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Massachusetts officials suspect bird flu killed dozens of birds in Plymouth

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Massachusetts officials suspect bird flu killed dozens of birds in Plymouth


Plymouth, Massachusetts, officials alerted the public on Sunday that more than 60 birds found dead at Billington Sea are suspected to have died of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu.

On Sunday morning, members of the Clean Harbor waste management who were contracted by the state Department of Environmental Protection, as well as state officials, responded to Billington Sea to remove numerous geese, swans and other dead wildlife from the pond.

The day before, the state ornithologist told town officials that a dead goose removed from Plymouth was “highly suspected” of having avian influenza, or bird flu.

Since there is only one lab in the U.S. that can officially confirm a positive bird flu case, it could take up to a week for a definitive answer, officials said.

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AS BIRD FLU SPREADS, CDC RECOMMENDS FASTER ‘SUBTYPING’ TO CATCH MORE CASES

(REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File)

Still, state officials say they will begin testing the removed birds from Billington Sea to determine their official cause of death.

State and local officials advised the public to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and other animals that could be infected with avian influenza viruses, and to wear protective equipment if handling wild animals cannot be avoided.

Those who raise poultry should also take precautions as bird flu can spread through direct contact between birds.

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LOUISIANA REPORTS FIRST BIRD FLU-RELATED HUMAN DEATH IN US

A pair of influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus (Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz/CDC via AP/File)

“Poultry owners should keep their birds away from wild waterfowl, limit the number of people that have access to your flock, and if you share equipment with other bird owners, clean and disinfect between locations,” Plymouth Public Health Director Karen Keane said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says handling infected birds is unlikely to lead to illness in people. However, there have been 67 human cases of bird flu since 2022, with 66 of those cases happening in 2024.

ONE STATE LEADS COUNTRY IN HUMAN BIRD FLU WITH NEARLY 40 CONFIRMED CASES

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In fact, safety precautions continue to ramp up as cases of bird flu continue to surface across the U.S.

On Thursday, the CDC announced its recommendation to test hospitalized influenza A patients more quickly and thoroughly to distinguish between seasonal flu and bird flu.

The accelerated “subtyping” of flu A in hospitalized patients is in response to “sporadic human infections” of avian flu, the CDC wrote in a press release.

The goal is to prevent delays in identifying bird flu infections and promote better patient care, “timely infection control” and case investigation, the agency stated.

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These delays are more likely to happen during the flu season due to high patient volumes, according to the CDC.

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.



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USPS Worker Pinned Under Mail Truck After Massachusetts Crash Lucky To Be Alive, Fire Chief Says

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USPS Worker Pinned Under Mail Truck After Massachusetts Crash Lucky To Be Alive, Fire Chief Says


April 13, 2026

First responders say a United States Postal Service worker is lucky to be a live after a crash in Medway Friday that left her trapped under her mail truck.

Shortly before 11:20 a.m., police say a red pickup truck driving along Main Street struck the postal truck from behind. The mail carrier inside the postal truck was leaning out to deliver mail at the time.

The crash sent the truck rolling into the mulch of a nearby front lawn.

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A USPS worker was pinned under her truck following a crash in Medway/CBS Boston





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Cranston man dies in Massachusetts paramotor crash

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Cranston man dies in Massachusetts paramotor crash


BERKLEY, Mass. (WPRI) — A paramotor operator from Cranston was pronounced dead after a crash at Myricks Airport in Berkley Sunday morning, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

Emergency crews were called to the public airfield just after 9:30 on Sunday, April 12, by a witness who reported a single-seat paramotor crash, the DA’s office said.

When police and EMS arrived at the airfield, Gary Williams, 63, of Cranston, had suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the DA.

Police at the scene reported that Williams’ paramotor had a fuel leakage, and one of its propellors was broken in several places.

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FILE — This photo taken in Selangor, Malaysia, on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, depicts a paramotor. Photographer: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Massachusetts State Police and the Berkley Police Department are investigating the crash.

Paramotor is a form of paragliding in which the pilot wears a backpack motor, which allows them to take off from the ground. Paraglider and paramotor operators use grass runways like the one at Myricks Airport to launch and land by foot, the Bristol County DA explained in a press release.

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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.

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Lawmakers close door on Massachusetts online casino legalization

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Lawmakers close door on Massachusetts online casino legalization


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A House bill to green-light online casinos in Massachusetts failed to pass before the legislative session closed, but legislators voted to refer the bill for study to potentially bring back in 2027.

The legislative session closed for many states recently. For Massachusetts, that meant an end to hopes for 2026 legalization of online casinos. The state’s Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies voted to refer a House bill for study rather than advance it any further, delaying any potential for legalization until 2027.

Bill would have created up to nine Massachusetts online casinos

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As introduced by Rep. David Muradian, H4431 would carve out up to three skins for each of the state’s three land-based casinos. That would create up to nine real money online casino apps operating under the oversight of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with a tax rate of 15% on adjusted gross revenue.

The bill also would have formally prohibited online sweepstakes operators that offer content simulating casino games online, lottery and sports betting. The DraftKings Casino promo code, among others, are available in nearby New Jersey.

While the joint committee did not advance the proposal, its pledge to study it in more detail ahead of 2027 provided some optimism. As Muradian told the State House News Service, H4431 exits the 2026 session with plenty of momentum and “will hopefully serve as a springboard to future economic growth” in Massachusetts.

Lawmakers discussed Muradian’s bill last fall before they agreed to extend its reporting deadline until March.

Massachusetts preparing for internet lottery launch

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Legal gaming expansion is already on the way for Massachusetts, which is preparing to go live with online lottery this year, powered by Aristrocrat Interactive. The iLottery service expects to offer online draw game tickets and instant-win games that resemble real money online slots.

While debating the online casino bill, Deb Goldberg, treasurer and lottery commissioner, emphasized that authorizing the launch of new online casinos would not be beneficial for the state or the lottery. In fact, she argued, legal casino apps would actually threaten the bottom line of potential revenue.

Massachusetts is surrounded by states with legal online casinos, with the likes of Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey nearby. What’s more, another New England state will soon join the crowd as Gov. Janet Mills allowed a bill to become law that legalized Maine online casinos.

Proponents of legal online casinos in Massachusetts have noted that those surrounding markets siphon potential revenue from the state while also pointing out that authorizing regulated iGaming would help curb black market operators and better protect state residents.

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