Hobson Avoids Jail

Former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson has agreed to enter a state program for first-time criminal offenders and will avoid jail time for a cocaine possession charge.

In a settlement statement approved by the attorney general’s office, Hobson acknowledged using cocaine in the past, but did not admit any guilt. He will be required to lecture young people about the dangers of drugs, and may have to have drug testing and counseling.

An arrest warrant was issued for Providence point guard God Shammgod after he failed to appear for a court hearing on a summons for a traffic accident.

Former Montana State University athlete Greg Taylor denies cheating on correspondence study so he could play basketball. The NCAA this month placed the MSU men’s basketball program on probation for two years, after the school reported a violation involving an assistant coach’s recruitment of a junior-college athlete.