NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — A North Andover teen is facing multiple charges for allegedly assaulting his 3-month-old daughter.

The baby and mother appeared at Boston Children’s Hospital on August 26. Police were called to the hospital after the baby appeared to have numerous blunt force injuries. She was 1-month-old at the time.

A warrant was issued for the father, 18-year-old Jaime Fitzgerald, of North Andover. He turned himself into police on October 15.

Fitzgerald appeared in court Thursday to face charges. He was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from his daughter. He is due back in court in December.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — A car accident took down a telephone pole and briefly trapped a driver Sunday morning at the intersection of Andover Street and Dufton Court.

The North Andover Fire Department said the car hit the base of the pole, causing live wires to fall on both the car and street. They said the man in the car was extricated and transported.

National Grid was on scene to fix the pole.

More information was not yet available.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Police arrested a man they say initially reported being a victim of a home invasion.

Police responded to a report of a stabbing at a home in North Andover around 11:00a.m. on Sunday. A man who lived at the home told police two people broke in and held a knife to him. The man, 22-year-old Darren Kimball, told police he was injured fighting them off.  Police noticed blood in the home and signs of struggle.

When police question Kimball further, they concluded that he was covering up an armed robbery involving heroin where he was allegedly the perpetrator, not the victim.

Kimball was arrested and charged with Armed Robbery, Attempted Murder and 2 counts of Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Investigators remain on scene at a North Andover fire after a woman was found dead inside.

Firefighters were called to Park Street just before 1 p.m. on Saturday. Crews put out the flames, but a woman in her 60s was found dead on the second floor.

Officials have not yet publicly identified the victim.

The cause of the blaze was careless disposal of smoking materials, according to WBZ-TV’s Katie Brace.

No additional details on the fire are currently available.

BOSTON (CBS) – Trees sit barren in the fields of a North Andover farm as fluctuating winter and spring temperatures likely means there will be no peaches for much of New England this year.

Even though it’s a relatively small crop in the state, for farmers, it’s a big loss.

Blame it on the weird winter.

“You’re in my orchard right now and what normally should be here are a lot of pink flowers,” says Michael Smolak of Smolak Farms in North Andover, showing his peach trees to WBZ-TV. “What we have are dead flower buds, and that means no peaches for us this year.”

Peach trees at Smolak Farms. (WBZ-TV)

There will be no peaches on any of the hundreds of trees covering four acres at the U-pick farm.

“Mother Nature is a very fickle mistress,” Smolak says.

The dead buds just fall off in your hand. They were killed by the temperature fluctuations of our unusual winter.

“When the warm temperatures came they thought, well, maybe spring was coming. But when the very cold temperatures came, they were totally frozen,” says Smolak.

Mass. farmers grew about 1,200 tons of peaches last year, but 2016 is a bust.

“It did not kill the tree. It did not kill the leaves, but it did kill the flower bud, so therefore, no peaches north of Rhode Island this year,” says Smolak.

Smolak Farms in North Andover. (WBZ-TV)

A warming climate had been good for peaches in Massachusetts, but with the temperature swings of last winter, it all went the other way.

“Fortunately, a lot of us are diversified and we have other crops,” Smolak says.

But the bare peach trees still need tending, and that means spending time and money with no pay back.

“Farmers are eternally optimistic and next year we’ll look forward to a bumper crop,” says Smolak.

There are federal programs that can help farmers who lose a crop because of weather, but it’s too soon to know if they will apply to this loss.

BOSTON (CBS) — Lobster is popping up in all kinds of unexpected dishes around town, like “lobster pizza,” lobster Rangoons, and lobster eggs Benedict.

The Franklin Oyster House in Portsmouth, New Hampshire serves three styles of lobster roll sliders, including a BLT, smothered in cilantro lime butter, and traditional New England.

Lobster sliders from Franklin Oyster House. (WBZ-TV)

The Loft in North Andover is well known for their lobster mac and cheese made with cavatappi pasta, fresh lobster meat, and a four-cheese blend.

