Latest news with #NantucketCurrent
New York Post
a day ago
- Health
- New York Post
Sewage lines: Cape Cod summer hotspot testing its waste for cocaine and other drugs to monitor abuse
That's a crap load of partying! A summertime island hotspot off Cape Cod will start testing its sewage for cocaine and other drugs to find out when and how often residents are getting high, officials said. Nantucket health officials want to sniff out when drug use spikes — including seasonally and around holidays — to help folks with recovery outreach in the scenic town, the Nantucket Current reported. Advertisement 'Everyone's got a good idea of what the [drug] situation is, but we have very little direct measurement,' the town's human services director, Jerico Mele, told the outlet. 'When we get away from our gut to getting data, we get a better picture of what's going on.' Nantucket will start testing its sewage for cocaine and other drugs to find out when and how often residents are getting high, officials said. Naya Na – Biobot, a firm that specializes in wastewater epidemiology, will start testing the island's Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility for drugs — also including fentanyl, opiates, methamphetamine and nicotine — later this month, according to the report. Advertisement The goal is to potentially team up with drug rehab centers and medical providers to help local addicts based on the results, Mele said. 'If we can get an idea of the standard usage of drugs, we can see if interventions and behaviors change the rate of consumption,' Mele said. 'That can give us a scorecard on the efforts and reducing usage.' The data gathering project is Nantucket's, well, number two in the world of sewage: In 2020, it started testing its wastewater for COVID-19 and still does weekly. Nantucket officials said the drug data gathering project will help with recovery outreach. Kevin – Advertisement Officials don't plan to post the new drug testing results publicly but may share them with healthcare partners, they said. It's unclear if the windswept island destination, which has a year-round population of roughly 14,000, currently has a drug use problem. A report from the National Drug Intelligence Center from 2001 named cocaine — specifically crack— as the biggest drug threat for Nantucket and surrounding areas.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Landowners hit with massive fines after illegal land clearing on private property: 'This type of behavior … will not be tolerated'
Unauthorized land clearing on a property in Nantucket, Massachusetts, has landed the perpetrators with a hefty fine. In Wauwinet, half an acre of mature vegetation was chopped down without the necessary permit, leaving local residents and the local Conservation Commission furious. "This type of behavior, which is blatantly in disregard for the Wetlands Protection Act and our local regulations, will not be tolerated," Seth Engelbourg, chair of the Conservation Committee, told the Nantucket Current. Engelbourg went on to describe the destruction of trees as one of the most "egregious violations" he had ever encountered, per the Current. The organization voted to fine the property owner $300 a day until a suitable restoration plan is presented. With the fine being backdated to the date an enforcement order was issued on February 6, the bill started racking up. By early March, it had reached tens of thousands of dollars. "[The fine is] still going to be a small amount of money," Engelbourg said. "It might only end up being in the thousands [of dollars] compared to the value of the land that was destroyed is, but we still need to do it." Unfortunately, it's often the case that those who sign off on such destruction aren't concerned by financial penalties as long as the work gets done. In fact, this might be easier than having to go through the necessary bureaucracy associated with making these plans happen. But the area has now lost a historic natural habitat that would have been essential for biodiversity, which makes for a healthy ecosystem and helps to secure human food supply. What's more, the trees would have improved the health of residents by absorbing and trapping harmful airborne toxins while also providing natural shade and cooling. This can reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses when temperatures creep up. Letters were sent by locals to the Conservation Commission, outlining the anger the clearing had caused. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "I have seen the extent of the damage, and I am frankly appalled that such an action would be undertaken in a designated conservation area," one person said. "The Wauwinet neighborhood and individuals island-wide and beyond are distraught over this extreme environmental degradation," another letter read. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Boston Globe
06-02-2025
- Boston Globe
Alleged drunken driver slams into 150-year-old monument in Nantucket, police say
After crashing into the side of the monument, the car rolled over and came to rest on its roof on the sidewalk, officials said. The crash also caused'visible damage' to the monument, officials said. Emergency responders found Franca de Brito lying on the ground next to the overturned vehicle, officials said. 07nantucket - The scene after an alleged drunk driver crashed his car into the Nantucket Civil War Monument. (Jason Graziadei/Nantucket Current) Jason Graziadei/Nantucket Current He was 'complaining of discomfort' and was taken to Nantucket Cottage Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, officials said. Advertisement He was arrested at the hospital and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, failing to stop or yield, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, officials said. The monument was erected in 1874 and dedicated in May 1875, according to the The monument is dedicated to the soldiers and sailors of Nantucket who died fighting in the Civil War, according to The Nantucket Current previously Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
CBS News
06-02-2025
- CBS News
Alleged drunk driver slams into 150-year-old Nantucket Civil War monument
NANTUCKET - A Nantucket man has been charged with drunk driving after crashing into a 150-year-old monument to Civil War veterans on the island, police said. Police and fire crews responded to the area of Milk and Main streets shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. "It was reported that the vehicle had struck the Nantucket Civil War Monument in the middle of the intersection," Nantucket police said in a statement. Nantucket driver taken to hospital and arrested The driver, identified as 27-year-old Nantucket resident Lucas Araujo Franca de Brito, was taken to the hospital and then arrested. Police said he faces charges of operating under the influence of liquor, speeding, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failing to stop or yield and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. A car just smashed into the Civil War monument on Main Street, sending a man to the hospital and damaging the nearly 150-year-old monument. — Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) February 6, 2025 No one else was reported to be hurt in the incident. The Nantucket Current reported that "the damage appeared limited to the base and guardrails" of the monument that was dedicated in 1875. One of the big pieces of granite that surrounds the monument ended up nearly 20 feet away as a result of the crash, according to the publication. Nantucket Civil War monument The obelisk monument is a tribute to Nantucket residents who died fighting in the Civil War. The Nantucket Historical Association says nearly 400 men fought on the Union side, and 73 were killed. Back in 2023, a truck was caught on video slamming into another historic monument on the island. That crash destroyed the Main Street fountain, which was dedicated in 1932 to Spanish-American Civil War casualty Lt. Max Wagner.
