A building fire that spread to nearby brush in Kingston, Massachusetts, last weekend is now being investigated as a possible arson.
The fire was first reported just after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday in a building under construction on Wapping Road and…
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Man shot and killed by police in Springfield overnight
A man was shot and killed by police in Springfield, Massachusetts, overnight.
The Hampden District Attorney’s Office said that Springfield police were called to the area of Lyman Street around 1 a.m. and found a 24-year-old man in the do…
Man suspected of murder, accessory to murder in Fall River killings is arrested
A man wanted in the killings of three people in two separate Fall River incidents was arrested Wednesday in New Bedford, Massachusetts, prosecutors said.
Tajon Saxon, 26, had been sought for nearly a year, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday, in announcing his arrest.
Saxon faces murder and gun charges in the killing of Diamonte Odom, 23, on May 13, 2023, and was wanted on accessory to murder charges in the May 2021 killings of Jovaughn Mills and Miguel Sanjurjo, prosecutors said.
Saxon was due in Fall River Superior Court Thursday morning to face the charges. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to his arrest.
Authorities didn’t say how Saxon was tracked down and arrested.
Odom was shot in the face on County Street near Flint Street and died hours later at Rhode Island Hospital, officials have said. Another man was also indicted on murder and gun charges in his death.
5 Mass. towns declare state of emergency over ongoing brush fires
Five Massachusetts towns have declared a state of emergency due to the continued fire activity across the state.
Town officials in Boxford, Middleton, North Reading, North Andover, and Danvers announced that a state of emergency has been declared in their communities as of Thursday.
The declaration authorizes and directs town officials to take appropriate action to respond to this ongoing situation, including what they deem necessary to utilize and coordinate the services, equipment, supplies, and facilities of existing departments, offices, and agencies or the community, both locally, regionally, statewide and nationally. This can include “extraordinary actions” for the purposes of emergency management to prevent minimize, or mitigate damage to public health, safety, or general welfare of residents in these five towns.
The declaration of emergency will remain in effect until a notice is given by the select board.
According to a press release from the towns, there have been 403 active fires reported in the Commonwealth in November, with over 1,063 acres burnt. There has continued to be an elevated fire risk as level 3 critical drought conditions exist in the region with nearly 8-11 inches of rain deficit.
Bay State communities have battled unprecedented brush fires in recent weeks and have needed state and mutual aid assistance, including fire personnel from neighboring states.
The brush fires are “causing hazardous impacts, including smoke impacts, falling trees and dead snags within burned areas alongside other risks to firefighters, loss of forest stock, obstruction of roadways, damage to buildings and infrastructure in burn areas, damage to fire equipment and rolling stock, and a great financial burden,” town officials said.
According to town officials, they are acting upon advice from their fire chiefs and emergency management director in determining that the wildfires pose a present, reasonable and imminent danger to public health, safety, or general welfare fore residents of Boxford, Danvers, Middleton, North Reading and North Andover, or their property.
FBI activity in Everett Thursday morning
There was an FBI presence in Everett, Massachusetts, early Thursday, but there’s no threat to public safety, according to the agency’s Boston field office.
A spokesperson for FBI Boston confirms they are conducting court-authorized…
Could North Shore teacher strikes impact school vacation time?
It’s yet another day without classes for three North Shore districts where teachers are continuing to strike, and now some Massachusetts families are beginning to wonder — how will all of this missed time be made up?
Gloucester and Beverly students have been out of school for nine days now, while Marblehead has been out for eight — they’ve all surpassed tacking on days to the end of the school year, and we haven’t even hit winter yet.
State law requires public school students to attend 180 days of school, and they cannot go to school beyond June 30. So the districts are looking at having students go to school during February or April vacation, or even Saturdays, because as of Thursday, all three districts have used up all the so-called “snow days” they had built into their calendars.
Beyond that, parents are getting concerned about potential learning loss for their children being out of the classroom for so long, and the uncertainty every day has become exhausting for families.
“They’re scrambling trying to find sitters at the last minute because what, we get the phone call at 7:30 at night?” said Melissa Wiley, a Beverly mother. “I don’t know what to expect from day to day you know. Are they going to be able to go back to school tomorrow?”
Gov. Maura Healey has called for a resolution, saying this is so hard for kids and their parents in these districts.
“I really strongly encourage both sides to work this out in each of the communities and let’s get these children back in school,” the governor said.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume Thursday morning in all three districts as the unions meanwhile continue to rack up fines for these strikes, which are illegal in Massachusetts.
