Departing from other witness accounts, Shantell Watson recalled the attacker as being tall, and wearing a red sweatshirt and black hat.

SPRINGFIELD – With one last witness and a flurry of legal motions, testimony in Eric B. Denson’s murder trial concluded Thursday, clearing the way for closing arguments and jury deliberations Friday.

In a unexpected move, the defense decided against calling a DNA analyst from Stockton, Calif., to challenge blood evidence presented by prosecutors during the three-week trial in Hampden Superior Court.

With Denson not scheduled to testify, the defense planned to wrap up its case with the DNA rebuttal from chemist Brian Wraxall of the Serological Research Institute.

Instead, the last defense witness turned out to be Shantell Watson, a 22-year-old Westfield State University student who saw the fatal stabbing of Conor W. Reynolds during a birthday party at the Blue Fusion Bar & Grill on March 13, 2010.

Denson, 22, of Springfield, is facing a first degree murder charge for allegedly stabbing the Cathedral High School senior in the neck after a fight erupted in the crowded St. James Avenue club.

Watson, wearing a pink Westfield State sweatshirt, told jurors she had just come from class to testify in the case. Recalling the night of the fatal stabbing, Watson said she was sitting near the pool table when a light-skinned non-Caucasian male approached Reynolds and thrust a knife into his neck.

“He was trying to force it into (Reynolds’s) neck,” said Watson, adding that she heard someone scream, then ran outside with her friend.

Under questioning from defense lawyer David Rountree, Watson said she got a partial glimpse at the assailant’s face, but a good look at his clothing. Departing from other witness accounts, Watson recalled the attacker as being tall, and wearing a red sweatshirt and black hat.

Earlier in the trial, prosecution witnesses said Reynolds was stabbed by a black male, of medium height, wearing a black leather jacket and red hat.

Watson also said the assailant had fought with two other men minutes before the stabbing – an assertion that no other witnesses had made before Thursday.

Watson said she never met Denson or Reynolds, and attended the party after being invited by a text-message.

During cross-examination by District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni, Watson said she had expressed confusion about the color of the assailant’s hat, and described it as being red during a pre-trial hearing.

Earlier Thursday, Jessica Green, 25, of East Longmeadow, testified briefly for the defense. A cousin of Denson, Green said she was in Florida on March 13, 2010, but let her brother Michael borrow her 2004 Saturn Vue that night.

She said her mother owned a black leather jacket, and left it back seat of the car.

Surveillance video from a gas station next to the Blue Fusion Bar & Grill showed Denson getting into the car shortly after the stabbing, according to prosecution witnesses.

Investigators later found a blood stain in the Saturn’s back seat with a DNA profile that matched Reynolds, a state police chemist testified last week.

Defense lawyers offered no explanation Thursday for not calling the California-based Wraxall as an expert witness.

But earlier in the trial, the prosecution said it might require Wraxall to testify about his analysis of blood evidence in the case. The suggestion prompted a request by defense lawyer Harry L. Miles for a mistrial, claiming the use of defense evidence against Denson would violate his rights.

Closing arguments are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday in Hampden Superior Court.

The Republican | Dave RobackEric Denson listens to testimony during his murder trial in Hampden Superior Court for the fatal stabbing of Conor Reynolds.

The 8th Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Fashion Show, presented by The Republican and sponsored by the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, was dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Republican | David MolnarKatie Yvon models fashions at the Girls Just Want To Have Fun Fashion Show at Balise Lexus in West Springfield on Thursday night.

WEST SPRINGFIELD – For a few hours Thursday night, the sleek new Balise Lexus showroom on Riverdale Street looked more like Manhattan’s garment district.

More than 100 fashionable women (and some men) swarmed the dealership for the 8th Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Fashion Show, presented by The Republican and sponsored by the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

This year’s fashions came from Kate Gray in East Longmeadow; Ode and Jackson and Connor in Northampton; It’s All About Me in Hampden; Lux Boutique in East Longmeadow; Just B in Springfield and Northampton; A Formal Affair in West Springfield; and Banana Republic, Cache, Coldwater Creek and Gap in the Holyoke Mall.

The show was dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Six of the almost-three-dozen models were survivors representing the non-profit Rays of Hope, which raises money for research and local treatment programs.

Dr. Alica Stanton, a Longmeadow resident and OB/GYN, said she was diagnosed June 1 and is undergoing chemotherapy while she waits to have surgery. She modeled a black lace blouse and a long black skirt.

“The reason I’m modeling and doing this is I really want to show people that it’s possible to be beautiful even if the midst of cancer treatment,” said Stanton. “It’s not as scary as you think.”

Dr. Grace Makari-Judson, medical director of Baystate Regional Cancer Program’s Comprehensive Breast Center, was also among the models. Proceeds from the evening’s raffle were donated to Rays of Hope.

But there was much more than just a fashion show.

Lynette Pone McIntyre, senior fashion market editor, and Jessica Matlin, senior writer for Lucky magazine, came from New York City to talk to show-goers about the season’s trends.

“If you have a black bag, you’re in luck,” said Matlin. McIntyre said it was fashionable to go for “the aggressive lady” look. One idea is a tight skirt that goes past the knees.

Matlin said her favorite fall trend was polka dots, which, depending on how you wear them, can make you look “punk” or like Audrey Hepburn.

The event was catered by Log Rolling, an arm of the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House, and featured vendors from cosmetics companies and boutiques.

“I think it’s really important, especially now, to support local boutiques,” said Matlin.

The Republican | David MolnarKatie Yvon modeling fashions at the Girls Just Want To Have Fun Fashion Show at Balise Lexus.

Secretary of State William Galvin outlined a scenario that would involve splitting Olver's district between the districts of Reps. Richard Neal of Springfield and James McGovern of Worcester.

BOSTON – U.S. Rep. John W. Olver's plan to retire could mean that his sprawling congressional district will be divided up among two other incumbents, or it could lead to creation of a single district for most of Western Massachusetts, state legislators said Thursday.

