A man has died after a car struck the mobility scooter he was riding Tuesday night in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Pittsfield police tell NBC10 Boston affiliate WWLP that the pedestrian crash occurred on Second Street around 7 p.m.
A preliminary i…
Massachusetts
MBTA gets $67.6M in federal funds to improve Green Line accessibility
MBTA officials will get tens of millions of new federal dollars to improve accessibility at above-ground Green Line stations.
The Federal Transit Administration announced Tuesday it awarded $67.6 million to the T to assist with station platform wor…
Northeastern University to expand into NYC with planned merger
Northeastern University’s next campus outside of Boston will be in New York City, according to a planned merger with a liberal arts college in the city announced Wednesday.
The merger with Marymount Manhattan College, in the city’s Upper East Side, would create Northeastern University – New York City, Northeastern’s 14th global university system campus, according to a news release.
“As always, our guiding principles for building the Global University System remain: Enhanced mobility for undergraduates; industry-aligned lifelong learning opportunities; and unparalleled opportunities for faculty to globalize their teaching and research. And because no other university has built a global system quite like Northeastern’s, we are differentiating ourselves at a time of great uncertainty in higher education,” Northeastern President Joseph Aoun said in a message to the community.
The merger has been approved by the governing boards of Northeastern and Marymount, but still requires the approval of state and federal regulatory agencies, according to both schools.
The chair of Marymoutn’s Board of Trustees, Abby Fiorella, cited “the significant headwinds facing small liberal arts colleges” in explaining their decision to pursue the merger.
“The agreement provides an incredible opportunity for MMC students to benefit from the extensive resources and global learning network that defines Northeastern University, while preserving MMC’s mission and signature programs,” she said in a statement.
Northeastern pursued similar arrangements in expanding across the U.S. and over the Atlantic in recent years. It partnered with New College of the Humanities in London to create its campus there in 2019 and merged with Mills College in Oakland in 2022.
More higher education news
Kowloon teams up with Levia to launch Mai Tai cannabis-infused seltzer
An iconic restaurant on Massachusetts’ North Shore is branching out and cashing in on a budding industry.
Kowloon Restaurant has partnered with Levia, AYR’s brand of cannabis-infused seltzers, and they’ve concocted their own cannabis cocktail that is inspired by the restaurant’s famous drink.
According to AYR Wellness, the LEVIA Kowloon Mai Tai Cannabis-Infused Seltzer “pays homage to Kowloon’s famous Mai Tais with a fast-acting, expertly formulated infused beverage bursting with vibrant, all-natural flavor.”
“By using all natural terpenes, our team was able to find the perfect combination to honor Kowloon’s iconic Mai Tai while staying true to our unmatched refreshing, low dose, zero calorie, zero sugar, fast acting sativa blend,” Kristin Rogers, co-founder of Levia Brands, said in a press release announcing the limited edition drink.
“Get ready for a HIGH-drating twist on a classic cocktail!,” AYR Wellness wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kowloon co-owner Bob Wong noted the demand for cannabis-infused beverages is rising and said they are pleased to meet customers’ evolving interests by putting a twist on their timeless cocktail.
“With more than seven decades in service, we are always looking for new ways to bring excitement and fun to our customers, and AYR has provided us an opportunity to do just that,” he said in a press release.
There’s a launch party to celebrate the drink’s release this weekend. It will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at AYR’s Dispensary in Watertown, located at 48 N. Beacon Street. The Kowloon food truck will be there, and they’ll have uninfused versions of the drink, outdoor games (weather permitting), swag giveaway, raffles and more.
“It brings us great pride to collaborate with one of Massachusetts’ most famous restaurants to create a one-of-a-kind cannabis beverage experience,” AYR CEO David Goubert said. “Kowloon is an institution in Greater Boston, a place where so many have celebrated and spent time with friends and family.”
“The Kowloon Restaurant holds a special place in the hearts of many in the Saugus & North Shore community, Massachusetts and beyond. We are honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Wong family and this legendary establishment,” Rogers said.
