West Nile Found in Lunenburg Goat

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BOSTON — The state Department of Public Health said Tuesday that it had confirmed the first case of West Nile virus in an animal this year. 
 
A goat was exposed to WNV in Lunenburg in Worcester County. The towns of Lunenburg, Leominster, Shirley, and Fitchburg are being raised to moderate risk.
 
"With this evidence of an animal infected with West Nile virus, we know that there are the right conditions and enough disease circulating to result in a human infection," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "The elevated temperatures combined with high humidity increase mosquito activity. We want to remind people that there are easy ways to prevent mosquitoes from biting you, like using mosquito repellent when you are outdoors and being mindful of peak mosquito activity hours."
 
WNV is usually transmitted to susceptible animals and humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. The first evidence of WNV in mosquitoes in 2025 was announced on June 17, and 10 positive mosquito samples identified so far this year. There have been no human cases of WNV detected. There were 19 human cases of WNV in 2024 and no animal cases. No evidence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been found so far this season. There were four human cases of EEE and three animal cases — all in horses — in 2024.
 
While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, more severe illness can occur.
 
"Animals that live outdoors are at somewhat higher risk from arboviruses than humans who spend more time indoors," said State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine M. Brown. "But the weather this summer is creating the opportunity for it to be a busy WNV season and it is important to take steps to prevent mosquito bites."
Avoid Mosquito Bites
 
Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient according to the instructions on the product label; note some repellents should not be used on children.
 
Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning in areas of high risk.
 
Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
 
Mosquito-Proof Your Home. Drain any standing water and change the water in birdbaths frequently and install or repair screens.
 
Protect Your Animals. Reduce potential mosquito breeding sites. Put horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure and speak with veterinarians about mosquito repellents and vaccinations.
 
If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795, and to the Department of Public Health by calling 617-983-6800.
 
 More information can be found here

Tags: mosquito,   West Nile,   

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Main & Mill: A Vibrant New Restaurant on Main Street

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — You can now enjoy another eatery on Main Street by well-known restaurant siblings Colleen and Sean Taylor.

Their restaurant Main & Mill opened for the first time Tuesday, bringing their vision of creating something vibrant and new to downtown North Adams.

"We have created Main & Mill to be part of our day. It's very seasonal ingredients, thoughtful cooking, beauty, beautiful presentation and dishes. And we really wanted to be part of the community, the downtown area, and start a vibrant area on this end, which has been shuttered for a while," said Colleen.

The building is owned by Ginko on Main Street LLC, which has granted 20 years exclusive possession of the property to Latent Builds as the developer. Jack and Suzy Wadsworth, behind Ginko, are development partners with Karla Rothstein and Salvatore Perry of Latent.

The bank closed in early 2021 and was purchased by Ginko late that year. Plans for the property unveiled three years ago envisioned a restaurant, retail, a park and rooftop bar. 

Colleen saw potential and said she initially wanted the building when it first went up for sale. Being good friends with Rothstein and Perry, she helped them design the kitchen and the bar before learning in March that she could lease it as a restaurant space, something she told them would be a great idea.

She said one of the most important things about the restaurant was the collaboration between Rothstein, Perry, and the Wadsworths, who put a lot of time and energy into the building.

"If Sean and I had done it, we would not be able to do what the collaboration supported. The collaboration of the three of us being able to really have that kind of money to put in down here. The design that the architecture firm that Carla and Sal own is stunning," she said. "The time and effort, everyone came together to do this in a really trusting manner."

The two wanted the restaurant to be an all-day venture, so people could eat at any point throughout the day, all week long.

"We wanted it to be open for coffee and socialization in the morning where people can meet, have their cup of coffee, have a quiche, a vegetarian quiche, or croissant or yogurt. Something intentional with their coffee," she said. "Then move into a lunchtime for the downtown business or anybody, and then go into supper, dinner, with drinks later into the evening. So have it really be open all day long, so that there wasn't a void on any particular day."

They also wanted to do something different than the other restaurants they owned.

"We didn't want to mimic any other restaurant in town. We wanted to bring something that was inspiring, something that had some familiar things that people would see, and other things that we would bring to them for them to experience," she said.

As a woman business owner, Colleen said she wanted to bring a female chef into the kitchen. 

Colleen brought on Chef Anna DeRose, who she said puts twists on a lot of her dishes.

"So we have a creme brulee, but our creme brulee is topped with marshmallow," she said. "Our creme brulee is like almost two desserts in one. It's a s'mores creme brulee. So you could have a s'mores, and you could have a creme brulee - but when you put both of them together, fireworks go off."

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