Cash App Settlement includes $45 Million for 46 States

BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced on Wednesday, July 8, that Massachusetts will receive $730,000 as part of a $45 million multi-state settlement with Bl0ck Inc., the maker of Cash App.

The settlement includes 46 states and the District of Columbia. Only Hawaii, Missouri, South Carolina, and Wyoming are not part of the settlement.

The settlement resolves allegations by the state that the company:

• misled consumers about the safety of Cash App;
• failed to protect users from fraud on the platform; and
• failed to provide the fraud protection and resolution that it promised and that was required by law.

“Companies that advertise the safety and security of their platforms have an obligation to deliver on those promises. Instead, Cash App enabled fraud by failing to take necessary security measures and running promotions that put users at risk,” said Campbell. “This settlement ensures Cash App will strengthen protections for users, implement responsible practices, and provide real, responsive customer service.”

According to Campbell’s office, Block told Cash App users that their money was safe, implying the app worked like a bank with the same protections, while it knew fraud on its platform was sharply on the rise. Instead of warning users, the company doubled down its marketing efforts. The company also actively promoted the direct deposit of paychecks into the app by users and targeted those not using a bank in its marketing efforts.

Campbell’s office also alleged that Block policies failed to stop fraud and made it easier for fraudulent actors by:

• Maintaining an enrollment process with minimal identity verification, making it easier for fraudulent actors to create accounts;
• Running a social media campaign encouraging users to post their unique identifier for the app to win prizes, enabling fraudulent actors to contact those users;
• Maintaining no phone support for years and only allowing support through messaging in the app or on social media.

The lack of phone support led to some users being locked out of Cash App for long durations without access to the funds in their account for suspicious transactions. Maintaining no phone support also enabled fraudulent actors to post 1-800 numbers online that users would find when searching for a way to contact the company.

The settlement requires Block to resolve these issues by:

• Maintain customer support that can resolve fraud complaints, account lockouts, and other problems.
• Offer live support 24 hours a day, with a human available by phone at least 13.5 hours a day and by live chat at least 18 hours a day.
• Stop making false or misleading claims about Cash App’s safety and how it protects users from fraud.
• Discontinue marketing practices known to increase fraud on the platform.
• Directly educate consumers about common types of fraud.
• Fulfill its legal obligations to investigate fraud claims and reimburse users for unauthorized transactions.

The settlement also reaffirms Block’s commitment to the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to distribute $75 million to $120 million to consumers nationwide as part of a previous settlement.

Worcester Housing Project Receives State Tax Credit Award

FALL RIVER – Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll appeared in Fall River on Thursday, July 9 to announce $18.6 million in Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) tax credit awards for six housing projects that will create 662 new housing units in gateway cities in Massachusetts.

The tax credit awards include $3.6 million for the Clark Block Rehabilitation Project in Worcester. That project is an adaptive reuse of a historic building that will create 48 new rental units, including five affordable units.

“Gateway Cities are critical to Massachusetts’ housing future, and they know better than anyone what their communities need to grow,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These investments build on strong local partnerships to create more homes, lower costs, revitalize downtowns and ensure these communities continue to thrive for generations to come.”

Three criteria define gateway cities in Massachusetts:

• population greater than 35,000 and less than 250,000
• median household income below the state average
• rate of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree or above that is below the state average

There are currently 26 gateway cities across the state.

According to the state, HDIP creates housing in Gateway Cities by providing tax credits to advance market-rate rental and homeownership projects that strengthen downtowns, reuse vacant or underutilized buildings and help communities expand their housing supply.  The program helps close financing gaps and make transformative housing developments financially feasible in areas where construction can be more challenging.

The other projects receiving tax credits announced today are:

• Durfee Block Apartments, Fall River: $1.5 million to Monte Ferris Jr. to support the adaptive reuse of a historic building in downtown Fall River into 22 rental homes.
• 216 Canal Street, Lawrence: $2.5 million to 216 Canal LLC to support the adaptive reuse of a mill building in Lawrence’s canal district into 99 rental homes.
• Franco American School Phase III, Lowell: $3.2 million to TMI Property Management to support new construction of 80 rental homes and commercial space.
• 24-34 North Park Square Residences, Pittsfield: $4 million to Allegrone Companies to support the adaptive reuse of a historic office building in Pittsfield’s Park Square into 23 rental homes, with street-level retail and a commercial kitchen.
• Whittenton Mill Apartments, Taunton: $3.8 million to Greystar to support the demolition of a former mill and new construction of 390 rental homes.

Image Courtesy of Mass.gov.

Gardner Man Agrees to Pleade Guilty for Opioid Tampering

WORCESTER – A local man agreed to plead guilty in federal court for tampering with opioids.

According to federal prosecutors, Andrew Milgrim, 37, of Gardner, agreed to plead guilty to a single count of tampering with a consumer product.

