The move means all new hires, with some exceptions, will be subject to individual approval starting Wednesday by the state’s budget office based on time-sensitivity and importance of positions, according to the Healey administration.

Tax collections in Massachusetts have consistently come in below expectations more than half way through fiscal year 2024, putting a strain on Beacon Hill budget writers who are also contending with a nearly $1 billion a year tab for emergency shelters that has prompted top Democrats to warn of further challenges.

Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said officials are not putting in place a “hiring freeze” but rather implementing “hiring controls within the executive branch for the remainder of the fiscal year as one tool at our disposal to responsibly manage spending over the next three months.”

“These hiring controls, while temporary, will help ensure that the administration can balance the budget at the end of the year and preserve critical funding for core programs and services,” Gorzkowicz said in a statement Tuesday night.

The Boston Globe first reported the move, though it described it as a freeze.

It was not immediately clear how far-reaching the administration planned to go with their more stringent hiring protocols. But the state’s budget office said certain positions like direct care and public safety personnel will be exempt.

Seasonal positions, those that have to be filed due to a court order or settlement, returns from leave, and offers of employment made before April 3 “will also proceed,” according to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance.

Months of below benchmark revenues led Healey in January to lower tax expectations by $1 billion for this fiscal year and slash $375 million from the state budget. The decision to tighten up hiring in state government signals another escalation in the cost saving mindset that has taken hold on Beacon Hill this year.

Revenue figures for March are scheduled to be released Wednesday and could offer more insight into why Healey made the decision to pause hiring. Fourth quarter revenues carry “significant risk” to budgeted revenues, state budget officials said.

Healey is not considering further unilateral cuts to the fiscal year 2024 budget, according to the state’s budget office.

“Today we mark a long-overdue new chapter in Boston’s growth — grounded in affordability, resiliency, and equity,” said Wu. “This ordinance is the biggest step Boston has taken in 70 years to finally begin untangling a system of development rooted in an outdated ideology that left scars in our communities.”

The ordinance, which was filed by the mayor in January and passed by the City Council last Wednesday, would create a Planning Department, operational as of July 1.

Under the ordinance, the department will “will house planning, zoning, development review, urban design, and real estate staff” and is included in the city budget, the city said in a release. It also includes the transfer of support staff from the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA).

The purpose of the department, the city said, is codified as planning for development, use of public land, predictable zoning codes, development processes and urban design standards.

The measure was contentious during debate in the City Council, which will have budgetary oversight of the department. Critics have noted it falls short of the Wu’s initial plans to abolish the BPDA. Department staff will support the BPDA, which will remain the city’s Planning Board, on development and public land projects and planning and zoning initiatives, according to the city.

The city release cited other ongoing proposals to transform Boston’s planning and development, including a home rule petition to end urban renewal and citywide zoning reform.

The new department will be led by Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison, who said the move is a step to “truly transform planning and development in Boston and ensure we are speaking to residents with one voice as the City of Boston.”

Hanover man Graham Abraham has been arrested and charged in connection with calling up the Boston hospital and making a bomb threat.

A Tufts Medical staff member on Feb. 2 reported to Tufts public safety officers that a former patient, later identified as Abraham, called the hospital and made racist remarks along with complaints regarding his experience.

Then about 30 minutes later, another staff member took a call from Abraham and reported that Abraham said, “Everybody is going to die.”

Officers reportedly reviewed the audio from the recorded phone line, and heard Abraham make threats and racist slurs such as: “All (expletive) in your (expletive) vomit hospital must die. (Inaudible) ready to bomb and blow up your hospital. Got guns and knives kill all (expletive). All (expletive) must die. (Expletive) roaches and scum of the earth. All (expletive) must be slaughtered and killed.”

Abraham reportedly made numerous calls to Tufts between Jan. 15 and Feb. 2, all with similar threats.

Police departments, including Transit and Amtrak police, are familiar with Abraham and his frequent calls. Amtrak received 78 calls from Abraham in January, including disturbing statements and bomb threats. Amtrak police has issued a trespass order and banned Abraham from all Amtrak facilities.

Abraham has also been flagged by the ATF and cannot legally purchase a firearm.

“We must take all forms of threats seriously,” Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “The challenge to law enforcement is finding a balance between a person’s mental health needs and the public’s right to be safe and secure in all settings.

“This defendant has made numerous threats and disturbing statements to individuals and institutions that have helped or tried to help him in some way,” Hayden added. “We’re moving forward with criminal action here because it is clearly necessary to prevent potential public harm.”

Abraham has been charged with bomb/hijack threat with serious public alarm.

Judge Mark Summerville ordered Abraham held on $5,000 bail, and to stay away from Tufts Medical Center. Mental health services for Abraham were recommended after an evaluation by a court clinician.

Abraham is also facing charges of threat to commit a crime, and assault and disorderly conduct in BMC Central in relation to two separate incidents. He’s due back in court for all three cases on April 3.

A plan to free up about 43 acres of land along the river to build an arena and park has prompted pushback from officials in Boston, including Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration, who say they have been left out of conversations around a stadium that could draw thousands to games or large events.

The proposal has been cast as potential boon for Everett, with Mayor Carlo DeMaria arguing the city could see millions returned to its coffers if a private development group revamps an outdated powerplant that sits on the site now.

As state lawmakers take another shot at reviewing a bill from Sen. Sal DiDomenico that would open up a pathway to developing the soccer stadium, Boston Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison said the plan does not include “significant parking” at the stadium.

Jemison said there is not enough information for the City of Boston to take a stance on the proposal but suggested Charlestown and surrounding neighborhoods “will bear the brunt” of the transportation impacts as the MBTA’s Sullivan Square stop is the nearest public transit option.

“The project would also rely on the Alford Street Bridge as a pedestrian connection to Sullivan Square, which is currently not safe as a major pedestrian thoroughfare. Last December, a pedestrian was killed at the intersection of Dexter and Alford (Streets),” Jemison said at a hearing before the Legislature’s Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee.

DeDomenico’s bill would remove the land at 173 Alford Street from a designation that restricts its use to commercial fishing, shipping, or other vessel-related activities and allow a developer to convert it into a “professional soccer stadium and a waterfront park.”

The measure has the backing of the Kraft Group and the New England Revolution, a professional soccer team owned by Kraft that could move to the future stadium from its spot at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The location the Kraft Group is eyeing currently features a rundown power plant that DeMaria said can only be cleaned up with the financial and political power of a private development firm.

“They can get it done. They (can) get it cleaned up and build something that’s going to be beautiful,” he said. “There’s no parking spaces. I told them, if we go forward, there’ll be no parking there. We’re going to rely on public transit. We’re going to build out the transportation system.”

Everett is expected to lose out on $55 million in tax revenue between fiscal year 2021 and 2026 “due to the loss of value from this parcel,” DeMaria said. The city has already lost $28 million since fiscal year 2020, he said.

“We need this legislation to help pull Everett back from the harm this loss of revenue is causing our community,” he said.

Traffic concerns and the ability for elected officials and the public from Boston to participate in public meetings on the matter were top of mind for some.

Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents the West End Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Fenway, and Mission Hill, said it would “be a nightmare for traffic” if TD Garden and the proposed stadium had events at the same time.

“Because I represent Fenway Park and because I represent TD Garden. I know that people are often willing to take the ticket and take resident parking if … the ticket is less than parking cost,” Durkan said.

New England Revolution President Brian Bilello said he expects the majority of fans would use public transportation “as they do with most urban stadiums, including new options for getting to a destination via water transit.”

“We’re trying to get the stadium and our club to public transportation, and what we hear from most of our fans is they want to have public access to the stadium. They want to have public transportation. So for us, public transportation is the entire reason why we want to be up in Everett and Greater Boston,” he said.

DiDomenico, a Democrat from Everett, successfully added language to a multi-billion spending bill in the fall that would have cleared the land for development. But it was ultimately cut from the final version after House Democrats said they had many unanswered questions.

Rep. Jerry Perisella, who co-chairs the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee, said he believes the proposal has a chance to move forward this time around.

“I do think that there is some compelling arguments about what would happen to this site otherwise if we don’t allow a stadium to be built,” he said. “There are a lot of environmental issues related to that site.”

This marks the fourth documented North Atlantic right whale death in U.S. waters this year, and the whale’s calf will likely not survive without its mother, officials said.

The New England Aquarium and Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute identified the whale as Catalog #1950, a female that was at least 35 years old. Her carcass was found 50 miles off the coast of Virginia on Saturday. Her calf was not seen in the vicinity of the carcass.

“NOAA Fisheries and our partners have towed the whale to shore for a necropsy,” NOAA Fisheries wrote in its North Atlantic right whale update.

“The whale carcass was scavenged by sharks; wind, weather, and distance from shore presented additional logistical challenges for the tow,” NOAA Fisheries added.

The whale was last seen healthy and with her calf on Feb. 16 off Amelia Island, Florida.

“The situation so far in 2024 for right whales highlights the fact that much more needs to be done to prevent the extinction of this species,” said Amy Knowlton, senior scientist in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, who helped identify the whale.

