Community Corner

Region Roundup: Foxborough Children Injured in Bus Crash, HS Football Player Arrested, Easton Woman Dies in Accident & More

A look at what happened around the region this past week.

2 Children Injured After Minivan Crashes into Bus Near Ahern Middle School 

It was a scary scene outside Ahern Middle School on Mechanic Street Tuesday morning after a minivan carrying two children collided with a Foxborough school bus transporting four children.

The two children in the minivan were transported to area hospitals while the four school children were reported, OK and brought to the Ahern Middle School office.

“All four school children on the bus were fine, thank God, and thank God the injured children [from the van] are going to be OK as well,” said Foxborough police officer Dave Foscaldo.

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The children from the minivan suffered “serious injuries” but none are life threatening, according to Foscaldo. One child was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Rhode Island and the other was sent to Norwood Hospital. 

Foscaldo, the investigating officer on scene, says it “appears the vehicle crossed the doubled line” and struck the bus.

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“[Van] was travelling in opposite direction,” Foscaldo said. “Witness stated the van entered the bus’ lane of travel on Mechanic Street. Van collided with the bus and spun around.”

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Mansfield High Football Captain Arrested for Assault and Battery

Mansfield Police arrested high school football captain Alexander Ruddy for allegedly attacking another student with a belt earlier this month, according to MyFoxBoston.com.

The 17-year-old junior has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

According to Fox, the alleged victim was a sophomore who was assaulted with a belt after gym class in a school locker room March 15.

The student then went to the school nurse to receive care. Ruddy was arraigned in Attleboro District Court Friday and was released on personal recognizance.

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2-Year-Old Boy Found Alone on Busy Washington Street in Walpole

A 2-year-old Walpole boy was found standing alone on the side of Washington Street last week before a Good Samaritan stopped to help him find his way back home.

A woman called police Monday, March 11 around 11:25 a.m. and said a two-year-old child just walked out into the street in front of her and that she had the child in her vehicle.

According to Walpole Deputy Police Chief John Carmichael, the toddler was awake with his family at 9 a.m. The child's mother went back to bed and the father went to work and left a movie on for him.

Although he did not know for sure, Carmichael said the boy may have been outside for as long as an hour and a half, but was found in good condition.

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Discussion on Tri Town Sewer Draws Heated Debate in Norton

Tri Town Sewer District negotiations have been going on for the past five years, and members of the Water and Sewer Department told the Norton Board of Selectmen they’re getting close to an agreement at a meeting Thursday night.

The issue of contention that’s holding up negotiations is the amount of money Norton would receive for hosting the sewer expansion needed to handle the three towns.

The main crux of the problem for Norton at least is that the expansion would require two additional parcels for which the town currently collects taxes on, taxes which the town would lose. Superintendent of Norton Water Department Diane McEligott said negotiations for the reimbursement are continuing, but are still up in the air and could seriously affect Norton ratepayers and potential business prospects in the town in the future.

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22-Year-Old Easton Woman Dies in Overnight Accident

Easton was mourning the loss of one of its own Friday.

Alexandra Hamilton, 22, of Easton passed away at Brigham and Women's hospital Friday from injuries sustained during an overnight accident on Turnpike Street.

Hamilton, the daughter of Easton Police Officer Steven Hamilton, was traveling northbound on Turnpike when she struck a diesel fuel truck traveling in the southbound lane, Police Chief Allen Krajcik said.

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Norwood Police Arrest Two Suspects for Cocaine Related Charges

Norwood and Wellesley detectives of the NORPAC Task Force were conducting surveillance on St. James Street, near Washington Street, for a drug dealer on Friday.

According to police, the detectives observed Denny German, 31, of Salem, sell five $100 bags of cocaine to Norwood resident Derek Hamlin, 33.

After the transaction was done, both individuals were placed under arrest.

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Sharon Woman Helps Run Girls Soccer Club in Haiti

What began as a 10-day trip to Haiti in 2011 for Taryn Silver turned into a new home and about 50 new friends.

Silver, a former Sharon resident, helps run the Association Sportives des Jeunes Filles de Fond des Blancs (The Sports Association of Young Women of Fond des Blancs), a girls soccer club in the rural town of Fond-des-Blancs, about 70 miles west of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

Silver moved to Haiti in 2012 to work for the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation in Fond-des-Blancs. 

It was there where she met Andover native Molly Klarman who had started the club last year.

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Canton Student to Buzz Head with Rob Gronkowski for Cancer Fundraiser

Griffin Lincoln, 11, a fifth-grade student at the John F. Kennedy School in Canton will join New England Patriot Rob Gronkowski in buzzing his head to help honor and support children who struggle with pediatric cancer. 

This year marks the third annual Kid’s Cancer Buzz-Off, which takes place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on June 9, sponsored by the organization One Mission, a childhood cancer foundation dedicated to enhancing the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families.

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Stoughton Police Investigating a Pair of Armed Robberies

Stoughton Police are investigating a pair of armed robberies which took place at Fairy Tales Formals and Rite Aid last week.

Police received a call at 3:11 p.m. March 14 reporting a robbery at Fairy Tales Formals, located at 761 Washington St. in the downtown.

Police say a man walked into the store and stated that he had a gun, stole a few hundred dollars in cash, and then fled on foot.

The day before, March 13, Stoughton Police responded to a robbery at Rite Aid at 638 Washington St. in Shaw's Plaza just before 7 p.m., where a suspect with a knife stole an undisclosed amount of pills from behind the pharmacy, before getting away in a stolen vehicle.

This same vehicle was later found torched in Bridgewater, shortly before 4:30 a.m. on March 14, about 10 hours after the Rite Aid robbery, according to a tweet from the Bridgewater Police Department.  

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Thursday night's meeting of the Attleboro School Committee concluded without the selection of a superintendent to take over the district in July, and several people are not happy about this.

Following more than two hours of executive session discussion behind closed doors, School Committee Chair Mike Tyler announced "there was no consensus on either finalist for the position of superintendent of the schools." He called for another meeting to take place no sooner than next Thursday, at which time there could be further deliberations on whether to hire Anthony Azar or Kenneth Sheehan to replace outgoing Superintendent Pia Durkin.

School Committee Vice Chair Brenda Furtado said, "I'm extremely upset that we did not come out to select a new superintendent for the Attleboro Public Schools. I did feel there was a viable candidate ... It's disappointing, and actually I'm extremely disgusted."


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