MASSACHUSETTS – It’s Tuesday, May 18th. Here’s what you should know this afternoon:
- A Massachusetts man who faked his own suicide pleaded guilty in the Providence District Court to conspiring to commit bank fraud and failing to appear in court.
- Four teenagers found unable to work near Morse Pond in Natick were hospitalized Friday night after using drugs believed to be psychedelic mushrooms.
- The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Tuesday morning that it would follow the new guidelines from the state executive’s Energy and Environment Bureau, allowing both competitors and fans of outdoor events to ditch the face masks from Tuesday afternoon.
Scroll down to find out more about these and other stories Patch covered today in Massachusetts.
Today’s top story
The restaurants are urging state lawmakers to expand the rules aimed at propping their businesses up during the coronavirus emergency, including the rules that allowed them to sell take-away cocktails and fees imposed by third-party sellers like DoorDash and Uber Eats could be charged.
However, these rules will expire if the state lifts its emergency order on June 15. Senator Diana DiZoglio, a Democrat from Methuen, has submitted bills that would extend this regulation by two years after the end of the emergency order. The bills were tabled as changes to the state budget that will not be finally passed on to Governor Charlie Baker until the emergency order is lifted.
DiZoglio wrote to Senate President Karen E. Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano on Monday calling for immediate action on the bills. At the same time, the Massachusetts Package Stores Association is demanding that the emergency order rules expire. The state’s Association of Liquor Stores says the take-away cocktails hurt their members’ stores.
The other top stories from Tuesday
MIAA trench masks: The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Tuesday morning that it would follow new guidelines from the state’s Energy and Environment Executive Bureau, allowing both competitors and fans of outdoor events to get rid of the face masks starting with the Tuesday afternoon competitions. The decision comes a day after Gov. Charlie Baker and Gov. Karyn Polito announced that face masks would no longer be required for outdoor youth sports as of Tuesday.
According to the government, an MA man faked suicide after being charged with PPP fraud: A Massachusetts man who faked his own suicide pleaded guilty in the Providence District Court to conspiring to commit bank fraud and failing to appear in court. David Adler Staveley, along with his partner, was the first in the country to be accused of fraud related to state coronavirus aid funds. Staveley, who also went by Kurt David Sanborn and David Sanborn, is a 45-year-old resident of Andover.
Bad trip followed by trip to the hospital: Four teenagers found unable to work near Morse Pond in Natick were hospitalized Friday night after using drugs believed to be psychedelic mushrooms. The four teenagers were located by police after a resident noticed suspicious activity in the woods on Border Road in Natick. It is not clear whether the teenagers will bring charges.
For more information on purchasing a COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts, visit the Patch Information Center.
Imagine that
Patchs 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Guide: If you would like to buy fresh produce from a local farmers market, bookmark this page. We’ve broken Massachusetts Farmers Markets into two lists: one that you can search by location and a second list that you can search by day of the week. Do you know of a Massachusetts farmers market that should be added to this guide? Email dave.copeland@patch.com and check for updates here throughout the season (Photo: Dave Copeland / Patch).
You said so
“Like any other micro-business, COVID-19 has derailed us.”
In case you missed it
UFO sightings in Massachusetts: Sunday’s “60 Minutes” report by CBS News about the US government’s recognition of unidentified aerial phenomena – UAPs, or what are commonly known as UFOs – naturally caused a buzz of flashes of light and other phenomena that cannot be explained in the sky over Massachusetts. So far, there have been 15 UFO sightings in Massachusetts in 2021.
