BRIDGEWATER (CBS) – A 21-year-old North Andover man pleaded guilty on Thursday to manslaughter in the 2008 death of his therapist.

Thomas Belanger, who was 18 at the time, stabbed 53-year-old social worker Diruhi Mattian to death in 2008.

Mattian went to the Belanger home to try to break up a fight between a brother and sister. Belanger, who had been abused by his father since the age of 4, stabbed and killed Mattian. He then slashed his own throat, but survived.

“There’s no doubt that she was a good person. There’s no doubt that her daughters feel her death deeply and should. We should always feel the tragedy of the death of a good person, and that’s what happened in this case,” said Jim Krasnew, Belanger’s attorney.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Carl Stevens reports.

The judge, acknowledging Belanger’s long history of being abused, sentenced him to 14-15 years at Bridgewater State Hospital.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – The former North Andover High School wrestling coach accused of having child porn is back in jail.

The Essex District Attorney’s office says David Castricone violated his bail conditions, but would not go into detail.

Earlier this month, Castricone was ordered to stay away from all high school events and not to have any contact with anyone on the wrestling team.

Police believe Castricone repeatedly sneaked into the girls’ locker room and took pictures of girls.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Maple syrup is Paul Boulanger’s passion. “Grade A medium, Grade A dark, Grade B,” he says as he lists all the varieties his small farm produces.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Rod Fritz reports.

After working a full day at their daytime jobs, he and his fiancé Kathy Gallagher spend hours collecting sap from 500 trees around their farm in North Andover and processing it right in their back yard.

Standing near a window that’s become very popular over the years he points out the samples collected since they started in 2003 and says, “every row here is a season.”

WBZ-TV’s Diana Perez reports

But the row for 2012 is empty.

Paul says syrup season peaks in March and is only a success if a few key things align. The weather has to be ideal with very cold nights and mild days plus he says there has to be enough sugar in the trees sap. “The trees need that winter to recover to convert its carbohydrates to sugars and it just never got that opportunity,” he says. “There’s just too much labor, fuel, cost going into processing.”

So production at their Turtle Lane Maple Syrup Farm has stopped, “Because we’re living off of previous year reserves we predict this will cost us $10,000 dollars.”

So what does a dry syrup season on the farm mean for their wallets? Paul says not much. He’s already vowed to not raise prices plus he says this is likely an isolated issue, “From what we’re hearing Canada, which makes 83% of all the syrup in the world, is still on track.”

The Massachusetts Maple Syrup Producers Association agrees saying most of its farmers in the northwestern part of the state, which got plenty of cold days, are doing just fine.

Still Paul says his other passion when it comes to syrup is still very much up and running, “We’re still doing tours, we’re still doing this for the community.”

It’s the couple’s second labor of love, to bring kids to their sugar house and teach them the science behind syrup.

NORTH ANDOVER (AP) — Authorities say a small plane whose pilot was practicing landings and takeoffs crashed on a runway in northeastern Massachusetts, leaving the pilot with minor injuries.

State police say plane landed upside down after the crash Thursday night at Lawrence Airport in North Andover.

The pilot has been identified as 49-year-old Rebecca Harvey of Acton. Troopers say she “experienced difficulty” during the drills but didn’t give more details. They’re still investigating.

Harvey was able to walk away from the crash to the control tower to get help.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Don’t believe in fairy tales? A North Andover couple’s story might just change your mind.

It began when Joe Osbaldeston went to pick up a real estate sign from a garage at a property his wife, Peggy Patenaude, was selling. “I walked over to the sign, I noticed something freckly. I thought it was a yard ornament,” says Osbaldeston. Something made him take a closer look. “I poked it, and it felt like flesh and blood, just completely motionless, so I knew then it was alive, but barely alive.”

GALLERY: Fawn Nursed Back To Health

He brought the fawn home, got some infant formula, and fed the deer at first with an eye dropper. “You really had to stick it down her throat and let it go, and little by little, when she actually got strong enough, she could suck through the baby bottles,” says Patenaude, who’s seen in pictures cuddling and feeding the deer. “ She just started gazing up at me and then she started purring like a kitten.”

The weak little animal spent the night curled up in their living room. Then, the next day, it regained enough strength to stand on four wobbly legs.

After an animal control officer with North Andover Police told the couple the fawn should go home, Osbaldeston took a drive back to the spot where he found it.

