Mortensen is scheduled to receive the Coolidge Award at the independent movie theater in Brookline on March 5.

Following a screening of “Eastern Promises,” the movie for which he was nominated for a best actor Oscar in 2008, Mortensen is expected to take the stage for an in-depth discussion of his life and career.

Mortensen is perhaps best known for his role as Aragorn in the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy of movies.

The theater will screen a series of Mortensen’s movies, including “A History of Violence,” ”The Road” and a “The Lord of the Rings” marathon, in the days before the award presentation.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

When someone writes the movie, it may as well be called Linception.

Of course, if you’re reading this, you know all about Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, unless you’re lincarcerated somewhere with other linmates. Even that seems lindescribable, linconceivable or linexplicable. Maybe you’re just lindifferent.

Either way, think about it, the dude’s got half-a-million Twitter followers, a linsurmountable feat for your average basketball-dribbling Harvard grad, and the media’s been all lin-your-face about him since he dropped 25 points off the bench on New Jersey’s Deron Williams earlier this month. Since then, it’s been a linvasion of what has appropriately been trademarked “Linsanity.” Anything else would just be linaccurate.

Let’s go over some linformation the media and Hollywood-types have been so kind to make a linvestment in, for our viewing pleasure.

First, Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock lindulged us by suggesting some lucky lady in NYC was going to get to know his linstrument after a good game.

Soon after, when the Knicks’ seven-game winning streak came to an end, ESPN linserted an ethnic slur under a picture of Lin on its mobile site suggesting … hmm, let’s call it damage in the team’s armor. That lincident was deemed linsulting, linsensitive and politically lincorrect, and no doubt ignited a linflux of lincessant complaints directed at the worldwide leader. The matter was dealt with swiftly after a linquisition, and that web editor was dismissed. No, he was not a lintern who failed to follow linstructions.

Just a few days ago, I’m told the New York Post had a picture of Lin featuring a woman in the stands holding a sign that lincluded the word “linside,” so I’ll just leave that linnuendo alone. Neil Patrick Harris on “How I Met Your Mother” would on the other hand call it “LIN … wait for it … GENIOUS!”

Most recently, “Saturday Night Live” had the linnovative idea to bring in a little reverse race humor with the African-American characters telling Asian jokes, while the white guy couldn’t tell a black joke without getting in trouble. It was a nice twist. Hats off to “SNL” for one lincredibly funny line about Madison Square Garden, when Bill Hader’s character said he hopes Carmelo Anthony “likes Chinese in his MSG.” C’mon, that took some lintuition, even if Lin’s Taiwanese.

Here’s the only thing I’m waiting for – a Cypress Hill remake of “Linsane in the Brain” by the Harvard University a capella group, the Kronkodiloes. That’s linventive, if I do say so myself. I may just be linferring something here, but I bet they’ve got all the lintangibles for those beats! To not record it would be, you guessed it, a linjustice.
Anyhow, now that we’ve gone lin-depth on the media, on to the background for those not previously lintrigued:

Lin signed as a free agent back in July of 2010 with Golden State after a four-year run with the Crimson, where he was quite the lintellectual and averaged about 13 points and four assists per game for his career. Hardly numbers that would command a high NBA lincome.

As a rookie with the Warriors last year, Lin appeared in 29 games and averaged roughly three points in about 10 minutes. Linsane to think about now. His linabilities were thought to be staggering.

Fast-forward to this year, after some time honing his skills in the D-League with now seemingly linferior talent, working on every lintricate detail to the most linsatiable degree, perhaps his time had come for a return to the NBA. Only it hadn’t.

In early December, Lin was waived by Golden State. Three days later, he signed with Houston, where he was quickly sent packing again. On Dec. 27, Lin signed with New York, where he had no idea how linfluential he’d become.

His first nine games with the Knicks were a lintroduction. He probably felt more like a lintruder than an NBA point guard. Lin totaled just 32 points off the bench and the team won a handful of games. He was on the verge of getting released again, and then Carmelo Anthony was hurt. There, Linsanity was born in that showdown with Williams, which served as more of a clinic or linstructional session for NBA-wannabe’s.

