Emmanuel College suffers fire damage

Two children were seriously injured in a two-car accident yesterday morning on Route 25. A GMC Suburban driven by Daylene Tropeano, 41, was struck from behind by a Toyota Avalon driven by Louise Houle, 61, a police report said. The Suburban slid toward the median on its driver’s side and the Avalon landed on its roof in the breakdown lane. Both drivers, along with the five children who were in the Suburban, were taken to Tobey Hospital in Wareham. An 11-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl from Tropeano’s vehicle with the most serious injuries were transferred to Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Senator John McCain of Arizona told New Hampshire voters yesterday that if the current health care bill passes, opponents will immediately launch a nationwide movement to repeal it. “We can repeal it, but I would hate to have to have that task, obviously because there’s still the same resident of the White House,’’ McCain told a Nashua town hall-style meeting as he stumped for fellow Republican Kelly Ayotte, a former state attorney general seeking the US Senate seat held by Judd Gregg. (AP)

Gregg McBride, a member of the Community Preservation Committee, won a selectman’s seat in the town election yesterday, defeating Donald A. Mauch, 1,651 to 800. He fills the seat vacated by Thomas Bigger. William Coffey defeated two opponents to become town moderator, filling a job held for 25 years by Roger E. Hughes Jr. In yesterday’s other contest, Kevin P. Jones and Kevin Cafferty beat Brian C. Bates for the two open spots on the Planning Board. The turnout of 2,467 voters represented 34 percent of registered voters, said Town Clerk Patricia Anderson.

Another 175 Maine National Guard soldiers are ready to ship out for deployment to Afghanistan, where they will spend the coming year. Governor John Baldacci and other state officials attended yesterday’s sendoff ceremony for the Maine National Guard’s 1136th Transportation Company. The unit departs today for Fort Hood, Texas, before moving on to Kabul. (AP)

Police say a body was found in an apartment after a fire that apparently burned itself out. Deputy Fire Chief Philip Alrick said firefighters went to the apartment Friday after being called to check on an occupant. Officials declined to identify the victim or a possible cause of death, but Alrick said they believe the fire had occurred at least a day or two before the body was found. (AP)

Officials are working on an educational overhaul plan in light of the fact that a quarter of last year’s freshman class at Torrington High School, 82 students, are repeating Grade 9 and are at risk of dropping out. The district’s overall dropout rate is 15 percent. Educators, social workers, and community leaders began working on a wide-ranging plan for grades 6 to 12. (AP)