Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:16] Speaker A: I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, December 5th. A Quincy man has pleaded guilty to robbing a bank in Weymouth a year ago.
46 year old Glenn Lagier admitted that he held up the Santander bank in December of last year at gunpoint. Prosecutors say Lagier was masked when he pointed a black handgun at the clerk and ordered a teller to put money in a bag. Laguer took $947 in cash and fled in a Jeep Cherokee that was spotted on surveillance video in Quincy. Officers recovered the gun and clothing Lagier used in the robbery. Lagier has prior convictions for bank robber in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he has served jail time. He now faces up to 25 years in state prison when he's sentenced in March On a milestone in the construction of the new Squantum Elementary School in Quincy this week, Construction crews yesterday began pouring concrete for the foundation of the new school. Eight trucks poured 80 yards of concrete as the foundation takes shape next Wednesday, a crane will be on site to begin the framing process.
More concrete trucks will be on site on December 12th and 18th for additional foundation work. The new school is expected to be completed in the fall of 2027. Students are taking classes in modular classrooms during the construction project, capping off an extraordinary fall season, the Quincy North Quincy Marching Band and Color Guard won the Best Overall Band award at the 72nd annual Quincy Christmas Parade this past Sunday. Marking the fifth year in a row, the band has taken home the best band prize with a near perfect score of 96. The band also won all caption awards in their division, including Best Percussion, Best Color Guard and Best Overall Music, Visual and Effect. Under the direction of of Matt Kavanaugh, the band's director, instrumental music teacher, the ensemble has now racked up seven primary awards and nearly two dozen captioned awards to close out their formal competitive season.
The band will now perform its annual holiday concert on Thursday, December 18th at 6pm at North Quincy High School. The ensemble will also participate in a winter recital on Wednesday, January 28th at 6pm at North Quincy High School, and both of those events are open to the public.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: A nationwide botulism outbreak in babies linked to contaminated infant formula has now reached Massachusetts. State and federal health officials continue to warn of the potential for contaminated baby formula that has led to dozens of children becoming diagnosed with the rare nerve illness.
Last month, the Federal Drug Administration first warned of contaminated baby formula from bihart, the company's website stated a number of batches had been contaminated and they self initiated a recall. But this week the CDC announced 39 infants had been diagnosed with botulism as a result of ingesting the contaminated formula and two of those babies are from Massachusetts and state Department of Public Health would not disclose where those children live or what stores their formula came from. This week the FDA warned that despite the recall, some of the brand's formulas were still being found at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Shaw's. The disease can take up to 30 days to show symptoms in infants. Symptoms can include poor feeding ladies, loss of head control or other muscle weaknesses, and difficulty swallowing. There are medications that babies can receive at hospitals, but there is not a cure for bachelorism. Most infants are forced to just ride out the symptoms.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: In the Brian Walsh murder trial, jurors heard testimony from Anna's lover and they saw video of what prosecutors say happened to Anna Walsh after she died.
Prosecutors believe grainy surveillance video reveals the exact moment when Brian Walsh threw away some of his wife's remains into a dumpster in Abington. The video, recorded two days after Ada disappeared from their Cohasset home, shows a Volvo XC90, the same make and model as Brian's, driving into the Clermont apartment complex and heading to the dumpster, where a man is seen carrying a trash bag. Prosecutors believe Brian Walsh, angry over his failing marriage, murdered Anna in their Cohasset home, dismembered her and threw her body into area dumpsters. Washington, D.C. realtor William Fastow testified yesterday that he was the other man in Anna's life. He said they shared an intimate relationship and talked about their future together. Fastow said as far as he knew, Ada hid their relationship from her husband.
But on New Year's Eve 2022, while Anna and Brian hosted a New Year's Eve dinner party with a mutual friend, Vastow said Anna texted him at midnight, less than two hours before she disappeared. Walsh's lawyers contend Ana was not murdered at all, that she died of natural causes in the couple's bed, and that Brian panicked after he found her lifeless body. Under cross examination, Fastow admitted he didn't know when Anna might come clean with Brian Walsh. It's expected to be a half day of testimony in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham today.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: Other news today, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale spotted off Ireland last year has made an extraordinary 3,000 mile journey to Boston. The right whale was first seen in Ireland's Donegal Bay in July of 2024, first time a right whale had been photographed in Irish waters. In more than 100 years.