Suddenly, still a houseguest sleeping on his brother’s couch, he was thrust into the starting lineup. Tragically, though, he was at it without any superstar-caliber help as Amar’e Stoudemire’s brother was tragically killed in a car accident, prompting him to miss four games.

In those four contests, Lin scored 109 points, setting the record for the most points in a player’s first four career starts since the NBA/ABA merger. Yeah, lintense. If ever he was a lintrovert, no more. New York was officially lintroduced to Jeremy Lin and they are now linseperable.

Since those first few games, he’s been a linstitution with lintrared vision, lost linnocence and a linfectious willingness to take on even the greatest foe without any lintimidation. After all, he dropped a career-best 38 points on Kobe Bryant’s Lakers.

In 10 games as Tim Tebow’s lincumbent for Biggest Story of the Year, Lin’s been held to fewer than 20 points just once, while the Knicks have won eight times, largely thanks to his heroics, which he handles with more humility than most 15-year veterans. Even New York sports haters are linfatuated with the kid from Palo Alto, like a linfluenza-type disease that’s linfected our lintegrity as homers because most of us don’t mind seeing the Knickerbockers win on a nightly basis, as long as Lin’s a part of it. As a Boston fan, it feels like some sort of sick lintimate lincest that I’m just hoping is linfertile and never gets placed in a lincubator. The idea of linbreeding is causing me linsomnia and lindigestion.

How long will Linsanity keep up under the spotlight and pressure that comes in a market like NYC? Is linfinity an option? Lindefinitely? It’s already gone on a linordinate amount of time compared to what we all probably linitially expected, leaving us to continue to linquire. That said, I like it. Maybe the NBA isn’t just superstars and super teams. Maybe there is a linequality waiting to happen, one where one man can be linstrumental to a new regime of kids given a second chance.

Then again, maybe that’s not linsightful at all and my linformal linput is just silly. Either way, I’m lingering (that was a freebee!).

If you enjoyed all these puns, I appreciate your linterest. If not and you think this idea is stale or linane, well, I apologize for linundating you but someone was gonna write it eventually. It was linevitable, and I’m lincorrigible!

Later.

Adam Kaufman, a native of Massachusetts, joined the Sports Hub as an on-air personality in June 2011. He has worked as a television and radio anchor and broadcaster for various outlets since 2004, and his written views on sports and entertainment have appeared on NESN.com and in the New England Hockey Journal. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamMKaufman.

Paul Panaikas, 38, was on-duty as a bouncer at the Sportsway Cafe in Norton when he allegedly assaulted the student back on Feb. 2.

Panaikas, a Taunton resident, is charged with one count of rape and one count of indecent assault.

He is set to be arraigned at Attleboro District Court.

“We’ve got a lot of built-up stuff from last year that we’re ready to unleash,” Pedroia told WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche on Wednesday at JetBlue Park. “We didn’t play well in the end, and that’s the thing that just eats at you. You want to finish in any game you play, and we didn’t do that. We will this year.”

Despite the disappointing end to the 2011 season, Pedroia said he won’t have any added motivation because he’s always motivated 100 percent.

“Everyone’s different. I mean, I’m driven every year, no matter what the circumstances are,” Pedroia told Rochie.

While the infamous September collapse, when the Red Sox blew a nine-game lead over the Rays, is an embarrassing mark on the Boston organization, Pedroia certainly did his part to keep the team afloat in that final month. He hit .304 with four homers, 19 RBIs and an .827 OPS in September, including a homer and two RBIs in the last game of the season.

Still, Pedroia is setting out to make sure this year goes differently for everyone.

“Everyone thought we were gonna win 130 games and just breeze through everything, and that’s not how any team sport works,” Pedroia said. “You gotta jell together and play together and do everything together and have each other’s backs. For the most part, we did that and at the end it just fell apart on us.

