BOSTON (Reuters) – New England bore the brunt of a stronger-than-expected winter storm on Friday, which brought a damaging storm surge to coastal Massachusetts and dropped more than a foot of snow on Boston and its surroundings.

The greatest damage came to Plum Island, a coastal community about 40 miles north of Boston, where a high tide and heavy storm surge pushed the sea about 10 feet higher than normal, causing one two-story beach front home to collapse on its side.

BOSTON (Reuters) – Nine months ago, Troy Clarke was introduced to Wall Street as Navistar International Corp’s (NAV.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) CEO-in-waiting. On Thursday, Clarke finally snagged that promotion, after the U.S. truck maker took a couple of unexpected detours.

First, Navistar’s then-CEO, Daniel Ustian, was ousted last August. He was replaced by former Textron Inc (TXT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) Chief Executive Lewis Campbell.

BOSTON (Reuters) – A judge said on Monday he would decide on accused Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger’s claim that he cannot be tried for 19 killings because former prosecutors gave him immunity.

District Court Judge Richard Stearns said there was no reason to put off a decision on Bulger’s claim, noting that there would be little reason to go forward with a trial if Bulger could prove he had a valid claim to immunity.

BOSTON (Reuters) – A judge said on Monday he would decide on accused Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger’s claim that he cannot be tried for 19 killings because former prosecutors gave him immunity.

District Court Judge Richard Stearns said there was no reason to put off a decision on Bulger’s claim, noting that there would be little reason to go forward with a trial if Bulger could prove he had a valid claim to immunity.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Governments have a key role in solving Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, and central banks can buy time but not take their place, European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said on Saturday.

The euro zone debt crisis has wrought havoc in the peripheral countries for three years, and the austerity-weary population is increasingly demanding an end to budget-balancing measures, seen as worsening the crisis.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) – Governments have a key role in solving Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, and central banks can buy time but not take their place, European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said on Saturday.

The euro zone debt crisis has wrought havoc in the peripheral countries for three years, and the austerity-weary population is increasingly demanding an end to budget-balancing measures, seen as worsening the crisis.

BOSTON, March 1 (Reuters) – A former Massachusetts state
treasurer on Friday admitted to violations of state ethics rules
related to his failed 2010 gubernatorial campaign and agreed to
pay a $100,000 fine in a settlement in which the state dropped
its criminal prosecution.

Tim Cahill, who was the Massachusetts treasurer from 2003
through 2011, was indicted last April on charges that he had
misused $1.5 million in funds intended to promote the state
lottery to advance his campaign prospects.

BOSTON, March 1 (Reuters) – The state of Massachusetts
agreed on Friday to drop the criminal prosecution of its former
treasurer on corruption charges related to his failed 2010
gubernatorial campaign, with the former official instead paying
a $100,000 civil fine.

The state had accused Tim Cahill of misusing $1.5 million in
funds intended to promote the state lottery to advance his
campaign prospects. Its last attempt to prosecute him ended in a
mistrial in December after jurors were unable to reach a
verdict.

BOSTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) – The city of Providence, Rhode
Island, on Tuesday sued a unit of Xerox Corp, saying it
had underestimated by about $10 million how much the city would
save when it renegotiated its pension benefits last year.

Providence charged in court papers that as it negotiated the
terms of changes to its pension benefits with workers and
retirees in 2012, the Buck Consultants arm of Xerox failed to
account for a cost-of-living adjustment paid to retirees during
the negotiations.

BOSTON (Reuters) – A Boston city councilor and education advocate became the first candidate to launch a campaign for mayor this year, which could potentially pit him against Thomas Menino, the longest-serving mayor in city history.

John Connolly, a former school teacher, would likely face an uphill fight if Menino, 70, seeks a sixth term in the office he has held since 1993. Both are Democrats.