Massachusetts News Roundup: 35 Beaches Closed This Weekend, Lawrence Mayor Charged in $1.5M COVID Loan Fraud and More
Here’s a roundup of recent Massachusetts news: at least 35 beaches are closed this weekend over high bacteria levels; Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested on wire fraud and money laundering charges in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 small-business loans; Governor Maura Healey issued an emergency order restricting kratom sales; the state appointed its first heat resilience officer; and U.S. Marshals recovered 48 endangered missing children in an operation tied to this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Greater Boston.
35 Massachusetts beaches closed this weekend over bacteria
At least 35 Massachusetts beaches are closed this weekend over high bacteria levels, with some outlets counting more than 40. (Boston.com, Cape Cod Times, The Patriot Ledger, Enterprise News, Aug. 14-15, 2026)
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña charged with wire fraud and money laundering
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested by the FBI and charged with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to obtain more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 small-business loans. (AP News, CBS News, WBUR, WGBH, NBC Boston, U.S. Department of Justice, Aug. 14, 2026)
Healey issues emergency order restricting kratom sales
Governor Maura Healey issued an emergency order temporarily restricting the sale of kratom statewide, designating the addictive and largely unregulated substance a Schedule I controlled substance. (WBUR, Boston.com, WWLP, WCVB, WGBH, Aug. 13-14, 2026)
Massachusetts appoints its first heat resilience officer
The Healey administration named Katie Schlick as Massachusetts’ first heat resilience officer, making the state just the second in the nation to create the role. (WWLP, The Boston Globe, NBC Boston, CommonWealth Beacon, Boston Herald, Aug. 13-14, 2026)
U.S. Marshals recover 48 missing children in Operation Yellow Card
The U.S. Marshals Service recovered 48 endangered missing children in Massachusetts during Operation Yellow Card, a sweep tied to this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Greater Boston. (MassLive.com, WJAR, Boston.com, WWLP, Western Mass News, Aug. 14-15, 2026)
For more on the Bay State, see the Massachusetts guide.
Sources
Boston.com; Cape Cod Times; The Patriot Ledger; Enterprise News; AP News; CBS News; WBUR; WGBH; NBC Boston; U.S. Department of Justice; WWLP; WCVB; The Boston Globe; CommonWealth Beacon; Boston Herald; MassLive.com; WJAR; Western Mass News.