The storm is the first in a series of storms that are expected to drop as much as 2 feet of snow on the region.

Here’s a look at snowfall totals as of 8:40 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, including a look at some jackpot towns.

Massachusetts

Chesterfield: 2.5″
Haverhill: 2.4″
Ashburnham: 2.3″
Newburyport: 2.1″
Lunenburg: 2.1″
Turners Falls: 2.1″
Williamstown: 2.1″
Rowley: 2″
Rockport: 2″
Ashby: 2″
Townsend: 2″
Leicester: 2″
Shelburne: 2″
Colrain: 2″
Groveland: 1.9″
Haverhill: 1.9″
Ipswich: 1.8″
Salem: 1.8″
Savoy: 1.8″

New Hampshire

Freedom: 5.2″
Meredith: 5.1″
Newport: 5″
Portsmouth Airport: 4.8″
Laconia: 4.5″
Bridgewater: 4.5″
Concord: 4.3″
Tilton: 4″
Durham: 4″
Unity: 4″
Stratham: 3.8″
Plymouth: 3.5″
Albany: 3.5″
Rindge: 3.5″
Northwood: 3.4″
Manchester Airport: 3.3″

Maine

Eastport: 6.2″
Lubec: 6″
Machias: 5″
South Portland: 5″
Portland Jetport: 4.9″
Oxford: 4.8″
Saco: 4.8″
South Bristol: 4.6″
Jonesboro: 4.5″
South China: 4.5″

Connecticut

New Preston: 1.6″
Bradley Airport: 1.5″
Hartland: 1.5″
New Milford: 1.5″
Torrington, CT 1.2″
Vernon: 1″
Berlin: 1″
Tolland: 1″
Norfolk: 1″
Staffordville: 0.8″
Hebron: 0.8″

Rhode Island

Harrisville: 1.5″
East Providence: 1.5″
West Warwick: 1.2″
TF Green Airport: 1.1″
Cumberland: 1″
Woonsocket: 1″
Richmond: 1″
West Warwick: 1″
Providence: 1″
Cranston: 1″
Smithfield: 1″
Westerly: 0.8″

Vermont

Walden: 4.5″
Barre: 4.2″
Chester: 4″
Northfield: 3.8″
East Barre: 3.5″
St. Johnsbury: 3.2″
West Hartford: 3.1″
Newport Center: 3″
4 NNE Greensboro: 3″
Morrisville: 3″
North Kirby: 3″

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Now, you’ll be able to access NECN’s written, video and interactive content covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont on the NBC10 Boston mobile app, NBCBoston.com and the NBC10 Boston app on Fire and Roku.

That means we are saying goodbye to the NECN website and apps.

You’ll still get the same great coverage from NECN, but now combined with NBC10 Boston’s multiplatform content. NECN will continue to cover just as many of the top stories from across New England – in fact, this change will deliver even more content. 

As part of this update, a special “New England News” page will be created on NBCBoston.com and the NBC10 Boston apps to showcase stories from across the region. In addition, weather alerts, school closings and forecasts for all of New England will be added.

NECN will also be launching a new, daily NECN newsletter so you can get all of the top stories from across New England sent right to your inbox.

Download the NBC10 Boston app and check out NBCBoston.com for continued access to New England news, weather and sports coverage you don’t want to miss! And be sure to follow NBC10 Boston on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Ahmed Basheer Awad, of Westbrook, surrendered outside the Cumberland County Jail about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, police said. It’s about 24 hours after the shooting took place.

Awad was booked on charges of aggravated assault, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, police said. He was being held on $100,000 cash bail ahead of his arraignment Friday; it wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the charges.

The gun Awad allegedly used — he was considered armed and dangerous while he was at large — hasn’t been recovered. Police said they worked through a third party to arrange Awad’s surrender, which occurred without incident.

The person who was shot is expected to survive.

Police had released surveillance images of the suspected shooter, who was seen leaving the mall through the food court and getting into a silver, four-door sedan.

They said before his arrest that they had encountered Awad previously, believed he was living out of his car.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting is asked to call Detective Lt. Christopher Todd at 207-799-5511, Ext. 7448 or email him at christo@southportland.gov. Anonymous tips can be left at 207-347-4100.

The mall was evacuated Wednesday as police responded to the initial report of an active shooter situation. Store owners were told to lock themselves in their businesses until they were told to come out.

The person who was shot, described by police as a man in his late 20s, was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Police said he was shot in the right leg, and paramedics likely saved his life. The victim underwent surgery and is doing well.

“I would like to thank those officers for their response to what they only knew to be an active shooter at the largest mall in Maine,” South Portland Police Chief Dan Ahern said. “It was not until first units arrived that we determine this to be an isolated incident between two individuals and that the shooter may have already exited the mall.”

Police said the victim told them he does not know the shooter but has not told them much else.

Ahern praised the first responders for their work on Wednesday, especially given that they thought they were responding to a mass casualty incident.

“We reviewed video surveillance of the food court, and when the shots rang out, people were fleeing, as you would imagine,” he said. “It was a very, very difficult situation.”

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Across the country, health clinics and nonprofit organizations largely serving rural and low-income patients have found themselves unable to access previously allocated federal funds, as a short-lived government funding freeze has continued to disrupt daily operations for a range of programs. 

The disruption appears to stem from a vaguely worded, two-page memo the Office of Management and Budget sent to all federal agencies early last week directing them to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” that could conflict with President Donald Trump’s agenda.

A judge quickly blocked the action last week, and the Justice Department said in a filing Wednesday that agencies are working through the process of issuing all appropriate funding disbursements. But some organizations say they are still unable to access money they urgently need to pay for salaries, utilities, supplies and other expenses — threatening their ability to continue operating in their communities. 

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“We are continuing to hear from nonprofits that are unable to access the funding that they need to continue their programs and to continue paying their staff,” said Diane Yentel, CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, which was part of a lawsuit filed to block the funding freeze. “It’s clear that the confusion and the chaos that the directive unleashed hasn’t ended, despite it being rescinded and despite the temporary restraining orders from two different courts.”

Yentel said much of the funding that the groups are unable to access is coming from programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). While some organizations haven’t had any issues withdrawing their funds since the memo directing the funding freeze was rescinded, dozens of others have been unable to draw down money from the web payment system that manages their federal grants.

A spokesperson for HHS acknowledged that some grant recipients have experienced issues accessing their federal funds and attributed the delays to technical issues the agency’s website has been having. A high volume of requests has come in since the website was temporarily offline last week following the funding freeze.

HHS is working to “help expedite resolutions as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

Health clinics and nonprofits serving low-income patients say there is little wiggle room in their budget to cover their costs without federal assistance.

Community health centers, also known as federally qualified health centers, rely on federal grants for part of their funding in order to provide medical care, dental, behavioral health and substance use disorder services to more than 32 million Americans. That makes for 1 in 5 rural Americans and 1 in 3 people living in poverty, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers.

In Virginia, 11 of the state’s 31 community health center operators were still unable to access their funding as of Thursday morning, said Joe Stevens, a spokesperson for the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. One of those providers has had to close three of its clinics in Richmond and has been directing patients to its other locations. Another clinic in rural southwestern Virginia is at risk of cutting back services or closing if its funding doesn’t come through in the next two weeks, said Stevens. 

“If a health center closes in rural Virginia, for many people that is their primary source of health care, there are no hospitals nearby, no emergency centers nearby,” said Stevens. 

During his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s nominee for secretary of health and human services, said, “I strongly support community health centers, as does the president.” But Democrats including Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia criticized Kennedy for how he responded to questions about those programs, with Warner saying Kennedy “seemed confused.”

Several clinics in Maine, Nebraska, Illinois and Michigan have also been unable to draw down funds from the federally run website they use to access the money, according to Advocates for Community Health, an advocacy group for community health centers.

“While we don’t have an answer for the reasoning behind it, we do know that health centers cannot afford to wait, and it is critical that Congress and [the Health Resources and Services Administration] get to the bottom of it,” said Amanda Pears Kelly, CEO at Advocates for Community Health. “Health centers in Virginia have already been forced to close their doors and cancel patient appointments this week because they are unable to access payments, and we fear that more closures and furloughs are on the way.”

In Mississippi, Delta Health Center, which operates clinics across the Mississippi Delta region, is waiting for nearly $500,000 in federal funds to be released to reimburse its clinics for expenses, including salaries. If the money isn’t made available soon, the clinics may be faced with a “potential disruption of services,” said Robin Boyles, chief programming planning and development officer of Delta Health Center, which is the country’s first rural community health center.

The Community Health Center Association of Mississippi said last week that 21 centers were locked out the system where they draw down funding.

In Alabama, Dr. John Waits, CEO of Cahaba Medical Care, which serves parts of the Birmingham area along with more rural parts of Alabama, said he went into “crisis management” mode last week as the initial news of the federal funding freeze spread. 

The federal money he needed to make payroll wasn’t available by 5 p.m. last Friday. About 30% of his program’s funding comes from federal grants. The organization had to tap into its reserve funds to make its roughly $3.5 million payroll for 610 employees before the federal funding eventually became available again on Tuesday.  

“It’s extremely scary to have to receive an email saying all your funding for the entire organization is in jeopardy if you don’t get in compliance with XYZ,” he said. “But as the dust has settled, I’ve tried to keep our team calm, and say, ‘nobody’s going to lose their job.”

Elena Nicolella, head of the Rhode Island Health Center Association, said health clinics in her state have seen rolling issues since last week’s funding freeze. On Thursday morning, the website used by the clinics to access funds was inaccessible, before it came back online in the afternoon. 

It wasn’t until Thursday evening that all of the health centers in Minnesota had received access to their funding, but organizations remain anxious about what could come next, John Watson, CEO of the Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers, said. 

“At this point, we are all good, we have access, but we are extremely anxious moving forward because of the roller coaster we have been on,” said Watson.

The disruptions have stretched beyond health clinics to nonprofits that provide mental health and other supportive services. In West Virginia, the nonprofit organization Libera has been unable to access funds from an HHS grant to help pay for mental health support groups and resources for middle school girls, said Karen Haring, Libera’s executive director. 

The organization requested the funds last Thursday and expected them to be available on Friday. A week later, the money still hadn’t been released, and the website portal wasn’t accessible on Thursday morning. Haring said she’s reached out to a private donor to help cover the costs for staff, training and other resources until the federal dollars are available. 

“As you can imagine, that makes us very confused and uncertain. We don’t know what’s happening. We don’t know why the website is down, we don’t know why we haven’t received our payment,” said Haring. “These federal grants typically work on reimbursement so you spend the money, then you submit your payment request, and then you get reimbursed. We are very concerned that we may not get those.”

Daniel Barnes contributed.

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

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The move came one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. The order gives federal agencies latitude to withhold federal funding from entities that do not abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

The NCAA policy change is effective immediately and applies to all athletes regardless of previous eligibility reviews. The NCAA has some 1,100 member schools with more than 500,000 athletes, easily the largest governing body for college athletics in the U.S.

“We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”

The NCAA policy that went into effect in 2022 adopted a sport-by-sport approach, where transgender participation was determined by the policy of the sport’s national governing body. In sports with no national governing body, that sport’s international federation policy would be in place. If there is no international federation policy, previously established IOC policy criteria would take over.

