Tiny turtles on the march, a highway bridge mishap, and a wild pool party

Snapping turtle are born self-sufficient and should not be touched by humans unless they are in an unsafe location.Millis/Medway Animal Control

Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police blotters in our communities.

IT’S BABY TURTLE TIME

Be on the lookout for baby snapping turtles because they’re “on the move,” according to an advisory that was posted Aug. 31 on the Millis/Medway Animal Control Facebook page. “It’s that time of year again!” the post said. “Baby snapping turtles are hatching and making their way out into the world. You may spot these tiny turtles traveling across roads, yards, or other unexpected places. So, what do you need to do? Nothing!” Experts say you should take a hands-off approach because even the smallest baby snapping turtles are self-sufficient. “They don’t need their mom to care for them, and they are fully capable of finding food and surviving on their own,” the post said. “If you see one making its way across a road or in an unsafe location, you can give it a helping hand by gently moving it toward the edge of the water in the direction it was already traveling. Do NOT put it directly into the water. Let the little guy make the final decision and enter the water on its own.”

POOL PARTY POOPER

At 7:43 a.m. on Aug. 16, police received a 911 call from a delivery driver who was in Dedham but wanted to anonymously report a loud party in Hingham. The caller stated that while he was making a food delivery at the home, there were people “vomiting in the backyard and partially naked and it looked like they were changing into bathing suits.” Police reported that it was a “pool party” and no services were needed. At 8:14 a.m., the same person called back, said he had delivered a pizza to the party, and “he reports they are selling drugs and is concerned.” Police determined that no further action was required.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

At 5:50 p.m. on July 27, Stow police got a call from someone on Mitchell Road who reported that he “broke an older Galileo glass tube homemade thermometer” in his home. The thermometer didn’t contain mercury, and the homeowner was requesting assistance just to make sure it didn’t contain any other liquids that could be hazardous. First responders delivered the reassuring news that there were “no hazardous materials involved.”

STORROWING OF SORTS

At 8:40 a.m. on Aug. 31, Hopkinton police received a report of an accident on Interstate 495 after a dump truck “had the lift on their truck up and they struck the bottom of the 495 bridge,” the log entry stated. The caller reported that the driver pulled over and no other vehicles were involved. Police checked the area and didn’t locate the truck, but documented the damage to the bottom of the bridge.

JUST ‘PLAYING AROUND’

At 9:02 p.m. on Sept. 1, Wilmington police got a call from someone reporting a white Dodge Durango “full of younger men” was in the parking lot of the Savers thrift store on Main Street, and “one male appeared to be yelling for help and it appeared 3 other males were preventing him from going anywhere.” The caller said the vehicle “took a left toward Tewksbury” and then headed in an “unknown direction after that.” But the worrisome scene turned out to be a false alarm. Police spoke with a “male party who stated they were playing around with his friends,” the log entry stated. “No emergency and checked okay.”