Local Minister Dies, Motion Picture to be Filmed in Area, Baseball Coach Diagnosed with Cancer & More

FOXBOROUGH

Foxborough Rev. Brian Smith Dead at 45; ‘Goes Home to God’

Foxborough Rev. Brian P. Smith has gone home to God.

Fr. Brian, who spent the past 2 1/2 years at St. Mary's Church on Central Street, died of colon cancer early Monday morning. He was just 45 years old.

Fr. Brian was born Oct. 5, 1967 in Boston and is the beloved son of Donald M. and Virginia M. (Bailey) Smith of Weymouth.

Raised in Weymouth, Fr. Brian graduated from Weymouth North High School in 1985 and later graduated from Bridgewater State College with a degree in English. He then went on to teach music at St. Coletta’s Day School in Braintree.

Fr. Brian went on to attend St. John’s Seminary in Brighton and was ordained a Catholic priest on May 24, 2003.

Fr. Brian was assigned as a Parochial Vicar at St. Edith Stein Church in Brockton. He continued at St. Mary’s Church in Chelmsford for a short period of time before being assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Foxborough where he has served since 2011.

Fr. Brian loved music, playing guitar, reading, movies, and especially spending time with family and friends.

Foxborough's School Committee held a moment of silence during Monday's meeting for Fr. Brian and offered their sincerest condolences to his family.

"Father Brian at St. Mary's Parish, who did a lot for our youth, lost his life today after a courageous battle. Could we have a moment of silence before we start our meeting for an important member of our community," said Bruce Gardner, vice-chair of the School Committee.

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WALPOLE

Community Rallies Around Walpole Baseball Coach Diagnosed with Cancer

In his 34-year tenure as Walpole’s varsity baseball coach, Bill Tompkins has seen it all: from those years when our entire town couldn’t stop talking about awe-inspiring seasons, to the years of talk about nothing but scandals. So with the good comes the bad—and this year is no exception.

Almost a year since recording his 500th win as WHS baseball coach, 61-year-old Tompkins has recently been diagnosed with cancer—a diagnosis that not only shook the baseball team but the school and the community as well. And in response to this recent news, the students and the faculty have come together to give Tompkins the support he needs during his first rounds of chemotherapy.

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DEDHAM

Major Motion Picture Will be Filming in Dedham This Summer

The Dedham Board of Selectmen had a discussion with Charlie Harrington and Jeremy Fiske, part of the film crew who will working on "The Judge," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall.

The selectmen wanted to discuss the road closures and how Dedham Police will help with traffic. The film crew plans on filming on High Street, in front of the court house and The First Church on July 11 and 12.

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MANSFIELD

Turkey Strike Halts Amtrak Train

An Amtrak train was halted Saturday morning after a turkey crashed through the front of the train according to Mansfield fire.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on June 1, a turkey struck and entered the front of the train through a window, forcing the train to stop on School Street in West Mansfield.

Due to the secluded location of the train, four fire fighters walked about 30 minutes to get to the train and helped the train's injured engineer to an ambulance.

The engineer of the train was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital for minor injuries.

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EASTON

Easton Restaurant and Bar Celebrating Milestone Birthday

Maguire’s Bar and Grill celebrated their 20th birthday on Thursday. The popular establishment is the oldest independently owned and operated restaurant and bar in Easton. They will host a cookout and open house next Saturday, June 15, where they also will be collecting cash and checks to donate to the Easton Food Pantry.

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NORTON

Gambling Establishments Could Have Effect on Norton

With the possibility of gambling on the horizon at the Plainridge Racecourse in Plainville, the Taunton Casino and the Raynham Racecourse, the Norton Board of Selectmen discussed the potential impact this could have in Norton. While noting that housing could be impacted, the Board didn’t seem too worried, although it was brought up that there is money available from any of the nearby gaming establishments for an impact study.

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ATTLEBORO

Norton Woman Allegedly Crashes Vehicle in Attleboro After Texting She is Drunk

A 20-year-old Norton woman was arrested in Attleboro over the weekend for allegedly drunk driving and crashing into a car, according to Fox 25.

Attleboro Police told Fox 25 that Allison Giuva of Norton was drunk with a blood alcohol content reading of .15 when she crashed into another car on Slater Street Saturday morning.

Her cell phone allegedly contained a text message from the previous hour saying she was drunk, according to the report.

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SEEKONK

Former Seekonk Selectman Accused of Making Threats

Beth Hallal, Seekonk's board of health agent, said former Selectman Bill Rice acted like fictional mob boss Tony Soprano at Town Hall last week when he told her he would break her bones. Rice admitted he made the comments, but said he was joking. Hallal filed a police report. Police Capt. Frank John told Patch Rice will not be charged with a crime.

Rice's comments made May 24 were in reaction to the board of health's approval of the Pine Hill Estates development, according to an incident report written by Patrol Officer Sean P. Dowd. The report says Rice was upset because of possible disruption to water and wells in the area.