Closing Time Set For Danvers Mass Vaccination Site: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Thursday, June 3. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Five months after opening at the forefront of the state's rapid coronavirus vaccination efforts, the Danvers DoubleTree Hotel mass vaccination site will close by June 30.
• A national preservation group said climate change is threatening the Boston Harbor Islands, putting the area on the "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" list.
• A 77-year-old man was shot and a 74-year-old hit with a rock Wednesday night in Worcester during a road rage incident.
• The gun shop set to open in Newton will not be able to open, after the City Council Wednesday night approved strict zoning rules for firearms businesses, gunsmiths and gun ranges in the city.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top North Shore Story

Five months after it opened as one of the pillars of the state's hopes to vaccinate as many of its residents as quickly as possible against the coronavirus, the Danvers DoubleTree Hotel mass vaccination site will close at the end of June.

Gov. Charlie Baker said on Thursday that the Danvers site — along with the state's six other mass vaccination sites — will close within the next few weeks. The last day for the Danvers site is scheduled to be June 30.

The state's vaccination push will now shift to getting the vaccine-hesitant and hard-to-reach populations the shots through community-based efforts.

Read the full story here.

Today's Top Statewide Story

Recent high-profile "ransomware" attacks on the world's largest meat-packing company, the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline and a Massachusetts ferry operator have underscored how gangs of extortionist hackers can disrupt the economy and put lives and livelihoods at risk.

Last year alone in the U.S., ransomware gangs hit more than 100 federal, state and municipal agencies, upwards of 500 health care centers, 1,680 educational institutions and untold thousands of businesses, according to the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Dollar losses are in the tens of billions. Accurate numbers are elusive. Many victims shun reporting, fearing the reputational blight.

More recent known targets include the Irish health system, the Washington, D.C., police department and the Steamship Authority in Massachusetts, which ferries people from the Cape to the islands. But the broadly disruptive hacks on Colonial Pipeline in the U.S. in May and Brazilian meat processor JBS SA this week have drawn close attention from the White House and other world leaders, along with heightened scrutiny of the foreign safe havens where cybercriminal mafias operate.

Read the full story.

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

Septuagenarians shot, beaten: A 77-year-old man was shot and a 74-year-old hit with a rock Wednesday night in Worcester during a road rage incident, according to police. The two men were injured just before 6 p.m. near Sunderland Road and Route 20 after they got into an argument with several people riding dirt bikes, Worcester police said. Police did not immediately make any arrests, but did release a photo of a person who may have been involved.

Boston Harbor Islands threatened: A national preservation group said climate change is threatening the Boston Harbor Islands, putting the area on the "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" list. The National Trust For Historic Preservation said climate change and rising sea levels are causing the islands to suffer "accelerated coastal erosion resulting in the escalated loss of archeological sites and other historic resources.

Newton gun shop nixed: The gun shop set to open in Newton will not be able to open, after the City Council Wednesday night approved strict zoning rules for firearms businesses, gunsmiths and gun ranges in the city. The City Council and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller proposed new zoning rules in an effort to prevent the store from opening. That came in response to pushback from residents who argued it was no place for a gun shop as it was within walking distance of schools.

Peaceful end in Arlington standoff: A homeless man was arrested following an altercation in Mugar Woods that ended in a standoff. Michael Perry, 36, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. Officer Joseph Caniff was able to de-escalate the situation and get Perry to put down his weapon, which was later identified as a BB gun, police said.

Finish at the 50 returning to Gillette Stadium: Foxborough's biggest road race is coming back in 2021. Patriot Place and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care said the Finish at the 50 Road Race will return to Gillette Stadium Sept. 3. The popular annual race that finishes at the 50-yard line of Gillette Stadium returns for the 11th time after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of last year's event.

Student-produced film set for premiere: A student written and acted film is the latest event to be held live at the Chelmsford High School. It's a culmination of a year's worth of work for students, and highlights the loosening of pandemic restrictions. "The Mystery at Pendleton Manor," a feature-length film written, filmed and performed by the students of the Chelmsford High School Theatre Guild, will be shown at 7 p.m. June 10 and 11 at the Carl J. Rondina Performing Arts Center.