The state must relinquish one of its 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, now all held by Democrats, because of population changes documented in the 2010 census.

The co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Redistricting, Rep. Michael J. Moran, D-Boston, said Olver is a great congressman and a strong advocate for Western Massachusetts, but his retirement is "welcome news" for state legislators on the committee in one key way. "It makes it easier to draw the map," said Moran.

Moran said he and Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, who is also co-chairman of the redistricting committee, are still hopeful of approving a new congressional map before Thanksgiving. Moran said no decisions have been made.

Rosenberg Thursday declined comment on how Olver's retirement would affect redistricting. Olver also continued to decline comment Thursday.

It will be up to Moran and Rosenberg to design a new map and present it to other members of the committee.

Cheryl Coakley Rivera

Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, who is a vice-chair on the committee, said Thursday she would support moving big portions of Western Massachusetts into the district of U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern of Worcester, so that McGovern could share the region with U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.

"It's much easier to have our voices heard if there are two people fighting for us as opposed to just one," Coakley-Rivera said.

Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, said he would move all of Berkshire and Franklin counties into the Springfield-based district now represented by Neal. Knapik said he would want to create one district to include as much of the four counties in Western Massachusetts as possible. "You have to minimize the carve into Western Massachusetts," said Knapik, who said he might be interested in running for Congress from such a district.

Right now, the population of the four counties together is about 100,000 too many for a new congressional district, which must include about 720,000 people or so.

Knapik said he is not a fan of having Worcester in the same district with large parts of Western Massachusetts.

Knapik said Olver's planned retirement all but ends hopes of having two congressional seats based in Western Massachusetts.

Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, a member of the redistricting committee, said Olver's plans to retire seem to assure a different map than if he was seeking re-election.

Kulik said he would not be surprised to see Olver's district merged into the districts of Neal and McGovern.

William Galvin

During a press conference Thursday in Springfield to publicize the redistricting process, Secretary of State William F. Galvin also outlined a scenario that would involve splitting Olver's district between the districts of Neal and McGovern.

Galvin said the district of Neal is likely to pick up more of Hampden County. That could mean Neal would gain Holyoke and Westfield.

Rural areas of Berkshire and Franklin counties could be placed into the district of McGovern, Galvin said.

Galvin said he expects the new redistricting map to be unveiled next week by the committee on redistricting and to be voted on after a week of public comment. The new districts need to be drawn in time for next year’s congressional elections, Galvin said.

Legislators Thursday also talked about how the region is losing a champion in Washington.

Olver rose to become chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, housing and urban development from 2007 to the end of 2010 after the Democrats seized control of the U.S. House. He is currently ranking Democrat on the subcommittee.

Olver helped deliver money for commuter intermodal centers, bicycle paths, municipal water projects and technology for hospitals.

Olver, who likes to hike and rock climb, also filed the bill that established the New England National Scenic Trail from Long Island Sound in Connecticut, through mountains and hills of the Pioneer Valley to the mountains in southwest New Hampshire.

Olver announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election next year, citing family circumstances. His wife, Rose, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Since 1991, Olver, 75, has represented the 1st congressional District, which includes about 40 percent of the state by area.

"John Olver will be missed in Western Massachusetts," said Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, also a member of the redistricting committee. "The term workhorse gets thrown around, but if anyone exemplifies that term more than John Olver, I haven't met the person."

Kulik said Olver's planned retirement is a "very tough loss" for Western Massachusetts. "He will be very hard to replace," Kulik said.

Staff reporter Suzanne McLaughlin contributed to this story.

Scott Olsen was interacting with his parents, doing math equations and otherwise showing signs of "high-level cognitive functioning."

Associated PressIn this undated photo provided by Keith Shannon, Scott Olsen is shown at a protest. Olsen, 24, who apparently suffered a fractured skull in clashes between police and anti-Wall Street protesters felt so strongly about economic inequality that he left his apartment each night to sleep alongside the demonstrators, his roommate said Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. (AP photo/Keith Shannon)

By JASON DEAREN
and TERRY COLLINS

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Iraq War veteran injured during a clash between police and anti-Wall Street protesters this week wasn't taking part in the demonstrations out of economic need.

The 24-year-old Scott Olsen makes a good living as a network engineer and has a nice apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. And yet, his friends say, he felt so strongly about economic inequality in the United States that he fought for overseas that he slept at a protest camp after work.

"He felt you shouldn't wait until something is affecting you to get out and do something about it," said friend and roommate Keith Shannon, who served with Olsen in Iraq.

It was that feeling that drew him to Oakland on Tuesday night, when the clashes broke out and Olsen's skull was fractured. Fellow veterans said Olsen was struck in the head by a projectile fired by police, although the exact object and who might have been responsible for the injury have not been definitively established.

Now, even as officials investigate exactly where the projectile came from, Olsen has become a rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators across the nation, with Twitter users and protest websites declaring: "We are all Scott Olsen."

In Las Vegas, a few dozen protesters held a vigil for him. A handful of police officers attended, and protesters invited them back for a potluck dinner Thursday night.

"We renewed our vow of nonviolence," organizer Sebring Frehner said.

Another round of vigils were organized for Thursday night, including one in Oakland.

Elsewhere across the United States, officials took steps to close some of the protest camps that have sprung up in opposition to growing economic inequality.

In Nashville, Tennessee, officials imposed a curfew, saying conditions at a camp at the state Capitol were worsening. In Providence, Rhode Island, officials told protesters they were violating multiple city laws by camping overnight at a park.

The group Iraq Veterans Against the War blamed police for Olsen's injury. Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said officials will investigate whether officers used excessive force. He did not return calls seeking comment on Thursday.

Police have said they responded with tear gas and bean bag rounds only when protesters began throwing bottles and other items at them.

Olsen's condition improved on Thursday, with doctors transferring him from the emergency room to an intensive care unit and upgrading his condition to fair.

Dr. Alden Harken, chief surgeon at Alameda County Medical Center, said Olsen had improved dramatically since he was hospitalized unconscious Tuesday night with a fractured skull and bruised brain that caused seizures.

