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Cluster of Massachusetts nurses reportedly diagnosed with brain tumors

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Cluster of Massachusetts nurses reportedly diagnosed with brain tumors


A cluster of nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital have reportedly been diagnosed with brain tumors, according to hospital officials who are assuring staff and patients that there’s “no environmental risk” at the facility.

But the Massachusetts Nurses Association says the hospital’s environmental testing was “not comprehensive,” as the union continues to investigate the situation.

The nurses diagnosed with brain tumors have worked in the maternal care labor/delivery unit on the hospital’s fifth floor.

As of earlier this week, 11 staff who worked at some point and for varying durations on the fifth floor had been interviewed by the Mass General Brigham Occupational Health Service.

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Five cases were determined to be brain tumors of three different types — all of which were benign (non-cancerous). The only type of benign tumor that had more than one case was meningioma.

Six cases were determined to not be brain tumors, but rather other health concerns.

“Based on the results of the extensive and deliberate investigation… we want to reassure our dedicated team members and all of our patients that there is not an environmental risk at Newton-Wellesley Hospital,” Mass General Brigham wrote in its “Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs” after a staff town hall about the situation.

“We take this very seriously; our top priority is providing high-quality care in a safe and healthy environment for our staff and patients,” Mass General Brigham added.

This situation at Newton-Wellesley Hospital was first reported by WBZ.

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After hospital officials learned of the reported brain tumors, they conducted an investigation with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants.

“Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors,” hospital officials said in a statement. “To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December.

“The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor,” the officials said, later adding, “Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility. As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority.”

Staff members have raised several concerns about this cluster of cases. The hospital addressed questions about whether brain tumor cases can be related to: wearing masks during the pandemic, the drinking water, use of x-rays, or the pharmacy on the floor below.

“There is no scientific evidence linking long-term mask use (including processing/re-wearing of masks) to the development of brain tumors,” reads the Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs.

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Water serving the hospital is tested regularly by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

“Out of an abundance of caution, additional water samples from the tap and ice machines have been sent for additional testing by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental testing firm,” reads the FAQs. “Those results should be available in the coming week.”

Hospital officials said they use appropriate x-ray safety techniques throughout the hospital.

“To make sure that there was not another, unknown, source of ionizing radiation on the Fifth Floor, radiation levels were surveyed across the Fifth Floor using Geiger counters,” the hospital wrote. “This did not find any abnormal/increased levels of ionizing radiation.”

The pharmacy located on the fourth floor processes chemotherapy medications.

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“These are handled within an independently ventilated, closed system and with appropriate precautions and controls that have been validated as part of this investigation,” the hospital wrote. “The hoods used in the Fourth Floor pharmacy have been installed and tested to ensure that they are functioning properly and safely ventilating away from the building. This system was re-tested by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental firm, as part of the investigation, and was found to be operating properly.”

The Massachusetts Nurses Association’s division of health and safety, consisting of occupational health nurses, is investigating the situation.

“We do not have a specific number (of nurses) we are releasing now because we are still verifying diagnoses via medical records. We do not have a specific cause as we are still investigating,” a spokesperson for the union said in a statement.

“We brought this to the hospital in December to urge an investigation by MGB,” the union spokesperson added. “We have been in communication with NWH nurses about this regularly and specifically with nurses who are self-reporting.”

The union spokesperson said the investigation is focused on the maternity unit, though they have reports from other areas as well.

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“We are engaging with the hospital about their inquiry,” the union spokesperson said. “They only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.”

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Eight takeaways from Friday’s high school playoffs action, including four 1,000-point scorers – The Boston Globe

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Eight takeaways from Friday’s high school playoffs action, including four 1,000-point scorers – The Boston Globe


Find the full scoreboard here, along with everything we wrote Friday night:

Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.

▪ Cathedral senior Keyona Raines scored 15 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as the No. 5 Panthers handled No. 28 Hudson, 60-43, in the first round of the Division 4 girls’ basketball tournament.