“This year, we’re gonna definitely pay attention to detail and make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

That is perhaps why one Cubs fan set out to prank the Red Sox, buying the domain for JetBluePark.com and redirecting it to Yankees.com.

The News-Press in Florida reports that Eric Engelman, a Fort Myers resident, purchased the domain for $8. He insisted that he only made the decision because it was funny, not because he particularly dislikes the Red Sox.

“I don’t even like the American League … so I just think it’s funny,” he wrote on his personal website, ericengelman.com.

The News-Press told Red Sox executive vice president and chief operating officer Sam Kennedy about the web high kinks.

“Have him call me,” Kennedy told the News-Press. “We can make a deal. Or maybe we can make a deal.”

An Amesbury church is offering ashes to go on this Ash Wednesday.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Kim Tunnicliffe reports.

Rev. Susan Esco Chandler stood outside St. James Episcopal Church for over an hour offering ashes to anyone who wanted them.

It’s a concept that started in the episcopal church six years ago, but it’s new to Amesbury.

“Everyone here said, ‘Let’s try it!’” said Rev. Chandler. “That’s really outreach and evangelism in its own way, but not a real pushy way.”

The reverend said that in this fast-paced world, she wanted to make it more convenient for people to receive their ashes.

Carol Larocque of Newbury took full advantage of the “Ashes To Go” program.

“I think it’s absolutely fantastic, because I just do not have the time to attend a service. This is just fantastic,” said Larocque.

“This is the slowest it’s been in my time here,” Chiarelli told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Johnston and Flynn on Wednesday, adding that things have picked up the last few days. “There are the normal reasons, with the parity and tightness in the standings, but I also think guys want to try to keep their players through the rest of the season and try to sign them.”

Chiarelli said his focus is on adding another forward and defenseman, adding depth to a struggling Bruins team, and even said he would not rule out a big name coming to Boston.

Read: Players Vote Lucic Toughest, Bergeron Most Underrated

“Last year we talked about adding a couple more bodies and chemistry. We were fortunate to get a couple of players that had addition years on their contracts and fit into our two-way system. I can’t tell you those deals are out there. I would hope to add some depth and I can’t dismiss the bigger deals, but the prices for rental players are through the roof right. We paid a good amount last year to get some payers in – I’m not saying we won’t this year — but they’re through the roof.”

As for the possibility of Nashville’s Rick Nash, Chiarelli said he couldn’t comment on specific players.

“I can’t really comment on that. There are more than one ‘impact players’ available, but I can’t talk about a specific player.”

Depth at forward is especially important for Boston right now, as they cope with the loss of Rich Peverley and the uncertain future of Nathan Horton. Chiarelli said he was confident Horton would return from his second concussion in the last eight months at some point this season, but the team is taking the injury into account when seeking a trade-deadline pickup.

“It certainly something that we would consider greatly. It is uncertain what will end up happening with Nathan,” said Chiarelli. “I’ve been trying to add a forward and a (defenseman). It’s always good to have depth, not just depth in the minors.”

98.5 The Sports Hub is the only place to hear every game of the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins 2011-12 NHL season with Dave Goucher and Bob Beers. Pregame coverage begins 30 minutes before every game.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Mark Katic reports.

The case involved the parents of a 16-year-old girl injured in a car accident after being at a “bring your own booze” party.

The key to the ruling was the hostess, a 19-year-old girl, did not supply any alcohol at her party. Instead, the injured 16-year-old was the passenger in a car driven by her drunk boyfriend, who brought his own beer and rum to the party.

The parents of the injured girl sued the party’s hostess.

Attorney Randy Chapman told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 that by the ruling, SJC clearly did not want to expand social host liability laws.

“The person who was responsible in this particular case for the accident would be the person who consumed the alcohol and then drove, and not necessarily someone who just didn’t pay attention to their guests and didn’t provide the alcohol,” said Champman.

Chapman said the ruling puts the responsibility of expanding social host liability laws into the hands of lawmakers.

