More municipalities opt to raise meal tax

The Historical Commission has approved a new historic district aimed at protecting a Roman Catholic church, despite objections from the local diocese. The commission unanimously recommended establishing “Our Lady of Hope Local Historic District.’’ The City Council and mayor must approve the designation. Our Lady of Hope is scheduled to close Dec. 31 as the diocese shuts down or merges several churches. Local residents moved to protect the Italian Renaissance-style church from demolition or exterior harm by establishing a historic district. They said it was a local landmark and spiritual symbol. John Egan, an attorney for the Springfield Diocese, said the city can’t legally interfere with diocesan affairs. (AP)

A Revere woman accused of assaulting another woman in a hot tub at a Christmas party has been sentenced to a year of probation. Danielle Freudenthal, 27, was sentenced Friday and ordered to undergo an anger management evaluation. According to police, Freudenthal hit Lindsey Couture in the face with a wine glass during a December 2005 holiday gathering in Webster. Couture, now 25, suffered a gash on her left cheek requiring more than 60 stitches and still has two shards of glass embedded in her face. Last week, a Worcester Superior Court jury found Freudenthal guilty of simple assault and battery. (AP)

Dartmouth College administrators are looking into allegations that student fans pelted visiting Harvard squash players with obscenities and insults, including what one parent of a visiting player interpreted as an anti-Semitic slur. The heckling was witnessed by a Valley News reporter covering Wednesday’s match. Susan Cohen says her son was asked whether he liked bagels, which she viewed as referring to their Jewish surname. Dartmouth student Bryan Giudicelli says he and his soccer teammates were trying to create an intimidating atmosphere similar to what they encounter on the road but didn’t realize how hostile their behavior would appear in the crowded squash court. He said the bagel comment referred to the zero, or “bagel’’ on the scoreboard. (AP)

A commission studying New Hampshire’s death penalty law got an update on how much the state has spent on its lone death row inmate. Lawmakers created the commission to review all aspects of the capital murder law, including how equitably it is applied, its costs, and its deterrent effect. The New Hampshire Union Leader reports that Deputy Attorney General Bud Fitch told members Friday that the state has spent about $2.7 million on the trial and sentencing of Michael Addison, who was sentenced to death last year for the 2006 murder of Manchester police Officer Michael Briggs. The state spent $2.4 million prosecuting the capital murder case against John Brooks, who was convicted and sentenced to life for the death of a handyman against whom he held a grudge. (AP)

A huge tank to hold 100,000 pounds of live lobsters will be built on the Maine State Pier if the City Council approves leasing part of the large shed at the end of the city-owned pier. The council will vote tomorrow on whether to lease the pier to Ready Seafood Co. for $100,000 a year. The company wants to move from its spot on Hobson’s Wharf and double its space for wholesaling, packing, shipping, and processing. Council Member Cheryl Leeman told the Portland Press Herald the deal is a perfect fit for the company and the city. An earlier plan for a $100 million development including shops, offices, hotel, and a cruise ship berth at the pier fell through last year when the developer pulled out, citing the economic downturn. (AP)