News in brief

NEWTON. Mayor David Cohen is reportedly expected to announce Friday if he will seek re-election next year, with the city facing a $12 million override vote on May 20 and Cohen himself facing calls to end his decade-long run.

The group Move Newton Forward sent a request to Cohen urging him to not run for re-election, adding that Cohen leaving office may make the override more likely to win voters’ support. The vote will determine either a boost in property taxes or a likely cut to critical city services.

Cohen also came under fire this week for including his previously ap-proved 28 percent raise in salary in the FY09 budget as the city struggles financially, a request he later withdrew.    METRO

BOSTON. A father and son who opened fire and killed four men eating lunch at a Boston restaurant in 1995 are asking for a new trial. In arguments before the state Supreme Judicial Court Thursday, lawyers for Anthony and Damien Clemente said the jury at their trial should have been allowed to hear evidence of their victims’ propensity for violence.    AP

LAWRENCE. A Lawrence neighborhood was evacuated Thursday after a freight car derailed and spilled a chemical along a stretch of train track.    AP

BOSTON. The state Insurance Commissioner has rejected a request for a sharp rate increase by the state’s home insurer of last resort. The FAIR plan had requested a 13.2 percent statewide increase, including a 25 percent increase for coastal homeowners.    AP