Lobster mac and cheese. (WBZ-TV)

The top-selling appetizer at Great Road Kitchen in Littleton is lobster and bacon guacamole.

Lobster and bacon guacamole. (WBZ-TV)

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

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – A mother was killed and her two children were injured in a head-on crash in North Andover Tuesday afternoon.

Police say 35-year-old Jennifer Morse, from North Andover, was driving with her two children when their car crashed into a pickup truck on Great Pond Road. Morse was pronounced dead at the scene.

The children were transported to Lawrence General Hospital with serious injuries and subsequently transported to Tufts Medical Center.

The operator of the pickup truck was also transported to Lawrence General Hospital with serious injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

No charges have issued.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — There were applause and tears Saturday as survivor Jeff Bauman finished his first road race since losing both legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Bauman participated in the Runner’s World Classic Celebrity Mile at Merrimack College Saturday morning. Bauman walked the full mile with a cane in hand.

“I really don’t think about the past too much. I try to stay in the present and the support here is amazing and people want to see me up and walking with my prosthetics,” Bauman said.

“My legs are sore, but I feel great,” he added.

More than 2,600 runners participated in the 10K race at Merrimack College, supporting more than 19 charities, in the weekend long festival.

“Running has always been a place for people to come together to do good and this race is another example of that. This is a sign of strength,” Runners World Editor and Chief  Dave Willey said.

With all the violence going on in the world, Bauman said he’s proud to be part of this event.

“Unfortunately there’s a lot of violence in the world. And fear sparks anger and its scary but we can’t live in fear. You have to focus on your emotions and positivity,” Bauman said.

What made this race even more special was when Bauman pushed a wheelchair-bound Carlos Arredondo across the finish line.

It was a flashback to the marathon bombings, when Arredondo pushed Bauman in a wheelchair to get medical care.

Bauman said he was amazed at the amount of support he received during the race. All the celebrity runners started and ended together, crossing the finish line behind Bauman.

“I can’t believe after the first lap everyone walked behind me,” said Bauman. “That meant a lot, to have everyone with me and Carlos.”

The Celebrity Mile also included Marathon bombing survivor Adrianne Haslett and Bill Richard, father of youngest marathon bombing victim Martin Richard, along with Carlos Arredando, Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans, and WBZ Chief meteorologist Eric Fisher.

“These people are such inspiration,” Fisher said. “What they’ve gone through something so traumatic and they are throwing it back in the face of all that adversity and it’s great to see all the power and strength.”

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Kim Tunnicliffe reports

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — A small plane made a hard landing at a North Andover airport on Saturday afternoon.

Officials say they were called about a plane coming in for a landing at Lawrence Municipal Airport around 12:15 p.m.

The front wheel gave out and the plane landed hard on the tarmac. No one was hurt during the incident.

A pickup truck towed the green-and-white plane to Eagle Aviation Complex.

LAWRENCE (CBS) – Lawrence police are investigating a deadly early morning crash on the Lawrence/North Andover line that claimed the life of a Methuen man and seriously injured two others. Police say 64 year old William Bickford of Methuen was killed when he was struck by a car on Route 114, but police say it was a tragic series of events.

They say Bickford had struck two pedestrians who were crossing the road, then lost control of his motorcycle and was ejected onto the road. A car, described by police as a Mercedes Benz, struck him and then took off from the scene.

William Bickford (Courtesy photo)

“You would assume they knew they struck someone. Unfortunately they didn’t stop and we’re on the look out for that car right now,” said Lawrence Police Chief James Fitzpatrick.

Bickford’s longtime neighbor John Runci says he’s heartbroken over the tragedy, describing Bickford as a great neighbor who would often sit in his yard and talk with him.

“If I needed a hand he came over to give me a hand, he was that kind of guy.”

