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Smoky Sky to Summer Sunshine

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

We had a nice comfortable day today across the area — a little cool again on the coast line but not terrible. At least we had the sunshine…. or at least filtered sunshine. At times the skies were blue and other times a thick film took over the higher levels. That was actually smoke blowing south from wildfires in Nova Scotia. This will continue to drift through the area for the rest of the evening. Aside from being able to smell the smoke at times, it really doesn’t have much of an impact on us. There is an air quality alert in effect through midnight, mainly for sensitive groups.Tomorrow the smoke will continue to diffuse and the blue skies will return. We’ll also be warmer tomorrow with inland spots climbing to the low 80s and 70s on the coast.Other than that we have another quiet week of weather ahead. The big story is the big warmup! Temperatures will make a run at 90° by the end of the week, though the coast line will be cooler each of the next three day...

WATCH: Mother bear and cub spotted roaming in Groton

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Some people living in Groton recently received a group of unexpected visitors when a bear cub and its mother were seen roaming around a local backyard. The animals were caught on camera enjoying the sun as the cub was seen napping on a tree for about 40 minutes. The mother stayed on the ground nearby. The bears later wandered around in the area before leaving. Officials with MassWildlife have said the population of black bears has been increasing in number and distribution in Massachusetts since the 1970s, pushing the current estimated statewide population past 4,500. Groton is part of the established range of black bears in Massachusetts, according to MassWildlife. The range is also expanding east, though, with an area of “expanding bear range” now including many communities east of I-495.

Ticker: Seasonal concerts return to Suffolk Downs; Gas prices jump

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

A new seasonal outdoor concert spot will be opening at Suffolk Downs in the coming weeks.The Stage at Suffolk Downs, a 186,000-square-foot venue featuring room for up to 8,500 concertgoers, will be bringing live music to the East Boston hot spot, which has been mostly without entertainment since the last horse race was held in 2019.Artists Steve Lacy, LCD Soundsystem and boygenius will kick the season off during opening weekend, June 16-18. Tickets are available for Lacy’s Friday concert and LCD Soundsystem’s Saturday show, but supergroup boygenius is sold out on Sunday.The Bowery Presents, a leading concert promotion and venue management company along the East Coast, is opening up the venue in partnership with Boston-based The HYM Investment Group LLC.Fans will enjoy the entertainment from the infield of the track.Gas prices jumpAs the long wait for targeted tax relief continues, Massachusetts gas prices are on the rise coming out of Memorial Day weekend.AAA Massachusetts said Tues...

Judge clears Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

A federal court ruling cleared the way Tuesday for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s settlement of thousands of legal claims over the toll of opioids.Under the plan approved by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, members of the wealthy Sackler family would give up ownership of Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue, which would become a new company known as Knoa, with its profits being sent to a fund to prevent and treat addiction.The exact details of how the money is to be used will be largely up to state and local governments including in Massachusetts.Family members would also contribute $5.5 billion to $6 billion in cash over time, or around half of what the court found to be their collective fortune, much of it held offshore. A chunk of that money — at least $750 million — is to go to individual victims of the opioid crisis and their survivors. Payments are expected to range from about $3,500 to $48,000.Tuesday’s decision also protects members of the Sackle...

Plenty of Boston connections in Stanley Cup Finals

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Into this torture chamber of a spring for Boston sports fans we bring you the Stanley Cup Finals.On one side, we have the coach, Bruce Cassidy, that the Bruins kicked to the curb just a year ago. On the other, we have the team that turned the B’s dream season into a nightmare.If you can bear to watch, it should be a very interesting series. On the Vegas Golden Knights side, there is more than one local angle. Chelmsford-born Jack Eichel, whose career was nearly botched in Buffalo, is celebrating his first foray into the playoffs with a trip to the Finals. That’s right.The player who once had his future GM with the Sabres, Tim Murray, visibly show his disappointment on the televised draft lottery show because he had to settle for the former Boston University star has made it to the last round before the player that Murray desired, Connor McDavid.And part of the reason that Eichel’s now on the sport’s biggest stage is because of Cassidy, who had challenged the ...