“It is frustrating that solutions that could address these threats are not being implemented more immediately,” Knowlton added.

Scientists will conduct a thorough internal and external exam, and collect tissue samples to learn more about the whale’s death.

Catalog #1950 suffered three entanglements during her life, yet managed to breed and successfully raise five prior calves — which have all been seen in recent years.

“If she can avoid the double threats of vessel strikes and entanglements, a female right whale can calve throughout her long life, producing ten or more calves,” said Philip Hamilton, senior scientist in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center.

“With the loss of Catalog #1950, her female lineage now rests with her three daughters, none of which have calved yet,” Hamilton added.

Vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the two leading causes of serious injury and mortality to North Atlantic right whales, a critically endangered species with an estimated population of less than 360.

In January, a three-year-old female right whale entangled in fishing gear washed ashore dead on Martha’s Vineyard. Just a few weeks later, NOAA announced that a one-year-old female yearling found off Savannah, Georgia died of blunt force trauma, as evidenced by skull fractures consistent with a vessel strike. Then in early March, the eighth calf of 38-year-old right whale mother “Juno” washed up dead in Georgia after being seen with severe propeller wounds.

To reduce the risk of vessel strikes, NOAA has proposed changes to the existing vessel speed rule.

Meteorologists were warning that the powerful storm could spark power outages in parts of Massachusetts, as utility companies gear up for the early April nor’easter.

For the parts of Massachusetts where snow is predicted, the best chance for accumulating snowfall will be Wednesday night. The snow will be wet and dense, potentially leading to downed trees and power outages.

“The snow concerns will be for the higher elevations,” Bryce Williams, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald.

“The Worcester Hills and northern Massachusetts could see some plowable snow,” he added. “The highest elevations could get 6 to 8 inches of snow.”

The National Weather Service issued a “Winter Storm Watch” for northern Worcester and northern Middlesex counties, along with western Franklin and western Hampshire counties.

Heavy wet snow and sleet will be possible.

“Total snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, with up to 8 inches near the state border with New Hampshire,” NWS warned. “Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.

“Plan on slippery road conditions,” NWS added. “The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.”

Elsewhere in the Bay State, meteorologists are forecasting significant rainfall of 1.5 to 3 inches.

“Some rivers could see some minor flooding,” Williams said.

The strongest wind gusts are expected to occur from midday Wednesday to midday Thursday. Gusts in the 50 mph range are likely.

“Power outages are possible, especially where wet snow accumulates on power lines and trees,” Williams said.

National Grid and Eversource said they were preparing for the storm.

“National Grid is closely monitoring the weather forecast, and we have crews and personnel in place across Massachusetts ready to respond to any impacts this storm may bring,” said Tim Moore, VP of Electric Operations for New England. “We’ll be ready to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. If outages occur, our crews will work to restore the power systems as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Eversource also said the utility company was pre-positioning hundreds of crews and materials to respond to any storm damage.

Another threat from the nor’easter will be coastal flooding, especially around the time of the Thursday morning high tide on the eastern Massachusetts coast.

“There will be some nasty conditions, with 15 to 20 foot waves,” Williams said.

A “Coastal Flood Watch” will be in effect for the eastern Massachusetts coast, including Morrissey Boulevard in Boston.

And with him, so did an integral part of Red Sox history.

John Henry famously told the listeners of “Felger and Mazz” back in 2011 that “Larry Lucchino runs the Red Sox.”

During the time Lucchino “ran the Red Sox,” the team won the World Series three times. In 2004, 2007 and 2013. They also lost Game 7 of the ALCS twice  – on the road – by a combined score of 9-6.

They were “The Other Dynasty.”

Lucchino became Red Sox president and CEO on Nov. 15, 2001. In the 14 seasons that followed under his administration, the Red Sox finished over .500 11 times and made the postseason in 7 seasons.

The Red Sox were 1,247-1,021 (.549) on Lucchino’s watch. Lucchino’s Red Sox won 95 or more games six times. They also finished last three times. Swing big. Miss big. The current Red Sox have finished last in 3 of the past 4 seasons playing the smallest ball possible.

More importantly, Lucchino’s Red Sox tried to win every inning. Every game. Every series. Every season.

Lucchino saw the cash-cow potential in Fenway Park and realized how its milk and honey could be used to finance the most successful MLB franchise during the first two decades of the 21st century.

Not soccer teams. NASCAR teams. Hockey teams. Or the PGA Tour.

And fans rewarded that passion with five seasons of more than 3 million in attendance during Lucchino’s time with the Red Sox, in addition to monstrous ratings on NESN and WEEI. Lucchino was raised in Pittsburgh and attended Yale Law School. But he got it when it came to the Red Sox and the once-unbreakable emotional relationship the team shared with its fan base.

Now that passion, too, has died on both sides of the equation.

Lucchino more so than any other person in the front office changed the historic trajectory of the Red Sox. Dan Duquette came close. But he never got the chance to finish the job.

There was never any concern about salary limitations, luxury taxes, or balancing the books for the Fenway Sports Group.

Lucchino was an OG Jedi Master. He gave us the “Evil Empire” and then oversaw the Red Sox team that blew up the Death Star 20 years ago. Nothing in the Bronx has been the same since. It got so bad they tore the place down four years later.

“The evil empire extends its tentacles even into Latin America,” Lucchino quipped after the Yankees outbid the Red Sox and others for Cuban pitcher Jose Contreras in December 2002.

That non-deal, much like the non-deal that almost brought Alex Rodriguez to the Red Sox, turned out to be a blessing.

Still, the Red Sox never quit trying to get better under Lucchino.

Lucchino was a “killer” in the most non-violent sense of the word. His impact on baseball was clear before he arrived in Boston as part of John Henry’s ownership cabal. While the aloof Henry and his squishy Hollywood pal Tom Werner had the cash, Lucchino delivered the brains and guts of the operation.

Henry said as much in a statement issued by the team above his name Tuesday.

Lucchino “engineered the ideal conditions for championships wherever his path led him, and especially in Boston,” Henry said.

“Yet, perhaps his most enduring legacy lies in the remarkable people he helped assemble at the Red Sox, all of whom are a testament to his training, wisdom, and mentorship. Many of them continue to shape the organization today, carrying forward the same vigor, vitality, and cherished sayings that were hallmarks of Larry’s personality. Larry was a formidable opponent in any arena,” Henry added. “I was lucky enough to have had him in my corner for 14 years and to have called him a close friend for even longer. He was truly irreplaceable.”

Lucchino was president of the Baltimore Orioles when that team built Camden Yards, the first of its kind inner-city ballpark that has been the template of nearly every new MLB park since. He brought Theo Epstein with him to San Diego from Baltimore, and then to Boston.

Lucchino knew that spending and winning went hand-in-hand. And Lucchino knew enough to know what he didn’t know. It was Lucchino who saw enough potential in Epstein to make him Red Sox general manager at age 28.

Theo tried to warn the masses that 2010 was going to be a “bridge year.” Soon he felt enough heat from his boss and lifetime mentor to walk it back. The 2010 Red Sox fell short of the postseason and finished 89-73.

2011 was also a “bridge year” given how many Red Sox fans wanted to leap off the Tobin into an endless metaphorical bucket of chicken and beer after it was over.

The wreckage of baseball’s “Greatest Team Ever” in 2011 wrought the Bobby Valentine Error in 2012.

And just when it seemed the Red Sox franchise had ended its “Dynasty,” the 2013 season delivered a poignant triumph that no one who experienced it will ever forget.

The Red Sox begin their celebration of 2004 before Fenway Park Opening Day on Tuesday. Given the team’s solid start on the West Coast, the game should be sold out by the time fans will be asked to find their seats ahead of the pre-game ceremonies.

Raffy Devers and the Men of Mystery had baseball’s lowest team ERA (1.26) after their first five games. They only walked one opposing batter, granted the Oakland A’s are no longer an official MLB team. The Red Sox also opened 5-0 against the baseball run line (think point spread).

The team will honor the late Tim and Stacy Wakefield before Tuesday’s opener.

And now, Lucchino, sadly, will also be remembered posthumously for his success with the Red Sox.

The end of an era, indeed. In so many ways.

Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @BillSperos) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com.

A number of private colleges — some considered elite and others middle-of-the-pack — have exceeded the $90,000 threshold for the first time this year as they set their annual costs for tuition, board, meals and other expenses. That means a wealthy family with three children could expect to shell out more than $1 million by the time their youngest child completes a four-year degree.

But the sticker price tells only part of the story. Many colleges with large endowments have become more focused in recent years on making college affordable for students who aren’t wealthy. Lower-income families may be required to pay just 10% of the advertised rate and, for some, attending a selective private college can turn out to be cheaper than a state institution.

“Ninety thousand dollars clearly is a lot of money, and it catches people’s attention, for sure,” said Phillip Levine, a professor of economics at Wellesley College. “But for most people, that is not how much they’re going to pay. The existence of a very generous financial aid system lowers that cost substantially.”

Wellesley is among the colleges where the costs for wealthy students will exceed $90,000 for the first time this fall, with an estimated price tag of $92,000. But the institution points out that nearly 60% of its students will receive financial aid, and the average amount of that aid is more than $62,000, reducing their costs by two-thirds.

