Joe Dwinell – Boston Herald https://www.bostonherald.com Boston news, sports, politics, opinion, entertainment, weather and obituaries Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:23:38 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HeraldIcon.jpg?w=32 Joe Dwinell – Boston Herald https://www.bostonherald.com 32 32 153476095 From the Archives: Herald reaches back to 1848 https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/11/01/from-the-archives-herald-reaches-back-to-1848/ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:23:38 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3590108 How far back does the Herald go?

I’d say it is one of the top questions readers ask. Today I’ll help answer that one as best I can:

BOSTON_HERALD_November_1_1848_p1

BOSTON_HERALD_November_1_1848_p2

BOSTON_HERALD_November_1_1848_p3

BOSTON_HERALD_November_1_1848_p4

I dug up the four-page edition of the Nov. 1, 1848, evening edition of the Boston Herald. That year is as far back as our archive goes. We don’t have every month from back then, but we sure do have Nov. 1.

It’s a fascinating read from this day back then. Here are some photos from this date in history.

Dr. Albert Einstein, left, and Carl Laemmle, film executive, speak as the famed German scientist visits Hollywood motion picture studios, in Los Angeles, Nov. 1, 1931. It was later announced that Einstein had refused a large salary offer from a motion picture company. (AP Photo)
Dr. Albert Einstein, left, and Carl Laemmle, film executive, speak as the famed German scientist visits Hollywood motion picture studios, in Los Angeles, Nov. 1, 1931. It was later announced that Einstein had refused a large salary offer from a motion picture company. (AP Photo)
Clustered about a bomb dedicated to the Ashland Grade School, Ashland County, Ill., are men of the 14th Air Force in China on Nov. 1, 1943, who delivered the dedicated bomb to the Japanese at the request of Major General Claire Chennault, their commanding officer, after the children of the school had written him a letter telling how they had raised money enough to purchase a $25.00 War Bond. The men are, (kneeling, left to right): Capt. Charles C. Haynes, New York City; Capt. Leland B. Farnell; 1st Lieut. Donald J. Kohsiek, Akron, Ohio; Standing, -- left to right: T/Sgt. John J. Kelly, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Capt. James J. Grady, Morristown, N.J.; Pvt. Raymond P. Dillon, Chicago, III.; Col. Eugene H. Beebe, Moscow, Idaho; T/Sgt. Robt. A. Kunkel, Bridgeport, Conn.; T/Sgt. John B. Pauley Chelyau, W. Va.; S/Sgt. Aage V. Knudsen, Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Lent)
Clustered about a bomb dedicated to the Ashland Grade School, Ashland County, Ill., are men of the 14th Air Force in China on Nov. 1, 1943, who delivered the dedicated bomb to the Japanese at the request of Major General Claire Chennault, their commanding officer, after the children of the school had written him a letter telling how they had raised money enough to purchase a $25.00 War Bond. The men are, (kneeling, left to right): Capt. Charles C. Haynes, New York City; Capt. Leland B. Farnell; 1st Lieut. Donald J. Kohsiek, Akron, Ohio; Standing, — left to right: T/Sgt. John J. Kelly, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Capt. James J. Grady, Morristown, N.J.; Pvt. Raymond P. Dillon, Chicago, III.; Col. Eugene H. Beebe, Moscow, Idaho; T/Sgt. Robt. A. Kunkel, Bridgeport, Conn.; T/Sgt. John B. Pauley Chelyau, W. Va.; S/Sgt. Aage V. Knudsen, Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Lent)
Songstress Judy Garland and band leader-pianist Count Basie discuss music on Nov. 1, 1963, Basie will play during his guest appearance on CBS-TV’s “Judy Garland Show” on November 10. Singer Mel Torme will also make a guest appearance on the program. (AP Photo)
A squad leader of the 3rd brigade, U.S. 1st air cavalry division calls for attack across rice paddy outside a hamlet near Tam Ky, South Vietnam on Nov. 1, 1967. Troops were landed by helicopter during operation Wallowa. Action took place some 350 miles northeast of Saigon. (AP Photo)
A squad leader of the 3rd brigade, U.S. 1st air cavalry division calls for attack across rice paddy outside a hamlet near Tam Ky, South Vietnam on Nov. 1, 1967. Troops were landed by helicopter during operation Wallowa. Action took place some 350 miles northeast of Saigon. (AP Photo)
A new, foot-operated video game, played by model Linda Petersen, was introduced by the Bally Sente Co., at the Amusement and Music Operator's Association's 1985 Expo in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 1, 1985. The game, called "Stompin'," is played on a 3-by-3 foot floor mat that corresponds to a picture on the video console. The operator tries to squash armadas of spiders, frogs and mice trying to get at some cheese. (AP Photo/Mark Elias)
A new, foot-operated video game, played by model Linda Petersen, was introduced by the Bally Sente Co., at the Amusement and Music Operator’s Association’s 1985 Expo in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 1, 1985. The game, called “Stompin’,” is played on a 3-by-3 foot floor mat that corresponds to a picture on the video console. The operator tries to squash armadas of spiders, frogs and mice trying to get at some cheese. (AP Photo/Mark Elias)
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3590108 2023-11-01T13:23:38+00:00 2023-11-01T13:23:38+00:00
St. Anthony Shrine jumps in to Mass and Cass mess https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/11/01/st-anthony-shrine-jumps-in-to-mass-and-cass-mess/ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:22:29 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3582016 St. Anthony Shrine is part of the solution to today’s tent ban along the long-neglected Mass and Cass encampment.

“We’re going to get people into programs and change their lives,” said Fr. Thomas Conway, executive director of St. Anthony Shrine. “They just need a trained social worker to give them a little push.”

That’s where the Shrine’s Mary Ann Ponti, director of outreach programs at St. Anthony Shrine, goes to work.

“God bless Mary Ann,” said Conway. “She’s working on the mayor’s teams and is spending part of the week over on Mass and Cass.”

The Shrine, located in Downtown Crossing on Arch Street, has been a respite for the soul and for the hungry for decades. The friars and staff hold their annual fundraising gala tonight and donations go to missions like the one along Mass and Cass.

Conway said there’s no one answer to the opioid epidemic — seen in its raw reality in the encampment — but you have to begin with each individual.

“The answer is walking into a group of people and talking to each person. One you tell to ‘go home.’ Someone else needs help with heroin addiction or needs Alcoholics Anonymous; some need to go to Pine Street while others who have a warrant out on them need to go to court,” he added.

Conway said while the rest of Boston networks, some aren’t that adept at asking for help or seeing there’s a way out off the streets.

The Shrine is one place that has always been a beacon for those who don’t get much light in their life. Today will be a difficult transition for some along Mass and Cass — and the Shrine will once again be part of the solution.

To donate to the Shrine, go their website at stanthonyshrine.org.

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3582016 2023-11-01T04:22:29+00:00 2023-10-31T20:14:05+00:00
Ronald Druker named St. Anthony Shrine Pope Francis Award honoree https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/30/ronald-druker-named-st-anthony-shrine-pope-francis-award-honoree/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:20:54 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3570765 Ronald Druker says downtown Boston is his “home,” and his longtime neighbor is St. Anthony Shrine.

Ronald M. Druker (Contributed photo)
Ronald M. Druker (Contributed photo)

He’s seen the Shrine’s good works. The faith, the women’s clinic, the food pantry, counseling services, and respite offered to CEOs to the downtrodden.

“They do so much for people,” he said of his neighbor. “They have dedicated their life to others.”

He likened them to “first responders” for the soul.

Druker is president of the Druker Company, known for the mixed-use developments throughout the city, from Heritage on the Garden, The Colonnade Hotel and Residencies on Huntington Avenue and Atelier/505 in the South End, bios declare. He also helped found the Downtown Crossing Business Improvement District.

He’s long been quietly behind the city’s arts and cultural life scenes, too, and now he’s the recipient of the Shrine’s Pope Francis Award.

The Pope Francis Award is presented to an individual whose lifework “mirrors the charism and mission of St. Francis of Assisi, lover of the poor and the alienated. It honors one who embodies the Franciscan values of humility, compassion, respect and dignity of all people, and lives out the Gospel,” the Shrine states.

Druker joins the fraternity of Boston’s big-hearted donors who help keep the doors open at the Shrine. It’s a group that gives back for what makes this city unlike any other around.

The gala is Wednesday night at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. For those who can’t attend, the Shrine takes donations by phone or online.

The friars at the Shrine work in the shadows of all the skyscrapers.

Br. Paul O’Keeffe runs the counseling center for couples, families or anyone struggling with relationship or mental health issues.

There’s more: the Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents, the Father Mychal Judge Recovery Center, Haitian Ministry, Franciscan Spiritual Companionship, the Seniors Program and the Lazarus Ministry — a special service that provides funerals and burial for the homeless and abandoned, “the poorest of the poor.”

It’s an oasis of faith just off Downtown Crossing. Now, Ronald Druker is part of that family. But, he says, he’s always been a charter member.

“St. Anthony’s can turn people’s bad news into better news,” he said. “They work very hard and all are welcome” in this downtown.

 

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3570765 2023-10-30T18:20:54+00:00 2023-10-30T18:20:54+00:00
Larry Hogan slams Harvard ‘anti-Semitism’ in wake of incendiary open letter https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/23/larry-hogan-slams-harvard-anti-semitism-in-wake-of-incendiary-open-letter/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 19:19:51 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3498462 Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a top Republican, will no longer accept fellowships to Harvard University over what he says is “anti-Semitic vitriol” on campus in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on Israel.

He adds the school’s tepid response to protests is now a “moral stain” on its reputation.

“I cannot condone the dangerous anti-Semitism that has taken root on your campus,” Hogan wrote in a letter to Harvard President Claudine Gay that he also posted to X, the former Twitter platform.

“While these students have a right to free speech,” he added Monday, “they do not have a right to have hate speech go unchallenged by your institution.”

He said he was previously “honored” by the fellowships to both Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health — but he will no longer accept them “especially,” he added, after “more than 30 Harvard student organizations attempting to justify and celebrate Hamas’ terrorism against innocent Israeli and American civilians” posted an open letter right after the Oct. 7 ambush.

That letter, by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups, read, in part: “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence.”