Over the past year, however, transgender athletes have been targeted by critics who say their participation in women’s sports is unfair and a potential safety risk. It became a major talking point in Trump’s re-election campaign even though there is believed to be a very small number of transgender athletes; Baker last year said he knew of only 10 transgender athletes in the NCAA.

The NCAA’s revised policy permits athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care. It it not uncommon, for example, for women’s basketball teams to practice against fellow students who are male.

Regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity, an athlete can practice and compete with a men’s team assuming they meet all other NCAA eligibility requirements.

However, the NCAA said an athlete assigned female at birth who has begun hormone therapy (testosterone, for example) can practice with a women’s team but cannot compete on a women’s team without risking the team’s eligibility for championships.

Member schools remain responsible for certifying athlete eligibility for practice and competition. The NCAA also said schools are subject to local, state and federal legislation and such legislation supersedes NCAA rules.

The NCAA policy change was announced hours after the Trump administration said it was investigating potential civil rights violations at two universities and a high school sports league that allowed transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams. The Education Department said it had opened reviews of San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

San Jose State’s women’s volleyball team drew headlines last season over unconfirmed allegations that the roster included a transgender player. As for Penn, three former teammates of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas have sued the NCAA, Ivy League, Harvard and the school over Thomas’s participation at conference and national championships, saying it violated Title IX provisions.

The NCAA said its Board of Governors had directed staff to help all member schools foster respectful and inclusive collegiate athletic cultures, noting it has recently updated its mental health guidance.

“The updated policy combined with these resources follows through on the NCAA’s constitutional commitment to deliver intercollegiate athletics competition and to protect, support and enhance the mental and physical health of student-athletes,” Baker said. “This national standard brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today’s student-athletes.”

The NCAA policy now mirrors that of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, which governs sports at 241 mostly small colleges across the country. Last April, the NAIA unanimously approved a policy allowing only athletes whose sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy to compete.

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Bodega, a French bulldog, wandered away from the area and was picked up by two individuals on a scooter who were last seen with the dog in the area of ​​Quincy and Ceylon streets, police said.

Police released a photo of the two people wanted in connection with the case and asked anyone with information to contact detectives at 617-343-4275.

Bodega’s still-tearful owner, who asked not to be named, said the dog wandered to the front yard of her home Wednesday afternoon, but when she went to look for him, he was missing.

“I just, like, turned to come around and see what he was doing and out of nowhere he just disappeared,” the woman said.

She said the 3-year-old dog grew up alongside her son.

“He’s part of the family and we have been with him since he was a baby,” she said.

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In a stunning result to end the 2025 NFL Honors program, the Buffalo Bills star was crowned the best player during the 2024 regular season.

He edged Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson by four first-place votes, winning the battle 27-23. In total, Allen tallied 383 points to Jackson’s 362.

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley had the third-most points, followed by Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff.

Here’s the moment Allen’s name was called:

Jackson was largely expected to win the award. He beat out Allen with 30 to 18 first-place votes to earn AP first-team All-Pro honors. The last time a first-team All-Pro didn’t win MVP was 1987, which saw John Elway claim the MVP award over Joe Montana.

Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and six picks to go with 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history to have five straight seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns, as Buffalo also won the AFC East for five years running.

Jackson, a two-time MVP, posted career-highs with 4,172 yards passing and 41 touchdowns to just four picks. He also rushed for 915 yards, his most since 2020, and four touchdowns.

The Bills finished 13-4 for the AFC’s No. 2 seed while Baltimore grabbed No. 3 with a 12-5 record. The two sides met in the divisional round, with Allen’s side triumphing over Jackson’s in a 27-25 win, though the MVP is a regular-season award.

As the NBC10 Boston Investigators have reported, the POST Commission suspended William Castro’s law enforcement certification last March. The acting chief continued collecting his $210,000 salary from home while city leaders spent taxpayer money probing a series of allegations.

The problems for Castro began last February, when he pursued a vehicle in the middle of the day. The suspect was wanted for trying to cash a stolen check at a credit union, according to dispatch audio of the incident.

Have a tip for the NBC10 Investigators? Email us at tips@nbcboston.com.

Video the NBC10 Boston Investigators obtained shows Castro chase a Mercedes onto a sidewalk in his unmarked department vehicle, and then follow it into oncoming lanes of traffic on a city bridge.

Following the incident, Mayor Brian DePeña wrote a letter to the head of the police department’s internal affairs unit, saying he believed no further investigation was necessary.

“I believe Chief Castro acted assertively and quickly in an attempt to safeguard the citizens of Lawrence,” DePeña said. “I believe his response to be truthful.”

The Massachusetts POST Commission came to a much different conclusion, however. The agency suspended Castro’s law enforcement certification and determined the acting chief was not truthful when he filed a report that said he believed it was a bank robbery.

During an interview last week with NBC10 Boston and our colleagues at Telemundo, DePeña indicated he thought the incident was blown out of proportion.

“Do you think that this is first time a police officer violates a department policy? And when has it been in the press?” DePeña said in Spanish. “When is there going to be such a big scandal for violation of policy?”

The city eventually tapped Daniel Bennett to conduct an independent investigation. Bennett has more than 30 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor in Massachusetts, and later served as the state’s public safety secretary under the Baker administration.

While appearing before the City Council at a special meeting on Wednesday night, Bennett said he tried at least seven times to schedule an interview with Castro, but repeatedly met resistance.

According to Bennett, Castro’s attorney said he had conflicts on proposed dates and later questioned Bennett’s authority to interview his client.

Bennett eventually set a date for Castro to appear in his office last October and said the acting chief did not show up. The following day, Bennett received an email from the mayor’s senior adviser, instructing him to “halt any investigation.”

“If (Castro) had wanted to talk to me, I would have been overjoyed,” Bennett told council members. “The mayor’s office told me I was to halt my investigation. By Webster’s, that actually means ‘stop’ my investigation.”

Several days later, Bennett said he finished his report and sent a copy to the police department, the city attorney and the mayor’s office. Bennett’s conclusion was that Castro had broken the law — most notably with the felony crime of filing of a false report — and should be fired.

However, during the recent interview with DePeña, the mayor said Bennett finished the investigation without his authorization. In his mind, the report that cost taxpayers nearly $40,000 remains incomplete because Castro was never interviewed.

“You can’t believe that if I pay you to bring me five chickens, but you only bring me four that I would accept the purchase, right?” DePeña said. “As a mayor, I can’t make decisions about a case that I ordered to be investigated and it wasn’t concluded.”

In his career of conducting investigations and trying cases, including 30 murders, Bennett said it is not unusual for the target of an investigation to refuse to answer questions. Based on other evidence and interviews he gathered, that does not stop him from reaching a conclusion.

Bennett told city councilors that it takes “extraordinary circumstances” for him to recommend someone be fired.

“I had substantive evidence and all of it fit together to give a very strong circumstantial case that Mr. Castro was in a high-speed chase when he didn’t have a right to be in it and then he went and lied on his police report,” Bennett said. “Which, in my mind, is far more serious, because you can’t have a dishonest police officer.”

The mayor’s office spent more taxpayer money on a separate investigation that looked into how Bennett’s probe expanded to include other allegations against Castro, including unethical hiring practices, intimidation and performing his police chief duties after the POST suspension.

That report found no collusion among city officials and police officers, nor did it find evidence that would taint the credibility of Bennett’s work. On Wednesday night, council members voted to authorize an investigation into the leak of that unredacted report to an online media publication.

As NBC10 Boston previously reported, Castro has returned to his previous position as DePeña’s chief of staff.

Following the lengthy meeting on Wednesday night, Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez said there are still plenty of unanswered questions.

“Why does the mayor want to go through this situation with someone that has cost so much and done harm to the city?” Rodriguez asked. “A lot of people are asking the same question: What is it that Castro is holding against the mayor? Or what is the political favor?”

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Thursday is a First Alert as we continue tracking a mix of snow and freezing rain in the region. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until the evening.

See all severe weather alerts in your area here, and track the storm with the interactive radar below.

Snow began falling over Greater Boston earlier Thursday morning. As we continue moving through the day, the snow will transition into freezing rain for parts of the region. A light glaze is possible, but we don’t expect the ice to cripple our area. Still, be careful while walking on sidewalks. Some bridges and overpasses could be slick as well.

Precipitation is expected to end before 6 p.m. for most of our area.

Track snowfall totals across the Boston area here.

Afternoon temperatures will be in the low- to mid-30s. Then, temperatures will likely rise into the mid- to upper-30s later Thursday night. We’ll see mostly cloudy skies.

On Friday, we’ll see a mix of sun and clouds. High temperatures will be in the upper 30s to near 40.

Our next winter system arrives Saturday night. That means that if you have plans Saturday morning and afternoon, you’ll be fine! In fact, we’re expecting sunshine and clouds and highs in the lower 30s.

But by Saturday night, let’s stay alert! Another winter storm is expected to move into southern New England through at least Sunday afternoon. The storm has the potential to produce the most snow we’ve seen so far this season.

In fact, some of our forecast models say we could see more than 6 inches of snow Sunday in parts of the Boston area! So, Sunday is a First Alert to give you a heads up.

The forecast could change, but now is the time to begin preparing for a potential storm that could bring widespread plowable snow to the region.

Most of the snow will exit the region by Sunday afternoon. High temperatures will be in the lower 30s.

Monday will give us a brief break from the wintry weather before more snow pushes in Tuesday into Wednesday.

Then, more snow arrives next Thursday. Stay with your NBC10 Boston First Alert Weather Team for constant winter weather updates.

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The parents of the victim, a girl on the Hingham High School track team, told the principal about the incident on Monday, Jan. 27, according to a police report from a school resource officer.

The girl told police she was running in place, with her hands on a water refrigerator, as part of a drill. She said her coach, 82-year-old Andrew Wayne, grabbed and slapped her buttocks, pushing her against the fridge.

The school resource officer who wrote the report described school surveillance footage that appeared to corroborate the student’s recollection of the events.

A short time after the incident, the girl said Wayne grabbed her shoulder, first asking, “Is someone on the team picking on you?” and if she was OK before saying, “Sorry for picking on you, your form is really ad, and we will work on it.” She told police this second encounter made her feel intimidated and uncomfortable.

Wayne was arrested Tuesday on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or older and assault and battery.

According to the police report, Wayne viewed the surveillance video and said he did not recall touching the girl in the way she described.

“He did state that he had used his foot to adjust her foot during the drill,” the school resource officer wrote in his report. “Mr. Wayne stated that he has been a coach for twenty years and that he has never been accused of this before, and he would never cause harm to the kids that he coaches. He did feel that there was something wrong with her that day. He did recall speaking to her after practice to ask if there was a health issue.”

Paperwork from Hingham District Court shows Wayne pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He was freed on personal recognizance, being ordered to have no contact with the victim and to stay away from Hingham High School and track meets.

Wayne is due back in court March 5, court documents show.

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But despite all of the lackluster play, there was one bright spot for the franchise:rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft played quite well despite having arguably the worst group of wide receivers in the league and an offensive line that struggled with pass protection and penalties. Maye made believers out of skeptics, and his fantastic potential is one reason to feel excited about the Patriots in the near- and long-term.

How is Maye perceived around the league?

