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Tuesday, jan 28
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Charity
Obituaries
'Friend To All': Community Rallies Around Family Of Ex-Stoughton Selectman Killed In Crash
David "Spanky" Sousa spent his life giving back to the Stoughton community he loved. After he was killed while picking up debris along a highway, they're paying it back to his family. "Spanky loved his hometown of Stoughton and helping people in need," an obituary for the 57-year-old said. "He was a former Selectman for the Town of Stoughton and was also the Chairman for a time. He played Santa for many charities in the area at Christmas time. He was a founder of the Parade of Lights holiday parade in Stoughton. He loved riding his motorcycle, meeting new friends, and the character Fre…
Obituaries
'Generous And Humble': Families Remember Men Who Drowned In Lynn Ponds
Authorities have released the names of two men who drowned in separate incidents in Lynn over the Memorial Day weekend. Michael Petkewich, 60, and Macario Ordoñez Calmo, 30, were both killed on Sunday, May 26. Firefighters were called to the Breeds Pond just after 7:15 p.m. to rescue Calmo. They risked their lives to pull him from the water, but they couldn't save his life. Doctors at an area hospital pronounced him dead soon after he arrived, authorities said. Police received calls about Petkewich's drowning around 11 p.m. He had gone under at S…
Lifestyle
Life After Lottery: Winners Discuss How Life Changed After Hitting Jackpots; Keeping It Secret
The only thing better than winning the lottery is doing it anonymously. There are countless stories of lottery winners who've gone bankrupt in part from empty-handed "friends" or scammers looking for a rich target. In Massachusetts, winners must divulge their names and pose with novelty checks boasting their jackpot amount unless they create a trust to collect their cash. Attorney David Spillane, a partner at the Quincy-based law firm SKB Attorneys, who's done nearly 100 of these trusts, connected us with some of those winners who chose to keep their paydays a secret to see what life …
News
Central Mass Lottery Winner Has Noble Plans For His Payday
A Worcester County lottery winner said he wants to put the money he's won to good use by funding his son's education and giving to charities he believes in. Venkataramanan Balakrishnan, of Shrewsbury, won $25,000 a year for life after he matched the first five numbers on his Season Ticket. They're the same five numbers he's been playing for years. Balakrishnan chose to take the one-time lump sum payment of $390,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity. He said he would use the money on his mortgage, his son's education, and charitable causes. He didn't go into which cha…
News
Swampscott Cook Turns Scary Injury Into $40K In Donations To Hospital That Saved His Finger
Matthew Swartz sliced his finger open while carving his family's Thanksgiving turkey four years ago, and he's turned that scary moment into a yearly tradition of giving back to the people who saved his digit. Swartz, of Swampscott, is a cook by trade. He opened Matteo’s, a Newton restaurant that featured Mediterranean Italian cuisine, in 1999 before he sold the place in 2005. But despite his years as a cook, slicing his index finger while trying to cut off a leg of his Thanksgiving turkey in 2019 is the worst injury he says he’s had in a kitchen. “I grabbed my butcher knife, and I de…
News
$1M Lottery Win: Mass Man Loses Winning Ticket, Housekeeper Finds It
A Middlesex County man is $1 million richer now, thanks to his honest housekeeper. Khalil Soussa, of Medford, won the payday playing the “15,000,000 Money Maker” scratch-off lottery game, Massachusetts Lottery Officials said. He bought the ticket months ago but lost it. Soussa's housekeeper found it inside a vase, the lottery said. Soussa took the lump sum of $650,000 before taxes rather than the annuity. He said he plans to use the money to help a friend and donate to charities. He bought the ticket at Tony’s Convenience at 416 Salem St. in Medfor…
News
Mass-Born Sports Commentator Wins 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' On Buzzer Beater Question
Sports commentator Katie Nolan took Wednesday night's episode of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" down to the wire when she tied with "Law & Order: SVU" alum Christopher Meloni and had to finish the game with a rare tiebreaker question. Nolan, a former ESPN broadcaster and podcaster who now hosts "Friday Night Baseball Apple TV+, is a Framingham native. She and Meloni faced off against Sherri Shepherd, a daytime TV talk show host who formerly was a panelist on "The View." We love a tie breaker! Watch the dramatic finish of this week's #CelebrityJeopardy! Find Your Station: http://bit.ly/2B…
Obituaries
'Her Memory Will Never Fade': Friends Pick Up Torch After Northborough Mom Dies
