Crime

Methuen Resident Pleads Guilty to Returning to U.S. After 2017 Deportation

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A citizen of the Dominican Republic residing in Methuen pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Thirty-nine-year-old Florencio Antonio Nuñez Guerrero pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for July 8. Nuñez Guerrero was indicted last month by a federal grand jury. He was deported from the United States March 3, 2017 after serving a federal sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.

Education

House Leader Looks to Put Brakes on Vocational School Admission Changes

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by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Beacon
April 16, 2025
THE GOVERNOR proposes, the Legislature disposes. So goes the saying that points to who ultimately wields power on Beacon Hill. On most issues, lawmakers can have the final say. That’s true for things introduced by the governor, but it also extends to other players in state government. A case in point is the ongoing debate over vocational high school admission policies, which a top House official is suddenly looking to upend through one legislative lever or another.

Region

Methuen High School Scene of Active Shooter Response Training with Police, Fire

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Methuen High School was the setting of an active shooter drill Wednesday that saw about 60 people involved as well as student role-players and simulated casualties. Methuen Police, fire and school departments took part in the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training—or ALERRT—training teaches practical skills and strategies to “rapidly identify, isolate and neutralize active shooters.” Methuen Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard Jr. said he directed Police Chief Scott J. McNamara, Fire Chief Tim Sheehy and school Superintendent Brandi Kwong to conduct the exercise. “We will continue to prioritize training, collaboration and resources to keep our schools and community secure,” Beauregard said in a release. Earlier this year, the departments also teamed up to conduct smaller-scale lockdown drills at each school in the district. Annual ALERRT drills are planned.

Haverhill

Essex County Greenbelt to Conduct Tours of Hoyt Farm in Merrimac; Land Protects Haverhill Water

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The public is invited to tour the 120-acre Hoyt Farm in Merrimac, currently leased to local farmers Wally and Steph Lesiczka who own and operate Wally’s Vegetables in Haverhill. Essex County Greenbelt is working to protect Hoyt Farm, which they call, one of the largest remaining unprotected single-ownership farms in the Merrimack Valley. Greenbelt has so far protected 22 acres of forestland on the property, but has until this June to secure the remaining 100 acres. “In addition to preserving this vibrant farm for agricultural use and ensuring access to fresh, locally grown food, protecting the property will enable Greenbelt to expand public trails, safeguard wetlands that feed the East Meadow River—Haverhill’s primary drinking water source—and help mitigate the impacts of climate change,” says Vanessa Johnson-Hall, Greenbelt’s director of land conservation. A former dairy farm, the property has been continuously farmed for more than 200 years, with the same family tending the land for the past century.

Community Spotlight

Friends of the Groveland Council on Aging Plan Town-Wide Yard Sale May 2-3

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It will be a yard sale lover’s paradise in Groveland on Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, as the Friends of the Groveland Council on Aging sponsor a “Town-Wide Yard Sale” weekend. Groveland residents who wish to participate are advised to register their addresses by Tuesday, April 22. The fee is $25 and covers the town’s $10 yard sale permit. Registration forms are available at Groveland Town Hall. The Friends will provide maps showing each registered yard sale address, signage and advertising.

Haverhill

Groveland Chooses to Build $45 Million Water Treatment Plant, Passes on Buying From Haverhill

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Groveland is looking to build its own $45 million drinking water treatment plant to comply with stricter federal regulations governing so-called “forever chemicals,” per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances—or PFAS for short. The new plant, to be paid water ratepayers over 30 years, rules out an alternative of buying water from Haverhill to meet more stringent Environmental Protection Agency requirements. The town said it has obtained a low-interest loan and seeks any available state and federal grants to reduce the overall cost to ratepayers. “This is a generational investment in our public health infrastructure,” Sarah Sheehan-McGrath, chair of the Groveland Water and Sewer Commission, said in a release. Groveland Water and Sewer Superintendent Colin Stokes added the project brings added benefits such as replacement of aging water mains and “significantly reducing water discoloration from naturally occurring iron and manganese.”

“Groveland has an ample supply of our own water right under our feet, and with a treatment plant, we will be able to address the twin concerns of PFAS and ground mineral discoloration and contamination,” Stokes said.

Haverhill

Podcast: Angel Flight NE Arranges Timely Medical Flight for Haverhill Woman with Rare Illness

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Two weeks after celebrating her successful finish of the 2018 Boston Marathon Kim Dahn was stricken with debilitating stomach pain, ongoing and acute discomfort not readily recognized by her doctors. It turns out she suffers from a rare genetic condition that caused her lower intestinal tract to compress and twist. The condition is called superior mesenteric artery syndrome. Even after over 60 trips to the emergency department and multiple surgeries, her long-term outlook looked bleak until she discovered the possible availability of an international expert. The person who regularly treats the condition through a complicated surgical procedure was expected to visit with another physician expert at a hospital in remote western Virginia for just three days in February.

Community Spotlight

Haverhill and Plaistow YMCA Introduce Fore the Future Golf Tournament

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Calling all golfers interested in a great day on the links for a good cause. The Haverhill and Plaistow YMCA invites golfers to participate in its first Fore the Future Golf Tournament. Participants will be offered breakfast Friday, May 30, before a shotgun start at 8 a.m.at the Bradford Country Club, 201 Chadwick St., Lunch will be served at the conclusion of the tournament. Contests include hole-in-one with a $25,000 grand prize. Golfers with the longest drive and closest ball to the pin will also win recognition.