Fleeing Robbery Suspect Crashes, Kills Young Woman: Patch PM

WOBURN, MA — It's Wednesday, June 9. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Massachusetts lawmakers were scheduled to meet at 1 pm Wednesday to vote one of the most significant changes in state tax policy in years.
• Officials are expecting 5,000 people to attend Thursday's funeral for Worcester police officer Enmanuel "Manny" Familia, who drowned Friday attempting to rescue Troy Love, 14, from the pond at Green Hill Park.
• A Cape Cod comedian is facing charges after he hit a golf ball in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as part of a stunt to hit a golf ball in each state in 30 days.

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

Today's Top Story

A 19-year-old woman was killed when a suspect in a convenience store robbery crashed head-on into her car while attempting to flee police Wednesday morning.

William Leger, 35, of Somerville was arrested and brought to the hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. State police are seeking charges against him.

Saugus police got a report of an unarmed robbery at 7-Eleven on Lincoln Avenue shortly before 11 a.m. Legler's vehicle was spotted driving on Ballard Street, but police cut the chase short when he started driving south in the northbound Route 107 lanes.

About a half-mile later, Legler's car drove into the victim's.

Read the full story.

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Happening Now: Millionaires' Tax Vote

Massachusetts lawmakers were scheduled to meet at 1 pm Wednesday to vote one of the most significant changes in state tax policy in years. Democrats who hold super-majorities in both chambers are set to vote to place on the 2022 ballot a constitutional amendment imposing a 4 percent surtax on household income above $1 million per year. If adopted by voters, the change would take effect in 2023 and mark a historic departure from the state's flat income tax rate structure.

Read the latest on the millionaires' tax vote.

Wednesday's Other Top Stories

Worcester prepares to lay police officer to arrest: Officials are expecting 5,000 people to attend Thursday's funeral for Worcester police officer Enmanuel "Manny" Familia, who drowned Friday attempting to rescue Troy Love, 14, from the pond at Green Hill Park. Police officers from across the state, nation and possibly overseas will attend, and many will line up along the procession route to St. John's Church. The funeral mass will be followed by a private burial ceremony in the Webster Square area at St. John's Cemetery.

Ticks make a post-COVID comeback: For every 100,000 emergency room visits in the northeastern U.S. in May, 222 were for tick bites, up from 181 per 100,000 emergency room visits in 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data doesn't show how many of those bites were in Massachusetts, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that we're seeing more ticks than usual this year. And the northeast, according to the CDC, is typically the worst region for ticks.

Police officers, slain dog honored: Hundreds of people gathered at Braintree Town Hall Monday night to show their support for two police officers who were wounded in a shooting and pay condolences to their police dog that was shot and killed. Those in attendance, including residents, first responders, Mayor Charles Kokoros and other town officials, signed posters to thank officers William Cushing Jr. and Matthew Donaghue for their service on the Braintree police force, as well as wish them a speedy recovery.

Worcester wedlock woes? A lawn care company on Wednesday released a list of the 150 "best cities to get (and stay) married" in the U.S., and Worcester came in dead last. Wormtown scored so poorly, according to the company, due to the low number of wedding planners and venues, and rates of divorces, separations and unmarried people. This isn't the company's first ranking. It has recently produced eye-catching rankings on the "horniest" and "most relaxed" cities.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Picture This: Orange Line Derailment

They Said It

"I just never realized the magnitude of hitting a golf ball in any of our national parks, so please if I can do anything on this platform, I'd just encourage everyone to not do what I did."

• Barnstable comedian Jake Adams, who is documenting his effort to hit a golf ball in all 50 states in 30 days on TikTok. Adams is facing charges after he hit a golf ball in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

In Case You Missed It

"We're pretty much a frat, just racist." The 22-year-old Massachusetts man who founded a hate group with branches around the world suggested college students should bully "kids who race mix" in video clips posted on Twitter Tuesday. "If you're in college, you should be getting together with all the other guys that think like you and start circling the frat parties and bullying the kids that race mix," said Chris Hood, who founded NSC-131 in 2019, in one of three clips posted by a Waltham-based anti-hate group. Hood made his comments on Telegram, a cloud-based instant messaging platform. The videos were posted on Twitter by Waltham Night's Watch, a group that says it documents "hate groups, hate crimes, and far-right activity in Waltham."

Schools can beat the heat with half days, but not remote learning: Schools in Massachusetts can hold half days at buildings without air conditioning during the current heatwave, according to a memo Associate Education Commissioner Helene Bettencourt sent to superintendents last week. But the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is not allowing schools to switch to remote learning models used throughout much of the coronavirus pandemic.

How To See Thursday's 'Ring Of Fire' Solar Eclipse In Massachusetts

Weather permitting, early birds will be in for a visual treat tomorrow when an annular eclipse will be viewable in greater Boston.

Unlike a total solar eclipse, portions of the sun are still visible as the moon passes between the sun and Earth. That's where it gets its "ring of fire" solar eclipse nickname.

Also on Patch: Thursday's 'Ring Of Fire' Solar Eclipse: 5 Things To Know

The eclipse will start at 4:38 a.m. on June 10, a full 29 minutes before sunrise. The eclipse will peak at 5:33 a.m. and end at 6:32 a.m. At its peak, 73 percent of the sun will be blocked in greater Boston.

Read the full story.