By Thursday afternoon, Harken says, the 24-year-old Olsen was interacting with his parents, who flew in from Wisconsin in the morning, doing math equations and otherwise showing signs of "high-level cognitive functioning." The doctor said he may require surgery, but that's unlikely.

"He's got a relatively small area of injury and he's got his youth going for him. So both of those are very favorable," Harken said.

Olsen smiled when Mayor Jean Quan stopped by to visit and expressed surprise at all the attention his injury has generated, hospital spokesman Vintage Foster said. The mayor apologized and promised an investigation, according to Foster.

His uncle in Wisconsin told The Associated Press that Olsen's mother was trying to understand what had happened.

"This is obviously a heartbreaker to her," George Nygaard said. "I don't think she understands why he was doing this."

On Tuesday night, Olsen had planned to be at the San Francisco protest, but he changed course after his veterans' group decided to support protesters in Oakland after police cleared an encampment outside City Hall.

"I think it was a last minute thing," Shannon said.

Joshua Shepherd, 27, a Navy veteran who was standing nearby when Olsen got struck, said he didn't know what hit him. "It was like a war zone," he said.

A video posted on YouTube showed Olsen being carried by other protesters through the tear gas, his face bloodied. People shout at him: "What's your name? What's your name?" Olsen just stares back.

Shepherd said it's a cruel irony that Olsen is fighting an injury in the country that he fought to protect.

People at OPSWAT, the San Francisco security software company where Olsen works, were devastated after learning of his injuries. They described him as a humble, quiet man.

Olsen had been helping to develop security applications for U.S. defense agencies, building on expertise gained while on active duty in Iraq, said Jeff Garon, the company's director of marketing.

Olsen was awarded seven medals while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, which he left as a lance corporal in November 2009 after serving for four years. One of them was the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Olsen moved to the Bay Area in July, and quickly found friends in the veterans against the war group.

His tours of duty in Iraq made him more serious, Shannon said.

"He wasn't active in politics before he went in the military, but he became active once he was out ... the experience in the military definitely shaped him," Shannon said.

Associated Press writers Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee, Garance Burke in San Francisco, Julie Watson in San Diego Lucas L. Johnson II in Nasvhille, Tennessee, and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Dearen reported from San Francisco.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston says the government's Defense of Marriage Act violates their constitutional rights and asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits.

Associated PressFILE - Navy Lt. Gary Ross, right, and Dan Swezy pose before exchanging wedding vows in Duxbury, Vt. Ross is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by a group of gay active and retired military personnel Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 in federal court in Boston, seeking the same benefits as straight military couples (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

By JAY LINDSAY

BOSTON — A group of gay active and retired military personnel who are married sued the federal government Thursday for the same benefits as straight military couples, arguing it's a matter of justice and national security.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston says the government's Defense of Marriage Act violates their constitutional rights and asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits.

Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Pentagon is required to ignore same-sex marriages, which are legal in six states and Washington D.C. and were legal for a time in California.

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of eight service members, said it's about "one thing, plain and simple."

"It's about justice for gay and lesbian service members and their families in our armed forces rendering the same military service, making the same sacrifices, and taking the same risks to keep our nation secure at home and abroad," Sarvis said in a press release.

The lawsuit also says the continued denial of benefits to gay spouses "Is a threat to national security." It argues that given the extreme mental and physical demands of modern warfare, the military has already recognized that "service members who are distracted by thoughts that their loved ones are not being cared for may render the service members less effective combatants."

The lawsuit comes about a month after the military officially ended its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which forbade gays from serving openly.

Elaine Donnelly, president Center for Military Readiness, which opposed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," said Thursday's lawsuit is an attempt to impose throughout the military a definition of marriage that's accepted in just a handful of states.

Military members are very mobile, and if the plaintiffs prevail, gay personnel would have to be treated as if they were married, even if they live in states where gay marriage isn't legal, she said. In addition, there would be pressure to extend the same marriage benefits to service members in committed gay relationships who aren't legally married, she said.

It's all designed to undermine the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which protects one state from having to abide by other states' marriage laws and wasn't supposed to be affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, Donnelly said.

"What you have here is an attempt to impose a minority view on the majority," she said.

The lawsuit names as defendants Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The plaintiffs say they don't believe the government will contest the lawsuit, quoting an Oct. 1 statement from President Obama about DOMA in which he said, "I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it's time for it to end, once and for all."

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby said officials will evaluate the complaint and consult with the Justice Department, while continuing to follow the law. Kirby noted that service members can already designate some benefits to anyone they choose, regardless of sexual orientation.

"In connection with 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal, the Defense Department is engaged in a careful and deliberate review of the possibility of extending eligibility for benefits, when legally permitted, to other individuals including same-sex partners," Kirby said.

Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council, which opposes gay marriage, said he hoped attorneys for the U.S. House of Representatives who've defended DOMA in other cases will step in here if the Justice Department doesn't contest the lawsuit.

"These (plaintiffs) by law and by tradition and culture are not spouses," he said. "The federal government has the right to set its own standards for what it will recognize as a marriage and Congress did that in 1996 in an overwhelming, bipartisan fashion."

The lawsuit lists various benefits given to straight married couples they say gays are being wrongly denied, including medical and dental benefits, housing allowances, travel and transportation allowances, survivor benefits and the right to be buried together in military cemeteries.

"While the repeal of (don't ask, don't tell) was an important first step in the military's march for equality, it is time to take the next step and provide equal benefits for equal work," the lawsuit says.

The lead plaintiff in the case is Maj. Shannon McLaughlin, a judge advocate general in the Massachusetts National Guard who married her wife in Massachusetts in 2009 and has 10-month old twins, according to the lawsuit.

Another plaintiff is Navy Lt. Gary Ross, an Arizona resident who was married in Vermont, but whose husband travels to Mexico for health care— and was recently at the border when gunfire broke out — because they can't afford health insurance for him, according to the lawsuit.

Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan of the New Hampshire National Guard said she has cancer and is worried her spouse and their daughter would be unable to receive survivor's benefits if she died.

