Police investigating ‘hoax’ explosive device placed on bridge in Templeton

Police in Templeton, Massachusetts, and state police assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office are asking for the public's help in identifying who placed an apparent hoax explosive device on a bridge this week. Authorities said the item's resemblance to a "destructive device" and its placement on a bridge over a railroad track were intentional. Investigators believe the device was placed sometime prior to Tuesday night. A state Department of Transportation Highway Division employee reported a possible explosive device on the Route 202 bridge near the Elm Street intersection around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday. Templeton police responded and found an item that resembled an explosive device with wires protruding from it.
WBTS-CD NBC 10 Nashua

Onset firefighters graduate academy

Seven Onset firefighters have graduated from the Call/Volunteer Recruit Firefighter Training Program offered by the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. The graduates received certificates of completion at a ceremony held at Bridgewater State University on Wednesday, May 1. Jacob Achstetter, William Burke, Jarred Doody, Jacob Fraser, Nathaniel Gaboury, Owen Gurner and Sydney Haskell graduated the course from Onset Fire Department. “The Onset Fire Department would like to congratulate our newest recruits, who finished the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Call/Volunteer Recruit Class #111,” read an announcement on Facebook. “Massachusetts firefighters are on the frontlines protecting their communities every day, and today’s graduates are needed now more than ever,” said State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.
Wareham Week

Chelsea apartment building evacuated after reported gaseous odor, officials say

Crews evacuated several residents from a Chelsea apartment building Thursday night. Firefighters responding to 178 Washington Avenue for a report of gas in the building found unusually high readings on their meters once inside, according to Deputy Fire Chief Edward McGarry. Out of an abundance of caution, officials ordered evacuations. It is unclear how many residents are currently displaced. There were no reports of any injuries. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the odor and a gas company is on scene assisting.
WFXT-TV FOX 25 Boston

Crews battle pallet fire in South Deerfield hotel parking lot

VIDEO: Crews in South Deerfield responded to a fire at the Red Roof Inn parking lot on Greenfield Road just after midnight. When fire crews arrived, they found a stack of wooden pallets on fire. They were quickly able to put out the heavy flames and soak the nearby grass to make sure the flames would not spread. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Western Mass News

Two workers seriously injured in Braintree industrial accident

Two workers suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries after an industrial accident in Braintree Wednesday morning. The workers from New Hampshire were in a crane basket on Quincy Avenue when a wheeled boom fell onto its side, knocking into the crane. The two men, aged 19 and 40, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. They were rushed to a Boston hospital for treatment. OSHA is investigating the incident.
WFXT-TV FOX 25 Boston

Homes in the area of a gas leak in Longmeadow evacuated

Homes in the area of Cooley Drive and Riverview Avenue in Longmeadow have been evacuated due to a gas leak on Thursday morning. According to the Longmeadow Fire Department, at around 9:30 a.m., a contractor installing water mains hit a gas line causing a leak. As a precaution, a few homes in the immediate area have been evacuated. Crews from Longmeadow Fire, Police, and Eversource Gas are assisting. The fire department says there is no immediate danger to the public as the leak is venting. Residents may smell the presence of gas due to the leak.
WWLP-TV NBC/CW+ 22 Springfield