West Nile Latest Summer Nightmare To Rear Head: Patch PM

Today is July 9. Here are some of the top stories we've been covering from across Massachusetts.

Add West Nile virus to the list of things residents can now worry about this summer. The first two positive sample of the mosquito-borne virus were confirmed in mosquitos from Belmont, the Department of Public Health announced Thursday.

There have not been any human or animal cases of West Nile virus. The two mosquito samples were taken from Belmont on July 7 and came back positive. The positive sample will not elevate the risk levels in the area.

The announcement come days after state health officials warned of mosquitos that tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis virus. They are the earliest positive EEE tests in 20 years.

Read more here.

Also Across Massachusetts

Tropical Storm Fay Heading Our Way

That would-be tropical storm has earned itself a name. Tropical Storm Fay is heading toward New England, and it's expected to make landfall sometime Friday.

The exact timing and tract of the storm is still unknown, but a flash flood watch has been put into effect until noon Saturday.

Forecasters are warning of a couple inches of rain and strong wind gusts. Patch will have more on the forecast as it develops.

Officer Said 'All Lives Matter' Sign Was Without Intent: Chief

The Melrose police officer who wrote "all lives matter" in an electronic traffic sign on Main Street didn't do so with "malicious or political intent," the chief of police said.

The sign, which for part of Wednesday read "THE SAFETY OF ALL LIVES MATTER," touched off a community discussion about the appropriateness of police using a phrase that is most often used as a rebuttal to Black Lives Matter.

Police Chief Mike Lyle said Wednesday night he launched an investigation into the "improper and unfortunate" sign, the findings of which will be made public.

"I am aware that the phrase 'all lives matter' is commonly used as a misguided counter to the Black Lives Matter movement," Lyle said in a statement.

Natick Army Base Employee Gave Job, Trips To Girlfriend: Feds

A longtime Natick Soldier Systems civilian employee has been indicted in a years-long conspiracy where he set up a no-show job for a girlfriend, and used government funds to pay for trips to resorts, including Disney World, according to court records.

Thomas Bouchard, of Uxbridge, was the chief of the Natick Contracting Division at the base, and was in charge of maintaining relationships between the military and contractors. While on a work trip to Maryland in 2007, Bouchard met a woman named Chantelle Boyd, who was tending bar at a hotel near Fort Detrick.

In 2014, Bouchard got Boyd a $65,000 per-year job as his assistant working with the San Diego-based military contractor Evolution Enterprises, according to court documents. The position was funded by the federal government.

But in about four years in the job, Boyd "conducted very little in the way of documented work product," federal prosecutors said. Boyd was supposed to submit weekly reports on what she was working on, but produced only nine such reports during her entire tenure, charges say.

Also

Marblehead Church's 'Black Lives Matter' Banner Vandalized

Police released security camera footage of a "person of interest" in last month's vandalism.

Police Pursuit Spans 50 Miles, Ends In Charlton On Mass Pike

State police tried to pull over an SUV with Vermont plates in Weston, leading to a very long chase up and down I-95 and I-90.

3 Charged After 8 Kilos Of Ecstasy Seized In Wakefield

More than $300,000 worth of MDMA was sent from Germany to a UPS store in Wakefield, the Middlesex District Attorney's office said.

Andover Fire Puts Out 2-Alarm House Fire On Vine Street

One resident was treated for minor injuries in the fire, Wednesday night.