exhibit runs through Friday. The auction will remain open until Saturday evening.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

Patrick leads solemn ceremony to remember Sept. 11

By April Simpson and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

As fog shrouded the State House steps, Governor Deval Patrick led a solemn ceremony this morning to mark the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, calling the terrorist attacks of 2001 "a failure of human understanding."

"We meet to honor the lives of the 206 sons and daughters of our community who were lost six years ago," Patrick told a group of 200 people, including officials and victims' relatives, gathered at the flag pole on the Capitol lawn. "Our tribute is for each of them, and our condolences are with each of you."

While "The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung, the flag was raised to the top of the pole and then slowly lowered halfway back down. Two men played "Taps" on trumpets.

A crowd of 75 onlookers gathered at the bottom of the steps, watching the ceremony from the opposite side of the black, wrought-iron fence.

After a moment of silence, Patrick greeted the victims' relatives. He read the names of 17 people who were killed that day. A bell rang.

The relative of a victim read the next block of names. The bell rang again.

It continued, until the name of each of the 206 victims had been uttered aloud.

"We wish them peace where they are," Patrick said. "We honor them by seeking peace where we are."

Among those attending both ceremonies were Zachary and Joyce Meltzer, whose 32-year-old son, Stuart, died when the World Trade Center collapsed after being struck by two airliners that took off from Logan International Airport.

Meltzer's younger brother, Kenneth, said the family had previously marked the anniversary at Ground Zero, but decided to spend this year in Massachusetts after the New York ceremonies were moved away from the site because of construction of the Freedom Tower, which will replace the twin towers.

Despite the passage of time, Kenneth Meltzer said the pain endures. Stuart Meltzer had been an energy trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, a commodities firm that suffered heavy losses in the attack.

"It's like yesterday. And one of the main reasons is you can't get away from it," Meltzer said. "You can't turn on the TV without seeing burning towers. You also can't get over the fact you can't talk to that person ever again."

Earlier in the morning, Mayor Thomas M. Menino placed a wreath of red, white and blue flowers at the pink granite memorial to the 206 people with Massachusetts connections who died in the attack.

Bells from the nearby Arlington Street Church rang to the tunes of Amazing Grace and America the Beautiful.

The Massachusetts ceremonies were to end with a commemorative observance in the House chambers, as well as the presentation of a bravery award named for Madeline "Amy" Sweeney, an American Airlines flight attendant who detailed the attacks to the authorities before her jetliner was crashed into the World Trade Center.

At Logan International Airport, meanwhile, a moment of silence was scheduled and U.S. flags were draped over checkpoints.

The American Red Cross and the Boston Red Sox also scheduled a blood drive at Fenway Park in honor of 9/11 victims.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.

Posted by aryan at 3:31 PM | Comments (0)

Student trapped after Easton explosion recalls crawling toward the light

(Robert Klein for The Boston Globe)

Matt Tarulli describes what happened as his mother, Maryann, looks on.

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

EASTON -- When he heard the explosion, Matt Tarulli was sitting in his second floor bedroom, working idly on his computer and listening to ESPN commentators on television wax on about sports. The floor gave way, and he was suddenly buried in a pile of wood and plaster.

Looking down, Tarulli spotted fire. Glancing up, he spied a way out.

"I just saw light and started going for it," Tarulli, 19, told reporters today at Stonehill College. He recalled how after Monday morning's explosion he crawled over nails and glass, squeezed through splintered wood, and wormed his way to the edge of the pile of debris so he could shout for help.

Construction workers who responded to the blast at 11 a.m. heard Tarulli's calls and pulled him out of the rubble. Moments later, there was a second explosion, and the house burst into flames.

"It's just really a miracle for me to be here right now," said Tarulli, who was released from Brigham & Women's Hospital Monday night. As he spoke today, he was joined by his parents, who rushed from Saddle Brook, N.J., to be with their son.

"The only thing I have to say is thank you God for my son," said his mother, Maryann Tarulli.

Tarulli, a junior and a backup fullback on the Stonehill football team, said he had scrapes, cuts, and bruises across his back, cut a toe on his left foot, and felt pain in his left hip. He walked to today's press conference with the help of a cane, but said he expected to be well enough to cheer his teammates from the sidelines in their home game Friday against Pace University.

A spokeswoman for State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said today that investigators have concluded the explosion was caused by natural gas that seeped into the building and was ignited by the pilot light on a hot water tank inside the house. Spokeswoman Jennifer Mieth said investigators have two theories how the gas made its way inside the house but are waiting to interview the two injured workers before reaching conclusions.

Work crews for Bay State Gas Co. and a subcontractor were reconnecting gas service to the home when it exploded. Bay State has been upgraded gas lines in the neighborhood for the past several weeks. Donald DiNunno, spokesman for Bay State Gas Company, said they have not been formally notified by Coan's office about what caused the explosion. He also said that there are a number of state and federal agencies who are investigating, and that it would be premature to assign blame until those investigations are complete.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)

Entwistle case delayed to January

By Globe Staff

The trial of Neil Entwistle, the man accused of fatally shooting his wife and 9-month-old daughter in Hopkinton last year, has been postponed to late January.

Prosecutors said defense attorney Elliot Weinstein asked for the delay, saying he needed more time to analyze results of DNA and other scientific tests performed by the state.

District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement that prosecutors would "continue to prepare and will be ready to present our case on behalf of the victims, their family, and the Commonwealth in January."

The trial, which had been scheduled for Oct. 1, will now begin Jan. 28.

Prosecutors allege that Entwistle shot and killed his wife, Rachel, and his daughter, Lillian, in their Hopkinton home on the morning of Jan. 20, 2006. Entwistle left for his family's home in England the next day. He was arrested in England several weeks later.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:31 PM | Comments (0)

Appeal heard for FBI agent convicted of aiding Whitey Bulger

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

A lawyer for retired FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr. urged a federal appeals court today to overturn his 2002 racketeering conviction because one of the government's key witnesses, former New England Mafia boss Francis "Cadillac Frank'' Salemme, allegedly boasted to a fellow mobster that he lied on the stand.

Judge Bruce M. Selya questioned the events described by Connolly's lawyer, suggesting that Salemme may have told the truth in court and then lied to Philadelphia mobster Roger Vella when the two of them were imprisoned together later.

"We have a Mafia don who is committing the worst crime a Mafia don can ... he rats out and cooperates with the feds,'' said Selya, one of three judges on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit considering Connolly's case. "Why isn't it the most natural thing for him to try to explain away his cooperation?''

Braintree attorney Terrance J. McCarthy, who represents Connolly, argued that Salemme "had every reason to tell Vella the truth'' when he claimed prosecutors helped him shape his story to win a conviction because he didn't know Vella was a confidential informant and would later report the boasts to the FBI.

Connolly is serving 10 years in prison. He was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and lying to an FBI agent for protecting longtime informants James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman'' Flemmi from prosecution and leaking them information. He's also scheduled to stand trial in Miami in March for a 1982 gangland slaying.

Salemme, who had been granted immunity for his testimony at Connolly's trial, was indicted in 2004 on a charge of lying to investigators by withholding information about the 1993 disappearance of South Boston nightclub manager Steven DiSarro. Federal prosecutors allege Salemme witnessed DiSarro's slaying and helped bury his body, and he is awaiting trial in that case.

"Doesn't that cloud the picture a bit?" said Circuit Judge Kermit V. Lipez, questioning the government today about why any of Salemme's testimony at Connolly's trial should be believed, given that he's now awaiting trial for lying.

US Special Attorney William J. Nardini said Salemme allegedly lied about his involvement in DiSarro's slaying to protect other organized-crime figures. He argued that Salemme's statements to Vella -- including claims that the government promised him $500,000 for his testimony and a condo on a golf course -- were "pretty absurd.''

Posted by aryan at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)

Man dead in crash on Route 1 ramp

By Globe Staff

A man who was not wearing a seat belt was killed this morning when the minivan he was driving rolled over on a highway exit ramp on the Lynnfield/Peabody town line, State Police said.

The man was driving a 1999 Ford Windstar at 4:38 a.m. on the ramp from southbound Route 1 onto Route 128 when the minivan rolled over. After being thrown from the minivan, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The Windstar was found in woods 50 to 70 feet off the road.

Police did not release the man's name. The accident remains under investigation, but it appears that speed and a wet roadway may have contributed to the crash.

The ramp reopened to traffic at 7:15 a.m.

Posted by aryan at 8:56 AM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007

Boston police officer pleads guilty to cocaine trafficking

(FBI)

Surveillance video taken by federal investigators shows officer Carlos Pizarro of the Boston Police Department at a meeting in Miami in last summer celebrating what he allegedly thought was the successful shipment of 100 kilograms of cocaine.

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

One of three Boston police officers indicted last year on charges of protecting cocaine shipments for undercover FBI agents posing as drug dealers pleaded guilty today in federal court.

Carlos Pizarro, a 10-year veteran of the force who has been in custody since his July 2006 arrest, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms of cocaine and a second count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

"Why are you pleading guilty?" asked US District Judge William G. Young, after advising Pizarro that he could face up to 24 years in prison if convicted at trial. The government was offering to recommend no more than 14 years under a plea agreement filed with the court.

"Looking at the alternative, what we agreed upon sounds better,'' mumbled Pizarro, whose 38th birthday is today. Dressed in an orange prison suit, with leg irons shackled around his ankles, he sat in the witness box next to the judge during most of the hearing, nodding solemnly when asked if he had knowingly conspired with the others to guard a truck loaded with cocaine.

The agreement does not require Pizarro to testify against his former partners in the motorcycle unit, Roberto "Kiko" Pulido and Nelson Carrasquillo, who are slated to go to trial Nov. 5. However, it does require him to provide the government with a detailed account of his own involvement in any crimes.

