New England News

A convicted murderer in Massachusetts says a judge's decision to grant her request for sex-change surgery is "the right thing to do." WAMC’s Lucas Willard has more….

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf ruled this month that sex-reassignment surgery is the only adequate treatment for Michelle Kosilek's gender-identity disorder, which he found was a "serious medical need."

Wolf's ruling prompted an outcry among some legislative leaders, who say Kosilek isn't entitled to the taxpayer-funded surgery.

    The latest results of standardized tests taken by Massachusetts students were a mixed bag.  The  2012 MCAS scores were the highest in the 14 year  history of the test.  Education officials say the achievement gap is closing between minorities and whites.  But early childhood education advocates decry the lack of progress in third grade reading, which is a strong predictor of future success in school. WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The seasons, and the foliage, is changing.  Tourism officials are optimistic that the fall color will help make up for losses last year.

Last autumn, Vermont and northern New York were recovering from Tropical Storm Irene. Publicity kept some leaf-peepers away, and many businesses are hoping for a rebound this year.  Vermont Department of Tourism And Marketing Commissioner Megan Smith says fall foliage is a crucial season for the state’s economy.

Family, friends and neighbors are preparing to honor a former Navy SEAL killed in last week's attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.

A wake is planned Tuesday afternoon for Glen Doherty at St. Eulalia Parish in his home town of Winchester. Gov. Deval Patrick is among the hundreds of people expected.

The 42-year-old Doherty and three others, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, died in the attack. They were honored by President Barack Obama at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Friday. Doherty was a private security contractor.

More than 150 of Connecticut Light & Power's unionized linemen say staffing levels at the electric utility are inadequate and are putting workers at risk.

The union, which has been without a contract since June, says the utility has about 400 linemen, fewer than it had last October when a snow storm left tens of thousands of customers without power for days.

Tricia Taskey Modifica, a spokeswoman for the utility, says staffing levels are on par with other utilities across the nation, and says hundreds of crews are brought in from out of state when an emergency strikes.