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New England in brief

BOSTON

Baby’s death called ‘tragic accident’

Police are calling the death of a 10-month-old girl who drowned in a bathtub in South Boston Tuesday evening a “tragic accident.’’ According to police spokeswoman Rachel McGuire, the girl drowned in a bathtub at an apartment on Logan Way. The child was taken to Boston Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at about 10 p.m. Police said the death is not suspicious, but the state Department of Children and Families was notified as part of protocol. “Our investigation leads us to believe it’s a tragic accident,’’ McGuire said.

Patrick to join crisis leadership panel

Deval Patrick, whose eight-year run in the corner office covered the Boston Marathon bombings of April 2013, will join panelists in Washington, D.C., next week to discuss the challenges of leading during terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson is hosting the panel, which will also include Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, and former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak. (State House News Service)

NORTON

Man struck and killed by delivery truck

A 63-year-old Foxborough man was struck and killed by a delivery truck in the parking lot of his work place in Norton on Wednesday, police said. Michael Hassett, an employee at Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture, was struck by a vehicle in the rear parking lot of the corporate office on East Main Street at about 1 p.m., Norton police said in a statement on Facebook. Hassett was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The delivery truck was owned by NEHDS, a subcontractor that delivers furniture for Bernie & Phyl’s, the statement said. The driver of the truck had not been arrested or charged as of late Wednesday.

FALL RIVER

Smoking is called cause of fatal fire

A fire that killed a 61-year-old man in Fall River Sunday was caused by smoking, officials said Wednesday. “The victim ignited himself while smoking a cigar and using a refillable lighter that used lighter fluid,’’ the state fire marshal’s office said. The victim, Joseph Mello, lived on the third floor a three-family home on Eastern Avenue. Mello’s relatives on the first-floor escaped safely. Investigators found no smoke alarms in Mello’s apartment. The lack of working smoke alarms has led to seven fire-related deaths in the past three weeks, said Acting State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.

Corrections officer faces drug charges

A state corrections officer pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of selling heroin, prosecutors said. Stephen Lebreux, 40, of Swansea, was arraigned in Fall River District Court and ordered held on $20,000 cash bail, said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn. Lebreux was charged with trafficking heroin, State Police said in a statement. Lebreux worked at MCI-Bridgewater, a complex that includes Bridgewater State Hospital for the violent mentally ill and two medium-security prisons, State Police said in a statement. While he was off duty and not at the prison, Lebreux sold heroin to an undercover state trooper multiple times, authorities said.

WORCESTER

Firefighter charged with sex assault

A Shrewsbury firefighter has been charged with sexually assaulting his children’s teenage baby sitter. Sean Bohdiewicz, who works for the Shrewsbury Fire Department, was released without bail after pleading not guilty Tuesday. Prosecutors said the 35-year-old firefighter made inappropriate comments about the 15-year-old girl’s body and one time climbed into bed with her when she stayed over at the family’s Auburn home. She had been hired to take care of Bohdiewicz’s children, ages 2 and 5. (AP)