Waltham's 10 Biggest Stories of 2016

WALTHAM, MA – The year began with a tragic murder-suicide in Waltham, a story that dominated our readers' attention.

And while several of the biggest Waltham Patch stories in 2016 were tragedies, there was also a tale of military heroism and a major stance from local politicians.

Plus, one electric squirrel.

Here are the top Waltham Patch stories of 2016:

10. Rep. Clark Introduces Bill Requiring Presidents to Resolve Financial Conflicts of Interest

The bill would require presidents and vice presidents to be more transparent with potentially profitable decisions.

9. Squirrel Causes Mass Outages in Waltham, Watertown

A squirrel was the cause of mass power outages in Waltham and Watertown Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Eversource Energy told Patch.

8. Former Waltham Cop Shoots Wife, Turns Gun on Himself

Officials identified the victims and said the "male was the shooter" in the murder-suicide over the weekend in Waltham.

7. Police Recover Drowning Victim, 20, in Stony Brook Basin

Police recovered the body of a 20-year-old drowning victim in the Stony Brook Basin Wednesday evening.

6. Verizon Strike: Waltham City Council Votes to Back Workers

Councilors passed a resolution Monday night to not enter any new contracts with the company and examine current deals.

5. Waltham Stabbings: Suspect Arrested, One Victim in Critical Condition

A Waltham man is in custody Wednesday afternoon after allegedly stabbing two women at a residence on Weston Street.

4. Body Found in Charles River in Waltham

A man's body was found Friday afternoon near the Charles River Canoe and Kayak shop. He was later identified as Lenny Quirk, who was reported missing in February.

3. Massachusetts Soldiers Save Woman Stranded in N.J. Forest

For three days, Jeannette Haskins had no food and drank rainwater. Then, four soldiers came to her rescue.

2. Douglas 'Dougie' Jordan Usseglio, 22, of Waltham

He attended Waltham schools and graduated from Waltham High School in 2011, where he was a four-year hockey and lacrosse player.

1. Apparent Murder-Suicide Involved Former Waltham Cop, Reports Say

Co-workers and neighbors say Kevin O'Connor worked at Fiorella's, and was a former Waltham officer.

Photo of Watch Factory courtesy of Flickr user Bill Damon via Creative Commons