Latest news with #TheBostonHerald
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass Dems. call for state to investigate donations to Republican Mike Kennealy's gov campaign
Massachusetts Democrats have called on the state's campaign finance watchdog to investigate what they're describing as 'multiple violations' of state law by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy's campaign. The call for the probe is tied to recent reporting by The Boston Herald that Kennealy, a former senior Baker administration official, accepted a series of contributions in April that exceeded the state's individual donation limit. While the more than 50 violations identified by Kennealy's campaign are 'inexcusable,' state Democrats said they also were concerned that "the solicitation materials and their pattern of practice used made specific requests of donors to cover processing fees, which would constitute additional violations.' Kennealy's campaign attributed the overages were the result of donors covering credit card processing fees and couples who contributed to the Republican hopeful as a single transaction. Such occurrences are common, Kennealy's campaign told MassLive through a spokesperson. Adam Roof, the state party's executive director, asserted in a letter to William Campbell, who runs the state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance, that the campaign's explanation 'does not negate the legal requirement to monitor, reject, or promptly refund contributions that exceed the statutory limit. Kennealy, who's looking to unseat Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, is 'actively' refunding excess donations. And the campaign is in 'full communication' with regulators to ensure compliance, the spokesperson, Logan Trupiano, told MassLive. 'The fact that the MassDems are trying to manufacture outrage over this routine matter only underscores one thing: they know Maura Healey is politically vulnerable and are desperate to distract from her failures,' Trupiano said. Last week, Kennealy's campaign touted the fact that it had raised more than $130,000 in the opening weeks of its nascent effort to win the Republican nomination and to eventually challenge Healey in 2026. Kennealy, a Lexington resident who was Baker's housing and economic development czar, said he's already committed to spending $2 million of his own money in his bid to unseat Healey, who said in February that she's running for a second term. Healey was sitting on nearly $2.9 million in her campaign account as of late last week, state filings showed. More political news Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massachusetts man convicted in CDL bribery scam
A former sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police is to be sentenced July 24 after he was found guilty in a scheme to accept bribes in exchange for providing CDL applicants passing test scores. Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, Massachusetts, was convicted on Friday by a federal jury. He had accepted bribes ranging from a new $10,000 driveway to a granite post and mailbox to cases of bottled water, The Boston Herald reported. Among the dozens of charges on which Cederquist was convicted were extortion, honest services mail fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion. He was acquitted of nine related charges. Cederquist, two other troopers and two civilians were accused in connection with the scheme, which was conducted from mid-2019 to early 2023, according to The Associated Press. Four of the five have pleaded guilty. The officers passed dozens of drivers who had failed CDL skills tests or hadn't even taken the tests, letting them know they had passed through a text and the word 'golden.' Cederquist called one applicant 'brain dead' and 'horrible' but passed him in exchange for a snowblower, the Herald reported. 'It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety,' U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a news release. 'Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve. His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver's licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts. The U.S. Attorney's Office has the utmost respect for law enforcement, but we will not stand idly by if they violate the law.' The AP noted that the CDL unit of the Massachusetts State Police, where Cederquist was in charge, has made several reforms in recent years, including: Requiring that body cameras be worn during exams. Conducting more frequent unannounced visits to the unit by supervisors. Having examiners at training sites. Developing new training procedures. The pass rate on the CDL skills test in Massachusetts was 48% in 2019, 44% in 2020, 41% in 2021 and 41% in 2022, the Herald reported. Related: Feds charge Massachusetts state troopers in alleged CDL bribery scheme The post Massachusetts man convicted in CDL bribery scam appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head of ICE tells newspaper the agency is planning to ‘surge' during return to Mass.