Police say the two pedestrians in their 20s were seriously injured. Runci hopes whoever was behind the wheel of the car that took the life of his neighbor does the right thing.

“I’d like to see the person that did it go to police and say ‘I’m sorry I did it, it was an accident and I panicked’.”

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – A residence hall at Merrimack College was evacuated after someone reported an armed clown on campus Monday night.

Students were told to shelter in place after a staff member saw an alert on a “clown watch” Twitter account.

The Monican Centre residence hall was “briefly evacuated” and no suspicious persons were found.

Police allowed students to go back into the building after about 30 minutes.

A similar incident was reported at UMass Amherst Monday night.

All over the country, there have been reports of strange incidents involving suspicious clowns. Earlier on Monday, author Stephen King tweeted “Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria–most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.”

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Two North Andover police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the department investigates an out-of-state motor vehicle accident in which they were allegedly involved and fled the scene.

WBZ-TV obtained a report from the Patton Township Pennsylvania police department which says the officers rear ended an unoccupied construction vehicle just after midnight September 28 that sent equipment into the road.

The report says the driver, Sgt. Daniel Crevier “fled the scene” along with his passenger detective Brendan Gallagher. It also says that Crevier “failed to notify police of the accident and damage to the vehicle” which was part of a bridge construction project in State College, Pennsylvania.

It was a passing motorist who tells WBZ-TV that he saw the more heavily damaged, police-issued Dodge Charger the officers were in and called 911 fearing someone was seriously injured. But police say they found the officers at a hotel a considerable distance away and according to the report Crevier “had been drinking.”

The officers were attending a conference at the time of the accident. North Andover police chief Charles Gray issued a statement saying, “….two North Andover police officers were alleged to have been involved in a motor vehicle accident while at a training session in Pennsylvania. Those two officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation.”

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — From a toddler to age 17, Shanna Bonanno grew up in Nancy Chippendale’s Dance Studio.

She’s one of 82 tap dancers nationwide practicing to compete for the USA in the World Tap Dancing Competition in Dresden, Germany. Their plans to leave Saturday, though, were halted when their flights were canceled due to the Lufthansa pilots’ strike.

“I’m a little frustrated because it’s out of the dancers’ control at this point,” Shanna said.

The airline is offering them refunds or a chance to re-book their flight on Sunday. The competition starts on Tuesday.

The Lufthansa pilot’s flight halted the dancers’ plans to leave for Germany Saturday. (WBZ-TV)

“We need a plane and a pilot,” Kelli Carberry, the American Tap Company director, said. “Anyone who can get us to Europe anywhere, just get us to the continent.”

With 82 dancers plus their parents flying, Carberry said it’s a struggle to find enough space on a flight.

“It’s really difficult to find a flight for 197 people,” Carberry said. “We’ve reached out to other charter flights. We’ve reached out to other airlines but they’re not really able to accommodate us because everyone is trying to re-book, everyone is trying to get where they need to go, especially during this holiday weekend.”

For some, like Shanna, it will be their first time dancing in the esteemed solo competition – if they make it. The dancers’ parents and instructors refuse to take no for an answer.

The USA dancers are scrambling to find a flight to Germany for the World Tap Dancing Competition. (WBZ-TV)

“To have that shot at a solo performance in the world championships is what she’s been wanting,” Denise Bonanno, Shanna’s mother, said. “I talked to other mothers and we’re like, ‘whatever we have to do.’ We’re going to figure this out and they’re going to get there and they’re going to be dancing on that stage.”

“We will get there however we can,” Carberry said.

The dancers remain hopeful.

“It’s kind of a letdown, but also hopeful that we will get there and we’re going to go,” Shanna said.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – A man who was already in police custody being questioned in the Monday shooting death of a pizza delivery driver in Lynn is now being charged in a horrific attack in North Andover that took place later that night.

Police said Brian Brito, 21 of Manchester, New Hampshire, went into the Richdale Variety Store on Chickering Road around 10:18 p.m. Monday wearing a mask and brandishing a gun.