🔊 Next Pats Podcast: EXCLUSIVE: Drake Maye FIRED UP to work with Josh McDaniels | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport talked to NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry at Super Bowl Radio Row in New Orleans to discuss that topic and more.

“Drake Maye in the NFL has a little bit of like a mythical reputation,” Rapoport said, as seen in the video player above. “He was the guy everybody wanted in the draft. It was Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and everybody wanted Drake Maye. Everyone tried to trade up for him, and the Patriots, you know, I thought, and was kind of being told, that they were considering trade options. And then you look back on it, and I don’t get the sense they considered basically anything. I mean, they considered it, but like, not actually. I don’t think they were about to do anything. 

“I think it was like, ‘We’re going to have to get our socks knocked off to trade this guy.’ And then he went out and played with a not good team, without great talent, with an offensive line that should be talented but really was not very good, and receivers that were not very good except for maybe a couple or one. And he looked good.

“I think there were a lot of reasons why this Patriots (head coach) job — which I think was always probably going to go to (Mike) Vrabel — a lot of reasons this job was desirable. Drake Maye is at the top of the list.”

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Keeping the No. 3 pick and taking Maye was a smart decision by the Patriots. The question now is whether Maye, after a strong rookie campaign, can be enough of a draw to attract free agents in the offseason.

The Patriots have more salary cap space than any team — around $120 million — but they’re not ready to compete for a conference title next season. Maye being good, however, does make the Patriots a more attractive destination than they were last year at this time.

“It’s tough, because I know they tried last year, took a lot of big swings in free agency — Calvin Ridley and just a lot of them,” Rapoport said. “And I don’t know that they got particularly close. I think (Brandon) Aiyuk they were in on if I remember correctly. Nobody knew (what Maye would be), and nobody wants to go to a bad team without a quarterback.

“Well, now they’ve got a quarterback. Are they a great team? No, they’re probably still a year away. Although, as we’ve learned from the Commanders, if you’ve got a guy and you surround him with a really good group of middle-class free agents, you can make your roster better quickly. I think it’ll be a better spot in free agency.

“I think they’ll spend. They have to spend. But I don’t know if it’ll be top, top, top of the market. I could sort of see if it was like the Commanders last year where you’re like, ‘We have so many holes to fill; we’re going to spend $10 million (each) on like six guys,’ instead of $60 million on two guys.”

A case could be made for the Patriots following the Commanders’ blueprint from a year ago and signing a bunch of solid free agents instead of targeting one or two very expensive additions. One difference is that the Commanders already had a true No. 1 wide receiver in Terry McLaurin, and that player does not exist on the Patriots roster right now.

Either way, the Patriots have to spend money and be aggressive this offseason to surround Maye with as much talent as possible. Doing so would give Maye the best chance to reach his amazing potential.

Lawmakers passed the bill 126-26, nearly along party lines, after Democrats shot down Republican-led efforts that would have broadened criminal background checks for shelter residents, allowed ICE into shelters to remove undocumented immigrants, and slashed the appropriation amount while reforms are implemented.

The House did incorporate one of the Republicans’ 15 proposals: a Minority Leader Brad Jones amendment that imposes a “competitive bidding process” on any expenditure for the emergency assistance (EA) program. Similarly, last March, the one successful Republican amendment to another shelter mini-budget was a Jones measure requiring the shelter system’s food provisions be subject to competitive bidding.

Representatives on Thursday also adopted Democrat Rep. Majorie Decker’s amendment maintaining presumptive eligibility for children under 6 years old in shelter.

Decker said Thursday’s debate was one of “the most challenging days” she had experienced during her 12 years as a representative, “and I know that’s true for so many of my colleagues.” She added that she believes the House has tried to maintain the difficult balance of housing homeless families, while handling the realities of the strains the crisis has put on their communities.

People “documented as having a disability” would be granted hardship waivers to extend their shelter stays past six months under a Rep. Rob Consalvo amendment, which he said is aimed “particularly individuals who are already in a program to find supportive transitional housing.”

The Consalvo amendment was adopted unanimously, as was Rep. Michael Finn’s measure to add shelter exit data to the biweekly reports sent to the Legislature by the Healey administration.

The $425 million that the bill injects into the emergency assistance system is supposed to keep it afloat through the end of June, while also imposing a new six-month limit on how long families can stay in shelter. The bill also would impose a rigid cap on the number of families the state will serve in 2026 — no more than 4,000 at a time, a one-third cut from the caseload as of Jan. 30 (6,012 families).

The House landed on a 4,000-family shelter cap based on discussions with the Healey administration, Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters after a Democratic caucus meeting Thursday.

“Traditionally, so it is above what the historical context would allow,” Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz added. “But certainly not nearly the level that it was, you know, over the last year and a half, when it was [at] 7,500 – actually, at maximum 7,700.”

The new capacity would not take effect until the end of the 2025.

More on the Massachusetts shelter system

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“That was in conversations with the administration in terms of what we think is manageable to get through, not just the remainder of this fiscal year, but at least the first half of the next fiscal year,” Michlewitz said when asked how the House agreed on that implementation date.

There are also measures to remove the availability of two 90-day extensions for families to stay in shelter for certain situations. EOHLC would be allowed, under the House bill, to deem families that have income exceeding 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for three consecutive months to be no longer eligible for shelter benefits.

After session, Jones said new funding commitments for the system should not be made until Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s program audit results are released.

“The supplemental spending bill approved by the House today makes modest changes to the state’s troubled emergency shelter system, some of which are only temporary, but does little to address the many underlying problems associated with the program,” Jones said. “Rather than implementing meaningful reforms that will guarantee the long-term financial stability of the program, all we are doing is continuing to pour money into a broken system, which continues to soak up limited state resources and crowd out other important spending priorities.” 

Homelessness shelter providers and other critics say overhauling eligibility criteria to access the EA family shelter system is undermining the state’s right-to-shelter law.

Kelly Turley of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless told the News Service after Thursday’s session that her group was “disappointed … that the bill includes harsher length of stay limits, an arbitrary cap of 4,000 families in the shelter program, and an unraveling of critical placement pending verification protections for many families.”

A small group of protesters who opposed the bill’s reforms gathered outside the chamber holding banners and chanting as the session got underway around 11 a.m.

Mariano, asked after the Democratic caucus whether the shelter changes are meant to block migrant families, told reporters, “I don’t know as so much as it’s meant to keep migrant families out of the system.”

“It’s meant to control the expense side that we are faced with in a budget that’s under stress from a lot of different ways,” Mariano said. “You know, we lost our federal partner. We see what’s going on in Washington, and we see the changes that are being offered up. We’re very concerned about going forward and making this a manageable, successful program.”

Jones filed an amendment to implement universal background checks for applicants into the EA system. He cited a recent incident in Revere, where a Dominican native who had not been admitted into the system but was living in an EA-run shelter with his girlfriend, was arrested allegedly in possession of five kilograms of fentanyl and a loaded AR-style rifle.

After that incident burst into headlines last month, the Healey administration revealed that it had not been running comprehensive background checks on all applicants as it had previously claimed.

The governor’s and House’s versions of the bill would require Mass. Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks before families are placed in shelters. But Republicans said that the CORI checks were not enough. They do not capture crimes committed in other countries or states, Jones said.

“If we’re going to have a program that’s taking in thousands and thousands and thousands of folks from outside the state of Massachusetts, a simple CORI check isn’t going to be enough. We need a more universal background check to see these individuals and their families that are coming with them, if they have any violent history,” said Rep. Paul Frost of Auburn.

Rep. Michael Day of Stoneham responded that the amendment was an attempted Republican “backdoor” to “strangle our emergency shelter law altogether” and “kill it from within.”

Day said the background checks the amendment would require would also check the education backgrounds of applicants, credit scores and financial information.

“Now we want to find out the credit-worthiness of a young family applying for emergency shelter. That’s going to make the shelters and residents safer — finding out what Kohl’s thinks about their ability to get a credit card,” Day said sarcastically.

Rep. David Muradian, a Grafton Republican, was in favor of reducing the bill’s outlay for the shelter system from $425 million to $200 million. The lower amount would keep “core services” running while “giving an opportunity for the reforms contained in this bill, and hopefully future reforms, to be implemented,” he said.

“It would stand to reason that any movement to reduce the number of individuals entering our country and our commonwealth would reduce the financial burden and need,” he said before the amendment was defeated on a 26-126 vote.

Michlewitz flipped Muradian’s argument around:  “That the reforms that we are implementing here today are major, they are going to take some time to implement, they are going to take some time to really see itself through. We have to give the administration some time. And what this bill does from a financial standpoint and lets us get through the remainder of the fiscal year in this conversation,” he said.

The House avoided going on the record about Republican-backed proposals to respond to the Supreme Judicial Court’s Lunn decision, a 2017 ruling that blocked Massachusetts courts and law enforcement from honoring federal immigration detainers.

One such amendment, filed by Jones, would have allowed them to honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers if the person in question “poses a threat to public safety.”

At the urging of Democrats, those measures were determined to be “beyond the scope,” a parliamentary ruling that foreclosed the possibility of even taking up the amendments for recorded votes.

A number of other Republican amendments were also ruled beyond the scope of the bill, including one filed by Rep. Marc Lombardo (Amendment 14) that would have required the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to comply with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants in shelters.

After it was laid aside without a vote, Lombardo questioned the chair’s decision and took the floor.

“I’ve seen a lot in 14 years in this building. This is new. This is new. We’re ruling out of the scope an amendment which speaks to how the shelters would operate,” Lombardo said.

He went on to add, “It is not compassionate to allow residents of the commonwealth to become rape victims, to become murder victims, become victims of assault, drug trafficking, dying of fentanyl overdoses.”

The House voted 128-24 to uphold the chair’s ruling that the amendment was beyond the scope of the bill.

“The most meaningful reform would be to require state resources to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, but Beacon Hill politicians refuse to act for purely political reasons,” Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said after the vote.  He added, “Instead of fixing the problem, taxpayers are stuck in an endless cycle of waste.”

The Republican Caucus voted against the bill on the final 126-26 roll call at 5 p.m., as did Democrats Reps. Colleen Garry and David Robertson.  These were the first roll calls of the new General Court. Seven lawmakers did not vote: Reps. Natalie Blais, Richard Haggerty, Mary Keefe, Kathleen LaNatra, John Lawn, Nicholas Boldyga, and Susannah Whipps.

The State House News Service’s Alison Kuznitz and Colin A. Young contributed reporting.

William Laureano-Benitez, 25, of Woonsocket, was charged with driving as to endanger, resulting in death.

Police say 4-year-old Eliza Khan was walking with her 32-year-old mother on Hamlet Avenue when they were both hit by a car around 7 a.m. on Jan. 27.

The child was critically injured and taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where she died of her injuries. Her mother was also seriously hurt.

Police have said that Laureano-Benitez hit a snow bank and lost control before hitting the pedestrians. Speed was a factor, according to investigators.

Laureano-Benitez stayed at the scene after the crash. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 6th District Court in Providence.

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Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV in January 2022 and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. She faces second-degree murder and other charges. Read has maintained her innocence and claims she is the victim of a police coverup. Her first trial, which captured attention across the country, ended in a mistrial last summer.

The first topic addressed at the hearing was a motion by the Commonwealth to exclude testimony by defense expert Richard Green.

