New Hampshire authorities today revealed startling evidence against the girlfriend of a drug suspect, at first painted as an innocent victim in a horrific scene that rocked New England earlier this month.

The April 12 drug raid on the home of Cullen Mutrie, 29, left Greenland, N.H. Police Chief Michael Maloney dead and four other police officers shot. Mutrie, reportedly shot and killed his reputed girlfriend, Brittany Tibbetts, 26, before turning the gun on himself.

Legal documents indicated Mutrie was the target of the drug investigation, but police were also seeking to search Tibbetts, who they believed was also involved in the sale of drugs in the otherwise sleepy New Hampshire town. Police, through a confidential source, believed Mutrie and Tibbetts were selling about 500 oxycodone pills every few days out of the house, and Mutrie had also been linked to illegal steroids.

And today, New Hampshire Attorney General Michael A. Delaney revealed that a Ruger .357 revolver recovered from the crime scene was actually purchased by Tibbetts, at a January gun show in Manchester, N.H.

A 9 mm pistol was also recovered, but police have not yet determined its origin.

Police already believed Mutrie was armed before the ill-fated raid.

Timeline of Trayvon Martin shooting (Blast Illustration/Sandy Giger)

A second-degree murder charge in Florida carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. It is typically charged when a confrontation results in death while there was no premeditated plan to kill someone. This case is a test of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which gives wide leeway to people who claim self-defense, and which does not require people to retreat before using deadly force.

Zimmerman and his supporters say he shot Martin in self-defense. Martin was walking to his father’s girlfriend home in the gated community that Zimmerman was watching, when he was first followed and then confronted by Zimmerman, who was armed with a handgun. Civil rights groups and others across the country have spoken out, saying the shooting was unjustified. Many people have attended protests and rallies in support of Martin, many wearing hooded sweat shirts – as Martin had worn that day, suggesting his appearance and race had something to do with his killing.

Zimmerman told police Martin was the aggressor who attacked him. Zimmerman’s father said that Martin threatened to kill his son and that Zimmerman suffered a broken nose.

A video taken about 40 minutes after the shooting showed Zimmerman at the Sanford police station walking unassisted with no difficulty. There were no plainly visible bandages or blood on his clothing, but Zimmerman may have had a small wound on the back of his head, and policeman was seen looking briefly at the back of Zimmerman’s head.

News coverage varies depending on which news you follow, according to research by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Liberal news sources focus on Martin’s story and on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. For example, from March 19 to 28, MSNBC devoted 49 percent of its on-air time to the Martin story. During the same period at conservative Fox News, only 15 percent of the news time was spent on the case, and their focus was about Martin’s personal background and statements in defense of Zimmerman.

See the figure, “Timeline of George Zimmerman Shoots Trayvon Martin”, which highlights the sequence of events since the February 26 shooting.

What do you think about this case? Share your comments.

AccuWeather.com reports in the Northeast and southern New England, the perfect pattern for fog, along with the warmth, continues through the week.

While the late summer into early fall is the prime season for fog, under the right conditions, fog can be a problem in the early spring as well.

Folks in parts of the Northeast have certainly received an education on this in recent days.

According to AccuWeather.com’s Chief Operating Officer Evan Myers, “The pattern is very similar to what occurs in September, in terms of the long nights, moisture and temperature.”

“It’s a blend of radiation and advection fog in this case,” Myers added.

Radiation fog occurs when marginally moist air in place cools to its saturation point at night and is most common in the autumn.

Advection fog occurs when the cloud bank is pushed in from a particular area or it is caused by the flow of moist air over a cold surface, causing it to cool to its saturation point. Advection fog is most common in the spring and late-winter.

Backdoor fronts bearing advection fog and drizzle have spoiled many fine spring days in coastal New England and the mid-Atlantic over the years.

According to AccuWeather.com’s Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, “While water and land temperatures are running much warmer than normal this year, they are still relatively cool when compared to the unusually warm air mass like we have around the region now.”

Light winds and a layer of warm air above the ground are preventing the fog from breaking up at a rapid pace during the midday hours in the current pattern.

The temperature inversion, as it is called, is also trapping pollutants near the ground.

Over the weekend, a slow-moving storm will drift to the Atlantic coast and will begin to stir the atmosphere over the region.

Until this storm passes and dry air mixes in from the west, fog problems will continue. As the storm itself affects the area with its own moisture and showers, problems with low visibility may not be limited to the late-night and early-morning hours.

Abrams quipped, “In the wake of the storm next week, once the fog is gone it won’t be mist (missed).”

By Alex Sosnowski, expert senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com

On Thursday, the day after many websites blacked out in protest of SOPA, the government shut down one of the most popular file-sharing websites.  Along with shutting it down, a federal indictment accused the owners of Megaupload.com of facilitating millions of illegal downloads.

Megaupload, a Chinese based company, is accused of costing copyright holders at least $500 million. The United States had jurisdiction because some files were being hosted by leased servers in Ashburn Va.

The shutdown came on the heels of a hacker attack that shutdown the Justice Department’s website and other federal sites.  Officials declared the shutdown of the Justice Department’s site “a malicious attack,” according to the Boston Globe. A hacker group known as “Anonymous” took credit for the attack.

According to the Globe, a Justice Department statement said that Kim Dotcom, 37, and three other employees were arrested in New Zealand on Thursday in relation to Megaupload.  Three more defendants have not yet been apprehended. Dotcom, who had his name legally changed from Kim Schmitz, is the founder, former CEO and current chief innovation officer of the file-sharing website.  The others arrested are Finn Batato, 38; Mathias Ortmann, 40; and Bram van der Kolk, 29.

“This kind of application of international criminal procedures to Internet policy issues sets a terrifying precedent,” said The Electronic Frontier Foundation that defends free speech and digital rights, according to The Globe. “If the United States can seize a Dutch citizen in New Zealand over a copyright claim, what is next?”

Before it was shutdown, Megaupload posted a statement that declared the SOPA bill a huge breach of copyright laws.

“The fact is that the vast majority of Mega’s Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch,” the statement said, The Globe reports.

Megaupload had the support of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Kanye West.  These endorsements were unusual because the entertainment industry usually condemns the downloading of illegal material, as they lose money from it.

The company cited Swizz Beatz, a musician, as its CEO, but he declined comment to the Boston Globe.

The former website, which was listed at one point to be the 13th most visited website, is charged with copyright infringement, conpiracy to commit money laundering and racketeering.

NEW YORK — The last of five students implicated in a Columbia University drug ring pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted possession charges, according to the AP.

Adam Klein, 21, of New Jersey admitted he sold LSD to undercover officers in one of the biggest drug busts conducted in a New York college, the paper said.

Klein must complete five years of community service along with Michael Wymbs, 23, of New York, and Jose Stephan Perez, 21, of Atlanta, who took similar pleas.

Harrison David, 21, of Massachusetts pleaded guilty in July to selling cocaine to an undercover officer in exchange for six months in jail and five years of probation, according to Bloomberg News.

