Jurors in the murder trial of Karen Read, accused of striking her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV, are currently deliberating her guilt or innocence on three separate charges.
Prosecutors said Read struck John O’Keefe with her vehicle …
Massachusetts
Quincy man to be sentenced for 2022 hate crime
A Quincy, Massachusetts, man who pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime will be sentenced on Wednesday.
John Sullivan admitted to threatening to kill a Vietnamese family he encountered outside of a post office in Quincy, and then nearly running over one of the family members with his car.
The incident happened on Dec. 2, 2022.
Sullivan, 78, could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Raging fire rips through bar in Roxbury
A raging fire ripped through a bar in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
The fire occurred around midnight at 134 Smith Street, the Boston Fire Department said. That’s the address of The Squealing Pig.
Video of th…
Hot and humid Wednesday, with late day storms on tap
Wednesday is the hottest day on the 10-day forecast, and it will feel every bit of 90 degrees with the humidity.
Thunder may pop late day, but there will be very few storms to go around into the early evening. We’ll all get a chance to get downpours and rumbles later Wednesday night, however, as the sky opens up with a frontal passage.
All told, up to an inch of rain may fall in spots (some spots get less, some spots get a little more). All the rain is on its way out first thing in the morning.
That bodes well for the Thursday forecast. With falling humidity and increasing sun, the day is shaping up to be a winner.
Friday is the dazzler of the week, with low humidity and plenty of blue skies. It’s a cool start in the 50s (with some isolated 48/49-degree readings in the coolest spots) but full sun will push us back to the upper 70s with a gentle afternoon sea breeze.
The weekend has issues, but it’s not entirely washed out. Some showers could catch up to us Saturday afternoon, then hotter temps and some afternoon thunder possible on Sunday. We’ll sort out the timing and assess the threats in the days to come.
Fire burns at home in Brockton
A house fire was burning Tuesday night in downtown Brockton, Massachusetts, fire officials said.
The burning home was on Green Street off Main Street, according to the Brockton Fire Department. They didn’t have more details, including if any…
Chief gets 1-year contract extension amid Canton PD audit, Karen Read trial
As the town of Canton awaits a verdict in the high-profile Karen Read murder trial, supporters of the defendant say its police department needs a shakeup and that Police Chief Helena Rafferty needs to go, even though she wasn’t the chief when the case that’s captivated Massachusetts began.
“We need a police chief who’s concerned about the safety of all Canton residents, not just the well-connected townies,” Canton resident Kathleen Howley said.
A vocal group of Canton residents says the Read investigation was botched and has been asking the town’s select board for months to not renew Rafferty’s contract.
“We need someone from the outside,” said Canton resident Rita Lombardi, who tried to unseat Chair Michael Loughran on the board this spring in part because of how the case was handled.
The select board’s agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting included a vote on approving a new contract for Rafferty, which they did, but for one year, rather than three.
Before the board voted, several residents urged the select board to fire the chief.
“I think we need to send a message that the status quo is no longer OK,” resident Liza Colburn said.
Loughran said the majority of the board decided to renew the chief’s contract for only one year in order to let things settle down once the Read case concludes, and so that an audit of the police force can be completed.
“We want to get through the trial,” Loughran said. “We want to get the police audit and give her a chance to respond to what the audit finds and take appropriate steps to correct whatever the audit points out.”
The board voted 3 to 1 to renew the contract for a year. Select Board Member Chris Albert abstained from the vote as he was a witness in the Karen Read case.
Patricia Boyden was the sole select board member to vote against a new contract for Rafferty, saying, “While she’s a nice person, part of the force since 1989, it’s just the past two years have been crazy and I think we need someone new and outside to bring this town back.”
Rafferty has not responded to a request for comment.
Also this year, Rafferty was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk for hitting a person with her vehicle while driving in Wrentham. Weeks later, after the crash was publicly reported, she issued a statement calling the incident “an unfortunate accident,” and noting that, “Upon further reflection and considering the amount of attention that has been focused on Canton, I should have issued a statement sooner.”
The Canton police audit was approved last year by a 903 to 800 vote, done by hand. It was spearheaded by Howley.
