■Dr. S. Ralph Harlow, 87, professor emeritus of religion and social ethics at Smith College, and well-known civic leader in this city, died Monday at his summer home at Oak Bluffs. He also maintained a home in New York City. He came to Smith College in 1923.
■The Northampton Police Department has enough patrolmen, but not enough supervisory officers. It has too many two-man patrol cars and its efficiency is hampered by the department’s long-standing seniority system. These are the main conclusions of a report released without comment yesterday by Mayor Sean Dunphy.
■Wayne M. Feiden, expected to be confirmed tonight as the city’s director of planning and development, says he’s excited about his new post because it is one that can help the community shape itself. “Part of what long-range planning is about is trying to get the community to define its vision,” he says.
■Two buildings long owned and maintained by Our Lady of the Annunciation Church are up for sale. The Rev. Roy Duquette, pastor of the Beacon Street parish, says that the church’s Temperance Hall and Knights of Columbus buildings on Pine Street are for sale.
■The Republican Party’s platform committee approved anti-abortion language Tuesday without adding exceptions for rape. The draft 2012 platform states that “the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed” and includes support for “a human life amendment to the Constitution.”
■Casino giant MGM Resorts International planned to formally unveil its plans for a “Major entertainment complex” in Springfield, adding to the expected competition for the sole resort casino license in western Massachusetts. The company has been seeking a new location for a casino since announcing in March that it was abandoning plans to develop a resort in the rural town of Brimfield.