[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.]
A landmark North Shore dining spot that closed a couple of years ago only to reopen last spring under new ownership has shut down again.
According to a source, Salem Lowe at Salem Willo…
Massachusetts
Canton police suspend Det. Kevin Albert for 3 days without pay
Mail delivery issues in Boston with November election quickly approaching
Boston locals in Roxbury and Mission Hill have had enough. Mail delivery has apparently slowed to a crawl in recent months, putting the receipt of critical documents and services in doubt.
“It’s stunning to get a flyer from the health departme…
Sgt. Bukhenik disciplined for failing to reprimand Proctor over behavior in Read case
The Massachusetts State Police sergeant responsible for overseeing embattled Trooper Michael Proctor is facing discipline for his failure to reprimand his subordinate for inappropriate text messages sent during the Karen Read investigation.
Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik will forfeit five vacation days for his failure to “properly supervise and/or counsel a subordinate for sending inappropriate correspondence regarding an ongoing investigation,” according to the disciplinary order.
This all stems from behavior revealed during Proctor’s testimony during Read’s high-profile murder trial earlier this year. Read is accused of hitting and killing her Boston Police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in January 2022. Her defense team claims she was the victim of a police coverup.
In what became a key point of contention in the trial, Proctor acknowledged sending family members, friends and fellow members of the state police, including supervisors, what he said were “unprofessional and regrettable” texts about Read.
Reading out loud on the witness stand, he admitted calling Read “a whack job … c***” while he was investigating her.
When a friend said they were “sure the owner of the house will receive some s***,” Proctor replied, “Nope, homeowner is a Boston cop, too.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Proctor texted his sister, referring to Read, “Hopefully she kills herself.”
In court, Proctor testified that he sent a text while going through Read’s phone to co-workers, saying he had found “no nudes so far.” Bukhenik was among the troopers on that text chain.
A judge declared a mistrial in the Read case in July, but the prosecution has vowed to retry the case. With Proctor’s credibility now questioned, the fallout could affect not just Read’s case but other open investigations. Proctor was also a lead investigator in other high-profile cases, including the death of Ana Walshe, the Cohasset mother whose husband is accused of killing her and then hiding her dismembered body. With some cases yet to go to trial, impacts are possible on a significant list of cases.
Proctor remains under investigation and suspended without pay from the Massachusetts State Police.
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Mass. attorney general names investigator to review death of state police recruit
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has named attorney David Meier to lead an independent investigation into the death of state police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia.
Meier is a trial attorney for over 30 years and is a partner at Todd & Weld LLP, where he serves as chair of the firm’s Government Investigations and Criminal Defense Practice Group. From 2012-2013, he served as special counsel to former Gov. Deval Patrick in overseeing the investigation into the identification of all individuals potentially impacted by the misconduct at the Hinton State Drug Laboratory.
Prior to his time in private practice, he served as chief of homicide in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he supervised the investigation, prosecution and trial of homicides in the county.
“Trooper Delgado-Garcia lost his life while training to protect and serve the Commonwealth, and I want to thank his family and the public for their patience as we sought to identify the most appropriate authority to investigate the facts surrounding his tragic death,” Campbell said in a statement. “Today, I am appointing Attorney David Meier to lead that investigation. Mr. Meier has deep experience in death investigations and will ensure independence and integrity in this matter.”
“The investigation into Trooper Delgado-Garcia’s death will be undertaken professionally, thoroughly, and responsibly,” Meier added. “The Delgado-Garcia family, their community, and the public have been waiting patiently. It is now time to get to work.”
Campbell said Meier will have “complete authority” to select his own investigative and legal team and to make his own independent decisions about the facts, the evidence and the course of the investigation. He and his investigative team will be supported by the attorney general’s office, and Campbell said her office will be briefed throughout the investigation.
“The Massachusetts State Police will have no role in the investigative team or decision-making process,” the attorney general’s office said.
More to come.
More on Enrique Delgado-Garcia’s death
New poll tests statewide support for MBTA zoning law
The controversial MBTA Communities Act has generated legal action and plenty of hand-wringing around Beacon Hill, but a new poll found voters are more likely to support the zoning reform measure than oppose it.
An even 50% of likely voters think the law enacted in 2021 is “good policy,” compared to 31% who called it “bad policy,” a 19-point difference, according to a MassINC Polling Group poll published Monday. Another 19% said they did not know or refused to answer the question.
Lawmakers tucked language now known as the MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities and towns with or close to T service to zone for multifamily housing by right, into an economic development bond bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed in 2021.
Many cities and towns have complied, but some have bristled at the state-issued requirements, arguing that it could clear the way for excessive development. The town of Milton refused to comply, and a state lawsuit against the community will go before the Supreme Judicial Court next month.
Pollsters described the law as “requir[ing] cities and towns in the MBTA region to create zoning for a certain amount of multi-family housing to be built.”
The survey conducted for WBUR and CommonWealth Beacon ran between Sept. 12 and Sept. 18 and involved 800 likely voters. It has a margin of error of 4.1% points.
A plurality of voters also signaled displeasure with Beacon Hill’s transparency, long a target of criticism from good government activists and interest groups across the political spectrum.
Asked if they would rate the Bay State’s government as mostly operating “in a way that is open and transparent,” 45% said it does not compared to 36% who believe it does.
Most of the new poll focused on national issues with about six weeks left until voters pick a new U.S. president.
Nearly six in 10 voters said they would pick Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, if the election were today. The Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, earned 31% support, and 3% of voters said they would select Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who in August suspended his independent campaign and endorsed Trump.
When pollsters limited the options to just Harris or Trump, Harris earned 63% support to Trump’s 35%.
Another Democrat, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, also saw a sizable margin of support in the new poll. About 56% of voters said they would award Warren another term if the election were held today, compared to 35% who would vote for Republican John Deaton.
Top issues voters cited in the presidential election are jobs, wages and the economy (picked by 55% of respondents), abortion and reproductive rights (51%), the future of democracy in America (50%), and immigration policy (45%).
Two-thirds of likely Massachusetts voters said they think the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the federal right to an abortion enshrined in Roe v. Wade was the wrong decision, and 62% also disagreed with a court decision that presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts in office.
Three in four respondents said they would strongly or somewhat support a proposal to remove lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices and instead grant each judge on the high court a single 18-year term.