Listen to Jon’s commentary:

When the Catholic church sex scandal broke open around here in 2002, Santorum blamed it on “cultural liberalism,” and concluded that it was “no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm,” meaning the Boston archdiocese, run at the time by a staunch conservative.

And over the years, Santorum has stuck with his concept of a sinister force infecting our culture, distilling it by 2008 into a specific form – Satan.

The political world is buzzing over the details of a speech Santorum gave, in which he states – either with dead seriousness or an amazing imitation of it – that Satan is on the attack against America; just the US, apparently, he doesn’t mention Canada.

Satan has attacked, Santorum explains, by “using those great vices of pride, vanity and sensuality” to corrupt academia, the Church, the culture, and political life.

Since Santorum has made this a consistent theme of his public speaking and writing, and since he’s leading in the polls for his party’s presidential nomination, we’d better refrain from all the obvious jokes – about how the devil made us do it, for instance, or how now we understand about global warming – and analyze the senator’s argument seriously. So let’s look at where Santorum says he sees “the corruption of culture, the corruption of manners, [and] the corruption of decency…now on display.”

He cites the NBA, but that one escapes me. Yes, there’s a lot of elbows being thrown, whining about calls, and trash talk in the NBA, but usually no more than there will be in the Republican debate tonight.

He cites rock concerts, but last time I checked, it was Santorum’s big hero, Ronald Reagan, who ordered that the Beach Boys be allowed to perform on the Mall. If they didn’t glorify sensuality, who did?

And Santorum also fingers the movies, and I must say, he’s got a point there.

Except, the last movie Rick Santorum probably saw was “The Exorcist.”

He probably thought it was his new campaign ad.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

They both want to trademark the name “Blue Ivy.”

Veronica Alexandra has been running her Boston-based event firm Blue Ivy for the past three years. She hadn’t thought of filing for trademark protection of the name because it is so unique.

Lisa van der Pool of the Boston Business Journal reports.

But, on Jan. 9, two days after Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy was born, the singer and her husband Jay-Z filed for trademark protection of the name.

Of course, now Alexandra has filed for trademark protection as well.

The trademark office will consider a variety of things in this case, including the similarity of the marks: one is Blue Ivy (the wedding planning company), one is Blue Ivy Carter (the baby’s name).

They will also look at which person used the name first, according to a local trademark lawyer.

In a redacted transcript obtained by The Boston Globe, Amy Bishop’s father said a burglary the year before had traumatized his daughter and that the resulting fear contributed to the shooting.

Bishop was indicted in the murder of her brother Seth Bishop in June 2010, after she was charged with opening fire on co-workers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in February 2010. Three people there were killed and three others wounded.

The former university professor has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of capital murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty.

The Globe successfully challenged a judge’s decision to keep the inquest records sealed, saying the documents could shed light on why authorities didn’t originally prosecute Bishop.

Her mother, Judith, recalled that her 21-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son had been putting away groceries in the kitchen, the Globe reported Tuesday. Amy Bishop brought the 12-gauge shotgun in and asked for help unloading it, Judith Bishop said. As her son reached for the weapon it discharged, the mother testified. She said her daughter did not have her hand on the trigger,

Amy Bishop’s father, Samuel, testified that his daughter’s “total intent was to disarm that weapon.” He said the shotgun belonged to his son and that Amy Bishop never showed interest in it.

Samuel Bishop said his daughter had been alone in their Victorian house in Braintree, Mass., for more than two hours that day and that she had the shotgun with her. He said she was afraid.

The 1986 shooting had been ruled an accident. After the university shootings, an inquest was sought. That led to Amy Bishop’s indictment for the killing of her brother.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Obama campaign officials say the co-chairs will serve as ambassadors for the president, offer advice on key issues, host campaign events and leading organizing efforts in all 50 states.

Patrick said he was proud and honored to help the campaign.

The Massachusetts Democrat is a friend and longtime backer of Obama and has already served as a political surrogate for Obama at public events and fundraisers.

