Police are investigating the theft of more than 200 Pride flags in Carlisle, Massachusetts, that occurred just before Pride month – and amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ measures from US legislatures.

In a statement released on Friday, the Carlisle police department announced that it is investigating the theft of the flags, which were taken out of a prominent local traffic circle earlier in the week.

The police said that on 27 May they were notified that the flags, which had been placed in the traffic circle, had been stolen overnight. The flags were last seen on Sunday evening.

“We are taking this very seriously,” the Carlisle police chief, Andrew Amendola, said. He added: “It is unfortunate, as Carlisle is an inclusive community, and we want everyone to feel safe and welcomed here.”

In a statement on Facebook, Travis Snell, chair of the Carlisle select board, which acts as the community’s governing board, said: “Such action and behavior have no place in Carlisle, and our police department is working to identify whoever is responsible and they will be held accountable.”

“On behalf of the town of Carlisle, the Select Board would like to reiterate that Carlisle is an inclusive community that respects its freedoms and the rights of individuals,” Snell added, according to the local news station NBC10.

According to NBC10, people replaced the flags within hours of them being stolen.

Pride month in June is an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ people. It recognizes the 1969 uprising at the Stonewall Inn bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where patrons fomented the modern LGBTQ+ protest and celebration movement by resisting police harassment and extortion.

The theft of the flags comes amid heightened discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities across the US. A poll released by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute in March has revealed that public support for same-sex marriage and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ communities has declined.

Support for same-sex marriage has declined from 69% to 67% in the last year, the poll revealed, adding that Americans aged 18 to 29 showed a gradual decrease in support for LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination laws over the last three years. In 2020, the support stood at 83% whereas it dipped to 75% in 2023.

Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Republican governor, Henry McMaster, recently signed a bill into law that bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors, making the state the 25th in the US to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for minors.

So far in 2024, there have been at least 515 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

“While more states every year work to pass laws to protect LGBTQ people, state legislatures are advancing bills that target transgender people, limit local protections and allow the use of religion to discriminate,” the ACLU said. “The ACLU will not stop speaking out against these cruel attacks nationwide. LGBTQ people have a right to live in safety, to thrive and to be treated with dignity.”

Massachusetts has been known as a top state when it comes to education. With colleges like Harvard University, MIT, Boston College, and Emerson to name a few it’s no surprise that Massachusetts gets high marks when it comes to education.

Aside from educational reputation, when it comes to applying to a college there’s no doubt that safety is a high priority but aside from safety on campus what about safety surrounding the campus? Sure it’s great that the campus and culture of the college or university are safe but it’s probably a good idea to know about the safety of the town or city that houses the college.

Massachusetts is Home to Two of the Top Five Safest College Towns in America

Research.com shared a report by Safewise.com ranking the 50 safest college towns in the U.S. There are eight Massachusetts towns on the list. Two of them are in the top five, and one of those towns tops the list.

Wellesley ranks #4 in the top 50 safest college towns in America. Research.com stated the following:

Aside from being among the top 5 safest college towns in the U.S., Wellesley is also among the safest cities in Massachusetts and across America. It is home to the famous Babson World Globe, a 28-foot, 25-ton freestanding giant globe at the entrance of Babson College.

Population: 29,681
Colleges: Wellesley College and Babson College
Undergrad population: 4,753
Violent Crime Rate: 0.4
Property Crime Rate: 4.2

Milton ranks #1 in the top 50 safest college towns in America making it the safest college town in the country. Research.com stated the following:

The city is the fourth safest city in the State and the tenth safest in the entire country. Milton is known for its friendly and hospitable people. It was also voted as among the best places to raise a family in Massachusetts. It is famous for being the birthplace of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Population: 27,642
College: Curry College
Undergrad population: 2,342
Violent Crime Rate: 0.4
Property Crime Rate: 2.2

Other Massachusetts towns that made the list include the following:

• #14 Beverly
• #16 North Andover
• #25 Bridgewater
• #32 Medford
• #34 Easton
• #49 Waltham

The state of Massachusetts is holding its Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend this weekend.

State residents and visitors can fish in any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream, or river in Massachusetts without a fishing license.

This annual event is designed to encourage people of all ages to experience the joys of fishing. Participants must adhere to catch limits and all other fishing regulations. For more information, visit ‘Fishing & Hunting’ at Mass.gov.

There are countless rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds to explore across the state offering ample opportunities to fish. Use the ‘Go Fish MA!’ fishing map to find places to fish close to home.

Doherty to hold Wareham book signing

Come meet Cape Cod Canal fishing expert and author East End Eddie Doherty at Barnes & Noble in Wareham.

Doherty will hold a book signing for his “Seven Miles After Sundown” on Saturday, June 8, from noon to 2 p.m.

