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Showing posts from November 1, 2015

Even in prison, ‘Whitey’ Bulger is pushing boundaries

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TUCSON — Even at 85 years old and locked away for life, James “Whitey” Bulger, America’s most incorrigible gangster, is still up to his old tricks. As if taking a leaf out of a “Sopranos” script, Bulger faced allegations last summer of an improper relationship with a female psychologist who provided counseling to him and others at the  high security US Penitentiary in Tucson , the Globe has learned. As a result, Bulger was abruptly transferred to a prison in Florida, and an investigation was launched into the actions of the young woman, according to several people familiar with the ongoing probe. The probe is focused on whether she improperly accepted gifts from Bulger — autographed photos of himself and others — and whether she gave him preferential treatment, including helping him win approval to  communicate with his girlfriend , Catherine Greig, who is serving time in another prison. The latest twist in the never-ending Bulger saga also involves revelations that the gangster

Star Everett High Football Player Stabbed After Winning Game

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A star Everett High School running back, coming off scoring the winning touchdown in the game of his life on Halloween, was stabbed in the back and hand on Broadway later that night after coming to the aid of someone else who was being attacked, school officials said. Marvens Fedna, a 
16-year-old junior, was stabbed about 12:30 a.m. yesterday and rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he underwent surgery yesterday. His coach, John DiBiaso, told the Herald last night the attack occurred when Fedna attempted to help someone else who was being attacked by a group. “He was coming to the aid of another person,” DiBiaso said. “Somebody was being attacked and he happened to be going by, he happened to be in the area or near there, and when he tried to help the person, (the attackers) turned on him. ... We’re just all praying and optimistic that he’ll make a full 
recovery.” Superintendent Frederick Foresteire said Fedna was walking home from a party with a group of

Guinness stout plans a vegan brew in 2016

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To make Guinness acceptable to vegetarian and vegan drinkers, the Irish brewer is changing the way it produces the popular creamy dark stout by eliminating fish bladder. Specifically, Guinness plans to swap isinglass, a gelatin made from fish bladders used to filter yeast particles from the finished product, with an animal-free method late next year. "Isinglass has been used widely within the brewing industry as a means of filtration for decades," the company said in a statement. "However, because of its use we could not label Guinness as suitable for vegetarians and have been looking for an alternative solution for some time." The beer's listed ingredients -- barley, hops, yeast and water -- make it sound herbivorous. But traces of fish bladder can wind up in the finished product. The company did not give details about how it will replace isinglass. In previous statements, Guinness has said it was searching for a method that is "as effective or as

Man shot 6 times in deadly Dorchester shooting

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BOSTON -- Police are looking for clues in a deadly overnight shooting in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Investigators say they were called to the scene on Shepton Street just after midnight, where they found a 21-year-old man shot six times in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are asking neighbors for any information on the shooter. No further information was immediately available.

Mother Helps Police Arrest 2 Men Linked To Son’s Heroin OD Death

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GLOUCESTER (CBS/AP) — Police in Gloucester say the heartbroken mother of a man who died of a heroin overdose is credited with helping police arrest two men who allegedly sold the drug to her son. Gloucester Police Chief Leonard Campanello said in a  statement  that the woman, who lives on the North Shore, had heard of the police department’s  ANGEL program , which offers addicts a chance for treatment rather than arrest. While it was too late to save her own son, Campanello said the woman reached out to police for help in catching the dealers. According to the court documents, the woman provided police with a phone number belonging to someone named “Jo-Jo” who she believed sold drugs to her son in the past. Police conducted an undercover drug buy at Gloucester’s State Fish Pier and arrested two men from Lynn, William Piazza and Eugenio Valentin, on charges of distributing a Class A drug. Police recovered roughly $500 in heroin and $805 in cash from the pair. Piazza’s cri

Sibling Stabbing leads to police standoff in Canton

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CANTON,  Mass . (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A stabbing led to a police standoff in Canton Tuesday morning. Police say the domestic stabbing was between two brothers. One brother was taken to the hospital. The other remained inside the house. Police say the brother that remained inside the home barricaded himself in. Negotiation teams were called to the scene. The standoff was resolved around 6:15 a.m.  Mass State Police was on scene assisting the Canton Police Department. The bomb squad was also called in. A large police presence responded to the scene, which shut down Washington Street from Dedham to Randolph. Commuters were told to find a different route to work. The roads reopened when the standoff was resolved. essica Reyes is at the scene gathering the latest details,  CLICK HERE to watch FOX25 Morning News LIVE. 

