Baker Backs Cheney, Won't Abandon Republican Party: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Wednesday, May 12. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A lawsuit brought by five former Republican candidates challenging the legitimacy of November's election was thrown out by a superior court judge.
• Under new rules drivers can be fined $15 for idling more than five minutes in Wellesley. A second offense will cost $100, and a third offense carries a $500 fine.
• The state will begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-old children beginning Thursday if the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine gets the final go-ahead from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Today's Top Story

Gov. Charlie Baker is still a Republican.

Or, at least, what he believes it once meant to be a Republican.

Baker said during his Wednesday coronavirus news conference that he has no plans to leave the Grand Old Party, but that he sides with U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) in her ongoing clash with former President Donald Trump and many House of Representative colleagues over the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.

"I made very clear that I felt the election process that took place back in November was fair and that President Joe Biden won the election," he said. "On those issues, I believe Liz Cheney is absolutely right."

Read the full story.

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Wednesday's Other Top Stories

Judge upholds November election results: A lawsuit brought by five former Republican candidates challenging the legitimacy of November's election was thrown out by a superior court judge. Former Stoneham Select Board member Caroline Colarusso filed the lawsuit in December along with John Paul Moran, Steven Hall, Ingrid Centurion and Craig Valdez. Their argument was that expanded mail-in voting delegitimized the results, including their own losses. The decertification effort came with a request to hold a new election and keep mail-in voting from continuing in such a form.

Big save by lacrosse goalie with EMT training: Morgan Dardia is the goalie for the Barnstable High School girls lacrosse team, but the ball isn't the only thing she saved during Monday's game against Nantucket. Dardia used her recent EMT training when an opposing player got hurt. During the game, there was a violent collision at midfield. A Nantucket lacrosse player took a knee to the mouth and fell to the ground bleeding — and Darden was the only one around to help.

Federal judge tosses Framingham cop's lawsuit: A federal appeals court has ruled against a Framingham officer who sued the city in 2016, accusing police department leaders of retaliating against him after he accused other officers of corruption. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this month upheld a January 2020 ruling that said a jury would likely not find officer Matthew Gutwill's claims credible. Gutwill had claimed in his suit that a five-day paid suspension he served in 2016 was retaliatory, and that he had engaged in protected speech when he tried to report another officer for corruption.

Also on Framingham Patch: Defund Framingham Police? Chief Says Department Is Understaffed

Learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts at Patch's information hub.

Picture This

Marvelous Marvin Hagler Day in Brockton: Marvin Hagler (right) knocks down Sugar Ray Seales in a 10-round bout on Aug. 30, 1974 in Boston. Brockton will host an event to celebrate the life of Hagler on Sunday, May 23 at 2 p.m. at Rocky Marciano Stadium. (AP Photo/Peter Bregg)

They Said It

"Look this isn't about the money. It's about saving our planet and clean air."

• Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki. Under new rules drivers can be fined $15 for idling more than five minutes. A second offense will cost $100, and a third offense carries a $500 fine.

In Case You Missed It

Activists target Middlesex DA: A group focused on bringing attention to the death of Hopkinton 16-year-old Mikayla Miller is planning a new rally, this time focused on pressuring Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan. The group Violence in Boston drew hundreds to a May 6 rally in downtown Hopkinton for Miller, including elected officials like state Sen. President Karen Spilka and Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer. The next rally, scheduled for May 21, will take place outside Ryan's satellite office in Lowell. Violence in Boston organizer Monica Cannon-Grant has asked for Ryan to resign, and for federal officials to take over the investigation into Miller's death.

All MA teens eligible for vaccination: The state will begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-old children beginning Thursday if the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine gets the final go-ahead from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gov. Charlie Baker said during his Wednesday news conference that parents can pre-register children in that age group for an appointment at any time and shots will be administered as soon as allowed through appointments and walk-up vaccinations where available.

More recent news on the coronavirus:

• Salem Drops Outdoor Face Mask Order Downtown
• Needham Schools To Require Vaccines When Authorized By FDA
• Beverly's Cabot Theater Reopens With 'Jaws' Memorial Day Weekend

By The Numbers

4: The number of terms Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll has served. Driscoll said this week she will run for a fifth term in November. You can watch her official announcement below.