“Two, three minutes goes by, and an adult deer who I assume is the mother, from the right hand side of the forest, walked across half the lawn. She looked at us, looked at her mother, and both walked off to the woods. It was a Disney ending,” says Osbaldeston.

The couple feels lucky to have had what they call a magical experience. “I almost cried,” he adds.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – A man was killed early Sunday morning after a single car accident on Salem Street.

North Andover Police say they responded to the accident around 3:30 a.m. on Salem Street in the area of Campbell Road.

A man was in his 20’s was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are investigating the accident and are not releasing the victim’s name until his family is notified.

Nicholas Andover, MA

Joey Boston, MA

Abby Boston, MA

Ryan Sudbury, MA

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) — Officials at a prestigious New England prep school have disclosed that a former headmaster had an inappropriate relationship with a student.

A letter sent to alumni and parents Thursday by the current Brooks School headmaster and trustees president disclosed that former headmaster Lawrence Becker engaged in a relationship that was “objectionable, manipulative and an abuse of his position.”

Becker was head of the North Andover school from 1986 until 2008. Neither the letter nor a spokeswoman hired by the school disclosed when the relationship occurred, its exact nature, or the gender of the student.

The letter said the matter was handled by the trustees’ president at the time, businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes.

Becker did not respond to messages. His lawyer said he knew nothing about the case.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS/AP) — For the first time in the history of Massachusetts high school wrestling, a girl has won an individual state championship.

North Andover senior Danielle Coughlin won in the 106-pound weight class at Wednesday’s Division 2 state tournament in Marshfield.

“I actually like almost cried. That was probably the best moment of my life,” Danielle told WBZ-TV.

Her victory also helped North Andover win the team title for the fourth consecutive year –a team she co-captained, thanks to votes of confidence from her male teammates.

“Mentally and physically tough,” is how Coach Carl Cincotta describes her. “She’s kind of soft spoken I guess, but when it comes to the work ethic, that speaks for itself.”

When Danielle arrived at North Andover High her freshman year, Cincotta told her to expect no preferential treatment – which was just fine by her. “I would be offended if he treated me, if he went easy on me because I was a girl.”

Danielle says most girls don’t want to wrestle because they have to go up against boys, but she says it’s something she is now used to.

“I don’t think of my gender as a disadvantage in any way,” she said. “In the 106 weight class I think it’s more just skill, whoever’s better.”

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

BOSTON (CBS) — North Andover-based shoe and clothing company Converse, has created sneakers to benefit Boston Marathon bombing victims.

The limited edition Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker says “Boston” and depicts the city skyline in white and green.

All proceeds from the $85 sneakers go to One Fund Boston.

The shoes are available online or in the brand’s Newbury Street store, according to the company’s Facebook page.

BOSTON (CBS) – Kids are back in school and right now for some students, grades are not their biggest concern. Many are stressing about a different scholastic measurement called Body Mass Index or BMI report. The state is sending out letters that inform parents of their child’s Body Mass Index.

However, many kids are calling these reports “fat letters.”

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Bernice Corpuz reports

And now, there’s a proposal on Beacon Hill to eliminate them.

State Rep. Jim Lyons introduced the legislation on behalf of some families who say these letters are harmful.

During a State House public hearing on Thursday, parents voiced their concerns about the BMI letters saying it intrudes on children’s privacy and can lead to poor self-esteem.

“There’s much more harm coming from these letters than good,” said Tracy Watson, the mother of a 10-year-old boy who received one of these letters from the Department of Public Health that labeled her son as obese. “The letter stated that he was obese and I needed to contact my doctor.”

“They are like I got this obese letter or I got an anorexic letter so I am going to eat more or less,” Watson’s son Cameron said.

Cameron says he tore up his letter, but he still felt the need to attend the public hearing.

“I don’t want my friends to get hurt or other don’t have to go through it like me.”

Tracy Watson is among those advocating to discontinue the so-called “fat” letters.

“He’s healthy, he’s active, he’s healthy,” Watson said about her son, Cameron Watson, who weighs 97 lbs., plays football and wrestles. “It’s a flawed measurement system.”

Lyons also believes the letters are unhelpful and a waste of taxpayers dollars.

“The unintended consequences are having a negative impact on our children so our goal to have the Department of Public Health change their policies and eliminate these letters because they are hurting our children,” Rep Lyons said. “Parents know whether their kids are skinny or fat. We really don’t need the government coming in to tell us that.”

