Northeast
African American groups call for ditching 'racist' Francis Scott Key, naming new bridge after late congressman
A coalition of African American groups in Maryland is pushing for Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge to be renamed once reconstructed over what they say is racism connected to Key’s legacy.
The Caucus of African American Leaders of Anne Arundel County recently voted unanimously to call for changing the names of two bridges in Maryland, including the Key Bridge, and will lobby Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and the state’s Democrat-controlled General Assembly on the proposal, the Baltimore Banner first reported Tuesday. The bridge collapsed in late March when a cargo ship struck a support beam.
The coalition includes groups such as an NAACP chapter and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, which wants the replacement bridge to be renamed in honor of the late Rep. Parren Mitchell, the first African American elected to the U.S. House from the state of Maryland. Mitchell was also a civil rights pioneer as the first Black graduate student admitted to the University of Maryland.
MARYLAND GOVERNOR TO DISCUSS REBUILDING COLLAPSED BALTIMORE BRIDGE WITH CONGRESS
A coalition of African American groups is pushing Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on changing the name of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. (Getty Images)
When asked about the proposal, Moore told Fox News Digital that he remains “laser-focused on providing closure to these families, clearing the channel, and rebuilding the bridge.”
However, the Baltimore Banner said that Moore told reporters on Monday that he thinks there will “be a time for that” conservation later.
A spokesperson for the Caucus of African American Leaders told Fox News Digital they believe “public structures and buildings that taxpayers pay for shouldn’t be named in honor of people who owned slaves.”
Their issue with the bridge keeping its name after Key, the author of the national anthem, stems from his “legacy” being clouded with “accusations of racism,” the Baltimore Banner wrote.
The Banner noted that Key, an attorney by profession, purchased enslaved people but also represented some Black Marylanders in court who sued for their freedom.
MARYLAND’S RISING STAR DEM GOVERNOR FACES FIRST NATIONAL TEST AFTER BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE
An Oil on Panel portrait of Francis Scott Key (fragment). Attributed to Joseph Wood (1778-1830). Collection of the Walters Art Museum. (Public Domain)
They also quote Key as having said Black Americans are “a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community,” which has received pushback as an “erroneous” quote from the Star Spangled Banner Foundation.
“A racist quote attributed to Francis Scott Key, the author of the lyrics to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ has been circulating in news articles and blog posts,” the foundation wrote in 2020. “Incorrectly credited to Key as a first-person expression of his attitudes about race in the United States, the quote asserts that free Blacks are “a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community.”
“The quote is taken from page 40 of Jefferson Morley’s generally insightful 2012 book Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835),” the foundation continued. “Morley, in turn, cites as his sole source a quote in the 1937 biography Francis Scott Key: Life and Times by Edward S. Delaplaine. This biography is the source of confusion as to the quote’s speaker.”
A section of the damaged and collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen in the Baltimore port, Monday, April 1, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP)
Conservatives on social media previously speculated about a possible push to rename the Key Bridge once it is eventually rebuilt, due to past efforts to “cancel” the famed attorney and poet and a news article hinting at his “controversial” past.
“Baltimore obviously won’t rename the new bridge after Francis Scott Key again,” GOP Rep. Mike Collins posted on X responding to the bridge collapsing.
“So, any guesses on the new bridge name?”
WASHINGTON POST HITS ‘CONTROVERSIAL POET’ FRANCIS SCOTT KEY AFTER NAMESAKE BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSES
“What do you bet, that when the Francis Scott Key Bridge is rebuilt, there will be a major push to rename the bridge?” Texas Public Policy Foundation Chief National Initiatives Officer Chuck DeVore posted on X.
Others on social media also previously pointed to an article from The Associated Press suggesting that it was the beginning of an attempt to frame the conversation around Key’s past.
The campaigns of Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Democrats seeking the party nomination for U.S. Senate, did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal by the time of publication.
Republican Maryland Senate candidate Larry Hogan’s campaign likewise did not provide a comment on the proposal.
Democratic Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a former NAACP president whose U.S. House district includes the Key Bridge, also did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.
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Maine
‘Not only with tears, but with action’: Maine DOT honors two workers killed on duty
AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – An emotional day from Fairfield to Augusta, but felt throughout Maine and beyond, as state officials, community members and loved ones honored the lives of two Department of Transportation workers who tragically died in the field.
Maine DOT Commissioner Dale Doughty described the accident as “the nightmare that commissioners worry about.”
While working on Interstate 95 in January, Maine DOT workers James “Jimmy” Brown, 60, and Dwayne Campbell, 51, died after a driver failed to brake at a stop sign and crashed into a tractor-trailer traveling on the highway.
To honor the men’s commitment to public service and their legacy as fathers, outdoorsmen and Mainers, a procession including DOT officials, family members and more traveled to the Augusta Civic Center Saturday for a memorial service.