At his initial court appearance, yet to be scheduled, Milgrim will waive indictment and enter his plea.

Prosecutors say that between September 2024 and February 2025, Milgrim allegedly diverted Oxycodone from patients in the hospice and memory care at a healthcare facility in Fitchburg. He allegedly began taking 5 mg Oxycodone pills prescribed to certain patients “as needed” and replaced missing pills with Loratadine, an allergy medication that looks similar to Oxycodone.

Prosecutors allege that in January 2025 Milgrim diverted 10 mg of Oxycodone from an elderly patient in a locked unit and replaced those pills with Levothyroxine, a thyroid medication.

The charge of tampering with a consumer product provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Editor’s note: The information provided in this report is based on events as described by the U.S. Department of Justice. The claims within are allegations which may be challenged by the accused in court.

Mosquito Spraying in Worcester Starting July 7

WORCESTER – The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) scheduled truck-mounted pesticide spraying in Worcester on four consecutive Tuesdays; July 7, July 14, July 21, and July 28.

The scheduling comes in response to resident requests, according to the City of Worcester.

Precautions to Take and Additional Information

Residents in the areas planned for spraying should take the following precautions.

• Close street-facing windows and turn off any “outside air” settings on air conditioners.
• Keep pets inside between sunset and midnight, and do not let children play near or behind truck-mounted applicators when they are in use.
• Remain inside during the application and for 15-20 minutes afterwards.
• Wash off any vegetables from home gardens after spraying and before consuming them.

Residents may opt-out of spraying of their property by visiting the Massachusetts state website.

To avoid mosquito bites and the diseases they can transmit, residents are encouraged to practice the 5 Ds:

• DRESS in long sleeves and pants when possible. Cover up during periods of mosquito activity.
• DEET is an effective insect repellent. Always follow the label instructions.
• DAWN & dusk are mosquitoes’ most active periods.
• DRAIN water from containers weekly. Avoid standing water, such as rain collecting in open bins, buckets, or toys.

Clothing treated with insect repellent is also available, and permethrin—the repellent commonly used—can be applied to treat clothing manually. Installing and repairing screens will help to keep mosquitoes out of homes.

See the state website, or call the MDPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800, for more information from MDPH, including all WNV and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) positive results in the state,

If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report it to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795, and to MDPH by calling 617-983-6800.

CMMCP offers a variety of services such as ditch maintenance and abandoned swimming pool treatment. Residents may access forms for all service requests on the CMMCP website, or call 508-393-3055, Monday through Friday between 7 AM – 3:30 PM.

Information about the products and Integrated Pest Management program used by the CMMCP is available at its website.

CMMCP also publishes is spraying schedules, and specific areas to be sprayed will be posted both on its website and phone system (508-393-3055) each day after 3:30 p.m.

Nurses at UMass Memorial University Authorize 14-Day Strike

WORCESTER – Registered nurses at UMass Memorial Medical Center’s University Campus, at 55 Lake Ave. North in Worcester voted on Wednesday, July 1, to authorize a 14-day strike. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) says that 99 percent of voting nurses voted in support of the strike.

The vote does not begin a work stoppage, but enables the bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if it deems it necessary.

The University Campus is part of the hospital’s operations, not UMass Chan Medical School.

Nurses represented by the MNA at St. Vincent Hosptial in Worcester began a strike in March 2021 that endured over 300 days before the two sides reached a collective bargaining agreement in January 2022.

The MNA says safer staffing levels and the availability of charge nurses, those who direct the assignment of patients in each unit and provide support to front-line nurses, are key issues in the dispute. MNA nurses at UMass say that at most hospitals where their members serve, charge nurses start their shift with no patient assignments, which they say reduces unsafe assignments. They say the hospital has rejected implementing such a system.

MNA nurses from the hospital partnered with colleagues from other UMass Memorial hospitals in March for informational pickets that highlighted concerns related to staffing levels, workplace safety, and challenges the hospital faces in recruiting and retaining experienced nurses.

U.S. Supreme Court Declines Challenge to Mass. Law

BOSTON – The United States Supreme Court denied a petition to hear a case challenging a Massachusetts law, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, which voters 78 percent of voters approved in 2016. The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Justices Samuel Alito and John Kavanaugh voted to grant the request and hear the case.

Triumph Foods, LLC, based in Missouri, challenged the 2016 approved ballot question, Question 3, Minimum Size Requirements for Farm Animal Containment. In approving the questions, voters prohibited “the sale of eggs, veal, or pork of a farm animal confined in spaces that prevent the animal from lying down, standing up, extending its limbs, or turning around.”

“This decision marks the end of a years-long challenge to animal welfare protections and Massachusetts’s ability to regulate its own commerce. This victory affirms the will of Massachusetts residents, who voted overwhelmingly to support this law in 2016, to ensure more humane standards and stronger consumer protections,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.

