Latest news with #CommonwealthofMassachusetts
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘A quiet hero': Mass. department mourning unexpected death of active-duty firefighter
A fire department in the Bay State's Merrimack Valley is mourning the unexpected death of an active-duty firefighter. Firefighter Jeffrey Deschenes died this week at a local hospital after experiencing a medical emergency, North Andover Fire Chief John Weir and Deputy Chief Graham Rowe announced Friday. He was 54. Deschenes was named North Andover's first EMS Coordinator in 2019 and is credited with bringing the fire department to the forefront of pre-hospital care. 'Jeff Deschenes brought the North Andover Fire Department into the modern era of emergency medicine and treatment, and his life's work undoubtedly saved and improved the lives of countless people,' Chief Weir said in a statement. 'He was a quiet hero in our community and a true brother in the fire service. He will be missed. I speak on behalf of all the men and women of the North Andover Fire Department in extending my heartfelt sympathies to Jeff's wife, children, and his entire family. We mourn this loss with you.' Deschenes was also named a Firefighter of the Year by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2019 for his response to the 2018 Merrimack Valley natural gas disaster, in addition to earning an array of other accolades. 'Jeff's impact reached far beyond his firefighting duties, touching the lives of many in the Merrimack Valley and the region,' Deputy Chief Rowe said in a statement. 'He was always willing to lend a helping hand in any way possible, looking out for his fellow firefighters, friends, family, and the community.' Deschenes began his career with the Lawrence Fire Department in 2000 and served 12 years there before transferring to North Andover in 2012. Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues added, 'The Town of North Andover mourns the loss of a good and dedicated firefighter, friend, and a true professional. Our community offers its unwavering support to his family at home and his family in the firehouse during their time of need.' Deschenes is survived by his wife and two children. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Today in History: May 26, the World War II Dunkirk evacuation begins
Advertisement In 1775, 250 years ago, the Second Continental Congress resolved to begin preparations for military defense but also sent a petition of reconciliation, the 'Olive Branch Petition,' to King George III. That action took place one day after British generals William Howe, Henry Clinton, and John Burgoyne arrived in Boston with reinforcements for military commander and governor Thomas Gage. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a measure creating the Montana Territory. In 1869, Boston University is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Immigration Act of 1924, which barred immigration from Asia and restricted the total number of immigrants from other parts of the world to 165,000 annually. In 1927, the Ford Model T officially ended production as Henry Ford and his son Edsel drove the 15 millionth Model T off the Ford assembly line in Highland Park, Mich. Advertisement In 1938, the House Un-American Activities Committee was established by Congress. In 1940, Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France, began during World War II. In 1954, an explosion occurred aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bennington off Rhode Island, killing 103 sailors. In 1967, the Beatles album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' was released. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty in Moscow, following the SALT I negotiations between the US and the Soviet Union. (The US withdrew from the treaty under President George W. Bush in 2002.) In 1981, 14 people were killed when a Marine jet crashed onto the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off Florida. In 2009, California's Supreme Court upheld the state's Proposition 8 same-sex marriage ban, but said the 18,000 same-sex weddings that had taken place before the prohibition passed were still valid. (Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in June 2015.) 2009, President Barack Obama nominated federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court. In 2011, Ratko Mladić, the brutal Bosnian Serb general suspected of leading the massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, was arrested after a 16-year manhunt. (Extradited to face trial in The Hague, Netherlands, Mladić was convicted in 2017 on genocide and war crimes charges and is serving a life sentence.)
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plymouth County town sues state over MBTA Communities Act, calling it ‘unreasonable'
A Plymouth County town filed a lawsuit against the state on Friday, saying they shouldn't have to alter its zoning to accommodate housing under the MBTA Communities Act. The town of Middleborough, who is currently one of six Massachusetts towns not in compliance with the 2021 law, says the 'one-size-fits-all interpretation' is 'unreasonable.' 'For generations, Middleborough's leaders have been thoughtful, responsible stewards of its future,' said Town Manager Jay McGrail. What we've done in Middleborough should be modeled and celebrated, not punished.' The MBTA Communities Act requires communities served by the MBTA to create a zone for multifamily housing. The town becomes the first in the state to officially sue the governor's office, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities over this law. SJC upholds MBTA Zoning Law but strikes regulations In a statement, Governor Maura Healey says the MBTA Communities Act was passed with nearly unanimous support in the Legislature, signed by a Republican Governor, and is simply being implemented by her administration. 'The law is not an unfunded mandate, and it is unfortunate that some communities are choosing to use the Division of Local Mandates' advisory opinion to try to stall its implementation,' the statement read. 'The law is essential to our efforts to lower the high cost of housing, which we know is one of the greatest challenges facing the people of Massachusetts. We are proud that 119 communities have already adopted new zoning under this law, with more than 3,300 new housing units in the pipeline because of it.' Middleborough contends that they're in compliance with the law because they've already enacted a 'Smart Growth Zoning District' whichis comprised of 40.4 acres, all within a half-mile of an MBTA Commuter rail station and where multi-family housing is allowed at a density of 20 units per acre. 'If the state wants to see how responsible growth and expanding housing opportunities works when municipal government acts responsibly, then we would be happy to show our leaders how what we have done should be a model for success statewide,' said Middleborough Select Board Chair Mark Germain. The lawsuit comes about as Middleborough missed their compliance deadline earlier this week. Because of this, the town claims they are missing out on millions in state funding. In filing the lawsuit, town officials are hoping to halt what they call a 'broadsword approach' to statewide housing. Healey's office says the law will be vigorously defended by Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office. 'We're committed to working with all towns to turn these plans into new housing and lower costs for all of our residents,' Healey said. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
