Month: May 2026

By Neal Riley

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is weighing whether two statues of Catholic saints can be installed at the entrance to a new public safety building in Quincy.

Quincy officials say the 10-foot-tall statues of St. Michael and St. Florian are important to police officers and firefighters. The high court heard arguments Wednesday morning about the long-running dispute between the city and some residents of different religious faiths who say their presence in a government building would violate the Massachusetts Constitution.

Some have objected to the statues’ cost, which is about $850,000. But the court is focused on the religious symbolism of the statues, with the American Civil Liberties Union and others arguing that they don’t belong on public property. Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian asked how common the statues are, saying, “I take it that there’s not another fire department or police department in the commonwealth of Massachusetts that has these statues on the front of a building.”

Joseph Davis, an attorney for the city of Quincy, pointed to similar displays at police and fire departments in Los Angeles, New York City and Bristol, Connecticut.

“So none in Massachusetts, and you’ve come up with three out of the probably hundreds of thousands of police and fire department buildings in the country,” Wolohojian replied.

Quincy has argued that as the patron saints of police and fire departments, the statues are important symbols to first responders.

“They’ve come to represent firefighters and police officers, whatever their beliefs or backgrounds,” Davis said.

The court also had tough questions for the side opposed to the statues. Justice Scott Kafker said he’s trying to figure out why the proposed statues cross the line.

“The Supreme Court’s cautioning us … there’s not a hermetically sealed separation between church and state,” Kafker said. “Some of it’s allowed.”

The ACLU’s Jessie Rossman said Quincy is sending the wrong message to followers of other religions, as well as non-religious people.

“It’s the government using its platform to elevate a religious belief over the beliefs of others,” she said.

A Norfolk Superior Court judge in October temporarily blocked installation of the statues. It’s not known when the justices will issue their decision.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Neal Riley

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    DEDHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Janette MacAusland, the Wellesley mother who allegedly confessed to killing her two young children, appeared emotional as she faced a judge in a Massachusetts courtroom on Wednesday.

MacAusland was arraigned on two charges of first-degree murder in Dedham District Court. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf. She wore a gray sweatshirt and glasses and kept her hands clasped in front of her while looking down during the proceedings.

The judge ordered her held without bail. Her next court date is July 13.

Investigators say the 49-year-old showed up to her aunt’s house in Bennington, Vermont on April 24 and admitted to killing her 6-year-old daughter Ella and 7-year-old son Kai. There was dried blood on MacAusland’s neck from a large cut, the aunt told police.

“She said ‘I wanted the 3 of us to go to God together but it didn’t work,'” the aunt said.

When police arrived, they asked MacAusland if her children were OK.

“I strangled them and then I tried to kill myself,” MacAusland allegedly said, according to an affidavit.

Wellesley police conducted a well-being check at MacAusland’s home on Edgemoor Avenue, where they found the children dead in her bed. Court records show MacAusland’s husband Samuel had filed for divorce last October was seeking custody of the children and their home.

MacAusland appeared virtually in a Vermont courtroom last week and agreed to return Massachusetts to face murder charges. She was wearing a padded vest in jail during the proceedings.

Family babysitter Cale Darrah told WBZ-TV that the tragedy was unexpected.

“She seemed to just deeply love her children, like any other mother that I’ve come across,” Darrah said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Neal Riley

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Some lawmakers are making another push to get drivers to slow down and stop at red lights by legalizing traffic cameras in Massachusetts.

A bill proposed in the state Senate would allow cities and towns to install cameras that take pictures of license plates when someone breaks a traffic law. The system would then send a ticket to the owner of the car.

Among the violations the cameras could catch: Failing to stop at a light that’s already turned red, making a right on red where it’s not allowed, going 10 mph or more over the speed limit, and blocking an intersection.

Bill sponsor Sen. William Brownsberger of Belmont says there’s a lack of enforcement on Massachusetts roads.

“There’s a lot of speeding, there’s a lot of people going through red lights, there’s a lot of people blowing through right turns on reds,” he told WBZ-TV. “I do think it’s gotten worse over the past few years.”

Violators could face fines between $25 and $150. But no points would be added to a driver’s license, so insurance rates would not be impacted. To address privacy concerns, the bill only allows cameras to take pictures of license plates – not the driver.

