Aug. 31, 2022

• In sweeping report, federal transit officials decry T’s lack of safety focus, feckless state oversight. via The Boston Globe

• Attleboro area towns get state money for dam projects. via The Sun Chronicle

• Hudson Select Board approves town’s armory purchase. Here’s what happens next. via MetroWest Daily

• Maine court revives Mass.-financed hydroelectric power line. via CommonWealth Magazine

• SJC says Legislature has broad powers on voting, explains why it dismissed early, no-excuse voting challenge. via CommonWealth Magazine

Aug. 30, 2022

• Worcester reviews removing barriers to hiring, like drug testing and parking fees, as it looks to fill open positions. via MassLive Media

• Baker announces $120K grants to boost Holyoke’s tree canopy. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Worcester to begin construction on micro-units for chronically homeless. via GBH

• Barnstable County launches application portal for $5 million in ARPA grants. via Cape Cod Times

• Low fuel inventories cause special concern in Northeast. via WBUR

• A cap on cannabis? Northampton City Council to explore limiting the number of pot shops in town. via MassLive Media

• Boston Mayor Wu calls for additional federal help to shore up MBTA workforce. via WBUR

• Report finds regionalization may only be ‘partial solution’ to challenges posed by low enrollment, less rural school aid. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Aug. 29, 2022

• Cambridge finds elevations of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water; will switch to MWRA. via The Boston Globe

• Newton officials consider one-year moratorium, tighter rules on cutting trees on private property. via The Boston Globe

• Mayor Michael Nicholson recognized by Worcester Business Journal as one of ’40 under Forty’. via The Gardner News

• Ware Town Hall could be sold as community weighs options. via MassLive Media

• Port designation poses big hurdle for redevelopment of power plant land in Everett. via The Boston Globe

• Survey of Springfield residents impacted by the justice system emphasizes need for housing, jobs. via New England Public Media

• Polluters could pay billions in fines for PFAS cleanup under new Biden plan; The Environmental Protection Agency wants to include two common ‘forever chemicals’ in Superfund law. via The Guardian

• ‘Flash droughts’ and weather ‘whiplash.’ Welcome to New England’s climate future. via WBUR

• Bans on outside police chief candidates raise civil rights concerns, officials say. via WBUR

• The government will no longer be sending free COVID-19 tests to Americans. via New England Public Media

Aug. 24, 2022

• Buses in Lawrence move to 30-minute frequency. via CommonWealth Magazine

Aug. 16, 2022

• Armed for battle: SouthCoast police add to weapons stockpile. via South Coast Today

• In Stockbridge, part-time residents push back hard on nascent tax-break idea. via Berkshire Eagle

• How the Boston area is weaning off fossil fuels. via Axios Boston

• Construction underway on a 200-unit Quincy Center project. via Boston Business Journal

Aug. 15, 2022

• Fed up with proliferation of trash, Holyoke mayor going on offensive. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

Aug. 12, 2022

• Provincetown restaurants ordered to close in ‘sewer emergency’. via WBUR

• Raynham residents warned about high levels of PFAS in drinking water. Here’s what to know. via The Taunton Gazette

• Holliston, Franklin officials say their transport infrastructure will soon improve. via MetroWest Daily

• CDC drops quarantine, screening recommendations for COVID-19. via The Boston Globe

• Melrose is leading the nation on new EV charging technology. via Boston.com

Aug. 11, 2022

• Pittsfield moves to hire social workers and co-responders to help people in mental health crisis. via The Berkshire Eagle

• New study based on Mass. schools finds masks protected students, staff from COVID-19. via The Boston Globe

Aug. 10, 2022

• Orange Line riders — and mayors — still in the dark about how commuters are supposed to get around during shutdown. via The Boston Globe

• Election reform bill will require additional staff, Southwick clerk says. via MassLive Media

Aug. 9, 2022

• Baker returns public health bill unsigned, with amendment. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Newton to gather public feedback on proposed zoning changes for village centers. via The Boston Globe

