ATTLEBORO, Mass.

Prosecutors deny allegation that officers misled witness

Massachusetts prosecutors in the Aaron Hernandez murder case say there’s no truth to an allegation that investigators misled a potential witness.

Defense lawyers have claimed that investigators visiting a Connecticut inmate told him they were there “to help Aaron out.”

In court papers, prosecutors say the officers never told Everett Garcia they were there to help the former New England Patriot and that Garcia was repeatedly told the interview was voluntary. Prosecutors say Garcia is part of a gang from Hernandez’s hometown of Bristol, Conn.

Hernandez was indicted on a murder charge last week in the killing of his friend Odin Lloyd. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 6.

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Preceding the indictment, Hernandez pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in Lloyd’s death. He appeared briefly in court Friday.

PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Work set to begin Sept. 15 on memorial at Station site

Work is set to begin within weeks on a permanent memorial at the site of a 2003 nightclub fire in West Warwick that killed 100 people.

The Station Fire Memorial Foundation made the announcement Friday.

A makeshift memorial including crosses and other mementoes has been at the site for the past decade.

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The foundation is alerting those whose loved ones died in the fire that they have until Sept. 15 to retrieve any items they wish to keep. Anything there after that date will be respectfully removed and placed in a time capsule as part of the permanent memorial.

The site is currently open, but fences will be put up during construction.

The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station was started by pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White.

CONCORD, N.H.

Group formed to monitor Vermont Yankee’s closing

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan has formed a working group of state officials in response to the planned closing and decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

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The group, which will be led by Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Perry Plummer, will monitor the closure plans to ensure public safety and emergency preparedness remain priorities, and coordinate with neighboring states to provide assistance to workers.

Other group members will be from the Public Utilities Commission; Governor’s Office of Energy and Planning, Department of Environmental Services; New Hampshire Employment Security; Department of Resources and Economic Development; the Attorney General’s office; and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The plant’s owner announced this week that it planned to close toward the end of 2014.

PEABODY, Mass.

Thieves steal 72 $52 bras from Victoria’s Secret store

Peabody police are investigating the theft of almost $4,000 worth of women’s undergarments from the Victoria’s Secret at the Northshore Mall.

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The pilfering of 72 bras worth $52 each reported Thursday is the latest of nine thefts from the store since April, but may be the biggest.

The Salem News reported that a store employee contacted police around 1 p.m. Thursday to report the theft.

The store reported the loss of $1,500 of merchandise just a week ago. Before that, it reported that 60 bras had been stolen in the days before July 16, and on June 9 “another high-volume panty larceny” had occurred.

In another incident in May, store workers say 165 pairs of underwear had been stolen.

There have been no arrests in any of the thefts.

 


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