Summer heat returns to the forecast Thursday. Highs soar back to the mid and upper 80s with a solid dose of humidity. We’re rain-free Thursday with the thunder threat focused on Friday.
It’s an interesting forecast Friday. Thunder will …
Massachusetts
Chestnut Hill shopping plaza opens massive expansion: Here’s a closer look at some of its 25 shops
The Street shopping center in Chestnut Hill will open a 90,000 square-foot addition on Thursday with what’ll eventually be more than 25 retailers.
Among the brands are the newly announced jewelry store Mejuri and the clothing retailer Todd Snyder….
Newton arts center receives bomb threat before Pride event
A small arts center in Newton, Massachusetts, received a bomb threat less than an hour before a Pride event was set to begin.
New Art Center Executive Director Emily O’Neil says she believes the threat was made outside the country, with a drag queen story hour being the catalyst.
The email read, “New Art Center … at 11 am will go boom. Bombs placed on the rooftops.”
It’s the first bomb threat the New Art Center has received in its 47-year history, but drag story times have been a focus for anti-trans groups in recent years.
“I think it’s kind of a touchpoint for people who want to express hate,” said Reggie Woolery, deputy director of education at the New Art Center.
O’Neil immediately called police, who told everyone to evacuate. The Newton Fire Department searched the slate roof of the building – a church from the 1870s.
“We had a really short time frame to figure it out, from the time we got the threat to the time that people were supposed to be in the building celebrating pride,” O’Neil said.
Police ultimately cleared the art center, saying there was no need to cancel Sunday’s event.
“‘Bomb’ is a word that we easily could have just not had the event,” Woolery said. “We felt that we were safe and that we could go on with the event, and I love that.”
While some chose to leave, about 30 families stayed for Storytime with Missy Steak.
“My staff members and Missy Steak, who was here to perform, all felt that putting ourselves forward and having this event and saying no to hatred was the right thing to do,” O’Neil said.
Police say the investigation into the bomb threat is ongoing.
Man injured in Worcester shooting
A man was injured in a shooting Wednesday in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Police say they responded to the bus terminal area at Union Station around 6:30 p.m. They say the shooting did not occur on a bus.
The man was hospitalized, but police did no…
Man spent $68K through employer’s Amazon account on items for his band, investigators say
A Medford, Massachusetts, man is accused of spending tens of thousands of dollars through his employer’s Amazon account on equipment for his band.
Gareth Flanagan, 52, worked for the New England School of Law (NESL) as its IT director, accord…
160 whales spotted in waters off Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket
It was an incredible scene off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket when researchers spotted more than 160 whales during a flyover.
The amazing pictures of the whale were posted on social media this week.
There were seven different species captured during the NOAA flight at the end of May, including 93 seiwhales, 36 humpback whales, 21 fin whales, four sperm whales, three North Atlantic right whales, two killer whales and two killer whales, NOAA posted on Instagram.
“They had a really lucky sighting day to see that many animals at once. If you do look back at their aerial survey data, you do see that they’ve had a lot of days with like 50 sightings, 50 to 60 plus sightings. So, it’s maybe double of what they normally see,” Lauren Brandkamp, with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, said.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, six out of the 13 great whale species are classified as endangered or vulnerable, even after decades of protection.