Green provided analysis on a key point of contention in the case — a search made for “hos long to die in cold” made by Jennifer McCabe, a friend of O’Keefe’s. The prosecution maintains that the search was made at 6:23 a.m., shortly after she and Read arrived at the house on Fairview Road outside of which O’Keefe was lying stricken in the snow. However Green contends that the digital evidence shows McCabe made the search at about 2:30 a.m., and that McCabe has helped cover up who really killed O’Keefe at the Fairview Road home, where she and others attended a small party earlier in the evening.

Judge Beverly Cannone said she would not exclude the testimony.

“To me, it’s rather a difference of opinions that need to be resolved by the jury, so I’m denying your motion,” Cannone told the prosecution in court Thursday.

Read also asked the judge for $12,000 from the state for a witness she paid to retrieve video from a DVR the Canton Police Department. She says the video wasn’t available as promised, yet she’s stuck with the bill.

Prosecutors say they shouldn’t have to pick up the tab.

“You should deny their motion. Nobody was misled in this case,” special prosecutor Hank Brennan said. “They’ve taken a professional courtesy, in an effort to help, and they’ve distorted it to some type of injustice.”

The video, showing Read’s SUV in the Canton Police sallyport, has been a source of contention since the first trial, when the defense raised questions about it being inverted.

Defense attorneys argue the video been manipulated and given to them piecemeal, pointing to new video that it says shows ATF Agent Brian Higgins outside the Canton PD on his phone the night O’Keefe died.

“This entire situation surrounding this DVR, and the commonwealth’s maintenance of that DVR and the footage on it, is a complete dumpster fire,” defense attorney Alan Jackson said Thursday.

Prosecutors said they would download a copy of the video and send to the defense. After being asked by Cannone if the defense needed to have someone present for the transfer, Jackson said he needed to consider it, but would talk to Brennan about it.

Cannone asked the defense for more information about its requests for the video, and she told both sides to have the evidence shared within the next week.

“Let’s get moving with that,” she said. “We’ve got to get this case moving, and you want it, so it’s got to be provided.”

The defense team has said they intend to fight for a dismissal of the charges against her before the trial begins.

Her second trial is set to begin in April.

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Police received several 911 calls about the two-vehicle crash at Clintonville Road and Pistapaug Road around 11:04 p.m. and said they found two vehicles and one had gone off the road, flipped over and hit a house on Clintonville Road.

One driver, a minor, needed to be extricated.

A building official went to check the house and found it safe for the residents to stay there.

Four children were transported to Yale Pediatrics. Police said their injuries are not life-threatening.

This year’s 2025 NBA All-Star Game format is different than year’s past. Instead of East vs. West or two team captains drafting their teams, it will instead feature a mini tournament comprising four teams each with eight players.

Three of those teams will be led by Shaq, Chuck and Kenny, who drafted their respective squads on Thursday. The fourth team will be the winners of the Rising Stars event held on Feb. 14.

The four teams will play two semifinal games, with the winners facing off for the championship. Each team will need to score at least 40 or more points to win the games.

Here’s how each team shapes up:

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Team Shaq

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
• Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
• James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
• Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Team Chuck

• Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
• Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
• Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
• Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Team Kenny

• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
• Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

The All-Star game is set for Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.

Eric German-Pena, a 25-year-old from Lynn, was charged with murder in the death of Ilias Mavros, prosecutors said Thursday.

Investigators say Mavros, 48, was found dead at a home on Stanwood Street after a family member requested a well-being check. He had apparent signs of trauma, prosecutors said.

Officials have not shared details on what that trauma was or how they believe he died, and more details were not offered at German-Pena’s arraignment at Lynn District Court on Thursday.

The judge granted prosecutors’ request that the arrest report, which shares details about the investigation, be kept out of the public eye because of the ongoing active investigation.

A not guilty plea was entered on German-Pena’s behalf, and he was ordered held without bail ahead of another hearing March 6.

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Boston police said their officers responded to a call about a reported carjacking at 75 Archdale Road around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

When they arrived, police spoke with the victim and learned that two people, both wearing ski masks, robbed him of his vehicle after he had completed an Uber Eats delivery. One of the suspects was armed with a gun.

The stolen vehicle was later recovered at the rear of 237 Cummins Highway and was towed by police for further investigation. Around 8 p.m. the same night, police spotted three people matching the description of the suspects in the area of Cummings Highway and Hyde Park Avenue. When police tried to confront them, one took off running.

That person, identified as a 15-year-old was arrested and charged and charged with Delinquent to wit; unlawful possession of a firearm, delinquent to wit; unlawful possession of ammunition, delinquent to wit; carrying a loaded firearm, and delinquent to wit; trespassing, and carjacking. He is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court.

The two others, identified as 18-year-old Ronnie Perry and Wilfredo Suarez-Rosario, 22, both Dorchester residents, were also arrested.

Perry was charged with carjacking, leaving the scene of property damage and unlicensed operation. Suarez-Rosario was charged with carjacking. Both are expected to be arraigned in West Roxbury District Court Thursday.

Investigators said they also recovered a loaded weapon – a ghost gun equipped with a later sight attachment

On Wednesday morning, third-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez suggested “the building got a little more lax” under Mayo, which “might have hurt” the Patriots’ performance on the field. Later that night, second-year quarterback Drake Maye said he’s looking forward to new head coach Mike Vrabel providing some “hard coaching.”

“For me as a player, especially as a quarterback, you want that, you like that, you want to be coached hard. We’re playing at the highest level, but we still need to be coached hard,” Maye told Patriots Insider Phil Perry in an exclusive interview on the Next Pats Podcast.

“I guess the biggest thing people get away from — we don’t know everything. Especially me coming in, second year, just finished my rookie season, I don’t know everything. I want to be coached hard.

“I know (offensive coordinator Josh) McDaniels will get that done, Coach Vrabel. I think some of our guys, including me, we probably need that — a little hard coaching.”

🔊 Next Pats Podcast: EXCLUSIVE: Drake Maye FIRED UP to work with Josh McDaniels | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

The No. 1 reason why the Patriots went 4-13 last season was a lack of talent. New England had one of the worst rosters in the league and was particularly weak at key positions like offensive line, wide receiver and pass rusher. But lack of discipline and poor situational awareness also played key roles in their struggles — the Patriots lost six games by one score in 2024 — and the hope is that Vrabel helps New England improve in those areas by setting a tone of accountability.

“We’re gonna remove entitlement from our football team,” Vrabel said at his introductory press conference last month. “We’re gonna get everything that we’ve earned, from the head coach to the position coaches, all the way down to the players. We’re gonna earn the right to be here every single day.”

Vrabel’s approach may not resonate with everyone, but the fact that his best offensive player and best defensive player appear on board is a great sign as the Patriots aim to return to prominence.

“I think we’re really excited about Coach (Vrabel) because he’s played in New England and knows what it’s like to have success for the Patriots and (has been) a head coach somewhere else,” Maye told Perry.

“So, he’s kind of been out of system and seen different things. … I think he’s really excited. I think the guys are gonna be pumped up.”

Also in this episode:

• Steve Palazzolo shares his thoughts on what the Patriots should do with the 4th overall pick
• Would Steve be comfortable taking Abdul Carter at No. 1 overall?
• Should the Patriots look to add Tee Higgins and/or Cooper Kupp?
• Steve breaks down how New England can look to the Eagles and Chiefs to return to championship form

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A winter storm blasted the Boston area on Thursday, dropping between several inches of snow in some places and making for treacherous travel conditions.

And it’s just the first of three big storms expected in the next week.

Here’s a look at the updates as we got them Thursday:

We’ve issued a First Alert for Thursday, the first of a series of winter storms moving into our area in the coming days.

How many chances for snow do we have in the next week?

Still, FOUR (potentially five) storms in the next seven to 10 days is a lot. While the temperatures won’t be numbingly cold, it will be just cold enough to snow for most of us.

Today seems to be the exception. While we see a burst of snow through late morning, the upper atmosphere is warming up, signaling a changeover by noontime. This will keep snow accumulations on the order of 2-4 inches for most, with 2 or less on the South Shore and spotty light accumulations on Cape Cod. Highs will stay in the low 30s, with only towns and cities near the coast busting into the upper 30s. The event will wrap by late afternoon and early evening.

Thursday snowfall estimates

Still, dozens of school districts have canceled classes for the day due to the weather. See the full list here.

Sunday storm could dump more than 6 inches of snow

We’ll get a break for a couple of days, then watch a bigger storm move in by midnight Saturday night.

This one has all the markings of a solid New England snowstorm. While we may see some mix through Buzzards Bay and the Cape/Islands, this is predominantly a snowmaker for us. Strong lift in the upper atmosphere, cold temperatures to fluff up the snow, a developing coastal front – all point to at LEAST 6” of snow areawide, with the potential for nearly a foot in isolated spots.

As if that wasn’t enough, there are two (possibly three) more storms next week! It’s gotten so crowded, the models are having a difficult time with timing and intensity. While I don’t see any blockbusters (well over a foot), there is potential for 6” or more in some of these storms with the “right” track.

We’ll stay on top of all of them. Join us as we watch the snowbanks grow: online, on-air, on our social media pages or wherever you stream.  

Erosion has marched right up to the concrete footings of the multimillion-dollar home where it overlooks the bay. Massive sliding doors that used to open onto a wide deck, complete with hot tub, are now barricaded by thin wooden slats that prevent anyone from stepping through and falling 25 feet to the beach below.

The owner knew it. He removed the deck and other parts of the house, including a small tower that held the primary bedroom, before stopping work and falling into a standoff with the town. He’s since sold the place to a salvage company that says it won’t pay for work.

Officials in Wellfleet worry the home’s collapse will damage delicate beds in their harbor where farmers grow oysters that are among New England’s most prized. A report commissioned by the town projects if nothing is done, the 5,100-square-foot home will tumble into the bay within three years — and possibly much sooner.

Its certain fate is a reminder of the fragility of building along the cape, where thanks to climate change sea level rise has accelerated in recent years.

“I mean, the cape has always been moving,” said John Cumbler, a retired environmental history professor who also serves on the Wellfleet Conservation Commission. “The sand is moving.”

History of the home

The house was built in 2010 on Cape Cod on the bay side of the peninsula.

Its original owners, Mark and Barbara Blasch, sought permission from the commission in 2018 to build a 241-foot-wide seawall to stave off erosion. The commission’s seven members — all volunteers — rejected the seawall on the grounds that it might have unintended effects on the beach and the way water carries nutrients in the bay. They also questioned whether it would actually save the house.

The property is within Cape Cod National Seashore. The National Seashore Administration supported rejection of the seawall because of the “critical location” within the seashore and Wellfleet Harbor area, including critical habitat and valuable shellfish operations.

The Blasches appealed the rejection in state district court and lost. An appeal to the state’s Superior Court is pending.

A New York man, attorney John Bonomi, bought the house in 2022 for $5.5 million, even as its future was in doubt. Bonomi’s attorneys declined to comment for this story.

Threat to the bay and oyster beds

A report prepared for Wellfleet last year by Bryan McCormack, a coastal processes specialist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant, estimates that the bluffs are eroding at a rate of 3.8 to 5.6 feet a year. The report estimated collapse in up to three years, but likely sooner.

The report said a collapse could send debris into Wellfleet Harbor, where the town’s namesake oysters, well known to shellfish lovers, take two to three years to reach maturity.

