1. Saugus sour on Amazon Fresh
Last June, residents of Saugus said they were not fans of the Amazon Fresh store set to open along Route 1, the first of its kind in New England. In fact, many said that they would rather shop local.
2.A sad coincidence in Marblehead, Swampscott
In September, two strikingly similar situations occurred within days of each other when the fathers of two football standouts passed away. Mark Ryan, of Swampscott was the father of Swampscott starting quarterback Zack Ryan, and Jeff Scogland was the father of Marblehead lineman Jake Scogland. Despite the losses, both athletes played in their games that week and performed admirably in memory of their fathers.
3.Karla’s Shoes no longer a good fit in Saugus
At a Board of Health meeting in October, members discussed what the town should do with the building on Route 1 that was home to Karla’s Shoes. The building has been vacated for decades and Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Debra Panetta urged property owners to either sell the property or have it torn down.
4.Saugus likes what it sees at Kowloon
In February, the Board of Selectmen visited Kowloon to see if the board would allow the restaurant’s owners, the Wong family, to build two apartment buildings on the property. The board had a positive response to the proposal and many in the area said they would approve of the project.
5.Saugus Continental Restaurant gets a Hollywood break
Film director Alexander Payne in February chose The Continental Restaurant on Route 1 in Saugus to film scenes for his upcoming movie “The Holdovers”. The restaurant was rented out for three days while filming was conducted.
6.Hells Angels clubhouse in Lynn raided by FBI, local police
The motorcycle club’s location on Fayette Street was raided on the morning of July 21, 2022 by the FBI and local police. According to the FBI, they were conducting “court-authorized activity” and forcefully entered the building after those in the clubhouse refused to leave.
7.Swampscott will purchase Hawthorne Restaurant property
At Town Meeting in June, the Select Board announced that they would acquire the Hawthorne Restaurant property and two wooded parcels of land adjacent to Archer Street. Plans for the property remain undetermined, with the town awaiting public input.
8.Saugus welcomes Amazon Fresh
Though many residents gave pushback to the store, town officials welcomed the company with open arms last summer, stating that it would help to grow the town’s economy. Selectman Corinne Riley said “I am thrilled to see Amazon Fresh come to town, it will certainly create dozens of new jobs here, and it will be great for our local economy.”
9.Photo evidence surfaces amid a probe into a Marblehead cop
In January, an anonymous source released photos that allegedly showed Officer Christopher Gallo of the Marblehead Police department skipping work when he was scheduled to be on duty. Gallo has been on administrative leave since June, 2021.
10.Lynn man opens brewery in Rowley
In December of 2021, Kevin Moriarty of Lynn opened Anonymous Brewing at 60 Main St. in Rowley. Moriarty is a Lynn Classical alumni and got the idea to open a brewery after spending years visiting numerous breweries.
11.Saugus boards discuss plans for Kowloon
In March, the Planning Board held an informal discussion session on the Kowloon project that was requested by the Board of Selectmen. The discussion helped to clarify which board has the authority to permit the project. The developer’s team was also given a chance to give more details about the project.
12.Pitbull to perform at Lynn auditorium
In January, Lynn’s Department of Community Development announced that Pitbull, would perform at the Lynn auditorium on Mar. 4. James M. Marsh, executive director and talent buyer for the community development office called the concert “the biggest show the auditorium has ever seen.”
13.Woman, 22, dead after apparent drowning in Nahant
In June, a 22 year-old woman died after an apparent drowning at the Cary Street Club in Nahant. A man who lived next to the club said he spoke with one of the family members and said that “something was wrong” when the woman went to dive in the pool.
14.Swampscott officer resigned after Lynn PD texting episode
Swampscott Police officer and Lynn resident Joel Pimentel resigned after his name appeared during the Lynn Police department texting and drug investigation. Pimentel’s name popped up in text messages that were found by the department. He then came under internal investigation for alleged participation in drug use.
15.Two arrested for April murder in Lynn
In May of 2022, Alan Bernadin, 19, of 111 Chestnut St., and Nathaniel Mercedat, 19, also of Chestnut Street were charged with the April murder of Brian Gomez of Salem. Gomez was described by the organizer of a GoFundMe for his funeral as an aspiring musician, and was preparing to perform in front of New York music representatives on April 11, 2022.
16.Off to Georgia, because of Lynn
In December, Joenel Aguero of St. John’s Prep was honored at Lynn City Hall for his recent commitment to the University of Georgia. The wide receiver/defensive back credited his family, friends, and coaches in the Lynn community for being able to play for one of the top football programs in the country.
17.Two more charged in Saugus murder
20 year-olds Steaven Delgado and Mac Jean Laterion were arraigned in January on charges related to the assault and murder of Michael Norton of Saugus. Jorge Delgado Medina, Kiara Rosario of Chelsea, and Angjeliki Hodaj of Saugus were also arraigned for Norton’s murder.
18.Man charged with killing father in their Lynn home
Thomas Tully of Lynn was charged with stabbing his father, Michael Tully, 58, to death in their home on Myrtle St. on May 2, 2022. He was also charged with assaulting his mother.
19.Record-breaking 67 firearms seized by Lynn Police
In 2022, 67 illegally-possessed firearms were taken by the Lynn Police Department. That number was a new 15-year high. Of the 67, 54 firearms were seized in association with a crime, and 13 were recovered under “suspicious” or “unusual” circumstances.
20.Peabody looks into school dance incident
In April, the Peabody School District looked into an incident that occurred at a Higgins Middle School dance that involved two students and an administrator. The incident was caught on camera and showed the administrator physically removing two students from a crowd of students that had circled around them.
21.Brewer? Monk? Salt Salesman? Pair charged with $3.6m COVID fraud in Marblehead
In October, Brian Andrew Bushell, 47, and Tracey M.A. Stockton, 64 were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions. They allegedly fraudulently obtained millions in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for purported religious organizations and businesses Bushell owned.
22.Body found in downtown Lynn may be that of missing woman
In June, police responded to a report of a body that was found at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Exchange streets that may have been 26-year-old Lauren (Lulu) Jean Christy. A sidewalk memorial was put up at the site where the body was found that included notes from Christy’s friends and family, candles, and stuffed animals.
23.Saugus board weighing Kowloon development plans
The Board of Selectmen visited the Kowloon property in February for a site visit of the proposed multi-use apartment buildings project. At a Jan. 25 meeting, the board did not grant the Wong family the permit, however they scheduled the site visit to better understand the project before the board convened on Feb. 15.
24.Lynn rapper to open for Nelly
In May, Lynn rapper Celly Bucks opened for Nelly at the Lynn Auditorium. It was Bucks first time performing in Lynn. A graduate of Lynn Classical, Bucks began making his own music at the age of 16 and said he wants to “Change the perception of music in the world.”
25.‘Active shooter’ pursued on Chase Street
On Nov. 1, police were searching for a man who fired a gun at a man near 7 Chase St. He then barricaded himself in a nearby house. State Police troopers, dressed in camouflage and armed with rifles surrounded the house for roughly two hours. The suspect was not found in the home. The following week, Sherome Pight, of Dorchester, was arrested in connection to the shooting.