Town's 1 Coronavirus Case Forces School To Full Remote: Patch PM

Today is Thursday, Sept. 17. Here are some of the top stories we are covering.

Winchester High School was added to the list of schools forced to switch gears to all remote classes after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The positive case was reported late in the day on Wednesday, which was also the first day of in-person classes.

The school moved all cohorts for Thursday and Friday to remote learning due to the positive test. The student is the only active COVID-19 case in the town, as of Sept. 16. Winchester has seen 134 confirmed cases and eight deaths.

Winchester High School will have remote classes until its planned reopening on Sept. 21, unless more students test positive. Pre-K through eighth grade classes are carrying on as usual.

Read the full story here

Other top stories

Attleboro Student Sent To School With Coronavirus 'Makes No Sense,' Baker Says

A day after it was revealed that an Attleboro High School student went to school knowing he had coronavirus, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said local communities should decide the punishment in such cases.

The unidentified student went to school Monday after testing positive for the virus. Word didn't get out until late in the day and once contact tracing was done 30 classmates were forced into quarantine for 14 days as a precaution.

Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux said no one was to blame except the teen's parents for putting other students and staff at risk.

Beverly-Based Search-And-Rescue Team Confronts Charred Landscape In Oregon

The Beverly-based Massachusetts Task Force 1 faced a charred and devastated landscape, shrouded in smoke-filled and toxic air, when its 25-member unit arrived in Oregon to help support firefighters battling the Pacific Northwest blazes this week.

The unit, which departed from Logan Airport on Monday, traveled across the country to provide search and rescue support for crews battling the raging wildfires. Their mission is to look for any survivors or victims caught in the raging fires, as well as survey damaged buildings and other structures.

"The air quality is very rough," said Thomas Gatzunis, the planning team manager and structure specialist for Task Force 1, told Patch on Thursday. "Communication is very difficult, not only because of the terrain, but because of all the smoke in the air."

Katherine Clark Has MA In 'Rearview Mirror,' Opponent Says

Standing outside the Melrose Public Library and flanked with a smattering of energetic supporters, Republican congressional candidate Caroline Colarusso accused U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark of losing sight of her constituents and once again called on her to debate ahead of November's election.

"Congresswoman Clark is hiding," Colarusso, a Stoneham selectwoman who won an uncontested Republican primary, said in a press conference called in Clark's hometown.

"Congresswoman Clark has an obligation to the voters to debate her opponent," Colarusso said. "She has a history of doing this during her entire time in congress. Dodging debates against Republicans who have had the audacity to oppose her."

Also

Cape Man Steals $55K Boat: Police

Police said Jason Koksinski, 47, was arraigned in Barnstable District Court Wednesday in connection to the theft.

Worcester Denies Street Name Change For 'Motley' Barbershop

Motley Crew barbershop owner Zachery Leighton asked for the change since his is the only business along Oleum Court.

Police Pursuit Of Stolen Truck Ends In Stoneham

The truck crashed on a ramp to I-93 after police chased it from the Stone Zoo.