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.
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Massachusetts
Fallen police officer remembered by Massachusetts community 14 years after fatal robbery
WOBURN – For 14 years and counting, a Massachusetts community has come together to remember a fallen officer who gave his life to protect his community the day after Christmas.
Killed while responding to robbery
The town of Woburn remembered Officer Jack Maguire with a police procession and a Christmas tree draped in blue lights. The tree overlooks the tragedy.
Maguire was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at Kohl’s on Dec. 26, 2010. He wasn’t even supposed to work that evening.
“Jack had enough seniority to take Christmas off, but he worked, so the younger people with younger kids could spend it with their family,” remembered former Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo. He was there the night that Maguire died but at the time he was a lieutenant on the force. “It was a miserable blizzard, it was a horrible night, Jack didn’t need to be here. Jack was right over there. Jack got out of his car, and engaged. And did what he was trained to do.”
Maguire exchanged gunfire with one of the men involved, Dominic Cinelli, who was out of jail on parole. He died from gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.
“A good officer”
“Jack was always a friend, a role model, a mentor, somebody I spent my entire career with,” said Ferullo.
“Jack was a really hard-working cop, grinding it out. He would work on all of the details. He would work all of the time,” said Maguire’s brother, Chuck Maguire.
That night, Chuck Maguire got a call from his cousin telling him that his brother had been shot. It wasn’t until he got to the hospital and started asking questions that he heard the final news.
“Then as I turned my head, they announce the code that he had died,” said Chuck Maguire. “It’s sad that he died just after turning 60, and just after he announced he was going to retire. We miss him. His kids miss him. My kids don’t see him.”
Chuck Maguire is thankful for the years of community support. People lined Washington Street in Woburn Thursday to watch the police cars pass by the tree in his brother’s honor.
“He was a great guy, a good family man, a good officer,” remembered Bruce Hildebrandt, a Woburn resident who takes the time every year to make sure the tree and its ornaments remain in place. “I pick them up, freezing my fingers off pinching the hooks, but that was not much of a suffering for me compared to what Jack gave for us.”
Massachusetts
Roof collapses as massive fire tears through Massachusetts mansion
BROOKLINE – A massive fire tore through a mansion in Brookline, Massachusetts Thursday morning which resulted in part of the home’s roof collapsing.
It happened at 10:40 a.m. at a home on Sargent Road. Firefighters said they received a 911 call about smoke coming from the home’s attic. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the attic when firefighters arrived.
The fire spread and part of the roof collapsed at one point. Firefighters from several departments, including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Newton ended up responding and were on the scene for more than two hours.
All five people in the home got out safely and no one was hurt.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but firefighters said it does not appear to be suspicious.
Massachusetts
Police investigating shooting that left a man injured in Chelsea
A police investigation is underway in after a shooting in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
Overnight, police had blocked off the sidewalk outside of the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center on Everett Avenue.
Police say the victim was identified as a 30-year-old man who was shot twice.
The man has non life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
Yellow crime scene tape was seen marking the area, and what appeared to be shattered glass was on the pavement nearby.
The incident is under investigation.
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