"Obviously this is somebody who is telling the court he's ready to be held accountable for his conduct,'' said Pizarro's lawyer, R. Bradford Bailey. "Hopefully he'll be able to get on with his life down the line.''

The three officers were arrested in Miami last summer when they showed up for what they allegedly believed was a celebratory meeting with drug dealers who were supposed to pay them the final $35,000 of $50,000 in payments for guarding 100 kilograms of cocaine in June 2006 while it was being trucked from Western Massachusetts to a Jamaica Plain garage.

Posted by aryan at 5:05 PM | Comments (0)

House explodes in Easton

(Robert E. Klein for the Globe)

A firefighter doused a home with water this morning after it exploded.

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

EASTON -- A fiery explosion leveled a home this morning where students from Stonehill College lived, sending flames shooting into the air and injuring several people, police and witnesses said.

"It sounded like a bomb, an earthquake and a sonic boom all in one,'' said neighbor Stephanie Yaitanes, who rushed to her front porch to see a pillar of flame from the home.

Six people were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, including the four college students who lived in the home, one employee from Bay State Gas, and one subcontractor from another company, according to Deputy Chief Allen Krajcik of the Easton Police Department. The most serious injury was suffered by the subcontractor, who was rushed to Brigham & Women's Hospital.

Bay State Gas had been working to replace a gas main all summer and had dug a trench in the street, said company spokesman Donald DiNunno. A work crew was in the process of connecting the house that exploded to the new gas main, he said.

"It will take some time before an investigation is complete," DiNunno said when asked what caused the explosion. "I can't even begin to speculate ... We certainly wish those that were taken to hospitals are not seriously injured and we hope that everybody is OK."

The blast in the two-story building near the corner of Seaver and Jenny Lind streets shook the neighborhood shortly after 11 a.m., witnesses said. Keith Muise was next door when he said he heard a loud explosion. The windows and walls of the home blew out and the second floor pancaked on top of the first floor, Muise said.

A police officer who was working in the area rushed to the scene and helped three young men, who crawled out of the rubble, Muise said. After the collapse, there was a second explosion, and the house burst into flames, he said.

Mike Landry said he felt the explosion a few blocks away and rushed to Seaver Street and saw a "sea of flames." A man who looked like a utility worker was lying unconscious in the street covered in debris, he said. Workers building an addition on a nearby home ran to help the man, carrying him to safety on a piece of plywood that was used as a makeshift stretcher.

One Bay State Gas employee and four contractors hired by the company were on scene this morning when the house exploded, DiNunno said. The Bay State Gas employee was in the process of moving a meter from inside of the house to the outside, DiNunno said. The company, which serves about 289,000 customers in the state, received a call from the Easton Fire Department at 11:10 a.m. and rushed to the scene, he said.

The explosion reduced the home to a pile of charred rubble that was 10-feet high in places. The blast is under investigation by several state agencies, including the fire marshal's office.

Three of the students were brought to Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and will be discharged this afternoon, according to a statement posted on the Stonehill College website. The fourth student was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The school president, the Rev. Mark Cregan, and several other Stonehill representatives went to Boston to visit the student, the statement said.

Posted by aryan at 2:06 PM | Comments (0)

Break-in at Romney campaign headquarters in North End

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff/file)

Mitt Romney's campaign headquarters at 585 Commercial St. in the North End.

By Andrew Ryan, Lisa Wangsness, and Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

The presidential campaign headquarters of Mitt Romney were burglarized overnight in the North End, according to a campaign spokesman.

There was "forced entry" into the three-story waterfront building at 585 Commercial St. and several computers and a television were stolen, said spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom. The break-in, which occurred late Sunday or early Monday, did not appear to be politically motivated, he said.

"By all appearances this is a routine burglary," Fehrnstrom said. "There were a number of items that were left untouched -- files and the like."

Fehrnstrom referred additional questions to Boston police. He declined to described how the burglar or burglars broke into the building.

A law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case said someone at Romney's campaign headquarters reported the crime in a 911 call at 9:40 a.m. and said that $20,000 worth of equipment was stolen. According to a preliminary police report, entry was made through a third-floor window and eight laptops and a 32-inch television were stolen. A Crime Scene Unit responded to process the scene, and detectives from District A-1 are conducting interviews.

Romney has finance events today in Boston and New York. Another spokesman, Kevin Madden, declined to provide details, saying the events were not on the public schedule and that Romney would not be available for comment.

A "routine" break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Office Building on June 17, 1972, led to the end of Richard M. Nixon's presidency.

Last month, a burglar broke into the Hartford office of Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat who is also running for president. A homeless man was accused of stealing a television and a computer and charged with larceny, burglary, and criminal mischief. Police do not believe that the break-in was politically motivated.

On July 6, thieves broke into Barack Obama's headquarters in Davenport, Iowa. The Rocky Mountain News reported at the time that two laptop computers and campaign literature were taken from the campaign of the Illinois Democrat.

And in February of this year, the New Hampshire Democratic Party reported a burglary at its Concord office.

Posted by aryan at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

Reactions to Paul Sullivan's death

Governor Deval Patrick

Paul's life was full of friends, some of them unlikely. When we met, he told me he expected not to like me and I likewise, but the man I came to know and respect was a great listener who understood ordinary people and their extraordinary hunger for both pragmatism and inspiration.

He was a serious and well-informed political reporter and a lively host. I always enjoyed his program and deeply appreciated his friendship.

I will miss him and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Senator John F. Kerry

Paul was balanced, honest, fair and civil public discourse at its best. We'll always remember him as a gentleman first, a journalist second. He cared about the people covered and the personalities he interviewed, and it showed.

Throughout his very public illness Paul was always dignified, and he approached it with his trademark sense of humor. Despite four surgeries, you didn't hear him complain. He resisted the most well-intended efforts to turn him into a hero, he just wanted to be the same Paul Sullivan he'd been his whole life, the genuine article.

Teresa and I send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Mary Jo, his five children and everyone who knew and loved him. His family and friends can take some comfort in knowing how many people he touched in the fifty years he was with us. He will be deeply missed.

Jim Ogonowski, candidate for Fifth Congressional District

I offer my sincere condolences to Mary Jo and the entire Sullivan Family.

Paul and I shared many good times and laughs back in high school and our friendship continued through life. His humor truly was one of a kind. True Sully. Paul offered comfort to me and my family in our most challenging time. I only wish I could offer the same comfort to his family today. Sully will always be missed. May God's grace be with him and his family.

Posted by aryan at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)

Truck stuck in Storrow Tunnel backs up traffic

By Globe Staff

A box truck got stuck this morning in the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay, backing up eastbound traffic for miles.

The driver of the truck was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries. The name of the driver was not released.

The Isuzu box truck became wedged in the tunnel at 7:10 a.m., police said. By 8:45 a.m., traffic was still restricted to one lane.

Trucks are barred from using Storrow Drive because of the low tunnels.

Posted by aryan at 8:50 AM | Comments (0)

September 8, 2007

Possible break seen in town hall break-in case

By Kathy McCabe, Globe Staff

Two men charged with breaking into town halls in two New Hampshire communities are being eyed as possible suspects in a string of similar crimes in more than a dozen rural towns in central and western Massachusetts, police said.

Justin Douglas, 26, of Springfield and David Heck, 32, of Westfield were charged Friday with breaking into town offices in Hillsborough and in nearby Windsor, N.H. They are being held in lieu of $300,000 bail, Hillsborough police said in a statement.

Both men have also been "identified as persons of interest in a series of burglaries of government offices throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut," the statement said.

Hillsborough police said they were working on the case with the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut state police.

In Massachusetts, state police assigned to the Sturbridge barracks have been working with local police to solve a series of burglaries from town offices and churches, in which thieves have stolen computers, cash and vandalism.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:34 PM | Comments (0)

Two dead, two injured in Mansfield airport crash

(Pool photo)

Officials say fuel was spilled near the wreckage, but it didn't ignite.

By Globe Staff

Two people were killled and two were critically injured in a small plane crash this morning at Mansfield Municipal Airport.

A Cessna 172 with four people aboard was taking off at about 10:45 a.m when the pilot found he wasn't climbing fast enough, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker. The pilot declared mayday and turned the plane to return to the airport when it stalled and crashed.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation into the accident, Baker said.

Mansfield Police Chief Arthur O'Neill said that police and firefighters responding to the airport found the plane in rocky underbrush. He said fuel from the aircraft had been spilled in the area and posed a fire risk, so rescuers worked fast to remove the crash victims.

"In the interests of humanity, we had to move quickly," he said.

The plane had four men in their mid-30s aboard. It had taken off in Maine and had made a stop in Mansfield to pick up the fourth passenger before heading to another destination. O'Neill said he didn't know the plane's final destination.

The plane's wreckage could be seen in the southeastern part of the airport, which borders on Interstate 495.

The two injured men were taken to the Brigham and Women's and Beth Israel Deaconess hospitals in Boston, O'Neill said.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)

September 7, 2007

Framingham toddler injured in four-story fall

By Steven H. Bagley, Globe Correspondent

An 18-month-old girl was injured after falling from a fourth-floor window of a Framingham apartment building this afternoon.

Police and firefighters were called to the Jefferson Village Apartments on Worcester Street at about 4:30 p.m., said Lt. Paul Shastany, a police spokesman.

Shastany said that the girl was apparently on a windowsill in her family's apartment when the window screen gave way.

The girl dropped 36 feet and landed on the concrete sidewalk in front of her building, injuring her head and face.

