WHAV (https://whav.net/category/localnews/region/)
Haverhill High School Hillie’s football is playing St. John’s High School of Shrewsbury in the state tournament’s round of eight, Thursday night. As WHAV previously reported, Hillie’s football is playing in the state tournament for the first time in a decade. After defeating Leominster High School last week 34-28, on the road, in the round of 16, the Hillies, ranked 10 in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I, are back on the road to play St. John’s, ranked second.
West Newbury Fire Department, with the assistance of mutual aid partners, extinguished a two-alarm fire in a single-family home Thursday afternoon on Main Street. Fire Chief Michael Dwyer said West Newbury Public Safety Dispatch received a 911 call at about 1:57 p.m., reporting a house fire at 598 Main St. Upon arrival, West Newbury Police reported heavy smoke showing from the rear of the building. First-arriving firefighters from Newburyport began aggressively attacking the fire. A second alarm was transmitted to bring additional resources to the scene.
Residents of Methuen and Manchester, N.H., were recently indicted by a federal grand jury on drug charges. Albert Marino Fortuna Escalante, 30, of Methuen, and Bresley Beatriz Castillo Taveras, 27, of Manchester, N.H., face charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to New Hampshire U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. Court documents allege Fortuna Escalante trafficked more than 400 grams of fentanyl and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, while Castillo Taveras trafficked 40 grams or more of fentanyl. New Hampshire’s FBI Major Offender Task Force led the investigation with assistance provided by the Manchester and Methuen Police Departments, U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Dr. Joshua St. Louis, a Haverhill native and primary care physician at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, is this year’s winner of the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Health Award. St. Louis was presented the award two weeks ago in Boston. The honor recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to LGBTQ health.
by Chris Lisinski, CommonWealth Beacon
November 4, 2026
ALL EYES, especially those that want to pry, now turn to the Legislature. Massachusetts voters on Tuesday gave overwhelming approval to a ballot measure subjecting the House, Senate, and governor’s office to the state’s public records law. There’s just one catch: In the remaining eight weeks between the election and the start of the next lawmaking term, Democrats who control the Legislature might erase what voters decided in a landslide. Although lawmakers have been openly grousing about the measure for months, they opted not to mount a formal opposition campaign, and few voters were swayed by legislative complaints about its constitutionality. The measure wound up smashing its way to victory.
Haverhill voters not only joined their counterparts across the state in preserving the right to keep cannabis retailers legal, but approved a first-in-the-state, on-site cannabis lounge. Unofficial Haverhill election results show voters supported keeping cannabis legal 17,752 to 5,707, but also supported on-site consumption—Haverhill’s unique question 10—12,559 to 10,471. As WHAV reported in August, supporters gathered enough signatures to force the local ballot question. Stem, a cannabis retailer, has long proposed adding a consumption lounge at its 124 Washington St., location. “Haverhill voters have proven that they recognize the basic fairness of providing cannabis users the same options as those who go into restaurants or bars to consume alcohol.
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Pentucket Regional Middle High School’s fall athletics season is wrapping up. According to the school, “Pentucket’s nine fall teams have shown exemplary sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout the season.”
The football team, 1-6, defeated its rival Newburyport 35-25, Oct. 9. Quarterback Dempsey Spring rushed for a touchdown and threw for two more. Braylon Leonard caught one touchdown pass and intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown.
North Andover Police Chief Charles Gray said Tuesday he will retire, following a period that saw a town police officer shot by a fellow officer, face trial on a charge of assault and ultimately be acquitted. Gray gave notice after reaching a voluntary separation agreement with the town. He will remain on leave, using his accrued earned sick time while a retirement application is processed. “The town appreciates Chief Gray’s service to the town of North Andover both as chief and in his various other roles, including as a K-9 officer. Under his leadership, the department created the Community Impact Unit, saw the first increase in staffing in two decades, improved its equipment and evolved away from Civil Service,” said North Andover Town Manager Melissa Rodrigues.
See tables and maps for real-time results compiled by the Associated Press.
