Some MA Residents May Not Get Power Until Weekend: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Thursday, Oct. 28. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• A 66-year-old man died in a collision Wednesday night in Worcester.
• Hundreds of thousands of state residents in Massachusetts may be without power until the weekend.
• A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to charges that he tried to exploit a Massachusetts 11-year-old.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

The rain is gone and the wind has died on, but the power outages live on.

As of 2:15 p.m. Thursday, more than 290,000 Massachusetts electric customers were without power following the nor'easter that slammed the state Tuesday and Wednesday. The good news is that's down from about 450,000 just 24 hours earlier.

The bad news? Some of those customers may be without power until 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to Eversource President and CEO Joe Nolan. The repair efforts were hampered overnight, when string winds continued to bring down tree limbs and utility lines.

"We had strong, hazardous winds on the Cape through the night, which brought down more trees and electric lines, causing additional power outages. The number of massive trees down is a major factor and has made the job even more challenging, but we remain laser focused on this restoration — which will intensify as the day goes on," Nolan said in a statement. "We are grateful to our customers for their patience and recognize the tremendous disruption that being without electricity presents."

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Thursday's Other Top Stories

NJ Man Pleads Guilty In Worcester Child Porn CaseThe 36-year-old tried to convince an 11-year-old Worcester boy to share nude photos, according to federal prosecutors.

Man, 66, Killed In Nighttime Worcester Collision: Police: The driver, a woman from Sudbury, hit the pedestrian along Southwest Cutoff Wednesday night.

SMOC Opens New Green Jobs Training Site In Marlborough: The Bartlett Street facility will train workers how to weatherize homes to boost energy efficiency.

New Marlborough Cannabis Store Opens On Boston Post Road:Local Roots will sell cannabis grown at facilities in Framingham and Barre.

Watch: Patch's Mike Carraggi will appear on WGBH's Greater Boston Live tonight at 7 p.m. to discuss the Halloween controversy in Melrose.

Picture This: Black bear sightings

A black bear has been spotted on Country Road at the Wareham/Marion line, police say. Marion police warn residents not to try to approach the bear, they say if you do come into close contact to try to remain calm, moving away slowly and sideways.