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Bear encounters in Massachusetts: what to expect and how to survive

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Bear encounters in Massachusetts: what to expect and how to survive


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Following the South Hadley man who was attacked by a bear in Wyoming, we spoke with bear biologists who told us mother grizzly bears are the most dangerous bears, and luckily here in western Mass we only see black bears. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use caution when going into the woods, no matter what state you’re in.

Some honeymooners opt for a beach vacation, others a European tour, but South Hadley resident Shayne Patrick Burke and his new wife Chloe opted to ring in their marriage with a little nature, and it seems they may have gotten a larger taste of wildlife than they signed up for. During their honeymoon hike, the couple split up and while apart, Shayne was trying to find a particular owl, but what he found was much grislier.

“I was moving. I was just like, just watching my GPS,” Shayne recalled.

When he looked up, he was face to face with a grizzly cub and the mama bear was not far behind.

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She went towards my head, but I kept my hands interlocked like this and just like, protected my arteries and my neck. She bit down and got my left wrist and my right hand. I heard a pop, and at that point in my head I was like, all right, she’s, she’s in my skull.

It turns out it wasn’t his skull but instead a can of bear spray. After a taste of that, the mama bear ran off.”

Western Mass News spoke with bear biologist and founder of Kilham Bear Center in New Hampshire Ben Kilham. He told us this was a case of wrong place at the wrong time.

He did what he could. They say if a bear attacks, and that one did, with a grizzly bear lay down and cover your neck.”

According to Kilham, mama grizzlies are the most dangerous type of bear there is, and luckily there are no grizzlies anywhere near us here in western Mass or across New England, but we do have black bears. Kilham said large males are the type you want to look out for, but more often than not, they’ll give you a warning called a bluff charge, and that’s why Kilham said it’s very important to understand how bears communicate before stepping into the forest.

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They signal everything that they are up to and they have to because they interact with other bears as strangers so they signal their intention and responded they are quite honestly very easy to read if you have that knowledge.”

While grizzly bear attacks happen several times a year, black bear biologist Dave Wattles told us it is very unlikely to be attacked by a black bear.

It’s important to know the difference between the temperament and the nature of a black bear and a grizzly bear. A grizzly bear is a much larger, much more inherently much more aggressive animal than the black bear.”

In fact Wattles told us we’re very fortunate here in Massachusetts that we have never had someone seriously injured by a black bear but it is still a possibility. Which is why MassWildlife urges the public not to keep any unsecure food in your yard such as bird feeders, trash or even chickens.

Now, if you do come in contact with a bear, it’s important to talk slowly and stand your ground and never run. If you see the bear before it sees you, keep your distance, make noise so you don’t startle them and back away slowly. As for Burke, Shayne only spent a single night in the hospital, though his recovery will last for months.

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Massachusetts

Police: Man with connections to Wayne County found dead in Massachusetts

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Police: Man with connections to Wayne County found dead in Massachusetts


A man with connections to Wayne County has been found dead in Massachusetts.

Plymouth, Mass., police have been searching for Rodney Riviello, 69, for the past four days. In a social media post, police say Riviello was a president of Plymouth, but had connections to the village of Clyde in Wayne County.

Police posted Saturday that they found his body outdoors. Police will have an update in the coming days.

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Senate in Massachusetts passes bill curtailing use of plastics including bags, straws

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Senate in Massachusetts passes bill curtailing use of plastics including bags, straws


BOSTON — The state Senate in Massachusetts has passed a wide-ranging bill curtailing the use of plastics, including barring the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies.

The bill, approved Thursday, also bans carry-out plastic bags at retailers statewide and require stores to charge 10 cents for recycled paper bags. It also requires straws and plasticware to be available only by request and creates a program to recycle large items like car seats. It now heads to the House.

The move comes as a growing number of states are address concerns about plastics that harm wildlife, pollute waterways and clog landfills. Each day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes, according to the U.N. Environment Programme. People are increasingly breathing, eating and drinking tiny plastic particles.

“This vital legislation is another step forward towards eradicating plastics, a top environmental offender, in our everyday life,” Sen. Michael Rodrigues, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

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Environmentalists welcomed the move, which would make Massachusetts the 13th state to pass a plastic bag ban and builds on local initiatives in Massachusetts. Communities representing 70% of the state’s population already have bans.

It also codified an executive order signed last year by Gov. Maura Healey, which she says made Massachusetts the first state to ban the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies.

“State leaders have chosen to take a big step toward reducing waste and protecting our neighbors and local wildlife from the dangers of excessive plastic usage,” Sierra Club Massachusetts State Political Director Jess Nahigian, said in a statement. “Plastics harm our ecosystems and communities. Cutting down on plastics is a necessary step toward achieving our state climate goals and creating a more sustainable home for future generations of Massachusetts residents.”

But the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, which promotes fiscal responsibility, said the ban is part of a larger trend by the Senate to limit choices for consumers.



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First-time filings for unemployment rose last week in Massachusetts, U.S. Labor Dept. says

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First-time filings for unemployment rose last week in Massachusetts, U.S. Labor Dept. says


Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Massachusetts rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 5,183 in the week ending June 15, up from 4,870 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 238,000 last week, down 5,000 claims from 243,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

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Delaware saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 131.2%. Virgin Islands, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 54.7%.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report. 



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