New England News

A new state law will require publicly-run summer camps in Massachusetts to have life jackets availabe for children. WAMC’s Paul Tuthill reports. 

Gov. Deval Patrick  signed the bill named for Christian Frechette, a 4-year-old boy who drowned at a town-operated camp in Sturbridge in 2007.

The boy's father, Derek Frechette, pushed for passage of the bill. Frechette has said he brought life jackets for Christian and his then 5-year-old brother to use while swimming in Cedar Lake, but was told by staff that flotation devices were not allowed at the camp.

The Massachusetts State Lottery this week reported record sales and net profit. It means more money should be available for future distribution to cash strapped cities and towns across the state.  WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

Murphy’s Pop Shop in Springfield’s East Forest Park neighborhood is one of the top lottery sales agents in Massachusetts.  Owner Patrick Murphy said his business was off  due to the natural disasters that befell Springfield, but he’s not surprised lottery sales statewide during the last  12 months hit a record.

A man accused of crashing into a dozen cars in Burlington has denied the charges.

Police said 29-year-old Byung Lee, a web designer from Pennsylvania, slammed head-on into a car on Pine Street on Tuesday afternoon. The impact sent his vehicle careening into other parked cars.

The Burlington Free Press reports that police say Lee was agitated and was wrestled to the ground and restrained by firefighters and officers.

Lawyers for a former New York man in prison for the 1994 murder of his wife say new analysis of DNA evidence points strongly to his innocence.

The Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus report that the prisoners' rights division of the defender general's office has filed court papers on behalf of John Grega, who was convicted in 1995 in the rape and murder of his wife, Christine, the previous year.

The Gregas were from Lake Grove, N.Y., on Long Island and were vacationing in West Dover when Christine Grega was killed.