BOSTON (AP) - Police on both ends of the state are dealing with separate, brutal attacks.

In Boston, police say two men were attacked by a man with a hatchet after arguing with him while they were drinking. Police said both were in stable condition with head wounds and a suspect was at large Saturday.

In Springfield, a 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly kicking a man's face repeatedly with steel-toed boots.

Police say the 33-year-old victim was found in a pool of blood early Saturday after three men knocked him down and one kicked him,

(NECN) - Police in Shelton, Conn. are reconstructing the scene of an accident after two teenagers died in an overnight crash.

Police say the crash killed the 19-year old male driver from Stratford, along with his 18-year old girlfriend from Shelton.

She was riding in the passenger seat.

Another 18-year-old female was in the backseat. She was taken to the hospital, and is listed in stable condition.

Officers say the car veered off of Rt. 8 and went over an embankment around 11pm Friday.

Police say speed may be factor.

(NECN: Jeff Saperstone, Dorchester, Mass.) - The scramble to get the swine flu vaccine continues.

Today, a health center in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood opened its doors to a free H1N1 flu clinic.

However, because there is still a limited supply of the swine flu vaccine, only high-risk groups such as pregnant women, kids, and emergency workers were being offered the shot.

About 700 doses of the vaccine were available.

NECN's Jeff Saperstone joins us from outside the Codman Square Health Center with more.

BOSTON (AP) - Transportation officials say planning ahead and avoiding traffic "hot spots" could make things a lot smoother for Thanksgiving travelers in Massachusetts.

Traffic will be heaviest between Wednesday and Sunday. Some of the worst congestion could be on the Massachusetts Turnpike at Interchange 9, which connects travelers headed to Connecticut and New York to I-84.

Motorists are advised to travel early in the morning or after 8 p.m., if possible.

The state's 18 highway service plazas will offer free coffee

BOSTON (AP) - Salvation Army officials are expecting a record turnout when they distribute 1,200 Thanksgiving food baskets.

The Salvation Army is distributing the baskets Saturday at its facility in Boston's South End.

Officials say the organization has seen a 30 percent increase in requests for services in Massachusetts this year. They say that's been driven by the poor economy and high unemployment rates.

The Salvation Army says every family that lines up will get a Thanksgiving bundle with a complete holiday meal, including a

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Mother Nature has postponed opening day for some Vermont ski areas.

Stowe, Sugarbush and Okemo Mountain Resort had planned to open Saturday but have pushed back the date because warm weather has hindered snowmaking.

Sugarbush now plans to open Thanksgiving weekend, or possibly Thanksgiving Day. Stowe officials also want to open on or around Thanksgiving weekend. Okemo says it's put off opening day until further notice.

Killington Resort still plans to be open this weekend.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Gov. John Baldacci says nearly every department in state government will see further cuts in their programs.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, the governor says, "It isn't pretty, but it is necessary."

Baldacci on Friday announced $63 million in spending holdbacks to reflect plunging revenues. Hardest hit will be education and human services.

In the Republican response, Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jon Courtney of Sanford says that when the Legislature returns in January to cut the budget, his party will be committed to finding

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - An Augusta woman who says she contracted an E. Coli infection after eating meat produced by New York-based Fairbank Farms has filed a lawsuit against the company.

Last month, Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y., recalled almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that had been distributed in September to stores from North Carolina to Maine.

Lawyers for Margaret Long say she ate the product on Sept. 23, was hospitalized six days later and tested positive for the same strain of E. coli found in the recalled meat.

(NECN: Scot Yount, Methuen, Mass.) - The holiday season generally kicks off next week with Thanksgiving. But with temperatures above 60 degrees, you might find it a little difficult to get into the holiday spirit.

NECN's Scot Yount has been sampling people's holiday spirit.

(NECN: Ally Donnelly, Boston) - Children. Advocates call them the hidden faces of homelessness. In Massachusetts alone there are a reported 100-thousand children who don't have a permanent place to call home, half of these kids are under age six.

In Boston, one non-profit aims to give children a safe place to learn and grow while helping their parents become financially self sufficient.

In tonight’s cover story, NECN's Ally Donnelly profiles Horizons for Homeless Children.

A typical day for thousands of families across Massachusetts, daycare drop off.