“The house has a lot of fiberglass insulation in it. It has toxic material in it,” Cumbler said. “If that toxic material gets into Wellfleet Harbor, which is where the currents will take it, it could endanger the oyster industry in Wellfleet, our major industry outside of tourism.”

Standoff over what to do with the house

Bonomi “came to us back in October and said, yes, we understand the house is in danger of falling into the sea, and we will give you a plan by January for what we will do with the house,” Cumbler said. “We asked for a plan to remove it from the danger.”

That plan was supposed to be presented at the commission’s January meeting. But Bonomi’s attorney, Tom Moore, wrote to the town in December to say Bonomi had sold the house to CQN Salvage, a company incorporated in October, that Moore was also representing. Moore wrote that the town “is on notice to take whatever steps it deems prudent to prevent the collapse of the embankment and the other consequences of further erosion. CQN Salvage is ready to work alongside the town in such efforts but will not fund them.”

It’s not clear who owns CQN Salvage. Its incorporation records in New York state don’t list any officials. Moore declined to speak with The Associated Press.

At the January meeting, Moore appeared by video and told the commission that the “bare minimum estimate” to remove the house was at least $1 million.

“So, you plan to do nothing and allow it to fall into the water?” Lecia McKenna, the town’s conservation agent, asked Moore.

“I plan to ask you to not let it fall into the water,” Moore responded.

The commission voted to extend to June 1 the deadline to comply with its enforcement order.

Wellfleet is left to watch and wait

For now, the town is left to simply watch the house. When the AP recently visited the site, 20 mph winds were hitting the bluffs and sand could be seen trickling down.

The sea level at nearby Falmouth has risen 11 inches (about 28 centimeters) in the past 90 years, but the pace is accelerating. An AP analysis of data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the sea level around Cape Cod between 1995 and 2024 was rising at an annual rate of 0.16 inch (about 4 millimeters) faster than the prior 30-year period.

McCormack, the Woods Hole specialist who prepared the report for the town, said it's difficult to attribute erosion at a single property to climate change and sea level rise. And he said Cape Cod has been eroding "for tens of thousands of years."

But he said the bluffs have receded 54 feet since 2014, and the erosion rate over the last decade "has exceeded long-term rates published by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management."

AP data journalist Mary Katherine Wildeman contributed.

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Fr. Richard Gross, a Jesuit priest who had long been active at Boston-area schools, died on Jan. 20 in the southern city of Málaga. He was due to board a cruise the following day.

El País, a Spanish newspaper, reported Wednesday that a 27-year-old man, whose name was not released, had been arrested.

According to the newspaper, the High Court of Justice of Andalucía has ordered him held without bail amid the investigation into the homicide and robbery of Gross.

“Fr. Gross had served a long career at many schools and institutions as a dedicated chaplain, minister, and teacher. He will be missed,” the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus said in a statement last week.

Gross, who was 80, was born in Wrentham and attended Boston College before becoming a Jesuit, according to an obituary from Jesuits USA East. He taught at BC High for five years, then went on to teach at the prestigious boarding school Phillips Academy — Andover for more than a decade.

He followed that by spending 10 years as pastor and director of the University of Connecticut at Storrs’ Newman Center, then serviced as a chaplain at several other schools, including Vanderbilt and LaSalle universities.

Gross had been living at a residence at Boston College High for the last year and a half, according to a representative for the school.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Father Gross’s family, his brother Jesuits, and all those blessed by his ministry and friendship. We pray for his eternal peace and comfort for those mourning his loss,” the statement said.

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Erivo, bundled in a parka, blew kisses to the crowd and mouthed “I love you” as the car she and costumed members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals were in slowly made its way through Cambridge, Massachusetts. One fan handed her a red rose and several held up signs praising her star power. She also got a few kisses on the cheek from the two theatrical members.

The half-hour parade also featured marching bands, a mechanical bull in the back of a pickup truck and members of the Blue Man Group who shot colorful confetti into the air.

“She’s such an icon,” said Onovughakpor Otitigbe, a 21-year-old Harvard student from New York who followed Erivo.

“She’s done so much for Black women, especially in theater,” Otitigbe said. “As a Black woman in theater myself, it was just really amazing to finally see her in person … Oh my gosh, I got so many selfies. Me and my friend, we were chasing her from the start to the end of the parade.”

Along with starring in the smash hit musical, the British entertainer is a two-time Oscar nominee and an Emmy Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award winner.

Erivo burst onto the scene with her brilliant performance in the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple,” winning her the 2016 Tony for best actress in a musical. She performed songs from the play on the “Today” show, earning the Daytime Emmy for outstanding music performance in a daytime program. The show’s soundtrack won best musical theater album at the 2017 Grammys.

Last year, Erivo starred in and produced “Drift,” which follows a young Liberian refugee who has escaped her war-torn country to a Greek island. In 2021, Erivo was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic series “Genius: Aretha.”

“We are holding space for Cynthia Erivo’s arrival,” Man and Woman of the Year Events Coordinator Hannah Frazer said in a statement. “We’re sweeping out our broomstick closets and prepping some wicked smart humor as we eagerly await her in February. Before she flies off with her Pudding Pot, she’ll have to work a little magic to earn it.”

The theater group, which dates to 1844 and claims to be the world’s third-oldest still operating, said Erivo will receive her Pudding Pot award at a celebratory roast Wednesday evening. Afterward, she will attend a performance of Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 176th production, “101 Damnations.”

Actor Jon Hamm, who came to fame starring as ad executive Don Draper on the AMC series “Mad Men,” is the 2025 Man of the Year. He received his Pudding Pot on Jan. 31.

Every year since 1951, the Pudding has bestowed its Woman of the Year award on actors including Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson and Annette Bening.

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Federal data reviewed by the NBC10 Boston Investigators shows that staffing at Logan’s air traffic control tower and terminal does not meet the standards set by a group that included Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the labor union for the nation’s air traffic controllers.

“We do not have enough air traffic controllers right now,” Kevin Curtiss, New England Regional vice president for the NATCA, told the NBC10 Boston Investigators.

“We currently have 10,800 air traffic controllers,” Curtiss said. “The number that we need to do the best job possible is 14,335.”

The NBC10 Boston Investigators’ analysis of FAA data found that only about 2% of the nation’s airport control towers met the Collaborative Resource Working Group’s 2024 staffing target for the number of fully-trained air traffic controllers. Only about 18% of the towers met the target, even when including hundreds of air traffic controllers who are still in training.

In recent years, the FAA has intensified its hiring of air traffic controllers. Curtiss told NBC10 Boston that from the time air traffic control recruits enter the academy to when they're considered fully trained, it can be a two to three-year process.

Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump announced a hiring freeze. However, Curtiss told NBC10 Boston that the Trump administration has since informed the union that the freeze will not apply to them and that job postings that were temporarily taken down have now been reinstated.

Last Wednesday, an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter collided near Reagan Washington National Airport, crashed into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people aboard, including six members of the Skating Club of Boston.

NBC News reports that on the night of the deadly collision, a single air traffic controller was left to handle the flight paths of planes and helicopters flying over the D.C. airspace. On a typical night, two people would handle those duties. It's still unclear if that played any role in the collision.

Despite the shortages, Curtiss says the flying public should feel safe.

"The flying public should not hesitate or even be concerned about flying, because controllers go through a rigorous training process," Curtiss said. "We're always monitoring the configuration to make sure that things remain safe."

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This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

MyNBC5 in Vermont reported that an employee of the senator’s Burlington office notified the Burlington Emergency Communications Center about the incident around 10 a.m.

The area was evacuated as police and fire crews responded alongside the Vermont Hazardous Materials Team, which determined the powder was not hazardous.

At least one employee came into contact with the substance, according to the news station. Sanders was not in Burlington at the time.

“Today, our Vermont office received a letter containing an unidentified substance,” Sanders’ office told WPTZ in a statement. “We followed standard procedure and the substance was subsequently identified as a harmless powder. I want to thank the local, state and federal first responders and law enforcement agencies for their quick and effective response. They did a great job and we are grateful for their service.”

South Portland police urged the public to avoid the area of the mall as they searched for the suspect in the incident, which appears to be isolated. The person who was shot was rushed to Maine Medical Center; their condition wasn’t immediately available, police said.

They released surveillance images of the suspected shooter, who was seen leaving the mall through the food court. They urged the public to call 911 if they see the person, who appears to be wearing a pink-lined jacket and a shoulder bag.

Anyone with information about the person, who wasn’t identified, was asked to call police at 207-799-5511 Ext. 7448 or by leaving an anonymous tip at 207-347-4100.

Police were seen investigating in the mall’s food court.

Earlier, South Portland police had described the incident as an “active situation.”

Gov. Janet Mills said she was monitoring the situation.

I have been briefed on the situation at the Maine Mall in South Portland. I thank State and local law enforcement for their swift response. I advise Maine people to follow the instructions of law enforcement and to avoid the area until otherwise instructed.

— Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) February 5, 2025

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Boston police homicide detectives first descended on Charlestown Marina Sunday night to investigate the death after the man’s body was found on the boat just off Shipway Place. They identified the man as 65-year-old Joseph Donohue, a Charlestown resident.

Donohue is an attorney in Boston. His family released the following statement:

“Our family is heartbroken by this unimaginable loss. Joe was a wonderful family member, a cherished friend, and a trusted colleague. Always generous and kind, he dedicated his life and career to helping others. He is loved and will be deeply missed. We’re grateful for the love and support we’ve received, and we kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

The cause was initially described as a suspicious death. Police have not said if they have any suspects in the homicide, but a woman, 24-year-old Nora Nelson of Boston, was arrested at the scene on unrelated warrants.

At Nelson’s court appearance Tuesday, she was described as a person of interest in the case.

Nelson was previously arrested in October 2023 on suspicion of assault and battery on a family or household member and assault and battery on a police officer, according to court records.

Officers were called to a Back Bay apartment building, where a man said Nelson, his ex, had been refusing to leave the home for weeks, then kicked and tried to bite the officers as they investigated what was happening, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

In May, Nelson’s bail was forfeited after she didn’t appear in court for a hearing, according to court records.

People who live in Charlestown’s tight-knit houseboat community year-round said they were a bit shaken up as police questioned them on the docks.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Boston police at 617-343-4470. Anonymous tips can be called in to the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or submitted by texting the word “TIP” to 27463.

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The movement has organized under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Many of the protests are planned at state capitols, with some in other cities.

The movement has websites and accounts across social media. Flyers circulating online decry Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society, and include messages such as “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”

Protests were held at noon Wednesday at the state houses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and several other New England states.

For Mara Huston, in Boston, the protest was personal — she’s an immigrant and she has a non-binary child whose passport, she said, is no longer valid.

“They’re being their authentic self. Because of Trump, their passport is now illegal, their identification is now illegal,” Huston said.

Demonstrators walked to the Common, the John F. Kennedy Federal Building and back to the steps of the State House.

“Hopefully people will continue to organize these efforts to put pressure on our local politicians as well to make sure that they’re standing up to right wing attacks happening federally and in our own state,” said Brenda Quintana, of Dorchester.

In New Hampshire, Concord City Democrats urged anyone attending to “be cautious” as the protest is a grassroots effort and was organized independently of their organization.