Rebecca Maynard spent her final days worrying about her family. She feared more about what would happen to her three daughters and loving husband than the cancer that had invaded her body, her friends said. She died last month. Now, the "ride or die" friends of the 44-year-old Northborough hairdresser and esthetician say they want to make sure those fears were not in vain. They have started a GoFundMe to help provide for her family as they grapple with their new reality and have stepped up in other ways. She would have done the same for them and often did, they said. To know her was to…
Lifestyle
Diesel Mechanic From Southeast Massachusetts Wins $3 Million Mega Millions Prize
Despite winning a massive prize from the Massachusetts State Lottery, a diesel mechanic from Southeast Massachusetts doesn't plan on using his winnings to take time off, but rather pay it forward. Paul Little, of Lakeville, is the winner of a $3 million Mega Millions prize on a ticket he bought for the multi-state game's Tuesday, Jan. 17 drawing, the lottery reports. Little, who works on marine engines, said that he plans to continue to work for the time being but does have plans to use his winnings to help his family and other people. Little also plans on using some of the money to p…
Lifestyle
Gronk The Elf Spreads Cheer To Children At Shriners Hospital In Springfield
A former New England Patriots player decided to trade in the football jersey and helmet for a fuzzy coat and cap with a jingle bell to spread Christmas cheer among children at a local hospital. Robbie the Elf, otherwise known as Rob Gronkowski, made a surprise visit to Shriners Children's New England in Springfield on Tuesday, Dec. 20, the hospital said. The four-time Super Bowl champion flexed his skills in air hockey and soccer while also doing origami with several patients. Gronk the Elf even took a note out of Santa Claus' book by bringing each child gifts that included footballs, jer…
Sports
Massachusetts' 'Guat Ninja' Brings Inspirational Story To American Ninja Warrior
One of the youngest participants on Season 14 of America Ninja Warrior is a Massachusetts resident, but he is using the competition to pay homage to his native Guatemala. Jacob Arnstein wanted to compete on Ninja since he was about five years old and started training for the competition when he was nine. The now 15-year-old freshman at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton says there are two things that fuel his competitiveness. "I mostly do Ninja because it's really a great way to for me just to release energy," he said. "I also just really like the feeling of flying to the air,…
News
Restauranteur Donates 800 Pounds Of Turkey To Soup Kitchen In Need
A restaurant owner has donated 800 pounds of turkey to a local soup kitchen that had a holiday dinner scheduled - but no poultry to serve. On Friday, Konstantinos Sierros, owner of Florence Pizza and Filos Greek Taverna in Northampton, was talking with people he knows at the Manna Soup Kitchen when he heard kitchen cooks were unable to purchase turkeys for the nonprofit’s annual, free Thanksgiving Day meal. So, Sierros stepped up - in a big way. The restauranteur purchased 800 pounds of turkey as well as fixings for the community kitchen meal, according to The Daily Hampshire Gazett…
News
Danbury Mayor To Comedian John Oliver: We'll Take Offer To Rename $110M Sewage Plant After You
* Watch a video of the announcement here Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton says he's going to make good on his promise to name the city’s $110 million sewer plant after John Oliver and has accepted an offer from the comedian - with one condition. "You must come here to Danbury when we cut the ribbon," Boughton said. Oliver said that he would donate $25,000 to the Connecticut Food Bank, $25,000 to Donors Choose fund for Danbury teachers, and $5,000 to ALS Connecticut if Boughton went through with what was initially a tongue-in-cheek proposal about renaming the sewage plant. Boughton's proposal c…
News
HBO Host John Oliver Offers $55,000 To Name CT Sewage Plant After Himself
The back and forth between HBO show host John Oliver and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton is getting expensive. Oliver has pledged to give $55,000 to Danbury, Connecticut, charities if the mayor names the city’s sewage plant after him. Oliver is the host of ‘Last Week Tonight,’ a comedy news program with a late-night talk show vibe. In a tweet on Monday, Aug. 31, Boughton responded to the offer Oliver made during his Sunday, Aug. 30 show. “Yeah. We are on it,” the mayor tweeted. “Standby.” So how did we get here - the mayor of a Connecticut city sparring with a national celebrity? The bad bl…
Police & Fire
Charity Bails Out Rapist; AG Vows Investigation
The Massachusetts Bail Fund is under fire for using donations to spring a convicted rapist who is accused of raping a woman in July, just weeks after he was let out of jail. The fund posted $15,000 for the release of registered Level 3 sex offender Shawn McClinton who is facing aggravated rape, kidnapping, strangulation, and other new charges, according to Boston.com. McClinton is homeless in Roxbury, according to the registry. He was convicted of rape in 1994 and 2007. In a statement defending the decision, the Massachusetts Bail Fund called the bail system racist and said it targets the p…
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