That open letter continues to roil the Cambridge campus into a third week.

In his social media post, Hogan — a potential 2024 third-party presidential contender — said he told Gay Monday that he “must withdraw” an offer to “participate in fellowships” next month due to what he said was “dangerous anti-Semitism” on campus. He told her the Hamas attack was “horrific.”

He added he had just completed a “similar” fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics “just last week,” but he won’t be planning to come to Harvard next.

“The horrific terrorist attack was the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust and it should be universally condemned as exactly what it is: pure evil,” he wrote Gay.

He said, “Harvard’s failure to immediately and forcefully denounce the anti-Semitic vitriol from these students is in my opinion a moral stain on the University.”

He ends the letter by stating: “The lessons of history are clear: we must all do our part to take a clear stand in the face of genocidal acts against the Jewish people or any group. There is no ‘both sides’ when it comes to the murder, rape of innocent women and children.”

He adds, “there is no room for justification or equivocation.”

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

His post shot past 1 million views before the sun set Monday.

Harvard has not responded and the Kennedy School’s social media feed on X was about a “special symposium marking the inauguration” of Gay as president of the college.

Gay, in two statements in the wake of the open letter by pro-Palestinian groups on campus, said she condemned the “terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas” while also saying “students have the right to speak for themselves.”

Her response has not stopped others from pulling support from the university — including a “stunned and sickened” Wexner Foundation, a leading voice for the Jewish faith, which is pulling its support of $2 million-plus for Harvard.

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3498462 2023-10-23T15:19:51+00:00 2023-10-23T19:28:50+00:00
Boston Herald’s High School football database — Week 8 https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/23/herald-high-school-database-passing-running-receiving-leaders-week-8/ Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:53:49 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3277816 The Herald is following all the top passing, rushing and receiving leaders in high school football this season. Keep coming back right here for more. Coaches are encouraged to report their results each week to HSSports@bostonherald.com.

(Tip use the database tools — arrows and more — to sort.)

Here we go with Week 8…

First up, passing leaders (Week 8):

Next up, rushing leaders (Week 8):

Next up, receiving leaders (Week 8):

  • DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Franklin High quarterback Justin Bianchetto...

    DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Franklin High quarterback Justin Bianchetto runs with the ball for yardage during the first half of a high school football game against Duxbury Friday, Sept. 22, at Duxbury High School. (Photo by Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

  • MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s Nathan Ehui (7)...

    MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s Nathan Ehui (7) runs the ball on a fake pass play against Weymouth High School during a football game at Milton High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Catholic Memorial’s quarterback Peter Bourque...

    WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Catholic Memorial’s quarterback Peter Bourque (6) tries to escape from Xaverian’s defense and land a pass during a football game at Xaverian Brothers High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • Milton’s Luke Haley (background) pulls in the pass under pressure...

    Milton’s Luke Haley (background) pulls in the pass under pressure from Needham’s Aidan Williams as Needham takes on Milton in football on October 6, Milton, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

  • Milton’s Ronan Sammon pulls in the pass over Needham’s Joe...

    Milton’s Ronan Sammon pulls in the pass over Needham’s Joe Kajunski as Needham takes on Milton in football on October 6, Milton, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

  • MILTON, MA - September 29: Weymouth High School’s Jacob Tanner...

    MILTON, MA - September 29: Weymouth High School’s Jacob Tanner (8) is stopped by Milton High’s Nathan Ehui (7) during a football game at Milton High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • St’s Crosby Thurmond cannot pull in the long pass as...

    St’s Crosby Thurmond cannot pull in the long pass as Nobel and Greenough take on St. Sebastian in football on September 30, Needham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

  • BROOKLINE, MA - OCTOBER 7-SATURDAY: Dexter Southfield quarterback Joseph McCauley,...

    BROOKLINE, MA - OCTOBER 7-SATURDAY: Dexter Southfield quarterback Joseph McCauley, left, attempts a pass over St. Paul’s (NH) Jay Falk during the second quarter October 7, 2023, in Brookline, Massachusetts.(Photo by Paul Connors/Media News Group/Boston Herald)

  • Milton’s Harrison Hinckle and Needham’s Spencer Chapman battle for the...

    Milton’s Harrison Hinckle and Needham’s Spencer Chapman battle for the incomplete pass as Needham takes on Milton in football on October 6, Milton, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

  • MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s Nathan Ehui (7)...

    MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s Nathan Ehui (7) jumps for a pass that Weymouth High School’s Mike Farrow (25) breaks up during a football game at Milton High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Franklin High’s Kyle Walsh makes...

    DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Franklin High’s Kyle Walsh makes the connection for a first down during the first half of a high school football game against Franklin Friday, Sept. 22, at Duxbury High School. (Photo by Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

  • WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Xaverian’s quarterback Henry Hsselbeck (14)...

    WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Xaverian’s quarterback Henry Hsselbeck (14) makes a pass over Catholic Memorial’s Chris Sanchez (24) during a football game at Xaverian Brothers High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Duxbury High’s John Rovegno (54)...

    DUXBURY, MA - September 22: Duxbury High’s John Rovegno (54) tackles Franklin running back Andrew Fraulo (21) during the first half of a high school football game Friday, Sept. 22, at Duxbury High School. (Photo by Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

  • LYNN, MA - September 15: Winthrop’s Nick Cappuccio (20) drives...

    LYNN, MA - September 15: Winthrop’s Nick Cappuccio (20) drives the ball up field during a football game between Winthrop High School and St. Mary’s School at Manning Field. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • Catholic Memorial’s #1 Mekhi Dodd runs the football to the...

    Catholic Memorial’s #1 Mekhi Dodd runs the football to the end zone for a touchdown against Mansfield on Thursday in Boston, MA. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald) September 7, 2023

  • LYNN, MA - September 15: Winthrop’s Robert Rich (4) is...

    LYNN, MA - September 15: Winthrop’s Robert Rich (4) is stopped by St. Mary’s Maxwell Parent (13) during a football game between Winthrop High School and St. Mary’s School at Manning Field. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • Brockton band members get excited as Brockton takes on Barnstable...

    Brockton band members get excited as Brockton takes on Barnstable in high school football action Friday night. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

  • Abington’s QB Michael Reilly (R) avoids the tackle of Norwell’s...

    Abington’s QB Michael Reilly (R) avoids the tackle of Norwell’s Connor Cronk as Abington takes on Norwell in football on September 29, Norwell, MA. (Staff Photo By courtesy/Boston Herald)

  • LYNN, MA - September 15: St. Mary’s Ernie Panias (3)...

    LYNN, MA - September 15: St. Mary’s Ernie Panias (3) looks for a play after receiving the ball from quarterback Tyler Guy (5) looks for an opening in the pack during a football game between Winthrop High School and St. Mary’s School at Manning Field. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • MILTON, MA - September 29: Weymouth High School’s quarterback Tyler...

    MILTON, MA - September 29: Weymouth High School’s quarterback Tyler Nordstrom (12) looks for an available pass through Milton defense during a football game at Milton High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • Norwell’s William Bostrom (R) fends off Abington’s Nate Duggan as...

    Norwell’s William Bostrom (R) fends off Abington’s Nate Duggan as Abington takes on Norwell in football on September 29, Norwell, MA. (Staff Photo By courtesy/Boston Herald)

  • MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s quarterback Patrick Miller...

    MILTON, MA - September 29: Milton High’s quarterback Patrick Miller (2) runs the ball through Weymouth High School defense during a football game at Milton High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • Norwell’s Jackson Adams (L) is taken down by Abington’s Kris...

    Norwell’s Jackson Adams (L) is taken down by Abington’s Kris Patterson as Abington takes on Norwell in football on September 29, Norwell, MA. (Staff Photo By courtesy/Boston Herald)

  • WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Catholic Memorial’s quarterback Peter Bourque...

    WESTWOOD, MA - October 6: Catholic Memorial’s quarterback Peter Bourque (6) reacts after being tackled by Xaverian’s defense and land a pass during game at Xaverian Brothers High School. (Amanda Sabga/Boston Herald)

  • St’s Crosby Thurmond (L) pulls in the TD pass under...

    St’s Crosby Thurmond (L) pulls in the TD pass under coverage of NG’s Zach O’Connell (C) and Sebastian Ortiz (R) as Nobel and Greenough take on St. Sebastian in football on September 30, Needham, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

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3277816 2023-10-23T14:53:49+00:00 2023-11-01T09:08:58+00:00
Dad of released Hamas hostage rejoices: ‘Best day of my life!’ https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/20/dad-of-released-hamas-hostage-rejoices-best-day-of-my-life/ Fri, 20 Oct 2023 20:35:23 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3471419 The “worst two weeks” of Uri Raanan’s life just turned into the “best day” he’s ever had.

His 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, and his ex-wife, Judith, have both been freed from their Hamas captors and his girl will be heading home to America soon.

“I feel wonderful!” Uri Raanan told the Herald Friday afternoon when reached at his home in Illinois. “I’m in tears. I just got off the phone with the president and the governor … and I talked to my daughter.”

The 72-year-old father said his daughter is “OK” and “didn’t say much” but will be home within a week.

The mother and daughter were in Israel celebrating a grandmother’s 85th birthday when they were taken hostage Oct. 7 in the Hamas terror attack. Multiple reports state the two were released Friday — the first hostages to gain freedom.

Uri Raanan said President Biden called him to break the news to him that his ex-wife and daughter were safe. He said Biden was gracious and as equally hopeful as the dad that this could be a break in the terror over an estimated 200 hostages in the hands of Hamas.

“I’ve been waiting for this for two weeks,” Uri Raanan said. “I’m finally going to sleep good tonight. I really appreciate the president’s effort.”

He said it was “the worst two weeks of my life and today is the best day I ever had.”

Uri Raanan was reached by the Herald on his cellphone at his home in Illinois. He said his home state Gov. JB Pritzker had also shared the news of the release.

Another relative, who asked not to be named, told the Herald she is “beyond relieved,” adding she too is praying this is a break in the hostage stalemate.

“Oh my God,” she said when the Herald broke the news of the release of Judith and Natalie. “I’m elated. There’s hope there’s an end to this.”

The Jerusalem Post is reporting the 59-year-old mother and daughter were released on “humanitarian grounds” because the mother is in poor health. The paper added the Red Cross has also confirmed their release.

