Ayers to speak at BC via satellite link

In an example of what a student organizer referred to as "academic freedom for the 21st century," William Ayers, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and former member of the Weather Underground Organization, will address Boston College students - but not on campus. After administrators on Friday cancelled Ayers' appearance, scheduled for this evening, students scrambled to find an off-campus venue, said Melissa Roberts, vice president of the College Democrats of Boston College. They found a large enough location at the last minute, Roberts said, so Ayers will speak via satellite from Chicago. The talk, which is open only to BC students, faculty, and staff, will be held at 6 p.m. in Devlin Hall.

A Boston lawyer who was acquitted of rape charges last year faces trial on charges of hitting a police officer who confronted him for allegedly urinating in public. Gary Zerola, who was named one of People magazine's 50 most eligible bachelors in 2001, was arrested last June as fans celebrated the Celtics' win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. He is charged with disturbing the peace, assault and battery on a police officer, and resisting arrest. Zerola denies the charges. His trial is set to begin Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court. Zerola was acquitted last year of rape and attempted rape in cases involving two women in the Boston area. (AP)

A 6-year-old boy died Saturday after authorities discovered his body in a pool on Brady Avenue, said Derry Police Dispatcher Jonathan Pickering. Police received a 911 call from the residence just before 3:30 p.m., stating the victim was missing and there was concern he may have fallen into the pool. Authorities found the pool covered in ice but noticed a disturbance in the water, where the boy had apparently fallen in. The victim later died at Parkland Medical Center in Derry. Police withheld the boy's name pending family notification.

Massachusetts may get most of nearly $178,500 found last fall in a safe that was hauled away from a Methuen building and dumped in a vacant lot in Lawrence. The Massachusetts Estate Recovery Unit is claiming $162,199 of the money to reimburse the state for medical services rendered to the late Sally Daher, who died in 2001. Daher had owned the shoe store where the safe was located until a renter had it hauled away, thinking it was empty and might be attracting burglars. Daher's son says they are happy to turn over any money that might be owed to the state. Firefighters on routine patrol found the 2,000-pound safe in November and alerted police. When it was cut open, officers found $178,496 packed in plastic Daher's shopping bags. (AP)

Skeletal remains found over the weekend in a Cape Cod cranberry bog may have been there for several years, authorities say. An autopsy will be conducted on the remains, which were discovered Saturday in a dry bog off Old Meeting House Road in East Falmouth, police said. Workers installing an irrigation system discovered the remains, telling property owner Brian Handy that they found bones and a skull. The remains were sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office, and the discovery remained under investigation yesterday. (AP)

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin is kicking off the final year of preparations for the 2010 census by meeting with federal, state, and local officials. Galvin is expected to brief the officials on census preparations during a meeting today in Worcester. He says efforts to work with outreach groups during the 1990 census helped Massachusetts preserve the number of its Congressional seats for the first time in 30 years. Officials say a key step this year will be a national push to update more than 145 million addresses to ensure that every home gets a questionnaire. (AP)