It’s a great book about fishing at the rocky banks of the world-famous Cape Cod Canal with humorous anecdotes and stunning photographs by highly acclaimed photographer John Doble.

Catching bigger fluke

This year, like the past three years, the summer flounder (fluke) season has gotten off to a slow start.

“The fluke bite is slow, but anglers are working to catch large fish,” Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown said Tuesday. “We weighed in an 11-pounder caught off the beaches.”

So, there are big fish to be caught.

“In the spring, they are in 25 feet of water but as the water warms they go down deeper to 45 to 100 feet of water,” said Jeff Sullivan of Lucky Bait & Tackle, Warren. “I am a firm believer to figure out what the fluke are eating and then strip up that as bait. It could be bluefish, black sea bass, fluke bellies, menhaden, or sea robins. I believe in using light tackle, 20-pound braid, so you can get down will less scope. I like to use squid rigs often with jigs and usually a second stinger hook.”

Mike Wade, owner of Watch Hill Outfitters, Westerly said, “I like to dead stick with live bait with a rod off the stern. I usually use mummies with a sinker rig. It is amazing how many big fish this rig catches.”

Last year, angler Peter Johnson of Connecticut had noted, “I limited out on fluke in eighty feet of water in the Block Island Wind Farm.”

Peter is a firm believer in going light. He uses 15 pound braid, jigs and stingers tipped with gulp and sometimes squid strips. Peter caught one of his personal best at the time, a 28-inch fluke right in front of Warwick Light in Narraganset Bay fishing the banks and deep water in the channel.

In Massachusetts, the minimum size is 17.5 inches from a boat and 16.5 inches from shore with a four fish/person/day limit. In Rhode Island, the fluke regulation this year is a 19-inch minimum size, six fish/person/day with special shore areas where anglers are allowed two 17-inch fish.

Here are some fluke tips from the experts:

Fluke face into the current to feed, so you want to drag your bait over the front of them, drifting with the tide and wind in the same direction when in a boat or slowing pulling your bait over the bottom when on land.

Fish edges of structure or transition areas near jetties and bridges, channels, banks, underwater valleys, humps and bumps as big fish ambush bait there.

When it comes to fluking, squid is the bait of choice. Some anglers cut it in very fine strips yet others like to use the whole squid with others using what they catch that day… strips of bluefish, scup,sea robin, etc.

Find the fish and repeat the pattern, drifting over the same location or depth that is yielding fish.

When targeting fluke do your homework, plan where you will fish first, second, third, etc. the night before based on recent wind forecast and tide. You will be rewarded with some lager keeper fluke, as well as black sea bass and scup.

Where’s the bite?

“Freshwater fishing for trout has been good in recently stocked ponds,” said Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, Providence.

Striped bass and bluefish: “Breakin Bob” Weir fooled a 28-pound bass with a white FishLab on a rising east tide and a few days later, landed a 26-pound striper bouncing a Hurley green mack Canal Killer off the bottom,” Doherty said. “The powerful stripers finally surrendered after tough battles with both measuring out to 42 inches.” Elisa Cahill of Snug Harbor Marina, South Kingstown, said, “The southeast and southwest sides of Block Island were on fire over the holiday with anglers catching striped bass using topwater lures. The fish were slot size (28 to less than 31 inches) and above. Our salt ponds are good too with worm hatches still occurring.” Dave Henault of Ocean State Tackle, said, “Anglers are hooking up with large bass in the mid and upper Bay using pogies and flutter spoons with kayak anglers being successful trolling tube & worm.” Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle, Charlestown, said, “The bait is getting pushed into the ponds on an incoming tide with small spooks, and in out front bass and blues are being found on rockpiles and at breachway outflows eating anything from top water to live eels. Won’t be long before some of the 30-40lb bass start staging on our local reefs.”

Tautog: The spring tautog season ended on May 31 in Rhode Island for the spawning season and will reopen Aug. 1. In Massachusetts, the catch limit drops to one fish/person/day from June 1 to July 31. In both states, the open season limit changes on Aug. 1 with a three fish/person/day limit, 16- to 21-inch slot with one fish allowed to be over 21 inches.

Summer flounder (fluke), black sea bass and squid: “Fluke reports are starting to pick up with mostly smaller fish being caught locally and a few bigger fish being caught at the island. Black Sea Bass are still out in deeper water but are slowly making their way in,” O’Donnell said. “There is an abundance of squid out front,” “We weighed in an 11-pound fluke over the holiday caught along the southern coastal beaches,” Cahill said. “Anglers are having some difficulty finding flukes but when they do they tend to be large. Anglers are also targeting fluke at the East Grounds and in the Block Island Wind Farm area with good results.”

Squid: Fishing remains strong along the coastal beaches,” said Cahill.