2 Mass. girls recovering after accident

Two Brockton, Mass., girls injured when a tree fell on the car they were riding in on a highway in New Jersey were listed in stable condition last night at the University Hospital in Newark. Rachele Baudouin, 13, broke her leg and her sister, Cassandre, 8, suffered minor injuries after a tree fell on their family's car early Thursday morning on the Garden State Parkway. The girls' father, Joel Baudouin, 42, of Arlington, Mass., and his 70-year-old mother, Marie Vernet, died in the freak accident. Police Sergeant Stephen Jones said last night that there was a strong wind blowing when the tree fell.

Two women sustained gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening when they were leaving a bar early yesterday in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester, police said. Police were called about 1:26 a.m. to Boston Medical Center, where the women had sought treatment. The women, who were not identified, told police they heard three to four gunshots coming from an unknown direction when they were leaving the Dublin House, police said in a statement. One victim, who was 31, had been shot in the back. The other, 22, was grazed in the knee. The victims told police that they got in their car and drove to the hospital.

Police are seeking the public's help in identifying a man suspected in a series of armed robberies of businesses in the Newbury Street area in the last week. In incidents on Dec. 18, 21, 23, and 24, the suspect passed a note saying he had a gun and robbed the business of an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. Police also suspect that the man may have been involved in other robberies in the area. Police are asking anyone with information to call detectives at 617-343-4683, or leave an anonymous tip at the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS.

A man was struck and killed by an MBTA train at e Kendall Station at 8:30 last night, Transit police said. The fatality disrupted service for several hours, said Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Homeowners are tapping into a state fund designed to encourage them to install solar panels at a far quicker pace than officials first anticipated. In less than a year, the Commonwealth Solar program granted nearly $15 million in rebates out of an initial $17 million block of funding that was supposed to last until April 2009. Energy Resources Commissioner Phil Giudice said a second block of funding has been approved, but the state is reducing the level of rebates so more homeowners can take advantage of them. At the same, the federal government is expanding its use of solar energy tax credits. (AP)

With warm temperatures forecast for the weekend, the Coast Guard is warning kayakers of the dangers of cold ocean waters. Coast Guard officials expressed concern that novice kayakers may hit the ocean waters this weekend with temperatures expected to rise into the 50s on the Maine coast. Al Johnson, a Coast Guard recreational boating specialist, said paddlers who do venture out should wear a dry suit or a full wet suit. (AP)

The state Civil Service Commission has ruled that Chicopee's mayor was justified when he fired a police officer who falsified a report. The Republican of Springfield reported yesterday that Mayor Michael Bissonnette fired Officer Joshua Mozeleski after Mozeleski failed to document a traffic stop in his daily report and lied about the incident during an internal investigation. The woman that Mozeleski stopped last year filed a lawsuit saying he requested sexual favors in exchange for not arresting her. Mozeleski denied the woman's accusation. (AP)