--Another storm is on the way starting tonight and running through Sunday evening. [WBZ] --One person died in a terrifying 8-alarm fire in downtown Gloucester last night. The fire also destroyed an apartment building and a synagogue. [Boston Globe, WCVB] --Regarding fires, b0st0n LiveJournal posted some fire safety tips. A lot of it is common sense (you really don't want to put the space heater by the curtains, ok?), but the reminders are useful. [b0st0n......

If Anthony Smith has learned anything this week, it's that guarantees are best left to Cajun chefs and the Men's Wearhouse guy. Because when you're an inexperienced safety trash-talking a 12-0 juggernaut, you can bet they'll listen. And listen the Pats did, toasting Smith twice en route to a 34-13 pasting of the Steelers. First, Smith misplayed Randy Moss, which is almost always good for a highlight, as Brady hit Moss for a TD while......

--Only one woman at MIT this year was granted tenure. Uh, you've come a long way, baby? [Boston Globe] --In better news for gender equality, Massachusetts ranks fifth when it comes to the number of women in powerful state government positions. Women make up almost half of Governor Deval Patrick's leadership team. [Boston Herald] --Seven people were injured in a house fire in Brockton yesterday afternoon, including former Brockton city councilor George Papas. [The Enterprise]......

Larry Bird was once quoted as saying, "I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end." If this theory holds true, Larry was speaking in the long-term - the Celtics gave 100 percent last night and things didn't work out in Cleveland in the end. After battling through regulation and overtime, the Celtics fell to the Cavs, 109-104. In order to pull......

--Paul F. Ware Jr., the special prosecutor looking into the Big Dig has cost the state $1 million so far. Maybe, if the AG's office actually gets around to getting some money out of Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, they can foot the bill. [Boston Globe] --More gratuitous limos and tour buses in New Hampshire! Oprah's coming to town to campaign for Obama! She'll be in Manchester, NH, on December 9. [WBZ] --The Worcester Telegram & Gazette gets......

Dominic Luberto's annual feat of light pollution Christmas devotion -- 500,000 bulbs and counting -- has long brought media attention to his Jamaica Plain home and won him admirers across the globe. He gets fan letters simply addressed to "Christmas Castle" and has started his own children's charity drive. But his crowning achievement may be his undoing. The Globe has more details on the City's efforts to bring down the "Crown of Christ" that Luberto......

The story of the drugs and alcohol found in the toxicology results for the bodies of firefighters Warren Payne and Paul Cahill has three threads--the freedom of the press, public safety, and the memory of the firefighters themselves. As noted earlier, all news outlets except WHDH reported yesterday and today about the toxicology results. WHDH couldn't report because Suffolk Superior Court Judge Merita Hopkins silenced them at the request of the firefighters' union. WHDH appealed,......

Protest over national vs. regional chains, the never-ending debate over the place of cars and bicycles in our metropolises, professional sports scandals, remembering a solemn day, and being issued a search warrant - it all happened across our sites this week! Another banner week at Chicagoist started off with daily reports from food writer Lisa Shames on her attempt to eat only locally grown and raised foodstuffs all week as part of a farmers market......

--Massholes Behind the Wheel: A driver was so appalled by another driver that he called the phone number on the side of the truck. (Apparently the phone number wasn't 1-800-EAT-SHIT.) Anyway, instead of reaching an operator or supervisor, the bad driver himself answered and was surprised that another driver would dare question his driving. The BPD report notes that the truck driver argued with the other driver - with whom he was still sharing the......

A judge informed Neil Entwistle, who is accused of murdering his wife and 9-month-old daughter in their home in Hopkinton in 2006, that evidence gathered in that home can be used in court. Entwistle and his lawyer were trying to throw out evidence gathered at the Entwistle home because the police didn't have a search warrant. Superior Court Judge Diane Kottmyer disagreed, saying that police were acting out of concerns for Rachel Entwistle's safety since......

Forget the sharpened pencils, the fresh pink erasers, and the latest and greatest calculator. The kiddies are preparing for school in a whole new way – with bulletproof backpacks. The Herald ran a story about two safety-conscious daddies from Danvers who invented a bulletproof backpack. The backpack is for sale online, and Mike Pelonzi, one of the dads, told the Herald today that "The response has been phenomenal." How does it work? The backpack includes......

--Meet Dirus Gaines, a man with an iron constitution. Mr. Gaines' seemingly lifeless body was found by the railroad tracks on Wednesday afternoon in Framingham. Gaines exhibited all the signs of being dead – no movement, eyes rolled back in head, odd position of body. Then, Gaines "suddenly" awakened and displayed his beverage of choice, a bottle of blackberry brandy. And here's the best part – Gaines is awfully lively when he's not completely pickled:......

We Bostonians are experts on tunnel crappiness. The horrible collapse in Minnesota got us wondering about the safety of bridges across our proud, crumbly nation. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation 2006 report to Congress, Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance: In 2006, 1,135, or 8.67%, of Minnesota's total inventory of 13,008 bridges were categorized as Structurally Deficient [SD]*. For comparison: In Massachusetts: 5,059 bridges were inventoried; 586......

Hate Love?! Oooh, We're all mixed up inside today. HATE! : One year ago TO-DAY, the Mass. Turnpike Authority, a.k.a. The Big Dig, killed a woman. Remember? Milena Del Valle was killed on July 10 2006 as she and her husband drove through the Big Dig's I-90 Connector. The zillion-dollar ceiling panels collapsed, crushing Angel Del Valle's wife beside him before he was able to crawl to safety. Today the National Transportation Safety Board......

