Massachusetts
More than a dozen beaches closed across Massachusetts on Thursday
As a sweltering heat wave brought temperatures north of 90 degrees and high humidity to Massachusetts for the third straight day on Thursday, nearly 20 beaches across the state were closed, according to the state’s public water quality dashboard.
In all, 18 beaches across Massachusetts were closed as of the 9:30 a.m. update to the dashboard. The closures spanned from Great Barrington in Western Massachusetts to Boston in Eastern Massachusetts to beaches on Cape Cod and the Islands. Of the 18 beaches closed in the state as of Thursday morning, two-thirds — 12 of the 18 — were shuttered due to an excess of bacteria in the water.
The remaining closures were attributed to harmful cyanobacteria blooms and “other.”
- Read more: Here’s how hot it will get on Thursday in Massachusetts amid the heat wave
In Great Barrington, Lake Mansfield was closed, though the dashboard listed only “other” as a reason. In the eastern part of the state, in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, Tenean Beach was shuttered due to an excessive amount of bacteria in the water.
On the Cape, Attaquin Park in Mashpee was closed due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom, the same reason given for the closure of Miacomet Pond in Nantucket.
Two beaches in Salem were closed on Thursday — the most in any municipality — with Camp Naumkeag closed due to “other” reasons and the back of Children’s Island closed because of bacteria.
- Read more: These beaches have the best — and worst — water quality in greater Boston, report finds
“If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness,” the dashboard warns.
The dashboard is updated twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and shows the results of recent water quality tests at beaches across the state. More than 1,100 public and semi-public beaches in the state are regularly monitored.
And despite the closures, state officials say the beaches are still perfectly safe for recreational activities aside from swimming.
The full list of closures is below. If you can’t see the chart, click here.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts man charged with threatening girlfriend of FBI Director Patel
Massachusetts
20 new charges brought against former Massachusetts doctor accused of rape
A former Brigham and Women’s Doctor who was charged with raping two patients last year has been indicted on new charges. Derrick Todd, 52, from Wayland, Massachusetts, was indicted by a grand jury on three charges of rape and 17 counts of indecent assault and battery. He is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, March 25.
“The allegations outlined in those indictments reflect just an extraordinary exploitation of a patient’s vulnerability and abuse of a position of trust,” Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan told reporters.
The new charges stem from allegations by 11 women from the ages of 20 to 60 years old, Ryan said. The crimes allegedly occurred between 2022 and 2023 while Todd was a practicing rheumatologist and primary care physician at Charles River Medical Associates, a private practice in Framingham.
“Allegations include him making inappropriate sexual comments during exams, conducting exams that were excessively painful, and conducting examinations that lasted an unusual and unnecessary amount of time,” Ryan said.
Todd first faced criminal charges last year when he was indicted on charges of raping a 39-year-old woman and 26-year-old woman, both patients at Charles River.
Dozens more women accuse Todd of abuse, some during his time at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital in Boston, with more than 270 plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against him.
“He was a master manipulator. And his ability to groom patients, giving them access, seeing them early hours, late in the evening, texting with them by cellphone privately,” said attorney William Thompson who is representing his accusers.
Faulker Hospital conducted its own investigation and fired Todd. He also relinquished his license to practice.
DA Ryan said her office has completed its investigation but that still leaves room for others to come forward and for other counties to bring charges.
“It’s a journey. It’s day by day, and everyone is a survivor, and everyone is healing in their own way,” Thompson said.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts cop shoots and kills person who was armed with a knife: Norfolk DA
A local police officer fatally shot a person who was armed with a knife and “appeared to be in distress” Wednesday afternoon, according to the Norfolk DA’s office.
The officer-involved shooting happened in Weymouth at around 4 p.m. after police responded to a 911 call for service at the Webb Memorial State Park off River Street.
“Police arrived to that location and encountered an individual with a knife who appeared to be in distress,” the Norfolk DA’s office wrote.
“The Officer immediately administered first aid to the victim prior to transporting him to an area hospital in critical condition,” the office added.
The male who was critically injured was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The officer-involved shooting was being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk DA’s office.
The DA’s office added, “There is no ongoing threat to the public.”
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