Brian Brito hid his face with a towel as State Police troopers led him to court. (WBZ-TV)

They said he ordered the clerk to lock the doors, and then sexually assaulted her in a back room before emptying the cash register and fleeing.

But Brito was already in custody Tuesday and being questioned in the murder of a 24-year-old Lynn pizza delivery driver earlier that night.

Sina Zangiband of Salem, who worked for Atha’s Pizza, was shot several times in his car in front of St. Pius Catholic Elementary on Bowler Street.

The exact motive is not yet known, but a friend of the victim told reporters she heard the motive was road rage.

“The girl that works at Atha’s that I was text messaging told me that he got cut off,” said Katherine Ruiz. “The person just took out a gun and shot him.”

Sina Zangiband (Image from Facebook)

Witnesses reported seeing a grey Audi vehicle with New Hampshire plates near the scene. Hours later, State Police troopers spotted a car that fit the reports.

After initially reporting that they had arrested a suspect, the Essex DA’s office later clarified that Brito was in custody being questioned in the Lynn murder, but hadn’t been charged yet.

“Massachusetts State Police stopped a vehicle matching the description of the one involved in the Lynn fatal shooting last evening on Route 1 South in Peabody,” Carrie Kimball-Monahan, a spokeswoman for the Essex D.A., said in a statement Tuesday.

State Police found that Brito was driving with a revoked license and an illegal semiautomatic handgun, and was arrested.

It wasn’t until North Andover authorities issued a Be On The Lookout for a suspect that State Police contacted them to say they already had someone in custody that matched their description.

Zangiband’s father says the family moved from Iran to find a better life.

“Nice guy, nice boy,” Ali Zangiband said. “I don’t know why that guy killed him! Why? For what?”

His family told WBZ he held multiple jobs and worked around the clock to support his passions – flying and cars.

“Oh my God, my baby! I can not believe he’s not there,” his mother Shahin said. “I love him so much.”

I hope the person who did this burns in hell and rots in jail,” his sister Soma Zangiband said.

A pizza delivery driver was shot and killed inside this car in Lynn Monday. (WBZ-TV)

Brito is due to be arraigned early next week in Lawrence District Court on charges of masked armed robbery, aggravated rape, and kidnapping.

His face was hidden as he was arraigned in Peabody District Court on the gun and driving charges.

Rebecca Whitehill, Brito’s attorney, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Ben Parker why his face was hidden.

“If, in any of the allegations, there is an issue as to his identification, we would hate to have his face plastered all over various media,” she said.

He’ll return to Peabody court for a dangerousness hearing on April 10, and is being held without bail until then.

Brito has not been charged in the Lynn shooting, and all the events of the night are still being investigated by State and North Andover Police with the Essex DA’s office.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Ben Parker reports

LYNN (CBS) — The man charged in a Monday night rape and robbery at a convenience store in North Andover has been charged with the murder of a Lynn pizza delivery driver shortly before.

Court paperwork viewed Wednesday by WBZ-TV reveals he may have admitted to killing someone earlier in the night during the horrific attack at the store.

Brian Brito hid his face with a towel as State Police troopers led him to court. (WBZ-TV)

Brian Brito, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was officially charged Wednesday in the Lynn shooting of 24-year-old Sina Zangiband of Salem.

“This was a brazen, senseless act that not only took the life of a hard-working young man, but also frightened community members,” Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. “I am grateful to the many law enforcement officers who worked so diligently to obtain this warrant so that we may begin the process of securing justice on behalf of Mr. Zangiband and his family.”

Blodgett said Brito will be arraigned on the murder charge Thursday.

Brito had previously been identified as the North Andover suspect. He was charged Tuesday with masked armed robbery, aggravated rape, and kidnapping.

He was ordered held without bail Tuesday.

The 21-year-old is now at the center of both brutal crimes, which investigators say took place just hours apart.

