Around New England

75th Anniversary of Cocoanut Grove Fire

Matthew McDonald

The fire at the nightclub in the Bay Village neighborhood of Boston killed 492 people on November 28, 1942. The story linked to below includes an interview with an author and a 100-year-old woman who used to frequent the Cocoanut Grove, as well as information about a new documentary.

Around New England

Islamic Food Market Owner Expected To Plead Guilty To Defrauding Federal Government By Diverting Welfare Money

Matthew McDonald

Prosecutors say the Iraq native, who is a U.S. citizen, diverted $3.5 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds he got through his halal market (which sold food that fulfills Islamic law) in Portland, Maine to a private checking account from July 2011 through April 2016. The government claims the store owner fraudulently diverted food-purchasing funds meant for poor people to buy food inventory, to pay store operating expenses, and for personal use.

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