She was conscious and crying when police arrived on the scene, Shastany said. The toddler was airlifted to UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester. Her condition wasn't available.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:53 PM | Comments (0)

MIT prank may have caused minor explosion on Charles River

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A whitish, lumpy substance that exploded and hurt two people cleaning the Charles River has been tentatively identified as sodium metal, and authorities are trying to determine whether the material was left over from an annual prank by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The substance, which looked like an 8-inch long chunk of Styrofoam, was identified after a tentative analysis at the state crime laboratory, said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk district attorney's office. Two volunteers suffered superficial burns when they picked up the sodium with a 10-foot pole similar to a pool skimmer, said Tom McNichol, president of the nonprofit Charles River Cleanup Boat.

Sodium metal explodes when it is exposed to water. To welcome a new school year, MIT students have a long tradition of stealing a lump of sodium from the school's chemistry labs and heaving it into the Charles.

"State police and the state Department of Fire Services are aware of an annual sodium drop into the Charles River," Wark said, adding the incident remains under investigation.

Pamela Dumas Serfes, a school spokeswoman, said in a statement: "MIT is cooperating fully with appropriate authorities to establish the facts." Serfes could not say whether a sodium drop took place this year.

The explosion Thursday on the Boston bank of the river cost the cleanup boat thousands of dollars in decontamination bills and has hurt the image of an organization that relies on volunteers and donations, McNichol said. In the cleanup's four-year history, nothing like this has ever happened, he said.

"These kids have caused us some major problems," McNichol said. "What if it wasn't our guys picking it up with a 10-foot pole. It could have been a kid and he would have lost an arm or an eye."

Posted by aryan at 6:24 PM | Comments (0)

T running again after power failure

By Globe Staff

A power failure in the MBTA's control centre this afternoon temporarily disrupted communication with trains and forced the shutdown of the entire subway system.

The outage had the most significant impact on the Red Line, where trains stopped running for 35 to 40 minutes, according to Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It took officials less time to restore service on other T lines. All power and communication was repaired by 3:45 p.m.

"The precise cause of the failure is the focus of an ongoing investigation," Pesaturo said in an email.

Posted by aryan at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

N.H. sex offender added to FBI's most wanted list

(FBI)

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

A New Hampshire sex offender has been added to the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list, joining the ranks of notorious fugitives Osama bin Laden and South Boston crime boss James "Whitey'' Bulger, the FBI announced today.

The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the fugitive, Jon Savarino Schillaci, 35, who fled after he was indicted in 1999 on charges of molesting a 5-year-old Deerfield, N.H., boy.

Schillaci, a repeat offender, was sent to a Texas prison at age 17 after being convicted of having sex with two boys. While serving 10 years in prison, he corresponded with a New Hampshire family, who invited him to live in their home after his release, according to the FBI. While living with the family, he allegedly molested the 5-year-old boy.

Schillaci, who was last spotted in Mexico, is the fourth child predator to make the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list since its inception in the 1950s. He replaces another pedophile, Richard Steve Goldberg, who was captured in May after five years on the list.

Posted by aryan at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

High-powered firearms found hidden near Boston school

By Globe Staff

An anonymous tip led to the discovery of two high-powered guns hidden in a wooded area near an elementary school in Mattapan, police said today.

A 16-gauge shotgun and a rifle were found Wednesday in a wooded area near Mattahunt School on Hebron Street, police said.

Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis and Mayor Thomas M. Menino have scheduled a press conference later today to discuss the weapons and initiatives to increase the safety of schools.

Posted by aryan at 2:43 PM | Comments (0)

Another day of thousands mourning

(Bill Greene/ Globe Staff)

The funeral procession of Boston firefighter Warren J. Payne went down Seaver Street today toward Forest Hills Cemetery.

By Ryan Haggerty, David Abel, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

He was their ambassador. The firefighter with the broad smile who sat outside the firehouse on Centre Street, chatting with neighbors, giving tours, and bellowing in a loud voice to fellow firefighters when their family popped by for a visit.

"The kids," Patrick Nichols, captain of ladder truck 25, said in a quivering voice. "He was always handing out helmets to the kids."

Thousands of firefighters and mourners gathered for a second day in a row today, this time to honor Warren J. Payne. He died with fellow firefighter Paul J. Cahill, 55, when a seemingly routine restaurant fire Aug. 29 erupted into an inferno.

"Saving lives by being willing to give up your own -- that's the one sentence job description for the firefighter," Rev. Gregory G. Groover said. "More than any celebrity, star, or athlete could ever attain, you, Warren, have given our young people -- you have given all of us -- the perfect example of a true hero."

Mourners spilled out of United House of Prayer for All People in Dorchester and onto Seaver Street, where speakers broadcast the service outside.

"This is supposed to be a celebration," the Rev. Lee Mitchell said as he pounded the lectern at the front of the church.

"I don't here no noise in here!" Mitchell yelled. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"

And then, Mitchell began to sing: "We need you Jesus. Oh, yes, we need you. We need a little more strength. A little more understanding."

The day began with a public viewing as firefighters in crisp uniforms formed a solid blue line down the center aisle of the United House of Prayer for All People, holding their hats over their hearts as they approached the casket.

A black helmet, adorned with the number 25, sat on top of the casket. From a large portrait on an easel, Payne smiled that broad smile at his approaching colleagues, looking proud in his dress blue uniform. On each side of the casket, a firefighter stood at attention next to wreaths with red and white flowers.

Firefighters reached out and touched the silver casket with a white-gloved hand. Some saluted. Others stopped short and made the sign of the cross.

"We don't forget," said Jon Alberghini, a retired chief from Kingston. "We always come. We're here to support those who support us."

After paying respects to their fallen comrade, each firefighter turned and greeted Payne's family, who filled the pews on the right side of the church. They hugged, wiped away tears, shook hands, and laughed.

Payne, 53, was a Newton resident and father of two teenage boys. Born in 1954 in Boston, he grew up in Roxbury and Dorchester and became a firefighter in 1988. He was assigned to Ladder 25, where he spent 19 years dousing fires and rescuing people.

The multitude of firefighters assembled outside wore badges from fire departments in Cohasset, Stoughton, Brookline, and Lynn.

"This is a brotherhood," said Chief Arthur H. Pelland of the Abington Fire Department, who wore a white hat that signified his rank. "It could have been anyone of us."

A giant American flag, hoisted from ladders on two fire trucks, was rippling in the wind. Lisa Casado, 29, came from Mattapan at 8:45 a.m. to stand on Seaver Street.

"The more firefighters I see the more my eyes water," Casado said. "It's so hard to find the right way to thank firefighters and police officers; their jobs are such tough jobs and I could never compare myself to them everyday."

On Thursday, it was West Roxbury that was flooded by a sea of firefighters for Cahill's funeral at Holy Name Church. A blue line stretched some 10 blocks down Centre Street, past the firehouse and the burned shell of the Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant.

Posted by aryan at 2:22 PM | Comments (0)

Excerpts from the funeral of firefighter Warren J. Payne

(Erik Jacobs for the Boston Globe)

The Rev. Gregory G. Groover

Firefighters know more about love than many of us. For Warren Payne and his eternal brother, Paul Cahill, and for the thousands of firefighters assembled here and beyond, love for them is beyond speaking about it to which the rest of us so readily resort. For them, love is beyond preaching about it, as is done often by clergy. It is beyond the singing of it by the recording artists or the writing about it by philosophers. No, the Warren and the Paul we know exemplified a love -- as all firefighters -- that is far greater than any other love.

A greater love that bids the firefighters to suffer the injury so others would go unscathed. The greater love that commands the firefighter to give up his or her life so others could live. There is no greater love than this. Jesus said greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Warren as a firefighter was known by friends for often walking around with ashy hands. And at times one of his close friends would say to Warren -- "Warren, how about some lotion." And Warren would lift his hands and respond, "These hands save lives." Saving lives by being willing to give up your own -- that's the one sentence job description for the firefighter.

Love transformed Warren Payne and Paul Cahill to wake up that morning of Aug. 29 and later enter that blazing restaurant no longer as a black man or a white man. Or as an African-American or an Irish-American. Or as a Protestant or Catholic. But as two firefighters whose two paths of bravery became one as they both responded on that night to the eternal work of greater love. The greater love, which is the love that comes only from God.

Warren, your sacrifice was not in vain. For in the giving of you life, you have taught us how to love. As a firefighter you, Warren, along with Paul, you have pointed us to a love that this world knows not of. Warren, more than any sermon could ever do, you and sacrificing of your life has shown us the very face of God. More than any celebrity, star, or athlete could ever attain, you, Warren, have given our young people -- you have given all of us -- the perfect example of a true hero.

Captain Patrick Nichols of ladder truck 25

You knew Warren was in the firehouse well before he came up to the second floor. You can hear Warren's voice the moment he walked into the door. He was one of the loudest members we had in the house. He would be sitting on the couch in the TV room watching TV, some sort of horror movie most likely, and he would begin to talk to the TV. The next thing would be "watch out, duck." One afternoon I was in the office and those comments got louder and louder. The next thing I know I hear, "Watch out, he's right behind you." So I got on the floor and realized he wasn't talking to me. I got up and ran down the hallway and made sure everyone was OK. Then I found out he was just talking to the TV, and I told him he either had to change the channel or find another hobby.

He was our ambassador. He used to sit in front of the firehouse and speak to members, family members who would come and visit, people of the public who would come and visit and the kids. He was always handing out helmets to the kids.

One day last winter, being the new captain in Ladder 25, I walked down the hallway and Warren was in the lock room doorway and the door was open. He was standing and looking at himself in the mirror. Then he looked at me and looked back at the mirror and said, "How can you not love this face?"

He was a go-to guy at the house. You would call him and he was there right away. The only time he would say no was if he had plans with his sons Jeremy and Jonathan. He loved you guys and always spoke about you. We met briefly at the fire house a few months back and he spoke about you both often.

His mother, Mrs. Payne, he spoke of you and how much he loved you and how much he cared about his friends and family. He was a gentle, caring man. He was a bull with fire, but a gentle caring man as a medic. He will be missed at the firehouse, he really will.