The fifth defendant, Christopher Coles, 21, will be cleared upon completion of a rehabilitation program. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Sonberg previously rejected requests from Klein, Wymbs and Perez that they be entered into similar diversion programs.

LAS VEGAS — World-renowned chef, Gordon Ramsay, will be opening his first Las Vegas restaurant, Gordon Ramsay Steakhouse, in the Paris Las Vegas Resort in Spring 2012. The restaurant, which will be replacing Les Artistes Steakhouse, will add to Ramsay’s string of restaurants around the globe.

Ramsay, who has hosted television, shows such as “Hells Kitchen,” “Masterchef,” and “Kitchen Nightmares,” did not take a typical path towards being a top chef. An injury held him back from a promising soccer career and he went back to college to complete a course in hotel management, but his devotion and natural talent in cooking helped him train alongside the world’s best chefs. Now, Ramsay has published a number of books which have become best sellers around the world, such as his autobiography “Roasting in Hells’ Kitchen.”

The new restaurant will hold about 274 seats along with a bar area, chef’s table, and a private dining room that is separate from the main room. The steakhouse also provides a fresh, vibrant dining environment that will play around with Paris and London themes and will evoke “The City of Lights” to celebrate Chef Ramsay and the city where he lives. “The space is really bold and innovative, and we’ve put together a great team and created a contemporary, quality menu. I can’t wait to open and start welcoming our guests!” Ramsay says.

The menu will range from conventional steakhouse meals to Ramsay’s famous Fish and Chips and Shepherd’s Pie. It will also include delectable seafood, mouth-watering beef, French-inspired side dishes and succulent desserts.

FREMONT, Calif. — After filing for bankruptcy on Sept. 6, the California solar panel manufacturer Solyndra LCC is now asking a Delaware judge to approve approximately $500,000 in employee bonuses.

The Huffington Post reported the potential bonuses would be distributed to nine equipment engineers, six general business and finance employees, four facilities workers and two information technology workers all of whom make between $72,000 and $206,000 annually. The bonuses would range from 8 percent to 38 percent of their individual base pay.

The bonuses are intended to persuade eligible employees to remain in their positions despite the current lack of job security due to the bankruptcy, according to the Washington Times. “You’re always going to have people you’ve got to keep and who would be hard to replace even in good times,” said David Epstein, a visiting scholar at the American Bankruptcy Institute. “But they become irreplaceable becauseof the bankruptcy.”

The company closed its doors last August leading to 1,100 people losing their jobs without severance. San Jose Mercury News, however, reported that the senior executives at Solyndra were issued quarterly bonuses ranging from $37,000 to $60,000 apiece.

MIAMI — For Pembroke Pines couple, Connie Barron and Jay Garcia, Friday brought about a surprising disaster. Sailing along They were aboard the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia when the vessel ran aground after hitting a rock, according to WSVN.

Local 10 reports that Garcia noted the first signs of disaster occurred when lights began flickering. After looking to the crew for help, but receiving contradictory instructions on what to do, the couple realized the ship was listing and they must take action. “They were lying, they kept saying go to your cabin and close the door” said Barron.

Upon landing at the Miami International Airport Monday with only the sheer appreciation of life, the couple was welcomed by family with hugs and kisses. “I’m so lucky to be alive and to be with them,” said Barron.

“There’s clear negligence here. There’s going to be legal claims (coming) out of this incident,” Brett Rivkind, a Miami attorney, told NBC 6 Miami.

MIAMI — JP Morgan Chase is foreclosing O.J. Simpson’s Kendall house.

According to CBS Miami, the four-bedroom, four bathroom house was purchased by Simpson in 2000 for $575,000. The current value of the house is $478,401.

JP Morgan filed for foreclosure in September, but Simpson’s attorneys have filed a motion to stop the foreclosure from happening, according to Local News 10.

Simpson is a retired NFL player, broadcaster, and actor who was –during the now infamous media frenzy and court case– acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman but later was found responsible for the horrific crime in civil court. He is currently serving a nine-to-33 year prison sentence after being convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery in a Las Vegas Casino.

According to USA Today, Simpson has been struggling financially since the civil jury ordered him to pay $33.5 million for the death of Ronald Goldman.

“It was just a matter of time before he would lose the house,” David J. Cook told the AP. Cook is the lawyer for the Goldman family.

NEW YORK — Twelve residents had to be evacuated after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in a Bronx apartment building, according to CBS New York.

Almost 100 residents were evacuated into freezing temperatures from the five-story building located on Valentine Avenue in the Fordham section around 5 a.m. They were put on city busesto keep warm.

The 12 residents were taken to Jacobi Medical Center as a precaution after complaining about feeling nauseous.

According to ABC Local, carbon monoxide levels exceeding 300 parts per million seeped through the structure.

The carbon monoxide may have come from a store attached to the apartment building. The levels dropped after building’s windows were opened.

In the days before the New Hampshire primary, Occupy Manchester set up a camp in Veterans Memorial Park to serve as daytime base of operations for activists who came from as far away as the West Coast to protest the perversion of politics by corporate money. On the night before voting, the proximity of this encampment and the Radisson hotel lounge across the street led to friendly conversation between Occupy activists and at least two notable people.

Michael Steele is former chairman of the Republican National Committee. When John Ford of Occupy Boston pressed Steele about why those who caused economic collapse have never been criminally investigated, Steele said “The system moves to protect itself.” When asked by Ford, “What can we do?” Steel replied, “Keep doing what you’re doing.” In regards to the protests and political birddogging the occupiers had done in New Hampshire over the previous few days, Steel said, “You did a great job. Keep it going.”

A while later, activists including Eric Binder of Occupy Boston talked to Juan Williams, a writer and commentator appearing on Fox News Channel. When asked his opinion of Occupy, Williams said “I like it.” When Binder mentioned freedom of speech, Williams laughed in a friendly way and said “imagine what I feel about freedom of speech” (probably referring to a 2010 incident when comments he made on “The O’Reilly Factor” led to NPR terminating his contract). Williams, agreeing with many of the protestors’ gripes, said “there’s a lot to be changed.”

Starting Wednesday (when Mark Provost asked Mitt Romney to update his opinion on corporate personhood to “corporations are abusive people”) through Tuesday, activists with the Occupy movement made themselves seen and heard wherever candidates appeared in public. On Monday, Occupiers staged a protest at Obama for America headquarters in Manchester to send the message that neither Democrats nor Republicans are currently serving the common good.

NEW YORK — The family of a homeless teen recently named one of the top science students in the US was offered a rent-stabilized home, Suffolk County officials announced Friday.

Samantha Garvey, 17, is among 61 semi-finalists in the National Intel Science Search for her research on the effect of predators on mussels. NBC New York reports, her family was evicted from their home last month after her parents were injured in a devastating car wreck. They moved into a shelter on New Year’s Day along with her brother and sister.

According to the Huffington Post, after Samantha’s story sparked a flurry of media attention, County Executive Steve Bellone visited Brentwood High School where Garvey is a senior. He announced the family could move into their new home in about 10 days.

