Massachusetts
Massachusetts man arrested for allegedly harassing Bloomfield Township treasurer
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Massachusetts man, 47-year-old Marc Aisen, is in custody in Michigan after allegedly harassing the Bloomfield Township treasurer with months of defamatory and accusatory emails.
The emails, which police said included a range of false accusations, were sent to Treasurer Michael Schostak and over 190 other township officials, organizations and his children’s school.
“I don’t know how he found me,” Schostak said. “I have some theories but I don’t know for sure. He hasn’t said anything.”
Schostak says the emails that were sent to over 190 people in his life first claimed he was involved in human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. They began in July but became worse.
“Starting in September and then after October 7th, he turned up the heat a lot,” Schostak said. “Started going after members of my family, my children’s school — that’s when I decided he crossed the line.”
Schostak is involved in the local Jewish community and helps with security at local temples, which he believes might be the reason he was targeted. It’s also why the most recent allegations were even more startling.
“After October 7th, he claimed I was an agent of Hamas in the United States and I was raising money for them and somehow providing aid and comfort for them,” Schostak said. “As a Jewish person, that was offensive to the Nth degree.”
After Schostak contacted police, they told the man to stop the emails. However, they kept coming. Schostak says the man wasn’t hard for police to find.
“The interesting thing about it is that he put his cellphone number on his emails. Because in his head he truly believes he’s in the right,” Schostak said.
Finally, Oakland County prosecutors filed two felony charges for using a computer to commit a crime. Schostak hopes this behavior will come to an end.
“People think behind a keyboard you can just attack public officials, but we are people. We have families. We have private residences and that needs to be respected,” Schostak said. “It crossed the line from the right of free speech to where it was threatening and harassing.”
Aisen was arraigned in court Wednesday and was given a $50,000 bond. If released, he must wear a tether and not leave the state of Michigan. He also is not allowed to have contact with his victims or use a computer.
Massachusetts
We asked, you answered: Your favorite hot chocolate spots in Massachusetts
A cup of cocoa is a sweet treat and hand warmer all in one. And on a cold day in Boston — especially amid the holiday season — there’s nothing better to accompany you through the streets.
We asked WBUR readers and listeners where they like to grab a cup of hot chocolate. (We asked WBUR staffers, too, and you can find out their responses by signing up for one of our newsletters with this link before Dec. 31.)
Responses included chocolatiers, bakeries and cafes in Boston and far beyond it. But there was one clear fan favorite. Here are your top spots, plus a few honorable mentions.
Your top favorites
L.A. Burdick
Boston, Cambridge and Brookline
More than 50% of respondents said L.A. Burdick was their favorite place to grab hot chocolate in the area. L.A. Burdick’s thick, rich hot chocolate is made with milk and blended with dark, milk, white or spicy dark chocolate. Readers say it’s a decadent, European-style drinking chocolate, almost like drinking a melted chocolate bar.
“The cocoa is of incredibly high quality, and they make it with whole milk, which is very rich and creamy,” said Emily Bono . “They have their own cocoa blends, which are great, but also a variety of single source options that illustrate just how diverse chocolate can be.”
“In addition to tasting like heaven, we once put a leftover half-cup in the refrigerator overnight, and the next morning it had set into excellent chocolate pudding,” Lori Gayle shared.
Flour Bakery
Ten locations across Boston and Cambridge
Readers say they love the sweet, velvety hot chocolate at Flour Bakery. You can grab a cup of this cocoa all over Boston and Cambridge (they’ll even be popping up on the Common this summer). And for 50 cents extra, Flour will make your hot chocolate “fiery” with a dash of cayenne pepper.
“The cayenne and chocolate combination is rich, creamy, not too sweet and just a little addictive,” Kalli Catcott shared.
Kakawa Chocolate House
173 Essex St, Salem
Kakawa Chocolate House’s Salem shop is its first and only location in New England. (They’ve got three others in New Mexico.) Cori B. says their authentic sipping chocolate comes with a variety of spices you can add, like cinnamon, ginger, mint and cayenne. Dominique Hayes added that the “wonderful variety” is “all very yummy.”
Sweetie’s in Roslindale
48 Corinth St., Roslindale
Sweetie’s primarily sells ice cream, but you might want to visit for the hot chocolate, too. Kris Liberman shared its “rich and cream, with a choice of toppings.” There are also dairy and non-dairy options for your drink, and Leah Boylan says Sweetie’s offers imaginative cocoa flavors (think tahini dark chocolate) and tasty add-ins, like flame-broiled marshmallows, ice cream and whipped cream.
Other honorable mentions…
Massachusetts
State police say Friday’s storm caused 200 crashes across Massachusetts
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Massachusetts
Dangerousness hearing held for Taunton man in Fall River after Massachusetts, Rhode Island State Police make trafficking arrest involving Bristol, Plymouth, RI counties
A dangerousness hearing was held Friday for a Bristol County man after a drug trafficking investigation led to his arrest.
According to Massachusetts State Police, during May and June of this year, members of the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team – South initiated an investigation into narcotics trafficking. Intelligence revealed that 33-year-old Jason Hodo of Taunton was distributing trafficking quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Rhode Island and throughout Plymouth and Bristol Counties in Massachusetts. Investigators completed extensive traditional and covert surveillance, record checks, and intelligence analysis. The investigation led to warrants being sought and granted to search for all controlled substances at all locations related to Hodo.
In June, executing officers followed Hodo in his vehicle after he departed the Rhode Island location and drove to a Taunton gas station. Hodo was detained, searched, and arrested after amounts of fentanyl and cocaine were located. Members then executed the “knock and announce” search warrants without incident at locations in both states.
The searches in Massachusetts led to the seizure of approximately 528 grams of fentanyl, 206 grams of cocaine, and nearly $22,000 from Hodo’s person and vehicle. Hodo was eventually transported to State Police-Middleboro for booking on charges related to Trafficking Class A and Class B Substances.
A simultaneous search of the Rhode Island location by Rhode Island State Police revealed the following: two firearms loaded with high-capacity magazines, approximately 12 grams of fentanyl, nearly $19,000, several high value bars of gold, jewelry, and a diamond/gold chain with receipt for $103,000.
Previously in Fall River Superior Court, Hodo pled not guilty at his arraignment and was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Friday.
On Friday, also in Fall River Superior Court, dangerousness was taken under advisement with Hodo still held without bail.
His next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial conference in February.
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