Posted by aryan at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)

Road closures and restrictions for firefighter Payne's funeral

Closures:
Seaver Street -Columbus Avenue: from Blue Hill Avenue to Washington Street

Elm Hill Avenue: from Warren Street to Seaver Street.

Parking Restrictions:
Seaver Street: both sides, from Blue Hill Avenue to Humboldt Avenue

Elm Hill Avenue: both sides, from Seaver Street to Homestead Street

Blue Hill Avenue: both sides, from Seaver Street to Columbia Road.

South Street: Both sides from Guernsey Street to Centre Street

West Roxbury Parkway: Both sides from Belgrade Ave. to Church Street

Detours:
Blue Hill Avenue-Seaver Street inbound: Straight on Blue Hill Avenue, left onto Warren Street, left onto Dudley Street, straight onto Malcolm "X" Boulevard

Columbus Avenue - Washington Street outbound: Right onto Washington Street, left onto Morton Street, at Forest Hill, right onto American Legion Highway, right or left onto Blue Hill Avenue.

Posted by aryan at 9:35 AM | Comments (0)

Fugitive caught in Marion after manhunt

By Globe Staff

A paroled murderer was captured walking on a road in Marion this morning after an almost 24-hour manhunt, State Police said.

Charles M. Chaples, 46, fled on Thursday in Mattapoisett when police tried to arrest him for a parole violation stemming from a domestic dispute in New Bedford. Police spent the day and night searching a wooded area near Industrial Drive.

This morning at 7, Trooper Edward Lavoie spotted Chaples walking along Route 105 near Quails Crossing. He gave up without a struggle, police said.

Chaples was taken to the State Police barracks in Bourne and then transferred to the New Bedford Police Department.

Chaples was paroled last year after serving 24 years in prison for the 1982 shooting death of a night watchman at an amusement park in Dartmouth.

Posted by aryan at 9:12 AM | Comments (0)

Second firefighter's funeral slated for today

(Boston Fire Department photo)

Firefighter Warren J. Payne.

By Globe Staff

Thousands of firefighters are expected to attend the funeral today of Firefighter Warren J. Payne, who died last week battling a restaurant fire in West Roxbury.

Payne died in the blaze along with Firefighter Paul J. Cahill, whose funeral Thursday drew an emotional throng.

The service for Payne will be held in The United House of Prayer for All People on Seaver Street in Dorchester at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Forest Hills Cemetery.

Road closures, parking restrictions, and detours are listed on the city's website.

Boston police say that there will be a series of rolling roadblocks as the funeral procession heads north on Seaver Street and Columbus Street, then turns left onto Washington Street and left onto the Arborway before ending up at Forest Hills Cemetery.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:12 AM | Comments (0)

September 6, 2007

Police search for fugitive in Mattapoisett

By Daniel Peleschuk, Globe Correspondent

Law enforcement officials hunted today for a fugitive in the woods in Mattapoisett.

Troopers assigned to the state police barracks in Bourne, the state police violent fugitive apprehension squad, and officers of the Massachusetts Parole Board searched for 46-year-old Charles M. Chaples, who was wanted on a warrant for violating his parole on a life sentence.

The search was conducted in the area adjacent to 11 Industrial Drive.

Chaples should be considered potentially armed and dangerous, police said. Officials described Chaples as a 6-foot-2 white male weighing 225 to 230 pounds. He was last seen wearing green shorts and a green tank top, and carrying a gray sweatshirt.

He has three tattoos on his back. His last known address was Hicksville Road in Dartmouth.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)

Trash explodes, injuring Charles River cleanup crew

By John Drake, Globe Staff

Volunteers were hoisting trash from the Charles River onto a boat near the Massachusetts Avenue bridge when something unexpected happened. The trash exploded.

The small boat remained docked at the Charles River Esplanade near Fairfield Street this afternoon as investigators from the state police, state fire marshal's office, and city fire department picked apart the debris from the explosion.

Two paramedics and three people from the cleanup crew suffered burns from handling the taffy-like substance that is believed to have ignited, said Jake Wark, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:33 PM | Comments (0)

Acting chief named for MBTA police

By Globe Staff

Deputy Chief Paul MacMillan will serve as acting chief of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority transit police, the authority announced today.

MacMillan, 54, will take over Sept. 20, after the departure of Chief Joe Carter, who is becoming adjutant general of the state National Guard.

A member of Carter's command staff, MacMillan managed the StopWatch program, which was intended to quell disorderly conduct among youths using the MBTA.

He has a bachelor's from Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice and a master's from Western New England College.

The MBTA board has appointed a subcommittee to determine a process for selecting a permanent chief, said Dan Grabauskas, the authority's general manager.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:17 PM | Comments (0)

MBTA promises cooler cars on the Mattapan-Ashmont line

(Tom Herde/Globe Staff)

On a day like this one in 2005, the AC probably wasn't needed.

By Globe Staff

There's good news today for riders of the Mattapan-Ashmont Line, where 10 old trolley cars have been running for decades without the slightest zephyr of air conditioning.

The 1940s-era "presidential conference cars" will get new heating and ventilation systems -- and air conditioning -- to improve the comfort of passengers.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority at a meeting today approved spending $1.5 million on the project.

The MBTA says it has 2,368 passenger vehicles, and only these 10 don't have air conditioning.

It's not the first time the trolleys have had work done. Work was also done on the cars in 1993 and in 1999.

Daniel Grabauskas, the MBTA general manager, said the new work wasn't a repair to the cars. He emphasized it was an "upgrade" that adds an air conditioning unit to the top of the cars. He said the air conditioning would be ready by next June or July.

The MBTA board today also approved a $6.9 million contract with a company that will run commuter boat services from Hull and Quincy to Long Wharf and Logan International Airport in Boston, using two MBTA-owned boats and one supplied by the contractor.

The contract with Water Transportation Alternatives Inc. of Quincy will last from Nov. 1, 2007, through June 30, 2013. The company, which is the current contractor operating the boats, was the lowest of two bidders, said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:06 PM | Comments (0)

Treasurer says people can find millions in forgotten money

By Globe Staff

It's a wonderful dream that goes like this: Somewhere there's a bank account that you've forgotten about, full of cash that you could use to buy yourself some extras. And all you have to do is call a phone number to claim the money.

For some people, that dream may well come true.

State Treasurer Tim Cahilll announced today that 40,000 new individuals, charities, and businesses can claim $40 million in abandoned property from the state.

Cahill urged the public to check the treasury's fall abandoned property list, which is being published in a number of newspapers, beginning with The Boston Sunday Globe this weekend, or to visit the state's website at findmassmoney.com

"Our goal is to return these funds to their rightful owners," he said.

The abandoned property includes forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes, the treasurer's office said. When there is no activity by customers for three years, the accounts are considered abandoned and turned over to the state.

The list in the newspaper will include just the people who have been newly added to the list. A total of 4 million people have lost track of about $1 billion. There is no time limit on claiming abandoned property.

If you look in the paper or on the website and see an account you think might be yours, call 888-344-MASS, said treasurer's spokeswoman Alison Mitchell.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

Police release pictures of hat worn by suspect in East Boston assaults

(Boston Police Department)

By Globe Staff

Boston police released pictures today of a hat they say was worn by a suspect who assaulted three women in East Boston early Monday.

The three attacks happened near Porter Street and the Airport MBTA stop. On Wednesday, police released a sketch of the suspect.

Anyone with information about the hat or the suspect is asked to contact Boston Police at 617-343-4400. Callers who wish to remain anonymous should call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 800-494-TIPS or text the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

(Boston Police Department)

Posted by aryan at 4:18 PM | Comments (0)

A sea of blue salutes a fallen firefighter in West Roxbury

(John Tlumacki /Globe Staff)

The first of two firefighter funerals gripped West Roxbury today as thousands lined the street in mourning.

By Ryan Haggerty and Andrew Ryan, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff

The casket of Paul J. Cahill was wrapped in an American flag on top of Engine 30 as the truck rolled slowly down Centre Street in West Roxbury, past a line of thousands of firefighters from around the country in crisp dress uniforms.

The line was a dozen firefighters deep in places and stretched for some 10 blocks, from Holy Name Church, past the burnt shell of the Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant, where Cahill and Warren J. Payne became the first Boston firefighters to die in a fire since 1994.

The sea of blue ran all the way back to the firehouse on Centre Street, the station where Cahill and Payne worked, where the driveway has been covered by flowers. A Boston fire department spokesman estimated that the crowd included 10,000 firefighters.

More than 1,500 people filled the red brick Holy Name Church for Cahill's funeral, the program for which is posted here

The Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, chief chaplain of the Boston Fire Department, described Cahill and Payne in his homily as the "latest heroes in the long blue line."

"The citizens of Boston know when the bell rings, when the box is struck, Boston firefighters -- like all firefighters -- respond, no matter the risk, no matter the cost," Mahoney said. "But how grievous the cost is that brings us together here in Holy Name this morning."

Cahill's son, Adam, 21, spoke of the consuming void he has felt since his father's death.

"There is an absence of proper words to describe the love that I have for my father," Adam Cahill said. "It's not due to a lack of a vocabulary. They just don't exist."

Others tried to find those words. They described Cahill as a faithful brother, caring father, trusted friend, exemplary firefighter, and legendary firehouse cook.

"Paul was so animated when he described a nice meal he was about to prepare," said Captain Stephen Keogh of Engine 30. "He would say, 'Boys I have some nice steaks or a beautiful roast tonight.' Then he would add, 'My wife, Anne, is a vegetarian, and we rarely have meat at home, so I like to get some nice cuts of beef.'"

Keogh continued: "Paul was a good man, a kind man. Always smiling, telling funny stories. He took great pleasure in making people laugh. He would do anything for anybody."
They began to gather early this morning, dropped off by 50 MBTA buses with the words "Firefighters Funeral" flashing across the route marquee. The bus drivers volunteered on their day off and shuttled the firefighters to the service for free, said Steven MacDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.