But health officials say the reports are the best way to know whether a child’s weight is healthy or unhealthy.

“By calling them ‘fat letters’ we are missing the entire effort to try to decrease the stigma of overweight and obesity and to encourage children to lead healthy life styles,” Dr. Michael Flaherty of Baystate Medical Center said.

Advocates from the Massachusetts Public Health Association say the data collection on BMI is incredibly important for fighting against childhood obesity.

“As we develop strategies to combat childhood obesity, we need to know if they are successful,” PHA member Maddie Ribble said.

Health officials say 30 percent of kids in Massachusetts are overweight or obese which is why they are sending parents these BMI letters.

WBZ-TV’s Paul Burton contributed to this report. Follow him on Twitter @PaulWBZ.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Peter Guza was a college kid when the World Trade Center was attacked.

His father, Phil, worked on the 107th floor of Tower 2.

Co-workers who survived would tell his family Phil kept working and did not evacuate after the first tower was hit.

“And that was all part of his work ethic,” said Guza from his North Andover home Wednesday. “There was no surprise that he would stay at work.”

Over the years since he lost his father, Peter finished school, got married and now has a 3-year-old son named Owen.

“Just yesterday there were pictures of my dad that I had out and my son said ‘who’s that’?” says Guza. “And it’s like this is painful that he has no idea who this is, he’s never going to know who he is.”

When Peter ran the Boston Marathon this year as an unregistered runner, he had no idea the same agony his family suffered on 9/11, would be felt once again.

“The phone challenges were deja vu, trying to get a call through, being confused about what happened, trying to get some level of confidence about who is OK, who’s not OK, how significant is it,” recalls Guza.

Family members in Massachusetts and out-of-state had no idea where he was.

“I think everyone was just thinking this can’t be happening to us again, this is no way, it’s not possible,” says Guza.

Guza says he will be at the starting line once again next year, thinking about everything from his dad to 9/11 to the marathon victims, knowing they are all part of a similar family that has suffered so much fear and pain.

“These are harsh lessons that I wouldn’t wish on anybody,” says Guza.

The Guza family spent Wednesday morning at a 9/11 memorial service in Boston.

The family has a scholarship it awards in honor of Phil Guza.

To learn more about the scholarship, visit philguzamemorial.org

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — A private school in North Andover is being sued by a former student.

The student claims he was sexually abused by a teacher in the late 70’s and the school did nothing to stop it.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Bernice Corpuz reports

“It impacted me substantially,” the man, who is not being identified, said.

He says the woman pursued him and when other school staff members caught them, they did not intervene.

The man says since then, he has struggled with substance abuse.

WBZ reached out to the Brooks School.

A spokesperson says the school is unaware of the suit.

They did say they intend to release a statement as soon as they have more information about the complaint.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Leevon Toppi of North Andover requires 24-hour care. He can’t walk, see or speak. He is fed through a tube in his stomach and needs to have his throat suctioned because he can’t swallow.

As a single dad, David Toppi says he would be lost without the help of an in-home nurse. “My option would be to give him up, to put him in an institution,” he said.

But 12-year-old Leevon has been able to stay home thanks to registered nurse Julie Frascarelli. “She’ll be here for ten hours,” David said. “Sometimes Leevon can be choking and retching all day and she’s completely on top of him.”

Leevon Toppi and nurse Julie Frascarelli. (WBZ-TV photo)

“I have cared for Leevon now, full time, for six-and-a-half years and I guess you could say, I’m family”, Julie said. She may feel like family but caring for Leevon is still a job and requires a nursing license which she’s had for 30 years.

But last year, she was notified that her license had expired six weeks earlier. Renewing requires some simple paperwork which she overlooked. There are no tests or additional education required.

Julie says she immediately got on the phone. “I called the Board of Registration in Nursing and paid the $57 fine and renewed online. They (The Board of Registration in Nursing) said go back to work, there’s no problem,” Julie recalled.

However, there was a problem, a big problem. Julie is paid by MassHealth, a state agency that provides health care to needy families. When they discovered her license had lapsed, they demanded she repay every dime she earned during that period of time, more than $10,000. That’s in spite of the fact that she worked every day caring for Leevon.

