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VIDEO: Cat Adoption
Solomente is the only cat left from a group of 51 exotic cats the MSPCA received last May. Solomente, one of the few non exotic breed cats brought in with the group, will soon be available for adoption.
VIDEO: Plum Island house on the brink
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Missing in Iraq: Lawrence Army Spc. Alex Jimenez
Body of missing Lawrence soldier found in Iraq
LAWRENCE — The bodies of two U.S. soldiers, including Army Sgt. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence, missing in Iraq since being ambushed more than a year ago, have been recovered.
Military officials told Jimenez family members in Lawrence and New York yesterday evening that their son's remains, along with those of Pvt. Byron Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich., were identified on Wednesday.
Officials: Clinton will concede delegate race to Obama
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede tonight that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: St. John's Prep Graduation
AUDIO SLIDESHOW: The scoop behind Richardson's ice cream
Methuen police chief fired today
METHUEN — Mayor William Manzi fired police Chief Joseph Solomon today.
Solomon has been accused of a litany of charges, including mismanaging grant money and conflicts of interest. The 22-year veteran of the police department fought for his job during a seven-day discipline hearing, which started in February and ended April 14.
FIGHTING THE TIDE - updated April 21
Poll: Boston Marathon
Do you think you could finish the Boston Marathon?
History of the Boston Marathon
A timeline of historic moments of the Boston Marathon.
VIDEO: Marathon Runner Nancy McCarthy, 61
Newburyport resident NANCY McCARTHY, 61, ran her first Boston Marathon at 36 year old in 1983. The 2008 Boston Marathon marks the 26th marathon she's completed in the past 26 years, 10 of which were on the Boston course. The fitness instructor now helps others train for marathons, always reminding them about the importance of stretching.
VIDEO: Marathon Runner Julie Moore, age 42
North Andover runner JULIE MOORE, 42, completed her first of 17 Boston Marathons in 1988. She has run a total of 35 marathon since that year, preparing differently for each one. Weight training, however, is always a staple in her training.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Marathon Mamas
VIDEO: Marathon Runner Carol Blanchard, age 52
Lawrence resident CAROL BLANCHARD, 52, ran her first Boston Marathon at 40 years old in 1996. The 2008 race is her 10th Boston Marathon, as well as her 21st completed marathon. She's perfected her training schedule over the years, and now routinely runs with a pal instead of alone.
Engineer recommends more Big Dig tunnel repairs
BOSTON (AP) — The engineering firm about to complete the Big Dig's stem-to-stern safety review said yesterday the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority should implement a few more repairs to ensure all the tunnels are safe to the traveling public.
Sand Wars Who owns the sand? Ongoing battle may delay solutions for Plum Island
Below the ocean surface, there's a small mountain of sand waiting to be dredged.
That sand — 130,000 to 150,000 cubic yards — would come from the navigation channel at the mouth of the Merrimack River that the Army Corps of Engineers has been digging out every few years.
Speak up: Interactive commenting now available on all stories
We are happy to introduce commenting as the newest feature on our Web site. At the end of every story is an area for you to leave your thoughts and opinions.
A beloved resort erodes Gradually, Salisbury Beach washes away
SALISBURY BEACH — Sand, more so than even than the salty waves that lap the shore, is the mother's milk of oceanfront resort communities.
Without it, children don't splash by the water's edge and families don't build sand castles. Frolicking by the seaside simply isn't possible.
Friction growing over sand Plum Island citizens group letter disputes deal on dredge deposits
PLUM ISLAND — A lawyer representing a group of Plum Island residents has warned state and local officials that they could be breaking the law if they attempt to implement an agreement that would allow dredged sand to be deposited off Salisbury Beach.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Red Sox open season in Japan
Plum Island: Mother Nature, Man contribute to erosion
PLUM ISLAND — Mother Nature plays her part, of course.
But those who have seen Plum Island's beaches and dunes morph for decades say it isn't just the winds of nor'easters, the waves of the Atlantic Ocean and the natural characteristics of a barrier island that account for the erosion seen in recent years.
Plum Island: Man's walls can't hold back the sea Some say erosion controls help, others say they hurt
PLUM ISLAND — Against the humbling power of nature, there's not a lot man can do to stop the ocean from destroying and reshaping the beach.
But just about every major manmade anti-erosion technology and technique to slow the process is employed at the mouth of the Merrimack River and along Plum Island. Even with those pieces in place, there are problems.
AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Being Hillary
WEB EXCLUSIVE: The war in Iraq, five years later
'How many times are we going to save something?' Beach erosion, regrowth an endless pattern
They are three spots along Plum Island beach, separated by only 2 miles. But they each tell something of the island's endless and unpredictable battle with the sea.
