Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, March 3rd. The Quincy City Council will discuss a request from the mayor to spend over $2.6 million for new firefighter turnout gear during a Finance committee meeting on March 16th. Counselors last night by law had to put the request into committee in order for proper public notice. The funds would be used to purchase gear that does not contain so called forever chemicals that cause cancer. The firefighters union says they have identified a manufacturer that provides safe turnout gear. The city is suing the provider of the current gear which which the union says that independent testing has shown does contain forever chemicals. City councilor said they want assurances that any new gear that is purchased does not contain those cancer causing chemicals.
[00:01:15] Two firefighters recently transferred to the Quincy Fire Department.
[00:01:20] Interim Chief Gary smith says Christian McGonigal transferred from the Hingham Fire Department and Shane O' Brien transferred from the Falmouth Fire Department.
[00:01:31] Both men are Massachusetts Fire Academy trained and certified and will be immediately assigned to fire apparatus. Both men were hired to fill upcoming retirements. A swearing in ceremony was held for both firefighters at City hall last Tuesday. Chief Smith said the new firefighters don't have to wait 10 weeks to graduate to begin service, as is the case with other new hires.
[00:01:57] Smith also thanked Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch for his continued support of healthy staffing levels at the Fire Department.
[00:02:06] A Quincy man has been sentenced to prison for an assault that killed a native of Ireland in Boston on St. Patrick's Day. 202331 year old Sanusi Sadiq was sentenced yesterday in Suffolk superior court to three to six years in state prison for the death of 46 year old Barry Whelan of Woburn.
[00:02:31] A jury convicted Siddiq of manslaughter in January in connection with Whelan's death after a retrial. The first trial, which was held in February of 2025, resulted in a mistrial around 9pm March 17, 2023. Boston Police responded to the corner of Winter street and Winter Place at Downtown Crossing for an unresponsive person later identified as Waylon, on the ground outside of a TD bank atm.
[00:03:02] Boston EMS took Waylon by ambulance to Tufts Medical center where he was treated for a traumatic brain injury. He died a few days later. Surveillance footage captured Whelan and a man later identified as Sadiq having a verbal exchange for several minutes. The video captured Siddiq striking Waylon in the head from behind with his right arm. Wayland fell back and hit his head on the ground. Siddiq walked away down Winter Place. Police identified and interviewed Siddiq, who admitted to hitting Waylon. Siddiq said that he and Whelan didn't know each other and that the words exchanged were racial in nature.
[00:03:43] Lindsay Clancy, the woman accused of killing her three children at their Duxbury home, appear remotely for a court hearing in her ongoing murder case yesterday afternoon. The hearing came 10 days after Clancy made her first appearance in Court on February 20th. The 35 year old arrived in court at a wheelchair for that hearing and sat alongside her attorney, Kevin Reddington. Prior to that, Clancy had been appearing virtually for hearings related to her case as she continued to get mental health treatment at Tewksbury State Hospital, where she is under constant supervision.
[00:04:22] At yesterday's hearing, most of the discussion revolved around the attorney's motion for what is known as a bifurcated trial, meaning the first part of the trial would be to determine whether Clancy is found guilty. The second part of the trial would be to determine whether she is criminally responsible. Reddington previously filed a notice in December that they plan to pursue an insanity defense. Clancy filed a malpractice lawsuit in Norfolk Superior Court last month against several of her medical providers, alleging they failed to diagnose her bipolar disorder and subjected her to a disorganized, uncoordinated course of pharmacy treatment that resulted in a psychotic break. The prosecution, however, argued that the defendant has no constitutional right to a bifurcated trial and that the two trials would be nearly identical. They also argued that requests for bifurcated trials are usually denied and there is no real reason to support the request. The judge said he would take the matter under advisement, but noted that he'll try to make that decision as soon as he can because it could impact the trial's schedule.
[00:05:33] Boston is moving closer to hosting the 2028 Democratic National Convention. Yesterday, the DNC announced that Boston is one of five cities selected to move forward in the process.
[00:05:47] Boston was selected alongside Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Philadelphia to move forward to the next stage. Officials from the DNC will visit each site. In the spring. The convention would be held at the TD Garden, same building that hosted Boston's last DNC in 2004. The 2028 Democratic National Convention will be held August 7th through the 10th of 2028.
[00:06:16] Coffee Break Cafe is celebrating its 30th anniversary today by giving away a free cup of coffee at all four of their locations.
[00:06:25] Owner Jen Ormond says anybody who visits a Coffee Break Cafe from open to closed today will get a free complimentary small, hot or iced coffee with no purchase necessary. Coffee Break Cafe has locations on Old Colony Avenue, Franklin street and Washington street in Quincy and on Central Avenue in Milton.
[00:06:46] A check of business news this morning. Stocks are mixed. The Dow down 73, the Nasdaq rose 80. The S&P is up 2 points. Global stocks mostly declined and oil prices surged as investors eyed threats to world energy supplies from the Iran war.
[00:07:05] The dollar was higher, the euro sank and oil is now at over $74 a barrel.
[00:07:13] And sports Celtics beat the Bucs 108 to 81. They'll be hosting Charlotte tomorrow night at 7:30. Tonight the Bruins are home at 7 against Pittsburgh.
[00:07:25] And locally, QATV will have live coverage of the Quincy and North Quincy girls basketball Games tonight at 6pm on Channel 8. You can watch Quincy take on Natick Channel 22, watch North Quincy take on Norwood.
[00:07:44] Forecast from the National Weather Service today a wintry mix and then changing over to rain. High of 36 for tonight, clearing a low 29 tomorrow. Sunshine high 53. Thursday Cloudy, a high of 45 and more. Mixed precipitation on Friday with a high of 36 for the boater. Waves about 2ft. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 knots. High tide 11, 9am Sunrise 615 sets at 5:36.
[00:08:15] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, March 3rd.
