MA To Party Like It's 2019 After COVID Rules Get Boot: Patch PM

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — It's Monday, May 17. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Officials will reconsider a proposal to establish a safe injection site in Somerville after plans were scrapped last year due to the pandemic.
• Tewksbury firefighters put out a brush fire that covered five acres and sent plumes of thick, black smoke that was visible for miles.
• The two boys who drowned in Waldo Lake at D.W. Field Park in Brockton Saturday evening have been identified.

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

Today's Top Story

The state's plan to lift all statewide coronavirus restrictions by May 29 and an emergency order that has been in place since March 2020 by June 15 set off a flurry of online celebrations as relieved residents were finally able to see the end of more than 15 months of social distancing, face coverings, outdoor dining and ways of life that had been unimaginable just two years ago.

The return to normal will come a full two months before the earlier, Aug. 1 "back to normal" date Massachusetts health officials had been targeting. Gov. Charlie Baker credited the state's best-in-the-nation effort to vaccinate residents during a Monday morning news conference that included moments of cautious optimism and reserved celebration. Baker said the state was on pace to hit its goal of 4.1 million fully-vaccinated residents by June in announcing the state's timetable for a return to normal life.

As early as Tuesday, kids will be able to ditch masks at recess and athletes will no longer need to wear face coverings during outdoor games. Summer camps, many of which were shuttered for the 2020 season, will be able to let campers go mask-free while outdoors as well.

Some local governments may opt to keep restrictions in place longer, but Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey said Tuesday the city would follow the state timeline. Andover and North Andover officials said the same thing.

At the same time, some questions remain unanswered, including how the state will address low rates of vaccination in Black and Latinx communities and whether the officials will restore MBTA to pre-pandemic schedules.

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Monday's Other Top Stories

MA man with Neo-Nazi tied to killing three: A North Shore man with apparent Neo-Nazi ties and nearly three dozen criminal convictions is facing charges in connection with the killing of three men in Albuquerque, N.M. after a "Boston" tattoo on his stomach helped FBI officials identify him. An affidavit filed by Special FBI agent Bryan Acee in federal court said Richard Schuyler Kuykendall, 41, of Gloucester, is facing charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and is also suspected of being involved in the killing of three men whose bodies were dumped at a New Mexico hospital last week.

Safe drug use sites back on agenda: Officials will reconsider a proposal to establish a safe injection site in Somerville after plans were scrapped last year due to the pandemic. Such sites have been implemented in more than 10 countries, including Canada, Australia and across Europe, to prevent fatal overdoses and connect people to intervention services. Drug users are allowed to take substances under the supervision of staff, who can intervene in the event of an overdose or other medical emergency.

Massive brush fire in Tewksbury: Tewksbury firefighters put out a five-acre brush fire Sunday afternoon. "Thick black smoke" from the fire could be seen rising behind Wamesit Lanes. Firefighters received a call about the smoke around 2:20 p.m. Sunday. "It took them a couple of hours to knock down all the fire and the hot spots, because it's been dry out," Deputy Chief Albert Vasas said.

Victims ID'ed in Brockton tragedy: The two boys who drowned in Waldo Lake at D.W. Field Park in Brockton Saturday evening have been identified, said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz in a news release Sunday. Police responded to reports of a medical emergency and possible drowning at the park at approximately 7:30 p.m., said Cruz. They determined that two children had gone under the water and could not be located despite multiple rescue attempts.

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

They Said It

"The temporary limits and restrictions imposed on the private sector and on individuals were the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make. The loss and the isolation so many of our friends and families experienced is likely to impact all of us for a very long time."

• Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. Baker said Monday the state would end all coronavirus restrictions on May 29 and lift the emergency order declared in March 2020 by June 15.

In Case You Missed It

ADL says Jeopardy! champ from MA was not making "white power" sign: A Winthrop man was "simply holding up three fingers" when he made his third and final appearance on "Jeopardy!" last month and not using a hand gesture to signal "white power," the Anti-Defamation League said in a letter to former contestants who had raised concerns with the hate monitoring group. Despite the ADL's determination, some former contestants who made the accusations remain convinced the bank examiner from Winthrop was trying to send a coded signal.

Other headlines you may have missed over the weekend:

• MA Man Clocked Going 125 MPH On I-89: NH State Police
• Worker Hurt In Fall At MA Amazon Warehouse Site
• Report Of Human Hand In Melrose Ends Up Being Fish Bait

By The Numbers

24: The number of Massachusetts companies that made Inc.com's list of best places to work. See if your company made the list.