The Post added the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum cautioned that the Raanan’s are just two of the more than 200 being held by Hamas and “the continued holding of hostages is a war crime.”

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Pritzker said in a statement that he is “incredibly relieved” that Judith and Natalie have been released. The pair are now receiving medical attention, the Chicago Tribune reports.

“I cannot wait to welcome them back home after demonstrating immense strength and bravery in the face of unthinkable terror,” Pritzker said in the statement. “We must continue to advocate and pray for the safe return of those still held by Hamas.”

Biden thanked Qatar and Israel for assisting in the release. He did not elaborate.

The mother and daughter had been visiting relatives at Nahal Oz in southern Israel when Hamas operatives entered the kibbutz during a surprise attack by the region, according to the Tribune.

Reuters reports the mother and daughter were pictured in an image carried by Israeli media showing them walking with a group of uniformed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel escorting them from the border moments after their release.

In this undated photo provided by Rabbi Meir Hecht on behalf of the Raanan family is Judith Raanan, left, and her daughter Natalie, 18, after Natalie's recent high school graduation. On Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, Israel announced the two American women held by Hamas were released. Judith and Natalie went missing while visiting relatives in Nahal Oz for Simchat Torah, a festive Jewish holiday that marks the conclusion of the annual reading of the Torah. (Raanan Family via AP)
In this undated photo provided by Rabbi Meir Hecht on behalf of the Raanan family is Judith Raanan, left, and her daughter Natalie, 18, after Natalie’s recent high school graduation. On Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, Israel announced the two American women held by Hamas were released. Judith and Natalie went missing while visiting relatives in Nahal Oz for Simchat Torah, a festive Jewish holiday that marks the conclusion of the annual reading of the Torah. (Raanan Family via AP)
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3471419 2023-10-20T16:35:23+00:00 2023-10-20T19:38:34+00:00
From the Archives: ‘A Jewish state has been proclaimed’ https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/19/from-the-archives-a-jewish-state-has-been-proclaimed/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:12:49 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3460216 The war in Israel is steeped in history. So you need to start at the beginning.

David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. Then-U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized this new nation on the same day. Here is the front page from the Herald:

FROM THE ARCHIVES: BOSTON_HERALD_May_15_1948_p1

Truman wrote, and we quoted: “In 42 fateful words, Mr. Truman proclaimed: ‘This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine and recognition has been requested by the provisional government thereof. The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new state of Israel.”

It was a solemn moment coming so soon after the horrors of the Holocaust were still being revealed. It’s a story that we must keep reporting!

Including Grand Rabbi Y.A. Korff, chaplain for the City of Boston, who delivered Wednesday’s prayer at the start of the Boston City Council meeting, where he shared he was in the Jerusalem Great Synagogue in Israel when the Hamas attack occurred on Oct. 7.

The terror attack was all too real, he said. I’ll let you go read the rest.

Rabbi Korff called your loyal archivist this morning to thank the Herald for printing his words. How could we not?

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night,” wrote Elie Wiesel in his landmark book “Night.”

This is a complicated story, but this chapter started Oct. 7 near the Gaza Strip with Hamas terrorists killing innocent children and taking women hostage. The story must start there.

JUMP PAGE: BOSTON_HERALD_May_15_1948_p3

The Herald’s coverage of that historic declaration jumps to page 3 (linked above). It’s not lost on this writer that Israel’s existence and life in the Middle East is on an arc that remains violent and seemingly never-ending.

But we can’t put our pens down.

Cambridge, MA - October 11: Hannah Friedman reacts during a rally in support of Israel at MIT. She does not have a grandmother in custody but saw the sign as a symbol like Let My People Go. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Cambridge, MA – October 11: Hannah Friedman reacts during a rally in support of Israel at MIT. She does not have a grandmother in custody but saw the sign as a symbol like Let My People Go. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
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3460216 2023-10-19T13:12:49+00:00 2023-10-19T13:28:17+00:00
Harvard pro-Palestinian ‘die-in’ to be followed by ‘walk-out’ today https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/19/harvard-pro-palestinian-die-in-to-be-followed-by-walk-out-today/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:39:26 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3458595 A pro-Palestinian “die-in” at Harvard University yesterday is being followed by a call for a “general strike” this afternoon.

The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee, already embroiled in a scathing letter the group co-signed blaming Israel for the Hamas terror attack Oct. 7, is now urging fellow Crimson students to “walk out of class.”

An Instagram post on the @HarvardPSC page states, “Stand in solidarity with Palestinians Facing Genocide. Walk out of class, meet at Mass Hall. Thursday — 1-3 pm.”

The post already has 1,210 likes and comments that run the gamut from “You guys are amazing” to “Prove that you stand with Palestine by leaving the USA, UK, EU and remaining in Palestine.”

Another comment pointed out that access to Harvard Yard appears to be limited to just students who can show a campus identification.

This all comes a day after members of the group and supporters marched to the Harvard Kennedy School to stage a “die-in” while chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Barry, Barry you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

They were heckling former President Barack Obama who was scheduled to attend the “Harvard Internet Summit,” but backed out reportedly due to COVID symptoms.

The protesters were reportedly targeting Obama for his support during his tenure in the White House for Israel.

A spokesperson for the PSC wrote that the group believes Obama is “deeply implicated” in the “ongoing genocide” of Palestinians by approving “billions of dollars” in military aid to Israel, the campus newspaper The Harvard Crimson reported.

This all comes as the war in Israel intensifies with both Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battling as Palestinians in Gaza seek refuge. An explosion at a Gaza hospital is being blamed on Israel, yet the IDF is saying it was an errant rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF posted audio backing up that claim on X, the formerly called Twitter.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union and they still hold 200-plus hostages.

This is a developing story … 

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3458595 2023-10-19T08:39:26+00:00 2023-10-19T09:12:16+00:00
Harvard student denounces anti-Israel open letter roiling campus https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/17/harvard-student-denounces-hateful-open-letter-roiling-campus/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 23:00:42 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3442422 One of the Harvard students embroiled in the anti-Israel furor is now saying “terrorism is never justified” as he attempts to distance himself from the controversy.

Josh Willcox, the 22-year-old son of British perfume magnate Jo Malone, said he hasn’t been on the Cambridge campus and had nothing to do with the letter signed by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups, the New York Post first reported.

That letter, signed by 34 Harvard sub-committees, has set off a storm on campus that has brought condemnation from donors to alums alike, as the Herald has reported.

In his lone Instagram message, Willcox writes, “In contrast to the (Palestine Solidarity Groups’) open letter, I believe that anyone who inflicts violence on civilians is solely responsible for their actions. I therefore do not support the letter’s attribution of blame for (the Oct. 7) attacks to Israel. Terrorism is never justified under any circumstances.”

In the lone Instagram post, seen by the Herald, @jWillcox does qualify his statement by saying he has long advocated for “Palestinians living under an internationally recognized Occupation.”

His mother’s one-time brand also posted to Instagram on @jomalonelondon, stating in part, “please know we do not condone violence of any kind. At this time, we would like to clarify that Jo Malone the individual has not been affiliated with Jo Malone London brand since 2006. We continue to lead with kindness.”

That Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups’ open letter was posted just days after Hamas terrorists broke out of Gaza, slaughtering Israelis in their homes, at a concert rave and elsewhere. Wilcoxx, the Post adds, was an organizer of Harvard’s Palestine Solidarity Committee, one of the groups to sign the open letter.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Some linked to that letter have backed off while the fallout continues.

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3442422 2023-10-17T19:00:42+00:00 2023-10-17T21:43:18+00:00
Harvard suffers major loss as ‘stunned and sickened’ Wexner Foundation pulls $2M+ support https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/16/harvard-suffers-major-loss-as-stunned-wexner-foundation-pulls-support/ Mon, 16 Oct 2023 23:33:05 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3432883 A “stunned and sickened” Wexner Foundation, a leading voice for the Jewish faith, is pulling its support for Harvard in the latest rebuke of the university’s handling of the Hamas terror attack in Israel.

The foundation is cutting ties with Harvard’s Kennedy School and pulling its support.

In an open letter addressed to Harvard’s Board of Overseers on Monday, the foundation said, “We have observed that this cherished tolerance for diverse perspectives has slowly but perceptibly narrowed over the years,” the Jerusalem Post wrote, adding that the “Wexner Israel Fellows are increasingly marginalized, their voices and views even shouted down.”

The Post adds that the open letter states, “We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists.”

The nonprofit was founded by former Victoria’s Secret billionaire Leslie Wexner and his wife Abigail, who accused Harvard of “tiptoeing” around the Hamas attacks Oct. 7 in Israel.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

As the Herald reported last week, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups backed a letter co-signed by more than 30 college organizations that stated, in part: “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence.”

The fallout from that message and the response by Harvard’s President Claudine Gay that critics are saying was weak, continues to reverberate on the Cambridge campus more divided than in recent memory.

Both the Harvard University and Kennedy School social media feeds on X, the former Twitter, did not address this latest denunciation by a major donor as of presstime Monday night.

The Wexner Foundation’s latest nonprofit 990 report, according to GuideStar, states it funneled $1.83 million to Harvard in 2021 for “leadership development.” Another $660,000-plus more was also donated by the foundation to Harvard for “educational fellowships,” the latest tax form states.

Former Harvard President Larry Summers, U.S. Reps Seth Moulton (D-Salem) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Newton) — both veterans of the War on Terror — have all ripped Harvard and some of its students for failing to back Israel so early in a war with Hamas terrorists.

The mother of an Israeli woman in a Hamas hostage video appeals for her release

Philanthropists Idan and Batia Ofer last week quit the Kennedy School's Dean’s Executive Board.

This all comes as about 200 hostages -- some possible Americans or other foreigners -- are being held by Hamas fighters. Israel is still bracing for an invasion of Gaza while trying to identify those murdered in their homes more than a week ago.

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3432883 2023-10-16T19:33:05+00:00 2023-10-17T13:22:31+00:00
Reps slam Squad ‘cease-fire’ talk while hostages held by Hamas — possibly some Americans https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/16/reps-slam-squad-while-200-plus-hostages-still-held-by-hamas-including-13-americans/ Mon, 16 Oct 2023 22:24:57 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3431628 With 200 hostages still being held captive — possibly some Americans — two Bay State congressmen who served in the military are saying now is not the time for a cease-fire in Israel.

