Coronavirus Was In MA Earlier Than We Thought: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Tuesday, June 15. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A 16-year-old was shot at a Worcester park over the weekend, the second young person wounded in a shooting there recently.
• A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year shows that a Massachusetts resident may have been infected with the coronavirus by Christmas 2019, more than five weeks before the first case was confirmed on February 1, 2020.
• A Leominster man is going to jail for 10 to 12 years for causing a Framingham woman's death in 2018.

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

Today's Top Story

A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year shows that a Massachusetts resident may have been infected with the coronavirus by Christmas 2019, more than five weeks before the first case was confirmed on February 1, 2020.

The analysis is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before cases were first recognized by health officials. The analysis is not definitive, and some experts remain skeptical, but federal health officials are increasingly accepting a timeline in which small numbers of COVID-19 infections may have occurred in the U.S. before the world ever became aware of a dangerous new virus erupting in China.

"The studies are pretty consistent," said Natalie Thornburg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read the full story.

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Tuesday's Other Top Stories

Guilty plea in Ortiz death: A Leominster man is going jail for 10 to 12 years over a 2018 car crash that killed his estranged girlfriend, Emilia Ortiz, 35, of Framingham. Gregory McNally was speeding because he wanted to scare Ortiz, who was trying to end their relationship, according to prosecutors.

Worcester shooting: A 16-year-old was shot near Worcester's Crompton Park over the weekend. He was the second 16-year-old since May to be shot and wounded at the park. Police did not immediately announce any arrests in the latest incident.

Sudbury rail trail update: The town has submitted a design package for a 4-1/2 mile stretch of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Construction could begin as soon as next summer.

Natick-Arlington switch: The Natick Select Board on Monday voted unanimously to hire the Arlington Town Manager as Natick's new Town Administrator. Adam Chapdelaine, 41, is a Dedham resident, and has been Arlington's town manager since 2012. Before that, he served as the city administrator in Fall River.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

They Said It

"It’s about time we understand the appearance of Shrewsbury students wearing a logo that looks perilously close to European and therefore white dominance. Why would we want to honor the enemies of democracy and American independence? "

• From a Change.org petition to change the Shrewsbury High School mascot "Colonial."

In Case You Missed It

Report links DraftKings to black market: A report released Tuesday accuses Boston-based DraftKings of "betting it can hide its black market operations" and says the sports betting company "represents the dying embers left by yet another Wall Street loophole." The report was produced by Hindenburg Research, an investment research firm focused on activist short-selling. In the past, companies targeted by Hindenburg have seen stock prices drop by as much as 40 percent after a report's release. Hindenburg says the merger with SBTech, a Bulgaria-based gaming technology company, that led to its listing on NASDAQ exposed the company to illegal activities. DraftKings issued a statement noting the report was aimed at pushing its stock price down.

Get vaccinated, win fabulous prizes: The Baker administration will partner with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and the Massachusetts Lottery to launch a "VaxMillions" giveaway next month, offering $1 million prizes to five adults who are fully vaccinated and $300,000 college scholarships to five residents between the ages of 12 and 17. ny Massachusetts resident who is fully vaccinated — with both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine — will be eligible to submit their personal information, and state officials will conduct one drawing for each prize per week between July 26 and Aug. 27.

By The Numbers

70: The number vendors the town of Natick has to sign up in order to move forward with the 2021 Natick Days festival.

Only In Massachusetts: What Happened To The Tree At Liberty Tree Mall?

Only In Massachusetts is an occasional series where Patch tries to find answers to questions about life in Massachusetts. Have a question about the Bay State that needs answering? Send it to dave.copeland@patch.com.

It's been almost three years since I wrote about the mystery of what happened to the Liberty tree at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, yet I still get a few emails every month about the article. They all pretty much read something like this:

"Hey, did you ever figure out what happened to the Liberty tree at the Liberty Tree Mall?"

And up until today, I could only say "Nope."

But starting today I can now answer "Yes! I figured it out with the help of Patch reader Robbie Short of Beverly!" Although, fans of the Liberty tree, brace yourselves: You're not going to like how this story ends.

Read the full story.