David believes this is a situation where the punishment does not fit the crime. “This is insane,” he said. “I think it’s pretty unfair to diminish what she does for work, especially with a child like Leevon,” he added.

Julie filed several appeals, all of which were denied. One appeal was rejected because she failed to mail in a duplicate copy of the appeal to the proper agency.

No one from MassHealth would talk to us on camera. In a statement a spokesperson said: “This protects the health of our members and ensures that taxpayer resources do not go to providers who misrepresent themselves or commit fraud.”

David’s state representative, Diana DiZoglio, told us this is an unfortunate situation and does not appear to be a case of fraud.

“There is an appeals process and I hope whoever is involved in that is going to take a serious look at the human side of this,” she said.

Julie has one final appeal.

If she loses, she says she will stop working for the state which would be a blow to both David and Leevon.

“It takes a lot for me to have someone come into my home and for me to get used to them,” he said.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — A nurse who works for Mass Health and accidentally let her license lapse now has another battle to fight.

Julie Frascarelli of Chelmsford, has been a nurse for 30 years but now, she cannot pay her bills.

“It is like devastating financially,” she says. “We had -$74 balance in our bank and that is when I knew they had done something.”

When she says “they” she means the State of Massachusetts.

The I-Team spoke to Frascarelli in September.

She takes care of 12-year-old Leevon Toppi of North Andover, who requires 24-hour care.

He can’t walk, see, nor speak.

While caring for him one day last year, she realized her nursing license had expired.

She quickly renewed it online and paid the $57 fine.

However, Mass Health then demanded she pay back all the money she earned for that 6-week period when she didn’t have her license. That’s $10,000.

Toppi’s father David told WBZ-TV, the punishment didn’t fit the crime.

“It’s insane. I think it’s pretty unfair to kind of diminish what she does for work, especially with a child like Leevon,” he said.

But Monday, her appeals denied, the state is garnishing 100-percent of her wages, leaving her with nothing.

“We are in stunned disbelief. We don’t know what we are going to do. How do you come up with money? We are working people like a lot of people who live pay check to pay check.”

In a statement to WBZ, Mass Health says it “has initiated a process to recover funds that were collected while the nurse was unlicensed, and has offered to set up a payment plan to resolve this issue.”

In Worcester today, WBZ-TV asked Gov. Deval Patrick if he could help.

“I am sure Mass Health will answer questions you may have …and more importantly Mass Health will work to solve whatever problem,” Patrick said.

The problem is Mass Health does not differentiate between someone who has committed fraud with no license and someone who is a long time employee whose license simply lapsed.

In both cases it is treated the same.

Mass Health released the following statement to WBZ-TV:

“This provider has received nearly $400,000 from MassHealth since fiscal year 2010 for her important work in providing care to one of our members. MassHealth has initiated a process to recover funds that were collected while the nurse was unlicensed, and has offered to set up a payment plan to resolve this issue,” said Alec Loftus, MassHealth spokesman.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Two people were taken to the hospital after a truck crashed into CVS Pharmacy.

(Photo courtesy: The Valley Patriot)

It happened shortly before 3 p.m. on Main Street.

The male driver and a female cashier were hurt. The extent of the victims’ injuries is not yet known.

The town’s building inspector was called to the scene. The pharmacy drive-through remained opened Thursday evening.

Stay with CBS Boston for the latest.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Police responding to a burglar alarm at a North Andover store early Monday morning ending up finding a man unconscious above the ceiling.

Officers were called to the Richdale Convenience store on Chickering Road around 12:40 a.m. When they arrived they found footprints in the snow and the front door was smashed.

When police went inside they found a man unconscious inside the drop ceiling.

He didn’t wake up and there were wires around him, so police were worried he may have been electrocuted.

National Grid was called to shut off the power as a precaution.

Firefighters, paramedics and police officers then pulled the man down and determined he wasn’t hurt, but that he possibly passed out or fell asleep.

The man, later identified as Justin Roeger, 26, of North Andover, was taken to Lawrence General Hospital to be checked out.

He was later released to police. Police found lottery tickets stuffed in his backpack.

He was arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court on several charges including breaking and entering, malicious damage to property and larceny for allegedly stealing several lottery tickets.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

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HAVERHILL (CBS) – Power has been restored to the 30,000 people in Essex County who spent Saturday morning in the dark.

National Grid says the problem originated at the Ward Hill Substation in Haverhill. “Animal contact” is believed to have caused the outage, according to a power company official.