"We are only asking for equitable treatment as a recognized family," Morgan said.

Bresnahan now works for the Springfield Housing Authority after being health chief from 2002 until June.

Holyoke City Council candidate Daniel B. Bresnahan

HOLYOKE – City Council candidate Daniel B. Bresnahan said being health director here for nearly 10 years taught him how City Hall offices work and the changes that are needed.

“I hope to address all the quality of life issues that this city faces: blight, vacant buildings, as well as poverty,” said Bresnahan, who is running for council at large.

“The city of Holyoke cannot alone continue to serve as the the drop-off for those who are poor, sick and in need. We have done our fair share for long enough. Other communities must share this burden that Holyoke has taken on for so long,” he said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Bresnahan, 38, was born and raised here. He graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and is married to Carolyn Bresnahan, who works in the Board of Assessors office at City Hall. He has a stepson and stepdaughter and a son with Carolyn Bresnahan.

Bresnahan was appointed health director in 2002 and held that position until June, when he became senior property manager for the Springfield Housing Authority.

“As a city councilor, I hope to create a friendly atmosphere for our existing businesses already here in the city and those that want to come here,” he said.

“We need to streamline the permitting process for business and look at how we can cease to have the second highest commericial tax rate in the state of Massachusetts. I would encourage the non-profits to particapate in a PILOT program (pay in lieu of taxes) as a contribution to the city,” he said.

Bresnahan is one of 11 candidates, including all eight incumbents, seeking the eight at large seats on the City Council in the Nov. 8 election. The 15-member council includes seven ward representatives.

File photo | The RepublicanDaniel Bresnahan

A retired Massachusetts state trooper convicted of rape in Maine is going to prison for 10 years.

Retired Massachusetts state trooper Joseph Silva was sentenced to serve ten years in prison on sexual assault charges relating to a 2009 incident in Maine. (Mugshot courtesy of York County Jail)

ALFRED, Maine (AP) — A retired Massachusetts state trooper convicted of rape in Maine is going to prison for 10 years.

Joseph Silva was sentenced Thursday in York County Superior Court to 10 years for gross sexual assault. He was also sentenced to seven years each for two aggravated assault charges, which will be served at the same time as the 10-year sentence.

Silva reportedly met with a woman on a social networking website in 2009 and later met her in person in November of that year. He apparently took the woman to lunch and said he wanted to introduce her to his friends who were watching a New England Patriots game at a local bar.

Instead, he drove her his hotel room in Kittery, Maine where he sexually assaulted her.

He was arrested a month later and has been in police custody ever since. A jury convicted him on the charges in Sept. 2011.

A one-car fatal accident on Interstate 91 has closed the northbound lanes at exit 19.

Republican file photo

The crash claimed the lives of two victims, state police said shortly before 8 a.m. Friday. An updated article about this incident can be found here.

NORTHAMPTON - A one-car fatal accident on Interstate 91 has closed the northbound lanes at exit 19.

Around 2:50 a.m., a vehicle rollover just north of exit 19 was reported on the interstate and emergency personal were called to the scene. Sgt. Adam Hakkarainen of the Massachusetts State Police confirmed that the accident was a fatality and said the road will be closed for an undetermined amount of time.

He said traffic is being rerouted at exit 19 and travelers should seek an alternate route.

David Procopio, public information officer for the Massachusetts State Police, said troopers are investigating whether road conditions played a part in the fatal crash.

Weather was a factor in several other crashes around the region Friday morning as slushy snow which fell Thursday froze into black ice on the pavement.

Spin-outs and other accidents along I-91 and the Mass Pike tied up troopers while officers in several local departments responded to mostly minor accidents in their respective cities and towns.

Although no more precipitation is expected to fall through daybreak, the temperature will remain below freezing through the morning.

Drivers are urged to use caution on the roads, allow extra time to reach destinations and leave extra space between vehicles to account for sliding when attempting to slow or stop.

Here are the average energy prices in the Pioneer Valley for the week ending today.

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Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen's condition improved Thursday, with doctors transferring him from the emergency room to an intensive care unit and upgrading his condition to fair.

Greg Reft holds a photo of Scott Olsen during a candlelight vigil on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. During an Occupy Oakland protest Tuesday night, a projectile apparently fired by police struck the Iraq veteran in the head leaving him in critical condition with a fractured skull. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

By JASON DEAREN & TERRY COLLINS, Associated Press Writers

OAKLAND, California (AP) — The Iraq War veteran injured during a clash between police and anti-Wall Street protesters this week wasn't taking part in the demonstrations out of economic need.

The 24-year-old Scott Olsen makes a good living as a network engineer and has a nice apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. And yet, his friends say, he felt so strongly about economic inequality in the United States that he fought for overseas that he slept at a protest camp after work.

"He felt you shouldn't wait until something is affecting you to get out and do something about it," said friend and roommate Keith Shannon, who served with Olsen in Iraq.

It was that feeling that drew him to Oakland on Tuesday night, when the clashes broke out and Olsen's skull was fractured. Fellow veterans said Olsen was struck in the head by a projectile fired by police, although the exact object and who might have been responsible for the injury have not been definitively established.

Now, even as officials investigate exactly where the projectile came from, Olsen has become a rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators across the nation, with Twitter users and protest websites declaring, "We are all Scott Olsen."

In this undated photo provided by Keith Shannon, Cong Nguyen, left, Keith Shannon, center, and Scott Olsen, right with helmet, are shown. Olsen, 24, who apparently suffered a fractured skull in clashes between police and anti-Wall Street protesters felt so strongly about economic inequality that he left his apartment each night to sleep alongside the demonstrators, his roommate said Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Keith Shannon)

In Las Vegas, a few dozen protesters held a vigil for him. A handful of police officers attended, and protesters invited them back for a potluck dinner Thursday night.

"We renewed our vow of nonviolence," organizer Sebring Frehner said.

Another round of vigils were organized for Thursday night, including one in Oakland, where a crowd of at least 1,000 people gathered, many holding candles.

