BOSTON – A second human case of the mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis was confirmed in Massachusetts on Thursday, just days after the death of a New Hampshire man was announced.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said a woman in her 30s was exposed in the area of Plymouth County. It’s unclear if she lived in Plymouth County. The area was aerial sprayed for mosquitos Tuesday night but the woman became infected before the spraying. The state’s second EEE case in a horse was also confirmed in the same area.

In Plymouth County, EEE-positive mosquito samples were found in Abington, Carver, Halifax, Kingston, Marion, Middleboro, Plymouth, Rochester, Wareham and Whitman.

The first human case in Massachusetts this year was a man in his 80s exposed in southern Worcester County. A horse also died in Middleboro this week.

EEE has been largely absent from Massachusetts in recent years, with the last human case in 2020.

EEE death in New Hampshire

A 41-year-old man in New Hampshire died of EEE recently. Family said 41-year-old Steven Perry was healthy and active with no underlying conditions. He was then hospitalized with brain damage from EEE and died within a week.

The last known human case of EEE in New Hampshire was in 2014, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. That year, three people were infected and two died.

Massachusetts towns taking action

Due to concerns over EEE exposure, towns in Massachusetts are now spraying for mosquitos. In Plymouth, high school football games will be played in the afternoon as a precaution, as outdoor fields are being closed from dusk to dawn. Playgrounds and other parks are also being closed at dusk.

In Oxford, a recommended curfew was established. The curfew goes into effect after 6 p.m. on town properties.

How to protect yourself from EEE

EEE is rare but can be deadly in people of all ages and is generally spread to humans through a bite from an infected mosquito.

“EEE risk does not end on Labor Day,” said Massachusetts state epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown in a statement. “We continue to strongly advise that individuals in areas where EEE risk is at high and critical levels reschedule evening outdoor events to avoid peak mosquito biting hours.”

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said the best way to protect yourself from EEE is to use insect repellent with DEET as an ingredient, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and avoid going outdoors between dusk and dawn, which is peak biting time for mosquitos. Residents are also advised to drain standing water from rain gutters, wading pools or flowerpots, as mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water.

“The chance is out there, so you have to be careful, you need to be cognizant of it,” said Plymouth resident Dave Kindy. “You need to wear long clothing, you need to put on the spray, from dusk to dawn you need to be able to stay out and that’s just reality. You do what you have to do, otherwise you may end up paying the price.”

The FBI arrested a former Massachusetts police officer on allegations he groomed a teenage girl, continued to have sex with her when she was an adult and killed her in her apartment when she told him she was pregnant with his child, staging it to look like a suicide. 

A federal indictment says Matthew Farwell, 38, killed Sandra Birchmore, 23, to prevent authorities from finding out details of his sexual offenses. Farwell was arrested at a shopping plaza in the city of Revere Wednesday after he was indicted on charges he strangled Sandra Birchmore in early 2021 after she told him she was pregnant and that he was the father. 

Farwell worked as an officer for the police department in Stoughton, south of Boston, for 10 years, from 2012 until 2022. It was not immediately clear why he left the department.

Birchmore began participating in the police explorers program when she was 12 years old, according to the indictment in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts. Court documents say Farwell, who was a police explorers volunteer, used his authority and access to groom, sexually exploit and then sexually abuse Birchmore when she was 15 and that he continued to have sex with her when she became an adult.

SOUTH CAROLINA AUTHORITIES REVEAL MASSACHUSETTS MAN’S CAUSE OF DEATH AFTER HE VANISHED IN HILTON HEAD

“During some of the shifts when Farwell was supposed to be performing his duties as a Stoughton police officer, he was instead engaged in sex acts with Birchmore,” the indictment says. 

“Farwell committed this murder, at least in part, to prevent Birchmore from disclosing to authorities information regarding his commission or possible commission of one or more crimes, including coercion and enticement, deprivation of rights under color of law and a then-ongoing wire fraud scheme,” FBI Special Agent Chenee Castruita wrote in an affidavit. 

“Farwell’s murder of Birchmore was the culmination of Farwell’s years-long pattern of abuse targeting Birchmore.” 

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Boston Stephen Kelleher, left, and acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy hold a news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, about the arrest and charges against former Stoughton Police Officer Matthew Farwell, who is accused of killing Sandra Birchmore.  (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP)

In late 2020, Birchmore found out she was pregnant and told Farwell, according to the indictment.

At a news conference Wednesday, FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Kelleher said Birchmore was excited when she found out she was pregnant and texted Farwell a poster she made celebrating the pregnancy. She had also reached out to a friend about baby clothes and to a photographer about potential baby photos, according to Kelleher. 

“Matthew Farwell’s gun and badge did not grant him authority to violate the Constitution, and it certainly didn’t entitle him to sexually exploit, abuse and rape a child before killing her and her unborn baby in an attempt to cover up his alleged crimes,” Kelleher said, calling the allegations against Farwell “depraved.”

