Mass. launches program to preserve coast

Companies that make it easier for doctors to write prescriptions electronically would be eligible for a tax break under a bill being considered on Beacon Hill. Massachusetts lawmakers have been pushing hospitals, doctors, and insurers to make the switch to electronic medical records-keeping. They say it could save millions in paperwork at a time when the state is trying to reign in healthcare costs. The bill, sponsored by Representative Peter J. Koutoujian, would give companies a tax break on the cost of the technology. The Waltham Democrat is also backing a bill giving tax breaks for sponsoring employee wellness programs. Both bills are scheduled to be discussed at a State House hearing Wednesday. (AP)

The House of Blues on Lansdowne Street is facing two separate liquor license violations, both based on underage drinking, which could suspend the venue’s liquor distribution for three and four days each, said Dan Pokaski, chairman of the city’s Licensing Board. The board’s statement of reasons of the violations will be given to the House of Blues tomorrow or Tuesday, said Pokaski. The business will have five days to appeal the decision. The House of Blues can hold concerts and serve food during the liquor suspensions, Pokaski said. The specifics of the incidents were not immediately available.

A 24-year-old man was fatally shot yesterday on Shawmut Avenue in the South End, according to the Boston police. At 2:15 p.m., police received reports from witnesses who said they heard multiple gunshots outside the Lenox Street Apartments on Shawmut Avenue. Police said they found the victim lying on the ground. The man later was pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center. Police did not release the identity of the victim. No arrests have been made, police said.

Two men in their 20s were being treated at Boston hospitals after they were shot in Lowell yesterday. Officers responded to reports of shots fired on Howard Street about 3 a.m., but friends had taken the victims to Lowell Hospital, officials from the Middlesex County District attorney’s office said. One victim who was shot the head was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and was in critical condition. The other, shot in the leg, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. Police did not release the victims’ names.

Two people were shot at the Brockton Fair early yesterday as the crowd was leaving the fairgrounds, police said. A male and a female in their 20s were shot after midnight, said Lieutenant Paul Bonanca of the Brockton police. Their injuries were not life-threatening, Bonanca said. There were no suspects.

Hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service for a volunteer firefighter who died in an accident at a fire station. Firefighters from New England and New York gathered at the University of Rhode Island yesterday to pay respects to Allan LePage, 67. He was remembered as a “fireman’s fireman’’ who seemed grumpy at first but was a beloved mentor to younger firefighters. The volunteer for 42 years died Tuesday, a day after suffering a head injury at the Kingstown Fire District station. Officials said that LePage was found bleeding heavily in the bucket of a fire truck’s ladder. The accident is being investigated. (AP)