Elsewhere across the United States, officials took steps to close some of the protest camps that have sprung up in opposition to growing economic inequality.

In Nashville, Tenn., officials imposed a curfew, saying conditions at a camp at the state Capitol were worsening. In Providence, R.I., officials told protesters they were violating multiple city laws by camping overnight at a park.

The group Iraq Veterans Against the War blamed police for Olsen's injury. Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said officials will investigate whether officers used excessive force. He did not return calls seeking comment Thursday.

Police have said they responded with tear gas and bean bag rounds only when protesters began throwing bottles and other items at them.

Olsen's condition improved Thursday, with doctors transferring him from the emergency room to an intensive care unit and upgrading his condition to fair.

Dr. Alden Harken, chief surgeon at Alameda County Medical Center, said Olsen was still unable to speak but had improved dramatically since he was hospitalized unconscious with a fractured skull and bruised brain that caused seizures.

By Thursday afternoon, Harken said, Olsen was interacting with his parents, who flew in from Wisconsin in the morning, doing math equations and otherwise showing signs of "high-level cognitive functioning." The doctor said he may require surgery, but that's unlikely.

"He's got a relatively small area of injury and he's got his youth going for him. So both of those are very favorable," Harken said.

In this undated photo provided by Keith Shannon, Scott Olsen is shown at a protest. Olsen, 24, who apparently suffered a fractured skull in clashes between police and anti-Wall Street protesters felt so strongly about economic inequality that he left his apartment each night to sleep alongside the demonstrators, his roommate said Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. (AP photo/Keith Shannon)

Olsen smiled when Mayor Jean Quan stopped by to visit and expressed surprise at all the attention his injury has generated, hospital spokesman Vintage Foster said. The mayor apologized and promised an investigation, according to Foster.

His uncle in Wisconsin told The Associated Press that Olsen's mother was trying to understand what had happened.

"This is obviously a heartbreaker to her," George Nygaard said. "I don't think she understands why he was doing this."

On Tuesday night, Olsen had planned to be at the San Francisco protest, but he changed course after his veterans' group decided to support protesters in Oakland after police cleared an encampment outside City Hall.

"I think it was a last-minute thing," Shannon said.

Joshua Shepherd, 27, a Navy veteran who was standing nearby when Olsen got struck, said he didn't know what hit him. "It was like a war zone," he said.

A video posted on YouTube showed Olsen being carried by other protesters through the tear gas, his face bloodied. People shout at him: "What's your name? What's your name?" Olsen just stares back.

Shepherd said it's a cruel irony that Olsen is fighting an injury in the country that he fought to protect.

People at OPSWAT, the San Francisco security software company where Olsen works, were devastated after learning of his injuries. They described him as a humble, quiet man.

Olsen had been helping to develop security applications for U.S. defense agencies, building on expertise gained while on active duty in Iraq, said Jeff Garon, the company's director of marketing.

Olsen was awarded seven medals while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, which he left as a lance corporal in November 2009 after serving for four years. One of them was the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Olsen moved to the Bay Area in July, and quickly found friends in the veterans against the war group.

His tours of duty in Iraq made him more serious, Shannon said.

"He wasn't active in politics before he went in the military, but he became active once he was out ... the experience in the military definitely shaped him," Shannon said.

___

Dearen reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee, Garance Burke in San Francisco, Julie Watson in San Diego, Lucas L. Johnson II in Nasvhille, Tenn., and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

In the lawsuit, the Catholic Diocese of Springfield is charged with mismanaging funds, civil rights violations and inflating the estimated repair costs for the steeple Watch video

Holyoke, 6/26/11, Staff Photo by David Molnar -- Holyoke police had to called to calm the protesters inside and outside the Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church. The Most Reverend Timothy A. McDonnell, Bishop of Springfield conducted the final Sunday Mass at the Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church, The church is being closed by the Diocese of Springfield .

In this June 26 staff photo by David Molnar, a sun halo or nimbus, an optical phenomenon caused by ice crystals, in the appeared in the sky above the steeple of Mater Dolorosa church. Attorney Victor Anop, spokesman for the Friends of Mater Dolorosa, said some parishioners have seen the cloud on the right as resembling a religious figure and taken it as a sign that their occupation to save the church is just in the eyes of God.

This story was updated at 8:00 a.m. with additional comments from Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the diocese.

HOLYOKE - In response to the civil suit recently filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Hampden Superior Court to force the occupying parishioners of the closed Mater Dolorosa Church to leave, the Roman Catholic Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has become the defendant in a counterclaim filed by the group this week.

Attorney Victor Anop, a spokesman for the Friends of Mater Dolorosa who have been holding vigil inside the closed church for the past three months, said the church forced the group's hand to do so.

"Why would Bishop McDonnell authorize a suit to restrain paid parishioners from praying in a Catholic Church built and paid for by their ancestors and families?" Anop said. "We never wanted it to come to this but we want to continue our peaceful prayer vigil without threats, intimidation, and coercion against our people."

In the counterclaim filed by Anop and the group of parishioners, which can be viewed in its entirety below, the Catholic Diocese of Springfield is charged with mismanagement of parishioner-donated funds, civil rights violations through the intimidation of elderly parishioners holding vigil at the closed church and inflating the estimated repair costs to the disputed steeple, among other accusations.

Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the diocese, said the church rejects and denies Anop's claims.

10.19.2011- (Republican Photo/ Greg Saulmon) This photo taken from Lyman Street in Holyoke shows attorney Victor Anop, right, and others are seen inside the Mater Dolorosa Church on Oct. 19 around 11:15 p.m.

"It is clear through these actions that the individuals involved in this unauthorized occupation of Mater Dolorosa Church have reached a point where they are now willing to cast unfounded accusations, a further waste of time and resources," Dupont said. "It is important to note this group does not represent anything close to a majority of the former parishioners."

