NASHUA, NH — A Hillsborough County grand jury indicted the following people recently.

Kiana Aguilla, 23, of Wall Street in Milford, on a felony insurance fraud charge. She was accused of defrauding and deceiving Progressive when he presented an oral statement he knew contained false information on July 10, 2023, in Milford.

Fernando Alvarez, 36, of Nutt Street in Nashua, on a felony controlled drug act; acts prohibited-subsequent-crack cocaine charge on May 9, 2024, in Nashua. He was convicted on a possession charge in Hillsborough County Superior Court South in February 2019.

Eric Baker, 42, of no fixed address in Nashua, on three first-degree assault felony counts. He was accused of striking another person with a 2×4 piece of wood, causing a broken arm and kicking and punching him, resulting in broken ribs and a pulmonary contusion on Aug 10, 2024, in Nashua, and punching, kicking, and striking the same person with a 2×4 resulting in a head laceration on Aug. 16, 2024, in Nashua. Read about this case here: Man Arrested On Assault-Deadly Weapon Charge After Homeless Camp Incident In Nashua

Eric G. Eastman, 31, of Steele Road in Hudson, on a felony aggravated felonious sexual assault charge. He was accused of sexually assaulting a child under 13 between April 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, in Hudson.

Jariel Xavier Esmurria, 23, of Second Street in Lowell, Massachusetts, on a felony robbery charge. He was accused of using physical force against another person by pushing them against a wall and forcibly removing shoes from the victim’s feet on April 25, 2024, in Nashua.

Joseph Michael Fletcher, 36, of East Merrimack Street in Lowell, MA, on a felony second-degree assault charge. He was accused of strangling an intimate partner on May 27, 2024, in Nashua.

Wayne Geddes, 45, of Palm Street in Nashua, on second-degree assault-domestic violence and controlled drug act; acts prohibited-cocaine charges, both felonies. He was accused of possessing the drug and strangling an intimate partner on July 4, 2024, in Nashua. Previously, Geddes was convicted on a possession charge in Rockingham Superior Court in October 2005.

Tori Goulette, 47, of Summer Street in Nashua, on a felony possession of a narcotic drug-subsequent offense-crack cocaine charge on Aug. 7, 2024, in Nashua.

David Grover, 38, of Amos Tuck Road in East Kingston, on a felony theft by deception charge. He was accused of committing to render home improvements of more than $1,500 in exchange for money and not performing the work on Jan. 14, 2023, in Hollis.

Miguel Perry, 31, of Amherst Street in Nashua, on four felony controlled drug act; acts prohibited, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, charges. He was accused of selling crack to a cooperating individual of the Nashua Police Department on Sept. 27, Sept. 28, 2022, and Oct. 11, 2023, in Nashua, and possessing the meth on June 5, 2024, in Nashua.

Rodolfo Ramirez Romero, 26, of Prospect Street in Manchester, on a felony motor vehicles; penalties-operating after certification as a habitual offender charge. He was accused of driving a Chevy Tahoe on Pine Hill Road in Hollis on May 11, 2024, after being deemed a habitual offender in November 2023.

Charles Reidy, 31, of no fixed address in Nashua, on a felony controlled drug act; acts prohibited-crack cocaine charge on June 25, 2024, in Nashua. Previously, he was convicted on a possession charge in Hillsborough County Superior Court South in September 2022.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Hillsborough County Superior Court South and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

The largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts in 2024 came from a ticket given to the winner as a birthday gift, which they called “the best birthday present ever.”

There were at least 150 players who won between $1 million and $15 million — and one player won even more.

The top prize won in Massachusetts in 2024 was worth $1 million a year for life.

The prize was from “Lifetime Millions,” a $50 scratch ticket game released on Feb. 6, 2024. As of Jan. 3, there are still two $1 million a year for life grand prizes remaining to be claimed, along with three $2 million prizes and seven $1 million prizes.

The top lottery winner of 2024 claimed their prize through the Merjon Tangovan Nominee Trust of Boston, represented by trustee Greg Racki, on July 10, 2024.

The winner received $15.4 million after Racki selected the cash option instead of annuity for the grand prize. They told Racki they plan on buying a new car, traveling and helping their family with the cash.

