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Massachusetts family’s hulking snowman grows to 23-feet tall after weekend blizzard

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Massachusetts family’s hulking snowman grows to 23-feet tall after weekend blizzard


Frosty got a growth spurt!

A Massachusetts family’s second-annual construction of a goliath snowman was packed with a little extra cushion after Winter Storm Hernando tore through the state, boosting it to a whopping 23-feet tall.

Parker the Snowman, initially measuring 20-feet high and 21-feet wide, shot up an extra three feet on top of a four-foot expansion outwards after the weekend blizzard buried the state in snow.

The Aalerud family built a 20-foot snowman that gained an extra three feet of height after Monday’s blizzard. Eric Aalerud

The behemoth’s architect, Eric Aalerud, admitted to WHDH that he “was more sore” while undertaking the annual project “than anything” he’d attempted in the last decade.

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His wife, Katie Aalerud, told CBS News that Eric built their first family snowman in November 2024, just after welcoming their daughter Emerson, while he “was going stir crazy in the house.”

The snowman lights up at night. Eric Aalerud

He constructed the snowman from a massive snow pile that only kept growing over time, until it became its own roadside attraction with light-up features. Katie’s only problem was its “creepy” glowing red eyes, which were swapped out for blue this year.

Katie told NBC10 Boston that her husband used a snowblower, shovel, wood, ladder and “water to freeze everything” to pile up the snowman and keep it together for weeks on end.

The snowman they built last year didn’t melt until the beginning of April. Eric Aalerud

The faux top hat on Parker’s head is made out of “a trash barrel and plywood, spray-painted black,” Katie said. The eyes, buttons, and large tree branch arms are all adorned with bright lights so that passersby can see the frosty fellow as they drive up the hill near their Shirley home.

“Last year it dwindled slowly, and I would say probably at the beginning of April when the last of it finally melted,” Katie told the outlet.

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The Aaleruds plan to build a bigger and better snowman each year for as long as they are able.

During a rare snow day Monday, hundreds of New Yorkers sculpted their own snowmen and other snow structures, including makeshift igloos, throughout the city — but none so big as the Aaleruds’ masterpiece.



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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?

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How will the Iran war impact gas prices in Massachusetts?


With a widening conflict in the Middle East after the American and Israeli attack on Iran Saturday, global markets are bracing for a shakeup in the energy supply chain.

So, here at home, what can consumers expect at the gas pump?

An increase in oil prices is almost always followed by an increase in gas prices. And the oil market has already reacted to the war. NBC News reported on Sunday that U.S. crude oil initially spiked more than 10%, while Brent, the international oil benchmark, rose as much as 13%.

Early Monday morning, reports were coming in of black smoke rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City.

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While Iran’s oil reserves supply less than an estimated 5% of global production, the main concern is the Strait of Hormuz. This maritime passageway borders Iran at the bottleneck of the Persian Gulf, and more than 20% of the world’s oil passes through. If Iran closes or restricts Hormuz, the oil market could face severe disruptions.

Gas prices rise about 2.5 cents for every dollar increase in crude oil prices. As of Sunday, U.S. crude oil prices had already increased by nearly $5 a barrel.

“I fully expect that by Monday night, you could credibly say that gas prices are being impacted by oil prices having gone up,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan told NBC News.

GasBuddy characterizes their expectations for price increases as “incremental” rather than “explosive”. The group said to anticipate a potential 10-15 cent increase over the next couple of weeks.

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News

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Body camera video shows Massachusetts police officer save 78-year-old man from burning truck – East Idaho News


EASTON, Mass. (WBZ) — Police body camera video shows an Easton, Massachusetts, officer rescuing a 78-year-old Raynham man from a burning car on Friday morning.

A Mack dump truck was experiencing problems on the side of Turnpike Street just after 2 a.m. when a Ford pickup truck struck the back of it, according to police.

The pickup truck then became stuck under the dump truck, trapping the driver, Francis Leverone, inside. A Toyota Camry then hit the back of the pickup truck and caught fire, police said.

Easton police officer Dean Soucie arrived at the crash and saw that the two vehicles were on fire. Video shows Soucie rushing over before breaking the driver’s side window and then, with the help of the two witnesses, freeing Leverone from the pickup truck. Soucie said he was confused but conscious.

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“As I reached inside the vehicle, one of the passersby — he actually jumped into the cab of the truck, and he helped me free the individual,” Soucie said.

They then carried the driver to safety.

Leverone was taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a Boston hospital. He received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

No one else was injured in the crash.

Dee Leverone told WBZ her husband is doing OK. “I’m just thankful for the people that got him out,” she said. “Very thankful.”

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After watching the police body-cam video on the news she said, “I was shocked, I was like ‘Oh my God!’ I just couldn’t believe it. His truck is like melted.”

She says she realized that something was wrong last night when her husband never made it home from work.

“I kept trying to call him and call him, and I finally got a hold of him at like 4:30 a.m., and he was at (Good Samaritan Hospital) and he told me he’s gotten in an accident,” Dee said.

She says he’s recovering at the Boston Medical Center and being treated for a dislocated hip.

“He’s a trooper,” Dee said. “He’s a strong man — and you know he’s 78, but you know he’s a toughie. He definitely is a toughie.”

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Soucie commended the help of the two witnesses and said that before he arrived at the crash, they had attempted to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and removed a gasoline tank from the pickup truck before it could ignite.

“They jumped into action like it was nothing,” Soucie said. “Those two individuals were absolutely awesome.”

Easton Police Chief Keith Boone said that he is “extremely proud” of Soucie and the witnesses.

“He saved a life last night,” Chief Boone said. “He is an exemplary police officer and this is just one example. I think he’s a hero.”

Turnpike Street was closed for several hours following the crash. Easton Police are investigating.

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Crews battle fire at Townsend home

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Crews battle fire at Townsend home


A fire broke out Sunday morning in Townsend, Massachusetts.

The Townsend Fire department said shortly before 7 a.m. that firefighters were on scene for a structure fire on Dudley Road.

People have been asked to avoid the area.

The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said state police fire investigators assigned to the state fire marshal’s office are responding to assist the Townsend Fire Department.

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There was no immediate word on any injuries, or any information on what caused the fire. It’s also unclear if the large snow piles in the area impeded access to fire hydrants, as was the case at the house explosion in Taunton last week.

This developing story will be updated when we learn more



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