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Massachusetts has become notorious for bad driving – a behavior that proponents of speed cameras say leads to hundreds of fatalities every year.
Gov. Maura Healey is one of those supporters who is trying to get the Legislature to pass her proposal that’s attached to her next spending budget.
The proposal would allow speed cameras only and not cameras that catch people running red lights.
“I think for us, it’s a quality of life issue,” Healey told a crowd during the Massachusetts Municipal Association Connect 351 conference in Boston Friday morning.
The measure would leave it up to cities and towns in Massachusetts to decide if they want to install the street cameras.
“Many communities have put forward a home rule petition on speeding enforcement, and we can’t have a cop on every corner,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll at the same event. “We know we can use technology. This isn’t about revenue, it’s about keeping roads safe, impacting the quality of neighborhoods.”
According to state data, Massachusetts recorded more than 130,000 crashes last year, with a year-average of 380 fatalities over the past decade.
“Speeding is probably the biggest risk factor in terms of whether somebody survives or dies in a crash,” said StreetsBlog Mass Editor Christian Milneil.
Milneil has been keeping track of similar proposals for years. About half of all U.S. states have cities that have implemented traffic enforcement cameras.
He said the bill addresses privacy concerns, as well, limiting how long the images can be kept, and limiting what they can be used for outside of traffic enforcement.
“They initially catch a lot of people breaking the law, but over time, they’re very effective, and they actually don’t issue that many fines, because people know that they need to obey the speed limit, which isn’t really the case right now,” he added.
“Boston and Cambridge have been on the record in supporting this type of technology,” noted Massachusetts Municipal Association CEO Adam Champdelaine. “It gives the local government official, the police chief, the mayor, the manager, the ability to make a decision about what they think is best to keep their streets safe.”
“It doesn’t seem like a lot of speeding tickets are being given out, and people are driving faster than ever,” complained Boston resident Noah Sachs.
“We really don’t like them at all. We just think it’s not, good like it’s sort of invading your privacy,” said California resident Laurie Romero, who was visiting Boston on Friday.
Milneil said the cameras would issue a warning for a first speeding, then a $25 fine for every violation after the first.
The Legislature has until the end of June to vote on the governor’s budget, which the camera measure is tied to. If passed, it would still take about a year before municipalities can implement the technology.
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The U.S. Coast Guard is frantically searching Massachusetts waters for survivors after a commercial fishing boat with seven people on board, including a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) observer, sank Friday 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann.
Coast Guard watchstanders received an emergency position indicating a radio beacon (EPIRB) alert at about 6:50 a.m. registered to the 72-foot commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean.
USCG crews attempted to contact the boat, and after getting no response, issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB), according to officials.
USCG Northeast District launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod and a small boat crew from Station Gloucester to search the area.
A USCG MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod is searching for survivors after a commercial fishing boat sank off Cape Ann, Mass. (Getty Images)
COAST GUARD SEARCHES FOR SURVIVORS AFTER US STRIKES SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORIST VESSELS IN EASTERN PACIFIC
The Coast Guard cutter Thunder Bay was also diverted to assist the search.
Rescue crews found debris near the location where the EPIRB was activated, along with a body and an unoccupied life raft.
The Coast Guard said crews will continue with the search and rescue response.
EIGHT PEOPLE RESCUED FROM SINKING BOAT AFTER RUNNING LOW ON FUEL IN ROUGH MIAMI WATERS
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the state has offered its full support.
“I’m heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester about the sinking of the Lily Jean and have offered our full support to Mayor Lundberg, Harbormaster Lucido and the Coast Guard,” Healey wrote in a statement. “I am praying for the crew, and my heart goes out to their loved ones and all Gloucester fishing families during this awful time.
“Fishermen and fishing vessels are core to the history, economy and culture of Gloucester and Cape Ann, and this tragedy is felt all across the state.”
Commercial fishing boats docked in Gloucester Harbor, Mass. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
COAST GUARD SUSPENDS SEARCH FOR 77-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO WENT OVERBOARD ON HOLLAND AMERICA LINE CRUISE SHIP
The boat’s captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men,” highlighting a fishing expedition in dangerous weather conditions, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Sanfilippo, a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, angled for haddock, lobster and flounder, according to the report.
State Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, told the outlet he was friends with the missing captain.
It is unclear if there are any survivors. (Google Maps)
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“He’s a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace when he sees you,” Tarr told the AP. “He is very, very skilled at what he does. … I’m going to make a prediction. Tonight, tomorrow and the days that follow, you’re going to see strength. The strength that has made this the most historic fishing port in the United States of America.”
Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a coastal city about 30 miles north of Boston, on Cape Ann.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Local News
It’s not every day that a third-grader earns media credentials for the biggest game in American sports, but for one Massachusetts student, the Super Bowl is about to become his next big story.
Nine-year-old Louis Divito, of Westminster, was named Panini America’s 2026 Super Bowl Kid Reporter, landing an all-access pass to Super Bowl LX.
Selected from more than 187,000 applicants nationwide, Divito will spend Super Bowl week covering the NFL’s biggest stage not just as a fan, but as a working reporter.
As part of Panini America’s annual sweepstakes, Divito will interview NFL players from the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks and take part in opening night festivities alongside former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer. He’ll also attend exclusive Panini events, open trading card packs with current and former players, and soak in game day experience at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8.
A lifelong New England fan, the trip carries extra meaning — he’ll be accompanied by his father, John Divito, also a Patriots diehard. Between school, sports, and a fast-growing trading card collection, his enthusiasm for the game has already set him apart. Now, he’s ready to bring that energy to the national stage — one question at a time.
We caught up with Louis ahead of his Super Bowl correspondent debut.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
Louis: My name is Louis. I’m nine years old. I play football, I play baseball, I play basketball. I play hockey, swim, and ski. I like doing Legos. And I have three sisters and two parents.
I like that the team’s in the Super Bowl. I also like that the Patriots are a really good team, and it’s my home team. I also like that I get to go to the Super Bowl. They’re really good. And I love blue and red … and white, but white’s not my favorite.
Screaming and not much sleep. Thinking and thinking and questions. A hundred billion questions — like, a lot of questions.
I’m nervous for the part where I have to ask questions. But I’m also really excited to go to the Super Bowl, and California, and spend time with my dad, and the hot weather, and meeting my favorite players.
I have five players in mind: Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs, Will Campbell, Christian Gonzalez, and Mack Hollins.

I feel good, I think it’s just fun to talk to any NFL player, even if I’m not rooting for them. But I’d definitely choose talking to the Patriots over the Seahawks.
Play really good defense. And pass the ball and catch the ball and not slip and fall on the ground, and score touch downs, and really tackle people hard. And we want to sack the [Seahawks] quarterback really hard, and don’t let him score anything.
We’ll go to the hotel and celebrate and do so much stuff. We’ll go to dinner … and open the car windows, and we’ll dance, probably play karaoke on TV in our room. And we’ll go to the beach and scream at the sea lions.
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