The crowd included 70 recruits from the Boston Fire Academy at Moon Island, who stood out because they wore light-blue, short-sleeve, button-down shirts and firefighter helmets. Out-of-town firefighters carried honor guard flags saying how far they had come: Arlington, Baltimore, Scituate, San Francisco, Dallas.

"When this happens, to have this support helps in the firehouse and helps to start the overall healing process," said Captain Hugh Doherty, who came with 12 other firefighters from Toronto for the funerals. "It's not a cliche in terms of this brotherhood and sisterhood. When one is killed tragically serving their community, this is a way of showing respect for the family and Boston firefighters."

Payne's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the United House of Prayer for All People in Dorchester, following a two-hour viewing at the church.

The procession for Cahill began at 9:30 a.m. at Dockray and Thomas Funeral Home in Canton, where he lived before moving to Scituate. The convoy headed up Neponset Street into Norton, onto Route 1 through Westwood, and into Dedham, where Cahill grew up, the oldest of six.

The fire trucks approached Holy Name Church at 11 a.m. and passed under a massive American flag held aloft by two ladder trucks. The wail of 75 bagpipers was followed by 50 drummers in red, green, and blue kilts.

Patty Federico came from Roslindale to stand on Centre Street and pay her respects. "This is absolutely unbelievable, I've never seen anything like it," Federico said. "They just keep coming and coming."

Firefighters from Cahill's West Roxbury firehouse walked alongside Engine 30, wearing white gloves and holding one hand on the side of truck. The bagpipes wailed louder as Cahill's coffin was carried up the steps of the church.

One woman clutched an American flag and held her right hand over her heart while a tear rolled down her check.

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

Posted by aryan at 3:15 PM | Comments (0)

Family of ailing talk show host says he will receive hospice care

By Globe Staff

The family of Paul Sullivan, a host on WBZ-AM talk radio who has been battling cancer, said today that he will stop receiving medical treatment and he will go into hospice care that will focus on his comfort and quality of life.

"We all want you to know how much Paul has appreciated the cards and calls during the last few months ... They have been very comforting during these summer months," the family said in a statement.

The family thanked the medical team at Massachusetts General Hospital for their "amazing care and treatment of Paul during the past 33 months."

The statement said that Sullivan would be now surrounded by family and friends at Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell, the city where he spent much of his life.

"Paul ... would like everyone to know how important all the thoughts and prayers have been to him," the family said.

Sullivan, 50, of Salisbury, was diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma cancer in November 2004. His last show was in June.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:38 PM | Comments (0)

Excerpts from the funeral of firefighter Paul J. Cahill

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

Adam Cahill, Paul's son

There is an absence of proper words to describe the love that I have for my father. It's not due to a lack of a vocabulary. They just don't exist.

I could always rely on him for reassurance that the sun would rise, regardless of how terrible the day had been. I consider this just a dark day, but to my joy -- and I am sure to his -- I can see the sun has already begun to break through.

Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, chief chaplain of the Boston Fire Department

Once more the muffled drums. Once more the skirling pipes. Once more the tears. And once more the hymns. How much sorrow can Paul's family suffer? How much pain can the Boston Fire Department endure?

The citizens of Boston know when the bell rings, when the box is struck, Boston firefighters -- like all firefighters -- respond, no matter the risk, no matter the cost. But how grievous the cost is that brings us together here in Holy Name this morning.

Captain Stephen Keogh of Engine 30, Boston Fire Department

I want to tell the members of the Cahill and Payne families that I have asked that same question you have asked over and over: Why were Paul and Warren taken from us. As a firefighter, I explain my answer by saying, they died because there always exists the possibility of dying in the line of duty in our profession.

Paul and Warren died in service to this neighborhood and to the entire city of Boston.

Paul was a son, a brother, a father, uncle, friend, Navy veteran, master electrician, exemplary firefighter, and legendary firehouse cook.

Paul was so animated when he described a nice meal he was about to prepare he would say, "Boys, I have some nice steaks or a beautiful roast tonight." Then he would add, "My wife, Anne, is a vegetarian, and we rarely have meat at home, so I like to get some nice cuts of beef."

Paul was a good man, a kind man. Always smiling, telling funny stories. He took great pleasure in making people laugh. He would do anything for anybody.

Paul loved being a firefighter. I once heard if you do what you love for work, you will never have to work a day in your life, because it will never feel like work. Paul loved this job, and it showed in every task he performed.

A Cahill family friend

Before I begin, I should probably let everybody know when I refer to "Cat Daddy" I am speaking about Paul, who to all of our friends has become the Cat Daddy.

As I think of Cat Daddy, a few things come right to mind -- a proud father, a loving husband, a man sincerely devoted to his family, a true friend that is always there for those around him always with a few words of advice and several more of encouragement.

A few minutes with Cat Daddy could assure you that all is well and as long as you put your best foot forward and most of your weight behind it, that anything is achievable. I think that is what a lot of us will miss the most -- the encouragement and knowing that he was always with all of us close to him on all of our endeavors unwavering in his support.

And although we will not have him by our side anymore, we will have the lessons he has imparted on to us. It is my belief if we all carry that little piece of Cat Daddy with us, he will never truly die.

James Cahill, Paul's brother

He was named after his uncle, Paul Joseph Lotti -- mom's brother who was an airborn ranger in Korea who was killed while trying to save somebody. And our dad Patrick Cahill, a Boston Police officer decorated with a distinguished career. And our mom, a registered nurse, who had a long career serving the city of Boston and the Boston hospitals. And his brother, Patrick, and sisters Kathleen, Jeanne, and Maria, and many of our aunts and uncles and cousins all chose to serve others in careers in law enforcement, healthcare, and public service.

So you can see the pattern. You can see the fabric by which Paul is made of that made him the great man that we honor today.

But what Paul will be best remembered for was the love for his family and for his life and for life.

Paul, he was a man's man, as we know -- a regular guy so many of you said coming through the line. But I will tell you, he had no problem with public displays of affection for his wife, Anne. He was so very proud to be married to you, Anne, and he loved you very deeply.

Paul loved his children passionately, his sons, Brendan and Adam, and daughter, Shauna. You are always going to have your father's love with you and that bond will be forever unbroken.

All of us in Paul's life have been enriched by his love and his passion, and that is what brought us here today because he also had that love and passion for being a firefighter and for all of his brother and sister firefighters.

We all need to remember that Paul was compelled to act the way he did that night of the fire. Because that was who he was, and that's how he chose to live. So we can't be sorry and blame because that was Paul's choice -- that's how he lived his life.

In ending -- just a quote I read somewhere I'd like to use:

"All the darkness in the World can not put out the light of one candle."

Well, Paul is that candle, forever shining bright. Shine on, Paul. Shine on.

Edward Kelly, president of Boston Firefighters Union Local 718

We love our job. We love going to work. Paul loved going to work.

Our job, put simply, is to help people. When people are having the worst days of their life, we show up and we try to make it better. And sometimes, we die trying.

Paul and Warren made the ultimate sacrifice. And I'm here to tell you, that their sacrifice was not in vain. Your husband, your dad, your son, and your brother and my brother, are going to continue to protect people. That his sacrifice -- and your sacrifice -- has renewed commitments from the people who control how we can work to work safer, to give us funding to make firefighter safety a priority. There is no greater embodiment of one's spirit -- especially for a firefighter -- to be able to protect people when they have passed on. And that's Paul legacy. He is going to protect us through his spirit.

Posted by aryan at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

Road closures and restrictions for firefighter's funeral

Closures:
Centre Street from LaGrange Street to the VFW Parkway will be closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

West Roxbury Parkway from Washington Street to the VFW Parkway will be close from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parking Restrictions:
Centre Street: Both sides from Belgrade Avenue.
to Montclair Avenue.

South Street: Both sides from Guernsey Street to Centre Street
West Roxbury Parkway: Both sides from Belgrade Ave. to Church Street

Detours:
Centre Street Inbound: Left onto LaGrange Street, right onto VFW Parkway or right onto
LaGrange Street and left onto Washington Street.

Centre Street Outbound: Right onto the VFW Parkway

Washington Street and West Roxbury Park Inbound: Straight onto Washington Street.

West Roxbury Parkway Outbound: Right onto the VFW Parkway

Posted by aryan at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)

Electronic surveillance nets 25 arrests in Bristol County

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Bristol County authorities today announced the arrest of about 25 people involved in an alleged drug ring in Fairhaven and Dartmouth after an investigation that relied on the electronic surveillance of suspects, according to a spokesman for Bristol District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter.

During last year's election campaign, Sutter said that electronic surveillance was a law enforcement tool wrongly ignored by then district attorney Paul F. Walsh. Spokesman Gregg Miliote said today the investigation marked the first time in 17 years that electronic surveillance was used in Bristol County.

With the help of wire taps, investigators seized luxury vehicles, weapons, cocaine, and marijuana from the suspects and will be seeking the forfeiture of other assets allegedly purchased with drug money, Miliote said.

More details are expected at a press conference today in New Bedford.

Posted by aryan at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)

September 5, 2007

Mother faces charge after leaving baby in car in Wellesley

By Michael Naughton, Globe Correspondent

A mother was charged today by police after she left her 18-month-old child in the car unattended while she completed errands inside a Wellesley store, authorities said.

The woman, whom police would not identify, parked her car in a metered space on Church Street and left the infant in the car alone for between 10 and 12 minutes with the windows down, police said.