On the island's northern tip stands a gazebo, built a couple of years ago by the nonprofit Plum Island Taxpayers Association. It's a pleasant spot set back far from the water — the Merrimack River ebbs and flows by 150 yards to the north, and on the opposite shore in the distance is Salisbury Beach. As your eyes swing east toward the sea, you can see waves break on the beach 300 yards away. To the south, across a long stretch of dunes, are dozens of houses clustered tightly together.
A legacy of erosion
1827 — The Army Corps of Engineers draws its first map of the Merrimack River entrance. It is located more than a half mile south of its 2008 position.
around 1827 — A jetty system is built near the mouth of the Merrimack River to control the route of the river mouth. It is a failure. Its ruins can still be seen today near Woodbridge Island.
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Brad Delp - Through the years
Life after Delp: One year after singer's suicide, Beatle Juice carries on legacy
The night started like any other for members of Beatle Juice.
John "Muzz" Muzzy, Dave Mitchell, Steve Baker and Joe Holaday gathered at Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant and Music Club in Somerville around 4 p.m. for a sound check before a show.
'He was worth every penny' 'Sand-a Claus' lobbyist earns praise from beach towns
Washington lobbyist Howard Marlowe's clients seem to feel that his fees are money well spent.
A Daily News survey of administrators in five of the 34 cities and towns that retain the services of Marlowe & Co. showed unanimous satisfaction with the results obtained by the lobbying firm in various projects — including beach replenishment. (Marlowe also lists 18 other clients, either counties or nonprofit entities.)
Sand dollars: Costs of remedying Plum Island beach erosion in millions
PLUM ISLAND — Vincent Russo has owned a house on Northern Boulevard for 35 years. Two or three times a week, he walks a 2- to 3-mile stretch of the beach — from the south jetty to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
A case study in beach replenishment
Venice, Fla., is a community of about 20,000 people located on the Gulf of Mexico, a few miles south of Sarasota. It is a vacation destination, with a quaint shopping district of small shops and boutiques and a broad, graceful main boulevard that leads to its beach. Among its major attractions is its more than 5 miles of beachfront.
AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Working in Wood
VIDEO: Sled Hockey
Romney quits campaign for president
John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney prepared to tell conservatives.
Ex-gov: 'This is not an easy decision for me'
What follows is former Massachusett Gov. Mitt Romney's remarks to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington:
McCain seizes GOP command on Super Tuesday; Clinton, Obama battle for Democrats
Sen. John McCain seized command of the race for the Republican presidential nomination early Wednesday, winning delegate-rich primaries from the East Coast to California. Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama traded victories in an epic struggle with no end in sight.
Tallying the votes: Follow the 2008 presidential primary election
Follow the 2008 presidential primary election
2007 New England Patriots
Pats fans geared up as big game kicks off
GLENDALE, ARIZ. | The crowd roared as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ran onto the field before the game.
All of the fans hadn't even found their seats at that point, but they still made enough noise to fill the University of Phoenix Stadium | the site of today's Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
Salem News Web site content to be free Feb. 1
Beginning Feb. 1, all local news coverage published in The Salem News will be free and available to the public at www.salemnews.com. Readers will no longer need to log on to the online Plus Edition to receive complete access to the local news that appears in our print editions.
A Super experience: Swampscott woman part of Patriots cheerleading squad
SWAMPSCOTT - Swampscott is famous for sending talented athletes to the National Football League. So it's no surprise that the town will be represented at Sunday's Super Bowl game.
Who brought the love potion? Salem, witches make nice
SALEM - It was a turn of events few could have foreseen. The city's famously feuding fortunetellers made nice last night at City Hall.
High winds topple trees, endanger motorist
BEVERLY - Wind gusts of 40 mph made driving difficult yesterday as trees and branches fell to the ground, making some roads an obstacle course.
City Council, School Committee vote tonight key to crisis aid
SALEM - State intervention that would spare teaching jobs now hinges upon the City Council and School Committee, which must vote to consolidate financial oversight of the city and schools.
Shelter workers come up empty in 'street count' of homeless
BEVERLY - They looked in the woods by Dane Street Beach, in the lobby of the post office on Rantoul Street, even inside a Dumpster on the waterfront.
State rep candidates face off on education money, immigration
MARBLEHEAD - There weren't any easy answers offered by four of the five candidates for state representative at last night's Salem News forum. Along with a determination to provide better public services, especially education, came doubts and misgivings about raising the money that might pay for it.
Developer backs out on moving Federal Street houses
SALEM - Plans have fallen through to move three historic houses on Federal Street that are in the way of the state's $160 million courthouse project.
House, Senate pass bill to ease Salem deficit crisis
SALEM - The House and the Senate passed a bill yesterday afternoon allowing the city to either borrow money or spend in deficit to get through this year's fiscal crisis with fewer job cuts.