A political action committee formed by Patrick to help pay for his travels on behalf of Obama and other Democrat candidates nationwide raised more than $575,000 in contributions in 2011.

The PAC reported spending nearly $327,000 and had about $249,000 left in cash at the start of 2012.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

The district attorney’s office says 39-year-old Jessica Ann Pripstein was found dead in her apartment early Monday morning by police responding to a 911 call. And although she “apparently died from a violent assault,” prosecutors did not say exactly how she died.

An autopsy is scheduled.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney says authorities do not believe the death was a random act and there is no danger to the public.

Easthampton has not had a murder since 1999.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

A few showers and patchy fog (SE) will give way to partly sunny skies this afternoon. A warm southwest breeze along with the sunshine will push temperatures into the middle 50s. 

 Then, another weak low pressure system will produce another round of scattered showers tonight.  Lows will be mild for late February…35-40F.

Thursday will again show signs of improvement during the afternoon with peeks of sunshine amongst the cloud cover.  Highs will be slightly cooler, yet still mild in the lower 50s.

Friday will be a transition day. It appeared that it would be a much warmer day in terms of yesterday’s weather models, but since then, models are showing the warm front struggling to bisect the region, horizontally. This would lead to a widespread temperature range…possible from middle 50s for the Cape/Islands to as cool as the middle 40s for the ‘burbs north and west. Regardless, rain/possibly thunder will occur during the first half of the day. Initially, the ‘burbs to the distant north and west may start as some snow/mix before switching to rain.  The precipitation will end during the afternoon once the front passes to the east.  This is when winds will become ‘feisty’, and colder air will begin to work its way into the region.

Saturday will be very windy and temperatures will be cooler in the lower 40s.  On a brighter note, there will be partly cloudy skies above.

Sunday will be sunny, breezy, and even colder in the upper 30s.

~Melissa

When my boyfriend and I walked in late on a Monday night, it was completely empty, which made us a bit uneasy, but it was an odd time for dinner, after all. The location is fairly hidden as well; Zoe’s takes up residence on the stretch of Beacon St. where you can find Petsi Pies, Pho ‘n Rice, and R.F. O’Sullivan’s, probably the busiest part of the neighborhood but still relatively unknown to outsiders.

We decided to split our order between something a bit adventurous from the more authentic-sounding dishes and something more Americanized. We settled on an order of Hunan-style spicy fried frog and and an order of strawberry chicken, preceded by steamed juicy pork buns. When we ordered the frog, our server seemed hesitant and asked how spicy we wanted it, warning that it could be really hot. It took a little convincing, but I think we persuaded her that we wanted it as spicy as it was meant to be served.

One messy bite into the buns and we were hooked on Zoe’s. By the time we finished the thin dumplings, which were packed with pork and seasoned broth, we were already feeling pleasantly full. The strawberry chicken arrived; it was very much like the American-Chinese staple General Gau’s chicken, but with strawberries. I’ve had plenty of tasty General Gau’s before, but this was a huge step up. It was so light and airy and perfectly crispy that it must have been triple-fried or made with a magical mystery ingredient. It was very sweet, which countered the spicy frog well. As requested, they didn’t hold back on the spice in the frog dish. It was right around our upper comfort level as far as heat goes, just the right amount of challenge balanced with good flavor. The heat was also high temperature-wise; it was served in a metal pot heated from below, so it kept sizzling for a long time after it reached the table.

Uncomfortably full by the end, we waddled home thoroughly satisfied. The service was very friendly – hopefully not just because we were the only ones there – and the food was so good that we definitely overate. The menu is a good balance of the “Chinese” food that Americans have come to expect as well as more authentic dishes, and I look forward to venturing further into the Sichuan and Hunan dishes, although admittedly the pork kidneys, tripe, and intestines are a bit beyond my comfort zone. There’s also a small dim sum section of the menu which I plan to eat my way through entirely.

Even before our meal ended, we decided that we’ll be regulars at Zoe’s.