But many prospective students this year are facing significant delays and anxiety in finding out how much aid they will be offered by colleges due to major problems with the rollout of a new U.S. Department of Education online form that was supposed to make applying for federal aid easier. Many colleges rely on information from the form for determining their own aid offers to students.

“The rollout has been pure chaos and an absolute disaster,” said Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert.

Kantrowitz said that if the significant drop in people applying for aid under the new system persists, it could result in lower enrollments and even force some institutions to close.

Some of the other colleges with sticker prices of more than $90,000 this year include the University of Southern California at $95,000, Harvey Mudd College in California at $93,000, the University of Pennsylvania at $92,000, Brown University in Rhode Island at $92,000, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire at $91,000, and Boston University at $90,000.

Harvard University in Cambridge, puts its cost of attendance this fall at up to $91,000.

An estimated $1.09 billion prize is now on the line for Wednesday’s drawing, which can be paid out in an annuity over 30 years or as a $527.3 million cash payment. Both are subject to state and federal taxes.

“As this jackpot climbs toward a record level, we remind people to keep the experience of playing the Lottery enjoyable by playing responsibly and within their means,” said Mark William Bracken, Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Wednesday will mark the 40th drawing since a Michigan ticketholder last hit the Powerball jackpot on New Year’s, winning $842.4 million.

If won, the $1.09 billion prize would be the fourth largest in the game’s history and the ninth largest in U.S. lottery history. The last record topping jackpot was a $1.765 billion prize won in California on Oct. 11, 2023.

The odds of winning the Powerball’s grand prize are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning any Powerball prize, starting at $4, are about 1 in 38.

In the Powerball drawing on Monday, players won $50,000 Quick Pick prizes from a 7-Eleven in North Reading and a Stop & Shop in Saugus.

Just one week ago, a player in New Jersey won a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history.

Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $2 at Massachusetts lotter retailers until 9:50 p.m. ahead of the drawing on Wednesday.

Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz identified the woman as Sheron Trowers, who was arriving home from a trip to Jamaica when she was shot and killed early Tuesday morning.

Trowers was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center where she was pronounced dead of her injuries.

Authorities found the man, identified as Carlos Brown, dead inside the living room at the Ash Street home, with “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Cruz later told reporters near the property.

“It appears that Ms. Trowers was just arriving home from a trip to Jamaica, her luggage was still in the driveway. It appears she was ambushed,” Cruz said.

“There is a past domestic violence history,” he added. “I would just say to anyone who potentially is in a life-threatening relationship, they should know there is help.”

Cruz did not disclose the extent of Trowers and Brown’s relationship, whether they were married or not, if there were any children present at the time of the early morning shooting and what the “past domestic violence history” entailed.

Brockton Police received two calls reporting the shooting at 524 Ash St., near Brockton High School, Brockton Fairgrounds and Campanelli Stadium, around 1 a.m. One came from inside the home of a report of an unresponsive male, and the second from a neighbor reporting gunshots, according to the DA’s office.

Cruz highlighted SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline and resource for anyone affected by domestic or dating violence that can be accessed 24/7 at 877-785-2020.

“It’s a terrible situation,” Cruz said. “Domestic violence doesn’t have a zip code. It’s everywhere unfortunately, and hopefully, if people need help, they can get help and get out of struggling relationships if they exist.”

Massachusetts State Police troopers responded to a crash involving a cement truck and a pedestrian in a wheelchair in the area of Frontage Road and Traveler Street in South Boston just after 10:10 a.m.

“The pedestrian, an adult male, suffered fatal injuries,” Mass State Police said in a statement.

Police later identified the pedestrian as a 57-year-old Boston man. His name was not immediately released, pending notification of his next-of-kin.

The 2020 Mack Granite cement truck involved in the crash is owned by Boston Sand and Gravel, and the truck was being operated by a 53-year-old Medford man, police said. The truck operator was transported by Boston EMS to a hospital with possible minor injuries.

“No charges have been sought as of this time,” Mass State Police said Tuesday afternoon.

At 10:11 AM Troopers responded to a crash involving a cement truck and a pedestrian at Frontage Road at West 4th St. in South Boston. Patrols, detectives, and our collision reconstruction, crime scene, and commercial vehicle enforcement units are on scene. Updates to follow.

— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) April 2, 2024

This fatal pedestrian incident comes after a 4-year-old girl was struck and killed by a truck in Boston, near Boston Children’s Museum last month. Gracie Gancheva, 4, died following the crash in the Fort Point intersection of Congress and Sleeper streets.

Following that deadly crash, the Boston Transportation Department reported that it’s making safety improvements in the area.

“Last night, BTD restriped all the crosswalks near Congress and Sleeper Streets,” the city’s transportation department posted on Tuesday.

“Intersection daylighting w/ flexposts creates more visibility for drivers and pedestrians,” BTD added. “More safety improvements are on the way ahead of full reconstruction project planned for next year.”

Last night, BTD restriped all the crosswalks near Congress and Sleeper Streets. Intersection daylighting w/ flexposts creates more visibility for drivers and pedestrians. More safety improvements are on the way ahead of full reconstruction project planned for next year. pic.twitter.com/odiQ03me6V

— BostonTransportation (@BostonBTD) April 2, 2024

Against the backdrop of these two recent fatal accidents, a local group that pushes for safer streets is out with its annual fatal pedestrian crash report for Massachusetts. At least 69 pedestrians lost their lives in crashes in Massachusetts last year, accounting for about 20% of the 346 total traffic deaths across the state, according to the report from WalkMassachusetts.

Boston had the most pedestrian deaths last year, recording eight fatalities. Springfield had the second most pedestrian fatalities with seven deaths recorded.

The investigation for Tuesday’s crash is active, and is being conducted by troopers from the State Police-Tunnels Barracks, State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County, Troop H Detectives, and the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, Crime Scene Services Section, and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section.

Fabricio Paes said that he woke shortly after 5 a.m. to the sounds of “people screaming, glass shattering” and thought at first that his two young sons were making a ruckus before school. But then the smell of smoke hit him.

Paes’ family lives on the third floor of 432 Meridian St. The address was the second home hit in the fire called in shortly before 5 a.m. By the time the fire was knocked out, the upper half of the building was a blackened shell.

Paes said that the smoke and then the sounds of his downstairs neighbor pounding on his door and screaming that everyone needed to “get out” woke him out of his funk and into action. By the time he closed his door with his family rushing down the stairs in front of him, he said, his “entire floor was filled with thick, black smoke.”

The roughly 130 firefighters defeated the brunt of the blaze at around 8:30 a.m. In all, the blaze had displaced about 30 residents, as well as some pet birds. One firefighter and six residents, including at least one child, were rushed to the nearest hospital. One resident had been pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Homicide detectives were dispatched to the scene, which a Boston Police Department spokesman said could indicate the death was deemed suspicious.

“The first firefighters that got here had heavy fire showing from two buildings and did rescue of five people over aerial ladders,” Boston Fire Department Commissioner Paul Burke said from the scene. He said the “stubborn fire” had spread to two other homes.

In all, the Fire Department estimated the total damage at $5 million. The two homes most affected by the fire, 432 and 430 Meridian Street — right at the intersection with West Eagle Street — had a combined assessed value of about $1.86 million, with about $1.34 of that as building value, according to city tax records.

At approximately 5:00 heavy fire in a large multi family building on Meridian st East Boston that traveled to the adjacent building . Heavy fire throughout the building , this is now a 6 alarm. pic.twitter.com/MyGNTVDTZu

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) April 2, 2024

There was visible damage to other valuable accessories in proximity to the homes. The hood of a white Toyota Corolla parked behind 430 Meridian St. was blackened and twisted from the heat of the raging fire. All of its windows had been blown out.

The fire, according to authorities and those like Paes displaced by it, first engulfed 430 Meridian St. The multi-family dwelling housed, by at least one neighbor’s estimate, about seven families — three of whom the neighbor knew.

Luckily, Juanita Brown said that everyone she was close with in the building was fine, but one of the women told her that “She’s devastated. She lost everything.”

“I just want to get down on my hands and knees and pray for them,” Brown said, adding that it is the first time she has experienced a big fire in the 16 years she has lived in the immediate area.

She said she’s already reached out to Mayor Michelle Wu and East Boston’s city councilor, Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta, to ask about how she can help, and she encouraged others to do the same.

Companies are attacking the exposure building with and interior and exterior attack and from the roof deck from the building in the rear to keep it from spreading down block pic.twitter.com/zCEYGiMRNa

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) April 2, 2024

At the scene of the blaze, Mayor Wu described the fire as “incredibly heartbreaking,” adding that she shares “her deepest condolences” with the family of the unidentified person who died.

“We will do whatever we can to help all of those who have been displaced,” Wu said, adding the quick response of the firefighters from all around the city saved the day.

Coletta tweeted a link to a fundraiser page run by the East Boston Social Centers that specifies that it’s “focused on raising money to provide families with help and dignity as they navigate this tragedy.”