DAVIS, Calif. — As announced by University of California President Mark Yudof earlier this week, a smoking ban on all UC campuses is scheduled to take effect beginning in 2014. The ban will include cigarettes as well as all other tobacco products and will restrict smoking in all areas including outdoor spaces, parking lots and private residences.

Although it is reported that only 8 percent of UC students and 10 percent of employees smoke, it appears to be much larger when actually in the confinement of a campus. “At least a quarter of my core group of friends smoke,” said UC Davis student Linh Tran.

Many students agree that the ban is a welcome attempt, but may be only that: an attempt. After all, the current ban of not smoking within 20 feet of entrances, exits, or operable windows of a public building is rarely enforced. When questioned about the likelihood of success of the ban Tran responded, “There are so many smokers on campus. It will be too hard to enforce.”

Supporters of the ban, however, are holding a more optimistic view. “Virtually nobody starts smoking after age 24 or 25,” Dr. Stanton Glantz, director of UC San Francisco’s Center for Tobacco Control

Research and Education said. “If you can get people through the college ages and a little bit past, and they’ve either not started or they’ve stopped, then they’re pretty well taken care of.”

SAN LUIS OBISBO, Calif. — Just over a week ago, on Wednesday January 4, a California inmate firefighter, Crisanto Leo Lionell, died a natural and unforeseeable death at the age of 54 during his daily training exercises.  Although the autopsy results give out little to no information as to his actual cause of death, the overall consensus is that the inmate’s sudden loss of consciousness and eventual death occurred naturally and was not a direct result of the training he was undergoing at the time.  These military type callisthenic workouts are a norm at camps like the Cuesta Conservation and Fire Camp, where inmates like Leo—who was admitted in February of 2010—are put through a screening process; if all goes well, they are given extensive responsibilities within the field of firefighting.  With those responsibilities comes a sense of freedom vastly different than that of the more gritty general population, including the will to come and go from their much-improved dorms as they please (once off duty), the lack of confining walls, and above all else a sense of comradery and purpose.

Inmate Crisanto Leo Lionell—whom most knew as Leo—was one of the hundreds of inmates who the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation’s (the CDCR) admitted into their inmate Firefighter Training Program, where low-custody, non-violent offenders are given the chance to improve themselves inside and out by training to become state certified firefighters.  And although the CDCR is keeping Leo’s personal info closely under wraps, the overall experience inmates have within these camps is completely constructive and works towards invigorating inmates with a newfound vivacity for life.

Inmates like Leo are initially put in a general population setting—the isolated cells, the racial tension, gang activity, drug smuggling and consumption, as well as a slew of other hardships—where they have the option to engage in various educational classes and vocational programs to help better themselves.  At this point, Leo and other inmates either choose to wither away in their cells or to excel in one of the various program offered by the CDCR, whether it be gaining one’s GED, receiving one’s masonry, carpentry or metalworking certificates, or even taking college level classes geared towards teaching inmates how to operate in our working society.

One of the more innovative, cost-efficient, and above all enriching programs that the CDCR has to offer is the Firefighter Training Program that Leo was a part of, which ushers inmates into one of the dozens of Conservation Camps jointly run by CAL FIRE and the CDCR that actually have their trained inmates go out into the surrounding communities to fight forest and brush fires, work on repairing flood damage, sandbag mudslides, and otherwise take care of any natural hazards, such as flammable brush along the roadsides, that could possibly lead to blazing fires and/or damage to the community.

ORLANDO, Fla. — In a deposition that was unsealed by a Florida judge and released Wednesday, Jeff Danziger, the psychiatrist of Casey Anthony, said Anthony became pregnant with her daughter, Caylee, after passing out at a party when she was 18 years old, according to The Associated Press.

“Two beers, possibly given another drug. Woke up passed out,” said Danziger, reading from his notes that he took during an interview with Anthony in November 2010.

The 25-year-old who was acquitted last July for the killing of 2-year-old Caylee, was interviewed five times over two years, but never testified at her own murder trial. According to the depositions, the doctor said tests gave no indication that Anthony was mentally ill as she faced trial.

Danziger also noted in the deposition that Anthony showed normal results on a psychological test, and how he was surprised she was being calm and cooperative under the circumstances during her time at the Orange County Jail.

Anthony is currently serving a year of probation at an undisclosed location in Florida on a check fraud charge.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A man was attacked and robbed early Wednesday morning near San Francisco State University after being taunted with homophobic slurs. According to police officer Albie Esparza, the 20-year-old victim was walking near the university when three men in a 70’s Oldsmobile pulled up next to him. They began yelling anti-gay offenses, and then proceeded to exit their vehicle, surround the victim, and demanded his property.

When the victim fought back, the men beat him to the pavement and kicked him repeatedly, then took his smartphone from his pocket and escaped in their vehicle. According to the San Francisco Appeal, the incident was reported to San Francisco police around 2:10 a.m. The victim was treated for minor injuries at the scene, where he gave detailed descriptions of the attackers.

Officers, who are labeling the event a clear hate crime, are still looking for the suspects. Police are encouraging any witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the attack suspects to call their anonymous tip line at (415)575-4444.

NEW YORK — Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his administration have come up with another health initiative for New York City; it’s to limit the sale of alcohol in the city to curb excessive drinking, as well as slash the number of establishments serving alcohol, according to a planning document obtained by the New York Post.

One of the goals listed in the “request for proposal” document to community groups is “reducing alcohol retail outlet (e.g. bar, corner store) density and illegal alcohol,” the document states.

In a recent update by the New York Post, Bloomberg abandoned the proposal to shut down bars or liquor stores. Asked if the mayor backed the effort to limit booze-selling businesses, Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser said, “No.”

Health officials and advocates have also discussed banning liquor advertising seen by millions of straphangers in the transit system. “Reduce the exposure to alcohol products and bar advertising and promotion in retail and general (trains, buses, etc.) settings (stores, restaurants, etc,” the department’s document says.

“The city’s goals for the Partnership for a Healthier New York are in line with our ongoing strategies of promoting healthy eating and physical activity and discouraging tobacco, excessive alcohol use and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages,” a spokeswoman said. “Specific proposals, however, are still in the planning phase.”

Health officials cite an army of statistics to defend the crackdown.

Alcohol-related hospital emergency-room visits doubled for underage New Yorkers from 2003 to 2009, and one in 10 hospitalizations are booze-related, while one in six adult New Yorkers report heavy drinking.

Alcohol is a factor in nearly half of homicides and 28 percent of vehicle-crash fatalities.

According to the Huffington Post, the program could pick up steam with the help of local community boards, namely those in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg, which have attempted to reduce the number of new liquor licenses in the neighborhoods, mostly in an attempt to reduce noise and general rowdiness.

After confiscating a Massachusetts woman’s cupcake, the federal Transportation Security Administration is defending their decision according to boston.com.