• With Worcester residents to vote on Community Preservation Act this fall, report says city could raise $3.7 million in first year. via MassLive Media

• Experts urge Massachusetts residents to conserve water amid drought. via The Boston Globe

• The past three weeks have been the warmest ever recorded in Boston. via The Boston Globe

• New diversity officers struggle to make an impact in Massachusetts cities and towns. via GBH

Aug. 8, 2022

• Mayors of Malden, Medford and Melrose say MBTA needs to beef up Orange Line alternative plan. via WCVB

• Erving officials considering cross-town trail to Wendell, Orange. via The Recorder News

• Salem spends $9.5M in ARPA funds on affordable housing. via Item Live

Aug. 5, 2022

• Not just books on loan: Boston Public Library offers free start-up advice. via WBUR

• Springfield awards $4M in 7th round of ARPA grants. via MassLive Media

• CDC expected to ease Covid-19 recommendations, including for schools, as soon as this week. via CNN

• A slow start to youth COVID vaccination in Massachusetts. via GBH

Aug. 4, 2022

• Rodents give residents, city the runaround. via The Lowell Sun

• MBTA will shut down Orange Line trains for a month. via WBUR

• Massachusetts’ high housing costs are pushing out workers. via GBH

Aug. 3, 2022

• Data: Mass. pandemic shows little sign of quitting. via The Boston Globe

• With Worcester residents to vote on Community Preservation Act this fall, report says city could raise $3.7 million in first year. via MassLive Media

• Two mental health clinicians to aid police in six communities. via The Boston Globe

• Wayland moves ahead with climate action plan. via The Boston Globe

• NOAA predicts up to 18 days of high-tide flooding for Boston next year. via WBUR

Aug. 2, 2022

• Massachusetts lawmakers retreat on economic development bill. via New England Public Media

• T safety, East-West rail, e-bikes, and EVs get boost in transportation bond, climate bills sent to governor. via The Boston Globe

• Town officials eye $4M in new energy-efficiency savings. via The Daily Times Chronicle

• Dearth of resources, declining enrollment stinging rural school districts. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Aug. 1, 2022

• Sports betting, gun control, tax relief. Here’s what Mass. lawmakers did — and didn’t — agree to overnight. via The Boston Globe

• East-West rail to receive $275 million in funding, as lawmakers send transportation bond bill to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk on final day of formal lawmaking. via MassLive Media

• New Bedford to receive ‘significant’ funding increases in state budget. via South Coast Today

• Boston’s new curbside composting program is here. The demand’s been there for a long time. via GBH

• FTA orders immediate MBTA ‘safety standdown’. via GBH

July 29, 2022

• Gov. Baker agrees to major spending increase in his final budget. via WBUR

• Public school enrollment falls in Mass. amid pandemic, high housing costs, and aging suburbs. via The Boston Globe

• Somerville maps fastest path to state’s first supervised consumption clinic — starting in a parking lot. via WBUR

• Drier and drier: Severe drought area in Massachusetts expands. via The Boston Globe

July 28, 2022

• Orleans Officials Hope New Policy Will Boost Interest in Serving on Committees. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• With time short, lawmakers seek to reshape local public health; Bill sets new standards, provides additional funding. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Home-rule petition allowing Amherst reparations under review. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Springfield meets inclusive hiring goals, released from rules governing police and fire departments. via WBUR

• Towns crack down on water use in Mass. as drought continues with no end in sight. via The Boston Globe

• Driver shortage already prompting changes at regional transit authorities across Massachusetts. via GBH

• ‘For a major city to not have reliable public transportation is a huge problem’. via The Boston Globe

July 27, 2022

• Wu, state officials take steps to bolster child care offerings. via GBH

• Plainville approves forming new department to maintain buildings. via The Sun Chronicle

• Rep. McGovern, Sen. Markey begin push for federal ‘Wild and Scenic’ designation for Deerfield River. via New England Public Media

• ‘It needs to rain’: Parks and public gardens adapt to ongoing drought. via The Boston Globe

