Historic Lottery Game Has Big Winner In Woburn + Sales Tax Holiday + Deadly Boston Shooting: MA Weekend

One person is dead and several others were injured after a shooting in Boston this past weekend.

Meanwhile, residents statewide have a chance to avoid the typical heavy sales tax in an upcoming tax holiday that will apply to many products and services.

Plus, a Woburn convenience store sold a winning lottery ticket in one of the Massachusetts State Lottery’s largest instant ticket games in history.

1 Dead Following Early Morning Boston Shooting

Officers responded to the area of 1184 Hyde Park Ave. shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday morning and found five adults suffering from gunshot wounds. All five victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment, where one later died from their injuries. Boston police said the Homicide Unit is leading the investigation.

MA Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Returns: How You Can Save, What Is Exempt

Those purchasing most items normally taxed in Massachusetts can save the tax on items bought on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sunday, Aug. 9. The sales tax will be waived for all individual — not business — purchases made that weekend up to $2,500 per item.

The exemption does not apply to meals, motor vehicles, motorboats, telecommunications services, gas, steam, electricity, tobacco products, marijuana and marijuana products or alcohol. All businesses must take part in the sales tax holiday if the business normally makes taxable sales and is open for business on the two aforementioned dates.

Huge Scratch-Off Winner Sold At Woburn Store

A $20,000 winning ticket in the Billion Dollar Extravaganza instant game was sold at a convenience store on Montale Avenue. The game is a $50 scratch ticket that offers more than $1 billion in total prizes, making it one of the lottery's largest instant games ever. It features top prizes of $25 million, the largest instant scratch ticket prize in Mass Lottery history. In addition, there are multiple $2 million and $1 million prizes, bonus play areas, and second-chance drawings.

Tropical Downpours Close Highways, Cause Flash Floods

A Flash Flood Warning was issued for the Springfield and Fitchburg areas on Monday morning, with 3 inches of rain falling in just over an hour in Springfield, and the Merriam Avenue exit closed on Route 2 in Fitchburg and Leominster because of highway flooding. The heavy rain band sat over areas of western and central Massachusetts for hours in the early morning before moving eastward inside of Route 495 during the morning commute.

Massachusetts 'No Excuse' Vote By Mail: How To Get A Ballot For This Fall's Elections

Massachusetts voters can choose to cast a ballot in person or by mail in most elections, with "no-excuse" early voting by mail available for state elections, state primaries, presidential primaries, and most local elections. A pre-addressed, postage-prepaid Vote by Mail application is sent to every registered voter before each statewide election. With the statewide primary set for Sept. 1, those ballots should have arrived in mailboxes for residents across the state in recent days and weeks. A mail-in application must reach local election officials by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day before the election. Postmark dates do not extend that deadline.

See Also: Here's An Early Look At Fall Forecast For MA