Zangiband, who worked for Atha’s Pizza, was found shot several times in his car in front of St. Pius Catholic Elementary on Bowler Street.

Sina Zangiband (Image from Facebook)

On Wednesday night, devastated family members and friends returned to the spot where he was killed.

“Why kill him? Why?” Sina’s father Ali Zangiband asked. “So sad. Very bad heart. For every day. Forever I have the bad heart. I have a bad life for future for myself, for my family too. I’m never happy.”

The devastated family said Brito’s arrest is not going to bring them closure.

“What’s that going to bring?” Sina’s best friend Marven Abda said. “The guy’s still going to be there. He’s still going to be alive, he’s going to be in jail. We’re going to pay taxes to keep him healthy, to eat.”

Brito was stopped in Peabody for driving a vehicle matching one seen at the time of the murder. He was arrested for allegedly driving with a revoked license and illegally carrying a gun.

A pizza delivery driver was shot and killed inside this car in Lynn Monday. (WBZ-TV)

North Andover Police say the North Andover attack happened just 20 minutes earlier.

The court documents paint a disturbing picture of the attack at the Richdale Variety Store on Chickering Road, which took place around 10:18 p.m. Monday.

Paperwork reveals that, just before closing time, a masked man with a gun forced his way inside.

The clerk told authorities that the attacker ordered her to take off her clothes and ordered her into a side room, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

She says he stole cash and lottery scratch-off tickets, before making a chilling admission.

“Thank you for making this easy, I had to kill someone today, that made it hard,” he said, according to the clerk in the police report. “I’m going to leave you some money.”

The North Andover convenience store where police said Brian Brito sexually assaulted a clerk. (WBZ-TV)

According to the report, Brito threatened to kill the clerk if she did not cooperate–that included not calling police for an hour.

But the clerk called 911 as soon as Brito took off.

When police captured Brito, they say they found a mask and scratch-off tickets in his car.

He was arraigned on the gun and driving charges Tuesday, and will return to Peabody court for an arraignment on April 3.

BOSTON (CBS) — When a restaurant looks this cool from the outside–it’s in an old barn–it’s a pretty safe bet there’s going to be a whole lot of great food on the inside, and that’s exactly what’s on the menu at The Loft.

This North Andover institution has been serving up comfort food since long before it was trendy, and after almost forty years in business, owner Jim Dietz and his son Jim Jr. say customers still pack the place looking for that same hearty fare they know and love.

A burger from The Loft.
(WBZ-TV)

“Steaks, chops, comfort food, that’s what you’re going to get here at the Loft,” says Jim. “Sandwiches, burgers, everything’s big, everything’s bold, everything’s comfortable.”

“So with our menu, we’re looking to keep it classic American with some unique twists to it,” says Jim Jr. “We always look at how we can serve traditional food in new ways.”

A steak from The Loft. (WBZ-TV)

So while the steaks, burgers, and mac and cheese are all familiar, they’re anything but boring.

“You gotta find ways to give your customers something that they can’t do it home,” Jim Jr. says.

The Loft’s lobster mac and cheese. (WBZ-TV)

And in terms of atmosphere, The Loft is certainly special. The building itself was a working barn for more than a century–and even though it’s been recently renovated, the dining room still retains plenty of rustic charm.

“You see corrugated metal on the wall, the mason jar lights are repurposed,” says Jim. “Got a big square bar that people love, they can talk across that everybody can see everybody.”

Custom mason jar lighting at The Loft in North Andover. (WBZ-TV)

“We went with reclaimed wood for the tables, mahogany bar,” Jim Jr. says. “And then if you go in the back room, nice vaulted ceilings, nice loft room, everything keep in tradition with what a classic American barn would be.”

“When people come into The Loft, I want to give them the whole experience,” Jim says. “I want them to walk away feeling like they’ve had something special in the menu, they’ve seen something special in the building itself, and also how fresh and clean looks because the renovation.”