Federal immigration officers are planning a return to Massachusetts to make more arrests after a January sweep, The Boston Herald reported Thursday. Todd Lyons, the acting director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and former head of ICE's Boston office, told the newspaper the agency's previous effort was only the beginning, and that there's much more ICE wants to accomplish in Massachusetts. 'The last operation showed ICE needs to be in the commonwealth. The numbers are staggering,' he said. ICE is planning a 'surge' in the Bay State with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI that will target fentanyl traffickers, the Herald reported. 'The drug is a weapon of mass destruction that's found from Wellesley to Dorchester,' he said. 'It's causing a huge public safety concern. Why would you not want to take that threat out of the community?' Oscar winner retorts President Donald Trump's taunt with just three words TV star calls for band's visas to be revoked after political Coachella performance Polls find Americans souring on Trump's handling on major issue Suffolk DA blasts judge for dismissing case of man detained by ICE midtrial Trump is threatening to block international students from Harvard. Is that legal?
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
How a dog was blamed for ruining the 1961 Boston Marathon
'Kelley Spilled by Dog,' The Boston Herald . In an era before fences along the side of the route were ubiquitous, the presence of a dog could have a major impact on a high-level race. And that's exactly what happened in 1961, though its human protagonist never wavered from gallantly arguing that the dog had no impact on the ultimate result. Advertisement In fact, the bizarre incident inspired an ironic outcome: The race's winner arguably emerged as the least heroic of the podium finishers, even as he stamped his authority on the final mile with a dominant finishing kick. Ahead of the April 19 marathon race date, the competition between Kelley and Oksanen deservedly Kelley, 30, and Oksanen, 29, had dueled before, with the Finn winning the earlier race in 1959. Kelley, known as 'Kelley the Younger' (to differentiate him with John A. Kelley, winner of Boston in 1935 and 1945), had triumphed in 1957. Both were considered to be at their peak and looked expectantly at the chance to be crowned with another wreath at the finish line. Advertisement It was also the continuation of a still relatively new dynamic in Boston: international winners. Prior to 1946, there had only been two non-North American champions. But starting with 'Kel vs. the Finns,' Kelley, a Connecticut high school English teacher, was the local favorite. Conditions on the day of the marathon were notable for being unusually cold and wintry. Snow flurries, a relatively rare sight for the Boston Marathon, made the already difficult journey from Hopkinton even tougher for the field of 165 runners. Yet very quickly, it became apparent that pre-race prognosticators who had foreseen a second Oksanen vs. Kelley duel were correct. Both runners looked composed and strong, with Kelley taking an early lead and setting a higher tempo to whittle down potential challengers. Joining the duo was a dwindling pack that included Englishman Fred Norris, a 39-year-old veteran of multiple Olympics. Norris's The drama continued to escalate, especially when most surprising member of the leading group joined approximately around mile six. Advertisement A ' The Daily Record ) jumped in to run with the pack, leading them as a would-be pace-setter. The dog was described as possibly being a black Labrador retriever, though accounts differed. The dog that set the pace for part of the 1961 Boston Marathon, with Johnny Kelley and Eino Oksanen following behind. AP Wire For a seemingly impossible distance of roughly 10 miles, the dog happily led the Norris-Oksanen-Kelley group. Then, as the trio approached the fatefully-named Lower Newton Falls, disaster struck. According to Collapsed in a heap on the ground, Kelley looked for a moment as if his race was over. But as if in answer to the already improbable circumstances of a dog playing a central role, another completely unexpected event occurred. Norris stopped to help his competitor. 'Norris did an instinctive act which marked him instantly as a great gentleman,' wrote Nason. 'The 39-year-old alumnus of the British coal mines stopped, turned back, and helped the floundering Kelley to his feet.' 'It happened so fast,' Norris later told Brown. 'I hardly had time to think. [Kelley] looked as if he was down to stay, and he'd been running such a good race. So I grabbed him and shouted, like a command, 'Get up!' It snapped him out of the shock, and he was running right away.' Oksanen, who had successfully hurdled the dog, continued unimpeded. 