The new infused beverage will be available at AYR’s dispensaries across Greater Boston, as well as retail partners across the state, beginning on Saturday, June 1.
Levia will also provide samples of the uninfused beverage on Friday, June 14 at Kowloon’s 21+ evening of live music event, located at 948 Broadway in Saugus, Mass.
What was Karen Read’s blood alcohol level on the day John O’Keefe died? Here’s what we learned this week
A woman accused of leaving her Boston police officer boyfriend for dead in a snowbank after a night of drinking was still legally intoxicated or close to it roughly eight hours later, a former state police toxicologist testified Tuesday.
Prosecutors say Karen Read dropped John O’Keefe off at a house party hosted by a fellow officer in January 2022, struck him with her SUV and then drove away. Read has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, and her defense team argues that the homeowner’s relationship with local and state police tainted the investigation. They also say she was framed and that O’Keefe was beaten inside the home and left outside.
Watch the Karen Read trial live on nbcboston.com, NECN, NBC Boston streaming platforms (including Roku, Peacock and Samsung TV) and NBC10 Boston’s YouTube page. Every night of the trial at 7 p.m., come back for analysis and more.
As the highly publicized trial entered its fifth week, jurors heard from Nicholas Roberts, who analyzed blood test results from the hospital where Read was evaluated after O’Keefe’s body was discovered. He calculated that her blood alcohol content at 9 a.m., the time of the blood test, was between .078% and .083%, right around the legal limit for intoxication in Massachusetts. Based on a police report that suggested her last drink was at 12:45 a.m., her peak blood alcohol level would have been between .135% and .292%, he said.
Multiple witnesses have described Read frantically asking, “Did I hit him?” before O’Keefe was found or saying afterward, “I hit him.” Others have said the couple had a stormy relationship and O’Keefe was trying to end it.
John O’Keefe’s niece and nephew testify
O’Keefe had been raising his niece and nephew, and they told jurors Tuesday that they heard frequent arguments between him and Read. arguing between them increased in January. The children also said Read never called or wrote them after O’Keefe’s death.
The third-party culprit defense
The defense, which has been allowed to present what is called third-party culprit evidence, argues that investigators focused on Read because she was a “convenient outsider” who saved them from having to consider other suspects. Those they have implicated include Brian Albert, who owned the home in Canton where O’Keefe died, and Brian Higgins, a federal agent who was there that night.
Higgins, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified last week about exchanging flirtatious texts with Read in the weeks before O’Keefe’s death. On Tuesday he acknowledged extracting only those messages before throwing away his phone during the murder investigation.
Higgins said he replaced the phone because someone he was investigating for his job had gotten his number. He got a new phone and number on Sept. 29, 2022, a day before being served with a court order to preserve his phone, and then threw the old one away a few months later. Questioning Higgins on the stand, Read’s lawyer suggested the timing was suspicious.
“You knew when you were throwing that phone and the destroyed SIM card in the Dumpster, that from that day forward, no one would ever be able to access the content of what you and Brian Albert had discussed by text messages on your old phone,” attorney David Yannetti said.
Karen Read trial schedule
After a full day of hearing from witnesses on Tuesday, no testimony is scheduled in the trial for the rest of the week. The case is scheduled to resume on Monday, June 3.
Two killed in Worcester fire overnight, 2 firefighters injured battling blaze
Two people were killed in a fire at a multi-family home in Worcester, Massachusetts, overnight.
Worcester firefighters were called to a report of a fire on Hancock Street with people trapped in the building around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived, they said they found heavy fire on the first floor, with conditions quickly deteriorating.
Fire crews made entry to the first floor and began trying to put out the fire and searching the building. During that search, two residents were found on the first floor, rescued by firefighters and taken to a local hospital, where they later died.
Two firefighters were also taken to a local hospital for evaluation. No update on the condition of the injured firefighters was immediately available.
Four adults and three children were displaced from their homes by the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.
