Massachusetts News

Dan Rivera stepped down from his position as president and CEO of the economic development agency MassDevelopment on Friday, effective immediately, more than two years before his contract was set to expire. Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, also chair of the MassDevelopment board, said in a statement Friday that she and the administration thanked Rivera for his tenure. “Under Dan’s leadership, the agency has funded key housing deals, created economic development opportunities in Gateway Cities, and promoted commercial development across the state. We wish him well on his next endeavor,” the statement said. Rivera stepped down to pursue other opportunities, according to a spokesperson from the Executive Office of Economic Development. His resignation was first reported in Contrarian Boston. Dan O’Connell, MassDevelopment board member and former secretary of housing and economic development under Gov. Deval Patrick, will step in as interim CEO while the board conducts a search for a new leader. Rivera, a former mayor of Lawrence, was appointed to lead the quasi-public agency by Gov. Charlie Baker in January 2021. His contract was due to expire in June 2023, but the MassDevelopment Board voted to extend it until June 2026 in the last few weeks of Baker’s term. Rivera crossed party lines in 2018 to endorse the Republican governor’s reelection bid and served on Baker’s COVID-19 reopening task force. When his contract was extended in December 2022, just weeks before Gov. Maura Healey took office, the incoming governor’s team would not comment on whether Healey had planned to nominate someone new for the president and CEO role. Under Rivera’s tenure at MassDevelopment, he oversaw the expansion of a state program that aims to speed up private investment and development in specific areas of Gateway Cities. He announced the agency would double the size of the Transformative Development Initiative and pump $23.7 million into the program. During the pandemic, MassDevelopment under Rivera’s leadership helped steer part of the nearly $169 million in U.S. Treasury funds that came to Massachusetts through the State Small Business Credit Initiative toward funding loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs, along with other quasi-public agencies Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation and MassVentures. Get updates on what’s happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.

The Student Government Association at Emerson College has voted no confidence in President Jay Bernhardt following the arrest of more than 100 people during a pro-Palestinian protest earlier this week. The SGA said they voted unanimously in a closed meeting, calling for the immediate resignation of the school’s president. They also denounced the way Boston Police acted, calling the arrests of protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment violent. This comes after the arrest of 118 at the encampment at Boylston Place Alley, which was set up Sunday and removed early Thursday. It led Emerson to cancel classes Thursday. The president issued the following statement at the time: “Emerson College recognizes and respects the civic activism and passion that sparked the protest in Boylston Place Alley in support of Palestine while also holding and communicating concerns related to the numerous ordinance violations caused by their encampment. We also understand that clearing the encampment has significantly and adversely impacted our community,” Bernhard said in a statement. Students say Bernhardt hasn’t handled the situation appropriately. “He has routinely sent out insensitive emails, that have not only portrayed the facts accurately but also, failed to express empathy and failed to support the students that have been traumatized and affected by these events,” Nandan Nair, president of the Emerson College Student Government Association, said. Students who witnessed the encampment being broken up described it as shocking — saying police pushed through the alley and violently removed protesters. According to the Boston police report, officers asked people to leave the area of Boylston Place multiple time because they were in violation of a city ordinance by setting up encampment on private property – property Emerson warned students did not belong to the school. Police also said several officers were injured during the arrests, but made no mention of injuries to protesters other than saying that EMS was present to assist with medical needs. Students denounced that and said the police reaction was too violent. “The Boston police have been very forward about lies, lies. Knowing that my friends have been severely injured and hearing accounts. We had a student who had his arm broken,” Charlize Silvestrino, a member of the SGA, said. The Board of Trustees released the following statement in response to the SGA vote: “At a time when freedom of speech and higher education itself are besieged by outside forces, the Emerson College Board of Trustees encourages our community to come together. The differences we may have today within Emerson are shades of a shared vision for civil dialogue, peaceful protest, and respect for human diversity. We chose Jay Bernhardt as a transformational leader who could bring us together in difficult times. The board remains confident in President Bernhardt’s leadership and unequivocally supports his presidency.” Similar protests continue at college campuses across the country, including nearby Harvard, MIT and Northeastern. More on college pro-Palestinian protests Israel-Hamas War 12 hours ago Columbia protesters say they're at an impasse with administrators and will continue anti-war camp Israel-Hamas War Apr 23 Pro-Palestinian protests continue at colleges across the US Boston 20 hours ago Pro-Palestinian protests continue on college campuses across Boston This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September. Police have also alleged that Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, of Charlotte, North Carolina, had recordings of four other girls using lavatories on an aircraft where he worked. Thompson was indicted on one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of images of child sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor. Thompson was charged and arrested in January 2024 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He has been in federal custody since. A lawyer for Thompson said after the indictment by a federal grand jury that he was unable to comment. More on Estes Carter Thompson's arrest American Airlines Sep 18, 2023 American Airlines passenger claims she found camera placed in plane bathroom Massachusetts Feb 20 New details in case of flight attendant accused of trying to record teen girls in airplane bathroom Investigators said that about midway through a Sept. 2, 2023, flight from Charlotte to Boston, the 14-year-old got up to use the main cabin lavatory nearest to her seat but found it was occupied. Thompson then told her the first-class lavatory was unoccupied and escorted her there, investigators said. Before she entered the bathroom, Thompson allegedly told her he needed to wash his hands and that the toilet seat was broken, they said. After he left, the teen entered the bathroom and she saw red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, officials said. Beneath the stickers, Thompson had concealed his iPhone to record a video, investigators said. The girl used her phone to take a picture of the stickers and concealed iPhone before leaving. Prosecutors also allege hundreds of images of child sexual abuse generated through artificial intelligence were found stored on Thompson’s iCloud account. Attempted sexual exploitation of children carries a sentence of 15-30 years in prison, while possessing images of sexual abuse of a prepubescent minor can mean up to 20 years in prison. Both charges also provide for at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. American Airlines previously issued a statement saying the flight attendant was “immediately withheld from service” and hasn’t worked since the phone was discovered. A search of Thompson’s iCloud account revealed four additional instances between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft, according to investigators. Those depicted in the recordings were 7, 9, 11 and 14 years old at the time, they said. Their families have been contacted by police, investigators said.