Rebecca Hains of Peabody was not allowed to take her cupcake on the plain from Las Vegas to Massachusetts, and called the TSA’s defense “terrible logic.”

The TSA says the cupcake was packed in a jar full of frosting, which is considered a gel. This violates the policy that prohibits liquids and gels in order to protect travelers from terrorists that design explosives made of such substances.

Travelers are permitted to take cakes, pies and cupcakes through security as long as the gel does not exceed the federal limits.

SAN FRANCISCO — On Monday, January 9, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Sims Metal Management, a metals recycling company, had been issued a notice of violation for polluting the San Francisco Bay and violating the Clean Water Act.

“All of the things we found are toxic” said the EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Jared Blumenfeld. “Once we find something illegal of this nature, we need to make sure the facility takes immediate steps to eliminate those discharges.” Sims Metal Management must have a plan of action devised by Monday. Unless the facility completely remedies the problem within 90 days, they could potentially be fined up to $37,500 a day under the Clean Water Act.

Sims claims to be one of the world’s truly green companies and has been included in the past as one of the most sustainable corporations in the world. The company is also self-stated as the leader in metals and electronics recycling.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, traces of lead, mercury, PCBs, copper and zinc were found in the soils and sediment where the facility meets Redwood Creek during inspections of the company’s Industrial Storm Water Permit last March and again in August. In particular, the PCB levels were elevated up to 10,000 times over the norm while the mercury levels were 100 times the norm. Levels this high pose a threat to fish, wildlife and humans. These pollutants are believed to have come from the shredded metal products that the facility allegedly released into a Redwood Creek while being transported on a conveyer belt to various ships. The creek flows directly into the bay.

Daniel Strechay, a Sims spokesman, issued a statement later that Monday. “Sims is committed to protection and promotion of a healthy environment,” he said. “The company anticipates that this matter can be resolved to EPA’s full satisfaction.”

This issue has proved to not only be a concern for the EPA, but also for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As stated by the Merced Sunstar, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is mainly concerned that the shredded automobile residue could have drifted into the neighboring wetlands. If this scenario proves to be true, local endangered species may have consequently been harmed.

NEW YORK — A Manhattan high school teacher was arrested Monday for forging a jury duty notice to justify over two weeks of paid absences, according to myfoxny.com.

Investigators say Mona Lisa Tello, 61, submitted a letter purportedly issued by the Superior Court of New Jersey to Principal Jarod Resnick at the High School of Graphic Communication Arts in Midtown. Resnick later noticed several misspelled words, including “trail” and “sited” inplace of “trial” and “cited.” The phone and fax numbers were wrong, as was the address.

Resnick contacted a court official, who said Tello’s jury duty had in fact been deferred. The principal then alerted Special Commissioner of Investigation Richard Condon, who reported his findings to the Manhattan District Attorney. Condon recommended Tello be terminated from the New York City Board of Education and barred from future employment in the school system. Tello faces charges of forgery, criminal possession and filing a false document.

According to the New York Daily News, Tello has agreed to retire by Friday and reimburse the city for the 15 days of wages she collected while supposedly serving as a juror.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A former Lantana police officer was sentenced to three years in prison early Tuesday morning for targeting and soliciting money from Hispanic men.

Authorities say Mark Ott would pull over those who were suspected of being Hispanic, search their vehicles, and then proceeded to take money from them. Prosecutors were able to prove that Ott stopped several Hispanic males between February and May and that he took amounts ranging from $20 to $400 from the stopped vehicles.

The officer’s arrest took place in May after an FBI agent and a deputy sheriff posed as undercover Hispanic men. Ott pulled over their vehicle and confiscated the deputy’s wallet, which originally contained $400, and stole $150.

Ott’s attorney, Michael Salnick made an agreement with prosecutors for Ott’s three-year sentence. According to the Miami Herald, the former officer also plead guilty to five felony charges of evidencing prejudice while committing robbery for targeting Hispanics. Ott will also have to repay at total of $1,780 to the victims.

David E. Pouliot, deceased, of Springfield, Mass., has been linked to the crime scene

An unsolved 1993 homicide case involving a 10-year-old Grafton girl was the subject of a press conference last week hosted by Hampden County District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni. The conference was held to update the public on a case involving Holly Piirainen, who was abducted and murdered.

In the spring of 2011, Mastroianni informed State Police and other detective bureaus that evidence in unsolved homicide cases would be reviewed to see if a new forensic or scientific examination would be helpful. Holly Piirainen’s case was one of them. New testing revealed that an item found at the time when Holly’s remains were discovered bore an “indisputable identification” to a person who had a connection with the crime scene area.

According to Mastroianni, David E. Pouliot of Springfield, Mass., was linked to the item at the crime scene. Pouliot died on Aug. 16, 2003 and is not a suspect, officials said. While he’s not a suspect, police are still interested in hearing from the public in case anyone had interacted with Pouliot from 1993 to 2003. Photographs of Pouliot were released.

“Developing as much information as possible about David Pouliot, with the assistance of the public, is vital to fully follow up on this new lead,” said Mastroianni. “The nature and character of the item tested, as well as its condition and location upon discovery, suggests Pouliot and/or persons associated with him were in the immediate crime scene area at a time relevant to Holly’s disappearance and the location of her remains. All evidence and leads previously developed in this case are now being evaluated with consideration given to this new forensic development. Review of all items for further forensic analysis continues to be part of this ongoing investigation.”

The victim, 10-year-old Holly Piirainen

On Aug. 5, 1993, Holly’s father, Richard Piirainen, reported Holly missing around 12:50 p.m. The girl was on vacation with him and other family members in a Sturbridge cottage, and was last seen around 11:45 a.m. by her father. She was off to play with puppies at a home on South Shore Road. Richard Piirainen began searching for his daughter when she did not return, and he then discovered her left sneaker on South Shore Road. An extensive search by local and state police and sheriff’s departments, with help from Connecticut and Rhode Island units, did not bear results. On Oct. 23, hunters discovered Holly’s skeletal remains in a wooded area off Five Bridge Road in Brimfield. State Police photographed and investigated the scene. Any items found at and near the scene were confiscated by the State Police. Police have continued to investigate Holly’s death and disappearance, and to review evidence necessary for forensic analysis and testing.

State Sen. Stephen Brewer and State Rep. Todd Smola are offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Information can be called in to the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit at 413-505-5933, or people can text-a-tip to 274637, beginning with the word “Solve.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Sheriff-elect, Ross Mirkarimi is being investigated for domestic abuse.

Ivory Madison, neighbor of Mirkarimi and his wife Eliana Lopez, reported to police that Lopez was a victim on New Years Eve. According to the San Francisco Examiner, Madison had apparently videotaped the bruise on Lopez’s arm with a Panasonic video camera and had received text messages about the information of her injuries. After police got a search warrant to search the iPhone, Madison claims that Lopez did not want to report the incident because of Mirkarimi’s strong ties.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Lopez denies the abuse reports. “I have absolutely no complaint against my husband. My husband has never been abusive to me. Ross and I are committed to our marriage, our son and our family,” Ms. Lopez said in a statement.

