Northeast
Karen Read retrial kicks off with wire-to-wire drama, lawyers brawl in tense hearing after jurors sent home
Karen Read’s retrial in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe kicked off Tuesday with expected fireworks almost immediately – and they continued after Judge Beverly Cannone sent jurors home for the day with a heated hearing on late discovery disclosures.
Both sides painted entirely different versions of events as they delivered their opening statements to the jury, but after the panel left for the day, Cannone called for a new hearing Friday and accused the defense of violating one of her orders on reciprocal discovery.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson opened with a challenge to the heart of the prosecution’s case: that O’Keefe died from injuries sustained when Read’s Lexus SUV allegedly struck him during a nor’easter.
“The evidence in this case will establish, above everything else, three points,” he said. “There was no collision with John O’Keefe. There was no collision. There was no collision.”
KAREN READ DEFENSE FACES ‘HIGH-WIRE’ ACT AS RETRIAL’S OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF, EXPERTS SAY
Attorney Alan Jackson gives his opening statement at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan told a different story in his own opening statement, minutes earlier, saying to jurors that Read, allegedly drunk and angry, intentionally hit the gas and rammed O’Keefe with the back bumper, then left him on the ground, where he was later found with severe head injuries and hypothermia.
Both cases may hinge on whether a pair of defense experts are allowed to testify about their conclusions.
UNFAZED KAREN READ STARES DOWN LINGERING QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DOG BITES,’ TEXTS WITH RETRIAL READY FOR KICKOFF
After jurors left, the sides argued in a heated motion hearing about whether expert testimony from the ARCCA crash-reconstruction firm should be allowed.
Judge Beverly J. Cannone addresses potential jurors as jury selection continues for the murder retrial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Two experts from the firm testified during the first trial, disputing the prosecution’s version of events.
Brennan told the judge that prosecutors have become aware of additional conclusions from the experts – new information that his team would not have time to adequately prepare for because disclosures have not been made.
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
Defense attorney Robert Alessi said it was Brennan’s team that caused delays in discovery by revising its own expert disclosures in March, with just weeks to go before Read’s retrial kicked off with jury selection on April 1.
John O’Keefe pictured in an undated photo. O’Keefe died on Jan. 29, 2022. His girlfriend, Karen Read, was charged with hitting him with her Lexus SUV and fleeing the scene. (Courtesy of Karen Read)
“At a prior hearing, I found a violation of the defense’s reciprocal discovery obligations,” Cannone said. “It was clear to me, and I found that it was deliberate. This appears to me contrary to what you’ve argued, Mr. Alessi, that this is another violation of my order and of the reciprocal discovery violations. We need to figure all of this out before you’re allowed to call these witnesses.”
To accomplish that, she ordered a voir dire hearing with the ARCCA experts Friday morning. Jurors will not be present all day.
Grace Edwards, an Essex County trial attorney who has been following the case, said the end-of-day hearing left her floored.
“They still don’t have the sallyport video,” she said, referring to Read’s defense and police surveillance footage from the day her SUV was first impounded. “They played hide the video. This feels harsh.”
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan gives his opening argument with his cell phone at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill /The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
Brennan had previously asked Cannone to exclude the ARCCA team, and Edwards predicted that whatever new testimony ARCCA is expected to bring could be problematic for the commonwealth.
“She barely allowed this to begin with. She can’t be happy about this,” said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector who has been following the case. “Very bad news for the defense.”
KAREN READ DEFENSE FACES ‘HIGH-WIRE’ ACT AS RETRIAL’S OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF, EXPERTS SAY
Read appeared to disagree, smiling when she met reporters outside on courthouse steps.
“I feel great,” she said. “Today went well. We prepped hard, and I’m just proud of my team.”
Karen Read returns to court following the lunch break with her defense attorney Robert Alessi at her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
When asked why Jackson didn’t start his opening statement like fellow defense counsel David Yannetti did last year, telling jurors she had been “framed,” she replied, “We don’t like reruns.”
First to take the stand was Commonwealth’s witness Timothy Nuttall, a paramedic who checked O’Keefe when an ambulance arrived at the scene around 6 a.m on Jan. 29, 2022.
He testified that while first responders were attempting to give O’Keefe CPR, Read said, “I hit him. I hit him. I hit him.”
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
But on cross-examination, Jackson was quick to call Nuttall’s memory into question, noting that during Read’s first trial last year, he testified that Read said the phrase only twice.