The U.S. State Department says the number of Americans killed since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas has risen to 30 — with 13 more still missing.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Monday that at least 199 hostages are known to be held in Gaza, a number much greater than previously believed, according to The Times of Israel.

Hamas has also released another video of a hostage on their Telegram channel, this time showing a young woman receiving medical attention after what appears to be a serious arm injury, the Jerusalem Post is reporting.

All this, says U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem), should end all talk over a cease-fire with Hamas.

“Did we call for a cease-fire and de-escalation after Pearl Harbor? Instead of pushing Israel into a ceasefire with an organization that has proven it is hellbent on Israel’s destruction by barbarically slaughtering Israeli children, the U.S. should be focused on helping ensure Israel’s operation is a success,” Moulton told the Herald Monday evening.

Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Moulton, a veteran of the War on Terror, said Israel still needs to learn from the past.

“Israel can’t win this fight by killing innocent Palestinians; doing so is morally wrong and militarily stupid because it will just help Hamas’ recruiting,” he said. “Israel must have a long-term political plan to empower the peacemakers in Gaza, rather than Hamas.”

U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Newton), also a military vet, said in a statement Monday, “Israel should cease fire when the hostages are returned and when the terrorists who murdered children are dead.”

Both are pushing back at fellow delegation member U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who is backing fellow Squad members in Congress by calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post writes the delay in the ground invasion of Gaza could be due to a growing concern that Hezbollah is waiting for the moment that most IDF ground forces are committed to Gaza to open a full front in the north.

The New York Times adds the deployment of two U.S. carrier strike groups to Israel will likely deter Hezbollah from attacking Israel in a major way.

The Associated Press reports that truckloads of aid is idled at Egypt’s border with Gaza, barred from entry. This has resulted is reports of shortages of water, food and fuel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will host President Biden in Israel on Wednesday.

Netanyahu has also warned Iran and Hezbollah, “Don’t test us in the north. Don’t make the mistake of the past. Today, the price you will pay will be far heavier,” referring to Israel’s 2006 war with Hezbollah, which operates out of Lebanon.

Herald wire services contributed. 

 

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3431628 2023-10-16T18:24:57+00:00 2023-10-16T21:16:59+00:00
ICE to deport accused rapist, fraud suspect amid migrant crisis https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/14/ice-to-deport-accused-rapist-fraud-suspect-amid-migrant-crisis/ Sat, 14 Oct 2023 19:15:06 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3400012 An illegal immigrant facing multiple rape charges was allowed to walk out of court after federal immigration agents were denied a request to interview him first, the Herald has learned.

That same suspect had a driver’s license permit from the RMV, a law enforcement official said.

Elgin Antonio Bamaca Zacarias, a 30-year-old citizen of Guatemala, is now in federal custody awaiting a deportation hearing.

He was arrested in Lynn after being arraigned — and released — on two counts of rape, three counts of assault to rape, and one count of assault and battery on a pregnant victim.

“These crimes, which include multiple charges of rape and assault and battery on a pregnant victim, are deeply disturbing,” said Todd Lyons, director of the Boston field office of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). “ERO Boston is committed to apprehending and removing immigration violators who present a threat to public safety.”

It’s not known when and how Zacarias made his way into the U.S. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers attempted to interview him in Lynn District Court, they were denied.

Zacarias was later arrested near his Lynn home without incident Wednesday, according to ICE.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

ICE officers also arrested a Brazilian national for financial fraud in Everett on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old, whose last name De Souza Ramos was all that was made public, crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2021 in Otay Mesa, Calif., ICE said in a release.

His home country has sought him for financial fraud, ICE said, and now faces deportation back to Brazil to face his charges.

This all comes as the state is trying to cope with an influx of migrants.

As the Herald has reported, a federal team sent to Massachusetts to take stock of an influx of migrants met with at least one mayor whose city plays host to an emergency shelter and held a closed-door meeting with local providers this past week.

Both meetings were part of a two-day visit by the Department of Homeland Security to better understand Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system and the state’s ability to deal with an influx of migrants. It came after more than two months of repeated calls for federal help from Gov. Maura Healey.

The Department of Homeland Security team met with Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin and the city’s police chief Tuesday afternoon at a local Comfort Inn that is hosting about 25 migrant families. More than 6,900 migrant and homeless families are temporarily living in emergency shelters throughout Massachusetts, including at many hotels and motels.

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3400012 2023-10-14T15:15:06+00:00 2023-10-14T15:15:06+00:00
Neil Entwistle seeking new trial, again, for cold-blooded murder of wife, baby girl https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/11/neil-entwistle-seeking-new-trial-again-for-cold-blooded-murder-of-wife-baby-girl/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 23:16:04 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3384054 British double-murderer Neil Entwistle is pushing for a new trial, claiming a juror the same height as his slain wife tainted the verdict that gave him life without parole.

Entwistle, convicted in 2008 for executing his wife and baby girl in their Hopkinton home, is petitioning the state Supreme Judicial Court for a second chance, court records state.

Entwistle, 44, claims he is indigent and is representing himself, records show. He’s locked up in the Old Colony Correctional Center in Bridgewater where he has been for more than a decade. His conviction has already been held up by the SJC and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case.

Entwistle was found guilty of murdering his wife, Rachel, 27, and 9-month-old baby, Lillian Rose, in January of 2006 with a gun he stole from his father-in-law.

A friend of the victims told the Herald Wednesday night that relatives have long braced for the sad fact Entwistle will fight for his freedom until the day he dies.

“As long as he’s alive, he’ll look for appeals,” the friend said.

Prior to his 2006 arrest, Entwistle complained about his staggering debt and his flagging sex life. He posted a nude photo of himself on an adult sex swap website and peddled penis pumps and helped set up pornography sites on the Internet.

It was all part of his sensational trial in June of 2008 that drew international attention.

He killed his wife and baby and then cleaned out his bank account to buy a one-way ticket back home to England, leaving his rented BMW in the parking lot at Logan Airport. But he was soon extradited.

He was sent away for good for what a top prosecutor called “unimaginable and unforgivable” murders.

Now, as the MetroWest Daily News first reported, he’s claiming a 5-foot, 2-inch juror the same height as Rachel Entwistle reenacting the slaying in the jury room was a violation of his rights because it was not “governed by the rules of evidence.”

That juror went on NBC’s “Dateline” later that month, where she said if Rachel had committed murder-suicide, as her killer husband claimed, she would have “burn marks” all over her face. In fact, it took a medical examiner to report the mother had two bullet wounds and burns were never a major factor.

“In the end, the jurors’ reenactment of the murder-suicide convinced the last holdouts … that suicide just wasn’t possible,” a transcript of that June 2008 “Dateline” segment reads.

The murder case was littered with one betrayal after another — but also a lust for sex with escorts or those answering a sex swap site come-on.

Law enforcement officials said Neil Entwistle posted on the sex swinger site Adult Friend Finder a snapshot showing a lanky man lounging on a white beach chair exhibiting himself, grotesquely endowed. The full-frontal exposure, law enforcement officials charge, was posted by Entwistle to attract extramarital bed buddies.

It may also have been another of his many lies. The photo wasn’t allowed to be used in a case that played out in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn and on Court TV.

Entwistle has refused to speak to the Herald numerous times as he sits in his medium-security prison.

TIME'S UP: Convicted killer Neil Entwistle remains in a Bridgewater prison. (Herald file photo)
TIME’S UP: Convicted killer Neil Entwistle remains in a Bridgewater prison. (Herald file photo)
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3384054 2023-10-11T19:16:04+00:00 2023-10-11T19:16:04+00:00
Harvard students called ‘morally repugnant’ for blaming Israel for Hamas attacks; college president responds https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/09/harvard-students-called-morally-repugnant-for-blaming-israel-for-attacks/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 23:12:54 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3363436 Harvard students who authored a letter blaming Israel for the Hamas terror attacks are being ridiculed as “intellectually weak and morally repugnant.”

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, and former Harvard president Larry Summers are lining up to call out the Cambridge university students — and the “leadership” remaining silent.

UPDATE: Harvard’s President Claudine Gay responded today (Tuesday, 10/10), condemning “the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.” And, in a direct hit at students blaming Israel for the terror attack, Gay adds: “While our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.”

The Herald has asked for an interview with Gay to expound on her three-graph statement made following blistering blowback from all corners as news was still coming out of Israel of rapes, kidnappings and executions by Hamas terrorists.

Rep. Moulton — a Harvard alum and War on Terror veteran — was quick to respond Monday.

“Terrorism is never justified nor someone else’s fault. As hundreds of Israelis and others, including several Americans, remain kidnapped, injured, or dead, the 31 Harvard organizations that signed a letter holding Israel ‘entirely responsible’ for Hamas’ barbarous terrorism should be condemned, as should Harvard leadership for whom silence is complicity,” said Moulton, who added “I cannot recall a moment when I’ve been more embarrassed by my alma mater.”

Summers tweeted: “In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today.”

Summers is the former Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, advised former President Barack Obama, and was Harvard’s president from 2001 to 2006.

Both were reacting to a statement by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups that read, in part: “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence.” Thirty-one groups signed on, according to the New York Post, including the Ivy League’s affiliate of Amnesty International.

The groups claim Hamas’ attack “did not happen in a vacuum,” and the Israeli government has forced Palestinians to live in an “open-air prison for over two decades,” according to the letter obtained by The Post.

Moulton, in comments sent to the Herald, added: “You can stand up for Palestinian rights while condemning Hamas terrorists, just as you can fiercely criticize the extremist, anti-democratic actions of the Netanyahu government while supporting the nation of Israel’s right to defend itself from people, terrorist groups and states that want it wiped out of existence.”

Moulton called on the college to engage in “intellectually and morally honest debate” to “honor the millions of peace-loving Israelis and Palestinians who want a bright and prosperous future for their families, and who have regularly stood up to the extremists.”

He then said, “In contrast, what’s happening at Harvard right now is intellectually weak and morally repugnant.”