The saga that has unfolded over the past 120 days began when the diocese announced plans to close the historic Mater Dolorosa Church on Lyman Street in Holyoke. The June 20 mass was supposed to close the chapter on the building and its parishioners were set to merge with Holy Cross on Sycamore Street to form a new parish, Our Lady of the Cross.

That parish did form and is up and running, but between 100 and 140 parishioners remain inside the closed Mater Dolorosa Church holding vigil as the diocese and its parishioners have reached an impasse.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield contends that the decision to close the building was based on declining attendance, financial considerations and safety concerns, regarding the building's steeple.

The Republican | Don TreegerLawyer Victor Anop speaks during a hearing in Hampden Superior Court Oct. 12 on a request by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield for an injunction ordering parishioners of the closed Mater Dolorosa Church in Holyoke to vacate the building.

The Friends of Mater Dolorosa appealed unsuccessfully to the Vatican in Rome, but have since filed an additional appeal to the highest authority in the Catholic Church.

The group has since offered to buy the building and recently held a fundraiser that drew more than 600 people according to Anop.

Regarding the structural soundness of the building, both sides have presented conflicting reports from area engineering firms and the diocese recently leveraged their two reports to seek an injunction forcing the parishioners to leave Mater Dolorosa by police force, should the court rule in their favor.

The decision to seek the injunction for the removal of the parishioners was based on their safety, Dupont said previously. But when argued in court on Oct. 12, Judge C. Jeffrey Kinder said he didn't believe the danger was so imminent that he had to rush a response.

"Both Church law, and as we have submitted recently to the courts, we believe Massachusetts law,support the right of the Bishop to take these necessary actions," Dupont said. "This decision to combine the two parishes was backed-up by years of careful analysis and review."

Anop said Friday that the heat in the building is turned off and elderly parishioners staying inside the church are trying to stay warm with layers of coats and blankets. Despite the cold, he said, they will remain inside the church.

Dupont previously said that the church holds regret for things devolving to the point of lawsuits, but he maintained its official position that the parishioners inside the church, which was built in 1895, are there illegally and need to leave.

He reiterated that sentiment Friday while holding firm to the church's stance on the situation.

"We take this opportunity to again ask our brothers and sisters to prayerfully accept these most difficult decisions which have been upheld by the Vatican, and rejoin their fellow parishioners and end, once and for all, these divisive actions," Dupont said. "Prayer vigils should not be about demanding that we get our way from God, but recognizing the realities we live in with God's grace and not with illegal actions."

Mater Dolorosa Counterclaim against Catholice Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts

Mater Dolorosa Answer to Lawsuit by Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts

It looks like the Pioneer Valley is in for two to four inches of snow with that amount rising from four to six inches in the higher elevations of Hampden and Hampshire counties.

10/27/11-Chicopee-Staff Photo by Dave Roback--Snow falls as the leaves on the trees are still in color and on branches on Thursday evening in Chicopee.

SPRINGFIELD - With dozens of weather-related accidents reported overnight into Friday morning across Western Massachusetts, it seems that winter is creeping its way into the Pioneer Valley well ahead of its first official day.

Massachusetts State Police were kept busy Friday morning responding to more than 30 spin-outs and crashes on Interstate 91 and the Mass Pike, including a fatal accident that claimed the life of a woman on I-91 just north of exit 19.

Local police were also kept running as motorists maintained summer driving habits as black ice blanketed the pavement across the area.

Aside from the temperature, which is expected to peak at 49 degrees, the rest of the day Friday should be relatively mild with no precipitation expected.

The same can't be said for Saturday however.

"This next system will pack more juice (precipitation) and stronger dynamics," Mike Masco, meteorologist with ABC-40 Friday morning. "With cold air in place and moisture coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, we will start to see a mix of rain and snow first with a change over to all snow by Saturday night."

Masco said that it looks like the Pioneer Valley is in for two to four inches of snow with that amount rising from four to six inches in the higher elevations of Hampden and Hampshire counties.

Another concern with early snow storms is the increased potential for power outages, as some New England residents were reminded of on Friday. As of 7:20 a.m., utility crews were working to restore service to more than 7,000 customers in New Hampshire after wet, heavy snow fell overnight on trees which were still holding their leaves.

Depending on the type of snow and the degree of accumulation in Western Massachusetts on Saturday, local residents might be dealing with the same inconvenience.

To the south in Connecticut, the Saturday forecast is much more grim as meteorologists with Fox-CT are calling for a historic Nor'Easter to slam the state, nearly a foot of snow in some places with more than nine inches expected in Hartford.

The winter storm watch in western and central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, central and northwestern Connecticut and northern Rhode Island will expire at 8 a.m. Sunday morning.

If you have any interesting photos of Thursday/Friday's winter weather, or end up taking some as the snow falls on Saturday, send them along to The Republican's online desk: online@repub.com

The crash occurred about 2:50 a.m. near Exit 19 which serves the Calviin Coolidge Bridge.

Republican file photo

This updates a story posted at 3:15 a.m. Friday.

NORTHAMPTON – NORTHAMPTON - State police continue to probe a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 91 early Friday that took the lives of two women from New Hampshire.

The women, ages 49 and 66, were pronounced dead at the scene, spokesman David Procopio said.

The crash occurred about 2:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes just north of Exit 19, which serves the Calvin Coolidge Bridge area.

A truck driver who witnessed the crash told state police the interstate was icy, Procopio said.

The truck driver said the driver of the pickup truck, believed to be the 49-year-old, passed his rig and then lost control and hit a guardrail on the left side of the interstate.

The pickup then went airborne, flipped end-over-end and came to rest on its roof between the left and middle lanes.

State police closed that section of the interstate for over four hours while they investigated and cleared the crash. The roadway was reopened at about 7:10 a.m., Sgt. Michael Imelio said.

State police have yet to release the women’s name pending notification of family members. The women lived in two separate New Hampshire towns.

Weather was a factor in a number of crashes and spinouts around the region Friday morning as slushy snow which fell Thursday froze into black ice on the pavement.

Imelio said troopers from the Northampton barracks responded to about dozen other accidents after midnight.

Denson's defense team called its final witness Thursday.