Coletta tweeted that she’s “Grateful to the @BostonFire, @BOSTON_EMS @bostonpolice and all first responders who acted quickly to maintain this 6-alarm fire in East Boston.”

The fire remains under investigation.

Over 130 Firefighters battled the 6 alarm fire. Companies starting to make up 30 residents , a couple of birds displaced 1 Firefighter and 6 residents were transported ⁦@BOSTON_EMS⁩ . Damages estimated at 5 million dollars. pic.twitter.com/pBnnYWsnDs

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) April 2, 2024

Commissioner Burke and ⁦@MayorWu⁩ brief the media on the 6 alarm fire in East Boston. 5 residents were rescued over ladders but sadly there was 1 fatality. pic.twitter.com/qO2GJGLqHv

— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) April 2, 2024

While hundreds of veterans in Massachusetts struggle with homelessness, Healey picked the soldiers’ home property – which is deeded for use by veterans – for the latest shelter for the thousands of migrant families pouring into the state.

State officials argue that the building converted into migrant housing was vacant and slated to be demolished anyway, so they decided to use it for the migrant influx which is blowing a billion dollar a year hole in the state budget.

“Massachusetts has proven that we can take care of veterans and families experiencing homelessness in our state,” Secretary of Veterans Services Dr. Jon Santiago said in a statement. “While EOVS formerly operated the building slated for demolition, this project operates independently and will not impact the daily routines or services at the Massachusetts Veterans Home at Chelsea.

Really? They haven’t been doing a good job if you look at the number of homeless veterans – which stood at more than 500 one night last year.

Santiago — a former Democratic state rep — is supposed to make veterans his number one priority but clearly he’s more loyal to Healey than he is to our military heroes.

Healey and Santiago have their usual coat holders in the media to back them up, but the fact is the state could have used that vacant property at the soldiers’ home use for a number of uses for veterans, who need medical and mental health care as well as housing.

More than 100 migrant families are expected to move into the soldiers’ home property in the next month. Veterans were charged a fee to live there, but migrants will live there for free with all amenities like food and health care provided for free.

Massachusetts is facing a massive budget deficit to pay for migrants to live here, and officials admit they are pondering severe cuts to programs to prevent the state from going bankrupt.

With veterans now pushed aside, who will be next? Firefighters? Police? First responders? Towns and cities? The poor and middle class?

Healey, a Democratic first term governor, has been taking heat for her handling of the migrant crisis for months, and the conversion of the soldiers’ home is just the latest political debacle, judging by some of the response by Massachusetts residents.

In an attempt to control the damage, Healey announced last month that families will have to prove they have been looking for housing and jobs every month in order to stay at the shelters. The state Senate voted last month to limit the stay of migrants at shelters to nine months, with exceptions for pregnant women and people who are in job training programs.

This isn’t the first time Healey has chosen the migrants over veterans – the state turned several hotels near Gillette Stadium in Foxboro to migrant shelters, forcing out dozens of veterans and service members from their booked rooms for the Army-Navy football game.

The veterans had to fend for themselves after their rooms were canceled – and Healey and Santiago showed little interest in helping them.

Tania Fernandes Anderson has logged seven absences at regular weekly City Council meetings since taking office in January 2022, putting her at the bottom of the pack according to publicly-posted meeting minutes that track attendance — one of the metrics she describes as being “imperative” to assessing the performance of councilors in a hearing order she’s pushing this week.

“The roles and responsibilities of Boston city councilors are fundamental to the effective governance of our city, impacting the lives of residents and shaping the future of our communities,” Fernandes Anderson states in a hearing order filed for consideration at the Wednesday Council meeting.

“It is imperative to establish clear metrics to assess the performance of Boston city councilors in fulfilling their duties to their constituents, necessitating the implementation of measurable criteria such as responsiveness to constituent inquiries, attendance at meetings and hearings, and effectiveness in advancing key policy objectives,” she goes on to state.

Analyzing metrics and accountability as they relate to accountability and transparency, Fernandes Anderson writes, “could provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of governance mechanisms, highlight areas for improvement, and foster a culture of openness and responsiveness within institutions.”

Three of four absences logged in 2023 by Fernandes Anderson — who oversaw a budget process last fiscal year that sought to cut millions from the Boston Police Department — occurred on days when the Council took big votes on public safety.

She was absent on Sept. 13, when councilors voted to reject three $850,000 grants for the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, and again on Oct. 4, when four grants totaling $3.4 million were approved for the police department’s intelligence arm, over concerns the other councilors of color raised about the BRIC’s gang database.

Fernandes Anderson was also absent on Dec. 13, when the council voted, 12-0, to approve a new five-year contract for the city’s largest police union, and 6-6 to block a $13 million counter-terrorism grant for the metro Boston region.

She was present, however, and voted in favor of the federal counter-terrorism grant when, after a firestorm of criticism, it came before, and was passed by the body, 11-0-2, this term, on Jan. 31, 2024.

The hearing order she filed also calls for reviewing metrics and accountability as they relate to voting records, which she states “could offer a comprehensive understanding of elected officials’ performance, enhance public trust in the democratic process and facilitate informed decision-making by constituents.”

In the latest big vote taken by the Council, Fernandes Anderson joined at-Large Councilor Julia Mejia in voting ‘present,’ or abstaining from taking an on-the-record stance on a mayoral planning ordinance approved last week — which gave Mayor Michelle Wu the authority to create a new city planning department.

Of the 13 current councilors, Mejia was tied with Council Vice President Brian Worrell with having the second-most absences, six, since last term. Mejia was one of two councilors who voted ‘present’ on the anti-terror grant in January.

Fernandes Anderson and Mejia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Former Councilor Frank Baker, who chose not to seek reelection last year, was tied with Fernandes Anderson with seven absences in the 2022-23 council term, and Kendra Lara, who lost her bid for reelection, was not far behind with five absences.

Of a City Council that now makes $115,000 apiece annually, after voting themselves a raise that kicked in this past January, only Erin Murphy had perfect attendance over that 27-month time period.

Steward Health Care, which owns nine hospitals in Massachusetts, announced that their plans to close New England Sinai to the state in December. Steward’s ongoing financial distress continue to threaten other Massachusetts hospitals, and with a strong push from the state, the company is looking to sell their remaining facilities in the state.

The closure will remove 39 rehabilitation service beds, 119 chronic care service beds, and all ambulatory care services at the hospital, Steward wrote in a 90-day notice to the Department of Public Health in January.

The notice noted New England Sinai’s financial performance has decreased by more than 1,600% over five years, citing the “chronic under-reimbursement rates through public programs like Medicaid,” increased labor and material costs and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hospital was operating at about 40% capacity in 2024, the notice said, the hospital “does not anticipate a significant impact on patient access following the closure,” listing other rehabilitation and specialty care facilities in Stoughton, New Bedford, Braintree and Boston. All the patients were discharged ahead of the closure on Tuesday, Steward said previously.

Stoughton residents noted the impact of the closure Monday, noting family members, friends and neighbors treated.

“This is definitely a loss for the community,” said Leslie Baker, a long-term resident of the Stoughton area. “I haven’t been myself, but I know people who’ve been treated. And I knew a nurse who worked there. It was definitely an important place for many people.”

The Stoughton-based hospital traces its roots to 1927, when it opened as the nonprofit hospital Jewish Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Rutland, Massachusetts, according to the hospital site.

“Good Samaritan (Hospital in Brockton) is pretty close,” said Josh Miller. “But you can tell we can use more health care around here. For sure.”

The future of the facility is not yet certain, town officials said.

“Sinai Hospital has been a long term Corporate partner and a valuable contributor to our tax base,” Stoughton Town Manager Thomas Calter said Monday. “While they have kept us informed of their plan to close, they have provided no additional insight into their plans for the building. It is our hope that the real estate will remain a facility where Stoughton residents can benefit from their services and whereby it will continue to be a valuable asset benefiting the town of Stoughton.”

Old Man Winter just doesn’t want to call it quits for the season, as a nasty nor’easter is set to blast Massachusetts with several inches of snow for parts of the region.

The strong storm, which is expected to start Tuesday night and stay until Thursday, will likely deliver powerful gusty winds and drop buckets of rain on most areas. There will be a threat for power outages, along with river flooding and coastal flooding concerns.

It looks like all rain for the Boston-area, while the National Weather Service’s greatest confidence for snow accumulation is across the northern Worcester Hills and northern Berkshires.

NWS has issued a “Winter Storm Watch” for western Franklin and western Hampshire counties, where meteorologists are forecasting a chance for more than 7 inches of snow.

“As you go out west into the higher elevations, wet snow will fall especially on Wednesday night,” NWS Boston meteorologist Andy Nash told the Herald.

“There could be a few inches across the Worcester Hills,” he added. “The higher you are, the more snow there could be. Also, wet snow could be sticking to trees and power lines, which could result in some power problems.”

Very windy conditions, with gusts in the 50 mph range, adds to the power outage potential.

Winds should peak Wednesday night into Thursday, especially for the eastern Massachusetts coast and in the higher terrain.

As for northern Worcester County, the chance for more than 3 inches of snow is between 50% and 70% based off model estimates. In the city of Worcester, there’s a 25% chance for up to an inch of snow.

