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Record snow in New England

CONCORD, N.H.

Another snowstorm swept across New England on Wednesday, toppling seasonal snowfall records and dumping so much heavy snow on buildings that some collapsed under the weight.

"People can't keep up with the snow. They think it's going to stop, but it's just not stopping," said Shawn Greenwood, owner of Greenwood Construction in St. Johnsbury, Vt.

"I've been roofing for 20 years and this is the worst I've ever seen," he said. "I was shoveling a roof off one day two weeks ago and the house next door caved in."

In Vermont, Burlington's 7.6 inches pushed the official snowfall past the February record of 34.3 inches and the winter record from December, January and February of 96.9 inches.

This storm dropped about a foot of snow in parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

WASHINGTON

Amtrak must replace defective track ties

Amtrak must spend tens of millions of dollars to replace defective ties on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor or risk delays and loss of business, the railroad warns.

The concrete ties were purchased beginning in the 1990s and have already begun to crack, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said Wednesday. Concrete ties normally last about 50 years.

If concrete ties fracture severely, they can't properly support the rails, Black said. He stressed that the problem does not pose a danger because it was caught early and is being addressed.

The cost of fixing the problem is still unclear. But in its annual funding request to Congress last week, Amtrak said it expects to spend at least $23.5-million on it this year alone. Costs are likely to be similar next year, Black said.

The ties are made by Rocla Concrete Tie Inc. in Bear, Del. Under the terms of the contract, Amtrak said, the supplier must replace the defective ties for free but won't reimburse Amtrak for the labor.

New York's Metro-North commuter railroad sued the company in 2006 for premature cracks in ties purchased in 1997. The case was settled out of court.

Also

University shooting: The Northern Illinois University building where a gunman killed five students on Feb. 14 will be demolished and replaced, school officials said Wednesday.

Officer sentenced: Former police officer Bobby Cutts Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to at least 57 years in prison for killing his pregnant lover and her fetus last June in Ohio.

Murder for hire: A Massachusetts man who tried to pay a gang member $2,000 to kill his estranged wife, mother-in-law and 9-year-old daughter last year pleaded guilty Wednesday in a deal that could send him to federal prison for 12 years. The plot was uncovered when the gang member's mother called the FBI. A judge will sentence John Orlowski, 49, in May.

Body parts: A man accused of plundering dead bodies and selling their parts to tissue companies will plead guilty after a New York judge refused Wednesday to let prosecutors renege on a deal they reached with him weeks ago. Michael Mastromarino, 44, will go to prison for up to 54 years.

Senator leaves hospital: Sen. John Warner, R-Va., returned to work Wednesday after doctors successfully treated his irregular heartbeat.

[Last modified February 28, 2008, 00:25:46]