Massachusetts
Massachusetts zoo welcomes
STONEHAM – There’s an adorable and fuzzy (for now) addition to the Stone Zoo. The zoo in Stoneham welcomed a baby prehensile-tailed porcupine on Feb. 22.
The porcupette weighed less than a pound at birth. It was “bright, healthy and alert” for its first medical exam a day later.
“We’ve observed the porcupette grip branches with its prehensile tail, which is an excellent sign of a strong, healthy baby,” the zoo’s assistant curator Pete Costello said in a statement.
The porcupette is the fourth baby for mom Prickles, 10, and the 11-year-old dad named Shadow.
“Prickles is an experienced mother, and we are pleased with the baby’s progress so far,” Costello said.
Zoo visitors can see the new baby in the “Windows to the Wild” exhibit. Its soft quills will harden soon, the zoo says. Their tails are like a “fifth limb” that help them hold on to branches.
“They are fairly independent after birth and don’t nurse often, so guests may see the baby on a branch by itself,” the zoo said.
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Fire broke out at an apartment building in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, sending a column of smoke high into the air.
NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports the smoke was visible from miles away from the building on Juniper Road.
More details were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.
The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.
State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.
The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.
In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.
Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.
This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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