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Two Massachusetts residents are first human cases of West Nile virus this year

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Two Massachusetts residents are first human cases of West Nile virus this year


The Bay State has reported the first human cases of West Nile virus of the year, as health officials urge residents to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced the first two human cases of West Nile virus in state residents this year.

A man in his 40s was exposed to the virus in Middlesex County, which is an area already known to be at moderate risk for West Nile virus. The other case is a woman in her 70s who was exposed to the virus in another part of the country.

The risk of human infection is moderate in the Greater Boston area — Middlesex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties — and in parts of Bristol, Plymouth, Worcester, Berkshire, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

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“This is the first time that West Nile virus infection has been identified in Massachusetts residents this year,” said Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein. “August and September are the months when most people are exposed to West Nile virus in Massachusetts.

“Populations of mosquitoes that can carry and spread this virus are fairly large this year and we have seen recent increases in the number of WNV-positive mosquito samples from multiple parts of the Commonwealth,” Goldstein added.

Last year, there were eight human cases of WNV infection identified in Massachusetts. WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, more severe illness can occur.

“We are coming to the unofficial end of summer but mosquitoes with West Nile virus will persist for several more months,” said State Epidemiologist Catherine M. Brown.

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“To avoid mosquito bites, use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient, wear clothing to reduce exposed skin, drain standing water and repair window screens,” Brown added. “We also encourage everyone to regularly visit DPH’s mosquito-borne diseases web pages to stay informed on when and where WNV activity is occurring.”

Updated information on all WNV and EEE positive results can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information website at www.mass.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases.



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Massachusetts

Fallen police officer remembered by Massachusetts community 14 years after fatal robbery

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Fallen police officer remembered by Massachusetts community 14 years after fatal robbery


WOBURN – For 14 years and counting, a Massachusetts community has come together to remember a fallen officer who gave his life to protect his community the day after Christmas.

Killed while responding to robbery

The town of Woburn remembered Officer Jack Maguire with a police procession and a Christmas tree draped in blue lights. The tree overlooks the tragedy.

Maguire was shot and killed while responding to a robbery at Kohl’s on Dec. 26, 2010. He wasn’t even supposed to work that evening.

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Woburn Officer Jack Maguire was killed responding to a robbery on December 26, 2010.

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CBS Boston


“Jack had enough seniority to take Christmas off, but he worked, so the younger people with younger kids could spend it with their family,” remembered former Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo. He was there the night that Maguire died but at the time he was a lieutenant on the force. “It was a miserable blizzard, it was a horrible night, Jack didn’t need to be here. Jack was right over there. Jack got out of his car, and engaged. And did what he was trained to do.”

Maguire exchanged gunfire with one of the men involved, Dominic Cinelli, who was out of jail on parole. He died from gunshot wounds sustained during the incident.

“A good officer”

“Jack was always a friend, a role model, a mentor, somebody I spent my entire career with,” said Ferullo.

“Jack was a really hard-working cop, grinding it out. He would work on all of the details. He would work all of the time,” said Maguire’s brother, Chuck Maguire.

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That night, Chuck Maguire got a call from his cousin telling him that his brother had been shot. It wasn’t until he got to the hospital and started asking questions that he heard the final news.

“Then as I turned my head, they announce the code that he had died,” said Chuck Maguire. “It’s sad that he died just after turning 60, and just after he announced he was going to retire. We miss him. His kids miss him. My kids don’t see him.”

Chuck Maguire is thankful for the years of community support. People lined Washington Street in Woburn Thursday to watch the police cars pass by the tree in his brother’s honor.

“He was a great guy, a good family man, a good officer,” remembered Bruce Hildebrandt, a Woburn resident who takes the time every year to make sure the tree and its ornaments remain in place. “I pick them up, freezing my fingers off pinching the hooks, but that was not much of a suffering for me compared to what Jack gave for us.”

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Roof collapses as massive fire tears through Massachusetts mansion

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Roof collapses as massive fire tears through Massachusetts mansion


Police investigating large fire at Brookline mansion that collapsed part of roof

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Police investigating large fire at Brookline mansion that collapsed part of roof

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BROOKLINE – A massive fire tore through a mansion in Brookline, Massachusetts Thursday morning which resulted in part of the home’s roof collapsing.

It happened at 10:40 a.m. at a home on Sargent Road. Firefighters said they received a 911 call about smoke coming from the home’s attic. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the attic when firefighters arrived. 

The fire spread and part of the roof collapsed at one point. Firefighters from several departments, including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Newton ended up responding and were on the scene for more than two hours.

All five people in the home got out safely and no one was hurt.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but firefighters said it does not appear to be suspicious.

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Police investigating shooting that left a man injured in Chelsea

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Police investigating shooting that left a man injured in Chelsea


A police investigation is underway in after a shooting in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Overnight, police had blocked off the sidewalk outside of the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center on Everett Avenue.

Police say the victim was identified as a 30-year-old man who was shot twice.

The man has non life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.

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Yellow crime scene tape was seen marking the area, and what appeared to be shattered glass was on the pavement nearby.

The incident is under investigation.



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