Outside of the higher elevations, the rain is expected to begin Tuesday afternoon, with the heaviest coming down Wednesday and Wednesday night.

“It’s a fairly long duration storm, and when it all comes to an end on Thursday, the Boston-area is looking at upwards of a couple inches of rain,” Nash said.

Saturated ground and swollen rivers from recent heavy rain could lead to urban or poor drainage flooding, with a renewed risk for minor river flooding.

Also, there will be a chance for coastal flooding around the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning high tides. The greatest potential on the eastern Massachusetts coast will be Thursday morning. In Boston Harbor, high tide takes place at around 6:35 a.m. on Thursday.

Meanwhile, parts of New Hampshire and Maine could be in store for a whopper of a snow storm. More than 18 inches of snow will be possible in northern New England from the April nor’easter.

“Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow,” NWS warns. “The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause scattered to numerous power outages. Significant snowfall and periods of heavy snowfall rates will combine with low visibility to create very dangerous driving conditions.”

ABORTION RIGHTS

The proposed amendment would protect the right to an abortion after the state in back-to-back years passed tougher restrictions currently being challenged in court. Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody argued that the proposed amendment is deceptive and that voters won’t realize just how far it will expand access to the procedure.

The ruling could give Democrats a boost in the polls in a state that used to be a toss-up in presidential elections. While many voters aren’t enthusiastic about a rematch between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, it could inspire more abortion rights advocates to cast a ballot. Trump won Florida four years ago.

The proposed amendment says “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” It provides for one exception that is already in the state constitution: Parents must be notified before their minor children can get an abortion.

Proponents of the measure argued the language of the ballot summary and the proposed amendment are concise and that Moody was playing politics instead of letting voters decide the issue.

Florida is one of several states where voters could have a direct say on abortion questions this year.

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA

Voters will decide whether to allow companies that grow and sell medical marijuana to sell it to adults over 21 for any reason. The ballot measure also would make possession of marijuana for personal use legal.

Moody also argued this proposal is deceptive, in part, because federal law still doesn’t allow use of marijuana for recreational or medical use of marijuana. She argued that the court previously erred when it approved the language for the medical marijuana ballot initiative voters passed in 2016.

This, too, could be an issue that motivates more Democrats to vote.

The court’s review of the ballot language was limited to whether voters could understand it and that it contained a single issue, not on the merits of the proposal itself. The measures need 60% approval from voters to pass.

The Herald reached out to Massachusetts Port Authority on Monday about whether Massport is seeing more, less, or delayed cargo due to the catastrophic bridge crash.

The largest port in Massachusetts has space right now, but a Massport spokesperson reported that ports closer to Baltimore would probably receive more ships and cargo due to the bridge collapse.

“Boston could certainly take more ships and cargo, but it is more likely that other major ports like Norfolk, VA and NY/ NJ will take the majority of the ships and cargo diverted away from Baltimore,” the Massport spokesperson said in a statement.

Baltimore is one of the largest ports along the East Coast and can handle much larger ships than Boston’s port.

“Shipping companies will try to do what’s most efficient and cost effective,” the Massport spokesperson added. “We won’t know for a while how long before ships will be able to access the Port of Baltimore.”

The Associated Press reported on Monday that the U.S. Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in the clearing of debris at the site of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge. It’s part of a phased approach to opening the main channel leading to the port.

Authorities believe that eight workers fell off the bridge during the collapse. Two workers survived, two bodies were found in a submerged pickup, and four more men are presumed dead. Weather conditions and the tangled debris underwater have made it too dangerous for divers to search for their bodies.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a Monday news conference that his top priority is recovering the four bodies, followed by reopening shipping channels to the port. He said he understands the urgency but that the risks are significant. He said crews have described the mangled steel of the fallen bridge as “chaotic wreckage.”

President Joe Biden will visit the collapse site Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Monday. He will meet with state and local officials and get an “on-the-ground look” at federal response efforts, Jean-Pierre said.

Moore said he expects the president will leave with a better understanding of the task at hand.

“He’s going to see the fact that we have a ship that is almost the size of the Eiffel Tower, that weighs about as much as the Washington Monument, that’s in the middle of the Patapsco River,” Moore said. “He’s going to see a bridge that has been in existence since I was alive — I don’t know what that skyline looks like without the Key bridge — and he is going to come and he’s going to see it sitting on top of a ship.”

The Small Business Administration has opened two centers in the area to help companies get loans to assist them with losses caused by the disruption of the bridge collapse.

Yvette Jeffery, a spokesperson for the agency’s disaster recovery office, said affected businesses can receive loans for as much as $2 million. She said the effects could range from supply-chain challenges to decreased foot traffic in communities that depended heavily on the bridge.

The bridge fell as the crew of the cargo ship Dali lost power and control March 26. They called in a mayday, which allowed just enough time for police to stop vehicles from driving onto the bridge, but not enough time to get a crew of eight workers off the structure.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

A woman was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport over the weekend after she reportedly tried to transport nearly $400,000 worth of marijuana, according to police.

The 28-year-old Michigan woman — Nalexus Palmer — has been ordered held on $3,000 bail after being arrested at Logan for attempting to move 74 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana to London, the Suffolk DA’s Office said Monday.

The marijuana shipment would have had a street value of $370,000 in the U.K., police said. Marijuana is illegal in the U.K., where it has an illicit-market street value of about $5,000 per pound. Marijuana possession is legal in Michigan and Massachusetts.

“While laws regarding simple possession in Michigan, Massachusetts and many other states may have changed, laws regarding marijuana trafficking haven’t, and anyone thinking they can move large quantities across state or international lines is taking a major risk,” Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “This defendant discovered that very quickly over the weekend.”

On Saturday at about 9 p.m., Massachusetts State Police troopers were called to Logan on a report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents had seized about 74 pounds of suspected marijuana from a passenger, later identified as Palmer.

The Michigan woman had flown from Detroit to Boston, with further plans to travel to London. Agents seized two large suitcases containing multiple vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana. Each bag also contained an Apple AirTag.

“Palmer told State Police detectives she did not know what was in the bags and that an unknown woman had dropped them off to her earlier that day,” police said in a statement. “She said a man had organized the drop off but that she did not know the man’s name.”

Palmer reportedly said she met the man four years ago in Atlanta, and that he has provided her with money through Zelle and Cash App. She claimed that the man was going to give her money for a car when she arrived in London.

Palmer was charged in East Boston BMC with trafficking marijuana between 50 and 100 pounds.

Judge Debra DelVecchio set $3,000 bail and ordered Palmer to surrender her passport and stay away from Logan Airport, except for legitimate travel.

Palmer is scheduled to return to court on May 24 for a probable cause hearing.

“First and foremost, I want to express my sincere and continued concern for Wrentham resident Michael C. Barry, whom I accidentally struck on the evening of February 16th, 2024, as I was driving to my home in my town issued vehicle through the Town of Wrentham.

As the report filed by the Wrentham Police states: I was driving on South St. toward the center and came to the intersection of Creek St. where I needed to make a left-hand turn.  As I proceeded to make the left turn onto Creek St., the vehicle lights caught the reflective vest of a person in the crosswalk. I immediately applied my brakes, but unfortunately, the car made contact with him, knocking him to the ground. I immediately exited my vehicle to render first aid and called 911.  I remained on scene with Mr. Barry until the Wrentham Police and Fire Departments responded. At that time, I answered questions, and upon my request took a breathalyzer test which read 0.0% blood alcohol content.

Upon the arrival of first responders, Mr. Barry was alert and conscious, and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. I stayed on scene until the scene was cleared.

The investigating officer issued a Massachusetts Civil Citation for Chapter 89 Section 11, Marked Crosswalks/Yielding the right of way to pedestrians, which I have paid.

My vehicle sustained no damage, with the exception of a scuff mark on the right front corner, therefore no tow was necessary. Upon clearing the scene, I immediately notified Canton officials as to what happened.

This was an unfortunate accident. Upon further reflection and considering the amount of attention that has been focused on Canton, I should have issued a statement sooner.”

A judge ruled Monday that 52-year-old Vadim Vorobyov, who is facing charges of risk of injury to a child, first-degree larceny, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree kidnapping, will be held on a $800,000 bond.

On March 29, Vorobyov allegedly stole a vehicle while a child was inside, prompting a frantic search for Liam David Pagan, a 3-year-old boy with autism.

An Amber Alert was issued for Pagan, who was found at a hotel in Windsor at 10:42 a.m. on Friday. Investigators found Vorobyov, nearby, according to Connecticut State Police.

State police said they tracked the stolen red Toyota Camry to Windsor, where the Enfield Police Department deployed their K-9 Dunkin, who traced a scent to the front of a Dollar Tree store.

Inside, they found and arrested Vorobyov, according to state police.

Vorobyov was brought into a courtroom at Hartford Superior Court in a tan prison-issue jumpsuit with shackles on his wrists and ankles just before 1 p.m. Monday.

State prosecutors said plans are in the works to extradite him to Massachusetts.

