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Massachusetts teams joins hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina, Florida

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Massachusetts teams joins hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina, Florida


Massachusetts emergency relief teams are joining in on the national aid efforts in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“It’s been a crazy, crazy and rough ride,” said Robert Brown, CEO of Broco Energy, speaking from where he and teams were providing relief in Florida. “But when you see what you’re supporting — usually the guys that do this have a call to help, or first responder mentality, so they don’t mind working the long hours, because we know we’re providing some essential aids to get these communities back up and running.”

Brown said teams from Broco, a Haverhill-based, veteran-owned heating oil and emergency service company, went down ahead of Helene on Sept. 23 and are likely to stay another month.

The company first brought several trucks down to Tallahassee, where Helene was first predicted to hit, and moved through North Carolina and then the Gulf Coast of Florida with over 50 trucks as the storms pillaged the southern states.

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They were far from the only Massachusetts volunteers to rush to aid after the natural disasters.

From Massachusetts and New England fuel companies, Brown said, they’ve worked collaboratively on relief efforts with from Townsend Energy, Tasha Fuels and Lake Region Energy, among others from across the country.

Over 50 Massachusetts Red Cross volunteers made their way down to southern states in the wake of the hurricanes. The organization also put out calls for volunteers, blood and donations and noted $250,000 donations from DraftKings and the GE Vernova Foundation.

“We have bottled water, snacks on hand, containers for hot meals when the time comes,” said one Red Cross volunteer Kelly Isenor in a video posted by the organization from Tallahassee before Milton. “We’ll shelter in place for the duration of the storm, then as soon as its safe to get out there, we are ready to go and meet the needs for anything that comes in from hurricane Milton.”

Massachusetts Task Force 1, one of the 28 FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams with 16 members based out of Beverly, was first deployed to North Carolina in late September to assist land and water rescue operations after Helene. Over two weeks later, the team’s recovery operations are still ongoing in Madison County.

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The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency also announced it would send down three emergency management personnel to assist efforts in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia on Oct. 9. The staff are helping to support communications, logistics and other aid efforts in the region.

Brown, a former Navy Seabee steelworker and Chelsea Fire Department captain who’s responded to natural disasters since Hurricane Harvey in 2017, called the scene the “largest I’ve ever seen.”

“There’s a lot of organized chaos, there’s a lot of moving parts,” said Brown. “But things change so quickly, and we’re moving truck to different areas, nursing homes, and the critical facilities, supporting the relief efforts in the hospitals. This incident scaled up so fast.”

Ways to assist hurricane Milton and Helene relief efforts can be found on FEMA’s Volunteer and Donate page.

Haverhill-based Broco Oil has sent over 50 trucks, along with staff and volunteers, south to Florida and other areas impacted by this season’s hurricanes. (Photo courtesy of Broco Energy)
Pike Corporation linemen, of North Carolina, repair power lines damaged by Hurricane Milton Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Pike Corporation linemen, of North Carolina, repair power lines damaged by Hurricane Milton Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Members of the Florida Air National Guard load supplies into the cars of residents displaced by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, at the Hillsborough Community College campus in Brandon, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Members of the Florida Air National Guard load supplies into the cars of residents displaced by Hurricane Milton, Sunday, at the Hillsborough Community College campus in Brandon, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

 

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Massachusetts

Mass. State Police help owl hit by car in Pelham

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Mass. State Police help owl hit by car in Pelham


Massachusetts State Police say they had an interesting start to the new year when they helped out an unlikely victim in Pelham.

Troopers responded to reports of an injured owl that had been struck by a car and left with a broken wing.

The troopers were able to safely secure the owl, and arrangements were made to transport the animal to a rehabilitation center.

A picture posted to social media shows a smiling trooper cradling the owl that appears wrapped up in a blanket or shirt.

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There was no immediate update on the owl’s condition.



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2 people seriously injured after car strikes tree head-on in Bridgewater

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2 people seriously injured after car strikes tree head-on in Bridgewater


Two people were seriously injured in a crash involving a tree Sunday morning in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, temporarily closing the roadway.

Bridgewater police say they responded along with the fire department to multiple reports of a single-vehicle crash near the area of 357 Pine Street around 7:20 a.m. and found a severely damaged Chevrolet Cruze with two seriously injured people inside.

Debris was blocking the roadway, and Pine Street was closed, police said.

The male driver was taken to Boston Medical Center with injuries that are believed to be serious but non-life-threatening, according to police. The female passenger was first taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and then later transferred to Boston Medical Center; her injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

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Their names have not been released at this time.

A preliminary investigation shows the Cruze veered off the roadway and struck a tree head-on. Police haven’t said what caused the vehicle to exit the road.

An investigation is ongoing.



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Raising Cane’s temporarily shuts down Massachusetts location due to “strong odor”

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Raising Cane’s temporarily shuts down Massachusetts location due to “strong odor”


Raising Cane’s in Boston temporarily closes due to foul odor

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Raising Cane’s in Boston temporarily closes due to foul odor

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BOSTON – Raising Cane’s, a popular chicken tender restaurant chain, is temporarily closing one Massachusetts location due to complaints about a “strong odor.”

Raising Cane’s location shut down

The location on Comm. Ave. in Allston was shut down temporarily after a failed health inspection, resulting from a “strong odor noted in the dining room” on December 17 and December 30.

Inspectors ordered the restaurant to track down the source of the odor and remedy it before they can reopen.

A Raising Cane’s spokesperson gave a timeline for when they hope to reopen in a statement to WBZ-TV.

“This location is operated out of a building that was built in 1916 and in need of what qualifies as routine municipality maintenance, for which we’re working closely with the city to address. We’re planning to reopen between January 10 and 12 and look forward to continuing to serve students and Customers,” the spokesperson said.

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The Raising Cane’s location, which is located near Boston University’s Agganis Arena, has been open since 2009.

Where are there Raising Cane’s in Massachusetts?

The chain has recently expanded its Massachusetts locations.

Raising Cane’s opened on Boylston Ave. in April. Another location opened in Marlboro a month later.

In total, there are three in Boston, one in Marlboro, one in Medford, Methuen, and Seekonk, and another opening soon in Saugus.

New Hampshire will be getting its first Raising Cane’s location soon. One is under construction on South Willow Street in Manchester.

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