Massachusetts
Massachusetts ‘belligerent’ woman allegedly assaults off-duty police officer in road rage incident
An off-duty police sergeant was allegedly assaulted by a “belligerent” woman during a road rage incident in the days before Christmas, police said.
Randolph woman Vashiyra Mason, 20, was arrested and charged by Stoughton Police after allegedly striking the off-duty cop’s vehicle and assaulting him.
Stoughton police officers responded to the area of 278 Washington St. for a report of a disturbance on Sunday at about 1:06 p.m.
An off-duty Stoughton police sergeant had called the station and reported that he was following a vehicle that side-swiped his car and left the scene.
Mason had allegedly driven into the oncoming traffic lane and around the off-duty officer’s vehicle on Pine Street, and side-swiped the front of his car. Mason later stopped in a parking lot, where the off-duty officer followed her.
“In the parking lot, the off-duty officer identified himself multiple times as a Stoughton Police sergeant in an attempt to de-escalate the situation,” police wrote about the incident. “Mason became belligerent, using slurs and hitting the off-duty officer in the upper body, neck, and face area.”
The off-duty officer then reportedly restrained Mason to prevent her from injuring him or herself.
The passenger of Mason’s car, a 19-year-old Brockton woman, then allegedly hit the off-duty officer in the back of his head and neck. The passenger also began to attack a woman who was with the off-duty officer.
Officers arrived shortly after, and saw Mason hitting the woman who was with the off-duty officer. Mason allegedly grabbed the woman by her hair, and punched her in the back of the head multiple times.
Mason was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
Mason’s passenger will be issued a summons to appear in Stoughton District Court on charges of assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery, and resisting arrest. Because the suspect is being summonsed and the court has not issued a criminal complaint, her identity cannot be released.
Massachusetts
A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store
Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.
And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.
The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.
- This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe
Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.
Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.
Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.
- ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million
But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.
Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.
Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees
Massachusetts
Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh
It swims in the family.
A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.
On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.
Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.
IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.
“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.
The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.
According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.
“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.
Massachusetts
Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute
A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.
Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.
Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.
The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.
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