The San Jose Mercury News reports Martinez died of a heart attack Tuesday during a kidney dialysis session. It was his 66th birthday.

At the time of his death, Martinez was awaiting word on a kidney transplant. He also suffered from diabetes.

Brady first met Martinez at a football camp at the college of San Mateo, where Martinez was a successful coach. Brady was just 12 years old at the time.

WBZ-TV’s David Robichaud reports.

Since then, the two became good friends. Every offseason, they would get together and work on Brady’s throwing mechanics and they’d communicate after every Patriots game.

In a story about their relationship that aired on CBS Thanksgiving Day, Brady said he still relied on Martinez to make sure his mechanics were correct.

“I’ve been so fortunate to be kind of his student that would take all this information and hopefully pass it on to the next generation of young quarterbacks that want to learn the proper ways to throw the football,” Brady said.

At the end of the CBS piece, Martinez had this message for all of his students over the years.

“I ask that you take one or two of my life lessons and pass them on to your family and friends. That will keep me alive forever,” said Martinez.

The Patriots released a statement about the passing of Martinez, via Twitter.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the Martinez family & all those he mentored throughout his incredible career,” the statement read.

Julian Edelman, a former college quarterback and Bay Area-native, also Tweeted his condolences:

RIP coach Tom Martinez. He was such a great mentor to many in the bay area. His legacy will always live on.—
Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) February 22, 2012

Our cameras capture a parking attendant helping Richard Freeland into a state car outside his two million dollar plus Back Bay home. Freeland is the Commissioner of Higher Education for the state. He makes a hefty $206,000 salary plus the I-Team has learned taxpayers pick up the tab for the lease on his Chevy Hybrid, and the cost of gas and tolls.

WBZ-TV’s Kathy Curran reports

Freeland uses the car to visit colleges and to attend department-related meetings across the state but we discovered taxpayers are also paying for his personal rides. The I-Team found the commissioner frequently driving to the Cape and out of state, gassing up on your dime. When asked if he thought it was excessive Freeland replied, “I think that’s standard in our industry.”

The commissioner says THIS is standard: $689 a month for a lease on a car plus hundreds on fuel and Fast Lane charges, totaling almost $11,000 a year. The records show fill-ups in Falmouth on the weekends and tolls and gas heading to Connecticut where his wife is President of a state university.

Barbara Anderson, head of the watchdog group Citizens for Limited Taxation, says with the price of tuition at public colleges skyrocketing and budgets getting slashed an approved perk like this is over the top. “He certainly doesn’t need a car for any emergency travel, this man should not have a car at all, it shouldn’t be part of the package. If I were a parent of a kid in college or if I were one of the students taking out loans myself I would certainly be sick about it,” Anderson said.

Freeland said, “It’s standard practice in higher education for college presidents and executives to have cars as part of their package. We just hired four new college presidents and every one of them has a car.”

We showed the bills to Kristin Sullivan, a former employee under Freeland, who says her job was eliminated due to budget cuts while she was out on family leave after the death of her newborn baby. Sullivan is suing the department. She added, “I can see for business reasons to use a car in the fleet but to get whatever car you want, a hybrid and have the taxpayers pay for that?”

Having a state car for personal use IS NOT the standard for the state’s other education commissioner, Mitchell Chester. Chester heads up the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Chester doesn’t use the state car to go to the grocery store or any personal use.

Freeland said, “What I want taxpayers to know is that college presidents, myself as well as others who earn these salaries work very hard for the state of Massachusetts.”

A spokesperson for the department tells us it’s been a longstanding policy by the Board of Higher Education to provide the Commissioner of the Department the use of a vehicle. The intent of the policy is to offer comparable benefits to attract and maintain diverse and highly qualified candidates to fill the position.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Doug Cope reports.

Reaction on Boston University’s campus was mixed. Some students see it as nothing more than a case of college kids being college kids. Others, like Sophomore Danielle Johns thinks it’s another stain on the school after last weekend’s arrest of the hockey player. “In light of recent events you should try to act the best way possible and represent the school in the best light as you can.”

