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
New Massachusetts bill would reinstate commercial driver’s licenses for hundreds of drivers
BOSTON – Relief may be on the way for hundreds of truck and bus drivers in Massachusetts, who lost their commercial driver’s licenses due to violations from decades ago.
Nearly 500 licenses revoked
Weeks ago, the I-Team uncovered that Registry of Motor Vehicles revoked the commercial driver’s licenses of nearly 500 drivers, effectively putting them out of work. Mike McDonald is one of the hundreds of commercial drivers that got caught up in the RMV dragnet. McDonald said losing his license means he can’t work and has no income coming in. He has been a truck driver for Ground Effects Landscaping in Carver for 17 years.
Until recently, the RMV had not fully enforced Melanie’s Law, which prohibits anyone charged with repeat drunk driving, refusing to take a breathalyzer or leaving the scene crashes from holding a commercial driver’s license, no matter how long ago the violations may have been. The law had been on the books for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t until 2019 when a truck driver whose license should have been suspended was involved in a New Hampshire crash that killed seven members of a Marine motorcycle club. Since then, hundreds of drivers like McDonald have had their licenses and their livelihoods taken away.
10-year limit proposed
Now the I-Team has learned that the legislature is taking action with a new bill that would limit the look back period to 10 years, the same as the federal law. If it passes, it would allow drivers with clean records and no violations during the last decade to keep their licenses and their jobs.
Attorney Brian Simoneau represents dozens of drivers like McDonald. He told the I-Team, “What I’m hoping is the registry got the message loud and clear that this is outrageous and egregious and it’s a case of the punishment not fitting the crime. I’m hoping that this may pressure the registry now into delaying these disqualifications to give the legislature some more time to act because they can see that there is a huge strong interest in fixing this problem.”
All of this could happen quickly. If no one in the legislature objects to the bill it would pass quickly and move to the governor’s desk. If she signs it, the law would into effect immediately.
Massachusetts
Flags are at half-staff in Massachusetts today. Here’s why
Why is the flag at half staff? These are possible reasons
The flag of the United States of America is flown at half-staff on several occasions, generally marking that the country is in mourning
Governor Maura Healey announced that state and national flags will fly at half-staff in Massachusetts on Friday, Sept. 27 to honor Pvt. Kwack K. Woo of Los Angeles, California.
Pvt. Woo served in the United States Army Infantry Division during World War II, during which he was killed in action in February 1945 near Biesdorf, Germany. Today, Sept. 27, the remains of Pvt. Woo will be laid to rest at the Massachusetts Veteran Memorial Cemetery in Agawam.
In honor of Pvt. Woo and his service to the country as he is brought to his final resting place, flags will be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset.
Why are flags flown at half-staff?
According to the official website of the U.S. General Services Administration, flags typically fly at half-staff when the country or specific state is in mourning. Observances include national tragedies, days of remembrance and deaths of government or military personnel.
The president, the state governor or the mayor of Washington, D.C. can order flags to fly at half-staff.
More: Quincy thanks vets with tax relief. What new benefits they’ll be getting
Half-staff vs. half-mast
While half-staff refers to lowered flags on land, half-mast refers to those at sea. Both refer to a flag being flown beneath the top of its staff as a sign of respect.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts line workers, first responders head to Florida for Hurricane Helene
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