A passerby noticed the baby and called police, who charged the mother with reckless endangerment of a child. She was summonsed to appear in Dedham District Court tomorrow. The Department of Social Services was notified.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:33 PM | Comments (0)

For two Northeastern freshmen, school year begins and ends with arrest

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A pair of freshmen at Northeastern University learned a tough lesson before classes even started this semester, when one of them allegedly leaned out the window of his dormitory and yelled something regrettable in earshot of plainclothes police officers.

"If you're looking for weed, my roommate Ferrante has some for sale," Michael R. Emery yelled, according to a release issued today by the Suffolk district attorney's office.

The sales pitch, made Sunday to a fellow student out a second-floor window at the Hemenway Street residence hall, got Emery, 18, and his roommate, Matthew J. Ferrante, 18, in a lot of trouble. After their room was searched and officers found a bevy of marijuana, smoking accessories and liquor, the pair was arrested, arraigned, and apparently thrown out of school.

"I can tell you that they are no longer students here at Northeastern," said Laura Shea, a school spokeswoman, who declined to comment further.

According to the release from prosecutors, police went to the second floor of the dormitory after hearing Emery yell and found the door open. In plain view was a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, a shot glass, and a plastic baggie of marijuana. The officers knocked and identified themselves to Emery, of Haverhill, and Ferrante, of North Andover.

As they spoke to the teens, police spotted another bag of marijuana and a glass pipe. The officers read the students their rights and received permission to search the room, according to the release. The search yielded eight small bags of marijuana, a larger bag containing three to four ounces of marijuana, hundreds of clear plastic baggies, and a Triton T2 digital scale. The officers also found a grinder, a bong, $1,045 in cash, bottles of Malibu rum, Smirnoff Twist raspberry vodka, and Southern Comfort, and a vaporizer, a device that uses heat to release marijuana's intoxicating chemicals but does not burn the plant.

Outside the window of their room, the students had rigged a pulley system that had been designed to raise and lower items from the room directly overhead. It was not immediately how the students were using the pulley system, prosecutors said.

Emery and Ferrante were arraigned Tuesday in Roxbury District Court and charged with possession of a class D substance with intent to distribute in a school zone, possession of alcohol by a minor, and conspiracy to violate the state's drug laws. The teens were released without bail and are scheduled to return to court Oct. 24.

A message left at Emery's parents home was not returned. Reached by phone today at his parents home in North Andover, Ferrante said: "I do not want to talk about it."

Posted by aryan at 7:02 PM | Comments (0)

Guilty plea in Framingham liposuction death

(Steven Senne/AP)

Ana Ribeiro speaks with her attorney after today's hearing in Middlesex Superior Court.

By Globe Staff

A 50-year-old Brazilian woman has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and drug charges for her role in an illegal liposuction procedure in July 2006 that killed a 24-year-old woman, Middlesex County prosecutors said today.

Ana Maria Miranda Ribeiro was sentenced in Cambridge Superior Court to serve a year in prison. She will receive approximately 11 months of credit for the time she has already served. Upon her release, she will be turned over to immigration officials for deportation proceedings because she has outstayed her visa, prosecutors said.

Ribeiro and her husband, Luiz Carlos Ribeiro, allegedly botched a liposuction procedure on Fabiola B. DePaula of Framingham on July 30, 2006 in the basement of a Framingham home. Neither of the Ribeiros was licensed to practice medicine.

Luiz Ribeiro is being held on $250,000 bail. His trial has been set for Nov. 5.

Ana Ribeiro "recklessly placed this victim in unnecessary danger -- performing an invasive medical procedure without the proper equipment, medications, or safeguards in the event that something went wrong," District Attorney Gerry Leone said in a statement.

Leone said prosecutors would "continue to move forward with our case against the co-defendant."

Ana Ribeiro pleaded guilty before Judge Wendie Gershengorn to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of distribution of a class A substance.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:55 PM | Comments (0)

Appeals court: burglary can begin at the storm door

By Globe Staff

An intruder who simply sticks a hand through your window or forces open a locked storm door is still committing burglary, the Massachusetts State Appeals Court ruled today.

The court denied an appeal by a man who was convicted of unarmed burglary. It rejected his claims that prosecutors had failed to prove that an "entry" had occurred.

Prosecutors said the defendant, Aaron Porter, had picked the house of veteran Springfield police Detective William Kelly to burgle in early June 2004.

At around midnight, the detective checked to make sure all his windows and doors were locked. Then he heard a noise. Checking outside, he found the defendant standing on the front porch between the storm door and the front door, with both hands on the front door handle.

Kelly later found a pair of wire cutters between the front door and the storm door, and found that the storm door had been damaged.

The appeals court said the "defendant's presence between the previously locked storm door and the front door, with his hands on the front door handle, is enough to constitute an entry."

The window to a computer room was also found open. The screws had been removed from the lock and blinds had been knocked off the windowsill.

The court said a jury could also reasonably infer from that evidence that the defendant had reached into the house.

"Because a reasonable jury could find that the defendant entered the protected enclosure either at the front door or through the window, there was sufficient evidence that an 'entry' occurred, the court ruled.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:55 PM | Comments (0)

First Catholic high school opens on Cape Cod

(Al Catelli)

By Globe Staff

The old Barnstable High School on Cape Cod is coming alive again this week. It has been converted into the Cape's first Catholic high school, Pope John Paul II High School.

Principal Chris Keavy said the coed school is starting out with only 40 freshmen this fall, but he's hoping it will someday grow to 400 to 500 students.

"We do need to grow the school and we will grow the school," he said. "Those families that have always deserved Catholic education on the Cape will now be able to make this choice."

The school becomes the fifth high school in the diocese of Fall River.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:08 PM | Comments (0)

Marathon reading of 'On the Road' celebrates 50th anniversary of publication

(Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff)

Kerouac devotees listening to Chapter 11 today.

By Globe Staff

He wrote the first draft in a creative frenzy, hammering it out on a manual typewriter in just three weeks. The book that emerged struck a chord, helping to launch the Beat Generation.

And 50 years later, people are still fascinated by Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."

About 60 people have signed up today for a marathon reading of the Lowell native's book, in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of its publication.

The reading began at 10 a.m. and is expected to last until 10 p.m, Federica Donna, a project manager with the Cultural Organization of Lowell, said in a telephone interview. The voices of readers could be heard in the background.

"I've always been excited about 'On the Road.' I think it captures the spirit of an age and a young, eclectic approach to life. I think it's very relevant today, even 50 years later," said LZ Nunn, executive director of the cultural orrganization.

Readers at the Olive That and More restaurant and cafe on Market Street included local personalities, as well as writers and theater people from around the Boston area, Donna said

The reading is part of a four-month Kerouac festival that includes 45 events.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:51 PM | Comments (0)

The long goodbye begins for two fallen firefighters

(Bill Greene/ Globe Staff)

The body of firefighter Paul J. Cahill was carried into the Church of the Holy Name in West Roxbury by fellow firefighters from Engine 30, Ladder 25.

By David Abel, Globe Staff

First came the street sweepers. Then scores of state, Boston, and Canton police officers thundered in on motorcycles. And lastly, the hearse rolled up to the entrance of Holy Name Church in West Roxbury, where eight firefighters in their blue dress uniforms waited in a silent salute.

As police blocked off Centre Street and stood at attention, pallbearers removed the casket of Paul J. Cahill from the back of the hearse and slowly carried it up the stairs and into the church. Cahill and Warren J. Payne were killed last week fighting a fire at a restaurant in West Roxbury. They were the first Boston firefighters to die in a fire since 1994.

"This is the first part of a long goodbye to firefighters Cahill and Payne," said Steven McDonald, a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department. "A part of this pomp and circumstance is a way to say goodbye and let their families know that their lives had value. We want to give them a good send off."

The day for some began at the firehouse on Centre Street, where bouquets of flowers covered the driveway leading into the station.

At Holy Name Church, the pallbearers brought the casket inside for a public viewing today from noon to 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Cahill in the church at 11 a.m. Thursday. Payne's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the United House of Prayer for All People in Dorchester, following a two-hour viewing at the church.

This morning, Cahill's relatives fought back tears as they watched firefighters carry his body into the church.

"It's just very sad. It's a terrible tragedy," said Joan Hamm, Cahill's sister-in-law, who was with her two sons who said their uncle taught them how to fish.

"We were a very close family," Ron Hamm said. "This is a huge loss for all of us."

An officer in a white cap escorted the Hamms and other relatives into the church where firefighters in white gloves and double-breasted blue suits lined the stairway.

Posted by aryan at 3:40 PM | Comments (0)

Police probing text message threat at Beacon Hill church

By Globe Staff

Boston police are investigating a threat that was text-messaged today to the president of a Beacon Hill church.

Police responded to the Church of the New Jerusalem at about 11:30 a.m. to investigate, said Officer Sharon Dottin, a police spokeswoman. She released no further details.

Rex Ellis, president of the church, said he received a text message on his Nextel phone that was addressed to a "Chadwick" and warned of "sticks poised to explode." The sender's e-mail address indicated the message had originated in France.

"It was a mistake. I don't know anybody named 'Chadwick,'" Ellis said. He said the police bomb squad searched a nearby garage with a bomb-sniffing dog.

"I should have hit the 'Delete' button. It would have saved everybody a lot of money. But better safe than sorry, I guess," Ellis said.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)

Tsongas, Ogonowski trade barbs as general campaign kicks off

(Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff)

Republican Jim Ogonowski launched his campaign today before a crowd of 30 people. Niki Tsongas, a Democrat, greeted voters with Governor Deval Patrick.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

LOWELL -- After winning the Democratic primary, Niki Tsongas kicked off her congressional campaign today in a hotel ballroom before a crowd of hundreds that included Governor Deval Patrick, state Attorney General Martha Coakley, and other political heavyweights. Senator Edward M. Kennedy called in by phone, and Tsongas's four Democratic opponents stood on the same stage with her where she declared victory Tuesday night.

