– BOSTON

Two police officers shoot suspected cocaine dealer

Police say two officers shot and wounded a man who fired at them as they sought to question him about alleged drug selling in a South Boston neighborhood.

The shootings took place at about 1 p.m. Tuesday on Old Colony Avenue near the McCormack housing complex and Joseph Moakley Park.

The man was shot in the chest and was reported stable at a hospital. The two officers were not hurt but were treated for stress.

Boston Police Superintendent-in-chief Daniel Linksey told reporters at the scene that a gun and drugs were recovered.

Police said officers went to the neighborhood to check out a report of a woman smoking crack cocaine, and she described a man who allegedly sold it to her.

The officers spotted the man, who allegedly tried to flee, then shot at them.

CONCORD, N.H.

New law aims to develop policy for hiring veterans

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has signed a bill to help with the hiring of veterans for jobs in state government.

The measure, signed Monday, establishes a committee to study developing a policy for veteran preference in government hiring, including those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Hassan said far too many veterans, especially those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are having difficulty finding good jobs.

Court upholds conviction of boater who hit officer

A sharply divided New Hampshire Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the second-degree assault conviction of a boater who punched a conservation officer in the eye when the officer tried to board his boat.

The justices differed on what constitutes a “protracted loss or impairment” that boosts an assault charge from a misdemeanor to a felony.

The court by a 3-2 margin upheld the conviction of Wayne Dorrance, who is serving a 3 1/2- to 7-year sentence for a June 2010 assault on Fish and Game Department Conservation Officer Christopher McKee.

Dorrance was convicted of punching McKee in the right eye as he boarded Dorrance’s boat on Pawtuckaway Lake in Nottingham. Dorrance had sped away from conservation officers who tried to stop him for traveling full speed in a “no wake” zone.

Governor asks president to issue disaster declaration

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has asked President Obama to issue a major disaster declaration and provide emergency assistance for repairing rain and flood damage to the state that occurred from June 26 to July 3.

Preliminary damage assessment conducted by the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has indicated total damage exceeds over $6.2 million.

Excessive heavy rain caused flash flooding, washed out roads and evacuated homes throughout the western part of the state and severely affected many communities in Cheshire, Grafton and Sullivan counties.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter to Obama in support of Hassan’s request.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Explosion starts fire at plant that coverts gas to power

An explosion started a small fire Tuesday at a power plant at the state’s Central Landfill, the second safety issue there in a week, and afterward the town padlocked the facility and the mayor said its owners had defied an order to get the OK before resuming operations.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion at the Broadrock Renewables plant, which uses methane gas generated by the landfill and converts it to power. Broadrock issued a statement saying an employee spotted a brush fire near pipework around 4 a.m. and called the fire department, which put it out.

The incident is under investigation.

—From news service reports