Mirkarimi is facing these accusations just as he is about to be sworn in as San Francisco’s newest Sheriff this Sunday, replacing Michael Hennessey who is retiring after 32 years of work, NBC Bay Area reports.

District Attorney George Gascon told the Mercury News, “We’re still waiting for the police investigation, and once the investigation is presented to us, we’ll evaluate as we would do with any other case involving domestic violence.”

NEW YORK — Timothy Michael Dolan was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2009. Nearly three years later, Benedict, made the announcement on Friday that Dolan is assigned to being Cardinal among other 21 prelates from Hong Kong, Berlin, Prague, Toronto and Florence.

Dolan, 61, said in a news conference that he is “honored, humbled, and grateful” by his promotion. Vatican Radio carried the report, which will officially take place Feb 18th. in Rome.

“The Big Apple has twice as much say about who becomes the next Pope,” stated the Daily News. This is due to Dolan’s age, and the fact that Cardinals under age 80 are eligible to vote in papal elections, as the New York Times defined it.

Since the late 19th century, nearly all the archbishops, eight of ten of New York have been named cardinals.

Archbishop Dolan is the current president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and has led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for  three years.

“There will probably be a few more trips to Rome – a few more plates of gnocchi,” Dolan joked.

NORTH MIAMI-DADE — Fire Rescue worked diligently to save a man that was pinned under a truck for nearly two hours after he collided with a dump truck on Friday morning.

The incident took place at NW 3rd Avenue and 119th Street at about 6:45 a.m. when 45-year-old Artise Stanley, who was driving a box truck for “Pass It On Ministry,” struck the back of the dump truck. Stanley’s box truck was crushed and became wedged underneath the other vehicle. He remained conscious throughout the ordeal.

According to authorities, the dump truck was not moving at the time of the accident.

CBS Miami reports that Stanley has been a driver for “Pass It On Ministry,” a food pantry for the needy, for the past 10 years.

The man was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, now in good condition, and is expected to make a full recovery only sustaining a few broken bones, according to WSVN Channel 7, .

“This is an accident that a matter of centimeters would have meant the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Marc Grossman of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

NEW YORK — Thousands of investors will not be reimbursed for money lost in Bernie Madoff’s decades-long ponzi scheme due to a federal court ruling today, according to the Washington Post.

US District Court Judge Denise Cote decided investors in feeder or hedge funds are not eligible for repayment because they did not have accounts with the firm in their own name. The federal fund set up to aid victims of the pyramid scheme is strictly for small investors, who can receive up to $500,000 each for their losses.

Cote affirmed a previous ruling by Bankruptcy Court Judge Irving Picard, who is responsible for allocating funds lost in the scheme. So far he has approved 2,425 claims, a total of $7.3 billion.

Hundreds of claims are still pending, and the total damage is estimated at around $20 billion, according to CNN. Madoff is currently serving a 150-year sentence in Federal prison for his crimes.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Occupy Oakland protesters determinedly tried to enter City Hall on Thursday in an attempt to take over the mayor’s and city administrator’s offices; the intrusion follows the arrests of a dozen protesters Wednesday night. Their attempts to bang on the doors and chants to “Shut down City Hall!” were met with demands from officials inside to “calm down” if they wished their requests to be heard.

A dozen protesters were arrested late Wednesday night at Frank Ogawa Plaza in relation with the continued Occupy Oakland efforts. Just before 11:30 p.m. an alert message informed the protesters of the incoming police presence; “60 cops in riot gear just swooped through the plaza and made indiscriminate arrests,” the message read. The arrests were made due to the revoking of the permit allowing protesters to set up a tepee, which the demonstrators allegedly violated by disregarding the permit’s designated ‘tepee’ hours, storing personal belongings, and distributing food without health permits. An online live stream close to midnight on Wednesday showed another group of protesters deciding to march to a nearby jail in solidarity with previously arrested demonstrators. Protesters have not yet gained access to City Hall.

JAMESTOWN, Calif. — “I’m not perfect by any means, and nobody is, but I’m ten times a better man than I was before this camp term,” inmate firefighter Philip Kirkpatrick, an eager camp inmate in his late twenties recounts of his experiences at Baseline Conservation Camp, one of the 19 prison fire camps conveniently placed throughout the state of California to fight wildfires, “I feel like my life has purpose to it now, and that’s something that I’ve honestly never had before. I’m ready to take on the world.”

Every prison institution in California has a general product that they specialize in producing—some put out soap, others ironworks, Folsom State Prison puts out license plates while Correction Training Facility produces shoes and clothing. Sierra Conservation Center (SCC)—a minimum to medium custody state prison—yields human capital.

Qualifying inmates are taught the ins and outs of one of the most well-respected and treasured occupations in American culture: the firefighter.

Particularly in our post-9/11 society, firefighters are looked up to as American heroes, selfless defenders of the people; to be one means to be willing to put your ass on the line for a community of people that you may not know and may never meet. You take on the responsibilities associated with preventing floods, fighting fires, and sandbagging mudslides that would otherwise ruin peoples’ houses and the surrounding environment. The program ends up turning social outcasts into individuals capable of heroic deeds.

As inmates initially cross that daunting threshold into the cold world of incarceration they can harbor feelings of social alienation, depression, anger, and rejection. Yet when given the opportunity to progress in an institutional program that goes beyond merely being assigned monotonous tasks that constantly remind the inmates of their poor behaviors, the opportunity to significantly diminish the recidivism rate and gain a sense of personal merit arises.

Naturally, the ultimate goal of the SCC’s firefighter program is to equip inmates with not only vocational skills and firefighting certificates, but, more importantly, with a sturdy work ethic and an internal sense of self-respect.

“We are in a partnership with CAL FIRE, the California Fire Department, and what we do here at Sierra is we get the low custody inmates, we screen them to make sure they have the right custody level, and once they pass that we go ahead and start a series of training programs,” SCC Warden Frank Chavez explained.

At the Sierra Conservation Center, CAL FIRE teaches prisoners how to safely and effectively fight fires by taking two consecutive training courses; the Physical Fitness Training (PFT) and the Firefighter Training (FFT) programs. Once they finish both the PFT and the FFT, inmates are put on a waiting list to get admitted into one of the 19 fire camps that are “strategically located in all of the dry woodlands so that they can be easily deployed to those areas most susceptible to wildfires,” Warden Chavez noted.

“Once they complete [PFT] and pass into the [FFT] facet of the program, we turn them over to CAL FIRE captains who actually take them out and train them to fight wildfires. That’s where they actually learn how to cut fire lines, fire behavior, fire safety, how to use hand tools, how to put their safety gear on—helmets, packs, bunker gear—they learn about keeping themselves hydrated, acclimating themselves to the fire ground and heat, dealing with safety hazards like snags, working with power lines, getting on and off the fire bus, etc…It’s a lot of information to learn, but our main focus is on safety.”

