Everett

Court: Massachusetts stores can't make you provide your Zip code to complete a credit-card transaction

adamg — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:33:00 +0000

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today that a chain of arts and craft stores violated a state consumer-privacy law when it used a woman's Zip code on her credit-card transaction to figure out where she lived and start bombarding her with circulars.

The opinion, however, does not mean Melissa Tyler gets anything, because her suit against Michaels is in federal court and the state's highest court was merely providing answers about state consumer-laws to a federal judge hearing her case - where the ultimate decision will come.

When Kindergarten Cop grew up, he became principal at Everett High

adamg — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:26:13 +0000

Hey, kids, meet your new principal, Erik Naumann, a.k.a. the Naumannator.

Some people are not amused.

Everett state rep admits he's a fraudy little worm

adamg — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:13:05 +0000

The US Attorney's office in Boston reports state Rep. Steve Smith today admitted to voter fraud - he filled out absentee ballots with his name checked off.

Smith served on the legislature's Joint Committee on Election Laws.

Smith won't serve any prison time on the federal misdemeanor charges, but will give up his seat - which should give him more time to deal with his tenements in Revere.

Hey, how about a casino in Everett?

adamg — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:21:00 +0000

The Globe reports Steve Wynn, who couldn't convince Foxboro to let him and Robert Kraft build a casino there, is now looking at a parcel in Everett. Of course, given the way the state's casino law is written, he'd first have to have a Thunderdome-like death match with the people behind the Suffolk Downs proposal.

Giant flame, loud FWOOM over Everett tomorrow neither sign of disaster nor summons for forces of evil

adamg — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:46:16 +0000

Channel 5 reports that National Grid will be cleaning a natural-gas pipeline by the Mystic River tomorrow by burning off the gas, starting around 6 a.m.:

The flare resulting from the natural gas purge could last up to eight hours and be seen throughout Greater Boston, the company said.

Also will result in "a large blowing noise."

Trio targeting Indian-owned convenience stores with complex robbery scheme, police say

adamg — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:55:37 +0000

Somerville Police report they are looking for a "well organized" that is managing to steal money from local convenience stores owned by people of Indian origin through a complicated, multi-part ruse:

School-van driver charged with sexual assault on Everett five-year-old

adamg — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:27:30 +0000

The owner of a school-van service was arraigned yesterday on charges he sexually assaulted a young girl in one of his vans on the way home from school on Tuesday.

Sergio Lara, 53, was ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail at his arraignment in Chelsea District Court on charges of rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child, Revere Police and the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said.

Lara owns Maya Transportation, which brings children to and from schools in Revere, Chelsea and East Boston. According to a statement from the DA's office:

One of his passengers, a five-year-old Everett girl, told her mother on Tuesday that Lara had sexually assaulted her on the way home from school. The girl’s parents took her to an area hospital the same evening and notified police. Lara was identified and arrested the next day.

The van in question. Photo from Suffolk County DA's office.

Innocent, etc.

Feds go after Everett man as unlicensed exterminator spraying the wrong pesticide

adamg — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:58:36 +0000

A federal grand jury has indicted Josimar Ferreira, 36, on 16 counts of violating federal pesticide laws, the US Attorney's office announced today.

According to the indictiment, Ferreira and his TVF Pest Control routinely used malathion, licensed only for outdoor use, to combat bedbug infestations in area homes. In one case, he even sprayed it on a baby's crib - and then lied about the chemical to state investigators, the feds charge.

Also, neither Ferreira nor any of seven workers he hired were able to pass the state licensing exam.

Innocent, etc.

Three-alarm fire in Everett triple decker

adamg — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:38:07 +0000

Jarrod Cohen and AlertNewEngland report the fire erupted around 9 a.m. at 172 Main St.

Fire at Everett scrap yard smokes up the area; shuts Rte. 99

adamg — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:29:52 +0000

The fire's on lower Broadway. The 104, 105 and 109 bus routes have major delays because of the fire.

Photo from Channel 7 viewer.

Inspector for state liquor-license board arrested on bribery, extortion charges

adamg — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:50:30 +0000

An inspector for the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission was arraigned today on charges he offered to help a convicted felon get a liquor license in Everett - for a fee - the Middlesex County District Attorney's office reports.

Arthur Hitchman, 39, of Melrose, was arraigned in Malden District Court on charges of attempted extortion, bribery, and two counts of improper storage of a firearm. Wicked Local Melrose reports Hitchman is also a former Melrose alderman.

According to the DA's office, Hitchman heard the man was looking to open a restaurant under a female relative's name to get around the state law that prohibits convicted felons from obtaining liquor licenses and offered to help for $3,000 in cash. In May, an undercover state trooper gave the money to Hitchman - who then offered to help him get illegal video poker machines - the DA's office says. The DA's office adds the ABCC cooperated with the investigation.

Innocent, etc.

You're reading this because a Yemeni LNG tanker did not blow up in the harbor this morning

adamg — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:08:21 +0000

Yemeni tanker plied the harbor this morning while you slept.

State Senate candidate would seek to end LNG shipments through Boston Harbor

adamg — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:21:57 +0000

Coast Guard escorting an LNG tanker last summer.

Dan Hill, who lives near Boston Harbor and is running for state senate in a district that includes Chelsea and Everett, says the state should do everything it can to try to keep LNG tankers out of Boston Harbor - especially Yemeni ones - and phase out the Distrigas natural-gas terminal in Everett in favor of a new facility in Naragansett Bay:

Hill noted that for new LNG ports the Coast Guard requires "security zones" restricting movement within 1,000 yards on either side of an LNG tanker, a standard that could not possibly be met in Boston Harbor. "I find it disturbing that safety requirements for new facilities apparently do not need to be met for existing facilities."

LNG through Boston Harbor: Safe or unsafe?

adamg — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:48:03 +0000

Adam Balsam says Tom Menino and Sal LaMattina should stop their posturing, listen to the Coast Guard and admit giant LNG tankers are safe.

Matt Conti, who lives in the North End, acknowledges the risk of a neighborhood-consuming fireball is low, but notes all the precautions the Coast Guard takes and says Boston shouldn't have to be the only city in the US where giant LNG tankers are allowed in a densely populated area.

Man who eats squirrel brains and live bugs for a living makes endorsement in race to replace Anthony Galluccio

adamg — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:19:55 +0000

Bizarre Foods guy Andrew Zimmern endorses Michael Albano in the special state-senate election:

My childhood pal Michael Albano is running for State Senator in Massachusetts, and in heady times like these I think it is crucial that we support progressive democrats like Michael. ...

Via Wicked Local Cambridge.