High School Football Teams Face Racism, Hazing Claims: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Monday, October 18. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Danvers police said a surveillance video posted online of an apparent house-snooping incident turned out to be not suspicious.
• Salem said the positive test rate at its coronavirus rapid test location on Essex Street was under 1 percent this past week.
• Coronavirus concerns have forced the cancellation of a Marblehead indoor craft fair.
• A medical examiner's report released last week said former Bruins player Jimmy Hayes had cocaine and fentanyl in his system when he died unexpectedly in August.
• Masaharu Morimoto, best known as a regular on Food Network's "Iron Chef," prepared a 66-foot long maki roll at the grand opening of his new Boston restaurant over the weekend.
• Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 vaccination mandate takes effect this week, and that means some state workers could soon be out of work.

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

Today's Top Story

Two Massachusetts high schools are responding to accusations about inappropriate behavior by players on their varsity football teams.

In Hyannis, St. John Paul II School suspended all football activities after members of the team were accused of making racist comments about opposing players during Saturday's game against Cathedral High School in Boston. A statement from the Diocese of Fall River called the allegations "deeply troubling," and wanted the students to "realize the gravity of the use of such language," on and off the field.

And in Woburn, police are "investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team."

Woburn police received the complaint Wednesday regarding an incident earlier in the school year, according to a statement released by Woburn police and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office

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Monday's Other Top Stories

Candidates react to anti-gay comments: With about two weeks before the November election, several candidates in the Worcester School Committee race are responding to anti-gay comments attributed to one candidate running for a seat. Last week, School Committee candidate Shanel Soucy said screenshots that purportedly show her negatively commenting on gay people were "falsified" and were being circulated by a "hate group" that dislikes her opposition to Worcester's new sex education curriculum.

Norwood selectman dies after medical emergency: Selectman David Hajjar died Saturday afternoon after experiencing a medical emergency in his home. "He did pass away yesterday," General Manager Tony Mazzucco confirmed in a text. "Completely unexpected. We are very shocked and saddened." Hajjar grew up in Norwood and was elected to the board of selectmen in 2019.

Nothing to see here in Danvers: Danvers police on Monday were looking to calm any concerns from residents seeing a video online that appeared to show someone snooping around a neighborhood residence. Police said they responded to a call for a suspicious person looking into the window of a house Sunday night after a neighbor's surveillance video of the visit was posted online. However, police said the person caught on camera knew the homeowner and that there was "no actual suspicious behavior."

Salem rapid coronavirus tests show less than 1% positive rate: The positive rate at the Salem downtown rapid coronavirus test site fell once again this past weekend with less than 1 percent of the 1,171 tests administered coming back positive for the virus.

Coronavirus concerns cancel Marblehead craft fair: While many outdoor fairs and festivals returned across the region this summer and fall following 2020 cancellations, organizers said they have made the difficult decision to call off the Gerry 5 VFA Holiday Craft Fair announced this summer. Organizers said potential vendors and attendees expressed concern about an indoor event around the holiday season.

They Said It

"I was completely shocked. I was so certain that it had nothing to do with drugs. I really thought it was a heart attack...It didn't make any sense, so it was hard."

Kristen Hayes, widow of former Bruins player Jimmy Hayes, who died in August. A medical examiner's report said Jimmy Hayes had cocaine and fentanyl in his system when he died.

In Case You Missed It

Vaccine deadline looms for state workers: Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID-19 vaccination mandate takes effect this week, meaning some workers are facing suspensions or termination. The mandate impacts some 45,000 workers, and up to 5,000 are at risk of being suspended or fired. The mandate has survived multiple legal attempts to overturn it.

By The Numbers

66: The length, in feet, of a maki roll prepared by Masaharu Morimoto at the grand opening of his new Boston restaurant over the weekend. Morimoto is best known as a regular on Food Network's "Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America."