This all comes as President Biden said Monday 11 Americans have been killed in the Hamas attacks and it is unknown if any are being held hostage. Israeli women, children and elderly have been killed or are being held captive.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, put it bluntly on social media: “What the hell is wrong with Harvard?”

Others also called out the crass college students for being politically tone-deaf.

“This is the final crack in my broken heart,” one woman wrote.

Salem, MA - July 13: Mass. Congressman Seth Moulton at his home in Salem on July 13, 2022 in , Salem, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald
Congressman Seth Moulton is calling out some Harvard students for blaming Israel for the terror attacks. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald file)

 

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3363436 2023-10-09T19:12:54+00:00 2023-10-11T09:26:18+00:00
ICE grabs migrants wanted for fentanyl, arson and assault at hotel shelter https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/07/ice-grabs-migrants-wanted-for-fentanyl-arson-and-assault-at-hotel-shelter/ Sat, 07 Oct 2023 16:59:58 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3340777 An illegal immigrant wanted for peddling heroin, another arrested at a hotel for migrants and a third convicted of setting fire to a church have all been taken into custody by Boston-based ICE agents.

The suspects are now in the pipeline to be deported back to their home countries.

The arrests come as the state is in the midst of a migrant crisis that has the White House sending an assessment team to the Bay State to gauge the severity of the hotel overflow for migrants and the homeless.

Raul Fernando Lora, 43, was busted in Methuen on Wednesday after a law enforcement source tells the Herald he was spotted with a bulge in his waistband that was later confirmed to be packets of fentanyl and cocaine. His arrest came after a motor vehicle stop by local police.

The Dominican national had been kicked out of the U.S. twice before “on multiple felony charges, including intent to distribute heroin, illegal firearms possession, aggravated identity theft, false representation of a social security number and unlawful reentry after deportation,” immigration officials said.

Two Haitians were also recently arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of Boston in two separate cases.

One 23-year-old was arrested in Sturbridge, where he was living in a hotel for migrants, after being arraigned on local charges of assault and battery on a family member. The Haitian national attempted to enter the U.S. unlawfully at Hidalgo, Texas, in July and never appeared for a deportation hearing.

In the other case, a Haitian national in Massachusetts illegally “was convicted of breaking into and setting fire to a (Methuen) church in 2017,” ICE officials said.

ICE officials did not release the names of the two Haitian illegal immigrants.

A law enforcement source with knowledge of the case did say a 45-year-old Lawrence man long suspected of the arson was the one ICE has taken into custody with the goal of deporting him back to his home country.

“Career criminal fugitives do not have a right to violate our immigration laws repeatedly and endanger our communities,” said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons in a statement on one of the recent arrests.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. This group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

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3340777 2023-10-07T12:59:58+00:00 2023-10-07T13:06:11+00:00
Nantucket’s ‘liquid gold’ part of whiskey revolution made in Massachusetts https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/10/06/nantuckets-liquid-gold-part-of-whiskey-revolution-made-in-massachusetts/ Fri, 06 Oct 2023 22:16:09 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3333153 A revolution is brewing in the whiskey business.

The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission is attempting to declare U.S. distillers on par with their Scottish counterparts.

One of the charter members is Triple Eight Distillery, part of the Cisco Brewers family founded on Nantucket. This puts Massachusetts in the race to make Scotch Whiskey passe.

“Everything starts here,” Bryan Jennings, lead distiller at Triple Eight, told the Herald on a recent trip to Nantucket. “I love the seasons here and that’s what people say they can taste.”

The salt air, the waves, the wind, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia that whipped the island the day we visited create a climate akin to Scotland. It’s giving the whiskey stored in giant oaken barrels a mystique.

The alcoholic beverages market is expected to grow past $4 billion by 2029, according to one recent estimate, so the stakes are high. Distilled spirits have jumped 12% as the nation puts the pandemic in the rear-view mirror.

“Our whiskey has been called the ‘biggest best-kept secret,'” said Cisco Brewers CEO Jay Harman. “Distributors have asked, ‘Are we drinking it all?'”

They aren’t. The “Notch” brand is not cheap. Bottles sell for north of $400. The whiskey has also won numerous awards, including “Liquid Gold.”

The company also sells more affordable products — with its flavored spirits, beer, wine and Nantucket craft cocktails hot items this summer, especially the “Nantucket Blue.”

But it’s more about the Massachusetts-based business taking on the big players in an industry that has been rocked by change. Craft brewers are seeing nearly 5% growth and the major players — Bud Light especially — stumble and lose market share.

Cisco Brewers employs about 300 on the island and at beer gardens in the Seaport, New Bedford and Portsmouth, N.H. and they are looking at Newport, R.I.

Harman said the company — Triple Eight, Cisco Brewers, and Nantucket Vineyard — is “like a family” with an island vibe. But it is poised to become something bigger. Sam Adams exploded, so did Harpoon Brewery.

The question for Cisco is, can they bottle the spirit of Nantucket into a drink that will bring customers from all over the country to one of the most exclusive islands around? It’s nearly impossible to find a place to live on the island and the ferry can be a choppy ride.

But among the oaken barrels stacked to the ceiling — some shared by fellow distillers from Buffalo Trace in Kentucky to wineries all over — you get a sense of the beginning of a new brand.

The devotion to the craft is also something to emulate. The term “single malt” means the whiskey is bottled from one source with barrels tapped together and mixed by distillers taught by masters of the craft.

One sip from a blend that has never seen the market, at least not yet, will have you thinking about the clean sharpness for days to come. It’s akin to a kiss you’ve waited long to experience.

That’s what’s being made today in Massachusetts.

"Notch" whiskey is distilled on Nantucket and is one of the nation's few single-malt designations. (Joe Dwinell/Boston Herald)
“Notch” whiskey is distilled on Nantucket and is one of the nation’s few single-malt designations. (Joe Dwinell/Boston Herald)
Lead Distiller Bryan Jennings (Joe Dwinell/Boston Herald)
Lead Distiller Bryan Jennings (Joe Dwinell/Boston Herald)
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3333153 2023-10-06T18:16:09+00:00 2023-10-06T18:16:09+00:00
John Connolly, ‘Whitey’ Bulger and the murderers among us https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/27/reporters-notebook-john-connolly-whitey-bulger-and-the-murderers-among-us/ Wed, 27 Sep 2023 18:51:48 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3296291 This addendum to Tuesday’s parole hearing for ex-FBI agent John “Zip” Connolly falls into the category that the past can forever be painful.

More than 25 convicts and parolees had their cases reviewed by the Florida Commission on Offender Review before Connolly’s “compassionate release” came up for the ultimate 2-1 vote to allow him to remain at home in Massachusetts. The board, however, will review the matter at the next 90-day medical update. (All the coverage is here…)

So what about those other cases? They are the stuff of nightmares. It’s also part of Connolly’s story. These killers and rapists are convicts Connolly may be sent back to bunk with if his parole is reversed.

Some Herald readers say he made that choice when he partnered with slain Southie mobster James “Whitey” Bulger; others argue at 83, Connolly should be left alone. As readers asked, here are examples of the other cases the parole board reviewed Tuesday:

R.I. millionaire murdered

In Jason Deaton’s case, a family member said the killer dumped the victim’s body into a “snake-infested” well at an abandoned farmhouse in Tennessee. The loved one told of Deaton’s “brutal and heinous behavior” and how the image of the killer seen in photos “giving the middle finger” after being arrested was burned into the memory of heartbroken family members. The victim, Santi Pasquale Campanella Jr., of Barrington, R.I., graciously gave Deaton and an accomplice a ride in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They murdered him over $80 in cash, his car, and an American Express card. He was the executive vice president of Campanella Construction Co. of Warwick, R.I. He was 38 when he was slain in 1983.

Deaton’s parole date: 2070

‘Generations are still hurting’

Larry Anderson, a fellow convict testified Tuesday, was once a monster. “But monsters can be slain,” the ex-con said. Others quickly disagreed. “He took joy in executing three elderly gentlemen — execution-style — within 15 days,” a daughter-in-law of one of the victims said. “He is a serial killer. He put two bullets through the head of all three. … He is a monster and you don’t take the monster away by putting them behind bars. … Generations are still hurting.” She also warned the parole board that Anderson had already escaped twice.

Anderson’s next parole hearing: 2030

Parole date 2093

Freddie Lee Hall’s case was one of the worst, hence his parole date almost into the next century. His murder and rape case was also once before the U.S. Supreme Court when his execution was vacated after Florida’s death penalty was challenged over standards for intellectually disabled offenders. A loved one of a 21-year-old victim, Karol Hurst, said Hall not only killed the young mom but her unborn child — “the beautiful baby girl lived for (just) an hour.” Hall also killed a county sheriff right after slaying Hurst. “I implore all of you,” a loved one told Florida parole commissioners Tuesday, “not to allow this horrific person out.”

‘Part of us died that night’

The other cases flew by with equal angst from loved ones still stricken by the loss. “Part of us died that night,” one testified. “The world lost a really gentle soul.” Another sister said her brother was shot dead after an ex-employee returned to his Florida workplace seeking revenge for being fired. A robbery gone bad; a man who robbed and killed a mom and her dog, “Pebbles,” for drug money; and, an inmate who molested kids and had the audacity to give out one of his victim’s phone numbers to fellow inmates were all heard in rapid succession. None were given parole.

‘Cancer on Boston’

Peter Mullane, Connolly’s longtime local attorney, told the Herald late Tuesday after the parole hearing that Whitey Bulger “was a cancer on Boston.” His client’s dealings with Bulger, by being his handler during his FBI days, has him tossed back in the Florida swamp.

‘Don’t prove us wrong’

The commission did “terminate” all future parole hearings for Troy Martin, who had “a baker’s dozen” people in support of his first-degree murder case at Tuesday’s hearing in Maitland City Hall — near Orlando — where the air conditioning was not working. “I’m a changed man,” Martin said. “Don’t prove us wrong,” Commission chairperson Melinda Coonrod said. They also allowed a truck driver to travel to all “lower 48 states” for his job.

It was all in one day’s work for the commission that started the proceedings with a prayer for the victims.