Local Democrats announced they have cancelled the event scheduled for Maine’s State House “out of an abundance of caution” because it had been “infiltrated by bad actors looking to spread hate, misinformation, and turmoil.”

“We have pulled our permit with the Capitol Police and any one who shows up will be considered on their own,” the Kennebec County Democratic Committee said in a Facebook post.

Trump has signed a series of executive orders in the first couple of weeks of his new term on everything from trade and immigration to climate change. As Democrats begin to raise their voice in opposition to Trump’s agenda, protests have also begun.

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Protesters in Philadelphia and at state capitols in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana and beyond waved signs denouncing President Donald Trump; billionaire Elon Musk, the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency; and Project 2025, a hard-right playbook for American government and society.

“I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks — but it started a long time ago,” Margaret Wilmeth said at a protest outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. “So I’m just trying to put a presence into resistance.”

The protests were a result of a movement that has organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, one day. Websites and accounts across social media issued calls for action, with messages such as “reject fascism” and “defend our democracy.”

Outside the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan, a crowd of hundreds gathered in freezing temperatures.

Catie Miglietti, from the Ann Arbor area, said Musk’s access to Treasury Department data was especially concerning. She painted a sign depicting Musk puppeteering Trump from his outraised arm — evoking Musk’s straight-arm gesture during a January speech that some have interpreted as a Nazi salute.

“If we don’t stop it and get Congress to do something, it’s an attack on democracy,” Miglietti said.

Demonstrations in several cities piled criticism on Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.

“DOGE is not legit,” read one poster on the state Capitol steps in Jefferson City, Missouri, where dozens of protesters gathered. “Why does Elon have your Social Security info???”

Members of Congress have expressed concern that DOGE’s involvement with the U.S. government payment system could lead to security risks or missed payments for programs such as Social Security and Medicare. A Treasury Department official says a tech executive working with DOGE will have “read-only access.”

Trump has signed a series of executive orders in the first couple of weeks of his new term on everything from trade and immigration to climate change. As Democrats begin to raise their voice in opposition to Trump’s agenda, protests have multiplied.

Demonstrators strode through downtown Austin, Texas. They assembled in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park for a march to Georgia’s state Capitol and gathered outside California’s Democratic-dominated Legislature in Sacramento. In Denver, protests coincided with nearby operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and an unspecified number of people detained. Protesters in Phoenix chanted “deport Elon” and “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”

“We need to show strength,” said Laura Wilde, a former public school occupational therapist in Austin. “I think we’re in a state of shock.”

Thousands protested in St. Paul, Minnesota, where 28-year-old Hallie Parten carried a Democratic presidential campaign sign, revised to read “Harris Walz Were Right.” The Minneapolis resident says she was motivated by fear.

“Fear for what is going to happen to our country if we don’t all just do something about it,” Parten said.

At Iowa’s Capitol in Des Moines, protesters who joined the anti-Trump movement went inside to counter a registered event by the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty. The anti-Trump protesters shouted over the speakers in the rotunda for about 15 minutes before law enforcement pushed them outside, removing four demonstrators in handcuffs.

In Alabama, several hundred people gathered outside the Statehouse to protest actions targeting LGBTQ+ people.

On Tuesday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey promised to sign legislation declaring that there are only two sexes, male and female — echoing Trump’s recent executive order for the federal government to define sex as only male or female.

“The president thinks he has a lot of power,” the Rev. Julie Conrady, a Unitarian Universalist minister, told the crowd. “He does not have the power to determine your gender. He does not have the power to define your identity.”

___

The attribution for a quote from the Alabama protest has been corrected to reflect that it was from The Rev. Julie Conrady, not Patricia Todd.

Police and EMS responded to Tennis Road for a reported shooting at around 11:30 p.m., and officers found a man who had been shot, according to a department spokesperson.

Emergency medical crews transported the man, but he was pronounced dead during transport, police said.

Homicide investigators are working the case.

No arrests have been made, police said.

Additional information was not immediately available.

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It happened at the Sam & Friends jewelry and electronics store on North Main Street in Leominster Monday afternoon. Store surveillance video shows the two intruders inside the store.

The video shows one of the men pull a gun, hop over the counter, then steal the owner’s necklace before pushing him to the ground.

According to police, the armed robbers then duct taped the owner’s hands and ankles, then began grabbing jewelry and electronics.

The owner says about $50,000 worth of merchandise was taken.

Both of the suspected robbers were wearing black, but one of them had on distinctive orange and pink sneakers. Police say the two men took off in a gray Honda CRV with a stolen Pennsylvania license plate – J-H-L-3804.

Anyone with any information on this armed robbery is urged to call police. Investigators say do not approach the men – they should be considered armed and dangerous.

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“The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery,” the agency wrote in a notice posted to its website.

The USPS had announced late Tuesday that it would stop accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong Posts “until further notice.”

The announcement came on the same day that President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff on all Chinese goods went into effect. The order also eliminated a popular trade loophole, known as de minimis.

It’s existed since the 1930s, and it allows packages valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty free. Plus, recipients in the U.S. can get up to $800 worth of merchandise per day without paying import taxes.

Recently, companies like Temu and Shein, both of which have links to China, have been able to use that loophole to boost business. They offer cheap apparel, household items and electronics.

Not all of their goods benefit from the provision, since they both have some warehouses in the United States. However, a U.S. House select committee found the two companies have used the loophole to likely ship hundreds of millions of packages to American shoppers each year.

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Wintry mix hitting on Thursday

We’re still seeing the first flakes arrive by mid-morning Thursday. Things will go rapidly downhill as the burst of snow leans in.

It will be quickly followed by a switch to mix by noon (ish), then over to showers by afternoon along the coast.

Elsewhere, the mix will continue through the afternoon with the storm wrapping by early evening. It’s a quick mover, which will limit snowfall amounts, but there’s plenty of wind (again) on the backside for Friday.

Another winter storm this weekend

Air won’t be numbing into the weekend, but “just cold enough” that our next storm will be another snow maker.

There are still questions on when and where we switch to mix/rain. It’s possible that northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire stay mostly snow in this event, which would tip the scales at six or more inches of snow. We haven’t narrowed the track down quite yet, so check back in the coming days.

Third storm possible ahead of Valentine’s Day

Yet another storm (all right already) is possible next week. We’re giving this one a wide berth since the timing varies from Tuesday night through Wednesday night. This track is offshore, so the odds favor mostly snow for the area.

There’s a lot to play out in this active pattern. Stay with us online, on your favorite streaming platform, on our social media pages, and on-air.

Track the upcoming winter storms

Corey Crooker, 43, of Bradford, was last seen by family Jan. 9, Vermont State Police said in a news release last month. The last known communication with him came five days later, on Jan. 14.

While Crooker’s disappearance was not initially considered to be suspicious, police said Tuesday that new evidence had indicated that “the circumstances are potentially criminal in nature.”

State police said they carried out a court-ordered search Tuesday at a property on Old Post Road in Bradford. The search will continue Wednesday.

Police describe Crooker as being about 6 feet tall and 190 pounds. He is believed to have possibly been wearing a black Columbia jacket at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to call 802-748-3111. Tips can also be left anonymously online.

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Adam Leveille was inside his apartment Saturday morning when he got a mysterious voicemail.

“Hey Adam, I can get your paintings returned to you if you call me,” the man on the voicemail said, Leveille recalled.

A few minutes later, a neighbor was knocking on his apartment door.

“She said, ‘There’s a guy that was downstairs when I was walking in the lobby, he was dropping off some artwork for you,'” said Leveille.

NBC10 Boston first met Leveille a few weeks ago after one of his paintings was stolen from a gallery space set up inside an apartment building in Somerville.

He’d pretty much given up hope that he’d ever see it again.

“I ran down in my pajamas and opened the mailroom door, and there were the paintings,” he said.

Along with the painting that was suddenly returned, so was another piece by a different artist that had also been stolen.

Both works had been part of an art show that was about to debut.

“A really great resolution in a type of story that doesn’t usually have good, happy endings,” said Leveille.

He thinks the surveillance video released by police on Friday may have led to the artwork being returned.

“It’s one thing to get away with it,” he said. “It’s another thing to see your face and your car on the evening news.”

Leveille isn’t sure if it was the thief who returned the artwork or someone else.

The original art show was postponed after the theft. That show will now go on starting Wednesday night, with all the artwork in place, but with a few security changes.

“It’s going to be behind glass,” said Leveille. “Everything will be locked up and safe.”

Police say this is still an open investigation. No arrests have been made.

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The Chelsea Police Department shared a poster from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children of Helen Puac Ortiz on Tuesday.

There was no physical description of Ortiz, but the organization noted she has tattoos on her neck and thigh.

Ortiz may travel to Chelsea, Boston or Lyn, according to NCMEC.

Anyone with information is asked to call Chelsea police at 617-466-4855 or Lawrence police at 978-794-5900.

The push has picked up steam after President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to recognize only two sexes — male and female. He since signed another seeking to curtail anyone under 19 from transitioning.

Queer Residents of Worcester and Our Allies, a local advocacy group, is at the forefront of the campaign, which asks city councilors not to cooperate with federal and state officials on policies that they say harm people based on gender identity.

Advocates also want to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community has access to health care, housing, education and employment without fear of discrimination.

“It’s really important that the trans community feel safety right now, both emotional and physical safety,” said Tanya Neslusan, executive director of MassEquality. “We’ve heard concerns about people who are moving to Massachusetts because their transgender children cannot receive health care at home.”

The petition is inspired by a similar resolution approved in Northampton in October.

“Folks who are under attack, I think we should use that good will to take a bigger stance and be more courageous,” said Northampton City Council Vice President Rachel Maiore.

The campaign after Worcester City Councilor-at-Large Thu Nguyen, who is nonbinary, taking a hiatus from the position after they say the council environment was transphobic.

Councilor-At-Large Khrystian King says he supports his colleague, and he hopes this petition will be passed unanimously.

“We are a haven,” King said. “We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying, harassment, violence, threats.”

That council meeting taking place Tuesday afternoon. More than 100 people were expected to attend a council meeting Tuesday afternoon to show support to this community.

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Charlie Sinclair was born profoundly deaf. She received a cochlear implant at UMass Memorial Medical Center to help her hear, and last week she heard for the first time.

For the 10-month-old baby girl, receiving the implant is just the start of experiencing everyday activities in a different way, like reading.

“Now that we’re reading out loud and she is actually listening as well. She seems more engaged in her books than she previously did,” said Charlie’s mother, Erin Sinclair.

Charlie was diagnosed with Usher’s Syndrome, a genetic condition that caused her hearing loss and could cause her to go blind.

“If she does end up losing some of her vision in the future, it’ll be really important for her to rely on her sound perception. And that’s where a cochlear implant can be helpful,” said Dr. Divya Chari, Charlie’s surgeon at UMASS Memorial Medical Center.

The device, which has been around for decades, sits under her skin and connects to a receiver through a magnet.

“This is something that will allow her to go on to develop speech and language. It will allow her to communicate with her family, with her friends. She’ll be able to go to school. There’s really nothing that Charlie can’t do,” said the doctor.

Baby Charlie is learning and growing fast and her parents are taking in every moment.

“She’s going to have a brighter future now,” said her father, Tyler Sinclair.