The Republican's Stephanie Barry is following the murder trial of Eric B. Denson live from Hampden Superior Court in Springfield.

Read the recap of Thursday's testimony, when Denson's defense team called its final witness.

Follow the courtroom proceedings during closing arguments below.

10/24/11-Springfield-Staff Photo by Dave Roback-Scenes from day 12 of the Eric B. Denson trial in Hampden Superior Court. Denson is charged with the fatal stabbing of Cathedral High School student Conor W. Reynolds. Here is Denson, right with his attorney Harry Miles.

Tens of thousands of supporters who gave him hundreds of dollars or more in the early stages of the 2008 campaign haven't offered him similar amounts of cash so far in this campaign.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama answers a reporter's question about the European debt deal as he meets with Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas, not shown, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has lost millions of dollars in support from former donors in Democratic strongholds and in districts that he won narrowly four years ago, according to an Associated Press analysis of the most recent federal campaign finance data.

Tens of thousands of supporters who gave him hundreds of dollars or more in the early stages of the 2008 campaign haven't offered him similar amounts of cash so far in this campaign. And in some cases, former Obama contributors gave to GOP candidates, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Obama's re-election effort is hardly hurting for cash: His campaign and the Democratic Party raised more than $70 million for Obama's re-election in the July-September period, outstripping all Republicans combined by tens of millions of dollars.

But the AP's analysis indicates that Obama, beleaguered by a struggling economy, has lost early support from some of his larger financial supporters and will have to work harder to win back party stalwarts and swing voters alike. Obama's approval ratings have slumped to 41 percent in a recent Gallup poll, as steadfast supporters have found themselves less able or less willing to open their wallets again.

"He was our state senator, and when I looked at the Republican side, I thought, 'We need some fresh blood in the campaign,'" said Janet Tavakoli, 58, a financial analyst from Chicago who gave $1,000 to the president in 2008. "But I was dead wrong about it," she said, and isn't supporting any candidate this time.

Obama faced then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2008. This time he is running unchallenged and has no primaries or caucuses looming, as the Republican candidates do, so potential Obama donors may not be feeling any sense of urgency. But typically early donors tend to give again, as money is a sign of enthusiasm — something Obama had in spades four years ago.

For its analysis, the AP compared the names and addresses of Obama contributors who gave between $200 and $2,500 from April to September 2008 with those who gave amounts in the same range during the same period this year. The AP adjusted its analysis to compensate for contributors who might have moved and listed a new address, or whose name or address was listed slightly differently last time.

The Obama campaign said most of its contributors gave small donations this year; it is not required under federal law to provide names of donors who gave less than $200. About 40 percent of total fundraising came from amounts greater than $200 this year, not adjusting for inflation, compared with more than 75 percent during the same period in 2007.

Obama's missing contributors live across the country, mostly concentrated in the Northeast and the West Coast. Obama also missed support from early donors in parts of Texas, Illinois and Michigan — areas he narrowly won in 2008. But he also picked up some new sources of cash in those places.

"I have little discretionary money, and I just have to take care of myself," said Roger Hodges, 45, an urban designer in Richmond, Calif. Hodges gave Obama $250 four years ago but doesn't plan on donating in this election. Hodges said friends in the liberal-leaning San Francisco Bay Area have become disappointed in Obama.

Romney, a leading GOP contender, has closed in financially in areas of the country that gave a solid stream of checks to Obama in the 2008 campaign, including Southern California, Florida and New England. Records show a handful of Obama contributors from 2008 donated to Romney this time; few, if any, appeared to give to Texas Gov. Rick Perry, another front-runner.

Lynda Marren, 48, of Hillsdale, Calif., usually supports Republican politicians, but she paid $500 to hear Obama speak four years ago.

"I wasn't persuaded then, and still am not," she said, and gave $1,000 to Romney this past June.

Many Obama supporters said they will vote for his re-election even if they don't write big checks. About 4 out of 5 of those who voted for the president in 2008 say they are likely to do so again, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

But Obama's contributions this recent fundraising quarter — absent support from the Democratic National Committee — are less than the combined cash given to all GOP candidates, hinting at an influx of money to whomever Republicans chose as their nominee. Observers have said this election likely will cost more than $1 billion.

The Obama campaign, for its part, said more than a million people have given to the president's 2012 re-election efforts, a mix of hundreds of thousands of new and returning donors that spokesman Ben LaBolt said points to "evidence of a growing organization." All told, Obama received donations from a wide swath of the United States from the Plains, the Midwest and parts of the South since April, the AP's analysis found.

Among those donors was Laurel Cappa of Washington, who gave $300 to the president four years ago and opened her wallet again this year.

"It was a birthday gift to myself," she said, having turned 70 this year, "and I expect to be giving more."

The campaign reports offer a complicated financial picture for Obama this election cycle. Recent reports show a mixed level of financial support from Wall Street, and an AP analysis earlier this month found Obama garnered continued donations from the nation's most economically hard-hit areas.

The campaign figures, however, didn't capture money raised by new, outside groups known as super political action committees, which can collect unlimited amounts of cash to influence elections. Obama and leading GOP candidates all have super PACs working in their favor, not counting groups like the GOP-leaning American Crossroads that have raised hundreds of millions ahead of the general election.

Police say 35-year-old Gino Lister of Holliston stole Apple Macbooks, iPads and other equipment.

WELLESLEY — A janitor at Wellesley Middle School has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars' worth of computers from classrooms and selling them.

Police say 35-year-old Gino Lister of Holliston stole Apple Macbooks, iPads and other equipment, as well as silver and silver jewelry made by students worth about $20,000 combined. Some of the items have since been recovered.

Lister was released without bail at his arraignment Thursday in Dedham District Court where he pleaded not guilty to larceny of property worth more than $250, receiving stolen property worth more than $250 and two counts of receiving stolen property worth less than $250.

Police have been investigating the thefts for several weeks.

The company, whose brands include Maytag and KitchenAid, has been squeezed by soft demand since the recession.

