Patch Facts

Five Things to Know on Oct. 1: Possible Evening Activity Restrictions

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Monday, Oct. 1. Here are five things you need to know in Hamilton and Wenham: 1. Mosquitoes: The Hamilton Board of Health is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday night to consider “additional action” that might be taken “to protect public health” which may include banning outdoor evening activities because of the threat of West Nile Virus and EEE from mosquitoes. The board meets at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Room at Hamilton Town Hall. 2. ARC Walk: If you plan to register for the upcoming 16th Annual Northeast Arc “Run, Walk or Roll” on Saturday, Oct. 13 you may want to do it on Monday. ARC serves residents of the two towns with disabilities. The event starts and finishes at Plains Park, behind the Holten-Richmond Middle …

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EEE Concerns Force Rescheduling Friday Night Football

Friday night's Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Generals football game at Amesbury has been moved to Saturday afternoon.

The football Generals from Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School were scheduled to play Friday night in Amesbury against Cape Ann League/Northeastern Conference Tier 3 opponent Amesbury. But last week, concerns about Eastern equine encephalitis in Amesbury elevated the threat level there to "critical." And that has prompted the evening football game to be rescheduled to Saturday at 1 p.m., according to the Hamilton-Wenham Athletics Twitter feed and a report in the Newburyport Daily News. Amesbury is one of six communities in the greater Newburyport area that has placed a ban on outdoor activities between 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. because of concerns about West Nile Virus and EEE. Other communities with some sort of ban include Merrimac, Newbury, …

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First Human EEE Case Reported in Essex County

The fist case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a human is a man in his 70s in Georgetown.

The first case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a human in Essex County has been reported in Georgetown, according to the state Department of Public Health and a report in the Newburyport Daily News. No human cases of EEE or West Nile Virus have been reported in Hamilton and Wenham. Mosquitoes have tested positive for both EEE and West Nile Virus and Hamilton has sprayed three times and Wenham has sprayed twice in targeted areas. No further spraying has been announced. The Hamilton Board of Health has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Room at Hamilton Town Hall. On the agenda is a “mosquito control update.” Georgetown Town Administrator Michael Farrell told the Daily News that the man in his 70s is …

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Mosquito Spraying Planned for Highland Street on Monday night

The Highland Street area of Hamilton will be sprayed for mosquitoes on Monday night.

For the third time this summer, spraying for mosquitoes will happen on Monday night in Hamilton. Health Agent Leslie Whalen said on Saturday that mosquitoes have tested positive for both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. A Connect-CTY phone call also wnet out to town residents on Sunday afternoon. “As a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness, targeted truck spraying in the area along Highland Street and roads west of Highland Street will be conducted in Hamilton on Monday, Sept. 10 between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. - weather permitting,” she said in announcing the latest spraying. “Residents in the targeted areas are asked to stay indoors during the spraying.” The spraying will not happen if …

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Patch Facts

Five Things to Know Today in Hamilton and Wenham: Sept. 4

An essential get-me-going daily morning column from Hamilton-Wenham Patch.

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 4. Here are five things you need to know:  1. Rain: A rain storm – the remnants of Hurricane Isaac – will move into the area on Tuesday night and last into Wednesday. It will be the first rainstorm in quite a while and is expected to drop more than an inch of rain. 2. Mosquitoes: An area of Hamilton will again be sprayed for mosquitoes on Tuesday night. The area will be east of Essex Street on the east end of the town, near Chebacco Lake. The spraying will happen between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. The spraying will be conducted after a discovery at the end of last week that a mosquito tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis. If you do not want your property sprayed, there is a form attached to this story you can fill…

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EEE Detected in Hamilton, Spraying Will Be Performed

The Health Agent made the announcement Friday.

  Hamilton will spray for mosquitos Tuesday after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Friday that Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been detected in mosquitoes collected from town. According to the Hamilton Board of Health: "This is a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of EEE, targeted truck spraying in the area along Essex Street and roads east of Essex Street will be conducted in Hamilton on Tuesday, September 4,  between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., weather permitting. Residents in the targeted areas are asked to stay indoors during the spraying." The Hamilton Board of Health is working closely with the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetlands Management District, according to the press …

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West Nile Outbreak Causes 41 Deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a telebriefing this week to inform residents of the outbreak and pass on tips to prevent mosquito bites.

"We're in the midst of one of the largest West Nile virus outbreaks ever seen in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during a telebriefing Wednesday to provide an update on the West Nile outbreak based on reports from state health departments. Texas has reported the most cases, however, 47 states, including Massachusetts, have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds or mosquitoes, the update said. Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont have not reported any cases.  In Massachusetts, so far this year 119 mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile, according to the state, and there has been one reported human case, in Middlesex County. According to the CDC update, 1,118…

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Mosquito Testing Continues After Positive EEE in Topsfield

Mosquitoes in Hamilton and Wenham continue to be tested for Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus.

Mosquito testing continues in Hamilton and Wenham after a mosquito last week tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Topsfield. The mosquito that tested positive for EEE in Topsfield was found in the corner of the town closest to Ipswich and Boxford, said Jack Card, director of the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito and Wetlands Management District. Topsfield officials were scheduled to meet on Monday night to consider its options and whether it wants to spray for mosquitoes. Both Boxford and Ipswich were notified, Card said, and Ipswich plans targeted spraying. A mosquito also tested positive for EEE in Reading, according to a report in The Boston Globe. No positive tests have come from mosquitoes in either Hamilton or Wenham, …

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