Unloading this stuff before the turn of the month:
"I-84 stop leads to trafficking charges
A New York man pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking after State Police found more than 1,000 oxycodone pills in his car, officials said. Amaury Pena, 28, was arraigned Tuesday in Dudley District Court, said Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the Worcester district attorney’s office. Pena was arrested just after midnight Monday on Interstate 84 East in Sturbridge when a trooper noticed the license plate on his 2006 Acura was covered in snow, State Police said in a statement. The trooper searched the car and found 1,249 oxycodone pills, State Police said."
"Man convicted in fatal 2013 accident
A Deerfield man has been found guilty of motor vehicle homicide for a 2013 accident that killed an 83-year-old Montague woman. The Recorder reported that Aaron Stark was convicted of vehicular homicide by reckless operation and being a minor in possession of liquor, but he was acquitted of manslaughter in the weeklong bench trial. Stark’s sentencing was postponed pending the results of a presentencing evaluation. Prosecutors said Stark’s car crossed the center line in Deerfield on Nov. 4, 2013, and struck a car driven by Celia Allen, who was pronounced dead at the scene (AP)."
Related: Bernardston crash kills 24-year-old
"Woman, 19, killed in crash in Mass. Pike
A 19-year-old woman was killed Thursday when her car crashed into oncoming traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike in West Springfield, officials said. The woman, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, State Police said in a statement. The woman was driving eastbound at 12:36 p.m. when her car struck a box truck driven by Christopher Perry, 39, of Chicopee, State Police said. Perry was not injured. The woman’s car then swerved into the high-speed lane of westbound traffic, where she was struck by a tractor-trailer truck driven by Joshua Lawrence, 23, of Maine. He suffered minor injuries, State Police said."
"Mystery donor leaves hats, scarves
With several feet of snow on the ground and temperatures in the single digits, a mystery Worcester altruist is helping city residents keep warm. During Monday’s snowstorm, people in one city neighborhood found hats and scarves hung on utility poles with a note attached, saying they were not lost. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that the notes, in sealed plastic bags to keep them dry, read: “If you need this to stay warm, please take it.” The note then urged people to pay it forward. The anonymous do-gooder or do-gooders responsible for the garments remained unknown through Tuesday afternoon (AP)."
"40 arrested in Conn. cockfighting raid; 58 sought
Police say 40 people were arrested in a law enforcement raid on a large illegal cockfighting operation in East Windsor on Saturday night. State Police spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vance said officers found 54 fighting birds at the scene, including four that were dead. He said more than 100 people were at the site, which had the same address as an auto sales shop. Officers seized more than $100,000 in gambling proceeds, along with a firearms, records, and ‘‘implements of cockfighting.’’ Vance said the 40 arrested were charged with animal cruelty and one was also charged with professional gambling. They were released on bond to appear in Enfield Superior Court. Arrests warrants will be sought for the other 58 people present. Agriculture agents took custody of the birds."
"ACLU report highlights racial disparities in Rhode Island
A recent report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island indicates that black residents are disproportionately suspended from school, profiled by police and incarcerated, a pattern referred to as the ‘‘school-to-prison pipeline.’’ The report released Thursday contains data collected over the past decade by sources including the ACLU, Northeastern University, and the Prison Policy Initiative indicating that people of color in Rhode Island are subject to discrimination by educators and law enforcement. ACLU policy associate Hillary Davis said the report takes a ‘‘big-picture’’ look at racial disparities over a person’s lifetime and demonstrates how these issues are interconnected. She said looking at the data now is important as the country talks about racial disparities and how to move forward."
"Wesleyan students treated for suspected Molly overdoses
Wesleyan University said at least 11 students were hospitalized with symptoms of overdoses on the drug known as Molly. Dean Michael Whaley, vice president of student affairs, said in a letter to the campus that a sophomore was in critical condition at Middlesex Hospital on Sunday. Middletown police said two patients at Hartford Hospital had been elevated to critical condition, and two were in serious condition. The university says it is aware of 11 students being treated for overdose symptoms consistent with the use of Molly, a stimulant psychoactive drug also known as methylone. Whaley said Middletown police, university police and residence officials are investigating. He asked students to check on their friends."
Check the frat houses and see what you will find (photos 1-3 made my Globe).
All good kids, I guess.
"EPA tells Vermont to get tougher on lake cleanup
A top Vermont environmental official said it could cost more than $300 million to upgrade sewage treatment plants in more than 40 cities and towns if the state does not pursue another plan for reducing phosphorus in Lake Champlain. Environmental Conservation Commissioner David Mears said waste-water treatment plants probably would be a top focus of federal efforts to clean the lake if the Environmental Protection Agency was put in charge. State officials, including Governor Peter Shumlin, have been trying to avoid that, saying Vermont has a more cost-effective plan to reduce phosphorus in the lake by focusing on reducing runoff from farms, roads, and parking lots. Officials at the EPA regional office in Boston said they are encouraged by a cleanup bill under review in the Vermont State House."
"Springfield’s bishop says Catholic high schools to merge
Springfield’s bishop said the Cathedral and Holyoke Roman Catholic high schools will be merged for their long-term financial stability, but the location of a new school has not been decided. Bishop Mitchell Rozanski made the announcement Monday as the Western Massachusetts diocese considers whether to rebuild at the Springfield site where Cathedral High was severely damaged in a 2011 tornado. Many supporters, including Springfield’s mayor, are urging that the school be rebuilt there. Rozanski said the location is among those being considered. He hopes a new school can be built within 2½ years using insurance money and federal disaster aid."