WBZ-TV’s Diana Perez reports

Vermont State Police say Border Patrol turned the case over after eight buses, heading to Massachusetts were stopped, searched and a total of 30 students were found with booze and drugs. All were cited. Twenty six were charged for possessing alcohol under age, three for possession of marijuana and one BU student, 22-year-old Laura Eldred was charged with possession of ecstasy.

At least four of the students are from BU. A spokesman for the school says they were not on a school sanctioned trip and are not on the ski team.

The three BU students charged with possession of marijuana are: 19-year-old Kelly Greacen, 22-year-old Aanchal Khaneja and 19-year-old Dylan Turk.

Still not everyone seemed that surprised or upset by the bust, “I think it sounds pretty typical a group of college students going to Canada. It’s not that far away the drinking age is 18 there they bought it legally they brought it back,” says Junior Liseanne Miller.

Freshman Charlie Crocker agrees, “People understand people are making mistakes, people make their choices I don’t think students care that much.”

The BU spokesman says students are held responsible for what they do on and off the campus and that they’ll have a chance to explain themselves before any action is or isn’t taken against them.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Karen Twomey reports

Officers rushed to the multi-family home on Codman Hill Avenue after receiving a 911 call from a young girl there around 1:45 a.m.

When they arrived, they found a 72-year-old woman stabbed to death in her first-floor apartment.

The young girl who made the emergency call was staying with the woman at the time.  She was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

“We believe the child observed some of the circumstances,” Police Supt. Daniel Linskey said.

At about 5:30 a.m. police arrested 23-year-old Tu Nguyen, who lived upstairs.

Tu Nguyen (Photo courtesy: Boston Police)

Authorities say he broke into the woman’s apartment through a window and killed her.

Nguyen was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Dorchester District Court on a single count of murder.

Police identified the victim who was stabbed to death as 72-year-old Mary Miller.

WBZ-TV’s Karen Anderson was told there had been trouble at the house.

The victim’s brother told WBZ his sister had problems recently with someone breaking her windows and she believed it was someone from the second floor where Nguyen lived.

He added that their family had been in the process of trying to find her a new place to live.

Court documents also show Nguyen has a history of mental illness and had been under a restraining order to stay away from the home after his mother said he threatened to kill her and his siblings there on January 11.

Nguyen was charged with two counts of threatening to kill and was treated at Carney Hospital after that incident.

According to the documents, he told his mother “I will punch you ’till you die.”

WBZ-TV’s Jim Armstrong reports

We went to a park in Needham Tuesday with entomologist Dr. Richard Pollack to see how easy it is to find the ticks. He dragged a small piece of fabric along the vegetation and after a couple of passes, there were deer ticks on the cloth.

WBZ-TV’s Jonathan Elias reports

“This unseasonable weather has extended the season for these ticks,” says Dr. Pollack. It’s a misconception that the first frost kills the ticks. “Normally the deer ticks are quiet. They’re hibernating at this time of year, but if it’s warm enough to be outside, it’s warm enough for the ticks to be active,” says Pollack. And that means a risk of Lyme disease at a time when you usually don’t have to worry about it. “The take home message really is if you’re out there enjoying the weather, take precautions. You may bring them home, your pets may bring them home,” says Pollack.

We met Norma Calder enjoying the lovely weather, walking her dog. She’s been on the lookout for ticks on her pet. “This winter I’ve probably found 10 or 12,” she says.

At Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, they’re aware of the potential problems. “Whenever we do have warmer temperatures there is an uptick in the number of ticks we’ll see on dogs,” says Angell veterinarian Dr. Kiko Bracker.

A lot of dog owners take the winter off from applying tick preventative medications, but Dr. Bracker says that’s a bad idea this time. “This year it’s really best to use the tick repellants and tick preventatives twelve months a year, just to be safe,” he says.

The good news, this unusual tick activity now doesn’t mean there will be more of them in the Spring. In fact, if it stays dry some of them could die off because ticks don’t do well in dry weather. In either case, come Spring, we can also start worrying about mosquitoes.

