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

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

• Opioid-overdose deaths increased 5 percent statewide in 2020, the first annual increase in three years.
• 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

Federal court 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.

More money for the garbage: But it might solve a tricky problem in Worcester: wind-blown trash. The city is considering raising the price of pay-as-you-throw trash bags to fund new recycling bins. Windy days in Worcester often mean recyclables getting blown all over the place, exacerbating the litter problem.

Next Mikayla Miller rally: Activists will travel to Lowell next week to demonstrate outside Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan's office. They want an independent third party to investigate the 16-year-old Hopkinton girl's death.

Opioid deaths rise in many cities: Local cities like Marlborough, Worcester and Framingham saw a rise in opioid deaths in 2020. That matches with a 5 percent statewide increase in opioid-overdose deaths during the pandemic.

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

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.

By The Numbers

6: That's the number of home runs hit during the Worcester Red Sox home opener on Tuesday. The WooSox beat the Syracuse Mets 8-5 in an offensive contest to christen Polar Park.