A home away from home for Patriots fans
PHOENIX - Patriots owner Bob Kraft mingled with about 200 raucous fans at a bar that has become Patriots central here during Super Bowl week.
Driver veers off 128, goes airborne
DANVERS - A driver who suffered an apparent diabetic seizure drove off an embankment from Route 128 south and somehow wound up in a parking lot of the Liberty Tree Mall around 10:34 a.m. yesterday, police said. The driver, Scott Halik, 31, of North Reading escaped serious injury.
McCain edges Romney in Florida GOP primary
MIAMI | Sen. John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida primary last night, seizing the upper hand in the Republican presidential race ahead of next week's coast-to-coast contests and lining up a quick endorsement from soon-to-be dropout Rudy Giuliani. "It shows one thing: I'm the conservative leader who can unite the party," McCain told The Associated Press after easing past former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for his first-ever triumph in a primary open only to Republicans.
VIDEO: Bill Burt at Super Bowl Media Day
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Patriot's Media Day.
360 DEGREE PANORAMA: Super Bowl media day
Prom pageantry on display
DANVERS - Organizers of Danvers High's fourth annual prom fashion show were getting set yesterday to field a crowd of 200 to 300 family and friends at the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort.
Correction
Due to a production error, a headline on yesterday's Peabody page requires a correction. The city increased 11 licensing fees.
Super Bowl-bound fans 'don't have to shovel sunshine'
GLENDALE, Ariz. - It's like a city within a city, a place where you can take in a concert, dine on cuisine prepared by top chefs and immerse yourself in a chocolate festival.
Kennedy backing keeps local campaigners buzzing
Michael Goldman, a longtime Democratic political consultant, posed a question to the hundreds gathered at Brooksby Village in Peabody yesterday morning:
Peabody bar slapped with five-day suspension
PEABODY - A Foster Street bar police consider a chronic trouble spot had its liquor license suspended for five days as of last night. The penalty stems from Peabody officers being unable to respond to a disturbance at the Tanner's Cafe because the door was locked.
Inmate gets 6-8 years in jail melee
MIDDLETON - A man prosecutors believe was one of the instigators of a violent melee at Middleton Jail in June was sentenced to six to eight years in state prison yesterday.
Selectmen order one dog killed; second gets reprieve
MARBLEHEAD - In an extraordinary hearing last night, the Board of Selectmen reluctantly pronounced the death penalty for one dog and held off - for now - on another.
Correction
Due to an incorrect report from the service that provides The Salem News with its Beacon Hill roll-call report, Rep. John Keenan, D-Salem, was listed as having voted in favor of the ban on cell phone use in cars when it came before the House last week. Keenan voted against H 4477. The bill passed the House by a 107-47 margin.
Pancakes provide sweet relief for schools
SALEM - Grace Phillips savored chocolate and strawberry syrup with a big smile while eating a plate of pancakes yesterday morning.
Politicians dig deep into pockets for flowers, charities No limit on campaign money spending lets them open wallets wide
BOSTON - State Rep. Brian Dempsey shows he cares with flowers.
North Shore Community College goes green
DANVERS - North Shore Community College President Wayne Burton has reduced his carbon footprint.
Salem harpist embraced life with flamboyance
SALEM - Perhaps you saw Nina Vickers playing the harp at Crosby's Market or at the Hawthorne Hotel, dressed in a lobster costume, or as an octopus, or maybe in a velvet medieval gown, all outfits she sewed herself.
Salem police solve 3 1/2-year-old bank robbery
SALEM - Detectives made an arrest on Friday in a 31/2-year-old bank robbery after the suspect's ex-boyfriend provided key information.
Salem school layoffs on hold; state aid expected
SALEM - The roller-coaster ride at the School Department continued as 60 layoffs scheduled for yesterday were put on hold just before the closing bell.
Cop hurt after scuffle at Salem shelter
SALEM - A Salem patrolman could be out of work for two months because of a shoulder injury he suffered while trying to arrest a man who was allegedly high on crack cocaine at the Salem Mission shelter Thursday morning, a prosecutor said.
Made in Massachusetts: Tax breaks lure filmmakers to state
PEABODY - For the combination of star power and North Shore scenery, it would be difficult to match the sight of Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway riding in a dune buggy on Crane Beach in Ipswich.
Corrections
Due to an editor's error, a mistake was made in a story Thursday recounting a hearing before the Marblehead selectmen. The Market Square Association is not associated with the Masons but merely rents space in the Masons' building on Pleasant Street.
Killer in notorious murder wants out of jail; Gregory Smart's killer begs to be freed from prison
BRENTWOOD, N.H. - A sniffling, red-faced William Flynn begged forgiveness yesterday for killing Pamela Smart's husband.