▪ Sutton junior captain Ava Carroll netted her 1,000th career point during a 29-point effort in a 49-31 Division 4 first-round win over Easthampton.

▪ With a layup in the waning seconds of the first half, Anna Freeman became the 10th Medway player, and first since Riley Childs in 2018, to score 1,000 career points. She finished the 55-24 Division 3 first-round win over St. Paul with 17. Her father, Matt Freeman, scored 1,000 points at Bishop Feehan.

▪ Burlington boys’ basketball senior Matty Gray reached 1,000 career points during a 25-point performance in a 95-58 Division 2 first-round rout of Holliston. He reached the mark on a first-quarter layup.

▪ Falmouth boys’ hockey senior Kody Pokraka rode two assists to 100 career points during a 5-4 Division 2 first-round win over Plymouth South.

It was a chalky day, with only one significant upset: No. 22 Greater Lawrence girls’ basketball easily handling No. 11 Hamilton-Wenham, 65-45, in the Division 4 first round thanks to 13 3-pointers as a team and a combined 47 points from Serenity West (24) and Maliah Caban (23).

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The only other lower seeds to win were No. 18 Marshfield boys’ basketball, which took out No. 15 Cambridge, 66-63, in overtime in the Division 1 first round, and No. 34 Arlington Catholic boys’ basketball, which survived No. 31 Duxbury, 64-60, in Division 2 preliminary-round action.

The finish of the night came in No. 17 South Hadley’s 61-60 win over No. 16 Madison Park. Trailing 60-59 and inbounding with 10.3 seconds left, the Tigers got an off-balance 3-pointer, but junior Noah Hambley crashed the boards and in one fell swoop secured the rebound and put it back up off the glass for the winning bucket as time expired in a boys’ basketball Division 4 first-round matchup.

The Oliver Ames boys got four free throws from Jacob Lok in the final 26 seconds to squeak past Canton, 45-42, in the first round of the Division 2 bracket. The Acton-Boxborough girls also needed overtime to complete a 53-49 Division 1 first-round triumph over Brookline.

The only overtime hockey game of the night saw the Diman boys net an equalizer in the final minute of regulation before Marlborough’s Ethan Guo supplied the heroics just 2:08 into the extra frame, propelling the No. 8 Panthers into the Division 3 second round with a 6-5 victory. Anthony Tramontozzi and Chace Lozano each scored twice for Marlborough

Caroline Arruda, Marshfield — The sophomore poured in 32 points to push the Rams to a 68-63 preliminary-round win over Westborough.

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Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy — The senior capped her hat trick with the winning goal in a 4-3 Division 2 opening-round win over Burlington.

Brody Bumila and Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan — The seniors took control of an 85-67 Division 1 first-round victory, with Bumila providing 32 points and 14 rebounds and Webster going for 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames — The senior’s 3-point shot wasn’t falling, but she didn’t let that get in the way of a 34-point performance, 2 off her career best, during a 59-50 Division 2 first-round win over Bedford.

Eileen Lowther, Hingham — The junior controlled the glass, pulling down 15 rebounds and blocking six shots to go with 12 points in a 54-43 Division 2 first-round win.

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan — The senior from Dighton delivered 21 points, 9 steals, and 5 assists as the No. 2 Shamrocks rolled to a 71-30 Division 1 first-round victory over Peabody.

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Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough — The sophomore was cleaning the glass to the tune of 17 rebounds while adding 13 points in a 53-49 overtime win in the first round of the Division 1 bracket.

Senior Sophia O’Donnell made history, becoming the first St. Mary’s athlete to sign to become a Division 1 rower. O’Donnell will row for Merrimack.

Milton Academy graduate Cormac Ryan signed a two-way NBA contract with the Bucks on Thursday, making him the fourth former member of the Middlesex Magic AAU program currently in the NBA, along with The Pistons’ Duncan Robinson, Hornets’ Pat Connaughton, and Knicks’ Tyler Kolek.