 

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3296291 2023-09-27T14:51:48+00:00 2023-09-27T20:43:26+00:00
John ‘Zip’ Connolly’s medical parole survives as brother of victim slams Florida board https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/26/john-zip-connollys-medical-parole-continued-over-objection-of-florida-prosecutor/ Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:33:20 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3294703 A fed-up Steve Davis ripped the Florida parole board for allowing disgraced ex-FBI agent John “Zip” Connolly to remain free to take convalescent walks.

“It’s not right. It’s corrupt. It’s frustrating,” Davis scolded the board Tuesday. “That piece of garbage! … I just can’t believe the state of Florida.”

Davis has fought for victims’ rights ever since his sister, Debra, was reportedly slain by Southie mobster James “Whitey” Bulger in 1981 – when Connolly was Whitey’s FBI handler.

“I completely don’t understand it,” Davis told the Florida Commission on Offender Review, which voted 2-1 to allow Connolly to remain in Lynnfield.

“It’s been two-and-a-half years since he’s been released. … I asked if he was dead yet. I thought he only had six months to live,” Davis said, alluding to a doctor saying the onetime G-man was terminally ill.

“It seems like Florida is lying in bed with him,” Davis added. “He acted like he was Godfather … I got a life sentence when they did what they did to my sister.”

Florida Commission chairperson Melinda Coonrod told Davis she “apologizes” for his “frustration” but announced they will review Connolly’s medical records in 90 days.

After the hearing, Peter Mullane, Connolly’s longtime local attorney, told the Herald that somebody screwed up at the commission by not informing his client.

“To find out about it from reading it in the Herald is a shock,” Mullane said, alluding to a Saturday story on the surprise hearing.

He added Connolly is walking, as his doctor advised, but he’s “not going to Planet Fitness.” At 83, the former FBI agent – who still pulls a pension – is coping. As for why the commission has Connolly in its sights, Mullane has no idea.

“It was not disclosed to us,” he said, adding the ghost of Bulger still may be in play.

“He was a cancer to Boston,” Mullane said of Bulger.

Dozens of inmates and parolees came before the board before Connolly’s case did. Almost every case included chilling details of murders, rapes, stabbings, and beatings.

Commissioner Richard Davison said he “placed” Connolly’s case on the agenda due to Zip’s improving health, citing his “walks outside” and adding his release was not designed to be “get out of jail free.” Davison said he would vote to “rescind” the compassionate release.

He remained the lone dissenting voice.

Connolly was allowed to return to Massachusetts on a medical release on Feb. 17, 2021.

Connolly was convicted of second-degree murder in 2008 for wearing his FBI-issued sidearm when he met with Whitey Bulger in Boston to warn him of what businessman John Callahan knew. Bulger was murdered in a West Virginia prison in 2018.

Callahan, the former president of World Jai Alai, was shot dead by John Martorano, one of Whitey’s hitmen. Martorano testified he was working for the mobster when he killed Callahan, his friend. Whitey wanted Callahan dead because the Boston businessman could implicate them in a 1981 slaying of another World Jai Alai executive.

Florida prosecutor Michael Von Zamft, also spoke out against the continued parole, saying his office has not seen “any medical records.” Adding: “We thought (Connolly) was terminal? But actually, he is not terminal.”

Mary Callahan, the widow left to cope alone back here in the Bay State who is also in her 80s, said the Florida commission never called her Tuesday, so she missed the hearing.

“I guess he doesn’t have to go back to prison,” she said, “but our health is a prison. Isn’t it?”

Debra DavisStrangled in 1982, Flemmi claims, by Whitey Bulger. (Herald file)
Debra Davis Strangled in 1981. (Herald file)
Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi. (Herald file photo)
Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi. (Herald file photo)
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3294703 2023-09-26T12:33:20+00:00 2023-09-30T11:32:20+00:00
John ‘Zip’ Connolly’s Florida parole hearing an unexpected twist, lawyer says https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/25/john-zip-connollys-florida-parole-hearing-an-unexpected-twist-lawyer-says/ Mon, 25 Sep 2023 21:06:33 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3294127 Ex-FBI agent John “Zip” Connolly’s longtime lawyer is flummoxed by Florida’s decision to question his client’s medical parole.

Attorney Peter Mullane said he has no idea what triggered Tuesday’s hearing, saying we’ll all find out when the Commission on Offender Review starts its meeting at 9 a.m.

“It came out of the blue,” Mullane told the Herald Monday. “It was a surprise to everyone.”

He said the “mystery” after “nothing has changed” with Connolly’s case.

As the Herald reported over the weekend, the 83-year-old Connolly was allowed to return to Massachusetts on a medical release on Feb. 17, 2021, because he had about a year to live after being called “terminally ill.” He remains alive.

Connolly is on the agenda as the 11th on the list of convicts set for “Parole and Conditional Medical Releases/Revocations.”

Connolly was convicted of second-degree murder in 2008 for wearing his FBI-issued sidearm when he met with Whitey Bulger in Boston to warn him of what businessman John Callahan knew. Bulger was murdered in a West Virginia prison in 2018.

Callahan, the former president of World Jai Alai, was shot dead by John Martorano, one of Whitey’s hitmen. Martorano testified he was working for the mobster when he killed Callahan, his friend. Whitey wanted Callahan dead because the Boston businessman could implicate them in a 1981 slaying of another World Jai Alai executive.

The interstate compact signed by Connolly allowing him to relocate home with his wife in Massachusetts states “termination of supervision” is set for December of 2047. That now seems in jeopardy.

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3294127 2023-09-25T17:06:33+00:00 2023-09-25T17:09:43+00:00
Ex-FBI agent John ‘Zip’ Connolly’s medical parole in Massachusetts in jeopardy https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/22/ex-fbi-agent-john-zip-connollys-parole-in-massachusetts-in-jeopardy/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 23:23:54 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3291427 Shady ex-FBI agent John “Zip” Connolly’s “conditional medical release” is up before a Florida parole board next week.

This means the former handler of murdered mobster James “Whitey” Bulger could be forced back behind bars.

The 83-year-old Connolly was allowed to return to Massachusetts on a medical release on Feb. 17, 2021, because he had about a year to live after being called “terminally ill.” That estimated timeline of his demise has not proven correct.

The Florida Commission on Offender Review voted 2-1 to grant Connolly’s medical release, allowing him to “finish out his life in sunshine,” as one supporter testified that day.

Now, that same commission has Connolly on the agenda for Tuesday. Zip is 11th on the list of convicts set for “Parole and Conditional Medical Releases/Revocations” in a hearing slated to begin at 9 a.m.

Connolly was convicted of second-degree murder in 2008 for wearing his FBI-issued sidearm when he met with Whitey Bulger in Boston to warn him of what businessman John Callahan knew. Bulger was murdered in a West Virginia prison in 2018.

Callahan, the former president of World Jai Alai, was shot dead by John Martorano, one of Whitey’s hitmen. Martorano testified he was working for the mobster when he killed Callahan, his friend. Whitey wanted Callahan dead because the Boston businessman could implicate them in a 1981 slaying of another World Jai Alai executive.

Callahan’s widow, Mary Callahan, has been left to cope and carry on as best she can.

She told the Herald Friday she is grateful the Florida parole board had the decency to alert her to Tuesday’s hearing.

“As a victim, it is good to know they follow up,” said Mary Callahan, also in her early 80s. “He’s supposed to stay at home unless he’s going to the doctor or church. I want to know if they are watching.”

Connolly is also collecting a pension, as the Herald previously reported.

He kept his pension, despite being convicted of second-degree murder in 2008, because Congress passed the Hiss Act in 1954 that allows lawmakers, and therefore federal employees, to keep their retirement benefits unless convicted of espionage or treason.

The interstate compact signed by Connolly allowing him to relocate home with his wife in Massachusetts states “termination of supervision” is set for December of 2047. That now seems in jeopardy.

1.18.00 The bad guys (Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi). DO NOT GIVE OUT. Herald file photo
1.18.00 The bad guys (Whitey Bulger and Steve Flemmi). DO NOT GIVE OUT. Herald file photo
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3291427 2023-09-22T19:23:54+00:00 2023-09-23T07:44:35+00:00
Patriots fan who witnessed fatal fight calls on NFL to tackle brawling https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/19/patriots-fan-who-witnessed-fatal-fight-calls-on-nfl-to-tackle-brawling/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 23:40:54 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3287010 An eyewitness to Sunday night’s fight at Gillette Stadium that ended in a fan’s death is calling on the league to control the brawling that’s being glorified on social media.

UPDATE: Autopsy “did not suggest traumatic injury.”

“It’s sad and senseless,” said Joe Kilmartin of Nashua, N.H., who watched as a fellow Granite State man died near him in the upper tier at the Foxboro stadium after grappling with a Dolphins fan.

That death is under investigation by the Norfolk DA’s office, as the Herald has reported. Authorities have not said if any charges will be filed in the death of Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, N.H.

Kilmartin, 29, said he did not know Mooney but recorded the clash on his cellphone. He added that he had shared that clip with police.

He also texted a copy of that video to the Herald, and it shows a man, believed to be Mooney, high up in Section 310 fighting with a fan in a Miami Dolphins team shirt. Mooney, it appears, was wearing a Number 10 Patriots jersey, the same number worn by quarterback Mac Jones.

Mooney is seen going down the aisle to confront the other man as the two quickly begin to wrestle as others attempt to get out of the way. Stadium security officers in orange shirts arrived almost immediately after.

Kilmartin told the Herald Tuesday night he witnessed the Dolphins fan “punch” Mooney “in the face” near the end of the game. The Patriots went on to lose to the Dolphins 24-17.

But Kilmartin said getting in a fight over a game is ridiculous.

“It was frightening. I’ve been thinking about it since and the way a man took another man’s life. It’s tragic and could have been prevented,” Kilmartin said. “It’s not something you should have seen in Section 310.

“This needs to be addressed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The NFL needs to set an example for the country. Sadly, fighting has become almost acceptable. You see more of it on social media,” he added.

Kilmartin said the fight wasn’t particularly brutal, but Mooney seemed to be stricken after by the what appeared to be the stress of it all.

“It was a mutual combat situation but the DA needs to file some type of charge, in my opinion,” Kilmartin added. “He received a good punch to the side of the face — around the temple or jaw. But I think he had a heart attack in the tussle.”