-- Boston Police's news blotter doesn't include the words "Bonbon Bandit" or "Sweet Tooth Robber" in the public safety notification it posted yesterday, but those who have been following the string of robberies at sweet shoppes (and a Yankee Candle) can add another crime to the list. The man seen on many a security camera as of late reportedly held up City Convenience on Albany Street at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, brandishing a knife and......

The Phoenix posted the tenth annual Muzzle Awards. The listing, compiled by Media Nation blogger Dan Kennedy, showcases the offenses against free speech by local individuals and organizations. An apropos way to celebrate liberty for the Fourth of July. He gets the Muzzle this year by stifling the free speech of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami by refusing to provide state-police protection to the visiting former head of state. Boston Police stepped up to provide......

From the tallest skyscraper in the City of Brotherly Love to Canadian tourism copywriting brilliance, here's what you should know from our -ist cities: This week, Phillyist took a gleeful listen to the White Stripes' exciting new release, watched in awe as their new tallest skyscraper was finally completed, found a cheaper way to get to Gothamist, invented a tasty new dessert, and brought back their Craigslist Round-Up feature with a bang. Bostonist watches......

--A man has been sentenced to two years in jail for threatening a teenager with a hatchet after fighting over a pump position at a Revere gas station, according to a release from the DA's office. The message? Rein in your temper, especially if there's a sharp object nearby. That goes for hatchets and machetes. DA Daniel Conley said in a classic understatement, "The decision to keep a hatchet in one’s vehicle is bizarre, but......

Tomorrow a public hearing on Bicyclist Safety Bill (aka S 1414) will take place in room B-2 of the Statehouse at 10 am. The bill is the same bill that Kerry Healey vetoed when she was governor helping Mitt out when they were both lame ducks. As we learned the first time around the executive office seemed to misinterpret the bill, thinking that it imposed a new set of rules on recreation. The bill's intention,......

Well, when it comes to accidents, we sure are careful! Don't be fooled by the Blotter! Our rate of accidental deaths is low compared to the rest of the nation. Yeah, it surprised us, too, especially since the ink maker and paint maker behind the November Danvers explosion just got cited with 23 health and safety violations. But good for us! The National Safety Council says "Massachusetts had the lowest accidental death rate at 20.6......

The Globe's Mac Daniel reports that a man was separated from his briefcase during yesterday's morning rush hour. Orange Line doors suddenly snapped shut on Juan Sierra’s shoulder as he tried make his way out of the car, using his briefcase as a shield. “The closing of the doors also sandwiched my head to the point that my glasses popped off to the outside of the train car onto the platform," Sierra wrote in an......

AutoVantage gave rude drivers across the United States a huge middle finger when it released its rankings of cities with the most obnoxious drivers. Boston was well represented with the number three spot, but Miami topped the list for the second year in a row. Miami? We're a little disappointed. Boston has its eyes on the prize. There's nothing quite like a Boston driver thanks to the lack of street signs and ongoing battles among......

Early yesterday morning, the BPD was summoned to the Mansion Night Club for a disturbance. Two men from Billerica were involved in a brawl, and one of the men must have decided he really wanted to go to jail because he took a bite out of an officer's thigh. There's no indication on the BPD blog of how large the bite was or whether or not the officer had to go to the hospital for......

First, the Patriots draft troubled but talented safety Brandon Meriweather. Now, they trade for talented but troubled wide receiver Randy Moss, for a fourth-round pick and a round of KFC Famous Bowls. Is Bill Belichick trying to start a gang? Or is he convinced that he can take these miscreants and ne'er-do-wells and mold them into a Super Bowl team? Our money is on the latter. "There's no such thing as a bad boy," said......

Something funny happened on the way to yesterday's anticpated Red Sox slaughter of the Yankees. Funny-odd, that it, not funny-ha-ha. Two batters into the game, Yankees starter Jeff Karstens left the game injured after being whacked with a Julio Lugo line drive. Eight innings of the Yankee bullpen? Final score's gonna be 24-1, right? Um, no. Kei Igawa, who was slated to be sent down to Scranton, if not Coney Island, came on in relief......

Another sexual assault took place in early yesterday morning in Medford, prompting police to send out warnings to local residents. The victim of the second assault got lucky - the suspect grabbed her, but a car passed, and he ran off. Tufts sent out a notice saying that three attacks of that nature have happened before April 23. Here is the police's description of this individual: "The attacker is described as white, heavy set, in......

Ed Davis probably slept soundly last night. The House has decided to rescue the antigang Shannon Community Safety Initiative with funding, and they are giving $2.5 million for more police. Given the rise in homicides, the timing couldn't be better. The program also makes sense because it is more than just adding police presence – it also fosters gang prevention efforts. The money isn't just for Boston. New Bedford received $1 million this year for......

Text messages aren't just our favorite way to vote Sanjaya off of American Idol, they're also the quickest way to get in touch, no matter where we are. The mobile is always close at hand (and usually in the pocket) if we're at a concert, in class, or even in the cube toiling away on our TPS reports a text message won't likely go ignored for long. A number of US colleges and universities have......

--Forget Ed Davis. The Scottsdale, Arizona, police department wants you. Brian McGrory writes in the Globe about seeing an ad for joining the police force – yes, Scottsdale, Arizona - in one of the men's toilets at Fenway Park. It probably doesn't get any more "Boston" than the men's toilet at Fenway, so why on earth would Scottsdale be advertising there? McGrory called them and found they're doing it because they've got the money. And......

With two accidents in the past month on the area near the Leverett Connector scrutiny of the passage has increased. Channel 5 reported early this morning that the State will employ a consultant to look into the safety of the curves, roadways in general, and signage. Nearly a month ago a car careened off a ramp closing the roadway for a number of hours. Just this week a big-rig truck struck the side guard rail,......