The winning ticket was bought at Northside Market & Liquors, located at 44 North Rd. in Bedford. The store received a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Here’s the complete list of the top 10 largest lottery prizes won in Massachusetts in 2024:

1. $1 million a year for life prize claimed from the “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game on July 10. The winner opted to receive their prize as a one-time payment of $15.4 million, and bought their $50 ticket at the Northside Convenience shop in Bedford. There’s still two grand prizes left to be claimed.
2. $15 million prize claimed from the “$15,000,000 Money Maker” scratch ticket game on Aug. 15. The winner bought their $30 ticket in Lynn at the One Stop Mart. As of December, there’s just one grand prize left to be claimed in the game.
3. $15 million prize claimed from the “300X” scratch ticket game on June 13. The winning $30 ticket was purchased at the Country Farms store in Topsfield. This was the first and only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
4. $10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Cash Blast” scratch ticket game on Oct. 3. The winner bought their $20 ticket at the Star Liquor store in Shrewsbury. It was the first and only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
5. $10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Cash King” scratch ticket game, also on Oct. 3. This winner bought their $20 ticket in Boston at Jobi Liquors, Inc., leaving no grand prizes left to be claimed.
6. $10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Bonanza” scratch ticket game on Sept. 4. The winning $20 ticket was sold in Raynham at Coletti’s Market, and was the only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
7. $5.37 million jackpot prize won during the “Megabucks” drawing on May 4. The winning numbers for the drawing were 4, 11, 15, 26, 30 and 40, and the winning ticket was purchased in Northborough at Lowe’s Variety Mart.
8. $5 million prize claimed from a “$5,000,000 100X Cashword 2024″ scratch ticket on Oct. 2. A hot week for lottery players in the state, this $20 winning ticket was sold at From Brazil Restaurant in Peabody. There’s just one grand prize left in the game as of December.
9. $5 million prize claimed from a “$5,000,000 100X Cashword” scratch ticket (released in 2023) on June 18. The winning ticket was sold at the Price Chopper in Pittsfield, and was the last grand prize left in the game.
10. $2.64 million prize won during the “Megabucks” drawing on Aug. 24. The winning numbers for the drawing were 5, 6, 8, 9, 24 and 32, and the winner bought their ticket while at the Hillcrest Country Club in Leicester.

With the new year comes new laws that are set to take effect in Massachusetts in 2025.

Five bills were signed into law with set dates for when the new laws, signed by Gov. Maura Healey, go into effect.

Four other new laws were part of a large economic development bill Healey signed in November, covering a wide range of issues from clean energy to education. The text of this law contained an emergency preamble, which gives the governor authority to determine whether a new law should go into effect immediately.

Here are the latest changes made to Massachusetts state law.

Employers must show salary ranges in job postings

Beginning Oct. 29, 2025, Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees must disclose salary ranges and protect an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges. This received Healey’s approval on July 31 when Healey signed the Francis Perkins Workplace Equity Act, named after the first woman to be Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Roosevelt.

The new law also prohibits employers from firing or retaliating against any employee or applicant who asks for salary ranges when applying for a job or promotion, according to state law.

Employers’ demographic wage data

Along with salary ranges, Massachusetts employers with at least 100 state-based employees must file an annual report to the state, according to the legal firm Cooley. This annual report includes workforce demographic and pay data categorized by race, ethnicity, sex, and position.

This goes into effect on Feb. 1, 2025, with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development then publishing aggregated data in a report on its website on July 1 of each year.

Massachusetts joins 11 other states in enacting this law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island and Washington.

Sealing eviction records

Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act on Aug. 6. Going into effect on May 5, 2025, this law allows tenants to petition the courts to seal certain eviction records that can make it difficult for renters to secure housing, according to the state’s website.

The law will also make it illegal for a consumer reporting agency to include a sealed eviction record in its reports.

Parentage equality expansions

In August, Healey signed into law an act that updates the state’s parentage laws for the first time in 40 years, according to the Governor’s Office. The Massachusetts Parentage Act provides protections for parents who use surrogacy, in-vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction, as well as for LGBTQ+ parents.