The warden and countless correctional officers have testified to the spectrum of change they’ve seen in a sizable chunk of inmates, especially ones who truly immerse themselves in the program. On day one they’re scared to death, they don’t know what to expect, but just a few days into it they gain a sense of self-respect and confidence that the staff and fire captains hope will carry through to the outside world as inmates make that difficult shift back into the society. At that point, they are ready for camp.

These fire camps are the final step for inmates admitted into the SCC, with the closest camp—the Baselines camp—being just three miles down a dusty road that winds around the parched land surrounding the SCC facility. “It’s beautiful out here,” one easygoing guard said, whimsically surveying the jagged, chalky rocks and arid vegetation scattered throughout the sun-drenched dustbowl.

The camp is a mini-village of sorts that looks more like a Christian summer camp or a wilderness retreat than labor headquarters for incarcerated criminals. With its lack of walls and well-landscaped central lawn, around which six cottage-like dormitories, a cafeteria, an inmate-run trading post and a central building for faculty, counseling and general activities, it even feels like a retreat.

Although the firefighter system—both the SCC’s training programs and the fire camps—is a major benefit to the actual rehabilitation of inmates, it is by no means foolproof. One prisoner in the bustling SCC jail yard, Paul, a former camp inmate who fell back into his drug habits after being paroled a couple years ago, has been working on getting back to one of the fire camps, this time with a more determined frame of mind bent on building that crucial solid foundation.

“The reason I feel that I didn’t succeed the first time is I didn’t have any credentials, I didn’t have anything under my belt to help me out there in society,” Paul explained, “This time I got my GED, I got my masonry certificate, then after that I actually had a friend in the PFT introduce me to the coach. Ever since I’ve been doing everything the prison will give me to get me ready to go back out there and excel.”

Likewise, Philip Kirkpatrick is serving his second term, this time making sure to take advantage of what the fire camp has to offer, since an inmate can only truly be rehabilitated if they strive to do so by participating in programs such as the PFT, FFT and fire camps. “I’m going to exhaust all my avenues. Last time I had a plan but it was just Plan A, and when Plan A failed [prison] is where I came back to, so I know now that I have to have a Plan A, a Plan B, I’ve got to go through the whole damn alphabet and backwards again. I’ve got to be prepare for everything, because I got two strikes and I know that the way that I used to think I’m not completely perfect and its easy for people in my situation to just revert back to their old behavior, so, I’ve just got to be patient and humble—it is what it is, you know?”

One noticeable difference in these inmate firefighters is that they have a tremendous deal of respect for what they’re doing; the job gives them a sense that they’re accomplishing something, not only for themselves, but for their families and the society in general.

Whether they are doing military-style calisthenics in the prison yard for their PFT or gearing-up in their bunker gear (typical firefighter suits) for a field day in the FFT—the second program inmates must complete before being sent to one of those 19 fire camps strewn across the state—the inmates looked and acted more hopeful and enthusiastic about themselves, what they are doing and what they plan to do when they get out.

“It’s very positive, it’s like having a family to count on,” Paul says of the firefighting experience. “The model for PFT is start together and finish together, so we try not to leave anyone behind. I’ve done PFT, and I’ve been a firefighter before. It’s a good program, the PFT, the FFT and especially the fire camps.”

“A giant tree was on the verge of falling and there were a lot of homes where it was leaning towards, and seeing as the redwood firefighters there were kind of busy, our crew had some saws and cut it down,” Paul said while chronicling his most memorable experience as a firefighter thus far with a satisfied grin inching across his face, “Some people were asking whether we were going to be able to handle the tree, us being inmates and all, and our captain answered him saying that these are the best saw men I got, which was a real compliment. My buddy was the first saw and I was the second saw, we took the largest saw we had and they told us it had to drop it a certain way or else it would collapse the neighboring roofs, but we put it where he wanted it and all the people started clapping and thanking us and offering to bring us food—I’ve never felt that before, it felt good. Yah, I’ll never forget that one.”

While the fire fighting skills do prove worthwhile in terms of providing inmates with a concrete set of skills meant to establish a practical gateway to a multitude of occupations and career paths, it seems to be the gradual improvement and reinforcement of the inmates’ behavior that can lead to a greater disposition towards a sound state of mental and emotional health that truly attests to the program’s benefit. Inmates like Paul and Patrick are living examples of the programs potential to completely revamp an inmate’s attitude in a positive and constructive direction. Without this program, there would be no foundation of enthusiasm, dedication, solidarity and purpose for inmates.

Though there have been cases where former inmates have gotten jobs with CAL FIRE, becoming a full-time, salaried firefighter is hard work and not everyone who is involved in the SCC training successfully lands a job once they are released—it is an incredibly competitive field. But even if they don’t become firefighters, giving them the chance to get out there and have the structure of a normal workday, just as they would out in the real world, plays a huge part in the process. A lot of these guys have struggled to or have never held consistent job; they have never had that structure and sense of contribution to society. The program is not a novelty to them as they try to effectively become individuals who contribute to society in a positive manner.

Philip has been the lead clerk manning the trade post for a significant portion of his term in fire camp. Recalling his past, Philip said, “I’ve been down a little over 5 years now, I’ve got 2 left. I started living my term in a cell in general population for roughly 3 years, working hard to get to fire camp since I knew that was the best shot that I had at actually recovering, because if I confine myself to a box for the 7 years that I’m incarcerated, I’m not going to know how to be around people, I’m not going to know how to interact, not going to know how to function within society. Whereas now, I’ve been here 13 months and 11 months of it I’ve been a clerk. I have a job that is extremely rewarding, and it’s a job—I’m on call 24 hours a day, seven day a week, no days off, I have a lot of responsibilities.”

For Philip, and many of the other inmates, those responsibilities mean all the difference as they prepare for reintegration.

“I’m not used to having responsibilities, I’m used to just going and taking something from somebody and doing what I do, you now what I mean; so it’s very rewarding,” Philip commented. “Having this clerk job and being in this whole program, it’s helped me sharpen my skills with other people and gain patience, because I have to go out there into society and actually contribute in a positive way. To a certain extent, I feel like I’m almost free,” he blithely declared.

Every prison in the state has a product that is put out as a means of creating profitable revenue, with the Sierra Conservation Center’s main product being firefighters. The whole idea of a general product is to make use of the cheap labor that inmates provide so that the prisons’ can maintain the institution while they serve time; yet while producing an abundance of slacks and undershirts may prove profitable for the state and the prison, that task is menial and provides little to no sense of fulfillment and purpose—feelings that are central to successful rehabilitation.

The SCC training facility and the various fire camps that turn criminals into empathetic heroes work to achieve both means, renewing the inmates sense of worth and value in society while providing cheap labor to prevent costly and potentially life threatening wildfires, all at a fraction of the standard market value of such labor.