A longtime veteran of the Billerica Police Department was killed in a crash while working a construction detail on Friday. Sgt. Ian Taylor, 49, was working a detail at the intersection of Boston Road at Pollard Street when the crash happened around 2 p.m. He was helping a tractor-trailer move around the busy scene when he was struck by an excavator that was moving equipment at the site, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan. Taylor was rushed to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, but he did not survive. Sgt. Ian Taylor Ryan said Taylor was a veteran police officer and longtime member of the Billerica Police Department. Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost said he was proud to have a person like Taylor in his department and that the department and Taylor’s family are devastated. “I want you folks to know that Sgt. Taylor made an impact while he was here. His life had meaning. He’s helped so many people. He’s saved so many people,” Frost said. “I heard someone screaming,” said a man who lives near the scene and did not want to be identified. “I heard a truck come to a screeching stop … saw a police officer on the ground.” Residents say there has been ongoing construction on Boston Road for months. “It’s been atrocious,” said Lauren Christerson. People who live in the area say the roadway narrows when construction is taking place, and it’s a tight squeeze for drivers, construction crews and the officers working the detail. “They just have a very difficult job,” said resident Marcella Kist. “I think the construction puts them at risk.” “I think there’s a lot of safety issues that have to be taken care of,” said resident Linda Wicks. “Unfortunately, it’s too late for what happened today.” Taylor leaves behind a wife and three children. He has worked as a police officer for 21 years and has been with the Billerica Police Department since 2011. He was a member of the Substance Abuse Prevention Committee, making weekly visits to speak to those suffering from opiate addiction, trying to find ways to help. Taylor served in Lawrence prior to joining the Billerica Police Department. “The Lawrence Police Department mourns the loss of Billerica Sergeant Ian Taylor, who carried on his family’s tradition of serving and protecting the residents of Lawrence from 2003 to 2010,” the department said in a statement. “Sergeant Taylor comes from a family of service within the Lawrence Police Department; his father, Wayne Taylor is a retired Lawrence Police Officer, and his younger brother, Detective Zach Taylor, currently serves on the Department. The entire Lawrence Police Department extends our condolences to the Taylor family and the Billerica Police Department.” Massachusetts State Police, the Billerica Police Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident. More local news Danvers High School 13 hours ago Man who killed Danvers teacher at 14 pleads guilty to 2014 attack on youth services worker New England Patriots 13 hours ago Watch Patriots call Maye on draft night in behind-the-scenes video dorchester 14 hours ago 2 USPS mail carriers robbed in Dorchester

Health officials are reminding residents to protect themselves against tick-borne diseases after a case of Powassan virus was reported in Sharon, Massachusetts. Powassan virus is transmitted through tick bites, like Lyme disease. While the virus is rare, cases have increased in recent years, according to the Town of Sharon Health Department. Most people infected with Powassan won’t experience any symptoms, but it can cause fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In rare cases it can cause severe, potentially deadly illness like meningitis or an infection of the brain called encephalitis. There are no vaccines or treatments for Powassan. The most effective preventative is to take precautions against tick bites, such as: wearing a bug repellent with DEET wearing long sleeves and pants and socks staying on trails to avoid tick habitats while hiking checking yourself, children and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors and immediately showering to remove any loose tickets using tick control, such as collars or other repellents, for your pets Ticks are most active in the northeast from March through mid-May and again from August to November, Sixteen cases of Powassan have been reported in Massachusetts in the last 10 years. More information from the state Department of Public Health is available here. Get updates on what’s happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.