'Rise Of Moors' Group Defiant In First Court Appearance: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Tuesday, July 6. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A local mother believes her son was accused of a crime due to his race.
• Worcester police are stepping up patrols after the "shocking" stabbing of a 17-year-old lifeguard at Bell Pond Sunday.
• Temperatures are headed toward 90 degrees before severe thunderstorms pop up around Massachusetts, making for a potentially dangerous day.

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

Today's Top Story

The men who authorities said were involved in the tense hours-long weekend standoff on I-95 were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Malden District Court.

The men claim they are members of the Rise of the Moors and are exempt from U.S. law. The Southern Poverty Law Center said the Moorish sovereign citizen movement is extremist.

The men were arrested Saturday after hours of police negotiations. The incident started in the early morning when a state trooper noticed the men in and around two cars were heavily armed and in military-style outfits. They said there were heading from Rhode Island to Maine for "training."

Read the full story.

Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!

Tuesday's Other Top Stories

MA chef makes Food Network debut: Local foodies may notice a familiar face on Tuesday night's episode of "Chopped" as The Landing of Marblehead's Alex Pineda competes for a chance to win $50,000 in Alton Brown's "Maniacal Baskets" contest.

Natick nears town admin pick: After the Arlington town manager turned down the job, the Natick Select Board has entered into negotiations with the town's deputy town administrator, James Errickson.

Arrest after Milford gun incident: A passerby made eye contact with a man arguing with a woman at a Milford hotel. The man then waved a gun and spit at the passerby, according to police, before fleeing the area in an SUV.

Violence mars holiday weekend: Worcester police are stepping up patrols after the "shocking" stabbing of a 17-year-old lifeguard at Bell Pond Sunday. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old girl was in "critical but stable" condition after she was shot while walking her dog in Somerville early Monday. And Malden police responded to a shooting where one person was taken to the hospital Tuesday morning.

Framingham mayoral race thins: Rick McKenna, a local businessman, has bowed out of the Framingham 2021 mayoral race. McKenna says he'll support Charlie Sisitsky, who has so far mounted the strongest challenge to incumbent Mayor Yvonne Spicer.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

They Said It

"This kid lied to the police. He committed a crime, tried to cover it up and then tried to finger a Black boy."

• Sharla Aleo of Woburn, whose son was falsely accused in what was later determined to be an accidental shooting.

Heat, Severe Storms Return To Massachusetts Tuesday

Temperatures are headed toward 90 degrees before severe thunderstorms pop up around Massachusetts, making for a potentially dangerous day. It's going to feel like it's in the mid-90s by the early afternoon for most of the state. The same kind of heat blast is expected Wednesday. The National Weather Service has a heat advisory in effect for much of the area.