He also confronted Nuttall with his own testimony about what O’Keefe was wearing – which turned out to be wrong when he testified about it last year. Then he replayed dashcam video of paramedics on the scene, asking him to walk through it and pointing out where his testimony did not line up with what was on the screen.
GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Nuttall appeared uncomfortable at times, as Jackson questioned his memory, his prior testimony, and his timeline of events repeatedly. But he insisted that he heard Read say “I hit him,” repeatedly.
Canton Fire Department paramedic Timothy Nuttall shows how to do a Carotid Pulse at Karen Read’s second murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Dedham, Mass. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)
The second witness was Kerry Roberts, a friend of O’Keefe’s whose son was the same age as his adopted nephew. Although she grew up with the victim, she said they became closer after he adopted his sister’s orphaned children following a family tragedy.
Roberts was one of the people Read called on the morning of O’Keefe’s death.
She said she was driving Read and Jennifer McCabe as they looked for him that morning. After first searching his house and coming up empty, they went to the Albert home – where McCabe and other friends and acquaintances had gone for an after-party the night before.
KAREN READ AND JOHN O’KEEFE: INSIDE EVOLUTION OF BOSTON MURDER MYSTERY SINCE JULY MISTRIAL
Karen Read pictured in a booking photo after her arrest in connection with her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in 2022. (Massachusetts State Police)
“As we approached the house, Karen from the back seat is now screaming, ‘There he is! There he is! Let me the F out of this car,’ kicking the back door to get out,” Roberts testified.
Visibility was poor, she said, and she couldn’t see O’Keefe until Read went up to a body-sized “mound” on the front lawn.
Judge Cannone sent jurors home for the day after that testimony. Roberts is expected to return to the stand Wednesday morning.
Authorities discovered John O’Keefe outside a Canton, Massachusetts, home on the morning on Jan. 29, 2021. (Boston Police Department)
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks after taking more than two weeks to seat a jury.
Read could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree murder.
Read the full article from Here
Pennsylvania
Upside Down Trapezoid House Built by Renowned Loft Architect and His Students Hits the Market in Pennsylvania for $625K
A stunning four-bedroom work of art designed by late Italian architect and loft pioneer Giuseppe “Beppe” Zambonini has just hit the market in Pennsylvania for $625,000—listing for the first time in more than two decades.
The upside-down 1987 trapezoid-style dwelling in Dingmans Ferry boasts a barrel vaulted ceiling supported by eight interior columns and is surrounded by expansive windows and decks to soak in the tranquil views of nature.
Each of the rooms was designed, not as a traditional rectangle, but as a trapezoid, a technique that was meant to maximize the amount of natural light inside the home, ensuring that each window has ample opportunity to let the sun shine through.
It was a design method that Beppe came up with while working in New York City, where he was renowned for his work creating stunning loft spaces with “theater set” walls. He then brought that technique to Pennsylvania, where he sought to design his own weekend retreat, using the hallmarks that had turned him into a legend of Big Apple architecture.
The result is a home that appears, from the outside, almost like a stack of unevenly placed shipping containers—but on the inside is a stunning, light-filled dwelling, with enormous windows that offer beautiful views of the surrounding area from every room.
“There are numerous instances in the construction where hallways, rooms, and decks are not perfectly rectangular but rather are all trapezoid in shape,” says listing agent Shaun Burger of Keller Williams Real Estate Milford.
Beppe purchased the 2.44-acre land on which the home now sits in the 1980s, before crafting a home that would be used full time by his wife and their daughter—but was close enough to New York City that he could join them on weekends.
The idyllic parcel is perched above Nyce Lake in a development that would later become known as Traces of Lattimore.
“It is only 90 minutes away from Manhattan but is a world away in terms of peacefulness and nature,” Burger noted. “There are a lot of properties here being used as second homes, but it could also be used as a primary residence.”
The unique home—which was constructed by Beppe and a team of his best students from his design school, Open Atelier of Design—drew immediate attention from design aficionados, even featuring in a play entitled “The Upside Down House” in New York and a feature film called “A Picture of You.”
In a nod to this heritage, the garage door features a design by one of Beppe’s students resembling a theater curtain that a local artist created using shades of Chinese red, gray, and white.
Burger says that with so much cultural and architectural history, the property feels as much like a piece of art as it does a residential dwelling, one that the current owner has taken great care to preserve and maintain.