Associated PressA Whirlpool logo is seen on a Whirlpool refrigerator on the Singers showroom floor Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 in Philadelphia.

NEW YORK (AP) — Appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. plans to cut 5,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its workforce in North America and Europe, as it faces soft demand and higher costs for materials.

The world's biggest appliance maker also on Friday cut its 2011 earnings outlook drastically and reported third-quarter results that missed expectations, hurt by higher costs and a slowdown in emerging markets. Shares fell 12 percent in premarket trading.

The company, whose brands include Maytag and KitchenAid, has been squeezed by soft demand since the recession and rising costs for materials such as steel and copper. Due to its size, Whirlpool's performance provides a window on the economy because it indicates whether consumers are comfortable spending on big-ticket items.

Whirlpool has raised prices to combat higher costs, but demand for items like refrigerators and washing machines remains tight. Whirlpool is also facing discount pressure from competitors.

To offset slowing North American sales, Whirlpool has turned to emerging markets. But the company said Friday that sales have slowed there, too.

Steep costs and the dour global economy are affecting the entire appliance industry. Swedish appliance maker Electrolux said Wednesday that its third-quarter net income fell 39 percent and cut its forecast for demand in North American and Europe for the year

Whirlpool jobs to be cut are mostly in North America and Europe. They include 1,200 salaried positions and the closing of the company's Fort Smith, Ark., plant.

The Fort Smith plant shutdown will affect 884 hourly workers and 90 salaried employees. An additional 800 workers were on layoff from the factory and on a recall list.

Whirlpool will also relocate dishwasher production from Neunkirchen, Germany, to Poland in January 2012.

The company expects the moves will save $400 million by the end of 2013.

Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool's third-quarter net income more than doubled to $177 million, or $2.27 per share, from $79 million, or $1.02 per share. Adjusted earnings of $2.35 per share fell short of analyst expectations for $2.73 per share.

Revenue rose 2 percent to $4.63 billion, short of expectations for $4.74 billion.

"Our results were negatively impacted by recessionary demand levels in developed countries, a slowdown in emerging markets and high levels of inflation in material costs," CEO Jeff Fettig said.

Unit shipments fell in all regions except Asia, where they rose 4 percent.

In North America, revenue fell 2 percent to $2.4 billion, and in Latin America, revenue rose 8 percent to $1.2 billion.

The company now expects 2011 net income will be $4.75 to $5.25 per share. Its prior guidance was net income would be at the low end of a range between $7.25 and $8.25 per share.

Whirlpool's stock fell $7.10, or 11.7 percent, to $53.37 in premarket trading. The stock has already sunk 32 percent this year.

Ron Paul Does Not Rule Out A Third-Party Run, Insiders Near-Unanimous in Predicting Romney Nomination, and more

AP Photo/Stew MilneAlicia Beade, from Pawtucket, R.I., joins the Occupy Providence protesters in a rally in a city park downtown Providence, R.I., Monday, Oct. 24, 2011.

Daily Bail accuses former NY Fed Chairman Stephen Friedman of insider trading

Bloomberg and CBS reports $700 billion TARP only a small portion of $12.8 trillion lent, spent or promised to prop up banking industry

NOTE: Users of modern browsers can open each link in a new tab by holding 'control' ('command' on a Mac) and clicking each link.

Obama is calling for creation of a centralized online site, to be known as BusinessUSA, for companies to easily find information on federal services.

Associated PressPresident Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak,,wearing a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, tour the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Mich., Friday, Oct. 14, 2011.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pushing a campaign to act without Congress, President Barack Obama will announce on Friday two more executive actions on the economy, both of them small steps intended to give a boost to businesses.

The moves cap a week in which Obama has sought to employ the power of his office as he struggles to make headway on his jobs bill on Capitol Hill.

Obama is directing government agencies to shorten the time it takes for federal research to turn into commercial products in the marketplace. The goal is to help startup companies and small businesses create jobs and expand their operations more quickly.

On the other front, Obama is calling for creation of a centralized online site, to be known as BusinessUSA, for companies to easily find information on federal services. The site is to be up and running within 90 days and will be designed with input from U.S. businesses.

Obama is announcing both steps in presidential memos to be released Friday morning, according to administration officials.

On a larger scale, the president himself announced two other executive actions this week, one offering help for homeowners seeking to refinance at lower mortgage rates and the other allowing college students to simplify and lower their student loan payments. The White House also issued a challenge to community health centers in a bid to help get veterans jobs.

White House aides expect more such actions in coming days. Obama, up for re-election, is waging a public campaign to show voters he is acting on jobs more than Republicans are.

The Republicans who control the House counter that their economic bills have not been considered in the Senate. And they question Obama's latest tactic.

"This idea that you're just going to go around the Congress is just, it's almost laughable," House Speaker John Boehner told radio talk show host Laura Ingraham on Thursday.

State troopers are investigating the deaths of a 67-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man aboard the cruise ship.

BOSTON, Mass. - Authorities in Boston are investigating two separate deaths aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship that docked in Cruiseport Boston’s Black Falcon Terminal in south Boston's waterfront district around 6:30 a.m. Friday.

"One of them was a 67-year-old woman," said David Procopio, public information officer for the Massachusetts State Police. "Preliminary reports indicate her death is not suspicious and she has been removed from the ship."

The other deceased person was a 23-year-old man. Investigators with three different divisions of the state police were combing the man's cabin on the ship and processing the scene for evidence.

Troopers have released little information about the incident but Procopio did say that they are treating the man's death as "potentially" suspicious due to his age and the still unknown cause of death.

According to state police, both passengers died separately on the ship Thursday.

According to the company's website, Norwegian Cruise Lines operates 13 different cruise ships and travels to almost a dozen destinations.

The company offers seven-day cruises to Bermuda aboard its Norwegian Dawn ship, but state police haven't identified a specific ship or its departing port.

Procopio said that the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office retains jurisdiction over all death investigations in Boston, and would be the agency to pursue a case should suspicious circumstances be discovered in relation to the man's death.