MASSACHUSETTS MAN’S MYSTERIOUS SOUTH CAROLINA DEATH ON HILTON HEAD FAMILY VACATION SHAKES FAMILY: ‘UNIMAGINABLE LOSS’

Investigators also believe Farwell staged the apartment to make it look like she had died by suicide, Kelleher said.

The next month, a friend of Birchmore’s called the Stoughton Police Department to tell officials Farwell had been having sex with Birchmore. Farwell allegedly strangled Birchmore on about Feb. 1, 2021, and then used his police knowledge to stage her apartment to make it look as though she had killed herself, according to the indictment.

A Mansfield woman holds a poster with a photo of Sandra Birchmore while protesting at the Norfolk district attorney’s office in Canton Aug. 21, 2023, calling for a deeper investigation into the young woman’s death.  (Mark Jarret Chavous/The Enterprise/USA Today Network)

On some occasions, Farwell had been on duty when he sexually abused Birchmore as a minor, and he falsely claimed certain work hours to hide that offending behavior, court documents say.

“Farwell continued this sexual abuse after Birchmore became an adult, and he continued to engage in an extramarital sexual relationship with Birchmore until he killed her on February 1, 2021,” Castruita wrote. 

Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara said Wednesday the department had worked with other agencies, including the FBI, to investigate.

“The day after Sandra Birchmore was found dead in her Canton apartment, I ordered a lengthy and aggressive internal affairs investigation, the instructions of which made it clear that no stone should be left unturned,” McNamara said in a statement. “The alleged murder of Sandra is a horrific injustice. … The allegations against the suspect, a former Stoughton Police Officer, represent the single worst act of not just professional misconduct but indeed human indecency that I have observed in a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Farwell pleaded not guilty during an initial appearance in federal court in Boston Wednesday. He was handcuffed and led out of the room. A detention hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10, and another hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17.

If convicted of killing a witness or victim, Farwell would face a minimum sentence of life in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy on Wednesday declined to comment on whether federal authorities would seek to impose the death penalty if Farwell is found guilty, saying the decision would be made by the Department of Justice, according to The Associated Press. 

Massachusetts has outlawed capital punishment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

HUDSON, Mass., Aug. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, today announced the opening of Lakemont by Toll Brothers, a new community of 21 single-family homes in Hudson, Massachusetts. Set against a serene waterfront backdrop, Lakemont offers luxury living in a picturesque setting close to recreation, parks, shopping, and downtown Hudson, which was recently recognized as the winner of the “America’s Main Streets” contest. Home buyers are invited to visit the Toll Brothers Sales Center located at 50 Old County Road in Hudson.

“We are excited to expand the Toll Brothers brand of luxury in the great town of Hudson with the opening of Lakemont,” said Dave Bauer, Division President of Toll Brothers in Massachusetts. “With waterfront views of Lake Boon, access to a boat launch, and proximity to downtown Hudson, this community offers an ideal blend of tranquility and convenience.”

Homeowners at Lakemont will enjoy a choice of four stunning home designs featuring 4 bedrooms, 3.5 to 6.5 baths, offices, flex rooms, finished basements, versatile lofts and more. Outdoor living options and multi-generational suites are available in select home designs. Homes are priced from $1.4 million.

Home buyers will experience one-stop shopping at the Toll Brothers Design Studio. The state-of-the-art Design Studio allows home buyers to choose from a wide array of selections to personalize their dream home with the assistance of Toll Brothers professional Design Consultants.

The community is less than two miles from downtown Hudson, offering an abundance of shopping, coffee shops, and restaurants. Commuters will appreciate convenient access to Interstates 495 and 290, and Hudson’s Main Street. Local recreation abounds at nearby Lake Boon, Assabet River Rail Trail, Pine Bluff Recreations Area, Charter Oak Country Club, and Stowe Acres Country Club.

For more information on Lakemont by Toll Brothers, prospective home buyers are invited to call (866) 232-1632 or visit TollBrothers.com/MA.

About Toll Brothers 
Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 57 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, as well as in the District of Columbia. The Company operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, smart home technology, and landscape subsidiaries. The Company also develops master-planned and golf course communities as well as operates its own lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations.

Story continues

In 2024, Toll Brothers marked 10 years in a row being named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies™ list and the Company’s Chairman and CEO Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. was named one of 25 Top CEOs by Barron’s magazine. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com.

From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.

Contact: Andrea Meck | Toll Brothers, Director, Public Relations & Social Media | 215-938-8169 | ameck@tollbrothers.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80ebe18f-77d1-4892-85cb-9ab8d236762b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0706ca97-f2a9-440b-b34b-f1d6c24449ef

Sent by Toll Brothers via Regional Globe Newswire (TOLL-REG)