Ryan, who hails from New York, was a three-time All-NEPSAC selection at Milton Academy before playing at Stanford, Notre Dame, and North Carolina. He spent the last two seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue and Wisconsin Herd. He played with the Thunder’s Summer League team in 2024.

Quinnipiac junior Anna Foley, a 6-foot-3-inch Andover graduate, was celebrated for reaching 1,000 points during a ceremony Friday. She passed the mark on Feb. 12 in a 62-40 victory over Siena. A two-time All-MAAC second team selection, she’s averaging 9.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

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8. Basketball leaderboard

Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames, 34

Caroline Arruda, Marshfield, 32

Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 32

Weston Bunnell, Stoneham, 29

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Joe Baraky, Duxbury, 28

Zach Georges, Pioneer Charter I, 27

Kelsi Lanza, Silver Lake, 27

Josh Roux, Andover, 26

Ava Bailey, Newburyport, 25

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Allie Danis, Newton North, 25

Angie Djoko, Danvers, 25

Noah Feldman, Marshfield, 25

Matty Gray, Burlington, 25

Jackson Hines, Arlington Catholic, 25

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Connor Houle, Attleboro, 25

Katelyn Troilo, Mansfield, 25

Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex, 24

Serenity West, Greater Lawrence, 24

Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 23

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Maliah Caban, Greater Lawrence, 23

Josh Jenkins, Barnstable, 23

Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 23

Colin Trimble, Foxborough, 23

Eva Andrews, Needham, 22

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Alaysia Drummonds, Foxborough, 22

Trevor Manning, Ipswich, 22

Gia Porazzo, Foxborough, 22

Sarah Powers, Wayland, 22

Ryan Tullish, Middleborough, 22

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Chase Gara, Sutton, 21

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 21

LaDainian Rodrigues, Attleboro, 21

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 21

Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 21

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Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 20

Dylan Raffle, Milton, 20

Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 18

Eva Andrews, Needham, 17

Maura Quirk, Acton-Boxborough, 17

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Tony Dean, Stoneham, 15

Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 15

Brody Bumila, Bishop Feehan, 14

Angie Djoko, Danvers, 12

Camden Strandberg, Bridgewater-Raynham, 11

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Avery Teixeira, Bishop Feehan, 11

Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 10

Shannon LaMorticelli, Bishop Feehan, 10

Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 10

Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 10

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Ashley Varnum, Bridgewater-Raynham, 10

Lila Polansky, Bridgewater-Raynham, 8

Duke Cherry, Malden Catholic, 7

Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 7

Erin Reilly, Burlington, 7

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Jake Webster, Bishop Feehan, 7

Caroline Connors, Millis, 6

Egan Gill, Bishop Feehan, 6

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 6

Marcus Tayag, Pioneer Charter I, 6

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Rayana Laurent, Pingree, 5

Mollie Mullen, Bishop Feehan, 9

Reagan Maniscalco, Tewksbury, 6

Ella O’Keefe, Oliver Ames, 5

Dylan Raffle, Milton, 4

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Ava Sicari, Burlington, 4

Rex Satter, Ipswich, 3

Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 6

Maeve Horsman, Oliver Ames, 5

Zarah Ochi, Burlington, 4

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Gaby Bassett, Nauset/Monomoy, 3

Griff Callahan, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Max Cronen, Monomoy/Mashpee, 2

Addy Harrington, Duxbury, 2

Jaxon Hoey, Norwell, 2

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Chace Lozano, Marlborough, 2

Mackenna Metell, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Christos Rogaris, Dover-Sherborn/Weston, 2

Mark Trahon, Norwood, 2

Anthony Tramontozzi, Marlborough, 2

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Bryce Campanale, Norwell, 3

Maeve Turner, Falmouth, 3

Violet Cox, Falmouth, 2

Ryan Heidt, Martha’s Vineyard, 2

Cam Long, Norwell, 2

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Kody Pokraka, Falmouth, 2

Bailen Darack, Martha’s Vineyard, 22

Sammie Precourt, Dennis-Yarmouth, 16


Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.





