Published June 8, 2011

The state’s troubled Probation Department is under fire again. Former probation commissioner John J. O’Brien, who resigned on New Year’s Eve amidst allegations of corruption, may have awarded a multimillion dollar state contract based on “favoritism, fraud, or improper influence,” according to the Globe.

Boston police are concerned about an uptick in shootings and murders in the city. There were eight murders and 51 shootings in the first four months of the year, but last month alone saw four homicides and 28 shootings. We’ve been mapping all of the Boston homicides this year.

The tornadoes that tore through the western and central parts of the state created millions of dollars in damage. Reporter Anne Mostue visited the devastating scenes.

You know how you look up directions on Google Maps and it’ll tell you how long it takes to get from your house to the movies on the T? And then how your bus is late and you miss the beginning of “Bridesmaids?” Now, you won’t have to miss a second of hilarity because Boston is one of four U.S. cities in which Google Maps has integrated real-time transit data into its Google Maps. (Via UniversalHub)

Ahead of the New Hampshire primary, we’re taking a long look at the state’s politics. WBUR’s Fred Thys reports on the changing political leanings in the small town of Mont Vernon, N.H.

The Bruins look to even up the Stanley Cup finals at two games apiece with a win tonight the TD Garden. Both teams will come out firing after Monday’s illegal hit on Bruins forward Nathan Horton knocked him out of the series.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on the huge fire at a Rhode Island mill, the DeCordova Museum’s support of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei and the closing arguments in the DiMasi trial.