'He did not even turn his head to see what damage he been wrought by the canine twister which struck the threesome,' Nason wrote. Advertisement But thanks to Norris's help, Kelley — adrenaline pumping — surged back into the race and quickly caught up to the Finn. Unfortunately for the Englishman, the act may have cost him. Having broken his concentration, and combined with the extra exertion right before the Newton hills, Norris suffered in the ensuing miles and fell back from the two leaders, eventually finishing third. Kelley, having regained his pre-fall status as the race leader, navigated most of the remaining course with Oksanen once again tucked just off his shoulder. It wasn't until the runners were less then a mile from the finish that Oksanen made his move. 'It was directly at Charlesgate West, with 1,000 yards to journey, that Oksanen reached down into his physical resources and pulled forth a weary sprint,' Nason recounted. Oksanen, as he had done in 1959, overcame Kelley right near the end. The Finn 'simply had too much power for me at that stage,' Kelley admitted. For the fourth time, Kelley finished in second place. He would total five second-place finishes during his distinguished Boston career. The dog dominated post-race discussion. Oksanen, sympathetic to Kelley, took a harsh line. 'Kelley's a tough man to beat. They should have shot the dog that knocked him down,' he But despite Oksanen's words, Kelley — himself a dog owner — was entirely sympathetic. Johnny Kelley and the mystery dog from the 1961 Boston Marathon. Globe archives 'Falling was a little shock, made the adrenaline run a little faster, but it didn't cost me the race,' he Advertisement Later, Kelley again took the dog's side against critics. 'He was a such a happy, spirited dog, and he seemed to be having such a good time.' The other thing Kelley recognized after the race — aside from crediting Oksanen's strength — was the conduct of Norris for helping him up after the fall. 'What a tremendous act of sportsmanship,' he 'I wonder, had the situation been reversed, if I would have done the same for him? I like to think I would—but in the heat of a hard foot race you're tempted to say, 'Well, those are the racing breaks.'' As for the dog, it was 'Unfortunately,' Hayden Bird can be reached at
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City council declares Boston a 'sanctuary city' for transgender community
City councilors voted 12-1 Wednesday to make Boston a sanctuary city for members of the transgender community. Councilor-at-Large Julia Mejia and District 9 Councilor Liz Breadon called on Boston to adopt the measure supporting transgender people, pointing to what they see as harmful rhetoric coming from President Donald Trump and the White House. 'Boston is not going to back down,' Mejia said Wednesday. 'We're seeing attacks on our trans loved ones, and here on the local level, a lot of folks are feeling helpless.' Breadon, the first openly gay woman elected to the city's council, said the country is facing "unprecedented times" where "many of our neighbors are feeling unsafe and insecure for various reasons." "This resolution addresses a particular concern that we need to elevate and raise up," she said at Wednesday's council meeting. "During the election and since, there's been an incredible escalation in anti-trans rhetoric and violence that has caused incredible stress and anxiety to our LGBTQI+ community, and especially to our trans brothers and sisters." The resolution states, in part, that Boston has "a specific commitment to protecting transgender and gender-diverse individuals. Taxpayer-funded agencies shall not comply with federal efforts to strip resources that safeguard their rights. Boston will not cooperate with federal or state policies that harm transgender and gender-diverse people and remains committed to ensuring their access to healthcare, housing, education, and employment without fear or discrimination." Mejia and Breadon acknowledged that the resolution is symbolic and nonbinding, but Mejia said the measure is a critical first step and an "opportunity to set the groundwork for the legislation." City Councilor Ed Flynn was the only member of the body to vote against the measure. 'I would like to learn more about what this resolution does,' Flynn said, according to The Boston Herald. 'I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody, but it's just something I would like to have before I vote.' Sam Whiting of the Massachusetts Family Institute, a group that describes itself as recognizing 'the male and female sexes as a real and enduring part of a person's created nature, not an imaginary social construct,' pushed back on the councilors' framing of the Trump administration's actions regarding transgender people. 'We think it misrepresents the executive orders, and we do support these orders and the efforts to protect children from the harms of gender ideology,' Whiting told NBC 10 Boston. Boston's declaration that it's a "sanctuary city for transgender persons" and other members of the LGBTQ community follows similar actions in the Massachusetts cities of Worcester and Cambridge. This article was originally published on
