5-Time Bank Robber Gets 7 Years In Prison: Patch PM

FOXBOROUGH, MA — Today is Wednesday, Oct. 28. Here's what Patch has been covering south of Boston and on Cape Cod and the Islands.

A Weymouth man was sentenced to seven years in prison after he admitted to robbing five banks and leading police on a high-speed chase from Foxborough to Attleboro.

Charles Wheeler, 50, of Weymouth, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to five counts of bank robbery. Wheeler will also have to serve three years of probation following his prison sentence.

Wheeler and his accomplice, Dong Lee, 50, of Providence, robbed banks in Andover, Boston, Braintree, Avon and Brockton over a one-week span in September 2018. Lee pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 16.

Read the full story here.

Top Stories South of Boston

Cape Hospital Defends Cuts To Midwife Hours, Says Service Expands

Cape Cod Hospital officials said cuts to its midwifery program do not eliminate services for expectant mothers but are part of a realignment intended to expanded maternity services at the hospital.

Starting on Nov. 16, midwives will only be available at the hospital 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Friday, cutting their in-hospital weekday availability in half, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Nurses Association said. With the cuts, midwives, will only be available 24 hours a day on weekends.

Prior to the response from Cape Cod Healthcare, the Massachusetts Nurses Association decried the decision and said its coming at a time when the hospital is seeing an increase in the number of babies it's delivering. From April to September, the hospital has seen a 38.32 percent increase in baby deliveries compared to the same months in 2019. But Cape Cod Healthcare CEO Michael Lauf in a news conference Wednesday said its maternity program now includes more obstetricians than ever, especially during "the highest acuity times on the unit."

Animals From Across The U.S. Being Adopted On Cape Cod

With the coronavirus pandemic wreaking economic havoc across the United States, officials with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said pet adoption centers in certain areas of the country have declined.

The society's Cape Cod branch in Centerville is trying to find homes for as many animals as possible by transporting them from states where adoption prospects are bleak, to Massachusetts, where demand for pets is soaring. The latest transport brought 25 cats, ranging in age from nine weeks to four years, from the LaGrange Animal Shelter in LaGrange, Georgia, to Cape Cod.

Quincy Shooting Injures Teen

An 18-year-old victim was hospitalized after being shot in the head in a Quincy shooting on Saturday at approximately 10:30 p.m at a residence on Common Street.

According to the Quincy Police Department, the victim was alert and conscious when officers arrived at the scene and immediately treated by Brewster Ambulance paramedics. The teen was taken to South Shore Hospital and later transported to Boston Medical Center for surgery.

Across Massachusetts

Salem Walking Tour Guides Take Big Hit This Halloween Season

Salem Ghost Tours is looking to help those working in the industry with a new grant program for guides.
Worcester Man Accused Of Hiding Coke In Cereal Boxes
Police said over 4 pounds of cocaine was found hidden in cereal boxes when Jahn Rentas was pulled over in New York.

Boston Marathon 2021 Postponed, Officials Hope For Fall Date
A new date has not been determined, but the Boston Athletic Association plans on seeing if a fall date is "feasible."