“I can’t wait until the spring comes and she’s outside,” said Erin. “And she starts listening to the birds because she sits with me at the picture window every day and watches those birds. I’m excited for when she can hear the birds.”

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State 911 telecommunicator Jonathan DuBois guided Keelin Shea through the process over the phone, leading to the birth of her daughter, a healthy baby named Annalise McNally.

“It was just kind of nice to be able to walk through it and just have a happy call,” DuBois said. “Unfortunately, people don’t call when they’re having a good day.”

Also at the meet-and-greet in Tuftonboro were first responders with the Tuftonboro Fire Rescue Department and Stewart’s Ambulance who responded to the McNally-Shea home, though, of course, not in time to take Shea to the hospital.

“I was like, this is just how it was going to be,” Shea said. “I mean, I couldn’t hold her in.”

She and her husband credited DuBois with keeping the family calm.

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K-9 Preacher, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, had been with Maine State Police for two years, the agency said.

“K-9 Preacher was more than just a working dog–he was a dedicated partner, a protector, and a hero,” Maine State Police Col. William Ross said in a statement. “Most people will never understand the sacrifices made by our K-9 teams, but last night, Preacher made the ultimate sacrifice to protect others from harm.”

Preacher and his handler, Sgt. Jonathan Russell, were part of the response to an armed standoff involving a domestic violence incident that also left an Aroostock County sheriff’s deputy with a gunshot wound, according to police.

The barricaded man, Steven Righini, tried to flee the home on Ranger Street about 8 p.m., and Preacher was sent to stop him, police said. The dog was shot in the abdomen.

Two officers shot back at Righini — authorities have said he turned the gun toward them — and killed him.

Preacher was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic in nearby Presque Isle, but surgery wasn’t able to save him, and he died early Tuesday morning, with Russell and other members of the tactical team with him.

The wounded sheriff’s deputy was taken to a hospital, treated and released.

The incident began as a report of a domestic dispute involving Righini and a woman, with his 4-week-old baby inside the home during the standoff, police said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

The town had posted on Facebook before noon that they were aware of a standoff involving law enforcement on the street, and noted that West Road was blocked off.

The incident was reported on Monday morning, with the woman at the Ranger Street home asking for help leaving after Righini pushed her into a wall, according to police. She was outside the home by the time officers arrived, and they negotiated with Righini to come out.

But when Righini did, he resisted being taken into custody, police said. He drew a gun from his waistband and started shooting at officers as he went back inside, where he grabbed another gun and wounded Deputy Shane Campbell as he and another deputy retreated in their car.

Over the next several hours, a state police negotiating team tried to convince Righini to come out before his escape attempt and fatal shooting.

The baby wasn’t hurt and has been returned to thier mother, according to police.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting, and the officers who opened fire during the incident have been placed on administrative leave, following protocol.

Portage Lake is west of Presque Isle. It has a population of about 350 people.

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Sandra Downer, 57, faces two counts of assault and battery after reports of her behavior at the Lad n’ Lassie Nursery and Preschool in Natick in October. Investigators say Downer is a co-owner of the day care.

According to court documents, police were first called to the business on Mill Street on Oct. 9, when they met with another co-owner who said she had filed an abuse complaint with the Department of Children and Families.

There were three incidents of alleged abuse noted in the police department narrative, though Downer was only criminally charged for two.

 In the first, on Oct. 3, Downer allegedly shoved a crib in anger while a child was in it, causing the child to fall back and hit his head against the railing. In the second, on Oct. 7, Downer allegedly asked a child to come to her. When the child didn’t respond, Downer reportedly became angry, grabbing the child by the forearm and swinging her in the air before forcing her into a chair, the narrative states.

The third, on Oct. 7, Downer is accused of snatching a napping child by the shirt, forcing the child up and slamming the child back onto the bed. The child started to cry, and Downer then appears to wrap the child tightly in a blanket.

The incidents were captured on CCTV footage, according to court documents. No injuries were reported. Investigators decided to pursue charges based on the two incidents on Oct. 7.

The children’s parents were informed of the incidents and Downer was told she could not return to work until the situation was resolved, the police narrative notes.

In an interview with police described in the court paperwork, Downer told investigators that work had been tense and she was looking to find a way out of the business. She admitted to lifting a child off the ground by the arm, but said she knew it was wrong and profusely apologized to the child right after it happened. The details she described did not match what police observed on the video, according to the paperwork.

Downer was arraigned in Natick District Court on Tuesday.

NBC10 Boston has reached out to the day care for comment but has not heard back.

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Leominster police shared images of two men, one of whom is wearing pink-and-orange shoes, suspected in the robbery at Sam & Friends on North Main Street. Both are considered armed and dangerous.

The owner was bound with duct tape by the two men about 3:27 p.m., police said. The pair were in a blue or grey Honda CR-V with stolen Pennsylvania license plate JHL3804.

Police described the two men as being 25 to 35 years old and wearing black jackets. The taller one, about 6 feet to 6-foot-3, had colorful sneakers, a navy baseball cap and black pants and his jacket had a GUESS logo on the left sleeve; the shorter one, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10, had black cargo pants, black Nike sneakers and sunglasses.

Anyone with information about the men or their vehicle was asked to call 978-534-7560 or to send an anonymous text to 847411 by writing the keyword LPDMATIP and then the message.

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The money will help pay for expenses related to the data breach, which impacted around 650,000 people. It is in addition to the costs Deloitte, as the vendor responsible for the RIBridges system, is covering.

The governor’s office said Deloitte is also covering the cost of the data breach call center, credit monitoring and identity protection for those impacted.

“Deloitte has recognized that the state has immediate and unexpected expenses related to the breach, and we appreciate their willingness to lend financial support,” said Governor Dan McKee in a statement.

The governor was supposed to give an update Tuesday on the phased relaunch of the RIBridges system, which is used for delivering health and human service benefits, but that update was rescheduled. The RIBridges system was taken offline in December after the state was informed by Deloitte that there was a major security threat to the system.

Anyone who has been involved in Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Childcare Assistance Program, Rhode Island Works, Long-term Services and Supports and health insurance purchased through HealthSource RI may have been impacted, officials said.

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Moving through this Tuesday, expect a mix of sun and clouds. High temperatures will be in the 40s, but it will feel colder because of the winds. 

They’ll continue blowing in from the northwest, gusting to 35 mph at times.  Then, tonight, temperatures will drop in a big way, falling into the teens!  Bundle up!

On Wednesday, expect more dry weather. High temperatures will be in the upper 20s.

How cold will it get Wednesday night?

By Thursday, though, we’ll be saying goodbye to the sunshine and hello to the snow…and ice…and rain.

Thursday is a First Alert due to the threat for a wintry mix in the Greater Boston area.

A frontal system will push our way from the south. We’ll see snow first as the system moves in Wednesday morning. Temperatures will be well below freezing. 

How much snow will we get on Thursday?

What time will it snow on Thursday and when where will we see the changeover from rain?

As we move through the day, our temperatures will warm a bit, supporting a changeover to freezing rain, then rain into the afternoon.

Before the changeover, parts of area, especially communities along and north of the Pike, could see between 2 and 4 inches.  Boston could see around 2 inches of snow.

Watch out for slick spots on the roads as we move through Thursday. High temperatures will likely reach the upper 30s.  Lows will drop into the lower 30s Thursday night.

The weekend forecast starts sunny

Friday and Saturday will bring a lot of sunshine!  High temperatures will be in the mid 30s on Saturday.

When will it snow again?

Then, by Saturday night into Sunday, heads up! Another system, originating from the west coast, will push our way, giving way to a rain/snow mix. 

Accumulating snow is possible, along with a period of freezing rain and plain.  Most of the precipitation should end before noon on Sunday. High temperatures will be around 40 degrees.

There are major weaknesses at left tackle and wide receiver, among other positions.

Luckily for the Patriots, they have two nice selling points when recruiting free agents. Drake Maye looks like a potential star at quarterback following an impressive rookie campaign, and the team has around $120 million in salary cap space — the most of any team, per OverTheCap.

All-Star games and events are always a good place for players to do a little recruiting. And it sounds like Maye did some of that at the NFL Pro Bowl last week.

“Definitely think a little bit,” Maye said Tuesday on FanDuelTV’s Up & Adams show. “Got to know some of the guys, tell them a little bit about Boston, about Foxboro, about Gillette Stadium, the fanbase. Definitely a time to get to know some guys and let them know that the Pats got some things to make some moves this offseason.”

It remains to be seen how much of a draw Maye might be for free agent wide receivers and offensive linemen this offseason, but there was a lot to like on his tape from Year 1.

And there are a bunch of good veteran wideouts able to hit free agency in March.

Tee Higgins is the best of the bunch, but the list also includes players such as Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs. Rams wideout Cooper Kupp is also available via trade.

The Patriots have a really good young quarterback, a respected new head coach in Mike Vrabel, nine draft picks in 2025 and the most space of any team. There is no excuse for the franchise not to make substantial roster upgrades in the coming months.

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Vermont State Police said they responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash involving a Vermont Agency of Transportation plow truck with serious injuries on Interstate 91 south in Westminster shortly after 8 p.m.

Their investigation revealed that 53-year-old Kimberly Barsalou, of Claremont, New Hampshire, was driving her Dodge Journey on I-91 and drove into the back of a plow truck that was out salting the highway. She was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the plow, 62-year-old Christopher Becker, of Springfield, Vermont, was hospitalized with minor injuries.

No further details were released.

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“I’m asking the city of Boston to set aside any ideas they may have about me based on my last name and let me tell you about the path of service I’ve forged,” he said at the event at Prince Hall in Dorchester.

He flagged housing and transportation improvements, as well as responsiveness at City Hall, as some of his key concerns for the city. He described himself as an underdog in the race.

“I’m excited for this challenge,” Kraft told supporters.

Kraft released a video on YouTube on Monday in which he outlines his reasons for seeking the mayor’s office and his top priority.

“There’s a saying we had at the Boys & Girls Club. I care,” Kraft says in the video. “I care that Boston is heading in the wrong direction. I care that our region continues to leave many people behind. I care that middle class families are being squeezed by the cost of housing, and I care that City Hall puts politics and ideology ahead of impact. That’s why I’m running for mayor.”

Kraft says in the video that his number one priority is to lower the cost of housing by building more of it in Boston.

“Strong leadership starts with listening,” he says. “I will continue listening to people in every part of Boston, because my life has taught me that you can learn form anyone. True change comes not from orders from City Hall but by empowering people and communities.”

The video ends with a slate that reads, “Democrat for Mayor Josh Kraft. More housing. More opportunity.”

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Kraft’s entry into the mayoral race sets up a high-profile battle with incumbent Michelle Wu, who said in an interview last year that she expects to make her official announcement in 2025. Wu gave birth to her third child last month and has already returned to work.

Kraft took aim at Wu’s administration in his announcement.

“On the number one challenge facing our residents, access to housing that regular people can afford, production under Mayor Wu has ground to a dead halt,” he said.

More than 20,000 planned housing units are shovel-ready but are “stuck due to regulations imposed by the current administration,” Kraft said. His plan includes one-time incentives to spur construction of new units at a price-point that middle class and first-time buyers can afford, he said.

Kraft’s housing plan also includes a form of rent control that he said would be acceptable for renters and landlords alike. Under his leadership, Kraft said, Boston would cut a building owner’s real estate taxes in exchange for the landlord capping rent increases for a 10-year period. “Luxury rentals” would be excluded from the program, he added.