A bail commissioner Monday suggested he be held on a $500,000 bond, while the state countered for a higher bond of $1 million due to the serious nature of the charges.

The judge ruled that he be held on a $800,000 bond with conditions that he have no contact with the child or the child’s family.

The bail commissioner said Vorobyov has no criminal record in Connecticut but has a record in Massachusetts on charges of assault and battery in 2016. In an older case dated back to 1993, he was convicted of stealing a vehicle, the commissioner said.

A hearing will be held to screen his case for transfer to Part A court, where major crimes are heard. He is due to return to court on April 18.

The Massachusetts State Police said after his capture on Friday that the alleged abduction occurred when Vorobyov tried to make off with the car.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that at approximately 8:40 AM VOROBYOV came across the Toyota Camry as it was parked outside a residence on Exchange Street in Chicopee with the motor running and the child in the backseat,” Mass State Police said in a statement. “He entered the vehicle and drove away.”

Information from the Boston Herald was used in this report.

From a Massachusetts state senator calling for “An Act banning Starbucks” to the Canton-based coffee giant announcing another name change, Dunkin’ reigned supreme on the internet yet again.

But let’s not forget about Market Basket, which announced “#MoreForYourDollar Weddings” in your favorite supermarket aisle — which many shoppers would probably actually consider for their wedding day.

Quincy Sen. John Keenan got people laughing on social media on Monday when he posted a video about the importance of Dunkin’ for the region, calling for the banishment of Starbucks

“We all know that America runs on Dunkin’, and Massachusetts is no exception,” Keenan said in the video.

He noted that Quincy, the City of Presidents, is where the very first Dunkin’ location opened.

In the video, a caption next to a picture of Quincy native President John Adams says he was a “two cream, one sugar kind of guy.”

“I see it as my sworn duty to promote this important part of our collective history,” the state senator said. “That’s why I’m filing legislation to ban all Starbucks.”

” ‘An Act banning Starbucks… or else’ will require all Starbucks locations within the Commonwealth to cease operations, as well as prohibit the sale of all Starbucks products,” he added. “Store locations will have a period of 6 months to surrender their beans, and there will be a ban on Cakepops that will go into effect immediately.”

With a nod to the Boston Tea Party, Keenan said the state will dispose of all Starbucks’ “contraband” in the Boston Harbor this December.

Under the legislation, Keenan said the state’s motto would also change to “Fac Tempus Doughnutius” to “recognize our Commonwealth’s dedication to hard work.”

Calling on all #DunKings and #DunQueens to help us pass An Act banning Starbucks… or else. Massachusetts runs on @dunkindonuts #MAPoli pic.twitter.com/NpnwH6sLsC

— John F. Keenan (@SenJohnFKeenan) April 1, 2024

Meanwhile on April Fools’ Day, Dunkin’ said it was changing its name, again.

“now we’re just DONUTS’. we will have coffee still,” Dunkin’ posted on social media. “pls don’t ask any other questions. just going thru it rn.”

“America Runs on the DONUTS,” its social media account reads.

Also on April Fools’ Day, Market Basket told shoppers to save the date.

“Coming soon to a Market Basket near you: #MoreForYourDollar Weddings,” Market Basket posted.

“Walk down the aisle in your favorite aisle,” MB added. “You’ll exchange vows with your loved one in an intimate ceremony, then guests will enjoy a Market’s Kitchen dinner and Bakery cake at the reception.”

Also in Amesbury, the police department joked that it was buying a $604,000 Lamborghini for its fleet of patrol cars.

“Recently citizens voiced concerns on social media about APD’s purchase of a Ford pickup truck,” Amesbury Police posted. “Chief Bailey echoed their concerns and said ‘pickups in New England just don’t make sense, have you seen the crazy drivas out there, how the heck are we supposed to catch criminals in a truck, I mean….where do we put them? Not to mention in the Lambo, we’ll be able to catch way more speedahs!’ ”

Taste of Massachusetts also on April Fools’ Day posted that Boston is banning influencers and cameras in restaurants.

“A new ordinance starting today, passed by the Boston City Council designs to ban Influencers, cameras and all photography during hours restaurant are open to the public,” Taste of Massachusetts wrote. “The move is designed to make the dining experience in Boston more pleasant and attract more diners.”

Early Sunday morning, police officers responded to the area of 4 Sumner Square for a report of a loud party. Responding cops saw multiple vehicles parked on the sidewalk along both sides of the street, blocking emergency vehicle access.

Officers reported that they could hear loud music, and saw a group of about 70 people at about 4:15 a.m. The cops told the group to leave the area, and the partygoers refused.

Then the officers reportedly saw 20-year-old Luca Delguado Santos, of Mattapan, “enticing the crowd by playing music from a portable boombox.”

“As officers approached the suspect, they advised him to turn the speaker off,” police said in a statement. “At this time, Santos swung the speaker and struck a police officer in the knee.”

The cops grabbed the speaker from Santos, and then a large crowd formed around the officers. That’s when a second suspect — 24-year-old Stephanie Ilma, of Mattapan — “became extremely aggressive towards officers and refused officers orders to step back.”

“Officers informed Ilma she was being placed under arrest, and she began to be combative by punching multiple officers,” police said. “A violent struggle ensued, and officers were safely able to place Ilma into handcuffs.”

During the struggle, Santos reportedly jumped on top of the officers and tried to intervene in Ilma’s arrest. With the help of responding officers, Santos was also detained.

Then 20-year-old Miguel Martinez, of Boston, reportedly began to entice the crowd that was formed around the arresting officers. Cops told the suspect to leave the area, which he refused, and Martinez was subsequently placed under arrest.

After a search related to her arrest, officers recovered a taser from Ilma’s purse.

Santos was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace.

Ilma was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm (taser), assault and battery with a dangerous weapon to wit shod foot, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace.

Martinez was charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and interfering with a police officer.

All three suspects were expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.

At the same time, though, reverberations from the deadly disaster at the important Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore will soon be felt in Massachusetts, no matter what Healey does.

You can bet, now that President Joe Biden has promised that the federal government will pay untold millions, or “the entire cost,” of a new Baltimore bridge, there will not be much, if any, money left over for two new Cape Cod bridges.

“We are going to stay with you as long as it takes,” Biden said to Baltimore politicians and residents following the collapse, which is what he once said to the Israelis.

While there is hardly any comparison to the economic importance of the two bridge sites, the Cape Cod bridges are vital to the economy of the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

But the port of Baltimore, now blocked by the collapsed bridge, leads the nation in automobile and truck imports, as well as being the main port for the export of coal, among other things.

The two Cape Cod bridges, the Sagamore and the Bourne, which are now almost 90 years old, are still standing, of course, but were declared “functionally obsolete” years ago by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which built, owns and maintains them.

It is estimated that it will cost some $4.2 billion to replace both. When and if they are replaced with two new bridges, they will be turned over to the state.

However, paying for the demolition and construction of two new bridges has been a bone of contention between the state and the federal government.

And matters will only get worse for Healey and Massachusetts now that Biden and political leaders—rightly so– deal with the Baltimore situation first.

Under a proposed pending deal—before the Baltimore bridge collapsed—the Healey administration agreed with federal officials on a plan to build the new $2.1 billion Sagamore Bridge first and the Bourne later.

Under the agreement the state will come up with $700 million and the Army Corps of Engineers with $600 million for a total of $1.3 billion. There was no mention of where the rest of the money would come from.

There is also the possibility that Biden will be defeated by Donlad Trump in November, a man Healey sued 100 times when he was president, and she was attorney general. She is now a campaign surrogate for Biden and attacks Trump regularly.

Unless Healey changes strategy the outlook for two new Cape Cod bridges is dismal.

What she could consider is building the new bridges the way the state built the Massachusetts Turnpike, its Boston extension and the Callahan Tunnel in the fifties and sixties.

Back then the state created the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and named William F. Callahan, a crusty but powerful bureaucrat who knew something about building roads.

Callahan, who at times seemed to have more power than the governor and Legislature combined, cut through opposition to the turnpike project as well as government red tape.

In the end he got the project done and named the Callahan Tunnel after his son U.S. Army Lt. William F. Callahan Jr. who was killed in Italy during the closing days of World War II.

But the key to the success of the project was that it was started and finished without raising taxes, using state cash or begging for federal funding.

The project was financed through the issuing of bonds backed by the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth as well as the imposing of tolls on drivers who use the turnpike and tunnel.

Healey should consider using the same method to build and pay for the bridges. If it worked for the Massachusetts Turnpike and it could work for the bridges.

Peter Lucas is a veteran political reporter. Email him at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com

More than 20 migrant families have called Harborside Suites in South Yarmouth their home since last September, but the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals has declared the motel has violated a local bylaw that limits temporary stays to less than 30 days.

“We would move today if we could,” motel Attorney Mark Boudreau said during a meeting last week. “The migrants that are there, they are ready to move. A lot of them have work visas… They would like to get going so they can obtain work where they’re going to be.”

Building Commissioner Mark Grylls issued a violation notice to the motel – currently housing 27 families – last October, but he told the ZBA he had to have their blessing before he could start imposing fines.

