FBI Hunts MA Man With Suspected Ties To Capitol Riot: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Wednesday, September 8. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A protest planned for Thursday will call for the end of immigration detention at Plymouth County Jail, the release of those in detention, and an end to Trump-era immigration enforcement practices in Plymouth County.
• Worcester officials agreed to settle a decades-old lawsuit brought by two Black police officers over racial discrimination in police promotions.
• Jury selection began Wednesday in federal court in Boston in the case against two parents — former casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and former Staples and Gap Inc. executive John Wilson — who are accused of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get their kids into the University of Southern California by falsely presenting them as athletic recruits.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

The FBI on Wednesday released new photos of a man wanted in connection to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot who may live in or near Massachusetts.

The photos show a man with gray hair wearing a black sweatshirt that bears the logo of Berkshire Nautilus, a gym located in downtown Pittsfield. The man may have assaulted federal officers during the riot, the FBI said.

"We are asking the public to take a close look at these photos and to reach out to us if you know who this man is," Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston office, said in a news release. "We believe he was involved in a violent assault on federal officers and no amount of information is too small or irrelevant."

If found, the man could become the seventh Massachusetts resident charged in connection to the Capitol riot.

Read the full story.

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Wednesday's Other Top Stories

Asbestos testing closes high school: Braintree High School is closed Wednesday for mandatory asbestos testing, school officials said. In an email to parents Tuesday night, school officials said the closure is necessary because of "asbestos flooring being disturbed during cleaning and moisture mitigation being done on [the]first floor." The testing is required by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. School officials said they will provide updates Wednesday on when school can be reopened.

Meanwhile, in Melrose, two classrooms are quarantined: Just a few days into the school year, the Melrose Public School District is in a whirlwind, telling two classrooms to quarantine due to positive coronavirus cases. The superintendent for Melrose Public Schools, Dr. Julie Kukenberger, said there are seven positive cases in the district, some cases being students, others adults. "Out of an abundance of caution and because our test and stay program is not yet ready for full implementation, we asked the potentially exposed students to learn from home for the next three days," Kukenberger said.

Police department settles 27-year-old discrimination lawsuit: The city of Worcester has agreed to settle a decades-old lawsuit brought by two Black police officers over racial discrimination in police promotions, according to court records. The officers, Andrew Harris and Spencer Tatum, sued the city in 1994, saying white officers were given promotions for positions in the department Harris and Tatum were qualified for. Tatum has retired, and Harris died before the suit was resolved. Worcester will pay $1.5 million and will follow an affirmative action plan to ensure discrimination in promotions does not occur in the future, according to court records and published reports.

Protest in Plymouth: Massachusetts residents will protest to demand the end of immigration detention at Plymouth County Jail, the release of those in detention, and an end to Trump-era immigration enforcement practices in Plymouth county on Thursday, September 9. A march and a rally are set to help reinforce and intensify the county's demand to stop the collaboration with immigration enforcement practices. Participants are calling for the release of people in ICE detention, rather than a transfer to another facility, and an end to the county's 287g contract with ICE

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Picture This: Pushing for an official state amphibian

State tree? Fish? Polka? Sure, Massachusetts has those already — the American elm, cod, and Lenny Gomulka's "Say Hello to Someone in Massachusetts." But the Bay State doesn't have a state amphibian yet, and state Rep. Tram Nguyen and a group of Andover high school students want to change that. Legislation filed by Nguyen would make the blue-spotted salamander the official state amphibian.

They Said It

"My family is amazing and this 'setback' will not define us or change who Jake is. Jake is tough, is overflowing with grit and is determined to walk again. But he is scared beyond belief. Losing hockey and his dream of playing collegiately, which we now know for certain was happening, is soul crushing for him."

• Michael Thibeault, of Milton, whose son Jake was injured in a hockey tournament Saturday.

In Case You Missed It

Jury selection begins if first 'Varsity Blues' trial: Jury selection began Wednesday in federal court in Boston in the case against two parents — former casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and former Staples and Gap Inc. executive John Wilson — who are accused of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get their kids into the University of Southern California by falsely presenting them as athletic recruits. Though they were among dozens of prominent parents, athletic coaches and others arrested across the country when the case exploded into the headlines over two years ago, theirs is the first to go trial.

Tree cutter dies after touching wires: State Police are investigating an unattended death in Northborough. The death involves a tree-cutting crew. A worker in a cherry picker truck bucket came in contact with electrical lines, there was an explosion, and the worker was apparently electrocuted.

By The Numbers

$72,730: The amount raised as of 12: 55 p.m. Wednesday in a fundraiser for the family of Ava Pioppi, the 13-year-old girl killed in a dirt bike accident Monday. The fundraiser is being organized by the owners of Wareham MX Park, where the crash occured.