Top Stories - July 26, 2006

Milena's Husband Seizes Her Assets



The devastated widower of the Jamaica Plain mom killed in this month’s Big Dig tunnel collapse has temporarily seized control of his wife’s assets, as one relative claims the tragedy is pitting family members against one another.
Suffolk Probate and Family Court Judge John Smoot yesterday named Angel Del Valle special administrator of Milena Del Valle’s estate for 90 days, during which time her children in Costa Rica can challenge their mother’s husband, Register of Probate Richard Iannella said.

The Suspect: A Faulty SUV

The fire that threatened a Wakefield home earlier this month may have been caused by a faulty part inside an SUV - one that has been recalled by the Ford Motor Company.
On the evening of July 9, the Bando family of 16 Mansion Road heard a strange popping noise. Moments later, black smoke was everywhere and flames were engulfing the garage that sits on the bottom level of the home. Judith and Charles Bando and their children left the house quickly, and there were no injuries.
Firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to the house, but not before smoke and water damage left it uninhabitable.
The garage itself was devastated, and fire officials suspect they know why.
"We do not know what exactly caused the fire because the devastation inside the engine compartment of the vehicle was so bad," said Fire Chief David Parr. "It kind of looks like it could've been related to a bad switch on the cruise control that was a recall."

Valley Street Doesn't Want Any Races

Don’t speed on Valley Street.
That’s the message that most Valley Street residents would like Wakefield drivers to hear. But how town officials will enforce speed limits on this street is what’s got neighbors talking.
Last August, the Department of Public Works installed speed reduction devices called “speed tables” on the street. Speed tables work similar to speed bumps, except they are made of rubber and are approximately 14-feet long, with a three inch rise. The tables are merely temporary and, as DPW Director Rick Stinson explains, they can be a hassle to maintain.

Medicaid Continues Giving Us $385 Million

Governor Mitt Romney is set to announce this afternoon that Massachusetts has reached an agreement with the US government to continue receiving $385 million in annual federal Medicaid money toward its new landmark health care law.
The money, which state officials say is crucial to carrying out the ambitious new health care plan, was considered to possibly be at risk earlier this year because Massachusetts did not finalize the law until April. Medicaid officials had indicated they needed the law in place far earlier, to make sure it satisfied key federal criteria.

(Sources: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield Observer)