Both the Federal District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld Massachusetts’s authority to enforce these standards.

Age to Become Worcester Police Officer Increased to 39

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey signed into law a home rule petition on Tuesday, June 30, which raises the maximum age to join the Worcester Police Department from 32 years old to 39. This makes potential recruits who take their entrance examination prior to their 40th birthday eligible for appointment.

Rep, Jim O’Day sponsored the measure in the House of Representatives, which passed it on June 22. Sen. Michael Moore sponsored the measure in the Senate, which passed it June 23.

The Worcester City Council passed the measure unanimously, 11-0, in November 2024.

Other municipalities in Massachusetts have raised the maximum age to begin the process of becoming a police office to age 39, including Boston, Plymouth, and Taunton.

According to the office of Sen. Moore, the number of potential recruits to become Worcester Police officers has fallen from between 1,200 to 1,500 to between 200 to 250 per year.

Worcester Opens Cooling Centers July 1 to July 3

WORCESTER – The City of Worcester announced it will open cooling centers in the city with extreme heat expected on Wednesday, July 1 through Friday, July 3.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an extreme heat warning across Massachusetts and northern Connecticut, in effect from Wednesday, July 1, at 10 AM to Saturday, July 4, at 8 PM. The NWS warns of heat index values from 98 degrees to 112 degrees from Wednesday through Saturday.

The cooling centers open on Wednesday, July 1

• Worcester Senior Center (128 Providence St.): 9 AM – 4:30 PM
• Worcester Public Library – Main Branch (3 Salem Sq.): 9 AM – 8:30 PM
• YMCA of Central Massachusetts (766 Main St.): 9 AM – 8:30 PM
• YMCA of Central Massachusetts Greendale (75 Shore Dr.): 9 AM – 9 PM

The cooling centers open on Thursday, July 2

• Worcester Senior Center (128 Providence St.): 9 AM – 4:30 PM
• Worcester Public Library – Main Branch (3 Salem Sq.): 9 AM – 5:30 PM
• YMCA of Central Massachusetts (766 Main St.): 9 AM – 8:30 PM
• YMCA of Central Massachusetts Greendale (75 Shore Dr.): 9 AM – 9 PM

The cooling centers open on Friday, July 3

• YMCA of Central Massachusetts (766 Main St.): 9 AM – 8:30 PM
• YMCA of Central Massachusetts Greendale (75 Shore Dr.): 9 AM – 9 PM

The WRTA bus service provides fare-free service to all locations. The WRTA also provides curb-to-curb ADA transportation.

For information on bus routes, ADA transportation and travel training, please call the WRTA at 508-791-9782.

Mass. State Trooper Dead after Crash in Grafton

GRAFTON – An off-duty Massachusetts State Trooper died on Sunday, June 28, following a motor vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and passenger vehicle traveling on Rt. 122 in Grafton.

The preliminary investigation suggests that at around 6 PM on Sunday, Trooper Jacob Mick operated a motorcycle on Providence Road when the crash occurred.

Officials declared Mick dead at the scene. EMS transported the operator of the passenger vehicle to UMass Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing by the Grafton Police Department, the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (CEMLEC), Mass. State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

See Studio Theater Wocester’s “Superhero” this Weekend

Superhero, a play by John Logan, with music and lyrics by Tom Kitt, soars at the Flanagan Theatre at Southgate at Shrewsbury, 30 Julio Drive, Shrewsbury. There are still tickets available for shows Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 7:30 PM, and Sunday at 2 PM.

This Week in Worcester went behind the scenes for one performance.

Superhero tells the story of a mother and son grappling with a devastating loss and the mysterious stranger who helps them on their journey. Before we can save the world, we have to save each other.

You will walk away from this performance feeling hopeful and uplifted.

Directed by John Wayland Somers, the Studio Theater Worcester (SWT) ensemble once again puts together a riveting, high-energy performance from the opening beat to the closing. Elliot Cetinski as Simon is incredible, putting on a spectacular vocal performance inside the cozy Flanagan Theater. Elliot’s ability to sell a high-school student obsessed with comic books is vivid, and the performance sparks emotion in the audience.

Several spontaneous rounds of applause broke out throughout the two- and-a-half-hour play for various songs, all catchy and clear. At the center of the play is a will-they, won’t-they almost romance between the mysterious Jim, played by Todd Vickstrom and Elliot’s mother Charlotte, played by Christina Pierro-Biggins. The chemistry is wonderful between the two, both awkward and raw, as with any adults who date later in life. Their careful dance around Simon is delivered authentically and with care by Vickstrom and Pierro-Biggins.

The music, led by Musical Director Kris Layton is bouncy and fun when it calls for it, and soft and somber in the places that call for it.

The fact is that these performances deserve a bigger audience.