This program is a two-for-one, benefiting both the taxpayers and prison inmates; it provides structure for the inmates and financial benefits for taxpayers. You can have 20 outside guys working for CAL FIRE that are getting paid big money for fighting fires and other natural disasters, or you can get an inmate fire crew at almost the exact same cost as just one of those non-inmate firefighters. Taking this into account, inmates can give back to the community financially while simultaneously building their self-confidence and determination. Whether or not inmates make use of the chances they are offered for uplifting personal change and education doesn’t determine whether this program is advantageous for taxpayers; if done properly, SCC inmates all have the opportunity to better themselves and the society they’ve caused harm upon, but whether or not they truly follow through with what they’ve learned as they immerse themselves back into the real world is up to them. The massive support provided by these inmates alone supplies some taxpayers with community support while giving California the environmental aid it so desperately needs.

Prisoners in fire camps also get to escape the exasperating jail yard drama and prison politics. The number one complaint among inmates outside the fire programs is unanimously the prison politics. The term ‘prison politics’ is basically an umbrella term that stands for everything vile and wrong about the traditional prison set-up: racism and anticipated segregation, gang affairs, confrontations and feuds, drab surroundings, highly-strict guards, drug temptations, lack of positive communication and unsettling living spaces, among other things.

Baseline camp is void of these politics, especially the race factor; some of the racial elements inside prison involve the expectation for prisoners to segregate themselves by race or gang affiliation. When you get out to the fire line you don’t see that—the group consists purely of firefighters, partners who all depend on each other to survive some of the dangerous situations they face. That sense of camaraderie is often the driving force behind a prisoner’s rehabilitation; without that group bond, prisoners can become isolated and cut-off from reality, quite possibly the antithesis of correctional rehabilitation.

“Once you get to camp you’ve find yourself looking beyond the hassles of prison politics because you are out there on the fires, and you’ve got to look out for each other,” Paul stated, “I really enjoyed the crew that I was on because we were all brothers. We worked together, we ate together, we slept together, you know what I mean? It was very positive. You get the sense of being a part of something, rather than just being locked up in a cell all by yourself.”

Philip harbors a similar outlook, though he carries his efforts into the classroom; in fact, he’s part of a group of camp inmates who really enjoy doing what is called the juvenile diversion program, in which a few inmates who have served multiple terms go out to continuation schools and elementary schools during red ribbon week (drug awareness week) to talk about the poor choices that they made in their life. Some of them, like Philip, have expressed interest in possibly taking up a career in youth counseling as a way of veering troubled kids back in the right direction. The campers who are part of the diversion program are all success stories just waiting to jump back into society with a level-head on their shoulders; they have come to terms with the revolving door of crime and punishment they got caught up in, realized what they’ve done and want to try to make a difference by stopping kids from running down the same decrepit path they and are paying their debts for.

“It’s so rewarding being a part of the community betterment and diversion programs, going to classrooms and talking to kids, it feels good to finally be able to give back to the community because the community that we go to is where I caught my cases, where I’ve hurt so many people, and so it feels really good to finally be able to give back. Even though I have a group of roughly 8 to 10 kids, just getting to one of them and having a positive impact on one of those kids, that’s all I care about,” says Philip.

Another camper heavily involved in the diversion program, Resnick is a calm and contented man of 48 years who has been in the penal system since he hit adulthood at age 18. He resides at the Baseline camp and acts as one of the key facilitators who goes out and talks to 8th graders and high school students about the choices one makes in life, specifically about how he made his mistakes, using those negative experiences to influence these kids not to make the same mistakes that he made.

Probably the most powerful aspect of the camps here is the genuine sense that everyone who works in the camps has a sense of purpose, whether it is the guy in the laundry room washing the fire gear when they have a big training event and all of the inmate fire crews come in and camp out there—it’s like a little city in itself. The guy in the laundry, the guy making the meals, the mechanics, it’s amazing to see what a vast production these camps put on and, moreover, how everyone is so willing to jump in and help.

That communication and teamwork, alongside the boost in self-assurance that manifests from their philanthropic contributions, has the power to turn even the most downtrodden and apathetic of inmates into American heroes. Programs such as these should be developed into a staple for American prisons, providing inmates with a means of gaining the inner strength and balance necessary for making that treacherous progression back into society.

NEW YORK — Police are investigating a fifth attack on a Long Island home hit by a Molotov cocktail Sunday night to see if it is linked to the four similar attacks in Queens, according to the Daily News.

The four arson attacks that occurred over two hours Sunday night are believed to be possible hate crimes against Muslims. The attacks were made using homemade firebombs.

The first firebomb hit a bodega, which had minimum inside damage; the second firebomb hit a private home. The fire caused a great fire but no one was hurt. It took more than 60 firefighters about 40 minutes to bring it under control, according to the New York Times.

The third attack was on an Islamic center called the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, a prominent Shiite mosque. The door was blackened but the building did not catch fire. No one was hurt.

A surveillance video shoes the fourth attack, which involved a private home where Hindu services are held.

According to police, the Molotov cocktails used in three of the attacks were made with Starbucks bottles.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued a statement condemning the attacks.

“Attacks such as this have no place in our open and inclusive society,” Cuomo said, “and we must do all we can to ensure New York remains a safe and tolerant place for all.

SAN FRANCISCO — The cause of a three-alarm fire on Masonic Ave. in San Francisco is still unknown as police continue to investigate.

NBC Bay Area reports that police are treating the fire as a crime scene until they determine the fire’s cause, as the initial emergency call reporting the blaze was made by a screaming woman.

The fire began on January 1 at 8:10 P.M. and put out at about 9:05 P.M. at 1358-1359 Masonic Ave., according to the San Francisco Examiner. The fire displaced ten residents as it damaged three buildings, according to CBS San Francisco. According to Police Sergeant Daryl Fong, one resident was injured and was transported to the Davies Medical Center with unspecified injuries, along with one victim who was treated with shortness of breath.

According to KTVU, residents around Masonic Ave. say that the building occupied by the landlord on the ground floor and two couples, who live on the second and third floors respectively. Individuals who were displaced due to the blaze are staying at the Police Park Station or at a nearby residence, Sergeant Fong states.

MIAMI — Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard, 2 tons of cocaine worth $245 million was seized before ever hitting the streets of South Florida, or anywhere else for that matter.

The operation occurred off the coast of Honduras on Thursday when a Coast Guard force operating on U.S.S. Oak Hill discovered the shipment of 4, 400 pounds of cocaine abroad a motorboat that was stopped after suspicion of being a smuggling vessel. It had been stopped in international waters off the Gulf of Mexico on Dec. 2, according to the Miami Herald.

Authorities say cocaine traffickers are increasingly operating from Central American countries, as other routes are becoming more of a risk. According to CBS Miami, the Oak Hill was taking part in an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the Caribbean Sea and Latin American waters.

GREAT NECK, N.Y. — The Long Island student at the center of an SAT cheating scandal spoke out in his own defense, telling 60 Minutes he gave struggling students a “new lease on life” by taking the test on their behalf, according to a sneak-peek on myfoxny.com.

In a segment to air Sunday, Sam Eshaghoff, 19, said his intent was to aid struggling students by significantly enhancing their SAT or ACT scores, for $2,500 a pop.