Now the New England Aquarium can confirm that that same whale was just seen on November 19th about 23 miles east of Boston. Researchers were able to identify the whale due to unique scarring patterns on its head.
The center for Coastal Studies was on the aerial survey that spotted the whale near Boston and didn't realize initially how unique the first right whale sighting of the season was. There are estimated to be just 384 right whales in the world. Researchers say the unusual sighting suggests that they are still searching for the right habitat.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Birders are flocking to Scituate to catch a glimpse of a tropical bird called a limpkin, which has never been spotted in New England before. The crane, like wading birds, are usually found in the wetlands of Florida or southern Georgia and in Central America. It was first spotted on the driftway in Scituate on Sunday. How it got there is a mystery. Avid bird watchers have been taking pictures and observing the limpkin, which so far doesn't seem to mind the bitter cold that's descended on the region. It's been seen walking on the ground and perching on top of a car. There have been a few tropical birds making appearances in Massachusetts recently, including a flamingo that was spotted on Cape Cod last summer.
Experts say climate change may be factoring into some of these unusual sightings, or the birds are getting pulled in by storms that bring them north.
[00:08:07] Speaker A: Soon, the iconic Citgo sign standing seven stories above Beacon street will be moved from its original location to a new one just 40 yards away. The 60 by 60 Boston staple, built in the 1940s and originally called City's Service, has been a beloved landmark for generations. As part of an effort to restore the sign and its sight line, it'll be moved about 30ft higher at 120ft behind the existing location. The plan to move the sign has been years in the making. For some time, the sign will go dark as crews relocate and rebuild it piece by piece.
The Wollaston Hill Neighborhood association will host their 23rd annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and at Safford park tonight at 6pm Program will include a sing along, hot chocolate and appearance by Santa.
The 8th annual Quincy Point Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held Sunday at 5pm at the fore River Rotary next to the fishing and tackle store. That event will feature live holiday music, pizza and refreshments. A holiday blessing, Santa Claus.
The Generals Park Bridge and Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held this Sunday at 5pm at General's park in Quincy Center. Families of Quincy's active duty. Military members will be honored during the ceremony.
The Wollaston Garden Club's annual Holiday Greens Sale is Saturday from 9 to 11 at the former Wollaston Congregational Church.
Fresh wreaths and swags, indoor and outdoor arrangements, fresh greens and gift items will be available. Cash, checks and Venmo are accepted.
Quincy Chamber of Commerce Holiday Market at Kilroy Square is open today from 2 to 8 and tomorrow and Sunday from 11 to 5. You can visit the quincychamber.com for more information.
The New England Wildlife Center's annual Winter Wildlife Open House will be held Saturday from noon to 4 at their cape Cod location in Barnstable. Activities include guided tours, a silent auction, campfire with s', mores, a bake sale, a gift shop and an animal show. Visit nd wildlife.org for tickets and more information.
City of Quincy and the town of Braintree invite the community to remember Pearl Harbor Day on Sunday with a ceremony on board the USS Salem at the Quincy Shipyard at 10am Coffee and pastries will be served at 8:30.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: A check of business news this morning. Stocks are mixed. The Dow is down 31, the Nasdaq rose 51 and the S&P is up 7. Asian stocks are mixed. The dollar fell. The euro was higher, oil at $59 a barrel.
In sports. Locally, the Quincy College men's basketball team scored an upset win over 15th nationally ranked Massasoit Community College 82 to 51 in a game played last night at Curry College in Milton.
Celtics beat the Wizards in Washington 146 to 101. They're back home tonight at 7 against the Lakers. Bruins beat the Blues 5 to 2 and they'll host the Devils tomorrow night at 7.
Forecast from the National Weather Service Today, mostly sunny and cold with a high of 24 degrees for tonight, cloudy and a low in the teens. Mainly cloudy tomorrow, maybe a snow shower. High of 37. Sunday, mostly cloudy and a high of 35. Sunny on Monday with a high 2027 for the boater. Waves about a foot and a West wind at 5 to 10 knots becomes southwesterly later today. High tide 10:53am Sunrise 6:57, sets at 4:11.
Traffic note 4 River Bridge scheduled to open Friday at 10:30am and Saturday at 7am I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, December 5th.
