City Weighs Civilians, Not Police, Making Traffic Stops: Patch PM

Today is Wednesday, July 29. Here are some of the top stories we are covering today.

Cambridge city councilors are proposing an ordinance that would take the responsibility of routine traffic stops away from police and put it in the hands of trained, unarmed city employees.

The proposal states that Black and brown people are more likely to be pulled over and searched, and having a civilian conduct the stop would decrease the likelihood of violence.

Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon said the ordinance appears to conflict with Massachusetts state law, which states only police officers can conduct traffic stops and enforcement.

Cambridge police Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. said that he thinks the ordinance is contrary to general law, and "shows a lack of forethought," but he'll leave the decision to the wisdom of the council.

Read the full story here

Other top stories

Coronavirus Cancels 2020 Topsfield Fair

The Topsfield Fair has been canceled, marking just the third time in the fair's history it will not be held.

The Essex Agricultural Society, the fair's organizer, said Wednesday it was canceling the 2020 Topsfield Fair over coronavirus concerns. The decision comes a month after organizers said they were still moving forward with plans for the 2020 fair, even as other fairs scheduled for this fall announce plans to cancel.

The Topsfield Fair, which drew 38,000 people during last year's opening weekend, had been scheduled to run October 2 through 12. The fair was not held in 1943, 1944 and 1945 during World War II. It was also canceled in 1918 during the Spanish flu pandemic.

Do Not Plant These Weird Seeds, MA Agriculture Officials Warn

If you get a weird package of seeds in the mail that you did not order, do not plant them.
People across the U.S. — including in Chelmsford and Duxbury — have received "unsolicited seed mailings" in recent weeks. State agriculture officials don't know what plants may sprout from the seeds, but they are worried that the plants could hurt the local ecosystem.

"While the exact types of seeds in the packages are unknown, the seeds are thought to be invasive plant species, and not believed to be harmful to humans or pets but could pose a significant risk to agriculture or the environment," the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources said in a statement Tuesday.

RI To Stay In Phase 3, Social Gatherings Limited To 15

Rhode Island will remain in phase three of reopening for an additional month, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Wednesday. Following an uptick in cases of coronavirus connected to backyard parties and other social events, the social gathering limit will be lowered from 25 people to 15.

Phase three, which was set to expire Wednesday, was extended by 30 days to Aug. 28 because the state was unable to meet all four requirements for moving forward, specifically the R-value, or rate of inter-person spread. Rhode Island's value is currently at 1.5, above the benchmark of 1.1.

This increase can be directly related to backyard parties, barbecues, baby showers and other large, informal social gatherings where families and friends gather without masks or proper distancing, Raimondo said. Because of this, the state has seen a slight uptick in new cases, and people are dying every day, she said.

Also

Ex-Danvers Store Manager Sentenced In Child Rape Case

Darryl Moore, 39, of Rowley, managed Leslie's Poolmart in Danvers at the time he repeatedly raped a nine-year-old girl.

Shark Sighting Reported Off White Horse Beach In Plymouth

White Horse Beach was closed early Wednesday afternoon after a report of a 10-foot shark sighting.

Police Close Investigation Of Black Lives Matter Banner Vandalism

Marblehead police said the Clerk-Magistrate of Lynn District Court will determine if there is probable cause for a criminal complaint.

Man Arrested, Charged With Lowell Murder

Authorities charged found and charged a man in connection with the murder of a 23-year-old Boston woman who was shot in a car last month.

Food Insecurity In Waltham and Massachusetts On The Rise

"The number of people coming for help have not gone down; we would have thought they would," Myriam Michel of Healthy Waltham told Patch.