“The seller is very much into the arts and feels more of a custodian of the home,” Burger shares. “He is looking to pass it along to the next steward.”
What makes the dwelling so unique is that only one column is exposed on each floor, which is highlighted by a different color in each room. In the home office, the column is red while the primary bedroom features a blue support, and a yellow column can be found in the dining room.
A third-floor loft boasts Zambonini’s signature theater set walls.
“The home itself is so unique, which is what originally attracted the seller,” he added. “There are so many Colonials, ranches, and cookie-cutter homes in the area, so it is infrequent to find a home like this where there has been so much thought put into it.”
In the 40 years since the property was built, it has changed hands on only one occasion, in 2005—when it was sold by Beppe’s wife, Claudia, to the man who owns it now for $396,000.
“I scrupulously maintained the original colors of the house, inside and out, and kept the kitchen and bathrooms as I found them,” the seller writes in the listing. “After 21 years, it is time for a new custodian to live in this significant work of art.”
According to Burger, the property would be the perfect retreat for someone who likes their privacy but also enjoys entertaining guests, offering ample room across its 2,850-square-foot design.
“It has four bedrooms and four bathrooms so it would be a nice home for someone who loves to entertain,” Burger adds. “There is plenty of space for guests.”
What’s more, the property offers the best of both worlds—surrounded by nature, but with all the convenience of proximity to nearby cities and towns.
“There are a lot of windows and sitting areas, so when you are inside, you feel like you are outside,” the listing agent says. “Dingmans Ferry is very quaint and has lots of lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails, and skiing. It’s a naturally beautiful area.
“I envision the next buyer to be an artist who will totally appreciate this work of art. The area has highly rated public schools for someone who has children. I think it will be someone who will want a getaway where they can reconnect and recharge with nature and will not want to change or renovate the home.”
Get real estate news in your inbox
Rhode Island
Here’s your Rhode Island high school sports schedule for Super Saturday
Watch: Chariho softball beats North Kingstown to reach title game
Watch as Chariho softball beats North Kingstown to reach state title game.
Super Saturday has arrived.
Today is the busiest day of the 2026 RIIL spring sports schedule, with championships being play at Rhode Island College and Brown University. Baseball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball and track and field athletes will all be chasing gold.
It’s a lot of keep track of, so here’s a handy schedule of the day’s events to keep your head from spinning.
High School Schedule – June 6
⚾BASEBALL – State Championship Game 2
No. 1 Hendricken vs. No. 3 East Providence at Rhode Island College, 12 p.m.
⚾BASEBALL – D-II Championship Game 1
No. 2 West Warwick vs. No. 1 East Greenwich at Rhode Island College, 4 p.m.
🥎SOFTBALL – D-I Championship Game
No. 2 Chariho vs. No. 1 La Salle at Rhode Island College, 5:30 p.m.
🥎SOFTBALL – D-II Championship
No. 7 Ponaganset vs. No. 1 Lincoln at Rhode Island College, 7:30 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – State Championship
No. 1 La Salle vs. No. 2 Moses Brown at Brown University, 11 a.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-II Championship
No. 1 Westerly vs. No. 3 Portsmouth at Brown University, 1:30 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-III Championship
No. 1 Mt. Hope vs. No. 3 Lincoln at Brown University, 4 p.m.
🥍BOYS LACROSSE – D-IV Championship
No. 1 Scituate vs. No. 2 Rogers at Brown University, 6 p.m.
🏃Track and Field
RIIL Boys State Championship Meet at Brown University, 11 a.m.
RIIL Girls State Championship Meet at Brown University, 11 a.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – State Championship
No. 1 La Salle vs. No. 2 Hendricken, 5 p.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-II Championship
No. 1 West Warwick vs. No. 2 Westerly at Rhode Island College, 2:30 p.m.
🏐BOYS VOLLEYBALL – D-III Championship
No. 1 Mt. Hope vs. No. 3 Exeter-West Greenwich, 12 p.m.
Vermont
South Burlington Planning Commission discusses data centers – VTDigger
This story by Liberty Darr was first published in The Other Paper on June 4, 2026.
As the conversation around digital data centers stirs strong emotions across the entire country, Vermont and some of its municipalities, including South Burlington, have hopped onto the conversation to get at least a bit of a handle on the rapidly evolving industry.
That’s at least the initial approach South Burlington is taking. The city’s planning commission has outlined some initial land use regulations related to the topic for a routine set of zoning amendments that are up for a public hearing later this month.