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State health officials announce two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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State health officials announce two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


BOSTON (WHDH) – State public health officials have announced two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts this year.

The first case came from a school-aged resident who was exposed and diagnoses while out of state. This person has remained out of state during the infectious period.

The second case was diagnosed by an adult in Greater Boston. Officials say this person had recently returned from international travel with an uncertain vaccination history.

This person visited several locations. Both local and state health officials are working with the locations to identify and notify those who were potentially exposed.

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“Our first two measles cases in 2026 demonstrate the impact that the measles outbreaks, nationally and internationally, can have here at home. Fortunately, thanks to high vaccination rates, the risk to most Massachusetts residents remains low,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Measles is the most contagious respiratory virus and can cause life-threatening illness. These cases are a reminder of the need for health care providers and local health departments to remain vigilant for cases so that appropriate public health measures can be rapidly employed to prevent spread in the state. This is also a reminder that getting vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves from this disease.” 

(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Fire hydrants ‘buried’ in snow as crews respond to Taunton house explosion

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Fire hydrants ‘buried’ in snow as crews respond to Taunton house explosion


Several Cape Cod and South Coast communities in Massachusetts are still digging out three days after a historic blizzard buried neighborhoods in several feet of snow, complicating emergency response efforts and prompting additional state support.

Cities and towns including Brockton, Taunton, New Bedford and Fall River received outside assistance Thursday as crews continued to plow streets and clear critical infrastructure. While road conditions have improved in many areas, officials said buried fire hydrants remain a serious concern.

NBC10 Boston obtained Taunton police body camera footage that captured first responders scrambling to locate a hydrant during a house fire on Plain Street.

“Looking for a hydrant now,” one first responder can be heard saying. “They’re all buried.”

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At one point, an officer asked a bystanders for help.

A home was burned to the ground after an explosion that left two people injured.

Officials said the home exploded after a gas leak Wednesday, leaving a family of three displaced.

The mother and daughter were treated for serious burns.

William Shivers, who helped firefighters dig out a hydrant, described the urgency.

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“We took the shovels, and we were just banging into the snow, looking for a fire hydrant,” he said.

After locating a hydrant using a map on his phone, Shivers and firefighters were able to clear it, but he said the delay could have been worse.

Two people are in the hospital and neighbors are worried about safety after an explosion and fire reduced a house to rubble.

“Imagine how many more how many more minutes that would have been wasted, you know, shoveling, just going through the snow,” said Shivers.

The case underscores the broader challenges facing first responders across the region following Monday’s storm.

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Firefighters in Watertown also experienced delays accessing hydrants during a fire on Tuesday.

Snow and ice presented challenges as firefighters battled flames Tuesday.

Gov. Maura Healey toured parts of the South Coast on Thursday and said the region was hit especially hard.

“This whole region, I think, was ground zero,” she said.

Healey said the state will continue deploying resources to affected communities.

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“We won’t take our foot off the gas at all,” she said.

The governor activated the Massachusetts National Guard. Troops assisted with snow removal in Plymouth, conducted wellness checks in Duxbury and provided medical and logistical support in Fall River.

Matt Medeiros of Fall River was praised by the governor and other officials for developing an app that allows residents to report unplowed streets.

“It’s just hoping to get those resources in and everyone just staying out of the way of trucks and equipment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mansfield implemented a parking ban at 8 p.m. Thursday to allow plows to clear roads more efficiently.

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Matthew Lawlor of WalkUp Roslindale, a nonprofit advocating for clean and safe streets, emphasized that residents also play a role in public safety.

“The fire hydrant piece of it’s essential,” he noted.

Lawlor urged neighbors to clear hydrants near their homes before an emergency strikes, while also calling on elected officials to provide some incentives.

“To the extent that people can be encouraged to dig those hydrants out as soon as they can, so that it’s not waiting until something happens,” he said.

State officials said the blizzard slowed plowing operations, contributing to the lag in sending additional help to some communities. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said it hopes to deploy its 200 pieces of equipment to impacted areas within the next 24 to 48 hours.

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