Harborside Suites, on Route 28 in the popular summer vacation beach town, sought a reversal of the violation, pointing to state officials that had said that “emergency needs of migrant families supersede the occupancy requirements of local zoning.”

But ZBA Vice Chairman Sean Igoe countered that he’s not confident Gov. Maura Healey’s migrant state-of-emergency carries more weight than local ordinances.

In her declaration last August, Healey wrote: “To the cities and towns across the state, many of which have a rich history tied to waves of immigrants settling within their borders, I am encouraging their communities to keep welcoming those families who wish to resettle in all corners of Massachusetts.”

Igoe took exception to the governor’s wording before the ZBA voted to uphold Grylls’ violation notice. “She’s just urging the cities and towns, she’s not ordering us to do it,” he said.

The state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities did not immediately respond to a Herald request for comment on Saturday.

In January, the ZBA approved Harborside Suites maintaining the migrants as Boudreau had told members that the motel heard from the state that the families would be moved to a “larger facility in the Foxboro area” that would “provide better opportunities for food and room.”

Motels that housed migrants in Bourne and Wareham, which Boudreau represents, have been “completely evacuated,” the attorney said. The future shelter for the Yarmouth migrant families, he added, is “within a 20-mile radius of Foxboro.”

“Unfortunately, the property did not pass inspection and had some code violations so they have not moved,” Boudreau said last Thursday. “Everyone is aware in the motel that they will be moving as soon as the property is ready.”

The exact date when the families will be moving out is unclear, but in previous violations of the Yarmouth motel-stay ordinance, the ZBA has given 45 to 90 days depending on the situation, Grylls said.

“I don’t believe we’ve had circumstances like this,” he said.

Harborside Suites is the latest motel or hotel to be thrust into the spotlight of the Massachusetts migrant crisis.

A 26-year-old Haitian national, living at a Rockland motel housing migrants, was charged with aggravated rape of a 15-year-old girl who police described in a report as “disabled,” on March 14. A Hingham judge found Cory Alvarez dangerous a week later and ordered him held without bail.

Taunton officials in February sued the owners of the Clarion Hotel housing migrant families in that city for providing living quarters to nearly 450 people, more than 350-person capacity. The suit seeks over $100,000 in overdue civil fines.

House Speaker Ron Mariano has suggested that broad budget cuts could be on the table when lawmakers sit down next year to draft the fiscal year 2026 budget, fueled by the historically high cost of running the state-run shelters.

With an expected $932 million tab this fiscal year and $915 million in the next to maintain shelters, associated services, and keep municipal reimbursements on track, Mariano projected that a range of other programs could be on the chopping block and put the blame on the feds and their lack of action in solving the migrant crisis.

In his fight with the Yarmouth ZBA, Boudreau highlighted the state’s “great expense” while arguing that the emergency declaration and right-to-shelter law –  homeless families and pregnant women must be provided housing in the Bay State – took precedence over local ordinance.

“To the extent that there is a question of safety and a question of the adequacy of the rooms,” Boudreau said, “the Commonwealth has at great expense provided food, shelter, education, medicine and medical care. They’ve arrived legally, and my client is simply trying to cooperate with the town and the state in getting them moved.”

Since migrant families arrived at Harborside Suites last fall, Yarmouth firefighters responded to a flooding at the motel in January, and a 6-month-old baby was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital the day after they took up residence, according to the hyperlocal Hyannis News. The baby had  “phlegm coming from her mouth, with blood-tinged sputum, according to radio transmissions,” the hyperlocal Hyannis News reported.

Town leaders assured residents last December that there were no active cases of tuberculosis at the motel after a brief scare, the Cape Cod Times reported.

Yarmouth resident Cheryl Ball told the Herald Saturday she is “very pleased” with the ZBA’s decision and hopes it creates a precedent across the state.

“It’s draining our resources,” Ball said of the impact the migrant families have had on the town. “They’re a burden on our education system because we have to pay extra tax dollars to support them in our schools. We have emergency services that we are providing to the hotel that comes out of our tax money.”

“On Easter morning, Trooper Peter Spinale happened upon this injured owl on Rt 1 North in Danvers,” the Massachusetts State Police posted on X, formerly Twitter, just before 11 a.m. Sunday, posting photos of a seemingly-hunched owl with prominent ear tufts on the side of the road and in a crate for transport.

Spinale stood on the side of the road and set up flares to protect the bird until the Massachusetts Environmental Police arrived. The Environmental Police transported the bird to a wildlife rehab facility.

The police did not initially offer any information on the condition or species of the bird.

State Police said they did not have any updates on the owl as of 5 p.m. Sunday.

No one has won the Powerball jackpot since New Year’s Day, when a Michigan ticket holder collected a $842.4 million prize. If won, the nearly $1 billion jackpot could be collected in an annuity paid out over 30 years or as a $471.7 million cash option, with both subject to state and federal taxes.

After Saturday, there have been 38 drawings with no winner, nearing the all-time record for winnerless Powerball drawings streaks. The current record was set in 2021 and 2022 at 41 consecutive drawings without a winner.

The Powerball jackpot has broken $1 billion only four times in the game’s history. The largest Powerball prize — and largest lottery prize ever won — was a $2.04 billion jackpot on Nov. 7, 2022, sold to a resident in California.

The Powerball jackpot would be the 10th largest lottery prize in U.S. history if a ticket holder gets lucky on Monday’s drawing.

The whopping Powerball prize continues to grow just days after a ticket sold in New Jersey won a $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, the eighth largest prize in the country’s history.

The odds for Saturday’s Powerball drawing were were 1 in 292.2 million.

Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Drawings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m., and tickets can be purchased for $2 Massachusetts lottery retailers up to two hours before each drawing.

Luke Faletra registered four goals and an assist as Central Catholic edged Westford Academy, 10-9. … Luke Kelly and Cam McCarthy had had tricks as St. John’s Prep defeated Acton-Boxboro, 11-9.

Josh Do, Will Croom, Chad Bartlett and Keaton Gaynor each scored a pair of goals as Rivers (2-0) defeated New Hampton 11-7 in NEPSAC action.

Girls lacrosse

Sara McLeod scored five goals, while teammate Audrey Toce added three goals and an assist as Billerica (1-0) defeated Winchester 11-9 in a nonleague contest. … Sienna Reeves scored four goals and Coral Punch added three as Nauset defeated Mashpee, 17-5. … Shannon Balfe and Lily O’Donnell each had three goals as Whitman-Hanson edged Bridgewater-Raynham, 9-8. … Bailey Lower, Cydney Mosscrop and Emerson Pekarcik all recorded hat tricks as Nantucket cruised to a 16-1 win over rival Martha’s Vineyard. … Lydia Tangney scored four goals as Brooks (2-0) defeated Holderness, 13-11.

Softball

Jackie Giordano struck out 11 in five innings, while helping her own cause with a home run as Brooks defeated Kimball Union 14-4 in the NEPSAC. Sophia Alvarez-Backus went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Kay LaLiberty added two hits and two runs scored.

Hockey

Massachusetts swept all three games against Connecticut in the annual Conn./Mass. All-Star Border Challenge.

In the girls games, Duxbury’s Zoey Madigan scored twice in earning game MVP honors in a 6-3 win. Also scoring were Caroline Doherty (Hingham), Madeleine Greenwood (Duxbury), Ava Iantosca (Dedham) and Callie Pineau (Norwood/Scituate/Abington).

Oliver Ames’ Matt Lawson scored twice on his way to MVP honors, while Noah Gurdin (Brookline) tallied the game-winner in overtime to give Massachusetts a 6-5 win in the Senior Game. Henry Eaton (Medway), Aiden Umina (Newton North) and Casey Kelley (Archbishop Williams) had the other goals.

In the Sophomore/Junior Game, MVP Will Manchuso (Concord-Carlisle), Brady Leonard (Essex Tech) and Shaun Teehan (Oliver Ames) tallied twice in a 10-3 victory. Nolan Dawson (Billerica), Seumas McMakin (Burlington), Finn Kelly (Archbishop Williams) and Mike Yucius (Duxbury) also scored.

Scores

BASEBALL

Austin Prep 10, Wilbraham & Monson 0

Martha’s Vineyard 10, Nantucket 0

St. George’s 14, Beaver Country Day 12

BOYS LACROSSE

Central Catholic 10, Westford Academy 9

Duxbury 18, Burnt Hill (NY) 4

Haverhill 13, Cambridge 6

King Philip 17, Bishop Feehan 6

Mansfield 12, Nauset 9

Nantucket 17, Martha’s Vineyard 1

North Reading 11, Woburn 6

Rivers 11, New Hampton 7

St. John’s Prep 11, Acton-Boxboro 9

Sandwich 6, Scituate 5 (ot)

Thayer Academy 19, Austin Prep 3

GIRLS LACROSSE

Belmont 11, Winchester 9

Billerica 11, Winchester 9

Brooks 13, Holderness 11

Central Catholic 12, Norwell 7

Malden Catholic 8, St. Mary’s 6

Nantucket 16, Martha’s Vineyard 1

Nauset 17, Mashpee 5

North Reading 11, Latin Academy 4

South Shore 13, Bristol-Plymouth 2

Whitman-Hanson 9, Bridgewater-Raynham 8

SOFTBALL

Brooks 14, Kimball Union 4

BOYS TENNIS

Austin Prep 6, Thayer Academy 3

But some members of the Governor’s Council want to know exactly how a blanket pardon of at least tens of thousands people — the first of its kind in Massachusetts — will actually work. Healey said records would be updated automatically but councilors said they wanted more details that were missing when the governor announced the move earlier this month.

