A cluster of nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital have reportedly been diagnosed with brain tumors, according to hospital officials who are assuring staff and patients that there’s “no environmental risk” at the facility.

But the Massachusetts Nurses Association says the hospital’s environmental testing was “not comprehensive,” as the union continues to investigate the situation.

The nurses diagnosed with brain tumors have worked in the maternal care labor/delivery unit on the hospital’s fifth floor.

As of earlier this week, 11 staff who worked at some point and for varying durations on the fifth floor had been interviewed by the Mass General Brigham Occupational Health Service.

Five cases were determined to be brain tumors of three different types — all of which were benign (non-cancerous). The only type of benign tumor that had more than one case was meningioma.

Six cases were determined to not be brain tumors, but rather other health concerns.

“Based on the results of the extensive and deliberate investigation… we want to reassure our dedicated team members and all of our patients that there is not an environmental risk at Newton-Wellesley Hospital,” Mass General Brigham wrote in its “Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs” after a staff town hall about the situation.

“We take this very seriously; our top priority is providing high-quality care in a safe and healthy environment for our staff and patients,” Mass General Brigham added.

This situation at Newton-Wellesley Hospital was first reported by WBZ.

After hospital officials learned of the reported brain tumors, they conducted an investigation with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants.

“Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors,” hospital officials said in a statement. “To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December.

“The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor,” the officials said, later adding, “Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility. As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority.”

Staff members have raised several concerns about this cluster of cases. The hospital addressed questions about whether brain tumor cases can be related to: wearing masks during the pandemic, the drinking water, use of x-rays, or the pharmacy on the floor below.

“There is no scientific evidence linking long-term mask use (including processing/re-wearing of masks) to the development of brain tumors,” reads the Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs.

Water serving the hospital is tested regularly by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

“Out of an abundance of caution, additional water samples from the tap and ice machines have been sent for additional testing by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental testing firm,” reads the FAQs. “Those results should be available in the coming week.”

Hospital officials said they use appropriate x-ray safety techniques throughout the hospital.

“To make sure that there was not another, unknown, source of ionizing radiation on the Fifth Floor, radiation levels were surveyed across the Fifth Floor using Geiger counters,” the hospital wrote. “This did not find any abnormal/increased levels of ionizing radiation.”

The pharmacy located on the fourth floor processes chemotherapy medications.

“These are handled within an independently ventilated, closed system and with appropriate precautions and controls that have been validated as part of this investigation,” the hospital wrote. “The hoods used in the Fourth Floor pharmacy have been installed and tested to ensure that they are functioning properly and safely ventilating away from the building. This system was re-tested by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental firm, as part of the investigation, and was found to be operating properly.”

The Massachusetts Nurses Association’s division of health and safety, consisting of occupational health nurses, is investigating the situation.

“We do not have a specific number (of nurses) we are releasing now because we are still verifying diagnoses via medical records. We do not have a specific cause as we are still investigating,” a spokesperson for the union said in a statement.

“We brought this to the hospital in December to urge an investigation by MGB,” the union spokesperson added. “We have been in communication with NWH nurses about this regularly and specifically with nurses who are self-reporting.”

The union spokesperson said the investigation is focused on the maternity unit, though they have reports from other areas as well.

“We are engaging with the hospital about their inquiry,” the union spokesperson said. “They only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.”

Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM EDT

Two pitchers walked off the mound without having allowed a hit Wednesday.

North Attleborough’s Dillon Waterhouse struck out four and walked one while tossing a no-hitter to beat Stoughton, 4-0.

East Bridgewater’s Maggie Schlossberg fired five innings of no-hit ball, striking out 13 to mercy rule Rockland, 12-0.

On Tuesday, Littleton senior Brooke O’Brien joined the 200-point club on Tuesday in a 13-10 lacrosse loss to Lunenberg.

Or is it six?

Max Boehm, Wellesley — The sophomore tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts, but what stood out was his efficiency, lasting seven innings on just 69 pitches.

