Massachusetts' Top 5: Our Most Popular Facebook Stories This Week

From a National Merit Scholarship winner in Wakefield to the mourning of a local PVMHS graduate, check out the stories Massachusetts Patch readers were sharing, reading and commenting on for the week of May 8.

Jackson Kehoe Named National Merit Scholarship Winner

Wakefield High School's Jackson P. Kehoe was named winner of a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. In addition to outstanding academics, Jackson recently stared in the role of Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the high school. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Steven J. Batakis, Graduate of PVMHS Class of 2014, Passes Away in Tragic Accident

Steven J. Batakis, a lifelong resident of Peabody and Graduate of the PVMHS Class of 2014, passed away on May 4, 2017, after a tragic motorcycle accident. Steven, 21, was a student at the University of New Hampshire, studying Environmental Resource Economics. Steven's family has lived on Goodale Street for 65 years, beginning with his grandparents Alphonse (d. 2012) and Josephine Batakis.

Malden Charter School Punishes Black Students for Hairstyle, Parents Say

Black students at Mystic Valley Regional Charter are being disciplined for their braided hairstyles in what parents are calling racism from the Malden school, according to multiple reports. In stories published on May 11, one parent said her twin 15-year-old daughters had multiple detentions and face suspension over their hairstyles – braids with extensions.

Cambridge Fighting Opioid Battle on All Fronts

As officials scramble to deal with rising opioid overdose numbers nationwide, Cambridge is looking to take a first-of-its-kind step in combatting the epidemic. Cambridge may become the first city to place lockboxes filled with overdose medication Narcan on street corners, giving access to everyone in case of public overdoses.

Out-of-State Worker Falls To Death In Marlborough

A 30-year-old construction worker from Arkansas recently fell 50 feet to his death while working a job in Marlborough. According to several media reports, the man was building ice rinks at the New England Sports Center on Donald Lynch Boulevard when he fell from an elevated beam. He worked for Colorado-Springs based Alpha Steel Erectors.

Photo credit: Wakefield High School