Kilmartin stressed: “It’s just a football game! It’s not something to get worked up about. We’re all human beings.” He did add booze may have played a role, adding, “everyone was drinking.”

Patriots and Gillette Stadium officials released a statement Tuesday that said: “We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Dale Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket member, who died while attending last Sunday night’s Patriots game. We continue to work with local authorities to assist them with their ongoing investigation. We extend our sincerest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Dale’s family and to all those who are mourning his loss.”

The State Police said Mooney suffered an “apparent medical event” during the game. His wife was quoted as saying he was a father of two and a season ticket holder.

Mooney was transported to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro where authorities say he was pronounced dead Sunday night.

State troopers are following “normal protocol” by investigating the death, the DA added.

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3287010 2023-09-19T19:40:54+00:00 2023-09-20T12:39:12+00:00
DA investigates death of Patriots fan at Gillette Stadium https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/18/da-investigates-death-of-patriots-fan-at-gillette-stadium/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 22:04:42 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3285701 The death of a 53-year-old New Hampshire man at Sunday night’s Patriots game is under investigation, the Norfolk DA announced.

Foxboro police and fire personnel responded into the 300’s tier of Gillette Stadium where Dale Mooney of Newmarket, N.H., “was in apparent need of medical attention at approximately 10:57 p.m.,” the DA’s office said Monday.

Mooney was transported to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro where authorities say he was pronounced dead.

State troopers are following “normal protocol” by investigating the death, the DA added.

“The matter remains under active investigation. The District Attorney’s Office has been informed that the autopsy is not scheduled to be conducted (Monday). There are no charges in place at this time,” the announcement added.

The State Police said Mooney suffered an “apparent medical event” during the game. His wife was quoted as saying he was a father of two and a season ticket holder.

First-responders reportedly helped another man earlier at Gillette who went into cardiac arrest.

The Dolphins beat the Patriots 24-17.

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3285701 2023-09-18T18:04:42+00:00 2023-09-19T21:21:58+00:00
5 victims shot in Dorchester — two juveniles with one critical https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/17/multiple-victims-in-dorchester-shooting-police-on-scene/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 02:35:56 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3284977 Five people have been shot in Dorchester, two of them juveniles, as city officials urged witnesses to come forward and help.

One of the juveniles shot is in critical condition, according to police Commissioner Michael Cox. He added there was some type of family gathering on Ames Street when the shots rang out at 8:36 p.m.

All five victims were taken to city hospitals with serious injuries, police said.

“We need the public’s help and support on this,” Cox said. “If you saw something please let our investigators know.”

DA Kevin Hayden also asked for community help echoing the need for tips.

“We’re here doing everything we can. Yet this is another incident where it cries out for the community’s help,” Hayden said.

Mayor Michelle Wu said the shots pierced the night when families are usually putting their kids to bed so they’ll be ready for school in the morning.

“I’m angry. I’m upset,” Wu said. “I’m praying with all my heart for those in the hospital to recover … but we need everyone’s support.”

Wu added that “getting guns off the streets” and making the city “safe” is a top priority.

Cox vowed to do all he can to arrest those responsible for the shooting.

The city’s ShotSpotter was the first sign of trouble in the area of 50 Ames Street, police said. Some of those shot were outside at the family event.

Police are also asking for anonymous tips. Potential witnesses can call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS, or text the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).

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3284977 2023-09-17T22:35:56+00:00 2023-09-18T10:42:38+00:00
‘Life-threatening’ flash flooding in Leominster, Fitchburg; river flooding next risk https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/11/life-threatening-flash-flooding-in-leominster-fitchburg/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 01:53:15 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3277533 In a dire warning, the National Weather Service posted alerts for “life threatening flash flooding” in the Leominster, Fitchburg Monday night.

The weather service says the warning is for “flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.”

A portion of Route 2 was closed in the area as the rains kept coming.

The NWS added other towns nearby were also under the alert, including Westford, Gardner, Holden, Clinton, Athol, Pepperell, Tyngsborough, Groton, Winchendon, Lunenburg, Townsend, Littleton, Lancaster, Templeton, Rutland, Sterling, Ayer and
Westminster.

The Weather Service added: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”

River Flooding now

The Weather Service also warned residents to keep an eye on local rivers for flooding into Tuesday and the days to come.

Flood Warning for the following rivers in Massachusetts…New Hampshire… North Nashua River At Fitchburg affecting Worcester County. Nashua River At East Pepperell affecting Middlesex, Hillsborough and Worcester Counties. For the North Nashua River…including Fitchburg…Minor flooding is forecast.

They add this warning is for “FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON TO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.” (The ALL CAPS is by the Weather Service, which is never prone to hyperbole.)

Gov. Maura Healey added the state is doing all it can to help.

“There are catastrophic floods in the Leominster area and other communities across the state this evening. My heart goes out to the impacted communities and public safety personnel. I’ve spoken with Mayor Mazzarella and instructed state agencies to do all that they can to assist,” Healey said last night.

“The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and Department of Fire Services (DFS) are on the ground with boat rescue and emergency response teams to ensure the safety of our residents.”

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3277533 2023-09-11T21:53:15+00:00 2023-09-11T23:34:54+00:00
18 kilos of fentanyl seized in task force bust; enough to kill 9M https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/11/18-kilos-of-fentanyl-seized-in-task-force-bust-enough-to-kill-9m/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 01:21:19 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3277499 State Police report they have seized 18 kilograms of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl.

One kilo of fentanyl, the DEA states, “has the potential to kill 500,000 people.” This bust is a lot of lives saved. (9 million, using DEA math.)

A task force zeroed in on a Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization that was supplying fentanyl throughout the Merrimack Valley, MSP said.

“Operation Philly Special,” State Police added, was the result of a lengthy investigation conducted by the State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction and Enforcement Team (CINRET), Troopers assigned to the Attorney General’s Office, federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Salem, New Hampshire Police, under the direction of Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s Office.

The seized fentanyl, once cut up and sold on the street, would have an estimated value of nearly $1 million.

The task force also seized two semi-automatic pistols, approximately $10,000 suspected to be drug trafficking proceeds, a Mercedes Benz, and a portable hydraulic compartment suspected of having been used to secrete drugs and money.

ARRESTED:

RAFAEL SALDANA DIAS, 26, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 36 grams (4 counts)

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Conspiracy (1 count)

Bail set for $250,000

YOSMEIRY MARTINEZ RAMON, 21, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Conspiracy (1 count)

Bail set for $2,500

FREDDY ALEXANDER SUAZO TEJEDA, 36, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Conspiracy (1 count)

Bail set for $100,000

RAFELIN LUGO TEJEDA, 32, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Conspiracy (1 count)

Bail set for $100,000

YAHANNYS ANZIANI, 34, of Lawrence

Unlawful Possession of Firearm (1 count)

Unlawful Possession of Ammunition (1 count)

Child Endangerment (1 count)

Bail set for $2,500

AUGUST MOSCAT, 39, of Lawrence

Unlawful Possession of Firearm (1 count)

Unlawful Possession of Ammunition (1 count)

Child Endangerment (1 count)

Bail set for $2,500

HENDERSON MARTINEZ, 34, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 36 grams (1 count)

Bail set for $100,000

WILKIN ANTONIO PEREZ, 26, of Lawrence

Trafficking a Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Bail set for $10,000

MARCOS SANTOS, 37, of Lawrence

Conspiracy (1 count)

Released on personal recognizance

MIGUEL MEDRANO, 55, of Lynn

Trafficking of Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

Bail set for $250,000

HENDERSON MARTIN, 34, of Lawrence

Trafficking of Class A substance, over 200 grams (1 count)

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Division Chief Christina Ronan and Assistant Attorney General Gretchen Brodigan of the AG’s Enterprise & Major Crimes Division.

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3277499 2023-09-11T21:21:19+00:00 2023-09-11T21:21:19+00:00
Retired Dedham state police detective attacked after judge keeps him out of jail https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/11/retired-dedham-state-police-detective-attacked-after-court-case-keeps-him-out-of-jail/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:38:52 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3277442 The lawyer for an ex-State Police detective and his wife is demanding the DA “do his job” after his client was attacked after a sentencing that kept the couple out of jail.

James and Leslie Coughlin pleaded guilty Monday in Dedham District Court to furnishing alcohol to a minor and admitted to “sufficient facts” for reckless endangerment of a child. Their one-year jail sentence was suspended for three years.

Basically, they will not serve time behind bars if they face no further charges.

The case was over the drowning death of 17-year-old Alonzo Polk at a high school graduation part at the couple’s Dedham home in June of 2021. But that’s not the end to this story.

James Coughlin, a former MSP captain, was “punched in the head and knocked to the ground” outside the court Monday, according to his lawyer Brian Kelly. Police confirmed the attack and said the case is open and under investigation.

“You can’t assault people outside the court,” said Kelly, a top lawyer and former prosecutor. “It’s now up to the DA to do his job. … It’s outrageous. It was a vicious assault for no reason at all.”

The lawyer for the teen’s family did not return a call from the Herald.

As the Herald has reported, Polk died after other youngsters began to jump in the family pool. Alonzo was also found in the pool “submerged under water” by friends who did not see him climb out.

James Coughlin, Dedham police and EMTs performed CPR on him, but he died a few days later.

The lighting in the pool and the party itself were all questioned by the court and family members of the deceased.

Kelly, who witnessed the attack, said he saw at least three people pounce on James Coughlin in the middle of the street while his wife was “pulled into a nearby car.” He also said Polk was not drinking the night he died at the party.

The Norfolk DA’s office said in a statement that prosecutor Sean Riley asked Dedham District Court Judge Paul McCallum to impose a guilty finding on each count and sentence the Coughlins to two-and-a-half years in the Norfolk County House of Corrections, with one year to serve and the balance suspended during three years of probation – with 200 hours of community service during that probation.

The judge, however, entered a guilty finding on the furnishing alcohol charge and ordered a one-year sentence, which he suspended for three years. He continued without a finding the reckless endangerment charge for three years. He imposed 50 hours of community service on each charge, for a total of 100 hours.

Dedham police are asking any witnesses of yesterday’s assault to call the station.