In Chelmsford, about 30 people crowded the campaign headquarters of Jim Ogonowski, the winner of the two-candidate Republican primary in a district that has sent a Democrat to Washington every election since 1974. Ogonowski, 49, launched an immediate attack.

"Niki is a nice person," Ogonowski said. "I like her. And I know she means well, but let’s face it. She represents more of the same, tired Washington that continues to fail us. She is wrong on the issues and not right for the district."

Tsongas, 61, responded quickly. "He's a nice man, too, but he's wrong for this country,� she said.

Inside the hotel ballroom earlier today, she made it clear that her campaign would try to build on the Democrats congressional victories last fall.

"This election is a referendum on the presidency of George Bush and the most important issue we face in this country, the war in Iraq," Tsongas said.

A special election will be held Oct. 16 to fill the seat vacated by US Representative Martin T. Meehan, who left Congress to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

After today's rally, the Democrat and her supporters embarked on a walking tour of downtown Lowell, shaking voters hands at Dunkin' Donuts and in other shops. Despite the district's recent history and Tsongas's large lead in fund-raising, Patrick acknowledged that Ogonowski was a formidable candidate.

"This is not going to be easy," Patrick said. "There's a strong candidate on the other side. He's wrong about a lot, but he is not going to go down without a fight."

Ogonowski's brother was one of the pilots of American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked Sept. 11, 2001, and flown into the World Trade Center. He has been campaigning on his 28-year career as an Air Force lieutenant colonel and says he has significant differences with the president and disagrees with the decision to invade Iraq.

Tsongas, 61, also comes from a recognizable family. Her late husband, Paul, represented the district from 1975 to 1979 and was later a senator and presidential candidate. For the past 10 years, she has been the dean of external affairs at Middlesex Community College.

Posted by aryan at 1:10 PM | Comments (0)

Big Dig glue supplier pleads not guilty to involuntary manslaughter

(Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)

The Powers brothers -- Jeffrey, Christopher, and Fred -- spoke to reporters today after their company, Powers Fasteners, was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court.

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A dozen employees from Powers Fasteners appeared in Suffolk Superior Court this morning as the glue supplier pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from the fatal ceiling collapse of the Big Dig.

Led by company president Jeffrey Powers and his three brothers, the employees came to the arraignment as a sign of solidarity for the New York company, the only firm that has been charged in connection with the July 2006 collapse that killed Milena Del Valle of Jamaica Plain.

Lawyer Max D. Stern formally entered the not guilty plea on behalf of Powers as Del Valle's husband, Angel, watched from the public gallery. The arraignment lasted five minutes and a judge sent a tentative trial date for Sept. 9, 2008. Under state law, the maximum penalty Powers could face if convicted is a $1,000 fine.

Powers was indicted by a grand jury last month on one count of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to adequately warn construction contractors against using fast-drying glue to secure the ceiling bolts in the Big Dig. Company officials have repeated denied the allegation, saying they warned state highway officials that fast-set epoxy was not safe for overhead use long before the Interstate 90 connector tunnel ceiling was built in 1999 and 2000.

Outside the courtroom, Angel Del Valle spoke to reporters in Spanish, which was translated by his sister Inez. "He just wants to see justice," she said.

Jeffrey Powers accused Attorney General Martha Coakley of perverting the criminal justice system for political advantage and trying to make an example out of his company to squeeze settlement money out of larger firms. "I think the attorney general knows well that we are blameless," Powers said.

Karen Fleming, who has been the personnel director at Powers for 17 years, said the indictment of her longtime employer was painful. "It felt like my own family got kicked in the stomach," Fleming said today after the arraignment. "It hurts."

The Globe reported two weeks ago that lawyers familiar with the investigation of the collapse said that Coakley had ruled out further indictments unless settlement talks with the two remaining companies break down. The attorney general has concluded that only three of the multitude of companies involved in construction of the Big Dig tunnel were criminally negligent, the lawyers said. That would leave only Powers Fasteners facing a trial.

After Coakley announced the Powers indictment last month, the Globe reported that the company faced serious problems with the strength and reliability of its glue on several projects in Singapore. The problems came to light at the same time that bolts fastened with an identical material began coming loose during construction of the ceiling in the Big Dig, according to internal company documents obtained by the Globe.

(National Transportation Safety Board)

The partial tunnel collapse on July 10, 2006, in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel killed Milena Del Valle.

Posted by aryan at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)

MBTA ferry breaks down in Boston Harbor

By Globe Staff

An MBTA commuter ferry broke down this morning in Boston Harbor, stranding 122 people for about 30 minutes, according to a transit spokeswoman.

The 8:20 a.m. ferry from Hingham was en route to Rowes Wharf when it sustained a mechanical problem near Spectacle Island, said Lydia Rivera of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Details about the mechanical problem aboard The Massachusetts were not immediately available.

The MBTA sent another boat, the Matthew Hughes, to pick up passengers and complete the trip to Rowes Wharf. The breakdown delayed other ferries by 25 to 30 minutes, according to the MBTA’s website.

Posted by aryan at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)

September 4, 2007

Tsongas, Ogonowski to face off in 5th District race

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Niki Tsongas on the campaign trail.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Niki Tsongas has captured the Democratic nomination in the Fifth Congressional District.

Tsongas, the widow of the late US Senator Paul Tsongas, will now face Republican Jim Ogonowski, who handily defeated Tom Tierney in the Republican primary.

Tsongas beat her closest rival, Lowell City Councilor Eileen Donoghue, by four percentage points, with three other candidates trailing further behind.

The election for the country's lone open congressional seat now largely becomes a race between two political newcomers who will fight to occupy a seat that became vacant when US Representative Martin T. Meehan, who had held it for 14 years, announced in March that he was resigning to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

The general election is slated for Oct. 16.

"We have another six weeks to go, and they will not be simple," Tsongas said.

"We can make government work again, but I need your help. Tonight is just a small victory on our way to October," Ogonowski said in prepared remarks.

Tsongas, who is seeking to become the first woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress since 1982, has touted her Washington political connections and pledged to get troops out of Iraq by March 2008.

Ogonowski, seeking to become the state's first Republican Congressman since 1996, has used his outsider status to rail against Washington and argued that troops should remain in Iraq indefinitely.

They both relied heavily on their life stories to promote their campaigns. Tsongas tied herself to her late husband, who represented the district from 1975 to 1979 and was later a senator and presidential frontrunner. Ogonowski's brother was one of the pilots of American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked Sept. 11, 2001, and flown into the World Trade Center, a tragic story that has helped him grab national headlines and television interviews.

Ogonowski has also been leaning on his 28-year career as an Air Force lieutenant colonel, arguing that he will help protect Americans in the "global war on terrorism" and won't allow Congress to "cut and run."

The general election race will also include independent candidates Patrick Murphy, a 26-year-old bricklayer from Lowell, and Kurt Hayes, a Boxborough businessman, and Constitution Party candidate Kevin Thompson, who is running largely to draw attention to a party that currently has about 50 members in Massachusetts.

In a special election that largely took place in the summer months, candidates struggled for attention, trying to grab voters by hosting movie screenings, giving out free ice cream, and last week even hosting a wiffle ball tournament.

The Republican National Congressional Committee this spring invited Ogonowski, a 49-year-old farmer from Dracut, to attend a school for candidates to train him in fundraising, polling, and forming a campaign organization.

The party has been waiting until after the primary to decide whether it will pour money into Ogonowski's campaign.

Tsongas, 61, who for the past 10 years has been the dean of external affairs at Middlesex Community College, is well ahead in fundraising, carrying nearly $500,000 as of Aug. 15, nearly five times more than Ogonowksi.

Click here for town-by-town results in the Democratic race and here for results in the Republican race.

Posted by mfinucane at 9:54 PM | Comments (0)

With weather bone-dry, woodland fires erupting

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Dozens of fires have erupted in woodlands across the state as the region undergoes a dry spell. Storm clouds would bring relief, but there aren't many on the horizon.

There were 44 forest fires across the state today, said David Celino, chief forest fire warden in the Bureau of Fire Control of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Celino said that was an unusually high number for this time of year and that the DCR had manned 21 fire towers, hoping to spot fires early so local fire departments could quickly extinguish them.

Celino said people who are out in the woods should be extremely careful with their campfires and their cigarette butts.

"Make sure that everything is absolutely, completely out cold," he said.

Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the state is not yet technically undergoing a drought, which would require three months of below-normal precipitation.

But he did say that the weather had been "excessively dry."

In August, only two-thirds of an inch of rain fell in Boston, the second-lowest amount since records were first kept more than 100 years ago.

Dunham said high pressure aloft over the region has forced precipitation to the north and south.

He saw little rain ahead, perhaps some showers or rain sometime during the weekend or early next week.

Salem and Gloucester were among the area communities fighting fires today.

In Gloucester, firefighters battled a woodland blaze that has been smoldering since Sunday, said Fire Captain Tom LoGrande.

LoGrande said the fire in the western part of the city in the woods off Haskell Reservoir had covered more than four acres.

LoGrande said the fire keeps coming back because it gets into the decomposing vegetation on the forest floor. He said he expected firefighters would be battling the fire most, if not all, of the week.

"We get those thunderstorms, but they dump a lot of rain real quick and it kind of runs off ... What we need is a week or so of rain, and I don't think that's anywhere in the near future," he said.

In Salem, dispatcher Jeff Brown said firefighters had been trying to stop a blaze off Loring Avenue near the Pickman Park condominium complex in the southern part of town.

"Unless we can get some good rain, we'll probably be fighting this off and on for a while," he said.

Celino, the state forest fire warden, said that the list of towns that have seen woodland fires in recent days also includes North Reading, Plymouth, Quincy, Canton, Brockton, Montague, and Chicopee.

Most of the fires are small in size, he said. (The average was about two-thirds of an acre yesterday.) But when the fire goes into the soil, it can be a lot of work to put out.

