Hingham Year in Review: Explosives, Indecent Assault, New Police Chief, Hockey and Soccer State Titles

In September, police in Hingham searched for a man who assaulted a teenage girl in the bathroom at Patriot Cinema. In April, police discovered explosives in a Hingham home.

Both stories would go on to become two of the most viewed posts on Hingham Patch in 2015.

In 2015, Hingham Patch readers clicked on posts about the Harbormen and Harborwomen winning state titles, a deadly car crash, a roof collapse on Lincoln Street, and a family that appeared on a reality television show.

Here are the top 10 stories for 2015 on Hingham Patch:

1. Hingham Police Searching for Man Wanted for Indecent Assault and Battery in Movie Theater Bathroom - In July, police investigated a report that a 13-year-old girl was assaulted by a man in the women’s restroom at a movie cinema Thursday night. The incident took place inside the Patriot Cinema Complex in the Hingham Shipyard. The 13-year-old girl was with a friend watching a movie. At approximately 8:30 p.m., the girl went into the women’s restroom. She encountered the man in the restroom where the assault took place. The employees were informed of the incident and immediately called police.
2. Police Discover Explosives in Hingham Home - In April, an explosion in a car in Quincy led investigators to the Hingham home. Investigators were able to locate a small quantity of homemade explosives which were in violation of state law. The search would lead to felony charges.
3. New Police Chief - In April, Glenn Olsson was named Hingham’s 10th police chief. Olsson replaced Chief Mike Peraino, who started his retirement on May 1.
4. Mystery Letters - Prior to the selectmen’s vote to appoint Olsson the new chief, all three members received an anonymous letter supporting other candidates. Town employee Matt Hersey said he came forward because the town’s $40,000 investigation was going to nail the wrong person.
5. Hingham High Ranked Among Best Schools in Massachusetts - In August, Niche Rankings released its report on the Best Public High Schools in Massachusetts, and Hingham High School made the list at number 24. In it, Niche ranked 14,431 high schools based on dozens of key statistics, as well as opinions from 280,000 parents and students.
6. Weymouth Man Killed in Hingham Car Crash - In May, a Weymouth man died after being struck by a boat trailer on Route 3A in Hingham. An investigation indicated that the pedestrian had been standing on the sidewalk near the MBTA Bus and fell or stepped onto the road where he was struck by the trailer that was being towed by a southbound vehicle.
7. Roof on Historical Hingham Building Collapses - In February, snow took its toll on a building located on South Street in Hingham Square, when the roof of the Lincoln Building collapsed. The next day, it was announced that the building would be demolished.
8. Success for Harbormen and Harborwomen - At Hingham High School, all they do is win. In March, the hockey team ran the table, winning the MIAA Division 1 title. Hingham continued their winning ways in November, with a second consecutive Division 2 championship for the girls’ soccer team.
9. Hingham Family Appears on the Briefcase - Finding the balance between taking what you need and showing generosity was all part of the struggle for one Hingham family on the new CBS reality TV series “The Briefcase.” In June, the Melanson family was given that unique opportunity, having to decide whether to keep or share their new found cash with the Mata family of Boyle Heights, Calif.
10. Hingham Teen Found Dead at Sandwich Camp - In July, a teen from Hingham was found unresponsive in a bunk at Camp Burgess in Sandwich. Investigators say they believe foul play was not involved.