Massachusetts
Be prepared for fog in 9 Massachusetts counties until Sunday morning
The National Weather Service issued a weather alert at 3:37 a.m. on Sunday for fog until 7 a.m. for Northern Worcester and Southern Worcester as well as Middlesex, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties.
Fog safety: Tips from the weather service for safe travels
If you need to drive through fog, remember these safety guidelines:
Reduce speed:
- Slow down and allocate extra time for your trip to reach your destination safely.
Visibility matters:
- Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which automatically activate your taillights. Utilize fog lights if your vehicle is equipped with them.
Avoid high-beams:
- Refrain from using high-beam headlights, as they create glare that impairs your visibility on the road.
Keep a safe distance:
- Maintain a generous following distance to account for abrupt stops or shifting traffic patterns.
Stay in your lane:
- Use the road’s lane markings as a guide to remaining in the correct lane.
Zero visibility protocol:
- In cases of near-zero visibility due to dense fog, initiate your hazard lights and locate a secure spot, such as a nearby business parking area, to pull over and come to a halt.
No parking options:
- If no designated parking area is available, pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible. Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.
By adhering to these weather service recommendations, you can navigate foggy conditions with greater safety, mitigating the risk of accidents and prioritizing your well-being.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Massachusetts
EEE is still a threat in Massachusetts, horse tests positive: ‘People shouldn’t let their guard down’
With October only a few days away, EEE remains a threat in the Bay State.
That’s the message from health officials after another horse in Massachusetts tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
Four people in the state have been infected with the rare but serious and potentially fatal disease during this busy year of mosquito-borne illnesses. A man in New Hampshire died from EEE.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Thursday announced a third confirmed case of EEE in a horse this year. The horse was exposed to EEE in Carver, an area in Plymouth County that’s already at high risk for EEE.
“This latest animal case of EEE confirms that even this late in the season, the risk for spread of EEE virus from infected mosquitoes is still present,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein.
“With more people going outside to enjoy the mild fall weather, we continue to recommend that residents take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites until the first hard frost,” Goldstein added.
There have been 96 EEE-positive mosquito samples in Massachusetts this year.
Infected mosquitoes have been found in Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Worcester counties.
EEE is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The last outbreak of EEE in Massachusetts occurred in 2019–2020, and resulted in 17 human cases with seven deaths, and nine animal cases.
There were no human or animal cases of EEE in Massachusetts in 2021, 2022, or 2023.
“Cooler temperatures will start to reduce mosquito activity, but people shouldn’t let their guard down yet,” said State Epidemiologist Catherine Brown. “We continue to strongly advise that everyone in areas at high and critical risk for EEE reschedule evening outdoor activities to avoid peak mosquito biting hours.”
DPH continues to urge people to use bug spray, and to wear long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors.
2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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EEE is still a threat in Massachusetts, horse tests positive: ‘People shouldn’t let their guard down’ (2024, September 28)
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Massachusetts
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Massachusetts
New Massachusetts bill would reinstate commercial driver’s licenses for hundreds of drivers
BOSTON – Relief may be on the way for hundreds of truck and bus drivers in Massachusetts, who lost their commercial driver’s licenses due to violations from decades ago.
Nearly 500 licenses revoked
Weeks ago, the I-Team uncovered that Registry of Motor Vehicles revoked the commercial driver’s licenses of nearly 500 drivers, effectively putting them out of work. Mike McDonald is one of the hundreds of commercial drivers that got caught up in the RMV dragnet. McDonald said losing his license means he can’t work and has no income coming in. He has been a truck driver for Ground Effects Landscaping in Carver for 17 years.
Until recently, the RMV had not fully enforced Melanie’s Law, which prohibits anyone charged with repeat drunk driving, refusing to take a breathalyzer or leaving the scene crashes from holding a commercial driver’s license, no matter how long ago the violations may have been. The law had been on the books for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t until 2019 when a truck driver whose license should have been suspended was involved in a New Hampshire crash that killed seven members of a Marine motorcycle club. Since then, hundreds of drivers like McDonald have had their licenses and their livelihoods taken away.
10-year limit proposed
Now the I-Team has learned that the legislature is taking action with a new bill that would limit the look back period to 10 years, the same as the federal law. If it passes, it would allow drivers with clean records and no violations during the last decade to keep their licenses and their jobs.
Attorney Brian Simoneau represents dozens of drivers like McDonald. He told the I-Team, “What I’m hoping is the registry got the message loud and clear that this is outrageous and egregious and it’s a case of the punishment not fitting the crime. I’m hoping that this may pressure the registry now into delaying these disqualifications to give the legislature some more time to act because they can see that there is a huge strong interest in fixing this problem.”
All of this could happen quickly. If no one in the legislature objects to the bill it would pass quickly and move to the governor’s desk. If she signs it, the law would into effect immediately.
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