The outage impacted customers in Haverhill, Andover, North Andover, Lawrence and Methuen .

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

• Gov. Baker Orders Flags Lowered After Tennessee Shootings
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NORTH ANDOVER – Talk about Food Fantasy… what if you combined an all-you-can-eat Brazilian barbecue, and hearty, home-style Italian fare. That’s the one-of-a-kind combination you’ll find at the Chama Grill.

Located in North Andover, this energetic eatery has a big bustling dining room with high ceilings, live music, and an even livelier staff of servers circulating the room serving both Brazilian style Rodizio and classic Italian fare. So whether you want steaks slow cooked on a spit or big bowls of pasta, General Manager Justin Walworth and his team have you covered.

“We took the ideas of Brazilian Barbecue and then traditional Italian cuisine, kind of combined them both together. It’s really just a little bit of everything for everyone.”

The Brazilian Rodizio menu offers a multitude of meats delivered by skewer-armed servers.

“When the chefs come to the table they like to have fun with the guests. The whole interaction is even more so what people are looking for,” Walworth said.

It all comes out of a giant oven located in their busy open kitchen that customers love to look in on.

“Everybody stops and just kind of stares- how could you not? They love being able to see all those meats.”

For those unfamiliar with Brazilian Rodizio, Walworth explains how it works. “We cook all of the meat in our rotisserie machine, bring it over to the table one by one and feed them until they’re full. Then with the sides that come along with it, we bring a little platter with everything on it. And you just let us know what you need filled as you go along.”

Bottomless sides include bananas basted in cinnamon, polenta cakes dusted with parmesan, a zippy pico de gallo, salad, and rice – all served on a large plate perfect for sharing.

“We bring you out a big platter for everyone to share, sort of family style. It initiates conversation. It makes for much more fun of an atmosphere. The sides are there because you want something to change up your palate, but the focus is meat.”

With over a dozen cuts of all-you-can eat meats to choose from, there’s something for everyone. From tender steaks sliced tableside to spicy pork sausage, brandy basted chicken drum sticks, and juicy filet mignon wrapped in bacon.

“Filet mignon is good enough on its own, but when you add bacon to anything, it just makes it that much better. Plus it also tends to hold the temperature and the juices inside as well once that bacon crisps up around the edge,” Walworth explained, adding, “It’s to die for.”

If meat is not your thing, you may want to order off the Italian side of this menu. There are mussels sautéed in a white wine garlic broth and Cajun style haddock topped with roasted corn and Andouille sausage. The Fruitti di Mare is overloaded with shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and salmon all served in a clay pot to keep it warm.

“What that pot does it actually helps keep it steaming hot because it’s is such big dish you want to make sure that last bite is just as warm as the first one.”

The Chicken Parm at Chama Grill in North Andover. (Image: Phantom Gourmet)

For something truly heart-warming, try Chama Grill’s Chicken Parm, which gets a little help from an unlikely ingredient.

“Chicken parm is chicken parm, but in order to stand out we use Goldfish crackers,” Walworth revealed. “Cheddar goldfish get mixed in with the breadcrumbs to coat the chicken and give it that extra flavor.”

Since the kitchen at Chama is overloaded with a bounty of beef, you can be sure the Bolognese is extra hearty.

“You’re definitely not going to find a Bolognese anywhere like ours. The Rodizio meats that we use, at the end of each night that little bit that’s left over, we chop that up and turn it into the Bolognese for the next day. So it’s not your Mom and Pop Bolognese, even if they did use veal in it. We have filet in there; there’s sirloin; there’s rib eye. It’s a deep savory sauce.”

For a completely different sauce experience, the jalapeno mango served on the shrimp salad, comes in sorbet form.

“The sorbet is set to the side, so as the dish is there at the table the sorbet melts, becoming almost like a second dressing. And the shrimp themselves are actually cooked in the sorbet so you get a little bit of heat as well.”

No matter how much you may have gorged, it’s hard to resist the dessert tray.

“They could be sitting there clutching their stomachs after eating the Rodizio, but you show them the tray and they go, ‘Oh yeah, I’d love a piece of chocolate cake.”

Since the Rodizio runs around $32, you can get your fill without emptying your wallet.

You can find Chama Grill at 115 Main Street in North Andover, or online at chamagrill.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

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