Oh, Henri! After Fred, Another Storm Heading To MA: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Thursday, August 19. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Peabody is bringing shaken and stirred residents together in search of answers next week after the third small earthquake in the past month rumbled through Peabody late Wednesday afternoon.
• Police in Rhode Island arrested a man they say shot and killed two Massachusetts men outside a Providence nightclub earlier this month.
• A Chipotle customer in Reading wants answers after she said her daughter found a dishrag inside her burrito.

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

Today's Top Story

Meteorologists are expecting Tropical Storm Henri to turn towards Massachusetts Friday and could hit southern New England on Sunday.

The storm, which was 810 miles south of Cape Cod at 11 a.m. Thursday, is also expected to be upgraded to a hurricane on Friday. On its current course, the heaviest rains and winds from Henri would hit Massachusetts late Sunday night and into Monday morning. Storm swells along the coast could come as soon as Friday.

The storm comes after Thursday, when Tropical Storm Fred swept through the area. Fred put much of Massachusetts was under a flash flood watch, and parts of the state were issued tornado warnings, including Worcester.

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

Feds looking at recent Peabody earthquakes: The city is bringing shaken and stirred residents together in search of answers next week after the third small earthquake in the past month rumbled through Peabody late Wednesday afternoon. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a 1.3-magnitude earthquake centered about a half-mile north of downtown Peabody on Wednesday. It was the third earthquake of a similarly minor size reported in recent weeks. Peabody Municipal Light Company said "we feel the quakes too" and said the USGS asked it to ask residents to report any disturbances "so they can start collecting more data on them."

Charges in killing of 2 MA men: Police arrested a Johnston man they said shot and killed two Massachusetts men outside a Providence nightclub earlier this month. Miguel Lacourt, 36, was captured Wednesday during a traffic stop in Johnston. He was wanted on two counts of murder in connection to the deaths of Mario Diaz, 27, of Boston and Kerwins Pimental, 29, of Mattapan.

Baker issues vaccine mandate for some state workers: Governor Charlie Baker signed an executive order requiring all Executive Department employees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination on or before October 17, 2021. All Executive Department employees will be required to provide proof that they have received either the required two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by October 17, the order says.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Picture This: Hold The Dishrag, Please

Seanna Balfe ordered delivery from Chipotle in Reading on Aug. 11. She and her husband initially thought their daughters were playing a practical joke when they heard screams from the other room. "My daughter actually bit into it and tasted the towel," Balfe told Patch. "[She] said it tasted like soap." Chipotle did not respond to a Patch request for comment, and the store manager referred questions to the corporate offices.

Eat Mass: Kowloon Owners Prepare To Close Route 1 Restaurant

Eat Mass is Patch's weekly round up of food and restaurant news in Massachusetts.Click for more, including:

• The latest on plans to close a Saugus institution.
• Hostess and Little Debbie sweeten Milkshake Month at the Rosebud in Somerville.
• Permit for Popeyes on Mishawum Road in Woburn approved.
• SWAMPtoberfest comes back to Swampscott in September.
• New Haven staple Sally's Apizza considers possible location in Woburn.
• Restaurant openings, closings

Read the full story.