Massachusetts
Paralympian Leanne Smith returns to Massachusetts with 2 gold medals
![Paralympian Leanne Smith returns to Massachusetts with 2 gold medals Paralympian Leanne Smith returns to Massachusetts with 2 gold medals](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/09/10/44bc378f-678f-4569-a56b-0e749c726325/thumbnail/1200x630/084c7f33b51e5682ff5d6e806981ff45/leannesmith.jpg?v=631cf5f2b4e8db7f9bc428589402864d)
BOSTON – A welcome home at Logan Airport Monday night that felt as good as gold, and Leanne Smith would know. The stellar swimmer from Salem toted two gold and two silver medals from the Paris Paralympic Games.
“It’s crazy. It is. It takes a lot deep down inside. There’s just something that is always so determining,” she said.
Leanne was diagnosed with the rare neurological muscle disease dystonia in 2012. But it was her condition just two summers ago that makes her record-breaking feat, feel unbelievable.
“We did not see this coming at all,” said her proud brother Eric.
She’d suffered a partially collapsed lung, and from the ICU went to Spaulding Rehab where Leanne had to relearn how to speak, swallow, and eat.
“To get back out there and swim as amazing as she did. It was just awesome,” he said.
“Nothing’s going to slow her down”
“To see her keep pushing through. It’s beyond words. I could never do what she’s done. She just has that determination that nothing’s going to slow her down. There’s nobody like her,” said Leanne’s uncle Bob Mailhoit.
And her story’s far from finished.
“I want to prove to everyone I can do hard things. And for people with disabilities to not allow people label you. Set your own goals and set your own path and go chase your dreams,” Smith said.
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Massachusetts
How to get a sample ballot for the November election in MA by mail or online
![How to get a sample ballot for the November election in MA by mail or online How to get a sample ballot for the November election in MA by mail or online](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/2016/11/03/NWKL/ghows-WL-4067899f-c34f-5394-e053-0100007f060d-ae314ae6.jpeg?auto=webp&crop=1023,578,x0,y73&format=pjpg&width=1200)
What you need to know about early voting
Election day is November 5, but some voters can cast their ballots as early as September.
Planning ahead for the Nov. election in Massachusetts? Sample ballots will be available online or by mail very soon.
Blank sample ballots are available for the upcoming statewide election on Nov. 5, when Massachusetts residents will be casting their votes for president, U.S. and state senator, U.S. and state representative and several other offices so voters can research and prepare ahead of their trip to the polls.
Five ballot measures will also be voted on in the upcoming election, with questions including the elimination of MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, unionization for transportation workers and minimum wage for tipped workers.
Here’s how you can see a copy of your blank sample ballot ahead of the election.
How to find your blank sample ballot online
Blank sample ballots will be available online in Massachusetts around early October, the Secretary of State’s office said.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will have sample ballots available on its website. Voters can use the Secretary of State’s election information page to enter their address and find a sample ballot.
In the meantime, the Secretary of State’s office has a list of the offices that will be on the ballot in the Nov. election on its website. Additionally, election encyclopedia Ballotpedia currently has a sample ballot lookup tool that lists the questions and offices that will be on the ballot.
How to request a sample ballot by mail in MA
Massachusetts voters who don’t have access to online ballots and want to instead receive a sample ballot by mail will have to request one from their local Town or City Clerk’s office.
The state does not send out sample ballots via mail unless it is requested by a voter.
The sample ballots will be available in clerk’s offices no later than Oct. 7, the Secretary of State’s office said.
What is a sample election ballot?
A sample ballot is a blank ballot that looks like the official one that will be used for an election.
Sample ballots are typically made available for voters ahead of an election so they know how to navigate the information when casting their vote. It should be clearly marked as a sample.
Massachusetts
Fourth human case of EEE confirmed in Massachusetts
![Fourth human case of EEE confirmed in Massachusetts Fourth human case of EEE confirmed in Massachusetts](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/07/29/5279bda7-5d7a-4874-8d5a-de8e29307507/thumbnail/1200x630/fe7c6bedb3382b157799c140f0e17326/gettyimages-2155777642.jpg?v=631cf5f2b4e8db7f9bc428589402864d)
BOSTON – A fourth human case of the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis has been confirmed in Massachusetts this year.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said a man in his 50s was exposed in an area in Middlesex County at high risk for EEE.
The other confirmed cases are a man in his 70s in Acton in Middlesex County, a man in his 80s in southern Worcester County and a woman in her 30s in Plymouth County.
A 41-year-old man from New Hampshire died from EEE last month.
EEE is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
“This year’s EEE season has been particularly active and is generating a lot of concern in communities across Massachusetts,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein. “While EEE remains a rare disease, the risk level is elevated in multiple communities.”
The DPH says there have been 91 EEE-positive mosquito samples in Massachusetts this year.
Protecting yourself from mosquitoes
The DPH urges people to take precautions against mosquitoes. The hours of dusk to dawn are “peak biting times” for many mosquitoes, and people should consider rescheduling outdoor activities in area of high risk.
Some school districts, including Middleboro and Plymouth, have adjusted their outdoor sports schedules to minimize the risk of exposure.
Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
It is also encouraged to use an insect repellent with DEET while outdoors. To mosquito-proof your home, standing water should be drained.
Massachusetts
Family Of Late Massachusetts College Soccer Player Advocates For Health Exam Changes
![Family Of Late Massachusetts College Soccer Player Advocates For Health Exam Changes Family Of Late Massachusetts College Soccer Player Advocates For Health Exam Changes](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/23506961/20240909/092515/styles/patch_image/public/9ed1d8a459411bf930dc01d7a7fe1816-1___09092349219.jpg)
September 9, 2024
FRAMINGHAM – JJ Facey was a star on the soccer field and a champion in the classroom and in his community. Now the family of the 18-year-old is heartbroken but determined. “JJ was bright. He was a kindhearted person. Although he was very athletic and competitive, he was also humble and championed the success of others,” his father Jason Facey said.
The freshman at Framingham State University died earlier this month shortly after his first college soccer practice. On the way back to the dorm he began to complain about shortness of breath.
“He was walking and ending up getting picked up by a senior but then he had a seizure in the car, and things snowballed,” Jason Facey said. “And we were given a diagnosis of HOCM, which is a malady of the heart, which enlarged the walls in his heart and didn’t allow his heart to appropriately pump blood to his organs.”
JJ Facey, a freshman at Framingham State University, died after his first college soccer practice/CBS Boston
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