ICYMI: Mass. Firearm Background Checks Up; Bill Would Aid Vets

-- Background checks for firearms in Massachusetts were on the rise in the first three months of the year. [Worcester Telegram & Gazette]

-- The state Senate plans to unveil a bill that would give increased opportunities to veterans and their families. [State House News, via MetroWest Daily News]

-- A group at MIT has developed a sensor that can measure the ripeness of fruit. [BostInno]

-- A study questions whether Agent Orange exposure from Westover Air Force Base planes was enough to make crews sick. [Springfield Republican]

-- Portland, Maine, is working to block social networking and video streaming websites from district-issued laptops when students use the laptops at home. [Portland Press Herald]

-- Old Ironsides is getting repairs, using white oak from Indiana. [Boston Globe]