Aaron Hicks inks deal with Orioles after being DFA’d by Yankees with two-years left on his contract

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

SEATTLE — Aaron Hicks is staying put — in the American League East.The veteran has agreed to a major league deal with the Orioles, the team announced Tuesday. Baltimore needed outfield help, as Cedric Mullins is dealing with a right groin strain.The O’s will pay Hicks the major league minimum.Hicks debuted for the Yankees in 2016 and signed a seven-year, $70 million extension following a career-year in 2018. But he’s played in just 303 games while hitting .218/.330/.360 since then, and he hit .188 over 28 games for the Yankees this season before the club cut ties with the 33-year-old.“I hope what doesn’t get lost is a couple of really good seasons that he had here,” Aaron Boone said after Hicks’ release. “Had some good postseason moments here. And then some injuries really impacted his time here and probably impacted his career and his ability to get back to that level.”Hicks, who began his career with the Twins, has played...

Smelling smoke in Massachusetts? Nova Scotia wildfire plume overspreads the region

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

Have you been smelling smoke outside but don’t see a fire?Nova Scotia wildfire smoke made its way to Massachusetts on Tuesday, as those with a sensitive nose were able to smell the smoke as it pushed through the region. The smoke plume from Canada also impacted visibility in spots across southern New England.An “Air Quality Alert” was issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection with the wildfire smoke overspreading the Bay State.“Fine particle levels will elevate at times into the Moderate and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range as wildfire smoke influences our region,” the advisory stated. “An Air Quality Alert for elevated fine particle levels has been posted for areas of Mass through midnight tonight.”After the worst of the smoke moved through the state on Tuesday, less concentrated and less potent smoke is expected to stick around on Wednesday.“It should still haze up the skies, but it won’t be as thic...

50-year-old woman’s body found floating off Breakheart Reservation beach in Saugus

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

A woman’s body was found in the water on Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.A man fishing at at the beach at the reservation saw the woman’s body floating and called 911 at around 11 a.m., according to Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio.Saugus Police officers responded to the scene and brought the woman’s body to shore. Emergency Medical Technicians declared the 50-year-old woman dead at the scene.Saugus Assistant Chief Ron Giorgetti described his department’s role to the Herald as “assisting with an unattended death at Breakheart Reservation,” and deferred all further comment to the State Police.MSP spokesman David Procopio said that the agency had deployed “patrols, crime scene techs and detectives on scene,” but at around 4:15 said that “there is no evidence of foul play.”Barring any developments, we are not releasing the decedent’s identity and do not expect to release any further update,” he said.T...

Suspect’s dislike for drugs, homelessness may have led to shootings that killed 4 in metro Phoenix

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — A man’s strong dislike for drugs and homelessness may have led to five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded, authorities said Tuesday.Iren Byers, 20, was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder, Mesa police said.He remained jailed without bond Tuesday, and it wasn’t immediately known if Byers has a lawyer yet who can speak on his behalf. His next scheduled court appearance is Friday.Byers took responsibility for the shootings and told officers where they could find the clothes and 9mm handgun used in the crimes, police said.Video surveillance footage showed the suspect wearing the clothing reported by witnesses at multiple shooting scenes, police said.“He directed us to where not only the murder weapon was, but where the clothing was that he wore when he committed all four of these shootings (in Mesa) and basically laid out the...

Auditor general calls for immediate action to protect children and youth in Nunavut

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:11:20 GMT

IQALUIT, Nunavut — Canada’s auditor general says early findings in a review of child and family services in Nunavut were so alarming that her office immediately raised concerns with the territorial government. A report by Karen Hogan released Tuesday found the territory is failing to protect vulnerable children and youth and to provide support to families, front-line workers and communities.“This report is more than statistics, trends and a compilation of facts — it is an urgent call to action,” Hogan said in a statement Tuesday.Among the findings were that the territory inadequately responded to reports of suspected harm, did not complete many investigations, did not sufficiently monitor the welfare of children in care, failed to meet obligations for the health and safety of employees, and could not provide accurate numbers of children in its care.In a sample of 26 children placed in 15 foster homes, for example, the report found many cases where staff from the Departme...