Police/Fire

Man Arrested on Charges of Assaulting a Woman Along the Charles River Path

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A Newton man was arrested in connection to an assault of a woman that took place on the path along the Charles River in Watertown. Sandeep Khandke, 69, of Newton, was arraigned on Friday in Waltham District Court on a charge of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, according to the Massachusetts State Police. The State Police received a report of an assault in Watertown on the Charles River Greenway, which is State property. Troopers from the Boston State Police Barracks responded. “The victim reported that a man with a cane had sat down next to her and while the two were talking, the man touched the victim’s leg and chest,” the State Police press release said.

Around Town

Restoration Underway for Historic Paintings from Watertown’s City Hall

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1930 geographical painting on treatment table at studio, in bottom section of its foam-core box. (Courtesy of the Historical Society of Watertown)

A group from Watertown recently visited the studio of the art restoration specialist hired to refurbish historic paintings that normally hang in the main entryway in Watertown’s City Hall. Joyce Kelly of the Historical Society of Watertown provided the following account:

The geographical paintings that usually flank the foyer at the main entrance to City Hall are currently in the studio of conservator Louise Orsini being refurbished. In 2022, the Historical Society of Watertown received a grant from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for the conservation of the two geographical paintings in the foyer of City Hall. The 5.5 x 7.5 foot paintings were installed when the building opened in 1932.

Schools

Perkins School for the Blind Teams with MIT to Host Hackathon: The Super Bowl of Accessibility

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A team working on ideas to adapt technology for those with disabilities at #HackDisability: AI for Accessibility Hackathon hosted by MIT and Perkins School for the Blind. (Courtesy of Perkins School for the Blind)

CAMBRIDGE — On any given Friday night at MIT there’s bound to be a few stragglers hanging around the Strata Center, the architecturally world-famous building in Cambridge that houses the MIT Computer and Artificial Intelligence Lab. On Friday Feb. 23, there were more than a few folks about, and not just from MIT: people from Perkins School for the Blind, Amazon, the Museum of Science, Cisco, and even a representative from the White House gathered for Perkins’ “#HackDisability: AI for Accessibility Hackathon,” the Watertown-based school’s second-ever hackathon and the first focused specially on harnessing artificial intelligence for a group that is often left behind by technology. The task was seemingly simple.

Sports

Watertown Girls Battles Tough Newburyport in Basketball Tourney

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Watertown senior Lily Lambo scored 14 for the Raiders against Newburyport in the State Tournament. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

WALTHAM — The State Tournament run for the Watertown girls basketball team ended Tuesday night after running into a team that had already beaten a higher seed in the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament. Newburyport, the 27th seed, made a second half run to defeat the 11th-seeded Raiders 56-48 in a game played at Waltham High School. Senior Emma Garapetian dribbles in the Sweet 16 tournament game against Newburyport.

Sports

Watertown Wrestler One of Top in New England, Basketball & Hockey Teams Hit the Road

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Watertown junior Tessa Master, second from right, received her third place trophy at the New England Wrestling Championships. (Courtesy of Watertown Athletics)

Watertown’s Tessa Master reached new heights for a WHS wrestler on Saturday when she placed third at the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships. The junior’s run of tournament wins that started two weeks prior at the Div. 3 State Meet, continued through All-States, and to the the quarterfinals of the New England meet in Providence. Then she ran into one of the top athletes in the competition, said Watertown Wrestling Coach Kevin Russo.

Government

2024 Presidential Primary Information: Ballots Have Other Races, See Where to Vote

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Watertown voters can cast their votes in the Presidential Primary on Tuesday, March 5, but the ballot includes some local officials, too. The Presidential Primaries are Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To confirm your precinct location, please go to the Secretary of State’s Where Do I Vote webpage. Presidential Candidates

Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarian voters have multiple candidates to choose from for the Massachusetts Presidential Primary. Unenrolled voters can choose which party’s ballot to cast their votes.

Sports

Late Surge Powers Watertown Boys Basketball Past Shawsheen in State Tourney

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Watertown junior Aiden Didovic celebrates during the Raiders’ State Tourney victory over Shawsheen Tech on Saturday. He led the Raiders in scoring in scoring. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown High School’s boys basketball team kept its cool down the stretch and defeated Shawsheen Tech 53-45 Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the MIAA Div. 3 Tournament. The 14th-seeded Raiders (14-7) jumped out to a big first quarter lead, but the Rams fought back to bring the lead to just 1 point with 26 seconds left in the game and had a chance to take the lead.

Sports

Watertown Girls Basketball Cruises in Second Half to Grab State Tournament Win

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Watertown senior captain Lily Lambo lead the Raiders in scoring in the Round of 32 State Tournament victory over Old Rochester on Friday. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The Watertown High School girls basketball team pulled away in the second half to cruise to a State Tournament victory, but the game abruptly ended with 37.6 seconds left when a referee collapsed and required medical attention. The referee was conscious when he was take to hospital in an ambulance after being treated by Watertown Police officers and others in attendance at the Watertown Middle School Gym. UPDATE: The Boston Herald reported that the referee later died en route to the hospital. The 11th-seeded Raiders won 47-28, but their opponent in the MIAA Div.