Family of Alonzo Polk, 17, who drowned during a high school graduation party in Dedham. (Herald file photo)
Family of Alonzo Polk, 17, who drowned during a high school graduation party in Dedham. (Herald file photo)
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3277442 2023-09-11T20:38:52+00:00 2023-09-12T10:44:42+00:00
9/11 nightmare never ends for cancer victims, families https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/11/9-11-nightmare-never-ends-for-cancer-victims-families/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:02:47 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3273472 The 9/11 attacks keep destroying lives even today.

Cancer linked to the toxic emissions at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville “sicken 1,000 people a month,” said attorney Dan Hansen, who has clients from New England to New Jersey.

Retired FBI agent Tom O’Connor said he just buried a former colleague who died too young after getting ill from sifting through evidence from the terror attacks 22 years ago.

Loved ones of the nearly 3,000 9/11 victims are battling Saudi Arabia in court over the Kingdom’s alleged involvement in bankrolling some of the 19 hijackers who pulled off the nightmare that never ends.

And, the military tribunal of five terrorists linked to planning the attacks drag on in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where pleas deals are being pitched.

“It’s literally like (Osama) bin Laden is reaching up from the grave and pulling people down,” said O’Connor, a former Northampton police officer who is now head of charities for the FBI Agents Association. He said the FBI has lost 17 agents to 9/11 cancers along with four support staff with hundreds of others sick.

“It’s all from the jet fuel, the planes burning and the Shanksville site where Flight 93 crashed into a Superfund site,” O’Connor said of the illnesses hitting agents. “Every single day we’re talking to someone who is sick.”

That hallowed Shanksville, Pa., field where Flight 93 crashed was once a mine that was capped under the EPA Superfund act rolled out in the early 1980s. The Flight 93 passengers and crew ended the terror attacks with their rallying cry of “Let’s roll!

But people are still dying.

“We can never forget. Cancer is not allowing us to forget,” said Hansen, a toxic exposure attorney.  He said police, firefighters, EMTs, Salvation Army volunteers and so many others who raced to Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack to help are facing chemotherapy instead of retirement.

“Today is an open wound that’s continuing,” he said, “and it’s now spreading to people who have relocated all over the country.”

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund has 85,475 claims as of Aug. 31 with $12 billion awarded to date to help first responders or family members. Also, more than 160,000 people have registered with the fund. That’s tens of thousands worried they could be next to receive a devastating cancer diagnosis.

Hansen said the average age of responders on 9/11 was 39 years old. They are now about to hit their 60s when their days should be filled with grandchildren and retirement plans. “They know the trajectory,” he said of cancer.

Retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, the former commander of the USS Cole when the ship was attacked by terrorists on Oct. 12, 2000, in the Port of Aden in Yemen killing 17 sailors, said 9/11 “is technically never going to be over.”

He’s a lecturer, author and terrorism expert who told the Herald “we haven’t seen justice yet.”

He’s calling for the Biden administration to “get a conviction” against the five Gitmo detainees — including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Not doing so, he said, is “amoral and unethical.” He wants justice for USS Cole families, too.

Brett Eagleson, who was 15 years old when his dad, Bruce, died while working at the Twin Towers on 9/11, wants President Biden to force Saudi Arabia to apologize for its involvement in the terror attacks.

Biden is not expected to attend any of the 9/11 remembrances in NYC, D.C., or Pennsylvania today in what Eagleson said is another setback for 9/11 kin.

“We still don’t have justice.”

BOSTON, MA. September 10 : A lone plant sits by the 911 memorial during the rain on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at Public Garden in Boston Mass. (Photo by Jim Michaud / Boston Herald)
A pot of flowers was left Sunday at the 9/11 Memorial in the Boston Public Garden. (Photo by Jim Michaud / Boston Herald)
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3273472 2023-09-11T06:02:47+00:00 2023-09-11T09:15:49+00:00
FBI won’t release records on reports of 5th 9/11 plane targeted https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/09/11/fbi-wont-release-records-on-reports-of-5th-9-11-plane-targeted/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:00:14 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3275149 The FBI won’t divulge if suicidal al-Qaeda terrorists intended to hijack a fifth jet on 9/11.

In response to a public records request from the Herald, the agency said, “The material you requested is located in an investigative file which is exempt from disclosure … (and) release of the information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.”

What “proceedings?” The agency does not say.

Sources and previous reporting suggest hijackers were thwarted — turned away or failed somehow — at JFK Airport in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

A military tribunal is dragging on at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where this case could be linked to the five terrorists charged with plotting the 9/11 attacks — including the mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. No trail date has been set as plea deals are discussed.

Twenty-two years ago today 19 al-Qaeda hijackers — 15 of them Saudi nationals — hijacked and crashed four jets, killing nearly 3,000 people in one day at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa.

Two of those jets — American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 — took off from Logan International Airport in Boston. The others left from Newark, N.J., and Washington, D.C.

“Why are we hiding this if there was a fifth plane?” asked Brett Eagleson, who was 15 years old when his dad died when the Twin Towers collapsed. “We still don’t have justice.”

The Herald has filed an appeal with the FBI to release the records on the fifth jet.

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3275149 2023-09-11T06:00:14+00:00 2023-09-10T16:36:49+00:00
From the Archives: Mayor on vacation page 1 news (circa 1926) https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/08/30/from-the-archives-mayor-on-vacation-page-1-news-circa-1926/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:56:47 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3261351 Is a mayor taking a vacation news?

It depends on the circumstances. In times like this, we turn to the Herald archives for perspective.

BOSTON_HERALD August_5_1926__p1

This front page is the first example from the archives for the term “Mayor on vacation.” As you can see, Mayor (Malcolm) Nichols (1926–1930) was front and center for taking time off. Historical fact: It appears he was the list Republican mayor of Boston. (Email me if I’m wrong.)

BOSTON_HERALD September_7_1849__p4

BOSTON_HERALD September_7_1849__p1

The first story ever published by the Herald that referred to an “acting mayor” appeared on Sept. 7, 1849. (I added a link to that year’s page 1 for historical context.) Another 3,411 stories follow that also contain the term “acting mayor.”

The city rules state the Council president is the acting mayor if there is a vacancy or the mayor is away.

Why the debate? Current Mayor Michelle Wu is on vacation and the communication of her absence was slow to surface — that is until the Herald reported on it today.

“The average American takes vacation. And I’m guessing most weeks she puts in 70 to 80 hours so she deserves it,” Larry DiCara, a former city councilor and longtime observer of Boston politics, told us today. 

DiCara added that during his time as council president in the 1970s he was informed when the mayor stepped away from the city. Such notice is not as “essential” with today’s technology, he said.

“The charter was written over 100 years ago when the world was a very different place,” DiCara added. “I would argue that if you’re easily reachable, like you’re on the beach or on the Cape, that probably it’s not essential. But if you’re out of state, probably the spirit of the charter would be that you notify.”

As of this writing we do not know if Mayor Wu is in state, out of state, out of country or out to sea. Hence, the story is one we should report.

Do you agree?

 

 

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‘A Leg Forever’ golf tourney keeps helping Boston Marathon bombing victims a decade later https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/08/28/a-leg-forever-golf-tourney-keeps-helping-boston-marathon-bombing-victims-a-decade-later/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 23:55:41 +0000 https://www.bostonherald.com/?p=3257405 Boston is only getting stronger.

The 10th annual “A Leg Forever” charity golf tournament at Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover was a sellout Monday as 158 contestants pitched in $250 per player to help Boston Marathon bombing victims cope.

“It’s humbling,” said Liz Norden, whose sons J.P. and Paul lost their right legs in the 2013 explosions at the finish line on Boylston Street.

But that’s not what this August tournament is about. It is about resilience. Community. This city. And the indomitable spirit found in true Bostonians.

“I’m proud today. Proud of JP, Paul and Liz for doing this every year. They don’t get enough credit,” said Marc Fucarile, who nearly died when the bombs got him, too.

Fucarile said the “kindness and generosity of others” give marathon survivors strength.

Liz Norden wanted to thank “all the sponsors” — but especially Lighthouse Electrical Contracting of Higham and La Famiglia Giorgio’s restaurant in the North End, which parked its mobile brick oven at Indian Ridge. (Update: 3rd Alarm Wood Fired Pizza Company offered up the mobile truck, according to the good people at La Famiglia Giorgio’s.)

“I feel incredibly blessed,” Liz Norden told the Herald. “This has all been because of family and friends who have given $20 bills. This is huge. This is heartwarming.”

Something this good has come out of something so bad. But you see it all over the city, from the remembrances to the Team MR8 runners who compete in the memory of little Martin Richard, who was killed in the twin bombings.

The golf tournament will go on and so too will the fund-raisers and services for those lost and first-responders and the medical community who stepped up that day.

Monday was about golf and a free pair of shoes for all participants so they can feel part of something bigger. An event with heart and soul and a prayer for those lost or suffering.

All proceedings go to helping with prosthetics and other needs for marathon bombing victims from the city that never forgets.

The terror attack killed three spectators — Martin Richard, 8, Lingzi Lu, 23, and Krystle Campbell, 29 — and injured or maimed hundreds of others. Two officers — MIT’s Sean Collier and BPD’s Dennis “DJ” Simmonds — were killed in the manhunt, with Collier shot and Simmonds succumbing to injuries a year later.

JP and Liz Norden, and Paul not shown in this photo, are the driving force behind the tournament. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
JP and Liz Norden, and Paul not shown in this photo, are the driving force behind the tournament. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Nicole Browder and her husband marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile stop to talk with charity organizer Liz Norden during the tourney. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Nicole Browder and her husband marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile stop to talk with charity organizer Liz Norden during the tourney. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Al Giorgio puts some body english on a putt during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Al Giorgio puts some body english on a putt during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Tournament sponsor Herb Aikens tees off during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
Tournament sponsor Herb Aikens tees off during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
J P Norden tees off during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
J P Norden tees off during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
J P Norden gives his Mom Liz a Birthday hug during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. this was the 10 year anniversary of the tournament and it happened to fall on her birthday 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)
J P Norden gives his Mom Liz a Birthday hug during the A Leg Forever Charity Golf Tournament held at the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover. this was the 10 year anniversary of the tournament and it happened to fall on her birthday 8/28/2023. (Staff Photo Chris Christo/Boston Herald)

 

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