By Globe Staff

Brandeis University has appointed a noted medical researcher to be its next provost, the second-ranking member of the administration. In his new role, Steve Goldstein will not be starting from scratch on the Waltham campus: He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the college.

Goldstein, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and director of the Institute of Molecular Pediatric Sciences, succeeds Marty Krauss, who announced last summer that he would step down this month after eight years in the post.

“Steve’s distinguished academic and professional record, his deep affection for Brandeis, and his powerful intellect will help to shape the future of the university for years to come,” Brandeis President Fred Lawrence said in a statement.

Brandeis isn't Goldstein's only previous link to the Boston area. The New York City native earned a medical degree and a doctorate in immunology from Harvard, and he did his pediatric internship, residency and a clinical fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Children’s Hospital Boston.

He is a leading authority on the molecular mechanisms underlying normal cardiac function and sudden life-threatening diseases of the heart, Brandeis said.

By Katherine Landergan, Globe Correspondent

A photo that includes the Boston skyline has been featured on NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" website.

The photo of the "supermoon" rising on March 19 was taken by Dennis di Cicco, senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.

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By Globe Staff

A 44-year-old Boston man wanted for questioning in a fatal accident in Waltham was being interviewed by State Police tonight after arriving at the Concord barracks.

Police say Neil Connolly, 44, fled from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he was taken after a crash yesterday afternoon that killed one person and left another seriously injured.

Connolly was driving along Route 128 in a 2006 Lexus shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday when his vehicle swerved, rolled over, and struck a 2008 Subaru Legacy, killing its driver, Faye Goldberg-Scheff, 53, of Lincoln.

Goldberg-Scheff’s vehicle hit a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Raymond Birch, 49, of Kingston, N.H., who was taken by medical helicopter to Brigham and Women’s Hospital with serious injuries.

Police said no criminal charges have been filed in the crash.

By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick today appointed veteran state Representative Peter Koutoujian as Middlesex County sheriff, filling the seat left vacant by James V. DiPaola, who committed suicide last year.

"As a former assistant district attorney and relentless advocate for both crime victims and social services, Peter brings a wealth of expertise, passion, and know-how to this critical position," Patrick said in a statement. "I look forward to working with him to strengthen our re-entry programs and reduce youth violence."

Koutoujian, 49, a Waltham Democrat, was first elected to the state House in 1996 with the help of campaign manager Doug Rubin, the political adviser who went on to become Patrick's senior political adviser. Koutoujian served as House chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, which handles banking and insurance matters. For years, he was known for his push to pass a bill that established statewide nutrition standards for schools; the bill was signed into law by Patrick last summer.

Koutoujian worked as an assistant district attorney for Middlesex County for four years before being elected to the House. A graduate of Bridgewater State University and the New England School of Law, he has a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government, according to his legislative biography.

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By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A Waltham man pleaded not guilty today to motor vehicle homicide charges stemming from a May 5 crash that killed a nine-year-boy when the driver allegedly ran a stop sign while working as a Domino's pizza delivery man.

Philip Wuonola, 19, was released on personal recognizance following his arraignment in Waltham District Court. According to Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr.'s offce, Wuonola was driving a 2002 Mazda Protégé when it collided with a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the intersection of Adams and Walnut streets in Waltham.

The impact overturned the SUV, ejecting Daniel Raymundo, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, according to Waltham police. Raymundo was rushed to Newton Wellesley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The child's mother, Ana Pena-Rivera, was pulled out from under the SUV and survived.

Wuonola's attorney, Joseph W. Monahan III, said today that his client has been devastated by the child's death.

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By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

WALTHAM -- A man fatally shot his wife and turned the gun on himself inside the couple’s Waltham home at some point between late last night and this afternoon, authorities said.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr. said tonight outside the couple’s home on Coolidge Avenue that police responded to a 911 call from a neighbor just before 3 p.m. today.

Leone said the bodies of Cynthia Coutoumas and Michael Coutoumas, both 48, were found in the kitchen area of the home suffering from gunshot wounds and that they were pronounced dead at the scene. He said investigators have determined that Coutoumas shot his wife and then himself in an act of domestic violence.

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By Globe Staff

The alleged triggerman in the murder of a Waltham man, killed during a drug deal gone bad on Sept. 30, pleaded not guilty in Middlesex Superior Court today to first degree murder charges, according to the office of Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone Jr.

Daniel Louis, 21, and West Roxbury, is one of three men charged in connection with the death of Adam Coveney, 29, who they allegedly lured outside his Waltham apartment where they robbed him of drugs they had promised to buy. Louis, according to prosecutors, allegedly shot Coveney.

Louis pleaded not guilty to several charges, including first degree murder and armed robbery, and was ordered held without bail.

His co-defendants, Benjamin Peirce, 17, and Shaquan Jacobs, 18, both of Newton, have pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges and are also being held without bail.

A fourth defendant, Wallace Duarte, 17, of Waltham, was indicted on charges of being an accessory after the fact to murder. An arraignment date for Duarte has not yet been set, prosecutors said.

By L. Finch, Globe Correspondent

Two Newton teenagers pleaded not guilty today in the fatal shooting of a Waltham man whose drugs they allegedly planned to steal, Middlesex prosecutors said.

Benjamin Peirce, 17, and Shaquan Jacobs, 18, were ordered held without bail after being arraigned in Superior Court in Woburn on murder, armed robbery, and firearms charges in the September death of 29-year-old Adam Coveney, the Middlesex district attorney’s office said.

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By L. Finch, Globe Correspondent

An 87-year-old Waltham woman died Friday days after her car collided with a police cruiser, the Middlesex district attorney’s office said.

Yvonne Martin was driving on Trapelo Road in Waltham Oct. 6 when a police cruiser driven by an on-duty Waltham police officer crashed, according to the district attorney’s office. Martin was transported to a local hospital, where she died two days later from her injuries.

The crash is under investigation, and a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to give further details.

By Brian R. Ballou and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

WALTHAM -- New details emerged today about the murder of a Waltham man who was shot to death last week, allegedly by a 21-year-old man and three teenagers who planned to rob him of drugs, but ended up killing him instead.

Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Daniel Bennett said in court today that Daniel Louis, 21, of West Roxbury fatally shot Adam Coveney after 17-year-old Benjamin Peirce had allegedly lured him to the parking lot of Coveney's home, promising to buy drugs.

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