• Beverly’s longest-serving mayor writes ‘My Story: Bringing Beverly Back From The Brink’. via Salem News

• Springfield City Council rejects funding police oversight jobs; cites hiring process. via MassLive Media

July 26, 2022

• Mass. cities scurry to contain rats with electronic traps, carbon monoxide and birth control. via WBUR

• Melrose asks public how to design new ‘wayfinding’ signs. via The Boston Globe

• Greenfield awarded DPH grant to support five area towns. via The Recorder News

• Heat islands create health risks in some New Bedford neighborhoods. via New Bedford Light

• SJC rules in favor of Boston in its battle with Quincy to rebuild Long Island Bridge. via WBUR

• Attleboro City Council postpones vote on nip bottle ban proposal. via The Sun Chronicle

• Barriers at the Beach: People tussle over scarce access as sea levels and property values rise. via GBH

July 22, 2022

• Changing financial picture puts Amherst’s plan for four big projects in jeopardy. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Mayor says Attleboro experiencing water supply ‘crisis,’ pleads for cooperation from residents. via The Sun Chronicle

July 21, 2022

• Legislature set to vote on compromise climate bill Thursday. via CommonWealth Magazine

• ‘A clear and present danger’: At Brayton Point, president announces climate actions. via Herald News

• Police say they want more mental health collaborators, but there’s a shortage. via New England Public Media

• Worcester takes next step toward policy to increase affordable housing. via GBH

• Feeling the heat in Greater Boston? Blame historic racist housing practices. via GBH

• This little known fund has put over $7.5 million toward open space, recreation areas in Worcester and over $120 million statewide. via MassLive Media

• Chilmark set to analyze its government. via MV Times

July 20, 2022

• Here’s how two Massachusetts towns are making it easier for their communities to reduce waste. via Cape Cod Times

• Tiny Somerset attracts visit from president; Community has been a bellwether for the nation on energy. via CommonWealth Magazine

July 19, 2022

• Mass. Senate unveils a ‘huge’ $4.3 billion economic development bill. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Springfield City Council resumes in-person meetings after 2+ years of COVID-prompted remoteness. via The MassLive Media

• ‘The beginning of the answer’: Superintendents weigh in on report calling for $60M for rural schools. via The Recorder News

• New study attributes thousands of Mass. deaths to air pollution. via Boston.com

• Orange cereal factory blaze a warning bell for local towns. via The Recorder News

• Inside Provincetown’s ‘Herculean’ effort to save the summer from monkeypox. via The Boston Globe

• Negro Election Day celebrated as Mass. lawmakers vote to approve new holiday. via GBH

July 18, 2022

• What to watch at the end of the Massachusetts legislative session. via GBH

• Western Massachusetts town clerk says local officials overwhelmed by ‘predatory records requests’. via New England Public Media

• Where’s downtown? Richmond now has an $8 million answer. via Berkshire Eagle

• Several Berkshires projects win state grants to contend with our changing climate. via Berkshire Eagle

• ‘The right thing to do’: New Bedford poised to submit COVID death benefits petition. via South Coast Today

• With inflation on the rise, Pittsfield considers ‘guardrails’ to cost of living increases to city employees. via Berkshire Eagle

• City encourages indoor masks as Boston’s COVID cases rise nearly 40 percent in past week. via Boston.com

• Report: Massachusetts needs another 108,000 homes. via CommonWealth Magazine

July 14, 2022

• Boston City Council approves $367 million in COVID relief funds for housing, environmental efforts. via The Boston Globe

• Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Council President Jesse Lederman agree to continue remote meetings for city boards. via MassLive Media

July 13, 2022

• Fitchburg reconfiguring Main St., arts initiative, new housing – all pieces of revitalization puzzle. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Special Commission on Rural School Districts calls for $60M in funding to support rural school districts. via The Berkshire Eagle