With high test scores, the underachievers were “bound for a totally new career and a totally new path in life,” he said.

He dismissed allegations by Nassau County district attorney Kathleen Rice that he deprived deserving students of admissions spots in selective colleges.

“I feel confident defending the fact that [my clients] getting into the schools that they ended up getting into didn’t really affect other people,” he said.

Eshagoff’s cheating racket came to light in September, when he was arrested along with 20 others from surrounding schools. He told 60 Minutes he would take a plea deal in which he would avoid jail time by helping students succeed the hard way– by tutoring them for free.

NEW YORK — Friends and family members held a memorial today for Deloris Gillespie, a 73 year-old Brooklynite who was brutally burned alive in her Prospecr Heights building’s elevator on December 17th, on her way back from grocery shopping.

“People from all walks of live showed respects [ at the First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, in Bedford-Stuy, Brooklyn] for a woman who they say did everything she could for others,” according to News12.

Ms. Gillespie had hired Jerome Isaac, 47, who later killed her, to run some errands for her. Unfortunately, Isaac told the police that he believed she still owed him about $2,000 “for odd jobs,” as stated by the New York Times.

Isaac turned himself in the next day and faces charges for first-degree murder and arson.

“The worst way of dying is by fire, because every nerve ending is assaulted simultaneously in the most horrific way,” Mr. Geberth, a retired commander of the Bronx Homicide Task Force said in the New York Times.

“You have someone with pent-up anger and rage that’s so intense they don’t only want to kill, they want to see the victim suffer”

Police confirm that two people were shot in an Allston apartment on the third floor of  15 Chester Street, according to Universal Hub.

The shooting happened around 10 p.m. on Friday night and both victims have been taken to Boston area hospitals, reports Fox 25. There are no reports on their statuses.

Police have found at least  6 bullet casings in the apartment, according to the Universal Hub.

More to come as the case develops.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — William Knowles, 59, not only used his crutches for walking, but also for protection early Monday morning in Hollywood.

Two women walked up to Knowles pretending to be interested in his fractured shin when suddenly one of the women restrained him as the other tried to reach for his wallet. Knowles told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel “I spun around and pinned one up against the wall, then the other girl tried to hit me and I swung at her with my crutch…I hit them a couple times with my crutches.”

Veronica Lane, 21, and Amber McKay, 22, approached Knowles around 9am that morning and according to the police affidavit, one of them was wearing only a bikini.

Both women are currently in custody and charged with robbery. Lane is being held on a $7,500 bond while McKay is being held without bond due to a probation violation.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – On Tuesday morning, a Lee County Deputy Sheriff shot and killed a fugitive who had fled from New Hampshire after the fugitive brandished a firearm at officers.

Joseph Cleary, 22, from Rochester, New Hampshire was wanted for failing to follow the conditions of his probation and bail in connection to being convicted of serious assault with a knife in 2008 in Barrington, N.H.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in New Hampshire informed the Florida bureau of information they attained that suggested Cleary was residing in Cape Coral. At around 11:15 a.m. law enforcement spotted Cleary in a window and ordered him to surrender. Cleary ignored the officers’ command and fled deeper into the house.

Authorities entered the residence and found Cleary in a bedroom where the fugitive and law enforcement exchanged gunfire and Cleary was killed.

Cleary was released from jail and put on probation in July 2008. He was given another jail sentence for violating probation after knives were found in his home in October 2008, reported Foster’s Daily Democrat.

NEW YORK — Financial services giant Morgan Stanley will cut 580 New York City jobs in the coming months, the New York Times reported.

According to a notice filed with the State Department of Labor Tuesday, over a third of the firm’s impending layoffs will come from the four Manhattan branches. The notice cited economic woes as the reason for the cuts, which will occur by the first quarter of 2012.

The report follows an announcement on December 15th that the firm would eliminate 2.6 percent of its workforce or 1600 jobs nationwide.

Morgan Stanley is one of the last investment firms to announce major cutbacks this year. Bank of America, Barclays and UBS announced plans to cut tens of thousands of jobs over the next few years, according to the Huffington Post. The Times reported Citigroup would lay off 4,500 workers and Goldman Sachs would eliminate 230 positions in New York alone by March 2012.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Ruben Ray Jurardo, 19, is being charged for the attempted murder of war veteran and Purple Heart recipient Christopher Sullivan, 22. Sullivan was shot at a house party and is currently paralyzed from the neck down.

The altercation occurred during Sullivan’s welcome home party on Friday. The Associated Press reports Sullivan’s brother and Jurardo got into an disagreement at the party over football teams, Sullivan intervened and was shot by Jurardo multiple times.

Jurardo turned himself into the Chino Hills police after fleeing from the scene. Jurardo’s defense attorney Michael J. Holmes believes that his client shot out of self-defense and that he was kicked in the back, stomach and head by Sullivan. “It is alleged at that point that Mr.Sullivan was shot,” Holmes told The Huffington Post.

Sullivan suffered a cracked skull in a bombing attack last year while serving in Afghanistan. He had been recovering at a base in Kentucky before traveling back to California, according to ABC News.

Jurardo’s bail has been set at $1 million. He is in custody at the West Valley Detention Center, according to the Contra Costa Times.

Saying the “nation needs Romney,” The Boston Herald endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination today.

“There is only one candidate in the Republican field with the integrity, the experience, the organizational strength and the intelligence to beat Barack Obama and that man is Mitt Romney,” the paper wrote in an editorial. “But perhaps more to the point, there is only one candidate who can put this nation back on the path to fiscal sanity and restore it to its central role on the world stage. That candidate is Mitt Romney.”

The news comes as Romney has begun to emerge as the frontrunner for the nomination in a recent Boston Globe poll.

“I don’t think the answer to our economic woes is to raise taxes,” he told Herald editors and reporters at a recent meeting. “People are already paying half of their income in taxes [to every level of government].

“Government is simply taking too large a slice out of our economy,” he added.

John Murphy (right) speaks to crowds in Harvard Square during an October rally. (Blast Staff photo/John Stephen Dwyer)

BLAST: Who are you?

JOHN MURPHY: Murph. I’m 24, from Boston, union carpenter, student at community college.

BLAST: What do you do?

JM: Making sure the movement moves forward. Putting a foot to people’s asses when need be. Simple as that. I would rather be part of history than read about it.

BLAST: What’s your gripe?

JM: I’m involved with the Occupy movement because Americans like to believe and claim that America is number one. But any educated human knows that is false. The US fails in healthcare and education, which are are two most important things any developed nation needs to move forward. Hopefully this movement wakes Americans up and makes them realize the US is only 5% of the world’s population, not 99% of the population. With that, hopefully, more people will realize that the US dictates how other nations should run. The US truly does police the world; that needs to end.

BLAST: Share a memory?

JM: Too many.

BLAST: What’s next?

JM: We move into a warehouse, or office, or open indoor space. In 2016, Occupy will occupy every local, state, and national branch of our government.