VERNON, Conn.

Woman in son’s stabbing ruled incompetent for trial

A Connecticut judge has ruled that a woman accused of stabbing her disabled, autistic son 35 times isn’t competent to stand trial.

Rockville Superior Court Judge Terence Sullivan said Friday that 40-year-old Robbin Foster wouldn’t be able to understand the proceedings or assist in her defense.

Foster was arrested in August after allegedly stabbing her son, then trying to blame it on a local teenager. According to a police report, she indicated she wanted relief from the pressure of caring for her son, who can’t speak or hear. The teenager survived the attack.

A prosecutor argued Friday that Foster tried to hide the crime and seemed to know she was in trouble. But a psychiatrist testified that Foster’s IQ was extremely low.

CONCORD, N.H.

State troopers assigned to protect House speaker

New Hampshire state troopers were assigned to House Speaker William O’Brien’s home hours after heated protests during a Statehouse budget hearing.

N.H. State Police commander Col. Robert Quinn told the Portsmouth Herald that troopers were assigned to provide the security detail at O’Brien’s home in Mont Vernon on Thursday night. Quinn described it as a rare occurrence.

Earlier that day, O’Brien presided over the House passage of a new budget that makes deep cuts in social programs and strips public unions of much of their bargaining power. It also cuts 17 trooper positions.

On Thursday morning, O’Brien closed the House gallery after an outburst by protesters. He reopened it at about the same time two former Democratic state senators asked a judge to force O’Brien to reopen it.

N.E. tourism industry looks to attract overseas visitors

New England’s tourism industry is looking to attract more overseas visitors by emphasizing a variety of recreational activities, from sailing trips to bed-and-breakfast bike routes.

More than 1.6 million visitors from overseas — not including Canada and Mexico — came to New England in 2009, a slight decrease from the year before because of the global economy.

But projections indicate a growth in overseas visitors through at least 2015, according to Discover New England, a marketing alliance for the six-state region that’s holding its annual tourism summit Monday.

The region also is seeing more visits from families, in addition to couples. Good shopping values, cheaper gasoline — it still costs less in the United States even with the rising prices — and the ability to see a variety of attractions in a relatively small area are some of the draws, tourism officials say.

Each state contributes $100,000 annually to Discover New England, which has staff representing them overseas at consumer and travel trade shows.

Staffers work up news releases on New England attractions that are distributed to tourism groups and media overseas.

Discover New England staffers also help arrange trips for reporters and tour operators to New England so when they return home, they can write about them.

WORCESTER, Mass.

State ready to replace trees lost to Asian beetle invasion

The state is getting ready to start planting trees in the Worcester area to replace those taken down because of the region’s Asian longhorned beetle invasion.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation is now making appointments with property owners who want new trees and live in the 94-square-mile regulated area. State foresters will visit the locations to discuss tree selection and placement.

The state has already planted nearly 4,000 trees in the area and the goal is to plant 15,000 by the spring of 2012. The trees are paid for by a $4.5 million federal grant.

Nearly 30,000 trees either infected or at risk of infection by the hardwood-killing beetle have been taken down in Worcester, Boylston, West Boylston, Holden and Shrewsbury since August 2008.