“Mayor Wu promised us rent control three years ago. We will deliver it,” Kraft said.

A former CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and leader of Kraft Family Philanthropies, Kraft is president of the New England Patriots Foundation. He lists his primary residence as a Battery Wharf condominium on Boston’s waterfront purchased in 2023 by a Foxborough-based LLC.

Wu has run into brick walls on Beacon Hill as state lawmakers have batted aside proposals to allow a return to rent control and to shift some of Boston’s tax burden onto commercial property owners.

Lawmakers did advance a measure to open up a swath of land on the Mystic River where the Kraft family aims to build a pro soccer stadium, despite Wu voicing concerns from City Hall. Kraft told reporters Tuesday that he would recuse himself from any soccer stadium negotiations if he wins the mayor’s office.

Kraft said he could succeed with the solons of the State House where Wu has met resistance, because “I feel like one of the things I’m good at is listening to people, connecting with people, understanding what makes them tick or what they need.”

Kraft also focused on the city’s budget, public schools system, and transportation woes.

Taking aim at city spending, Kraft said Wu has overseen increased payrolls and boosted spending, while not finding “a single penny to be cut.”

“That this is not only irresponsible, it’s just not believable,” he said.

The North End resident bemoaned high spending on Boston Public Schools while the system “regularly fails our kids on virtually every measure” including the timeliness of school buses.

One of the biggest cheers from the crowd came in response to a knock on Wu’s effort to build more bus and bike lanes around the city, which Kraft said has increased congestion. He said he would immediately pause all bike lane construction.

“We have a leader that just does not listen. Too often, Mayor Wu acts as if she alone has all the answers. Whether it’s housing, schools, neighborhood services, or bike lanes,” he said. “Instead of listening to community voices, trying to understand what families and businesses need, too often they’re being tuned out. On issue after issue, the mayor has become less and less receptive, and more and more disconnected from the communities, their feedback, and their needs.”

He also took a shot at the Wu administration’s handling of 3-1-1 complaints for issues like broken streetlights or potholes in need of filling. Constituents get voicemail recordings and unresponsive phone apps, he said, rather than timely results.

Being responsive to residents was a theme during the remarks, and former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, who stood in the crowd of supporters behind Kraft, struck a similar note in his comments to reporters after the event.

“Talk to the people. Some people feel left out. Some people feel as though they’re not listened to. I know, man, the seniors still come to me about bike lanes and transportation. I’m like, I’m retired, go to your politicians. And they feel as though no one’s listening to them where they live,” Gross said.

Gross said he personally knows Kraft and believes he is “a listener” who would fill that void.

“He takes constructive criticism. He’ll never retaliate against you if he doesn’t agree with you, or you don’t agree with him,” the former commissioner said.

Other familiar faces popped up in the crowd from the political scene of yesteryear.

Anisha Chakrabarti, Gov. Charlie Baker’s deputy communications director until he left office, was handling press at Kraft’s event. She works for Kraft Sports + Entertainment as director of corporate communications and strategy. Will Keyser, who worked on Baker’s winning campaign, stood behind Kraft during the media scrum. And retired State Trooper Nathan Thomas, who served on the protection detail for Baker and other governors, stood watch at the edge of the stage area.

Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, who prosecutes crimes in the state’s third-largest city of Springfield, was on hand to show his support. He met Kraft through their service on the state Hate Crimes Task Force, both originally appointed by Gov. Baker.

“[I] immediately realized how passionate Josh is for any sort of public service and working to better our communities. And we became very good friends,” Gulluni told the News Service. “And I believe in him. I think he’s a tremendous leader. I think he has so much to give to public service. And I think in this case, he’s going to be a tremendous leader for the City of Boston.”

Kraft has already faced questions about his positions on national politics, particularly given his father’s high-profile support for President Donald Trump, but he was unabashed Tuesday in his rejection of Trump and his identification as a Democrat, telling reporters he supported Kamala Harris in 2024.

“This campaign is not about ideology. It’s about getting results,” Kraft told his supporters in Grove Hall.

A voicemail left at a Wu campaign number was not returned. An email to Wu’s campaign press address, seeking comment on Kraft’s remarks, triggered an auto-reply directing the media to instead contact City Hall. There was no response to a followup email sent to Wu’s City Hall press office.

Watch the full campaign video below:

A source close to Kraft confirmed last month that he was planning to run for mayor of Boston and would make a formal announcement sometime in February.

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, the son of former Mayor Ray Flynn, had been considering a run as well, but announced last month that he would not seek the office.

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Nora Nelson, 24, appeared in a Boston court Tuesday, but not on charges in the death of a person at a houseboat at the Charlestown Marina. A Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office prosecutor explained that, while the case is considered a suspicious death, charges can’t be filed until an autopsy is completed, and that hasn’t happened yet.

Nelson was instead appearing to face outstanding warrants over incidents dating back to 2023, involving an alleged assault and battery on a person over 60. The prosecutor said that case involved a different person from the person whose death was reported Sunday.

While prosecutors sought a $100,000 bail for Nelson, citing her past history of not appearing in court in the 2023 case in Massachusetts and on recent charges in Texas for which she is wanted, the judge ordered her held on $7,500 bail.

Nelson’s court-appointed attorney had argued against such high bail, noting the designation as a person of interest is “not even an accusation” and that investigators “speculate that she might be involved.”

The lawyer also noted that the University of Maryland graduate has no prior record and has worked as a Navy contractor at Fort Meade “creating technology for missiles,” and more has been interning at Harvard. She said that Nelson didn’t appear in court in the 2023 Massachusetts case because she thought it had been dealt with.

Nelson is due back in court in that case on March 3.

Police divers and other investigators were seen at the Charlestown Marina again Tuesday.

Authorities haven’t publicly shared the name of the person who died.

Boston police have said that their officers initially responded to a boat on Shipway Place by Pier 8 at the Charlestown Marina at around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

More on Nora Nelson’s 2023 case in Boston

Nelson was previously arrested in October 2023 on suspicion of assault and battery on a family or household member and assault and battery on a police officer, according to court records.

Officers were called to a Back Bay apartment building, where a man said Nelson, his ex, had been refusing to leave the home for weeks, then kicked and tried to bite the officers as they investigated what was happening, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

In May, Nelson’s bail was forfeited after she didn’t appear in court for a hearing, according to court records.

Reaction among Charlestown houseboat community

People who live in Charlestown’s tight-knit houseboat community year-round said they were a bit shaken up as police questioned them on the docks.

“They were shining lights on his houseboat, but other than that there wasn’t much else they could give us. There were about 15 cops, and they brought in the crime scene investigation truck about 12:30 and there’s been a police presence here all night,” said Chad Johansen, who lives on a boat at the Charlestown Marina.

Johansen described the man who owns the boat, whom he’d last seen last week, as a “nice, quiet gentleman” who had dogs and was friendly.

Tom Nichols, who lives nearby said, “It’s very quiet, people know everybody, it’s great. So I’m really surprised to hear that there was something going on down there.”

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China has announced tariffs of 10% to 15% on some U.S. products. Those tariffs are scheduled to take effect on Feb. 10.

This follows the 10% U.S. tariff on goods imported from China that went into effect at 12:01 a.m.

Meanwhile, U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico are paused for 30 days.

President Donald Trump reached separate deals with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on border security – aiming to stem the flow of organized crime and drugs into the U.S.

“They’ve agreed to put 10,000 soldiers, permanently, like forever, 10,000 soldiers at their side of the border and stop fentanyl,” Trump said.

Massachusetts Representative and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark was skeptical of Trump’s stragedy.

“It’s limited to 30 days and it’s exactly what Mexico did during the first Trump Administration, so we already know this solution will not help us with long-term border security,” Clark said.

So what could Chinese tariffs mean for you?

Analysts say, things like the cost of food and fuel would go up, along with the price of new smart phones and laptops.

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He and one of his three children rely on Astro, a Siamese flame point, for emotional support.

Astro took off one day last summer.

“I’m just depressed,” said Arienti. “I have had him since he was born.”

Arienti says he searched and searched, calling North Attleborough Animal Control multiple times.

“Anytime I called, they said they didn’t have any cat like him,” he said.

In January, Arienti heard about a post on the animal control’s Facebook page from August.

There was an announcement that a very similar looking cat had been found and adopted out.

Arienti believes it’s Astro because it’s a rare breed, has a similar color pattern, and he says it appears to have a lazy eye like Astro. And according to town documents, it was found along the pond behind Arienti’s home.

“He is unique,” said Arienti. “He is a flame point, so he is white with orange tips and orange stripe tail, and he does have one lazy eye.”

Town officials tell NBC10 Boston their experts believe the cat, which they named Nirvana, is at least 12 years old. Astro was only 3.

The town issued the following statement:

• “The North Attleborough Animal Shelter adhered to all legal requirements regarding the adoption of a Siamese cat, Nirvana, who was brought to the shelter on July 9, 2024. Following our policies and procedures, we ensured that Nirvana received the necessary care and remained in our shelter for a sufficient period. This allowed anyone who may have lost the cat the opportunity to come forward before the cat was adopted on August 26, 2024.
  “Mr. Arienti did not visit or speak to anyone at the shelter until January 2, 2025. During his conversation with shelter employees, he claimed that his cat was between 2 and 3 years old.
  “Our records, including veterinary assessments, indicate that Nirvana is between 12 and 15 years old. While we understand Mr. Arienti’s confusion, the available information supports that Nirvana and Mr. Arienti’s cat are not the same.”

The town says nobody claimed the cat during the nearly 50 days between the time the cat was turned in and adopted, which is something Arienti disputes.

“I asked them if they had any update,” said Arienti. “I told them the type of cat it was, the marks. Each time they said they would call or get in touch with me if they found anything like him.”

Jennifer Lee, a licensed animal health and behaviorist, says she’s confident Astro and Nirvana are the same based on where the animal was found, the similar characteristics, and no other reports of such a rare breed being lost in the area.

Lee, who’s also a lost cat tracker, believes the cat that was found is the same age as Astro.

“You can tell the cat is a young cat, and I also had a vet that looked at,” said Lee. “And asked her the age, if she could judge the age by the video, and she said this cat was definitely a baby, under 3.”

Arienti says he’d like to get a DNA test on the cat and will consider legal action against the town if it doesn’t agree to it.

“I want my cat back,” said Arienti. “He’s a part of my family, it feels like I lost a kid.”

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Southington police were called to Mulberry Street for a reported crash on Jan. 18. Responding officers found a car that had veered off the road and crashed into a utility pole.

After hitting the pole, the car then struck another vehicle that was parked in the driveway. Authorities said the driver lost control when rounding a curve in the road.

The driver, Joshua Smith, was intoxicated at the time of the crash. The Region 15 school district said he is the superintendent of schools.

The Board of Education addressed the matter and Smith will keep his position.

“Mr. Smith fully and candidly informed the Board Chairperson of this serious matter promptly after it occurred. The full Board then promptly and thoroughly reviewed this matter and has addressed it with Mr. Smith,” the school district said in a statement.

Smith has been employed with the school district for seven years and officials say he “has a demonstrated track record of successful, trustworthy leadership.”

Region 15 includes schools in Middlebury and Southbury.