Among those in attendance was Gov. Janet Mills, who remarked on who Brown and Campbell were and their dedication to their profession.
“Jimmy, as you know, worked for the Maine Department of Transportation for 12 years. Dwayne for more than 23 years,” Mills described. “We could count on Jimmy and Dwayne just as we could count on the 1,600 Maine dot workers who keep our roads and bridges safe every day.”
Brown was known for his humor and love of fishing, cars and his children.
Campbell got his start in the DOT by following in his father’s footsteps. Mills said at the service that Campbell loved his daughters and time spent outdoors.
For Commissioner Doughty, losses like this hit hard because of the closely bonded “family business” that DOT is.
That family expands past state lines, as departments of transportation from New Hampshire and Vermont were present to show their support.
New Hampshire DOT State Maintenance Engineer Alan Hanscom said he called Maine DOT just hours after hearing of the accident to see what his crews could do to help.
“My employees are impacted or subject to the same dangers that Maine and every other state is,” Hanscom said of the importance of his attendance. “I have an employee that was killed in a motor vehicle crash some years ago, so it kind of hits home.”
Unfortunately, Doughty says accidents happen “quite frequently.”
Saturday’s event served not only as a commemoration but also as a call to action. Despite DOT’s training, Doughty says it is rendered useless if motorists put right-of-way employees in danger through reckless or distracted driving.
Hanscom expanded: “People don’t realize that this is our office. You’re driving through our office space. We’d like you to give us some consideration and slow down and be mindful of where we are. Give us a little respect.”
Doughty mentioned that these dangers extend beyond DOT workers to everyone who does roadside work. Because of this, he says, agencies must join forces to develop solutions.
“I really think it’s time, and we have a meeting coming up in April, where we pull all agencies and all companies that work in the right-of-way, contractors, utilities, everyone to start to talk about that message,” Doughty said.
On the podium, Doughty told audiences: “Please help us carry forward their memory, not only with tears, but with action.”
On Thursday, the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation authorized the Maine Turnpike Authority to conduct a pilot program for speed enforcement in work zones. The legislation is now headed to the House and Senate.
Copyright 2026 WABI. All rights reserved.
Massachusetts
Eight high school takeaways from the midst of the state tournaments, plus a new Attleboro football coach – The Boston Globe
Throw in Newton North winning its first state gymnastics title in 54 years, two Natick runners (and one from Oliver Ames) capturing New England titles, a last-minute goal from St. John’s (Shrewsbury) boys’ hockey to eliminate BC High, and plenty of overtime thrillers, and you get an all-time action-packed day.
Find all the scores here, and take a moment to browse all of our coverage:
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.
▪ With a deep 3-pointer in the first quarter of Greater New Bedford’s 68-43 win over Springfield International, junior Jai-Ana Silva became the program’s leading scorer, surpassing Stephanie Antoine’s 1,493 points, set in 2012. Silva finished with 31 points and now sits at 1,513. Earlier this season, she became the fourth female 1,000-point scorer in school history.
▪ With 30 points in a 90-68 win over Quincy, Beverly senior Jacob Klass surpassed Peter Wynne’s scoring mark of 1,351, set in 1981. Klass, who reached 1,000 earlier this season, has 1,371.
▪ Concord-Carlisle senior goalie Sam Griswold made 44 saves, including the 1,000th of his career, in a 2-1 win over Woburn.
▪ Hoosac Valley senior Qwanell Bradley joined the 1,000-point club on a 3-pointer during a 78-59 Division 5 first-round win over Pacific Rim Charter.
▪ A pair of Bulldogs reached 100 points in Canton’s 9-0 smackdown of Somerset Berkley. Senior defenseman Teddy Shuman got there with a goal and three assists, and senior center Joey Ryan also reached the mark with three helpers.
▪ Taunton junior Jamie Vallarelli matched the school’s points record, joining Jeff Gallagher (’94) with 139, by notching a goal and adding an assist on the overtime tally that kept the Tigers’ season alive with a 3-2 win over Middleborough.
The single-digit seeds are starting to fall.
Saturday saw the first three top-five seeded teams sent home, with No. 3 St. John’s Prep boys’ hockey getting taken down by No. 14 Arlington Catholic in Division 1 action — the highest seed sent home through the first five days of the tournament.
The highest-ranked team to be bounced from the Division 2 boys’ hockey bracket became No. 5 Woburn. It fell, 2-1, to No. 12 Concord-Carlisle, which got an incredible 44-save performance from senior Sam Griswold and goals from Ben Brooks and Joe Grasso.
Division 3 also saw a top-five falter, as No. 5 Pembroke was clipped by No. 13 Norwood, 3-1, in the second round. John Lynch, Anthony Parise, and Mark Trahon provided the goals.
