Oppressive Stretch Scorches MA For 4th Heat Wave: Patch PM

TEWKSBURY, MA — It's Thursday, August 26. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• It's hot. Again. OK, you know that. But did you know many Massachusetts cities made it official with a fourth heat wave of the season today?
• There was no professional baseball in Lowell this summer. But the home of the Spinners hasn't given up yet.
• The top doctor at MelroseWakefield Hospital is issuing some stark warnings about the future course of the coronavirus in the state if everyone doesn't get on board with stronger vaccination adherence and mitigation strategies.
• Sen. Ed Markey is touting the federal infrastructure bill's funding as the means to finally replace the two Cape Cod bridges.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Welcome to heat wave No. 4 for the season in most of Massachusetts.

Boston hit 91 degrees at 11 a.m. as it joined most of the rest of the state in making it officially a heat wave for the fourth time this summer.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for all of Massachusetts except for the Cape and the Islands until 8 p.m. Thursday night.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection also issued an air quality alert for coastal parts of the state, including the Cape and Islands.

There is some good news on the horizon, however, for those who have had just about enough of this sultry summer. Cooler air is forecast to enter the region Friday night into Saturday night with high temperatures those days bringing a much more football- and fall foliage-friendly feel in the 70s.

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Today's Other Top Stories

Lowell still seeking to bring back minor league baseball: The city's LeLacheur Park, former home of the short season Single-A Lowell Spinners, has been empty for two summer seasons. In 2020, the entire Minor League Baseball season was canceled due to the coronavirus. Then, the Spinners lost their affiliation to the Boston Red Sox. But city officials haven't given up.

'We've taken a step backward': For MelroseWakefield Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Sbardella, this is a new phase of the coronavirus crisis. It's not a high or a low. It's frustration and pleas. "The concern is even that you're fully vaccinated, anyone of us can be carrying it. We've become the potential source of the spread of the infection."

Peabody in midst of 'earthquake swarm': A Boston College professor and earthquake expert speaking to a public meeting on the shaking and rumbling that has rattled Peabody residents in recent weeks told a crowded house the city is most likely in the midst of an "earthquake swarm" where hundreds of small and microearthquakes jostle one location for months at a time.

Wilmington police car involved in crash: Three Wilmington cruisers were responding to an emergency call about an assault in progress when the crash happened, state police said. The assault was "reported to be escalating in severity," according to state police, and the three cruisers had lights and sirens on.

Infrastructure bill may pave way for Cape bridge replacements: The Bourne and Sagamore bridges, the only ways to reach Cape Cod by land, are 85 years old and have long needed replacement. Massachusetts lawmakers on Capitol Hill are expressing confidence the project will get done, thanks to President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill.

Rash of car thefts in Framingham, Sudbury: Sudbury police are reporting a rise in local car thefts, and again warning residents to lock cars — and especially not to leave the keys inside. A car was stolen in Sudbury Tuesday night after nearly 50 cars were pilfered in Framingham this weekend.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

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Brookline First Responders Make Home Birth House Call: Regan Williams was born on her parents' bathroom floor on Aug. 18. Brookline police and EMTs responded to the home immediately and were told by Fallon Ambulance that the safest plan was to prepare for home delivery.

In Case You Missed It: Bay State residents are split on whether Gov. Charlie Baker should reimpose a mask mandate, but a majority support the state's decision to require masks in public schools this fall, according to a survey of Patch readers conducted this week.

Check out the full Massachusetts Mask Survey results with some reaction here.