Hopkinton Police: Children given toilet tank cleaner on Halloween

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HOPKINTON, Mass. (WHDH) - Hopkinton Police are investigating reports that children were given toilet tank cleaner as trick-or-treat items on Halloween. Two separate parents told police their children, 6 and 14 years old, were given toilet tank cleaner as they trick-or-treated on Halloween. Police say the children were trick-or-treating in the downtown area of Hopkinton.  The cleaner discs were wrapped in white wrapping. The children did not consume them.  Police are urging parents to check candy given to their children.  7News Boston WHDH-TV

Mass. mother finds needle in daughter’s Halloween candy

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A Massachusetts woman found a needle in her daughter's Halloween candy. (Nov. 2, 2015/Courtesy WWLP) SPRINGFIELD, Mass  — There have been multiple reports of tainted Halloween candy across the state of Massachusetts. Ennette Figueroa, a mom who lives in Springfield, contacted the media after finding what appeared to be a sewing needle in her daughter’s candy bar. She says her daughter wanted a piece of Halloween candy after finishing her dinner and that’s when she found the needle sticking through the wrapping of a Crunch candy bar. Figueroa, her mother, cousin, sister and daughter all went trick-or-treating Halloween night in East Longmeadow. Although she doesn’t know what house her daughter got the candy from, Figueroa says she’s shocked. “She picked the candy and I opened it for her, but I felt that something was wrong with it. I told her ‘Give me, give me, give me.’ That’s when I found there was something wrong with the candy. When I opened it, it was right ther

Pot Advocacy Group Alleges Death Threats Issued by Drug Cartel

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The marijuana legalization advocacy group ResponsibleOhio, whose pot legalization ballot measure Issue 3 will appear on Tuesday's Ohio general election ballot, claims that it was victimized by death threats and cyber attacks by a drug cartel. CINCINNATI - Organizers of the ResponsibleOhio campaign to legalize marijuana say they were the target of death threats and cyber crimes that forced them to spend more than $165,000 on private security. They cite three separate incidents between May and August that prompted the campaign to hire Carrol & Associates LLC to provide body guards and investigative services. According to campaign finance records, that security detail cost $165,368 between July and October. “It was scary,” said James Gould, co-founder of the ResponsibleOhio PAC, who told WCPO he received three  threats on his cell phone from what turned out to be “burner phones” that were not traceable. “Why are you doing this? I’m going to ‘F’ you up,” Gould recal

Serious Shortage Of Psychiatrists In The U.S.

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As public awareness of mental illness increases, the shortage of psychiatrists worsens. NEW YORK (AP) -- It is an irony that troubles health care providers and policymakers nationwide: Even as public awareness of mental illness increases, a shortage of psychiatrists worsens. In vast swaths of America, patients face lengthy drives to reach the nearest psychiatrist, if they can even find one willing to see them. Some states are promoting wider use of long-distance telepsychiatry to fill the gaps in care. In Texas, which faces a severe shortage, lawmakers recently voted to pay the student loans of psychiatrists willing to work in underserved areas. A bill in Congress would forgive student loans for child psychiatrists. Even with such efforts, problems are likely to persist. A recent survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that 59 percent of psychiatrists are 55 or older, the fourth oldest of 41 medical specialties, signaling that many may soon be retiring or reducin

Mark Wahlberg's The Six Billion Dollar Man Just Made A Big Change

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For a little more than a year now,  Mark Wahlberg  has been building a remake to the popular television series  The Six Million Dollar Man , with an eye toward starring in the movie (and possibly launching a franchise). Though various obstacles have stood in its way, Wahlberg’s dream project is about to become a reality, as several big steps – and one big change – locked into step.    Wild Tales  writer-director Damian Szifron, who had been tapped to write the screenplay for  The Six Billion Dollar Man  (with a "B"), now has been handed the directing reigns according to a press release sent out by  TWC-Dimension . The release states that principal photography won’t begin on the film until September of 2016, however, as the movie won’t aim to be in theaters until December 22, 2017. Two years from now? This could suggest a number of things. Either  Mark Wahlberg ’s schedule was booked up with Peter Berg’s  Mile 22  (and possibly other projects that we’re not privy to a