Latest news with #Boston25
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police: Huge crane tips over in Weymouth, causes significant property damage
A huge crane tipped over in Weymouth, leaving a huge mess that people are trying to clean up. According to police, the crane fell over in the parking lot by Legion Memorial Park, right over by the tennis courts. Police told Boston 25 that the operator had pulled into the parking lot to fix something on the crane when he forgot to set one of the stabilizers down before swinging the crane to the side, causing it to tip over. Police say that there is significant damage to the sidewalk and some minor damage to a fence. Weymouth Fire was also on the scene and have called in OSHA. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as authorities remain on the scene. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Five people arrested for falsifying MBTA track inspection records, US Attorney says
Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employees and one current MBTA employee were arrested and charged Thursday with allegedly falsifying Red Line track inspection reports. Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendes, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy Vicente, 36, of Bridgewater have been indicted for falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were arrested Thursday morning and were expected to appear in federal court in Boston later Thursday. Boston 25 has reached out to the MBTA for comment on the arrests. According to the charging documents, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were former MBTA track inspectors. Rather than complete inspections, prosecutors said during the period between Sept. 3, 2024 to Oct. 15, 2024, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente allegedly falsified track inspection reports, which stated that they completed track inspections for Red Line tracks when they did not perform the inspections. Prosecutors allege that instead, at the time of the inspections, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were inside Cabot Yard, an MBTA location that contained a coffee and breakroom for Red Line inspection employees. Cabot Yard also contained a large garage where Gamble, Vatel and Vicente allegedly worked on private vehicles during work hours, prosecutors said. On Sept. 19, 2024, during the time that Vicente allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vicente (circled in red below) sitting inside of Cabot Garage holding his cellular phone, prosecutors said. On Sept. 23, 2024, during the time that Mendes allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Mendes (circled in red below) sitting inside her vehicle. Mendes allegedly did not leave her vehicle until well after her inspection ended. On Sept. 24, 2024, during the time that Vatel allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vatel (circled in red below) chatting with other MBTA employees in the parking lot outside of Cabot Garage. On Oct. 8, 2024, during the time that Gamble allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Gamble (circled in red below) performing detail work on a private vehicle inside of Cabot Garage. Pfaffinger, the former supervisor for Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente, allegedly not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates work on his own vehicle, prosecutors allege. On Oct. 14, 2024, Gamble created an inspection report alleging he conducted an inspection, but surveillance video showed that Gamble was inside of Cabot Garage with Pfaffinger, prosecutors said. Despite knowing that the inspection report was false, and that Gamble was at Cabot Garage on Oct. 14, 2024, the following day, Pfaffinger allegedly created supporting documentation for Gamble's Oct. 14, 2024, inspection, which he knew to be false, prosecutors said. If convicted of the charge of falsification of records and aiding and abetting the falsification of records, Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of the charge of false statements and aiding and abetting false statements, Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente face a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Thursday's arrests came one day after former Norfolk County Sheriff's Deputy Superintendent Thomas Brady was arrested and charged with extortion. Brady, 53, of Norwood, is accused of forcing his subordinates to perform free labor at his house during their public work shifts, Foley said Wednesday. He has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Deja vu? Market Basket CEO on leave a decade after walkouts, boycotts upended business
Longtime Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas has been placed on paid administrative leave amid an investigation into allegations that he's been considering leading a work stoppage that could upend stores across Massachusetts and New England. 10 years after 'Summer of Market Basket,' longtime workers praise customers for helping save company The Tewksbury-based grocery chain's board of directors informed employees on Wednesday that a law firm would be investigating 'credible allegations' that Demoulas was planning to disrupt operations of the grocery giant's 90 locations and over 30,000 workers by planning a work stoppage. The board said it believes that Demoulas' alleged planned work stoppage was in retaliation against the board for requiring him to work collaboratively with them regarding 'basic company operations and plans.' 'At a time of great economic uncertainty for many households, such work stoppages would significantly harm and broadly disrupt Market Basket's stores and operations across New England, as well as its valued customers, associates, and vendors,' the Market Basket Board of Directors told Boston 25 in a statement. Justine Griffin, a spokesperson for Arthur T. Demoulas, said in a statement that the CEO and minority owner of Market Basket was ousted in a 'hostile takeover' by his three sisters and three appointed board members-Jay Hachigian, Steven Collins, and Michael Keyes. Hachigian assured employees that there would be no changes to their jobs, salaries, or benefits. 'There is no insurgent group, there is no one looking to change pricing, there is no one looking to change employee comp or benefits or profit-sharing,' Hachigian told reporters. 'Everything will remain the same.' Demoulas' daughter, Madeline, and son, Telemachus, were among several other Market Basket employees also placed on leave, Griffin said. 'Under Mr. Demoulas' leadership in December of 2024, the company paid off $1.6 billion in debt that financed the purchase of the company in 2014,' Griffin said. 