Firm to pay $25m in club fire settlement

A company that made insulation used in a Rhode Island nightclub that burned down five years ago has agreed to pay $25 million to the survivors of the fire and relatives of the 100 people killed. The settlement with Sealed Air Corp., a company based in Elmwood Park, N.J., was disclosed in court papers yesterday. It is the latest settlement stemming from the February 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick that began when pyrotechnics for the band Great White ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the club's walls. More than $147 million has been offered to survivors and victims' relatives in settlements. (AP)

Governor Deval Patrick's administration has launched a website to help state residents trying to cope with sky-high gasoline prices. The site, www.mass.gov/gastips, includes tips to help residents increase their car's gas mileage, find the least expensive gas prices in their community, and explore alternative means of transportation. Various state agencies also are working with the Office of Vehicle Management to cut consumption by increasing the number of hybrid vehicles used. The office said there were 33 hybrid vehicles in its fleet in 2005, but there are 247 today. (AP)

A Boston woman who admitted to making a false bomb threat at a Boston University library last month was ordered to stay away from the university and undergo mental health treatment for a two-year probationary term, according to the Suffolk district attorney's office. Jennifer Douglas, 24, was arrested May 4 after she walked into Mugar Library on Commonwealth Avenue with two boxes and told an employee she had a bomb, prosecutors said. BU police evacuated the building, and the Fire Department and police bomb squad responded and declared the building safe. A Brighton District Court judge continued the case for two years yesterday, after which it will be dismissed if she follows the conditions.

A crew of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration workers discovered a whale carcass in the ocean, 140 miles east of Cape Cod on Tuesday, authorities said. The NOAA was conducting an aerial marine mammal survey when it spotted the carcass and alerted the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sent an endurance cutter and two smaller boats to collect samples of the whale's skin and of the gear entangled in the carcass, according to a statement by the Coast Guard. The animal's cause of death is under investigation.

Boston police last night were investigating a double shooting in Roxbury that left two men with injuries that were not life-threatening. The shooting took place around 10 in a parking lot at an apartment complex at Crispus Attucks Place, near Washington Street. Both victims were conscious and were taken to nearby hospitals, police said. A portion of the parking lot was blocked off as police searched for evidence. No further information was available.

Amtrak said it is delaying a bridge replacement in Connecticut indefinitely because of problems with the dismantling process. The project will eventually disrupt some train service between New York and Boston. The four-day job over the Thames River between New London and Groton was originally set to begin June 7, but had been rescheduled for next week. Amtrak said it may set a new date Monday. The work marks the final stage of an $83 million improvement project on the 90-year-old bridge. Train service between New York and Boston will still be available via Hartford and Springfield. (AP)

Maine's overall crime rate dropped last year for the first time since 2004, despite a sharp rise in rape and arson, according to figures released yesterday. Crime was down 3.4 percent in 2007, reversing the increase of 4.6 percent in 2006, the Department of Public Safety reported. (AP)