Frustrated drivers say it makes no sense and some city officials agree.

Jonathan Byrne got a parking ticket from the city of Peabody, a ten dollar fine for violating a winter parking ban. The night Jonathan got his ticket; there wasn’t a flake of snow on the ground.

WBZ-TV’s Jim Smith reports

In neighboring Danvers, the cost of violating the parking ban is even higher, $15.

The winter parking ban in Peabody is in effect December first through April first. There is no parking on any street between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. whether it’s snowing or not.

“It wasn’t snowing, no snow in the forecast,” says Byrne. “At 1:05 I got a ticket.”

Last winter, Peabody handed out 1,080 tickets. During this non-snowy winter, Peabody has already issued 1,081 tickets.

Peabody City Councilor David Gamache wants to change the ordinance to match most other communities. If bad weather is approaching, only then would a parking ban be imposed.

“Is it fair? no,” says Gamache. “People look out it’s 50 degrees, you shouldn’t have to worry about parking on the street at night.”

WBZ checked many streets in Peabody and didn’t find one sign warning residents about the winter-long parking ban. So even though the region has avoided heavy snow during the winter of 2012, in Peabody, the parking ban is alive and well. At least for now.

That included the superintendent of schools in Westford.

So when his district lost four days to that snowstorm, he decided to make them up during February and April vacation. The kids in Westford were in school for two days this week.

WBZ-TV’s Lauren Leamanczyk reports

‘They weren’t too happy about it, but that’s the way it goes,” said one parent.

First it was Hurricane Irene, then a freak October snowstorm. Westford had used all their snow days by Halloween.

“I thought, given a normal winter, we’d probably be flirting with going to school the last week of June,” said Everett Olsen, Superintendent of Westford schools.

Back in October when they’d already had five snow days, people really thought they were in for it in Westford. But now it’s green and it looks more like April break than February.

“You never know what’s going to happen in a New England. We certainly had no anticipation that we’d virtually have no snow this winter,” says Olsen.

Since the only snowflakes in Westford are decorations on the windows, the superintendent is willing to reconsider. It’s quite possible that at next week’s board meeting, students will get their full April break back.

Another weak disturbance will pass through early Thursday morning with an additional round of rain showers and following that some partial clearing.  The air will actually be warmer aloft on Thursday than Wednesday, but with limited sunshine and less mixing temperatures will only make it to around 50 degrees…still warm but not warmer than tomorrow.

Friday has become a little more cryptic, yesterday, it was looking like a surge of 60 degree warmth would make it into New England as an area of low pressure was expected to travel to our west Friday afternoon.  Now that low will travel much closer to the coastline…still too warm for any snow but not even close to yesterday’s solution.  Consequently, temps have been dropped down to 50 degrees and may have to be dropped further.

The storm will intensify to our north in Canada over the weekend and blustery conditions set-up for Saturday.  The wind will tap another chilly airmass so highs will be falling through the 40s.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Lana Jones reports

Dwayne Moore and Edward Washington are charged with killing four people including a child in 2010.

Kimani Washington is Edward Washington’s cousin. He admitted he was part of a plan to rob the victims of drugs and money, but was outraged when Moore admitted he shot Eyanna Flonory who was clutching her two-year old son.

When they got to the house, Washington says he ordered a drug customer and a man he was with to strip naked, fearing they might have guns. Inside, he says he was surprised to see a woman and a child. He says he ordered them to the floor.

“I told them nothing’s gonna happen to her,” Kimani said in court. “I didn’t know she was there, just be cool ain’t nothing gonna happen, she straight.”

Washington says he fled in a stolen car and when he met up with Moore and his cousin later, he says Moore told them he’d killed the people in the house.

He recalled opening a plastic bag of cash. “We took $600 apiece,” he says.

WBZ New England Business Editor Anthony Silva, spoke with host Bob Davis of Highland Capital Partners.

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