Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, March 9th. One person is dead, another is seriously hurt after a crash on the expressway in Quincy yesterday morning. State police say troopers responded to the single vehicle crash on the expressway near the Furnace Brook exit just after 6am and found two people, one of whom died from their injuries. The right lane was closed to allow for an investigation. So far no names have been released and police have not said what caused the fatal crash.
[00:00:52] A 50 year old man was shot yesterday in Brockton Park. Police said they received about 911 call about 4:30 in the afternoon for an assault with a dangerous weapon at 466 Main street and arrived to find a victim with gunshot wounds to his legs. He was taken to a local hospital with non life threatening injuries. No arrests have been announced, the investigations ongoing.
[00:01:16] Former Quincy Elder Services director Tom Classbe is expected to plead guilty today to federal charges that he stole over 150,000 doll the city over several years to pay for personal items including 153 pounds of bourbon, steak tips, a self portrait, music studio, recording sessions and a car for a longtime female friend. The 61 year old classby from Fitchburg was fired in April of 2024 after the embezzlement was uncovered. He was arrested in January of 2025 and is expected to plead guilty to fraud and embezzlement charges today in U.S. district Court in Boston. Classby ran the Elder services department from 1999 until he was let go two years ago. Officials say the embezzlement began in 2019. The U.S. attorney's office thanked the Quincy Police Department for their help in the investigation. The charges carry sentences of 10 to 20 years in federal prison and over $500,000 in fines.
[00:02:27] The issue of pay raises for Quincy City Councilors will be discussed during next Monday night's Quincy City Council Ordinance Committee meeting.
[00:02:38] Councilors annual salaries increased from just over 29,000 to just over $44,000 at the beginning of this year after being approved by the previous City Council.
[00:02:50] Many of the newly elected city councilors campaigned on the platform that the public was shut out of the process of the pay raises, so they're either donating the extra money to charities or holding it in trust. City Council President Ann Mahoney says she too will not accept the additional pay. Counselors say state law requires them to take the pay raise. However, counselors are considering an ordinance that would repeal the raises and allow for public input before future salary increases are enacted.
[00:03:24] A grand jury has indicted a situate man for allegedly killing a 27 year old from Maine before leaving his body wrapped in blankets inside a car at the parking lot of South Shore Hospital in weymouth last August. 42 year old Christopher Karen was previously pleading not guilty to one count of murder and the death of Declan Perry and was held without bail. Karen will be scheduled to appear for a hearing in Superior Court at a later date. Perry was a head chef at the Grill Room and Bar in Portland, Maine where he lived. Investigators have said Karen and Perry texted in August of 2025 about meeting up in Massachusetts to buy narcotics.
[00:04:10] Ten days later, Perry traveled to meet up with Karen. The pair drove to Boston where they purchased fentanyl and cocaine before driving back to a residence in Scituate. Later that night, officials said Karen performed an Internet search for 711 and Narcan. At about 3am Karen and a female witness allegedly administered three doses of Narcan to Perry, but the female witness fell asleep, woke up several hours later and found Perry dead. The pair then wrapped his body in blankets, placed it in a vehicle, drove it to South Shore Hospital where they left it in the backseat of the Honda outside of the emergency room entrance.
[00:04:55] Eight children have now passed away from the flu in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's dashboard. To date this season and of last Thursday, there have been 306 deaths from the flu, with eight of those being children.
[00:05:14] During the 20242025 season, Massachusetts saw a total of 470 deaths from the flu from the week of February 22nd through the 28th. The current activity level for estimated flu like illness is moderate. The current estimated severity of influenza for that week is low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headaches and fatigue. Some people may report vomiting and diarrhea. CDC recommends getting a yearly flu vaccine to reduce your risk of flu and its potentially serious outcomes.
[00:05:59] Andres Nelsons is being forced out as Music Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 2027 after 13 seasons. The orchestra made an unusually blunt announcement on Friday. A five time Grammy Award winner, the 47 year old Nelsons is currently leading the Vienna Philharmonic on a US tour. Nelson's made his BSO debut in March of 2011 at New York's Carnegie hall as a replacement for James Levine, who announced 10 days earlier he was stepping down as BSO Music Director at the end of the 20102011 season because of poor health. Nelson's was announced as music director in May of 2013 and given a five year contract starting with the 201415 season. The orchestra announced contract extensions and in 2015 and 2020 and then in January 2024 said he was given an evergreen rolling contract. He was bestowed an added title of Head of Conducting at Tanglewood, the music and educational center that is the orchestra's summer home.
[00:07:11] City of Quincy Getting a new Italian restaurant Manga Mangia Pizzeria will be opening up at the side of a former 7Eleven on Adam street in Lake and Square. The 30 seat restaurants will also have a full liquor license and bar with seating for six to eight patrons. Board of License Commissioners approved the new restaurant unanimously recently and City Clerk Nicole Crispo says provisions were put in place to ensure there is adequate parking. The manager of the new restaurants will be Clifford Williams and the restaurant will be open 10am to 10pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. The new restaurant will not have any live entertainment.
[00:07:56] Members of the Quincy Planning Department are just back from the National Community Development Association's winter conference that was held in Washington, D.C. over the course of the three day event, Sean Glennon, Community Development Director in Quincy, moderated roundtable discussions on team building and working with CARE organizations. Glennon also attended a legislative meeting with staff from Congressman Stephen Lynch's office on Capitol Hill. Quincy staff member Jane Berry moderated roundtable discussions on Radon. Outreach Coordinator Kate Tenney gave a presentation on social media and engagement policies and Rhiannon Gorham, assistant planner, attended a conference on federal grants. Quincy receives about $2.5 million in annual entitlement grant funding from HUD, which pays for community center programs, senior transportation, housing production and rehabilitation, job training and infrastructure projects.
[00:09:00] Save the Harbor, Save the Bay and JetBlue yesterday hosted the 16th annual Shamrock Splash on Constitution Beach.
[00:09:09] Dozens of splashers plunged into the freezing water to raise money for its Better Beaches Grant program, which awards small grants to individuals and organizations who put on free public events and programs every year on Department of Conservation and Recreation beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, including Wollaston beach in Quincy. Last summer, Save the harbor supported nearly 200 events and aiming to bring people of color, people with disabilities, indigenous people, multilingual people and low income community members to the Boston Harbor Jack of Business News this morning and stocks are down. The Dow dropping 453, the Nasdaq lost 361, the S&P fell 90. Asian stocks also tumbled after oil prices soared, the dollar and the euro gained and oil is now at over $103 a barrel.
[00:10:09] In sports, Celtics beat Cleveland 109 to 98. They'll be in San Antonio against the spurs tomorrow night at 8 o'. Clock. Bruins lose to Pittsburgh 5 to 4 in overtime. They'll host the Kings tomorrow night at 7.
[00:10:26] Forecast from the National Weather Service Today, sunny and a high of 62 for tonight, clear low 44. Tomorrow, mostly sunny, high 66, mostly cloudy on Wednesday, the high of 56 and some rain, maybe some mixed precipitation. Thursday with highs in the low 50s.
[00:10:45] For the boater. Waves 1 to 2ft. Southwest winds 5 to 10 knots, become southerly 10 to 15 knots. High tide 4:30pm sunrise 7:06 sets at 6:43.
[00:10:59] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Monday, March 9th.
