UPDATE: Power Restored to All National Grid Customers in Melrose

There have been some power outages reported midday Friday.

Updated at 2 p.m. Power has been restored to all National Grid customers in Melrose Friday afternoon, according to a power outage map.  Of the 225,503 National Grid customers in Middlesex County, 508 were without power, according to the map.  Original Report There are currently less than five power outages midday Friday in Melrose, according to a National Grid power outage map. Of the 225,503 National Grid customers in Middlesex County, 7,884 are without power, according to the map. Nearly all of the power outages are concentrated in Medford, as 7,732 were in the dark, followed by Malden with 137 and Everett with 14, according to the map. Twitter user c nelson-rivers (@xinepie) tweeted that the power "went out and came back on a few …

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Sequestration Budget Cuts Data: Which Mass. Counties Have the Most Federal Employees?

Middlesex County has more than 9,000 federal employees, most of whom work in defense.

The numbers here show the federal employees in Massachusetts by county in 2012, according to the latest figures from Eye on Washington, a DC-based lobbying firm that tracks federal employment. It compiles the data from the Office of Personnel Management, Federal Employment Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While much has been made written on how the current sequestration battle in Washington could affect the national economy, these numbers are meant to give readers a sense of the sequestration at the local level. No one knows for certain what the sequestration cuts, some $85 billion, will mean exactly. Even if the March 1 federal cuts are enacted, the full effects would not be felt immediately. The government is required to …

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UPDATE: Power Restored to National Grid Customers in Melrose Saturday Night

As of 9 p.m. Saturday, power was restored to National Grid customers in Melrose, according to a power outage map.

Updated at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9 As of 9 p.m. Saturday, power was restored to National Grid customers in Melrose, according to a power outage map. Original Report A handful of National Grid customers were without power Saturday afternoon, according to a power outage map. As of 12:45 p.m. Saturday, less than five National Grid customers were without power, according to a power outage map. At the same time, 113 of 225,149 National Grid customers in Middlesex County were without power, according to the power outage map. Are you without power? Let us know by posting a comment below.

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Mark Ouellette

4:20 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hi Steve, When a storm hits, people are always wondering about power outages in their community, how many people are without power and when will power be restored. Because there were reported outages (even if only a handful) in Melrose, we're going to report that information.   more ›

Three More Human Cases of West Nile Virus Confirmed in Middlesex County

Officials are urging the public to take precautions against West Nile virus.

Three More Human Cases of West Nile Virus Confirmed in Middlesex County

Officials are urging the public to take precautions against West Nile virus.

Three more human cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Middlesex County and the threat level is being raised in several communitites, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.  In response, the DPH has raised the WNV threat level to "high" in the following communities: Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Saugus and Winthrop. Also, the threat level is being raised to "moderate" in other towns: Bedford, Burlington, Lincoln, Stoneham, Wakefield, Winchester and Woburn. WNV mosquito cases have been confirmed in 97 towns statewide this year and the state on pace to have the highest number of cases since 2000, according to the DPH.  Below are precautions to take against contracting West Nile …

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Middlesex County Man Infected by West Nile Virus

It's the first human case of WNV in Massachusetts this year.

An unidentified man from Middlesex County is this year's first person to be infected by the West Nile Virus in Massachusetts, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services. The man is in his 60s and lives in a community north of Boston, according to a press statement from the Department of Health and Human Services Aug. 15. The man was diagnosed with West Nile Virus in late July, the statement said; he remains hospitalized but is recovering. Testing conducted on July 24 found the virus in mosquito pools in Medford, Malden and Melrose, according to state data. It is the second consecutive year the virus was found in Medford and Melrose. The virus was found in mosquitoes near the Stoneham-Melrose border last year, while …

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District Attorney Hires Law and Order Writer as Prosecutor

Pamela Wechsler, a Tufts grad, will join Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone's office as an Assistant District Attorney.

An experienced prosecutor who had left the courtroom to write crime dramas in Hollywood has been appointed as a county prosecutor. Pamela Wechsler will serve as an assistant district attorney in Middlesex County Superior Court in Lowell as the newest member of Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone's prosecution team, Leone announced in a press release Tuesday. Wechsler, a Boston native and Tufts University graduate, has 15 years experience as a prosecutor at both the state and federal level. But she most recently worked writing scripts for crime television shows. Before joining the Middlesex County Attorney's office, Wechsler worked as a writer and consultant for Law and Order, Conviction, and Canterbury’s Law. “Pam most recently spent …

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