The group voted to schedule an informational hearing for Wednesday at noon, according to a council staff member.

Not all were immediately on board with the idea, including Councilor Marilyn Devaney, who said that it would only slow down the timeline for people who have had to deal with the ramifications of past convictions.

“There are people that are waiting and there isn’t any law against what they have been accused of and it’s preventing them from jobs and so much. This was all discussed,” she said Wednesday. “If anyone has any objections when we’re voting on it, that’s when any person who objects to approving the pardon will talk. But having a hearing … I think it’s really unconscionable. People are waiting.”

Her colleagues didn’t agree.

“I understand the concern. But frankly, this is the first time in history this has happened in the commonwealth. I know other states have done things like this. I think for transparency and for the public and for procedure, that it’s not a bad idea to do. It is our job,” Councilor Eileen Duff said.

Healey’s office has said pardons for misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions could impact “hundreds of thousands of people.” The plan would take effect immediately after the Governor’s Council votes to approve it, Healey said, though there could be a delay for individual criminal records to be updated.

Healey argued the pardons were the “most comprehensive action” by a single governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal cannabis possession convictions and called on state leaders to do the same.

“The reason we do this is simple, justice requires it. Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016. Yet, thousands of people are still living with a conviction on their records, a conviction that may be a barrier to jobs, getting housing, even getting an education,” she said earlier this month.

While a majority of Governor’s Councilors told the Herald they were on board with the idea shortly after the governor announced it, the group approved an “informational hearing” on the initiative.

Councilor Terrence Kennedy said he initially thought an informational hearing wasn’t necessary but had a change of heart.

“I think that it’s important that the public fully understand what the pardon means and what impact it has on people as well as the councilors. And I think the only way you can really get all of that is by way of a hearing,” he said.

Devaney ultimately relented in her opposition.

“I did not vote against it because if that’s the will, then so be it and you’ll be chairing it and so be it,” Devaney said to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who chairs the Governor’s Council.

Drinks to-go eighty-sixed?

Most people would be lying if they said alcohol didn’t help them get through the darkest days of the pandemic, and the ability to grab a drink or cocktail to-go during that time was also a boon for struggling restaurants.

But the pandemic-era policy is set to lapse Monday without any action from the Legislature, which has so far not found a compromise on legislation that could include a permanent extension of the measure.

A spending bill passed by the House earlier this month codified the practice into state law. But the Senate did not include the language in their version when they pushed the bill forward a few weeks later.

The proposal is stuck in inter-branch discussions because it includes hundreds of millions for the emergency shelter system housing migrants and local families and a policy that would cap families’ stay in shelters at nine months. Negotiators meet for the first time Monday morning.

A deal could very well pop this week considering the drinks policy has expired and money for the shelter system is running out. But until then, drinks to-go and another pandemic-era initiative allowing for outdoor dining are about to be eighty-sixed.

Everett and soccer fans get their Beacon Hill moment

Supporters of turning a run-down industrial park in Everett into a soccer stadium will have a chance to lobby lawmakers on a bill filed by state Sen. Sal DiDomenico that opens a path forward for the development.

The Legislature’s Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies scheduled a 2 p.m. hearing Tuesday. DiDomenico’s proposal is the only matter up for discussion.

A push for a stadium near Encore Boston Harbor was put on ice late last year after lawmakers ultimately scrapped it from a controversial spending bill that also included money for emergency shelters.

DiDomenico, an Everett Democrat, filed a standalone bill in December that would remove a portion of land at 173 Alford Street from a “designated port area” on the Mystic River only “for the purpose of converting the parcel into a professional soccer stadium and a waterfront park,” according to the bill text.

The roughly 43-acre plot is partially in Boston and Everett, according to the bill.

And the aging comic sitting seated behind the scorer’s table had seen enough. Enough, I tell you. Enough.

“You can stop coaching, the game’s over,” Larry David hollered at Dan Hurley from his seat behind the scorers table. “Stop coaching!”

Later, the septuagenarian star of “Curb Your Enthusiasm, screamed, “Shame on you, Hurley. Take the starters out.”

Illini-lated: UConn storms past Illinois 77-52, will meet Alabama in Final Four

If ever there was a moment to encapsulate the historic excellence, as well as the sheer absurdity of what we are watching, this was it. Dan Hurley heckled by Larry David. The irascible David, 76, in Boston for a live performance this week, got up and left with a few minutes to go, before Hurley did empty his bench.

Too bad he didn’t stay and heckle Hurley after the game. What could’ve gone wrong?

“Wow. I’m like the Larry David of college coaching with my antics and idiosyncrasies,” Hurley said, laughing. “So I’m disappointed. … No, Curb Your Enthusiasm, that’s a good show.”

So is UConn at the Final Four, and it has been renewed for another season. The semifinals Saturday and championship game Sunday will avoid going head-to-head with the final episode of Curb, scheduled for Sunday. The Huskies, after the 77-52 victory Saturday in the East Regional final at TD Garden, are headed for Phoenix, two wins to go for a repeat as national champions.

But what is happening on the court right now is no comedy show, as much as this NCAA Tournament has become one Globetrotters-vs.-Washington Generals matchup after another.

“It’s a special level of basketball we were playing,” Hurley said.

Try to get your mind around this. A 30-0 run. Illinois, second in the Big 10, winner of the conference tournament, in possession of a win over Purdue during the season, had clawed back from a 9-0 deficit to tie the game at 23 with 1:49 left in the half.

“We play every possession like it’s our last,” Alex Karaban said. “We don’t care what the score is, what we’re doing, we want to continue to go, go, go. We thought we could break them, we thought we could demoralize them. It really affects a team when we go on a run like that.”

Looking like the Illinois HC may get his prediction “I don’t care if he blocks 100, we are going after him”. @clingan_donovan is absolutely DOMINATING!!!

— Jim Mora (@CoachJimMoraFB) March 30, 2024

Very few teams, players, ever go on a run like that. UConn was 0-for-10 on 3-pointers before Hassan Diarra hit one to put the Huskies back in the lead, and start the avalanche. Tristen Newton made a couple of free throws to make it 28-23 at the half.

While the Huskies were missing shots they usually make, Illinois was stifled by UConn’s defense. Then Brad Underwood, an experienced, respected coach, made his own stab at comedy. “We’re going to keep going at (Donovan Clingan),” he told sideline reporter Andy Katz. “If he blocks 100, he blocks 100.”

Illinois went 0 for 19 on shots contested by Clingan and for a while, it looked like they’d go 0 for the second half. They stayed at 23, UConn started hitting shots and before long the lead was 10, 20, 30.

“It’s like a train going down the track as fast as it can and it’s unstoppable,” Diarra said. “It’s happening pretty fast, and you’re just like in the moment. Let’s keep our foot on the throttle and after the fact, we’re just like, ‘man, this team is really special and we have to enjoy it like we can.”

UConn women grind past Duke, 53-45, to set up Elite 8 meeting with top seed USC

With the score 53-23, Illinois ended its 9-minute scoring drought, and Larry David was right. The game was over, but if he thought Hurley would stop coaching, well, just what was he thinking? Hurley was still reminding his team about various comments he’d heard from Illinois and pundits the day before, that they’d seen everything in the Big 10, yada, yada, yada.

“I think we were up 30 and Coach said, ‘remember what these guys were saying yesterday? We’ve got to go put them away,’” said Clingan, who finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, dominating a game in which Newton and Stephon Castle were a combined 1 for 12 and the team was 3 for 17 on threes.

“Everybody’s super connected,” Castle said, “Everybody’s having fun, everybody’s throwing down dunks. I mean, it’s just super fun. We work to get to this point and to have that kind of fun on the court, it means our work is paying off.”

No team has emerged in this tournament that can stop all of UConn’s weapons on any given night. The Huskies have dispensed with No. 3 seed Illinois, No. 5 San Diego State, No. 9 Northwestern as easily as they did No. 16 Stetson in the first round. They’ve trailed a total of 28 seconds in the four games.

They’ve achieved at a level that must seem amazing even to them, whether they admit it or not. They’ve achieved a level a fan of sports must admire, even if a certain curmudgeonly comic would rather they call off the dogs a little sooner than they do.

“When we walk out of here, we look at each other and say, ‘how have we done this in this tournament?’” Hurley said. “Nine straight relatively non-competitive games. But we’re relentless, as coaches, we coach every possession, we have incredibly competitive players and we have incredible respect for our opponents. We know that when you have somebody down, you better beat them down, you better break ’em. We just don’t want to let a team hang around in a game.”

Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: A Quinnipiac coach on top of his game; tackling prop betting; and more