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‘Smooth as possible’: MBTA’s true test today as commuters back at it

The beleaguered MBTA chugged through the Blizzard of 2018 with only minor complications yesterday — a remarkable wintertime feat for the aging agency — but braced for a crush of commuters that could test its limits even further as it resumes normal service today.“I would say in general the MBTA did a good job of getting a much smaller group of riders than usual where they wanted to go today,” said MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. But she added, “It seems the investment we’ve been making in the T has really paid off.”

 

Boston youth look to lead the way on gun control

Boston students plan to march on the State House today to advocate for gun control, undaunted by Boston Public Schools’ closure in the wake of yesterday’s blizzard, and joining a vast nationwide movement of students.

 

Williams College names Brown University dean new president

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williams College in Massachusetts has tapped the Ivy League for its new president.The Williamstown school on Tuesday named Maud S. Mandel, dean of the college and professor of history and Judaic studies at Brown University, its 18th president.She takes over from interim President Protik Majumder, who was named to the post following the resignation in June of Adam Falk to become president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

 

Ambulances to offer rides to shelters for vulnerable Bay Staters

The state's Office of Emergency Medical Services has issued an emergency waiver enabling licensed ambulance companies to transport residents with special medical needs to shelters and warming centers during the blizzard.The waiver will remain in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday.The service is typically intended to aid persons dependent on electricity for their medical supplies or other special needs. As of 11 a.m. today, 155,000 Bay Staters are without power.

 

Police: N.H. man arrested for Methuen highway beating

A New Hampshire man accused of savagely beating a woman on the side of the highway following a minor car accident in Methuen was nabbed yesterday morning in Manchester, N.H., and is now being held pending his return to Massachusetts, state police said.Joseph Falero, 37, of Manchester, was arrested at an apartment at about 8 a.m. by Manchester cops and members of the state police’s Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, state police spokesman David Procopio said. He is now being held on charges including assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.

 

National Weather Service declares latest nor'easter a blizzard

BOSTON  — The National Weather Service had declared the latest winter storm to hit the Northeast a blizzard.The service's Taunton, Massachusetts, office said on Twitter late Tuesday morning that automated observing sites in Hyannis, Falmouth, and Plymouth recorded three consecutive hours of blizzard conditions despite some missing observations due to a power loss.

 

Catholic high school to close due to low enrollment

WESTFIELD, Mass. — A small Roman Catholic high school in western Massachusetts is shutting down because too few students have signed up for its incoming freshman class.The Springfield Republican reports that St. Mary's High School in Westfield will close after the current school year. The announcement was made Monday by the Rev. Frank Lawlor, the pastor of St. Mary's parish.Lawlor says the school has only nine students enrolled in next year's freshman class. He says it needs 40 to stay open.

 

Slain West Brookfield mom, 3 kids to be laid to rest today

Funeral services for a murdered West Brookfield mother and her three children are going forward in Ware this morning despite the punishing weather and hazardous travel conditions, officials tell the Herald.The Rev. Piotr Calik of All Saints Catholic Church on North Street in Ware said the mass for Sara Bermudez, 38, her daughter Madison, 8, and sons James, 6, and Michael, 2, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.Calik said the church holds 700, but, "We have no idea" how many will attend given the severe storm.

 

Judge allows hospital's flu vaccination policy to stand

BOSTON — A Massachusetts judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged a Boston hospital's requirement that all employees must get flu vaccinations.A nurses' union had challenged Brigham and Women's Hospital's vaccination policy, but a judge on Monday ruled that the Massachusetts Nurses Association did not have standing to bring the suit.The hospital last fall mandated that all employees must get flu shots unless they are granted medical or religious exemptions. Workers who do not get inoculated are required to wear face masks around patients.

 

Crime family associate sentenced for extortion

BOSTON — An associate working for a famed criminal organization was sentenced today in a federal court in Worcester on extortion-related charges.Fifty-three-year-old Gerald Daniele is sentenced to two years in federal prison for loansharking. Daniele was arrested with four other men in 2016 for extorting legitimate and illegitimate businesses in western Massachusetts.Daniele admits that as an associate of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra crime family, he gave out loans and threatened an individual with physical violence while demanding repayment.

 

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