Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, March 16 the Quincy City Council will tackle the issue of pay raises for City councilors, the mayor and elected officials. This evening, the ordinance committee will meet at 6:30 and begin discussing if it's possible to repeal the raises. Council President Anne Mahoney says many of the counselors are not accepting the additional salaries until the issue has been resolved. Last year the council approved salary increases from just over $29,000 to just over $44,000 for city councilors. The previous council also increased the annual mayoral salary to $285,000, but the mayor changed that to 225,000 and deferred it until 2028. Many of the current counselors campaigned on the salary issue arguing that the public should have been included in the process.
[00:01:16] Also tonight, the Quincy City Council Finance Committee will review a request from the mayor to spend over $2.6 million to purchase new firefighter turnout gear that is free of cancer causing.
[00:01:31] Mayor Thomas Koch says the funding would pay for two sets of gear for each of the city's 218 firefighters. The new gear would replace the existing gear after the firefighters union said independent testing showed that the gear contained pfas or so called forever chemicals that have been proven to cause cancer. The city is pursuing legal action to recoup the costs of the original gear that was marketed as being free of chemicals and but the Mayor says he wants to purchase the safe gear as soon as possible.
[00:02:06] The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and the state Department of Fire Services are working together to provide free cancer screenings for all active and retired firefighters. Recently, 60 firefighters from around the state participated in free ultrasound cancer screening that was held in Bridgewater. The state Fire Marshal says firefighters are more likely to develop cancer because of their frequent exposure to carcinogens on the job. The free program is designed to provide awareness, prevention and early detection resources. Program offers skin cancer screenings, chest CT scans, PSA blood tests, mammograms and ultrasounds. The number of screenings nearly doubled over the past year.
[00:02:56] Now the academy is offering training programs for firefighters who want to educate their colleagues about the dangers of work related cancer and the importance of cancer screenings.
[00:03:09] The Quincy Chamber of Commerce has a new Executive Director.
[00:03:14] Sharon Driscoll begins her new job today. Driscoll was appointed by the board unanimously succeeding Julie Pagano, who stepped down after only eight months on the job and to take a position in the Quincy Mayor's office. Driscoll spent eight years as membership director at the Massachusetts Restaurant association and was the owner of the former Iron Furnace restaurant in Quincy Center. Driscoll lives in Milton. She'll be formally introduced at the Chamber's annual business showcase on March 24th at Granite Links in Quincy.
[00:03:51] Senator Ed Markey has secured more than $220 million in federal for 209 community projects in Massachusetts, ranging from expanded public transportation to affordable housing and improved drinking water. Locally, Markey has secured a million dollars to help the South Shore YMCA expand the food pantry at the Germantown Neighborhood center in Quincy. $2.5 million will be put toward renovating the Braintree Fire Department headquarters Randolph is getting over a million dollars to replace a water standpipe, South Shore Hospital in Weymouth is receiving $1.5 million to enhance and improve access to critical health care services, and Curry College in Milton is receiving a million dollars for education programs and workforce training, including equipment 7 Indian nationals living illegally in Massachusetts are accused of staging armed robberies at local convenience stores so clerks could claim they were crime victims on their immigration applications. A total of 11 Indian nationals living in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Ohio and Mississippi were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. The defendants lived unlawfully in Quincy, ran Randolph, Weymouth, Marshfield and out of state locations, according to the U.S. attorney's office. In March of 2023, the suspects set up and carried out staged armed robberies of at least six convenience and liquor stores and fast food restaurants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Prosecutors allege the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for you non immigration status or a U Visa. A U visa is available to victims of certain crimes who suffered mental or physical abuse and who've been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. In the course of the alleged stage robberies, prosecutors said the quote robber would threaten store clerks or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing. While the interaction was captured on store surveillance video, the clerks or owners would then wait five minutes or more until the fake robber had escaped before calling police to report the fake crime. Prosecutors say the so called victims are alleged to have each paid the ringleader to participate in the scheme and in turn he allegedly paid the store owners to for the use of their stores for the staged robbery. The 11 defendants charged on Friday are accused of arranging with the organizer to set up each robbery or paying for themselves or a family member to participate as a victim. The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
[00:07:10] Massachusetts has restarted its search for bidders to rehabilitate and run 18 highway service plazas in the state after failing to close a deal last year amid a controversial process.
[00:07:24] Last April, MassDOT awarded a 35 year lease to Irish company Apple Green to raise and rebuild nine rest stops while refurbishing nine others. But the losing bidder, Waltham based Global Partners, alleged that the process was unfair and sued, claiming their bid was a billion dollars higher. Apple Green eventually pulled out of the project, citing litigation threats. MassDOT said it would be starting the process over. The inspector general said in a report last month that the procurement process had too many flaws and cited concerns about conflicts of interest.
[00:08:03] MassDOT said on Friday its goal is to bring in more rents revenue from the plazas while modernizing them with expanded food and beverage options, modern and accessible restrooms, travel and gift retail featuring Massachusetts related products and convenient fueling choices including gasoline, diesel and electric vehicle charging. Instead of seeking just one bidder for all 18 plazas, which are mostly along the Mass. Pike, the state will divide them up into three groups. Prospective bidders can submit proposals for one, two or all three bundles. The agency said it hopes it will expand the pool of qualified bidders and encourage more competition. A public Private partnership commission will be formed this spring to oversee the process, appointed by the governor, Senate president, House speaker and state treasurer. The state will be meeting with prospective bidders later this month and expects to put out a request for proposals this summer. MassDOT's hoping to have new leases in place by July of next year.
[00:09:08] Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade kicked off yesterday as nearly a million people gathered in South Boston for the popular celebration. New security tactics to help keep attendees safe were unleashed yesterday, including drones set to help prevent overcrowding on rooftops and balconies, but also provide security in the midst of the Iran war and potential acts of terrorism, Boston police officers will in full force yesterday, cracking down on public drinking.
[00:09:38] As of early last night, 17 people had been arrested at the parade. Police didn't specify what the charges were. Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown made an appearance at the parade on a float with his signature sneaker. Governor Healey posted a photo of of herself and lieutenant governor Kim Driscoll decked out in Duncan gear at the parade and the city's annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast. Overall, the parade was one of a kind, with Paul Revere riding on horseback and Revolutionary War Minutemen being cheered by the crowd for running British redcoats out of town on evacuation day 250 years ago.
[00:10:20] Check of business news this morning. Stocks are down. The Dow dropped 119 points on Friday. The Nasdaq lost 206. The S&P fell 40. Asian stocks are mixed. The dollar was down. The euro rose oil now at almost $105 a barrel.
[00:10:41] In sports, the Bruins are in New Jersey tonight at seven against the Devils. The Celtics will host the suns tonight at 7:30. Forecast from the National Weather Service today, wind driven rain with temperatures approaching 60 degrees. Tonight, the wind and rain continues. There is a high wind warning in effect with anywhere from 50 to 65 mile per hour gusts possible, especially along coastal locations. A low tonight around 40.
[00:11:12] Storms should clear out overnight. Turn partly cloudy. Cooler tomorrow. High of 46.
[00:11:17] Wednesday Sunny in Chile high of only 38 and partly Sunday. Thursday High 44 for the boater today. Waves are 2 to 3ft. The wind southeast 20 to 25, gusting to 30 knots or higher at times. High tide 10:12am Sunrise 6:54, sets at 6:51.
[00:11:38] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, March 16.
