Baker Moves Up Phase 4 Industry, Boosts Outdoor Dining: Patch PM

Today is Thursday, Sept. 10. Here are some of the top stories we are covering.

Gov. Charlie Baker is inching the state's reopening plan a bit further ahead, signing executive orders Thursday that would reopen arcades and hopefully help restaurants extend their outdoor dining season.

Arcades were not supposed to come back online until the fourth phase of reopening, something Baker has said won't happen until a medical breakthrough results in a vaccine or therapeutics.

Baker said another executive order will permit cities and towns to allow restaurants to continue the same level of outdoor dining as they have this summer, while a new round of funding is aimed to help bolster the dining experience as the fall approaches.

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Other top stories

Juneteenth Now A MA Schools Holiday

Juneteenth will now be observed by Massachusetts school districts, with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education adding it to the state's school calendar effective immediately.

June 19th became a state holiday last month when Gov. Charlie Baker signed a COVID-19 spending bill that included a Juneteenth amendment.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were told of their freedom, essentially ending slavery in America. It was more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and a few months before the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified.

More Than 18,000 Leave Massachusetts Unemployment Rolls

There were 389,361 Massachusetts residents collecting unemployment benefits during the week ended Aug. 29, down 18,015, or 4.4 percent, from 407,376 a week earlier, according to the weekly U.S. Department of Labor unemployment benefits report released Thursday.

That's good news for Massachusetts, which has had the highest unemployment rate in the country for two straight months and has been one of the hardest-hit states in terms of job losses since the coronavirus crisis started in March. The state's unemployment rate was 16.1 percent in July, down from 17.4 percent in June but well above the national rate of 10.2 percent.

State Public Health Commissioner On Medical Leave

State Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel is on medical leave unrelated to COVID-19, the Department of Public Health said.

Bharel, who tested positive for the virus in March, is expected to return to work next month. DPH General Counsel Margret Cooke will step in as acting commissioner until she does.

Also

State Teachers Union: Andover Decision Won't Stop Actions

"The MTA vehemently disagrees with the decision – and educators will not be silenced," the Massachusetts Teachers Association said.

Milford Teacher Charged After Child Porn Images Found At Home

The 33-year-old employee had about 6,000 images of minors, federal prosecutors said.

Letters Reveal Public Distaste For Booze In JFK White House

"Liquor dulls the brain and loosens the tongue," one disappointed citizen wrote to the nation's newly minted 35th president.

Amazon: MA Whole Foods Employee Didn't Have Standing To File Suit

Amazon asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by workers who said they were disciplined for wearing Black Lives Matter face masks to work.

Lynnfield Schools Delay In-Person Classes Due To Virus Case Surge

The town reported 17 new cases within 11 days, bringing it into the state designated red zone.

Dedham Parties Cause Coronavirus Cluster, Delay In-Person Classes

A series of three parties in town are being held as the source of a COVID-19 cluster that brought the town in the state-designated red zone.

Group Of Boston College Swimmers Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Several members of the Boston College swimming and diving teams have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Adam Sandler's Salem Halloween Film Hits Netflix In October

"Hubie Halloween" was filmed in several North Shore locations last summer.