Home where witch trials victim John Proctor lived for sale
PEABODY, Mass. — A house where a victim of the Salem witch trials once lived is on the market for $600,000 just in time for Halloween.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot (371-sqare-meter) home built in 1638 was once the home of John Proctor, who was convicted of witchcraft and hanged in 1692. The six-bedroom, two-bathroom home is in Peabody, which at the time was part of Salem.
Real estate agent Joe Cipoletta, of J. Barrett and Co., said some parts of the original structure, including wooden beams, are still visible. It has been modernized and includes an in-ground pool.
The home’s owner died earlier this month.
Michael Bonfanti, vice president of the Peabody Historical Society, tells The Salem News the organization is looking into whether it’s feasible to purchase the home and make it a public resource.
Sexual history survey sent to fifth-graders draws complaints
WINDSOR, Vt. — A survey that asked fifth-grade students in Vermont about their sexual history, preference and gender identity has drawn complaints from parents.
The survey sent to Windsor Elementary School students was conducted by WISE, a nonprofit domestic violence prevention and advocacy group, WPTZ-TV reported .
A notice was sent to parents allowing them to opt their children out of the survey, but parent Vanessa Beach said she never received it.
While she doesn’t oppose topics on gender identity and sexuality being discussed, Beach said she feels the survey questions were inappropriate for her daughter’s age group.
“My daughter is 10. So are all the other kids who took this,” Beach said. “A sexual partner at 10 years old would be called sexual abuse.”
A WISE representative said the survey questions were created with University of New Hampshire researchers with whom the group is sharing the collected data.
Beach said she told the school and WISE about her concerns. School administrators and WISE officials said they are working to address parents’ complaints. Students are told that they are not required to take the test and can choose not to, a WISE official said.
Beach said she appreciates other work WISE does to raise awareness about domestic violence.
Woman with ‘emotional support squirrel’ removed from plane
NEW YORK — Police at a Florida airport removed a passenger who refused to get off a Cleveland-bound flight after she was found carrying an “emotional support squirrel.”
Passengers had already boarded Frontier Airlines Flight 1612 at Orlando International Airport on Tuesday night when they were told there was a “situation” and everyone needed to get off the plane, according to passenger Brandon Nixon.
“Everyone was a little panicked. You expect the worst when they say something like that,” the 24-year-old Ashland, Ohio resident said. “A lot of people were asking questions. People wanted to know what was going on.”
As he exited the plane, Nixon said he asked a flight attendant if she had any other information. “All she said was ‘a squirrel,’” he said.
But once they were back in the terminal, “word spread pretty quickly” about what was happening.
Frontier says the passenger had noted in her reservation that she was bringing an emotional support animal with her on the flight, but she did not indicate it was a squirrel. Rodents, including squirrels, are not one of the emotional support animals allowed on Frontier flights, according to its website.
The airline says police were called when the passenger refused to leave the plane. Nixon captured video of the moment the woman was escorted through the terminal, pumping her fist in the air as she clutched her carry-on bag with the squirrel on her lap.
“I knew I had to capture that moment just to show it. It’s such an odd thing. Something you don’t see every day,” Nixon said.
The passengers boarded the plane 15 minutes later, taking off about two hours late. It arrived at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at 11:57 p.m. EDT. But Nixon said most of the passengers didn’t mind the delay because it was such a unique situation.
“This is going to be a story to remember for the rest of our lives,” he said.