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Central Mass Teacher On Leave After Holding Slave Auction With Black Students, Using Slur Central Mass Teacher On Leave After Holding Slave Auction With Black Students, Using Slur
Central Mass Teacher On Leave After Holding Slave Auction With Black Students, Using Slur A fifth-grade teacher in Worcester County was placed on administrative leave after officials learned they held an "impromptu slave auction" during a lesson on the economy of the Southern states and later used a racial slur during a discussion on a book, school district leaders said in a letter to parents.  Northborough and Southborough Superintendent of Schools Gregory Martineau wrote that the two incidents happened in January and April. He said he did not learn about them until parents brought them to his attention on April 24.  An investigation found that during a history d…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison 'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison
'Horrific': Man Who Admitted To Raping Children In Western Mass Gets 25-30 Years In Prison A 51-year-old former Athol man who pleaded guilty to raping multiple children and forcing them to make child pornography will spend at least 25 years behind bars, authorities announced.  Jose A. Oquendo pleaded guilty to 27 charges — including rape and sexual assault — on Thursday, May 30, the Northwestern District Attorney said. He was accused of abusing three children for years.  Franklin Superior Court Judge David Hodge called the Oquendo's abuse "horrific" and commended the victims for standing up in court against their abuser.  He said the sentence of 25 to 30…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Teen Killed By Stepfather In Murder-Suicide Following Kidnapping: DA Teen Killed By Stepfather In Murder-Suicide Following Kidnapping: DA
Teen Killed By Stepfather In Murder-Suicide Following Kidnapping: DA A 16-year-old girl was killed on Thursday, May 30, after she was kidnapped by her stepfather and executed in a murder-suicide outside of her home in Acton, authorities said.  Juliano Santana, 49, reportedly snatched the girl as she walked near her home on Great Road in Acton before driving her back to her house and killing her and then himself in his car, the Middlesex District Attorney said.  Santana was out on bail after he was accused of sexually assaulting the girl multiple times, authorities said. He was charged with six counts of aggravated rape of a child on Sept. 7, 2…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Fundraiser For Family Who Lost Parents In Worcester House Fire Passes Goal Fundraiser For Family Who Lost Parents In Worcester House Fire Passes Goal
Fundraiser For Family Who Lost Parents In Worcester House Fire Passes Goal A married couple who lived with their children and grandchildren were identified as the two people killed in a housefire in Worcester earlier this week, according to a fundraiser for the family.  Juana Candelario, 59, and Daniel Gonzalez, 62, were married for 30 years before their deaths on Tuesday, May 28, in a house fire at their 3 Hancock St. home, the fundraiser said.   Firefighters were called to the home around 11:30 p.m. and found the couple unresponsive on the first floor of the house, Worcester fire officials said. Paramedics rushed them to an area hospital, where th…

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by Josh Lanier
Politics
Donald Trump Found Guilty On All 34 Felony Counts In Historic NY Hush Money Trial Donald Trump Found Guilty On All 34 Felony Counts In Historic NY Hush Money Trial
Donald Trump Found Guilty On All 34 Felony Counts In Historic NY Hush Money Trial A New York jury convicted former President Donald Trump of all charges in his alleged hush money trial, finding that he falsified business records to buy an adult film star’s silence and influence the 2016 presidential election. The historic verdict, the first adjudication and conviction of a former US president, was reached shortly before 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30, after around 10 hours of deliberation. Seven men and five women on the jury unanimously found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree that were filed by Manhattan District Attorne…

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by Michael Mashburn
Obituaries
West Springfield Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Stabbing West Springfield Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Stabbing
West Springfield Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Stabbing A 50-year-old man has been identified as the victim in a West Springfield fatal stabbing over the Memorial Day weekend, authorities said.  Joseph Seymour, of West Springfield, was killed on Saturday, May 25, just after 10 p.m. when he was stabbed, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said.  Police were called to the 10-20 block of Amostown Road to a report of an unresponsive stabbing victim.  Paramedics rushed Seymour to Baystate Medical Center, where he later died of his injuries.  West Springfield police are investigating the slaying. 

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Minor Charged With Stabbing Man Multiple Times In Worcester Attack Minor Charged With Stabbing Man Multiple Times In Worcester Attack
Minor Charged With Stabbing Man Multiple Times In Worcester Attack A juvenile was charged with stabbing a 30-year-old man multiple times in an attack on Wednesday, May 29, in Worcester, authorities said.  The attack happened around 1 p.m. on Sunderland Road. Worcester Police said the man suffered serious wounds in the stabbing. Paramedics took him to an area hospital where he remained on Thursday.  Police arrested the minor in the Green Street area after a brief foot chase. He kicked officers as they put him in handcuffs, and he was carrying a large kitchen knife, Worcester authorities said.  The juvenile's name was not released because of …

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by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
'Generous And Humble': Families Remember Men Who Drowned In Lynn Ponds 'Generous And Humble': Families Remember Men Who Drowned In Lynn Ponds
'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…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
30-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Springfield Shooting 30-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Springfield Shooting
30-Year-Old Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Springfield Shooting Police have identified the man who was killed in a shooting earlier this month in Springfield.  Aaron Cabrera, 30, of Ludlow, was shot around around 10 p.m. on May 21 in the 0-100 block of Fort Pleasant Avenue, Springfield police said.  Police were alerted to the fatal shooting after receiving a ShotSpotter alert. They found Cabrera bleeding from a wound, and paramedics rushed him to Baystate Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, police said.  Investigators are still searching for the shooter. They ask anyone with information about the killing to contact Springfield…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Stop & Shop To Close Underperforming Stores In Northeast Stop & Shop To Close Underperforming Stores In Northeast
Stop & Shop To Close Underperforming Stores In Northeast The future is grim for Stop & Shop's underperforming stores in the Northeast. The grocery giant — which operates 400 stores across Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts (where the company is headquartered) — announced plans to close a number of its underperformers in the interest of company longevity, officials confirmed with Daily Voice. Nearly half of the company's stores have been remodeled, and a Stop & Shop spokesperson said those stores continue to perform well. "We're committed to continuing to invest in our stores - as well in our prices - to deliver a great…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…

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by Joe Lombardi
Real Estate
$15 Million Mass Mansion 'Has It All,' Including Private Beach, Listing Says $15 Million Mass Mansion 'Has It All,' Including Private Beach, Listing Says
$15 Million Mass Mansion 'Has It All,' Including Private Beach, Listing Says A custom shingle-style mansion on the waterfront that honors the lot's 150-year history is on the market. Located in Manchester-By-The-Sea, Essex County, the mansion at 10 Boardman Avenue “has it all,” according to its listing. It is currently listed for just over $15.6 million.  The six-bedroom, 11-bathroom home (dubbed "Oakledge") features 12,000 square feet of custom millwork, a private beach, a heated pool, a sports court, and more. Built in 2009, the 10 Boardman Avenue mansion was modeled after the original stick-style cottage built on the property in 1873 (although it may be…

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by Sophie Grieser