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Retired Massachusetts State Trooper sentenced for overtime abuse

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Retired Massachusetts State Trooper sentenced for overtime abuse


BOSTON (WWLP) – A retired Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Trooper was sentenced in federal court docket Thursday for extra time abuse on the Massachusetts State Police.

The trooper, 60-year-old Daren DeJong of Uxbridge was sentenced to 2 years of probation. The primary six months will probably be served in dwelling confinement. DeJong has to pay a fantastic of $5,500 and $14,062 in restitution. In January 2019, he pleaded responsible to 1 depend of embezzlement from an company receiving federal funds.

DeJong is a retired trooper that was assigned to Troop E which was accountable for implementing site visitors laws and implementing prison legislation alongside the Massachusetts Turnpike. It was eradicated in 2018 because of a scandal the place a number of troopers within the unit have been submitting and being paid for extra time shifts they didn’t work.

DeJong acquired extra time pay for shifts that he left 1 to 7 hours early from or shifts he reportedly workd however didn’t. He acquired extra time pay for selective enforcement initiatives such because the Accident and Damage Discount Effort program (AIRE) and the “X-Crew” initiative. Each initiatives are suppose to scale back accidents, crashes and accidents on the Pike via extra Massachusetts State Police Trooper presence and goal autos which might be touring too quick.

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DeJong was required to work the complete period of the shifts and honestly report the dates, instances and sectors of deployment on the citations that have been issued in the course of the shift. DeJong was capable of conceal the fraud by submitting citations that have been issued outdoors the extra time shift, altering the citations to make them appear like the citations got in the course of the extra time shift and/or submitting citations that didn’t happen or by no means issued.

In 2015 and 2016, the MSP acquired annual advantages from the U.S. Division of Transportation in extra of $10,000, which have been approved to fund varied federal grants. DeJong earned $200,416 in 2016, together with $68,394 in extra time and $14,000 was accredited to X-Crew and AIRE shifts that DeJong by no means did or left early from.

DeJong is the ultimate defendant of eight to be sentenced within the MSP Troop E extra time abuse case.



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Massachusetts

Winning $50,000 Powerball ticket sold in Massachusetts

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Winning ,000 Powerball ticket sold in Massachusetts


A lottery player won $50,000 playing Powerball in Massachusetts on Monday.

The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing on Nov. 11 were 3, 21, 24, 34, 46 and Powerball: 9. The multiplier was a 3X.

The $50,000 ticket sold in Massachusetts matched four of the first five numbers, and the Powerball number. It was sold in Waltham at a 7-Eleven.

Overall, at least 200 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Monday, including eight in Springfield, seven in Worcester and 20 in Boston.

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The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $1 million a year for life.

The prize was from the lottery’s “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game. The winner claimed their prize through a trust on July 10, and opted to receive a one-time payment of $15.4 million.



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Schools closed in 3 Massachusetts communities Tuesday as teacher strike continues

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Schools closed in 3 Massachusetts communities Tuesday as teacher strike continues


GLOUCESTER – Still at a deadlock, 10,000 students in three North Shore communities have classes canceled on Tuesday, as the teacher strike continues in Gloucester, Beverly, and Marblehead.

The three unions spoke together Monday night, accusing their school committees of digging in their heels at the bargaining table while school leaders accused the unions of colluding to drag negotiations.

All three teacher union contracts expired on August 31st, 2024.

“It is not a coincidence, it’s a message that these issues are felt widely and deeply across the North Shore,” said Andrea Sherman, co-president of the Beverly Teachers Association.

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“It is the school committee and their attorneys for all three districts that are colluding together to draw this out,” said Jonathan Heller president of the Marblehead Education Association.

Teacher Strikes Massachusetts
Teachers and supporters display placards during a rally, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Gloucester, Mass., held to call attention to pay, paid parental leave, and other issues.

Steven Senne / AP


In Gloucester, right now, school leaders say the town and teachers are $800,000 a year apart on salaries alone, plus school officials said under the union’s proposal 24 teachers would be laid off over three years.

“We are committed to mediating long into the night, but our teachers should be in the school during the day with their students,” said School Committee President Kathy Clancy. “That is unacceptable and most definitely not in the best interest of our students.”

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“To meet their proposal would mean either a tax override resulting in a permanent increase to taxes or cuts to services to our taxpayers and residents,” said Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga.

Striking teachers rally together  

Monday afternoon, teachers on the picket line from each district rallied with their biggest goals in mind: better wages for underpaid paraprofessionals and safer schools.

“It feels amazing because we have seen so much community support and this is just really empowering us to continue to do right by our students,” said Beverly Teacher Lauren Lauranzano.

Since teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, a judge had ordered the Gloucester and Beverly teachers to be back in the classroom on Tuesday, but now they’ll be headed to court.

Marblehead will start it’s strike which was announced on Friday after failed negotiations.

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The president of the state teacher’s union is in solidarity with the teacher unions, saying these are issues educators face statewide.

“Our members are saying get to the bargaining table, let’s stay all night, lets resolve these issues. These are not new issues, all of these locals have been bargaining for months and months,” said Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. 

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Crews from Maine, N.H. help Massachusetts firefighters battle brush fires across state

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Crews from Maine, N.H. help Massachusetts firefighters battle brush fires across state


NORTH ANDOVER – Crews from Maine and New Hampshire are making the trek down to Massachusetts to help the state battle large brush fires.

Crews coming from Maine and New Hampshire

On Monday the National Guard was helping firefighters battle brush fires by dropping buckets of water from the air on Boxford State Forest in North Andover.

“We just are fortifying that perimeter, just making sure that we’re working 20 to 30 feet in soaking it down incredibly basically turning it to mud. The unburned side we are using leaf blowers and rakes to blow everything away and wetting that down,” North Andover Deputy Fire Chief Graham Rowe said.

Rowe says the biggest challenge with this brush fire is poor cell reception in the area and accessibility to water.

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“We have running tankers our closest fill-up station is about half a mile away so they have to rotate in to fill up the tankers. Cell service is bad and radio communication because of the thick brush,” he said.

Brush fires have been raging across Massachusetts for three weeks. The state is currently experiencing a severe drought.

Brush fire near golf course

About 10 miles away from the North Andover fires, grounds crews at the Gannon Golf Course in Lynn were busy keeping a close watch on the brush fires that closed down the greens.

“It sort of popped over from the other side of the reservoir you can’t quite see it in through here because there’s no water anymore it’s all dry. It sort of jumped and then it started and made its way up and to the middle, to the 13th hole,” Gannon Golf Pro David Sibley said.

Golfer Lisa Franklin is making the most of it despite only being able to play the first nine holes.

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I say hats off to all the firefighters that are doing such a great job,” Franklin said.

Red Flag warning 

The National Weather Service issues a red flag warning for all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut for Tuesday due to the new fires, high wind gusts, and dry weather. They also advise people to avoid any outdoor burning.

If you see a brush fire near you call 911.

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