Massachusetts
Massachusetts librarian creates phone safes out of books for domestic violence victims
WESTWOOD – A Westwood librarian is fighting back against domestic violence by using a cell phone and discarded library books.
Molly Riportella works at the Westwood Public Library and is a survivor of domestic violence. When a coworker told her she was in an abusive relationship, she gave the woman a cell phone to make discreet calls for help.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, you need a phone,” said Riportella. “I had an extra line, extra phone, and went ahead and charged it all up for her. I went ahead and loaded different resources from the state and national. And she goes, “Oh, thank you for the phone; it’s great. I started using it, but I can’t bring it home because he will go through my things.’”
Molly used a discarded library book to hollow out a book safe to conceal the phone. The idea sparked a broader project she calls BiblioUnderground. Riportella is creating more book safes with burner cellphones for domestic violence victims. The phones come loaded with domestic violence resources and contacts as well as free minutes.
“I want anyone who wants to escape to know that they have a phone to do so,” said Riportella, reflecting on her own experience that happened when she moved in with her boyfriend in her early 20s. “He hit me that day, and I remember – it sounds so stupid now – but I was like, I just told everybody I had moved in. I had deep shame. I was so scared to get a restraining order because I didn’t know if that would come back to hurt me, because I wanted a public job. Now that I am in my 30s, I am like, that is so dumb, but I didn’t know, and why would I know?”
The idea is to get these secret book phones into the hands of local organizations combatting domestic violence. She started funding the project with her own money, but has since raised $13,000 through a GoFundMe page. The money is going to buying more phones.
“You don’t give the number to your kids, don’t give the number to your girlfriends, you keep that number to yourself and give it to your lawyers or your advocate,” explained Riportella.
If you don’t feel safe in a relationship and live in Massachusetts, you can call 988 or the Mass SafeLink Domestic Violence Hotline at 877-785-2020.
Massachusetts
Man arrested after injuring Massachusetts State trooper, K-9 in wrong-way crash in Chicopee
A man has been arrested after injuring a Massachusetts State trooper and a K-9 in a wrong-way crash in Chicopee Saturday morning.
It happened around 4 a.m. on Interstate-91. State Police said they received a report that someone was driving very fast heading south on the north side of I-91. Officers began a “rolling roadblock” in the area “with emergency lights activated, in an effort to safely stop the vehicle and protect other motorists.”
The driver swerved and struck the rear driver’s side of a K-9 cruiser. He then hit another car head-on, according to state police.
The trooper and his K-9 were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car that was hit head-on also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at a hospital.
“I want to commend the bravery and quick actions of our Troopers, whose efforts to stop this wrong-way driver likely prevented further injuries and potentially saved lives,” State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said in a statement. “These incidents demonstrate the risks our Troopers and all of law enforcement face every day on our roadways. The Massachusetts State Police remain committed to enforcing impaired driving laws and holding accountable those whose dangerous decisions put lives at risk.”
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Jose Santiago from Holyoke, Masaschusetts had minor injuries. He has been charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and other charges.
Chicopee, Massachusetts, is around five miles from Springfield and 90 miles from Boston.
An Acushnet man and a New Bedford woman are dead, and two others are injured after a crash in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, that left Route 6 completely impassable for a period of time Friday evening.
Police from Dartmouth and Westport responded just after 7:30 p.m. to 911 calls about a crash on Route 6 near the Dartmouth/Westport line, and arrived to find two vehicles were involved, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said.
A blue Toyota Camry sustained catastrophic damage in the collision, officials said. The male driver, identified as 34-year-old Tristan Bedient, and his female passenger, 51-year-old Kate Aldrich, were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead shortly after.
Two people in the SAAB suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials added.
Route 6 was closed westbound at Route 177 and eastbound at Highland Avenue. Police warned drivers to avoid the area, seek alternate routes, and expect significant traffic delays.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by Dartmouth police, Westport police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the district attorney’s office. Further information was not immediately available.
GLENS FALLS, NY (WRGB) — A Massachusetts man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he robbed two banks in separate states and tried to evade investigators by switching license plates—before evidence gathered in New York’s Capital Region helped lead authorities to him.
Joseph Sawyer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from St. Mary’s Bank in New Hampshire and a Chase Bank in New Jersey last month. In both robberies, prosecutors say Sawyer fled in a Honda Odyssey minivan.
Prosecutors say the minivan originally had Massachusetts license plates, but Sawyer swapped them out with stolen New Jersey plates in an attempt to cover his tracks.
After the second robbery, highway cameras in Albany County captured the minivan as it tried to flee the tri-state area, prosecutors said. The FBI later tracked the vehicle to a motel near Glens Falls, where Sawyer was staying.
Prosecutors also say Sawyer’s own family helped identify him through surveillance photos, linking him to the robberies.
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