Latest news with #Dorchester
CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
9 people injured after third-floor porch collapses in Dorchester
Nine people were injured after a third-floor porch collapsed on Harwood Street in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood Friday night. Three people are in critical condition, according to the Boston Fire Department. It happened at about 10 p.m. during a large gathering at the multi-family home. Boston EMS said all of the patients transported to the hospital were adults. Their injuries ranged from minor to serious. All the victims were on the ground level when firefighters arrived. "After the initial collapse, there was a secondary collapse of the material that was on the deck," said Boston Fire Chief of Operations Rodney Marshall. "There was a refrigerator and other various materials up on the third floor that collapsed on the secondary collapse. We think that also affected the victims on the ground." Marshall said Boston police are investigating and Inspectional Services is responding to the home.
CBS News
15 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Who's responsible for cracked streetlights leaning over a Boston road?
The I-Team is getting the bottom of a potentially dangerous problem in a Boston neighborhood. Ann Marie Ford lives in Dorchester and says she's concerned about the streetlights along Gallivan Boulevard. Many look to be in in disrepair, and she says they could pose a danger. Ann Marie pointed out the cracks, rust and crumbling concrete telling the I-Team, "I was kind of shocked, because we just saw the one and then when we looked up, we saw them all down the median and it's dangerous." "Someone could get killed" Potentially dangerous because the light poles are leaning into the street. We brought in Wentworth Institute of Technology Engineering Professor James Lambrechts who explained the danger. "Someone could get killed," Lambrechts said. Streetlight leaning on Gallivan Blvd. in Boston. CBS Boston Lambrechts says it's clear the poles are leaning towards the highway. "As it leans more, it bends more," Lambrechts said. "Its foundation is going to be overloaded. That's not good." Lambrechts found the poles are not just leaning, but cracking. "These are not good things for the pole to have this problem and it shouldn't be like this," Lambrechts said. Who owns the streetlights? Gallivan Boulevard is a state DOT road. The I-Team asked for the inspection reports for the streetlights. DOT told us DCR owns the road. It does not. State records show Gallivan Boulevard was transferred to DOT in 2009. DOT then said Eversource owns the poles and told us it has notified the utility company about possible safety or maintenance issues. But they could not tell us when the poles were last inspected or whether the repairs or maintenance had been done. "You got to come out and maintain these things every once in a while," Lambrechts said. "They all need to be inspected, evaluated and replaced as necessary." Eversource has received calls about streetlights As for Eversource, it refused to provide the I-Team with any records, but released a statement: "Delivering safe, reliable energy service to our customers is always our top priority, and we are constantly working to maintain and upgrade our local electric distribution system across Massachusetts. With respect to the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, our maintenance responsibilities currently include maintenance of the pole, cable and luminaire. We also inspect these streetlights annually for stray voltage, and if we record an elevated voltage reading or other issue on a Gallivan Boulevard streetlight structure, we provide those findings and locations to the commonwealth. Our troubleshooters - who are out in our communities 24/7 - are also constantly evaluating the condition of infrastructure, including streetlights, as part of their daily work. If our crews observe that a pole's condition poses a safety risk to the public, we work as quickly as possible to address that risk with the appropriate repairs, including replacements when needed. It is important to note that there are different considerations for concrete streetlight poles compared to a wooden utility pole, and if a concrete streetlight pole may have a lean, or visible crack, it doesn't necessarily pose a risk to public safety. Gallivan Boulevard is a highly traversed state roadway with motor vehicle accidents that can cause such damage. Our customer call center has received a handful of calls about streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard this year, and any reports made to our call center about streetlight conditions get assigned for additional inspection. The City of Boston and our state agencies also have dedicated account representatives who communicate with those entities on a daily basis, and we have not received any separate recent complaints regarding streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard from state agencies or the city. When we do receive complaints, we have a process in place to coordinate with MassDOT and the City of Boston to quickly address any potential safety or reliability issues. Any decision to make a repair or to replace a pole is prioritized solely by safety and reliability." Problem light poles in Boston Lambrechts says it's their responsibility to maintain the poles. "If it falls over it's not safe," Lambrechts said. The risk of light poles in poor condition falling is real. In September of 2022, a woman was seriously injured when a corroded streetlight fell on the Moakley Bridge in Boston. An I-Team investigation found the city knew about the problem as far back as 2017. WBZ also uncovered a state report from months earlier showing the poles required immediate repair, but nothing was done. After the incident the city removed nearly two dozen dangerous poles. As for the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, Lambrechts says maybe there is a protocol to change these out, but if not, he says he would not drive on the roadway in a storm. Just weeks ago, DOT started a new program requiring inspections and the keeping of records for structures along their roadways, regardless of who owns them.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Dorchester lunch monitor sets tone for school with caring and creativity
