Tag: Massachusetts News

Little Joe, gorilla that once escaped Franklin Park Zoo, is on the move again and is leaving Boston

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Little Joe is leaving Boston after decades at the Franklin Park Zoo. The zoo did not say exactly where the 33-year-old gorilla is going, but said he’ll move to an accredited institution, “where it is hoped that he will be successful in starting his own family.” In 2003, Little Joe made national headlines when he escaped his enclosure and ran into the city, injuring a 2-year-old girl. The zoo made safety upgrades in the years that followed. Little Joe is a western lowland gorilla, which is a critically endangered species that is threatened in the wild by disease and poaching, as well as logging and mining practices, the zoo said.

“This news is bittersweet to share as we will all miss Little Joe, but we are also excited for this opportunity for him to lead his own troop and start a family, which is important for the preservation of the species,” Zoo New England president and CEO Stephanie Brinley said in a statement.  Little Joe will leave Boston sometime in the coming months. As part of the breeding program, he will be replaced by two young gorillas in the spring. One of them is an 8-year-old named Moke that is currently at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Later in the year, a male silverback gorilla will come to Boston from another zoo. The two young gorillas will join a 5-year-old at Franklin Park Zoo named Pablo to form a “bachelor group,” the zoo said. “Pablo is reaching the age where he will be testing his family and pushing boundaries more,” assistant curator Erica Farrell said. “We hope that Pablo will bond with his new bachelor troop members while they are still young and develop relationships that will help them grow together through their teenage years, and beyond.”

Source: Little Joe, gorilla that once escaped Franklin Park Zoo, is leaving Boston – CBS Boston

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.
Romans 2:12

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Justice Behind Closed Doors in Massachusetts

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Massachusetts is the only state in the nation that exempts all three branches of state government; legislature, governor’s office, and judiciary from its public records law. That became an issue in 2023 when anonymous letters began to be received by defense attorneys whose clients had been convicted in criminal cases heard in the Bristol County Courthouse in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The letters alleged that Karlyn Butler, a Bristol County prosecutor, had engaged in a romantic relationship with then-judge Douglas Darnbrough in whose courtroom she often tried cases. The letters also allege that the two colluded regarding how cases would play out before they were tried.

Butler and Darnbrough are estimated to have worked on as many as 3,700 cases together. The allegations, if true, would have necessitated vacating the guilty verdicts or retrying the cases. With no applicable public records law, the public has no way of knowing what the texts Darnbrough wrote to Butler said. Douglas Darnbrough resigned as a judge shortly after the anonymous letters began to arrive, giving health issues as the reason. Karlyn Butler is still employed as a prosecutor in Bristol county in southeastern Massachusetts. Darnbrough and Butler have both denied the allegations. These allegations could not have come at a worse time for state officials. The Massachusetts criminal justice system has been awash in scandal in recent years.

More than 40,000 drug convictions have had to be dismissed due to misconduct by two chemists, Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak, who worked at state crime laboratories. In 2025 Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor was fired from his job and banned from working as a police officer anywhere in Massachusetts due to his behavior while serving as lead investigator in the Karen Read case. Attorney James P. McKenna filed a lawsuit on behalf of two of his clients, Gerson Pascual-Santana and Jonathan Rascao, who were each sentenced to prison terms by then-judge Darnbrough after trials prosecuted by Butler. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court assigned one of its justices, Serge Georges, Jr., to investigate the allegations of an improper relationship. In May 2025 Justice Georges appointed Ernest Sarason, Jr., a retired Massachusetts Municipal Court judge, to be a Special Master with the power to issue subpoenas and hear testimony from witnesses under oath. All of the sworn testimony heard by the Special Master took place behind closed doors over the past year. After Sarason’s investigation was completed and his report submitted, Justice Georges convened a status hearing on May 9, 2026 which was open to the public; releasing the Special Master’s report to the public the same day.

In his report, Special Master Sarason found no evidence of an inappropriate relationship between Butler and Darnbrough. At the hearing, Justice Georges stated that he wanted the public to have confidence in the integrity of the investigation. But since the hearings presided over by the Special Master were cloaked in secrecy it is difficult for the public to know whether they constituted a thorough investigation, a whitewash, or something in-between.

Source: Justice Behind Closed Doors in Massachusetts | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

Middle school students from Lexington, Massachusetts escape bus fire on New Hampshire highway

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bus fire

A tour bus carrying dozens of middle school students from Lexington, Massachusetts caught fire on I-93 north in Woodstock, New Hampshire on Friday night. An adult on the bus was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. At about 6:30 p.m., a caller reported to New Hampshire State Police that the bus was on fire and that those onboard, including children, were evacuating. When firefighters arrived, the back of the bus was fully engulfed in flames. Troopers have determined the bus was carrying about 60 middle school students and adult staff members when the engine compartment began to smoke just south of Exit 32. 

Source: Middle school students from Lexington, Massachusetts escape bus fire on New Hampshire highway – CBS Boston

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1 Corinthians 1:10

Significant icing, plowable snow possible in parts of Massachusetts Thursday night into Friday, weather maps show

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More ice and snow are in the weather forecast for Massachusetts, and it could cause treacherous travel Thursday into Friday.

Source: Significant icing, plowable snow possible in parts of Massachusetts Thursday night into Friday, weather maps show – CBS Boston

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13-14

D.C. Police lieutenant arrested in Maryland, charged with sexual solicitation of a minor

A Washington, D.C., police lieutenant was arrested in Maryland and charged with sexual solicitation of a minor, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.  Records show that 47-year-old Lt. Matthew Mahl was arrested by deputies on Tuesday. He also faces charges of soliciting child pornography.  According to charging documents, Mahl tried to meet up with…

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Former Colorado deputy, arrested in Mexico, sentenced to 10 years for possession of child sexual abuse videos

A former sheriff’s deputy from southwest Colorado, who was on the run for months before being arrested in Mexico, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to possession of child sexual exploitation videos. Jesus Damian Nieblas was a deputy at the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office until he resigned…

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This Day in History: Ford Mustang is unveiled at New York World’s Fair

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – April 17, 1964. Henry Ford II officially unveils the Ford Mustang at the New York World’s Fair. That same day, the Mustang went on sale in Ford dealerships across the nation. Strong first-day demand helped cement its status as one of America’s most iconic new car launches. Source: This Day…

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New Hampshire teacher resigns after alleged inappropriate communication with students online

A Salem, New Hampshire High School teacher has resigned after allegations of inappropriate interactions with students on social media.  “Definitely surprised. It just kind of hurts because he was a very liked teacher,” said senior Thomas Mallous. The district confirmed that the Salem Police Department has been notified and that a criminal investigation is underway.…

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‘Hazardous’: Nail polish remover sold on Amazon recalled

Thousands of bottles of nail polish remover sold on Amazon have been recalled after hazardous substances that are “strictly prohibited” were detected in the product, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Morovan gel nail polish remover was found to have methylene chloride and chloroform in it, which officials said “is a concern…

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North Texas woman arrested in widening prostitution, racketeering investigation, authorities say

A North Texas woman accused of taking part in a years‑long prostitution scheme and an effort to gather intelligence on local public officials has been arrested, authorities said. Ashley Ketcherside, 41, of Godley, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with racketeering. No bond has been set. The District Attorney’s Office for Johnson & Somervell…

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