'The company is currently operating at its peak performance, and the notion that this board is going to conduct an investigation is a farcical cover for a hostile takeover.' Steven J. Collins, Director of Market Basket, added, 'Market Basket stores provide a place that our local communities consistently count on for both their livelihoods and daily needs—the Board has a responsibility to safeguard the company's effective operations now and well into the future." A spokesperson for the board of directors said that Demoulas will continue to be paid his full salary. While Demoulas is suspended, the board of directors says leadership of the company will fall to the existing management team. 'As you know, Market Basket takes great pride in operating with unwavering integrity that aligns with our high standards, treating our professionals with respect, and consistently delivering meaningful value to our customers,' the memo reads. 'Thank you for your commitment to our Market Basket community and our customers.' The board of directors is unsure how long the investigation will take, but noted they have no plans to sell the company. Demoulas' suspension comes 10 years after he was fired by a board controlled by Arthur S. Demoulas, his cousin and rival. After being sacked, store workers staged a walkout in support of Arthur T. that lasted six weeks. To protest, hundreds of warehouse workers and drivers refused to deliver fresh produce, leaving shelves depleted. Not only did the workers stick together, but customers soon followed by boycotting the stores in solidarity. Customers began to shop elsewhere because they couldn't find fresh food at Market Basket, while others stayed away in a show of support for workers and Arthur T. The usually crowded stores turned into ghost towns, with only a trickle of customers coming in. After weeks of pressure from suppliers suffering lost revenue, and the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire getting involved in work negotiations, the company announced that an agreement had been reached for Arthur T. to pay $1.6 billion for the 50.5 percent share of the company owned by Arthur S. and other family members. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Karen Read's defense team adds 4 new names to prospective witness list
Karen Read's defense team on Tuesday added four new names to the list of witnesses whom they could call on to testify when they ultimately begin presenting their case in the 45-year-old Mansfield woman's murder retrial. In a new filing in Dedham's Norfolk Superior Court, Read's lawyers announced the addition of Matthew Coleman, of Quincy, Michael P. Arico, of Canton, Nicholas David White, of Milton, and Jonathan Diamandis, of Milton, to their witness list. Boston 25's Ted Daniel reported that these supplemental witnesses have been added for the sole purpose of authenticating texts sent by former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor. Proctor, who served as the lead investigator in the Read murder case, was fired from his role within the state police in March. Proctor was assigned to investigate the death of Read's Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. He was relieved of his duty without pay this past summer after a mistrial was declared in Read's murder case and his last day with the Norfolk District Attorney's Office followed soon thereafter. Proctor came under fire for a series of disparaging texts he sent about Read, which he read aloud in court during witness testimony at her first trial. Proctor admitted on the stand that the texts were 'unprofessional.' He called Read things like a 'whack job' and other derogatory words. He talked about her medical issues and wrote, 'No nudes so far,' while going through her phone. When asked outside court last week if her lawyers plan to call Proctor to the witness stand, Read simply said, 'TBD.' Proctor was among 91 names included on the defense's initial witness list, which was filed in court back in March, weeks before her second trial started. The list includes many familiar names, including members of the Albert and McCabe family, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, Brian Higgins, and Dr. Marie Russell, in addition to Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth. Testimony resumed Tuesday morning after jurors were given an extended break for Memorial Day weekend. The prosecution called Dr. Judson Welcher, of Aperture LLC, to the stand. He is expected to be the final witness before they rest their case and turn things over to Read's defense. Read said last week that she's feeling 'anxious' to present a 'more robust' case. 'I'm ready to put on our case, which will be more robust than what we had last year,' Read explained. 'More witnesses, broader, and deeper.' Prosecutors allege Read intentionally backed into O'Keefe after she dropped him off at a house party and returned hours later to find him dead. The defense has claimed that she was a victim of a vast police conspiracy and that O'Keefe was fatally beaten by another law enforcement officer at the party. Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. Get caught up with all of the latest in Karen Read's retrial. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Boom! It happened': Red Mustang barrels into Brockton home with family inside
A family in Brockton says they're forced from their home Sunday night after a car broke through their fence, drove over their lawn, and into the side of their home. Juares Jean-Louis lives in the Lafoye Street home off Thatcher Street with his family. He told Boston 25 Sunday that he was outside doing work on the lawn before the collision. 'I go in, relax, sit down, start having some good times with my son, and boom,' Jean-Louis said. 'It happened.' He continued, 'My TV started moving forward, and I saw daylight.' Initially unsure what happened, he rushed outside and found a red Mustang lodged into his chimney. 'Blood all on their face,' Jean-Louis described. 'Just teenagers being reckless, from what I heard.' He and his family jumped into action, calling 911 and offering the two water. Jean-Louis said the driver was seriously hurt but conscious. 'He was screaming, he couldn't feel one of his legs,' said Jean-Louis. Ambulances arrived moments later after the collision around 5 pm Sunday. Brockton Police say the red Mustang traveling down Thatcher Street was trying to pass a car in the wrong lane. That car turned left, and the Mustang veered off the road to avoid a crash. The driver, police say, is facing several citations. They're being treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Neighbors reacted to the chaos outside. 'It's really shocking to see the car with all the airbags deployed, and to think somebody got out of that car,' said Hope Corbett, who ran into the blocked-off neighborhood after work Sunday. She continued, 'We've had quite a few kids racing and losing their lives over it. These guys are lucky. They need to slow down and be careful.' Jean-Louis says they had to shut off the power to his home because of the crash. He is also asking the city to look for his dog Koda, who ran away during the chaos. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