Finn Bell and Zach O’Donnell, Wayland — Bell racked up 34 kills, many thanks to O’Donnell, who dished 48 assists in a five-set victory against BC High.

Zach Medjamia and Hank Schwartz, Andover — It was a similar story for the Golden Warriors, who got 25 kills from Medjamia and 32 assists from Schwartz in a 3-1 win over Dracut.

Jill Ondrick, Weymouth — The junior transferred to her hometown high school from Archbishop Williams and made an immediate impact with 17 strikeouts and no walks in the circle, and an RBI at the plate, in a 2-1 Bay State Conference win over Needham.

Jill Ondrick, Weymouth, 17

Aidan Murphy, Weston, 14

Brayden Mercier, St. John’s (S), 13

Mylee Ramer, Bishop Feehan, 13

Maggie Schlossberg, East Bridgewater, 13

Regan Bryant, West Bridgewater, 12

Tessa Francis, Marblehead, 11

Hayden Haskell, Swampscott, 11

Abby Noble, Gloucester, 11

Riley Chaplin, Notre Dame (H), 10

Olivia Ormond, Belmont, 10

It was a powerful day across the Commonwealth, as no less than 22 hitters connected on a long ball, and we have to start with Milton Academy’s Crowley sisters. Junior Sophia Crowley launched a three-run shot, but was out-done by her freshman sister, Hannah, who blasted a grand slam.

While they were the only sisters to both go yard, they were far from the only teammates. Carver’s Lyla Moore and Gianna Chandler both left the park in an 18-16 loss to Cohasset, King Philip’s Liv Petrillo and Ali Gill went yard in a 9-1 win over Franklin, Gloucester’s Aleena Brown and Emma Carripichosa connected to beat North Reading 10-2, and BB&N’s Langan Fisher and Ryan Clay went back-to-back to beat Cushing, 10-6.

Medfield’s Daniel Vazquez homered (2-run shot) for the second straight game, Durfee’s Alvin Teixeira raced around the bases for an inside-the-park homer, and Bishop Feehan’s Caitlyn Deveney, Wakefield’s Molly Burns, Taunton’s Brooke Aldrich, Danvers’s Addie McCarty, Manchester Essex’s Penelope Riggs, Weymouth’s Devin Kelsch, Cardinal Spellman’s Kiley Dolan, Saugus’s Lily Gentry, and Olivia Mainvielle of Notre Dame (Hingham) also recorded homers.

Colin Fuller, Newburyport 6

Ava Miller, South Shore, 6

Luke Spaulding, Scituate, 6

Vinn Winter, Ipswich, 6

Karina Bosco, Dighton-Rehoboth, 5

Reese Bromby, Newburyport, 5

Lily Leander, Rockland, 5

Ava Nason, St. Mary’s, 5

Finn Wright, Ipswich, 5

Andrew DeGirolamo, Mansfield, 4

Quinn DeCourcey, Scituate, 4

Liam Goodwin, Duxbury 4

Cole Hogencamp, Mansfield, 4

Kayla Nota, South Shore, 4

Avery Tahnk, Newburyport, 4

Ben Tondorf, South Shore, 4

Wright, Ipswich, 9

Hogencamp, Mansfield, 8

Fuller, Newburyport, 6

DeCourcey, Scituate, 6

Miller, South Shore, 6

Spaulding, Scituate, 6

Winter, Ipswich, 6

Lincoln-Sudbury junior center Sarah Poland announced she will reclassify into the Class of 2027 and play for Rivers next school year. The 6-foot Dual County League co-MVP (with Westford’s Kaitlyn Pepin) averaged 16.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.8 assists last season.

Waltham senior goalie Brooke Gaudet committed to Lasell where she will play field hockey and major in athletic training.