Also see:
Gardner Museum offering free admission Thursday
Water main breaks on Mass Ave.
Plumber’s torch eyed as cause of fire that damaged condos
No new trial for man who fatally stabbed firefighter
Driver faces charges after truck plummets off I-93
NEC plans 1st new building in 56 years
Senator suggests defibrillators in all middle, high schools
Businessman acquitted in grave ransacking case
Boy, 5, distressed after birthday gifts disappear
Group to sue campaign finance office over union contributions
Deval Patrick to speak at Harvard commencement
Two small earthquakes reported within minutes
All those briefs might as well be dead and buried to me. Sorry.
"SJC reinstates man’s conviction for drugs
A Chelsea man’s conviction of possession of PCP was reinstated Tuesday by the state Supreme Judicial Court, according to the Suffolk district attorney’s office. Tim Cullity, 59, was found guilty in Chelsea District Court on Nov. 16, 2011, after a police officer found the hallucinogenic drugs during a motor vehicle stop a year earlier, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. The Massachusetts Appeals Court overturned the decision in 2014 on grounds that the evidence in the lower court was insufficient. But the SJC disagreed and reinstated the conviction. Cullity will not have to serve jail time after completing a probationary period of one year."
"Suspect in Yale doctor killing faces mental review
A former doctor charged with killing a Yale University physician will undergo a psychological review to see if he remains competent to represent himself at trial. New Haven Superior Court Judge Thomas O’Keefe Jr. said Tuesday he will hold a competency hearing in early April in the case of Lishan Wang, 49, a Chinese citizen, after Wang meets with mental health specialists. Wang is charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Dr. Vajinder Toor outside Toor’s Branford home in April 2010. Police said the shooting stemmed from a dispute the men had two years earlier while working together at a New York City hospital (AP)."
UPDATE: "A team at a Connecticut hospital has asked a judge for an extension in their evaluation of a former doctor charged with killing a Yale University physician and deemed unfit for trial. The New Haven Register reports Superior Court Judge Thomas O’Keefe Jr. is expected to grant the Connecticut Valley Hospital team’s request for a 90-day extension. A competency hearing for 49-year-old Lishan Wang scheduled for Monday has been canceled. O’Keefe ruled in April that Wang wasn’t competent to stand trial after two mental health experts testified Wang is unable to rationally understand criminal proceedings or assist in his defense. The judge also will decide whether Wang is competent to continue acting as his own attorney. Wang is charged with murder in the shooting of Dr. Vajinder Toor outside Toor’s Branford home in April 2010 (AP)."
"Former teacher convicted of child rape
A former Massachusetts middle school teacher has been sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for raping a young girl. James Parks, 56, was convicted Wednesday in Hampshire Superior Court of several charges, including three counts of child rape aggravated by age difference. The judge said she gave arks a severe sentence because ‘‘he clearly took advantage of a very young, very vulnerable child.’’ Parks, of Southampton, is a former science teacher at West Springfield Middle School. The victim was not a student. Parks assaulted her when she was between 12 and 15 (AP)."
"Police seek 6’7” 340-pound bank robbery suspect
As far as bank robbery suspects go, the guy police say hit a Central Massachusetts credit union last week is hard to miss. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Joseph Naylor, 28, who is suspected of robbing the Leominster Credit Union on Feb. 12. Police said Naylor is 6-foot-7 and weighs 340 pounds. He is believed to be homeless. A suspect described by witnesses as ‘‘very large’’ handed a teller a note demanding money and after being given an undisclosed amount of cash, quickly walked out. He was identified through surveillance images. Lieutenant Michael Goldman told The Sentinel & Enterprise that Naylor is ‘‘well-known to us.’’ (AP)."
Related: Ex-convict seeks return to prison
Also see: Boston Cops Busted Burglar Barry Bartel
"Drowning victim wore sweat pants
Authorities said a 17-year-old boy wearing sweat pants drowned while swimming in an Attleboro apartment complex’s Olympic-size indoor pool on Wednesday. Prosecutors said that New York City resident Ibrahim Iqbal had been swimming for some time at the Crystal Village Apartments, where he was staying with relatives. They said his cousin was nearby but was not swimming. Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol district attorney’s office, said Iqbal started swimming to the bottom of the 9-foot deep end, touching the bottom and coming back up for air. The teen’s cousin said he did this several times before failing to come back up. Authorities said the cousin called a building manager and a resident to help pull out Iqbal, who was pronounced dead at a hospital."
Related: 17-year-old drowns in indoor pool
"Worcester man charged with stealing credit cards from gym
Police say a Worcester man stole credit and debit cards from customers at a Concord gym and used them to make thousands of dollars in purchases. Pablo Rafael Rivera was arrested Wednesday at the Beede Center Gym. Police said it was the third time he had gone there and employees recognized him as the suspect from the previous thefts. He faces 27 charges in two separate thefts Feb. 11 and 19, including multiple counts of larceny and identity theft. Police said Rivera had a stolen card on him when he was apprehended."
Also see: Roofer Allegedly Robs Two Bedford Homes
"Firefighter died after tank ran out of air, officials say
A Hartford firefighter who lost his life battling a house fire in October died because his tank ran out of air, the Connecticut medical examiner’s office said. The medical examiner Thursday ruled the death of Kevin Bell an accident. Bell, 48, was a six-year veteran of the department and the first Hartford firefighter to die in the line of duty in 40 years. The Hartford Courant reported that an inspection of his engine company’s equipment before the deadly fire found safety issues including empty air tanks. The breathing apparatus that Bell was wearing has been sent to its manufacturer for testing."
I've run out of air regarding this post.