The bill also modernizes the law’s language to be more inclusive, replacing words like “paternity” for “parentage” and “child born out of wedlock” for “nonmarital child,” Healey’s office said.

“Our laws need to reflect the realities of modern families and the loving environments where children grow and flourish,” Healey said in an Aug. 9 statement. “This moment is a victory for all families in Massachusetts who deserve to be treated with dignity and to have their rights recognized and protected under the law.”

This law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Updates to paid family and medical leave

On Oct. 1, the Department of Family and Medical Leave announced it would update weekly benefits for paid family and medical leave in Massachusetts. The maximum weekly benefits that employees can receive are set to increase from $1,149.90 to $1,170.64 per week, according to the legal firm Fisher Phillips.

The overall paid family and medical leave contribution rate will stay at 0.88% for eligible employees working at a business with 25 employees or more, the legal firm Seyfarth said in a statement. The contribution rate for smaller employers will remain at 0.46%.

Changes go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Economic development for climate tech, AI and natural gas

Healey signed an economic development bill called the Mass Leads Act on Nov. 20. Its goal is to promote the development and use of clean energy across the state, with improvements to energy affordability, expand access to electric vehicles, and “facilitate the application of artificial intelligence across the state’s ecosystem‚“ Healey’s office said in a statement.

“This legislation will create new jobs, strengthen our efforts to recruit and retain the best talent, support all of our communities, and grow our arts, culture and tourism sectors,” the administration said in its statement.

The new law supports initiatives that aim to make Massachusetts a hub for climate technology, Healey’s office said. This includes $400 million in capital resources going to the offshore wind industry and establishing a new climate tech incentive program to bring and keep climate tech companies in Massachusetts. It will also update the existing Offshore Wind Tax Incentive Program.

The sweeping bill also includes provisions to overhaul the state’s permitting process for Massachusetts to build more renewable energy infrastructure to meet its climate goals. WBUR reported that these changes are intended to go into effect by March 2026.

The law also authorizes $100 million to be used to create the Massachusetts AI Hub “to facilitate the application of artificial intelligence across the state’s ecosystem,” the statement read. Healey’s office added that this hub is expected to boost innovation and “attract AI talent” to the state.

Additionally (but not lastly), the law establishes new provisions for natural gas. More networked geothermal projects, like Eversource in Framingham, will be built in order to bring cleaner forms of heating and cooling, WBUR reported.

The law also changes how gas utilities are incentivized to replace leaky underground pipes, with the state now prioritizing short-term repairs or retiring segments of a pipeline.

Due to the emergency preamble written into the Mass Leads Act, the law immediately went into effect with Healey’s signature.

More funding for electric vehicle incentives

The Mass Leads Act also introduced new provisions for electric vehicles, including an extension of state funding for its electric vehicle incentive program until 2027, WBUR wrote.

The Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles, or MOR-EV, program is intended to cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gases.

The program offers rebates for buying or leasing eligible battery electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles.

Another provision includes directing the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to review laws that ban the sale of new gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles after 2035, WBUR reported.

As part of the Mass Leads Act, these parts of the law also immediately went into effect upon the bill’s signing.

Nurses can work across state lines

The passage of the Mass Leads Act also addressed the nursing shortage in Massachusetts. The bill included a measure to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows nurses operating in other states affiliated with the compact to practice out of state via in-person or telehealth, GBH reported in November.

Massachusetts became the last New England state to join the compact.

“Compact membership will also enhance the ability of the Massachusetts health care system to prepare for pandemics, emergencies and other staffing needs and to facilitate telehealth and other care delivery transformations in the future,” Mickey O’Neill, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, told GBH.

This also went into effect immediately after Healey signed the Mass Leads Act.

Educator diversity

Another facet of the economic development bill that Healey signed focused on education. The new law incorporated a bill known as the Massachusetts Teachers Association-supported Educator Diversity Act.

This change will see the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education develop an alternative certification process for teachers who may have challenges with the educator certification exam, but can still demonstrate their capabilities as teachers, Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement in November.

Because educator diversity was part of the Mass Leads Act, it immediately went into effect with Healey’s signature on Nov. 20.