Not to be left out, Division 4 boys’ hockey also saw a significant upset, with No. 23 Bourne riding Jackson Palmborg’s 26 saves to a 3-2 first-round win over No. 10 Hudson.
On the hardcourt, No. 24 Pembroke boys’ basketball didn’t mind a morning ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard, taking down the ninth-seeded hosts, 65-50, behind Will Farrell’s 24 points.
▪ Seventh-grader Effie Parsons found the net with 31 seconds left in overtime as No. 2 St. Mary’s girls’ hockey escaped a strong upset attempt from No. 18 Winchester, which led, 2-1, before Alyssa Norden tied it up in the third period.
▪ Reading sophomore Payton Curran not only delivered the equalizer in the final minute of regulation, but provided the overtime winner to lift the Rockets to a 3-2 girls’ hockey win over Waltham.
▪ Nantucket’s Gaven Smith forced overtime against Swampscott with a 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation, but the fourth-seeded Big Blue rode 26 points from Connor Chiarello and 25 from Teddy O’Neill to a 67-61 win over the No. 29 Whalers.
▪ No. 25 Bishop Fenwick girls’ hockey nearly upset No. 8 Bishop Stang, which would have eliminated both of last year’s Division 1 finalists, but the Spartans survived, 1-0, on junior Alexis Pettinato’s overtime winner.
▪ Braden LaChance netted the overtime winner for Taunton, which survived Middleborough, 3-2, in the third matchup between the two programs in 12 days. The Tigers won, 4-1, on Feb. 16 at Aleixo Arena before Middleborough prevailed, 4-0, on Feb. 18 at Bridgewater Ice Arena.
▪ Nico Santella scored on a stick-side snipe with 42.2 seconds left to propel St. John’s (Shrewsbury) past BC High, 2-1, in a Division 1 second-round matchup of Catholic Conference rivals.
Cal Atherton, Newburyport — The senior erupted for 31 points, guiding the Clippers to a first-round win over the defending Division 2 champions, Somerset Berkley.
Allen Brown Jr., Holbrook — The senior poured in 32 points, the highest total reported to the Globe on Saturday, to lead the Bulldogs past Boston Prep, 66-45 and into the second round.
Amelia Crowe, Pentucket — Amelia Crowe caught fire from deep, draining eight 3-pointers en route to 27 points and a 40-33 first-round win over Seekonk.
Addy Harrington, Duxbury — The senior produced one of the night’s three hat tricks, scoring thrice in a 4-2 second-round win over Melrose.
Levi McNally, Barnstable — Just a sophomore, he netted a hat trick for the Red Hawks in a 5-2 first-round win over Minnechaug.
Cam Melone, Hanover — The senior went for 5 points, scoring twice and assisting thrice in a 6-1 second-round win over Lynnfield.
Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan — The junior scored a natural hat trick in the first period and finished with four goals in a 6-2 second-round win over Acton-Boxborough.
Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick — The senior captain contributed across the board, providing 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals for the top-seeded Crusaders in a 58-27 waxing of Wilmington.
Jackie Pohl and Jenna Oman, East Bridgewater — Pohl, a sophomore, and Oman, a junior, were everywhere in a 63-39 first-round win over Bellingham. Pohl finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Oman had 15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Attleboro High has a new football coach. Lamont Penn, a Bridgewater-Raynham assistant under Eian Bain, will take over the Bombardiers. They went 3-8 last year under Jim Winters, who helmed the program for four seasons, going 14-30.
Penn served as Norwood’s offensive coordinator from 2018-21. He was introduced to the team Friday.
Providence junior Jon Mignacca, a Bishop Feehan graduate from Seekonk, won the Big East high jump championship, clearing 6 feet, 8.25 inches (2.04 meters) to beat out UConn’s Enaji Muhammad (6-7).
▪ UMass Dartmouth sophomore Ancil Alexander, a Taunton graduate, was named Little East Conference Field Athlete of the Year for men’s indoor track after taking second at the LEC Championships in the shot put (51 feet, 3.75 inches). He won the event three times during the season.
▪ UMass Dartmouth freshman Michael Veegh, a Bishop Stang graduate from Tiverton (R.I.), was named Little East Conference men’s indoor track Rookie of the Year. He won the 400 at the LEC Championships (50.54 seconds) and was part of the second-place 4×400 relay (3:28.67). He was also named All-LEC first team.
▪ Keene State junior Tyler Bolaske, a Palmer graduate, was tabbed as the Little East Conference’s male Track Athlete of the Year after leading the Owls to their first indoor championship since 2008. Bolaske won the mile at the LEC Championships in 4:11 and was runner-up in the 800 (1:59.25).
Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan, 4
Addy Harrington, Duxbury, 3
Levi McNally, Barnstable, 3
Riley Bergeron, Acton-Boxborough, 2
Brayden Boczenowski, Arlington Catholic, 2
Cate Buckler, Barnstable, 2
Abigail Burke, Notre Dame (H), 2
Payton Curran, Reading, 2
Hannah D’Angelo, Pembroke, 2
Luke Dickson, Medfield, 2
Colman Donohue, Hingham, 2
Will Doucette, Canton, 2
Ryan Elrick, Canton, 2
Jack McCourt, Catholic Memorial, 2
Cam McKenna, Hingham, 2
Cam Melone, Hanover, 2
Joe Pumphret, Winthrop, 2
Nolan Russell, Arlington, 2
Sabrina Stone, Milton, 2
Ella Sullivan, Pembroke, 2
Connor Hines, Hanover, 3
Cam Melone, Hanover, 3
Joe Ryan, Canton, 3
Teddy Shuman, Canton, 3
Abigail Burke, Notre Dame (H), 2
Kellen Labanara, Canton, 2
Hunter McClain, Bourne, 2
Sam Griswold, Concord-Carlisle, 44
Stephen Camara, Arlington Catholic, 33
Jackson Palmborg, Bourne, 26
Jaxson Fleming, Catholic Memorial, 24
Jim Lyman, Winthrop, 22
Colin McCarthy, St. John’s Shrewsbury, 21
Lydia Barnes, Methuen/Tewksbury, 18
Dom Conte, BC High, 18
John Snider, Arlington, 15
Vivienne Melo, Bishop Stang, 14
8. Basketball leaderboard
Allen Brown, Holbrook, 32
Cal Atherton, Newburyport, 31
Jacob Klass, Beverly, 30
Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 30
Mike Berry, Cape Cod Academy, 28
Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 28
Tyler Staiti, Abington, 28
Amelia Crowe, Pentucket, 27
Jag Garces, West Bridgewater, 27
Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 26
Sysy Emmanuel, St. Mary’s, 26
Dom Taylor, Somerset Berkley, 26
Michael Cimetti, Hull, 25
Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 25
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 25
Will Farrell, Pembroke, 24
Logan Volkringer, Plymouth South, 24
Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 23
Julian Allison-Cardoso, Dedham, 22
Mateo Jackson, Bridgewater-Raynham, 22
Tori White, Canton, 22
Tori Adams, Walpole, 21
Liam Conneely, Hull, 20
Jackie Pohl, East Bridgewater, 20
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 15
Krem Amparo, Latin Academy, 14
Mateo Jackson, Bridgewater-Raynham, 14
Bella Bingham, Walpole, 13
Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Old Rochester, 13
Devyn Walsh, Pentucket, 13
A’laya Colbert, North Quincy, 12
Zade Garron Ciberay, Plymouth South, 12
Mike Ekweanya, New Mission, 11
Chase Groothuis, Swampscott, 11
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 11
Brooke Connor, Canton, 10
Jenna Oman, East Bridgewater, 10
Hannah Thorell, Old Rochester, 10
Jackie Pohl, East Bridgewater, 8
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 7
Jacob Klass, Beverly, 6
Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 6
Luke Tirrell, Bridgewater-Raynham, 6
Sydney Bosma, Old Rochester, 5
Cason Faulk, Bridgewater-Raynham, 5
Manny Valentino, New Mission, 5
Grace Goudreau, Seekonk, 4
Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Old Rochester, 4
Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 8
Emma Farrell, East Bridgewater, 6
Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 5
Sienna Miranda, Seekonk, 4
Brooke Connor, Canton, 3
Zade Garron Ciberay, Plymouth South, 3
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
New Hampshire
Mass. man struck by car, seriously injured on I-93 in Londonderry, NH
A Massachusetts man was flown to the hospital after he was struck by a car when he stepped out of his vehicle in the breakdown lane of Interstate 93 in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.
State police say 40-year-old Felix Matos Medina, of Lawrence, had stopped on the right side of I-93 south at Exit 5 just before 11 a.m. to investigate a possible mechanical issue. He was struck shortly after he stepped out of his vehicle by a Chevrolet Malibu and sustained serious injuries.
Medina was taken by medical helicopter to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., police said. There was no immediate update on his condition.
I-93 southbound was closed near Exit 5 for about 30 minutes to facilitate the medical helicopter’s landing. One lane remained closed for several hours to accommodate crash reconstruction and on-scene investigation.
The driver who struck Medina, identified as David Jodoin, stopped at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, according to police. No charges have been filed at this time, but all aspects of the crash remain under investigation at this time.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Evan Puopolo at 603-451-9784.
State police are also reminding all New Hampshire drivers that Sherrill’s Law requires motorists approaching a stopped vehicle displaying warning signals to slow down and give plenty of space. Drivers are also required to move out of partially or wholly blocked lanes when it’s safe to do so.
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