Richard Davis, who for years produced the Massachusetts High School Football Prospects Information book with Bob Bancroft, died on March 27 at age 80. Davis — who was voted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021, becoming the only non-coach to be inducted — made sure every dollar raised from the recruiting book went to the Shriners Hospital in Boston. Davis was a longtime business teacher at Whitman-Hanson and in retirement worked part-time at Holly Ridge Golf Club in Sandwich.

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

A local police chief who rejected a resident’s bid for a license to carry firearms, claiming the man was “unsuitable” to obtain an LTC, has won his appeal.

The then-Southboro Police Chief Kenneth Paulhus during the pandemic denied Paul Dwiggins a Class A large capacity license to carry firearms.

That decision from the police chief was then reversed by a district court judge, which was later affirmed by a Superior Court judge.

But now, Massachusetts Appeals Court justices reversed the previous court rulings, and they reinstated the police chief’s decision to deny the resident’s LTC.

“The judgment of the Superior Court is reversed, and a new judgment shall enter affirming the denial of Dwiggins’s license to carry,” the appeals court justices wrote in Wednesday’s ruling.

Back in September of 2020, the police chief rejected Dwiggins’ application for the large capacity license to carry firearms on grounds that he was “unsuitable” to obtain such a license.

The police chief, Paulhus, cited more than 80 police contacts with either Dwiggins’ son or wife over the previous 14 years. Many were for incidents of domestic violence at their house, and many of these contacts were for mental health crises involving his wife.

One of the police reports involved Dwiggins getting into a dispute with his 15-year-old son, who reportedly had a serious substance abuse history and was a drug dealer.

His son had come home drunk and become combative after Dwiggins told him he couldn’t have a sleepover, according to the police report. Dwiggins said his son had pushed him, while the son said his father had grabbed him first.

His son then picked up a kitchen knife, according to Dwiggins who told police that his son said, “He was going to go to his room and hold the knife to his throat so if his mother wanted to kill him he would make it easier for her.” Dwiggins said he then knocked the knife out of his son’s hands.

Another police report involved a different incident with a knife. Dwiggins’ son, after a physical altercation with his brother, reportedly picked up a knife and threatened to kill his brother.

Cops arrested the son, and the son while in custody said he wanted to take his own life by shooting himself with a gun.

Another incident involved Dwiggins’ wife being arrested. As the officers arrested her, she remained combative, kicking one of the officers and continuing to scream profanities at them. When the officers finally brought her to the police station, she threatened one of the officers, saying, “If I had a gun right now I would blow your head right off.”

There were also multiple police reports responding to incidents related to both the son’s and the wife’s use of alcohol and other substances.

In the chief’s notice to Dwiggins denying his application, the chief noted that he was deeming the applicant an unsuitable person to obtain a license for the following reasons: “Persons residing in your household with histories of substance abuse, criminal behavior, and mental health issues. After a review of the involved police reports, I have found you to be unsuitable.”

After the district and superior court judges reversed the police chief’s decision, the chief brought the appeal to the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Dwiggins argued that he shouldn’t be denied a license because he said the chief’s decision about “unsuitability” was not about the applicant’s own behavior.

“We note, however, that the police reports on which the chief relied in finding the applicant unsuitable do include evidence of the applicant’s own behavior,” the appeals court wrote. “The applicant was involved in at least one incident of domestic violence in his home.”

“The chief was within his authority when he determined the applicant may create such a risk by bringing a firearm into the volatile, unstable, and violent environment of his residence, to which multiple police responses for domestic violence, substance use, and mental health have been required year after year after year,” the judges added.

One of the appeals court justices wrote a dissenting opinion, arguing there was insufficient evidence that Dwiggins himself posed a risk to public safety.

“… I find no case law suggesting that an unsuitability determination can be based on the conduct of third parties,” wrote Associate Justice Kenneth Desmond Jr.

“While I too believe that there is some wisdom in the chief’s public safety concerns, a plain reading of the statute leaves me unpersuaded that the majority’s interpretation of its language is correct,” Desmond added. “As such, I respectfully dissent.”