While most kids were counting down to the last day of school, Yolanda Caban was dreading it. "What am I going to do for the summertime?" she asks, only half-kidding. "I'm not going to see my babies until September!" Yolanda is a lunch monitor or "lunch mom" at Kenny Elementary School in Dorchester. Technically, it's a part time position. But Yolanda also works-three days a week-in the before-school program. In that early period, she often plays "hair salon" with students who may have had to rush out of the house. She transforms "bed head" into stylish ponytails, buns, and braids. She describes herself as "a plain girl who does her own hair" and who enjoys helping students learn to do theirs. "It also helps out their moms," she adds. Breakfast Club, birthday program Yolanda hosts a Breakfast Club on Friday mornings, spearheads a birthday program, and created a popular school store. Students earn Lunch Squad Paws (they're the Kenny Wildcats) for good behavior, respect, and empathy. Once a month, they spend the Paws they have saved at a "store" stocked with chips, candies, stuffed animals, water bottles, socks and more. "I didn't come up with a lot of things," Yolanda explains, recalling her childhood. She tries to address disparities among the students-particularly when they share a friend group. "One child may have more than another child. So as an adult here at the Kenny, I have to make sure-if I have the resources-why not make a child happy?" Making children happy seems to come naturally to Yolanda who constantly considers how to engage and motivate them. Principal Shereka King praises the tone Yolanda sets for the whole school. "I think that's what makes her stand out," King said. "She's a creative soul and she pours so much love into our school community." This September will mark Yolanda's four-year anniversary at the school. To watch her interact with students you would think she has worked at the school far longer. She arrived at the Kenny School slightly anxious about the environment and the work. She knew that she would love working with kids. She just wasn't sure how much responsibility she could take on. Survived brain aneurysm, stroke The job at Kenny Elementary was Yolanda's first position after she suffered a grand mal seizure. Doctors treating her for the seizure also discovered that she had survived a brain aneurysm and a stroke. At the time of the seizure, she was working with women and families at a shelter. Her doctors advised her to slow down which, she knew, wouldn't be easy. Yolanda thrives on activity. A friend told her that Boston Public Schools needed lunch monitors. Yolanda applied and got the job. It did not take long for her to see that she was in the right place. "I fit right in and showed my joy and love to be around all the children," she said. One child, in particular appreciated that love at a critical time. Abigail Curran moved to Kenny Elementary from a smaller Catholic school in the fall of 2024. Her mother saved examples of her schoolwork from those early days in second grade, in which Abigail writes about feeling lonely. Miss Yolanda could see that Abigail was hurting. "I can see a group of kids having fun. But that one child that's to the corner or had, like, a sad face. It draws me right to them," she said. "Wish I could giver her a million dollars" Yolanda responded by getting to know Abigail-doing her hair and her nails-and spending time with her. She brought a portable speaker to the playground so they could dance. "All of a sudden, it's her and Abigail dancing and then all the other kids join in too. "So, therefore, now Abigail is playing in a big group," Corinne says, smiling. She explains that, nine months later, Yolanda is Abigail's "person" and an unsung hero who looks out for kids who need a friend. "I wish I could give her a million dollars," she explains, "What I can do for her is let the world know how important she is." For as long as she can remember, Yolanda has been a caregiver. As a child, she cared for her disabled brother. She worked her first job at 14. "That's always been my thing. I love to help out," she says as kids stream out of the school for recess. "I love to make sure everybody's happy."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
14 people taken to hospital after van crashes into Boston home
Several people were taken to the hospital after a transport van slammed into a home in Boston on Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened on Rowell Street in the city's Dorchester neighborhood, according to Boston police. Police said 16 elderly people were on the van, fourteen of whom required transport to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Photos from the scene showed a white van that had veered onto the sidewalk, coming to a stop up against a multi-level home. Maddie Woltman was sitting in her apartment at the time of the crash. Video from inside shows the entire building shaking from the impact of the van. Woltman says she was one of a couple of nurses and neighbors who rushed outside to try to help. 'They were trying to open the back of the van but they couldn't get it open, so then I went to the drivers side and there was a nurse with [the driver],' she said. 'He was bleeding and kept kind of pointing at his hip and saying his hip hurt.' The cause of the crash is under investigation. Boston 25 News is working to gather more information. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Van crashes into home in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, sending 14 to hospital with minor injuries
More than a dozen people were taken to the hospital after a large van crashed into a home in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened on Rowell Street. WBZ-TV's helicopter was over the scene and the van could be seen up against the home with a smashed windshield. Boston EMS confirmed 14 people were taken to the hospital from the scene with minor injuries. There is no official word yet on what caused the crash. WBZ-TV has a crew on the scene and will have more information as soon as it becomes available.