The bill would not let cities and towns make money on the fines; they would simply cover the cost of maintaining the equipment.

“It’s not going to be a cash cow for anybody. Municipalities are not going to have any incentive to just throw these up and basically tax people for going through the community,” Brownsberger said.

Similar bills have been proposed previously in Massachusetts without success, and the Legislature has a July deadline to get this passed.

“We need this to start making our roads safer again,” Brownsberger said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By JT Moodee Lockman

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    PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — Maryland lawmakers are asking the Air Force to answer questions about a 32,000-gallon jet fuel spill on Joint Base Andrews that prompted an investigation and clean-up effort.

State delegates wrote a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, claiming there has been a lack of transparency surrounding the leak.

Leaders said the leak resulted in 20,000 gallons of fuel being released, contaminating the soil outside the base at the waters of nearby Piscataway Creek.

The lawmakers raised concerns about what they called a delay in the Air Force providing “full information” to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).

According to their letter, the Air Force’s “failure to promptly notify for many weeks prevented MDE from implementing measures to minimize the spread of the contamination.”

WJZ has reached out to the Air Force for comment.

In mid-April, base officials said federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Response Center, were notified of the leak and mitigation efforts were initiated.

The 32,000-gallon leak occurred between January and March, according to MDE officials. The jet fuel leaked from a refueling system, which has since been shut down, officials said.

The leak was discovered by staff on the base who saw a visible sheen and smelled fuel coming from Piscataway Creek, officials said.

A contractor is working to clean up the leak and investigate the cause of the system failure, according to MDE. The agency said in April that drinking water was not impacted.

“The installation continues to work closely with regulatory partners to ensure all appropriate steps are taken to address the release and protect surrounding waterways and ecosystems,” officials said in April. “The base is also coordinating with public health agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of the base populace and surrounding communities.”

Maryland lawmakers listed several questions for Sec. Meink about the status of the containment efforts, the current systems used to detect fuel leaks, and measures to prevent future incidents.

“Legacy pollution from Joint Base Andrews has already resulted in PFAS contamination in Piscataway Creek and the surrounding area, and this fuel spill adds to existing environmental stressors affecting the watershed,” lawmakers said. “The release has the potential to cause further ecological harm to the Piscataway Creek, which flows into the Potomac River, a key Chesapeake Bay tributary.”

The lawmakers included the following questions and requested a briefing and written response:

Detailed timeline of when the leaks were detected and what contributed to the delay in reporting it? How much fuel has gone into Piscataway Creek versus the ground? What is the base using to measure the fuel loss? What immediate and long-term strategies are being used to address water and soil contamination? What measures will be taken to ensure containment of contaminated areas during rain or other weather conditions? What monitoring systems are being used to detect future leaks? What steps are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future? How will ongoing updates be communicated to agencies and the public? What impacts has the leak had on base operations?

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Bryant Reed

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — Passengers aboard two Southwest Airlines flights were forced to change planes earlier this week after the airplanes clipped each other while leaving the gates at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

According to both the FAA and Southwest Airlines, during pushback, Southwest flights 1048 to Connecticut and 562 to Houston backed into each other and caused minor damage to the wingtips.

Southwest said the planes were immediately removed from service.

The air carrier said no passengers were injured, and an internal review is underway.

In a statement, Southwest said, “Safety is their top priority for both passengers and employees.”

The FAA is investigating. On Live ATC, the pilot of flight 1048 can be heard telling air traffic controllers about the incident after the collision.

“Hey, ground, Southwest 1048, we had contact between the 2 aircraft back here,” the pilot said. “We’re going to need to taxi straight ahead back to Alpha 7.”

However, beforehand, the FAA said that the area is an area where air traffic controllers typically do not have any communication with the crew.

CBS News Baltimore was told that navigating the gates at BWI for pilots and planes takes a bit of geometry. Patience and awareness are needed to safely maneuver.

Dwain Celistan, a frequent flier, said that despite air travel coming under scrutiny over the past year for crashes and failed communications, it doesn’t scare him away from using that mode of transportation.

“It’s becoming more frequent and more concerning, but I still believe it’s the safest way to travel and so while it does occur it’s so infrequent as to not deter me from wanting to fly,” Celistan said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.