The topic of data centers is just one small subset in the planned amendments, according to Paul Conner, the city’s director of planning and zoning.
“This is fast moving, but we didn’t want to be caught on our heels,” Conner told the planning commission last month.
Data centers have become a buzzword around the nation and have faced significant backlash in some places, as proposals for the giant facilities pop up around the country. Opponents argue not only about the surging energy and water consumption associated with them, but also their propulsion of the artificial intelligence industry.
“We sort of joke in the office, there’s no such thing as a planning emergency, but you know, this is getting close to something,” senior city planner Kelsey Peterson told the commission. “There’s stuff in Massachusetts, stuff in New Hampshire, like there’s interest in the general New England area.”
Massive centers like those being proposed in places like Texas and Utah don’t seem to be on the horizon for Vermont yet, Kerrick Johnson, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, said in February testimony before the House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure. He was commenting on H.727, an act relating to sustainable data center deployment.
In fact, Vermont is likely not the most ideal candidate for data center developers, who are looking for things like inexpensive energy, reliable grid performance and strong fiber network communications, along with an “expeditious, predictable permitting process,” Johnson said.
“Now, I’ll let you all decide how Vermont ranks in those categories,” he quipped.
According to a 2026 annual energy report from the Vermont Department of Public Service, the Northeast continues to have some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and Vermont prices have risen over the last two years more steadily than in some other northeastern states.
Johnson said the state currently has sufficient regulatory mechanisms to ensure protections for Vermont ratepayers but that they should be strengthened.
Massachusetts and Connecticut have passed legislation to incentivize data centers in the state to promote economic development.
And really, Johnson said, data centers of any size being built across the region could impact Vermonters in two ways: infrastructure costs of regional network service and wholesale power costs.
Vermont’s proposed legislation was vetoed by Gov. Phil Scott, who cited concerns over the possibility that the bill’s broader message extended far beyond just data centers and into areas the state depends on for many of its “best jobs.”
Like Johnson, Scott said the state already has substantial regulatory authority over the issue, through Act 250, Public Utility Commission oversight, environmental permitting requirements, energy siting rules and local zoning.
“The last thing Vermont should do is worsen our economic challenges by adding new and unnecessary regulatory systems,” he wrote.
Planning commissioners in South Burlington took a similar approach, noting that the definition of a data center is broad. While the proposal for amendments to the land use regulations now includes the city’s own definition of data centers, it also acknowledges data centers can exist in a variety of different ways and likely already do in the city and Chittenden County, for sectors such as the University of Vermont Medical Center or manufacturers.
In the proposed regulations, if a data center facility is 5,000 square feet or less, it wouldn’t fit the definition of a data center but instead would be considered “general commercial.”
The proposed regulations also differentiate between small- and large-scale facilities — above or below 20,000 square feet — and give different allowances for both. As the regulations stand now, small-scale facilities are permitted in only two zoning areas in the city: mixed industrial commercial and industrial.
Conner said the city will likely take a two-step approach to the conversation, with these initial amendments offering a stopgap until the city’s planning leaders and commissioners can further explore the topic. The city, he said, is not taking a firm stance yet.
Other municipalities have taken a completely different approach. According to reporting from the Valley News, voters in Royalton on Town Meeting Day approved a policy that would place a five-year moratorium on the construction of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency data centers.
The South Burlington Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for the slew of regulation amendments — which includes data center definitions — on June 23 at 7 p.m.
-
Pennsylvania2 minutes agoUpside Down Trapezoid House Built by Renowned Loft Architect and His Students Hits the Market in Pennsylvania for $625K
-
South-Carolina7 minutes agoSouth Carolina’s Once-Thriving Theme Park Now Has Only An Abandoned Hotel Left Of Its Legacy – Islands
-
Rhode Island9 minutes ago
Here’s your Rhode Island high school sports schedule for Super Saturday
-
South Dakota17 minutes agoTwo-motorcycle crash in western Sioux Falls leaves two dead
-
Tennessee24 minutes agoTennessee football lands 4-star Malik Howard of Oak Ridge over Alabama, LSU, others
-
Texas27 minutes agoWEEKEND READ: Confronting rare challenges through science, regulation
-
Utah32 minutes agoRep. Celeste Maloy secures initial $10M in Utah’s bid for $1 billion in Great Salt Lake funding
-
Vermont39 minutes agoSouth Burlington Planning Commission discusses data centers – VTDigger