Springfield changes bar closing time

SPRINGFIELD (AP) - Springfield officials say they are going ahead with plans to make all bars and nightclubs close at 1 a.m. unless they have special permission to stay open an hour later.

The move made Tuesday is an effort to cut down early morning violence. Police say most of the city's crime occurs in the entertainment district between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Other parts of the city are often left without adequate police protection because officers are often called to the entertainment district to help handle rowdy crowds.

The final straw occurred last weekend when a Connecticut man was arrested for bringing a gun to a downtown club following a 2 a.m. fight. Police were able to stop him and place him in custody before there was any violence.

Cape Cod man facing child porn charges

BARNSTABLE (AP) - A Cape Cod man is facing child pornography charges after authorities say he persuaded girls he met online to perform sexual acts on their webcams, which he recorded.

Kevin McNicol of Barnstable pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to posing a child nude and engaged in sexual activity, possession of child pornography, disseminating obscene matter to minors and videotaping a nude person without their knowledge.

The 23-year-old McNicol was released on $5,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with anyone under the age of 17.

Prosecutors requested higher bail, citing the possibility that McNicol might flee, but his lawyer says he knew about the investigation in May and did not flee and he helps care for his stepson. Authorities say McNicol also exposed himself to young girls in chat rooms.

Boston's bridge getting $300M makeover

BOSTON (AP) - The famed Longfellow Bridge that spans the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge is getting a $300 million makeover.

Under plans unveiled Tuesday, the number of lanes into Cambridge on the revamped century-old span will be reduced from two to one, while bike lanes and the sidewalks will be widened both ways. The trolley tracks in the center will be largely unchanged.

The bridge is often referred to as the "salt and pepper" bridge because of its distinctive towers that look like salt and pepper shakers. Those towers will be dismantled and rebuilt around sturdy steel frames.

State highway administrator Frank DePaola tells The Boston Globe the goal is ensure the bridge accommodates all public users and not just vehicles. Work is expected to take three years.

Historic farmhouse to be moved to Virginia

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH (AP) - An 18th century Massachusetts farmhouse has been purchased by a couple who plan to move it to Virginia and restore it.

The timber-frame house in North Attleborough was built in 1750. It will be dismantled, transported by truck, and reassembled on property in Purcellville, Va. owned by Craig and Terry Rosenthal.

The move could cost as much as $60,000.

Leonard Baum, an architect who specializes in 18th century structures, will oversee the move. He tells The Sun Chronicle the Rosenthals fell in love with the house.

The land the house was on was sold in 2010 to a car dealer that wanted the space to expand. The dealer removed motel buildings at the site, but looked for a buyer for the house when the town's historical commission said it could not be demolished.

Skier who died in Vt. accident identified

WARREN, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont State Medical Examiner's office has identified the 41-year-old skier who died after striking a tree on the side of a trail at Sugarbush Resort.

The Burlington Free Press reports James Wong, a Bank of America vice president from Lexington, was skiing on a steeper section of an intermediate trail on Saturday when he apparently lost control and struck the tree. Wong was wearing a helmet at the time.

The autopsy lists Wong's cause of death as "blunt impacts of torso and left arm." Wong died in the emergency room at a hospital.