“I want my customers to leave feeling ‘hey, we just had a great meal, we had great service, it’s an awesome place to be and we just can’t wait to come back’,” Jim Jr. said.

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

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) – Containers of scorpions and spiders labeled “venomous” were found abandoned in a pet store bathroom Friday afternoon.

Spiders and Scorpions abandoned in Petco (Image from North Andover PD)

The North Andover Petco says the containers aren’t theirs and they quickly called police.

Environmental Police showed up to the store on Waverly Street and found six containers which held a Brazilian scorpion, five Asian forest scorpions and four sand spiders.

Police are searching through surveillance footage to figure out who left the animals in the bathroom.

An exotic animal refuge is now taking care of the spiders and scorpions.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Power outages after this past weekend’s storm caused a sewer treatment plant to dump several million gallons of raw sewage into the Merrimack River Monday.

Power was restored to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Sewage Treatment Plant in North Andover around 3 p.m. Monday–after it was knocked out for 13 hours.

The plant services North Andover, Andover, Lawrence, and Methuen, and treats part of the sewer for Dracut and Salem, New Hampshire.

The storms caused a pump station to lose power, and that station was unable to push the sewage into the plant for processing.

North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Carl Stevens that residents are not really impacted.

“It wouldn’t be anything they would notice in their homes, as an example, or anything that they would see from a quality of life perspective or a health perspective,” said Maylor.

He said he wants to make sure something like this never happens again.

“We’re going to expect the GLSD to provide us a report that says here’s what happened, and provide us also with steps as to how best we can make sure that it doesn’t happen in the future,” Maylor said.

Pipes dumped about eight million gallons into the river, which went downriver to places like Amesbury, Methuen, and Haverhill.

“We would advise people certainly not to swim, I don’t know anybody who swims this time of year, but not to go into the river at this point,” Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said.

Maylor said North Andover was among the hardest-hit communities in Massachusetts, and said 60 percent of the community was still without power Tuesday morning.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — Eight million gallons of raw sewerage went into the Merrimack River after Sunday’s storm cut off power to a nearby sewerage treatment plant.

The Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Facility and its pumping station were shut down for 13 hours.

” You got all these cities, New Hampshire and everybody else pumping to that location, you would think there would be something putting up backups on this so this wouldn’t happen,” said Rocky Morrison, who’s been trying to clean up the river for years.

Merrimack River (WBZ-TV)

Morrison feared the marshes down the river would be damaged from the sewage.

“The problem is the marshes down there, a lot of your plastics, your applicators, condoms, stuff like that has been released. All of the sewage is going to end up in the marshes and the sensitive areas where the bird sanctuaries are,” he said.

Officials at the treatment facility are now installing two new backup generators at the pumping station. But some say more needs to be done.

Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Wastewater Treatment Facility (WBZ-TV)

“We should rethink our way of doing things,” said Andrew Maylor, the Town Manager for North Andover. “Solutions we’ve used in the past may not be working moving forward. So I think that it’s natural, in these kinds of events, with the environmental impact and quite frankly, the broader community impact, that we’d look at things in a different way.

Officials don’t think any long-term environmental problems were created by the discharge and the sewage has now dissipated.

About 600,000 people rely on the Merrimack for their drinking water.

NORTH ANDOVER (CBS) — The town of North Andover is buzzing over the proposal for a new cellphone tower.

Renderings show the 130-foot tower rising from Foster Farm. The developer has proposed making the tower look like a tree to blend in with its surroundings.

A simulated image of what the cell tower would look like. (Image credit: Virtual Site Simulations)

Some neighbors opposed to the tower say it will destroy the historic feel of the area and bring down property values.

Others, however, say cell coverage is spotty and could use a boost.

Another simulated image of the proposed tower. (Image credit: Virtual Site Simulations)

The issue will be debated Tuesday night at the town’s planning meeting.