WORCESTER, Mass.

Museum of arms, armor can’t afford to stay open

An 82-year-old Massachusetts museum with one of the most extensive collections of arms and armor in the nation is closing for good.

Officials at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester announced Friday it will permanently close Dec. 31 after failing to raise enough endowment money to ensure its future.

Interim director Suzanne Maas said the “bottom line is there is not enough endowment for us to be sustainable.”

The 2,000-piece collection will be moved and integrated into the nearby Worcester Art Museum.

The museum houses suits of armor, helmets and weapons from around the world. It was founded in 1931 when local industrialist John Woodman Higgins built a glass and steel building to house his collection.

RUTLAND, Vt.

Rabbit hunters tangle over right to hunting spot

Police say an argument between two rabbit hunters in Vermont ended with an arrest.

John Jones of Proctor pleaded innocent to reckless endangerment. The 57-year-old Jones is accused of swinging his loaded shotgun at Jake Duprey in West Rutland in December.

The Rutland Herald reported Jones was hunting when he saw the 28-year-old Duprey and his 10-year-old son. Jones decided to leave.

But less than an hour later he returned with his dogs. Duprey said when he approached Jones, the man swore at him and said he was there first.

Duprey said Jones swung his pump shotgun at his chest. At one point, there was a struggle for the gun.

MONTPELIER, Vt.

Vermont newspaper accused of anti-Asian bias in poster

A Vermont newspaper is being criticized for a poster designed to boost the local high school basketball team before it played in the state championship.

On Thursday the Caledonian Record of St. Johnsbury ran a full-page poster on the back of its main section that included the term “Fry Rice” using a typeface that mimicked Chinese calligraphy.

On Thursday the St. Johnsbury Academy basketball team played Rice Memorial High School of South Burlington in the championship game. Rice won 48-40.

In a letter to the Caledonian Record, the Asian American Journalists Association said it was appalled by the page’s racist undertones. The letter asked the paper to acknowledge its lapse in judgment.

Caledonian Publisher Todd Smith said Friday he is planning to write an editorial on the topic Saturday.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Use of electronic tax filing at higher rate than last year

More Rhode Islanders are filing their state taxes electronically this tax season. The state said Friday that so far this year, 96 percent of taxpayers have filed their state tax returns electronically, up from 91 percent at this point last year.

State Tax Administrator David Sullivan says that while earlier filers are more likely to use the Internet, the trend shows filers are to moving away from the old paper returns.