Tearful killer in Smart case pleads for freedom
A sniffling, red-faced William Flynn begged forgiveness yesterday for killing Pamela Smart’s husband. The sentence-reduction hearing capped a surprising chapter in one of New Hampshire’s most notorious murders.
Text of Gov. Patrick's State of the State speech
Text of Gov. Deval Patrick's State of the State address on Thursday, as prepared for delivery.
Ground broken for new museum honoring Peabody's leather workers
PEABODY - The city's forthcoming Leatherworkers Museum will be "a monument to the working person," Mayor Michael Bonfanti said yesterday during an afternoon groundbreaking ceremony.
Is there a Hollywood movie in our future?
SALEM - Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are not coming through Salem's door any day soon. Nor would anyone confuse this little place with Tinseltown.
Three areas of school budget being watched closely for overruns
PEABODY - As the fiscal school year reached the halfway mark, administrators said Tuesday they must keep a close watch on three potential budget busters.
Salem saves more teachers
SALEM - After weeks of bad news, the School Department announced some good news yesterday: The jobs of 15 teachers have been saved.
Beverly man pleads guilty to making massacre threat at Skidmore
BEVERLY - A Beverly man faces up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty yesterday to threatening a "Virginia Tech-type massacre" on the campus of his alma mater, Skidmore College.
Bed-sores report finds Beverly, Salem hospitals lacking in some areas
SALEM - A new report card suggests some patients at Beverly and Salem hospitals are much more likely to get bed sores than they would elsewhere. However, the hospitals say the apparent problems are the result of bad paperwork and practices they've already begun to tweak.
Let us know if you are Super Bowl-bound
'He saved my life, he really did'; Beverly officer commended for helping woman hit by truck
BEVERLY - The impact of the collision broke her ankles, fractured five ribs, punctured a lung, lacerated her leg and caused internal bleeding in her head.
Pizza parlor owner will be rolling in dough for life
SALEM - Tomi Gjikuria strolled into the White Hen Pantry on Norman Street on Tuesday afternoon, bought a $10 Lottery ticket and walked back to his pizza parlor to scratch it.
Schools picking up the pieces
SALEM - All the school principals will meet with the superintendent this morning for the final word on who is being bumped at their schools - and who will still be working for them come Monday morning.
Belichick to appear at Salem State
SALEM - On the eve of his fourth appearance in the Super Bowl, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been signed to appear in the Salem State College Series on April 30.
Pioneer Living is no hardship for these kids
MIDDLETON - Charlie Karafotias peered into the pan with the sort of intensity only a 6-year-old can summon.
Mom admits letting kids drink, film dangerous stunts
HAMILTON - A Hamilton mother who let her daughter and other teens drink in her home and perform stunts like the ones from the movie "Jackass" will spend the next six months under house arrest, the result of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors.
No $50,000 donation from teachers
SALEM - One week ago, Mayor Kim Driscoll announced that the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers had donated $50,000 to the public schools. It was the largest donation the city received during the current crisis - or so it seemed.
Big Dig contractors settle tunnel collapse lawsuit for more than $450M
Contractors who worked on the long-troubled Big Dig highway project have agreed to pay more than $450 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the state over a fatal tunnel ceiling collapse and to cover the costs of leaks and design flaws.
Public forum: Is it fair to blame one Guy?
SALEM - Anger, concern and even disbelief over the school budget deficit and the dozens of layoffs expected on Friday were evident during a public forum last night at Nathaniel Bowditch School.
Leadership under fire; Building by building, impact of cuts becoming clearer
SALEM - Teachers, aides and families demonstrated against impending layoffs during a candlelight vigil outside last night's School Committee meeting, where the administration provided the public with the first detailed list of proposed job cuts announced nearly two weeks ago.
Man facing extortion charge over demand for dinner
SALEM - Police say a Salem man stole a cell phone and keys from a truck, then demanded ransom - dinner at a restaurant - for their return.
Mill Street residents escape afternoon house fire
DANVERS - Joan Vizena was having a normal day yesterday until she went to put clothes in the dryer and heard a loud bang.
Night workers may have slept through start of deadly fire
DANVERS - Investigators said smoke inhalation killed Olga and Andrezej Pierowski last Wednesday, possibly while they slept, after electrical wires malfunctioned and sparked a blaze in their 30 Lawrence St. home. But working smoke detectors could have saved their lives, a town fire official added.
State unveils 211 phone number for storm calls
There's a new phone number to call during storms or disasters in Massachusetts. It's 2-1-1.
Tax evaders' supporter pleads guilty to federal charges
A Vermont man changed his plea to guilty Tuesday for helping a New Hampshire couple who refused to pay their income taxes and holed up for months in their secluded home last year.

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