Judge Rules Against LRA Board Member Who Claimed He Had a Five Year Term

Judge Rules Against LRA Board Member Who Claimed He Had a Five Year Term

By: Tom Duggan – Feb. 29, 2016 Superior Court Judge Robert Welch has rejected the claim by former Lawrence Redevelopment Authority member James Patrick O’Donoghue to remain on the board after his term expired. The judge dismissed O’Donoghue’s suit against the city in a written ruling February 24, 2016. O’Donoghue claimed that he was appointed […]

Knowing the Differences Between Physicians, Physician’s Assistants, & Nurse Practitioners

Knowing the Differences Between Physicians, Physician’s Assistants, & Nurse Practitioners

Our center staffs a range of medical experts with varying skills, specialties and levels of expertise. During your visit, you may hear different people introduce themselves as a physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant. When patients are offered medical services by any of these providers, the most frequently asked question is “What is the difference?” […]

“Migrants” on the Move ~ JEFF KATZ

“Migrants” on the Move ~ JEFF KATZ

By: Jeff Katz – Feb. 2016 Over the past few weeks we’ve seen reports of millions of so called migrants traveling through Europe. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed hundreds of thousands of these “refugees” and proclaimed that her nation would do everything necessary to help them assimilate. The problem now on clear display is that […]

DEA and Haverhill Detectives Arrest Lawrence Man for Fentanyl Laced Heroin Worth $20K

DEA and Haverhill Detectives Arrest Lawrence Man for Fentanyl Laced Heroin Worth $20K

On Friday, DEA Agents from Portland Maine, Boston MA , DEA Cross Border Initiative, and Haverhill Detectives arrested Christopher Graciano-Fernandez age 22, of 15 Birch St. Lawrence MA in the parking lot of McDonalds Restaurant, at 795 River St. in Haverhill. Fernandez was charged with Trafficking Heroin . Seized during the arrest was 300 grams […]

PAYING ATTENTION! ~ A Day at the Board of Medicine and What Gov. Baker Needs to Know

PAYING ATTENTION!  ~ A Day at the Board of Medicine and What Gov. Baker Needs to Know

  By: Tom Duggan, Feb, 2016 Last month, I had the displeasure of spending a day in Waltham at the state’s Board of Registration in Medicine, also known as BORIM. They are a state board appointed by the governor (this board was appointed by Gov. Patrick) to oversee the disciplining of doctors accused of wrongdoing. […]

Lawrence Councilors Fined For Refusing to Disclose Campaign Contributions, Expenditures

Lawrence Councilors Fined For Refusing to Disclose Campaign Contributions, Expenditures

By: Tom Duggan – 2-22-16 The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF ) has fined two Lawrence City Councilors and warned a third because of campaign finance violations from the last city election.  Lawrence City Councilor at Large Nilka Alvarez-Rodriguez, who has served more than 10 years on the city council, was fined […]

Mass. Republican Assembly Endorses Grayton for State Committee Questions Character of Toohey

Mass. Republican Assembly Endorses Grayton for State Committee Questions Character of Toohey

 The Massachusetts Republican Assembly (MARA) and Sharron Angle, former candidate for United States Senate and President of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) proudly endorse Daniel Grayton of Methuen for Republican State Committeeman in the First Essex  Massachusetts State Senate District  (including Methuen, Haverhill, Newburyport, Merrimac, Salisbury, and N.Andover Pcts 1-4).  Both MARA and the […]

Senate Passes Sweeping Public Records Reform Bill, Conference Committee Named to Create Final Language

Senate Passes Sweeping Public Records Reform Bill, Conference Committee Named to Create Final Language

RELATED STORIES The Massachusetts State Senate unanimously passed sweeping reforms of the state’s impotent public records law last month. Senate Bill 2120, “An Act Improving the Administration and Enforcement of Public Records Law”. The law will make sweeping changes to MGL Ch. 66, which currently states that public agencies and municipalities must turn over public […]

BOOK REVIEW: Unraveling My Father’s Suicide

BOOK REVIEW: Unraveling My Father’s Suicide

By: Tom Duggan, Feb. ’16 Local author Kathleen LaPlante’s book, “Unraveling My Father’s Suicide” is an emotionally heart-wrenching story about her life experiences after the loss of her father to suicide on her 21st birthday while she was away at college. Her journey for answers courageously brings you through her mental health struggles, including the […]

Rep. Lyons Pushes effort to allow 72-hour Medical Hold for Treating Overdose Victims

Rep. Lyons Pushes effort to allow 72-hour Medical Hold for Treating Overdose Victims

BOSTON – State Representative Jim Lyons (R-Andover) today offered an amendment to allow doctors and care givers the power to involuntarily hold overdose victims at a hospital or drug treatment facility for an initial three day period to receive emergency treatment. The amendment, put forth by Rep. Lyons and  Rep. Shaunna L. O’Connell (R-Taunton), was […]

MBTA Pension Fund Subject to Senate Public Records Bill

MBTA Pension Fund Subject to Senate Public Records Bill

Senate Minority Leader Tarr Secures Passage of Several Amendments Boston- The State Senate today adopted legislation to make certain Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Retirement Board records subject to the provisions of a new public records access law. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) successfully championed the legislation which will apply to all documents made or […]

LRA Board Member Files Injunction to Stop His Replacement

LRA Board Member Files Injunction to Stop His Replacement

Lawrence resident James Patrick O’Donoghue has filed an injunction in Newburyport Superior Court, to try and halt his removal from the Lawrence Redevelopment Authority. O’Donogue was appointed February 4, 2014 to fill the unexpired term of Estella Reyes, who left the board after taking office as a Lawrence City Councilor.  O’Donoghue claims in his filing with the […]

Ethics Commission Accuses Stoughton Town Moderator Howard Hansen – Town Printing Done at His OWN Company

Ethics Commission Accuses Stoughton Town Moderator Howard Hansen – Town Printing Done at His OWN Company

Hansen repeatedly violated several sections of the conflict of interest law between 2009 and 2014 by directing Town printing business to his own printing company The Enforcement Division of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission alleges that Howard Hansen, the Town of Moderator of Stoughton, violated G.L. c. 268A, the conflict of interest law, by directing […]