Northeastern-owned barn catches fire
A barn at Northeastern University’s Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland caught fire Friday night, an Ashland Fire official said. Conference Center staff members reported the fire shortly after it broke out at 8:30 p.m., and it was quickly put out by firefighters from Ashland, Hopkinton, Southborough and Sherborn, Lt. David Iarussi said. Damage was limited to the second floor of the two-story barn, which sits on a site donated to Northeastern that is used for conferences. No one was injured and no cause has been determined for the fire. Wiring and building inspectors were called in to investigate. Iarussi said Tuesday night the department has yet to estimate how much the damage was worth.
‘ ‘- Gal Tziperman Lotan, News Staff

First Amendment Center aids local newspaper
In late April, the Northeastern-based New England First Amendment Center and several Northeastern law school students helped Quincy-based daily newspaper The Patriot Ledger win access in court to initially-denied public records for a series of stories about disability retirement funds. The series ran June 18 to 20. Journalism professor and center director Walter Robinson said he worked with law students James Bair and Laureli Mallek, as well as pro-bono legal representatives from Bingham McCutchen LLP, to file suit against two retirement boards that refused to provide the names of the physicians for 38 public employees collecting disability pensions in several South Shore cities and towns. ‘We’re at the point now where news organizations simply don’t have the resources to undertake this kind of fight, so we’re hoping to step in and do that on behalf of them,’ Robinson said. This was the first case the First Amendment Center has been involved in. Robinson said the center is in the process of taking another public records case to court right now, but did not give specific details. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘- Rob Tokanel, News Staff

Spiritual Life to sponsor Harbor Islands trip
University Baptist Christian Chaplain Jen Johnston and The NU Spiritual Life Center will sponsor a trip to The Boston Harbor Islands Aug. 1, according to an announcement on the myNEU Portal. Tickets are $14 and will cover the round-trip ferry to Georges’ Island and a barbecue upon arrival, where students can explore the Civil War forts and play games. Interested students can contact [email protected].

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘- Rob Tokanel, News Staff