The fires are "very labor-intensive because they burn deep in the ground," he said. "That material wants to burn."

Posted by mfinucane at 6:46 PM | Comments (0)

Woman's skeleton found off Route 122 in Rutland

By Globe Staff

A woman's skeleton was found in a wooded area off of Route 122 in the central Massachusetts town of Rutland, the Worcester County district attorney's office said today.

The remains were discovered late yesterday afternoon by a bow and arrow hunter who was scouting the area to put up a blind, said district attorney's spokesman Tim Connolly. The man notified the Rutland police department.

Connolly said the body was found 200 yards off the road on land owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

State and local police are investigating.

The bodies of three women were found in Marlborough and Hudson, towns that are about 20 miles away, in 2003 and 2004.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:47 PM | Comments (0)

Body discovered in Jamaica Plain

By Globe Staff

A body was found today in a wooded area in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, police said.

The body was found in the rear of 100 S. Huntington St., which is between Colburn and Heath Streets, police said. The body was reported at about noon today.

Police are investigating. No further details were immediately available.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:11 PM | Comments (0)

No charges to be filed in Methuen fence collapse fatality

By Globe Staff

Essex County prosecutors say there won't be any criminal charges filed in the case of an 11-year-old boy who died yesterday when a heavy metal gate fell on him at a Methuen school.

An investigation by local and state police determined that "there is no criminal culpability against any party in this accident," the Essex district attorney's office said today in a statement.

Timothy DiLeo died in the accident at the Tenney Grammar School. His eight-year-old brother, Andrew, was transported to Children's Hospital in Boston for treatment of his injuries. He was in fair condition today. Steven DiLeo, 13, was uninjured, and Brandon LaPorte, 13, suffered a minor leg injury, prosecutors said.

The investigation found that the gate was not on its hinges, but was instead leaning against a wall. It fell under the weight of the two boys climbing it, prosecutors said.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:08 PM | Comments (0)

Judge rejects motion to throw out evidence in Entwistle case

By Globe Staff

A judge has rejected claims by lawyers for Neil Entwistle that police violated their client's rights when they entered his Hopkinton home without a warrant in January 2006 and discovered the bodies of his wife and infant daughter.

In a decision dated Aug. 30, Middlesex Superior Court Judge Diane M. Kottmyer sided with prosecutors, who argued that police were justified in entering the house on Jan. 21 and 22 because Rachel Entwistle had not responded to phone calls from family members and friends and they feared for her safety.

"The officers never stepped out of their community caretaking role," Kottmyer wrote in a 22-page decision. "In these circumstances, I find the entries into the Entwistles' home were reasonable and did not violate ... the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures."

Defense motions to throw out evidence are common in cases in which police search without a warrant and discover evidence of an apparent crime, such as illegal drugs in a car. In some cases, judges agree that officers had no right to make the searches.

Entwistle is accused of shooting his 27-year-old wife and their 9-month-old daughter, Lillian, with his father-in-law's handgun before fleeing to his native England. Prosecutors have theorized that Entwistle killed them because the unemployed engineer was despondent about his finances and family situation and had planned a murder-suicide, but did not take his own life.

Posted by aryan at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)

New school year brings brand-new schools in some communities

(Christina Caturano for The Boston Globe)

The new Everett High School under construction in March.

By Globe Staff

Bay State students are returning to school in force this week, moving up to new grades, meeting new teachers, and learning new subjects. In some communities, they'll also be walking into brand-new schools.

At least eight brand-new schools are opening. And at least nine more schools are opening after renovations or the construction of additions, according to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Lawrence High School is one of the schools that is dazzling students today.

The $110 million building will have almost 200 classrooms, including 26 state-of-the-art science labs and 18 computer rooms. It will also boast dance studios, child care and band rooms, and an auditorium with an orchestra pit.

"We're off and running," said Lawrence Superintendent Wilfredo T. Laboy. "We've been waiting for this day."

Other brand-new schools include Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, Everett High School, East Fairhaven Elementary School, Littleton Middle School, Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, Swampscott High School, and Lincoln Park Community School in Somerville.

Schools that have been renovated or have built additions include Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, Eastham Elementary School, Middleborough Memorial Early Childhood Center, Collicot-Cunningham School in Milton, Brookside Elementary School in Milford, Johnson Elementary School in Nahant, Reading Memorial High School, Rutland Elementary School, and King Philip Regional High School.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:48 PM | Comments (0)

White supremacists used severed hand to brag about slayings in Hingham, court documents allege

John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

The two homeless men found dead in a Hingham park in 2005 were beaten to death with bats and mutilated by two white supremacists who later used a severed hand as a prop at a party to brag about the killing, according to documents filed today in Hingham District Court.

The decomposing bodies of William P. Chrapan, 44, and David P. Lyons, 46, were found May 9, 2005, in an abandoned military bunker outside Bare-Cove Park. Eric Jeremy Snow, 25, and James Scott Winquist, 23, battered the two homeless men in April 2005 and cut off Chrapan's right hand as a souvenir that they showed off at a party on Rhodes Circle in Hingham, two unidentified witnesses told State Police.

"Mr. Winquist told the witnesses that this hand was the hand that had been cut off from a homeless man who they had killed at Bare Cove Park," Sergeant Leonard Coppenarth wrote in the police report filed today in court. "These witnesses told me that they had seen and heard Eric Snow and James Winquist mock the two murder victims by making gurgling sounds to imitate the death of the two homeless men."

Winquist and Snow were arrested Aug. 31 and charged with murder. They pleaded not guilty today in Hingham District Court, and Judge Patrick Hurley ordered them held without bail.

After the hearing, Lisa Winquist defended her son, saying he had been wrongly accused and was not a white supremacist or racist. "He has nothing against anybody," Lisa Winquist said.

Another person was responsible for the crime, she said, because her son has a heart and couldn't inflict that kind of cruelty. Police have harassed him for 2.5 years, she said.

Snow's relatives left court without speaking to reporters. During the proceeding, Snow repeatedly shook his head in the negative as if denying the allegations against him.

Outside court, Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz praised the dogged work of investigators, including Hingham Detective David Galvin, who stuck with the case.

Acting Chief Taylor Mills of the Hingham Police Department added: "These people need to be brought to justice ... for this type of violence -- senseless, evil, violence.''

Both defendants have lengthy criminal histories, court records show. Snow is known as Killa, a nickname he had tattooed on his neck. Winquist has his nickname, Twister, tattooed on his back along with the words "I hate you" on his forearm. Both men are members of Brothers of Blood or Brotherhood of Blood, a white supremacy group, a witness told police. Snow named his 7-month-old daughter Aryana -- aryan with an extra a.

It was not immediately clear what motivated the attack on the homeless men in 2005 or why it took two years to charge the suspects. The ethnicity of the two victims was not immediately available.

The case began on April 15, 2005, when Snow was released from the Plymouth House of Correction for an unrelated crime. A few days after his release, Snow and Winquist burned the tent where Chrapan and Lyons had been living. The two homeless men called Snow and Winquist an obscenity, and they beat the men with bats, according to the police report. Autopsies conducted the next day determined that both men died of head trauma, including skull fractures.

A person identified in the police report as witness 1 told investigators that he or she saw Snow and Winquist putting bats and their clothes in black garbage bags. They said "they beat up some bums up the street," witness 1 said.

Witness 1 drove the two defendants to Snow's mother's house in Bridgewater, where they shined headlights on the yard and buried the hand near a utility pole, according to the police report.

Later in the summer, Snow and Winquist dug up the hand, showed it off at the party in Hingham, and reburied it, according to the police report.

In July 2005, witness 1 directed police to Snow's mother's house in Bridgewater, and investigators found Chrapan's hand buried near a utility pole not far from her yard, according to the report.

Both Snow and Winquist have been in and out of jail since the killings. Winquist is currently facing charges that include statutory rape, threatening someone with an ax, and trying to ram a bicyclist in April while driving drunk in Wompatuck State Park.

While incarcerated, Snow and Winquist discussed the killings on telephone calls that were recorded, police said. They are scheduled to return to court Oct. 5.

Posted by aryan at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

Truck and Green Line trolley collide near Coolidge Corner

By Globe Staff

Four people suffered neck and back injuries this morning when an inbound Green Line trolley collided with a flatbed truck that was taking a left across the tracks near Coolidge Corner, an MBTA spokeswoman said.

The driver of the truck and three passengers on the trolley were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said Lydia Rivera, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The crash at 6:45 a.m. flipped the truck on its side across the tracks, blocking inbound and outbound trolleys on the C branch of the Green Line. Passengers are being bused between the stations at St. Marys Street and Coolidge Corner.

Crews were able to turn the truck back on its wheels by 9 a.m. Officials hoped to have trolleys running again by 10 a.m., Rivera said.

The truck was taking a left from Beacon Street onto Charles Street, Rivera said. The trolley was traveling about 10 miles per hour with 150 passengers on board.

The force of the crash broke the truck's windshield and spilled fuel onto the street. The trolley sustained a large dent. The crash remains under investigation.

Posted by aryan at 9:05 AM | Comments (0)

September 1, 2007

National Guard troops to get a warm welcome in Brockton

By Milton Valencia, Globe Staff

Hundreds of family members and friends are waiting at the National Guard armory in Brockton to welcome 152 soldiers returning from a year-long deployment in Iraq.

"We are all just dying for it to happen. It seems it doesn't happen quick enough," said Tanya Rioux, of Attleboro, who is waiting for her husband, Shane.

The wait has all the makings of a festival, with balloons and posters, people sitting on blankets and lawn chairs, and music playing in the background.

The soldiers from the 101st Field Artillery of the Massachusetts National Guard were stationed in Baghdad, providing security for the Green Zone. Three members of the unit were injured during the deployment.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:30 PM | Comments (0)