• The drought in Massachusetts is getting worse. via WBUR

• Galvin raises concerns about remote notarization plans. via Newburyport News

July 12, 2022

• SJC upholds no-excuse voting by mail. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Bourne is the only Cape Cod town impacted by a state law mandating more multifamily zoning. via Cape Cod Times

• Williamstown DPW employees seek hazard paycheck of $4,000 each for performing duties during pandemic “public safety crisis”. via The Berkshire Eagle

July 11, 2022

• State officials will scale back the frequency of COVID data reporting to one day a week. via The Boston Globe

• Lawrence officials say homelessness cannot be answered ‘municipality by municipality’. via GBH

• Senate passes bill to embark on major early ed changes. via WBUR

• How have Massachusetts school districts spent their $2.5 billion in federal COVID funds? Mostly, they still haven’t. via The Boston Globe

• One Small Step for Democracy in a ‘Live Free or Die’ Town. via The New York Times

July 7, 2022

• Boston is investing $20 million to expand access to early education. via WBUR

• Want to open a new business in a Gardner storefront? Now there’s a grant for that. via The Gardner News

• Newton City Council eases rules governing the display of election signs over free speech concerns. via The Boston Globe

• Homelessness persists as Lawrence cleans up encampments. via The Eagle Tribune

• Policing alternatives: Amherst swears in first group of unarmed responders tasked with handling certain public safety calls. via MassLive Media

• Massachusetts towns struggle to keep municipal managers and workers. via WBUR

July 6, 2022

• Senate OK’s pandemic policy extensions bill that would make it easier for cities and towns to operate remotely. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Swampscott town hall trying out 4-day work week. via WBZ

• Buckland preps for public engagement process in shared-policing plans. via The Recorder News

• Salem uses federal funds to boost alternative transportation. via The Boston Globe

• State’s high court to hear GOP challenge to Mass. mail-in voting law. via The Boston Globe

• Is a solar energy project a farm? That’s the question, as Lenox faces a legal challenge from a major developer. via The Berkshire Eagle

July 5, 2022

• In its second season, Polar Park has helped transform Worcester’s Canal District, but it’s also introduced new challenges. via MassLive Media

• Massachusetts releases grants to improve vaccine equity, advocates say more should be done. via New England Public Media

• Will lieutenant governor hopefuls follow Karyn Polito’s lead on local relations? via Telegram & Gazette

• Judge rules that Cambridge bike lanes can roll on, at least for now. via The Boston Globe

• High court ruling impacts Massachusetts gun licensing rules. via The Boston Globe

July 1, 2022

• Out of city hall, but still loving their cities: 5 former mayors embark on their next acts. via The Boston Globe

June 30, 2022

• Pittsfield awards $3M in ARPA money to another set of community organizations. via Berkshire Eagle

• New East Boston affordable housing effort would be the first of its kind on East Coast. via GBH

• Municipal leaders urge lawmakers to boost regional transit funding. via Gloucester Daily Times

• A new oversight board is rushing to certify thousands of police officers by July 1. via The Boston Globe

• Social media, membership questions ruled inappropriate in police recertification. via WBUR

• Black and Latino households got more mortgages than ever in 2020 — but continued to buy houses in only a small number of Mass. communities. via The Boston Globe

June 29, 2022

• Manchester selectmen vote to regionalize safety dispatch. via Gloucester Daily Times

• Internet access lacking in many Mass. cities; More than half of homes in Chelsea, Fall River, and Springfield lack reliable broadband access. via The Boston Globe

• Saying it’s no time for ‘pettiness,’ a North Adams city councilor is proposing a code of conduct. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Amherst Town Council paves way for $2 million reparations bank. via MassLive Media

• Great Barrington residents file complaint against board, ask state to overturn short-term rental vote. via The Berkshire Eagle

June 28, 2022

• It’s an overdose crisis, not just an opioid crisis: takeaways from reporting on deaths in Brockton. via WBUR

• Fall River will give some city workers $3,000 COVID bonuses, and ARPA is paying for it. via Herald News

• State, Boston reach agreement on school improvement plan. via CommonWealth Magazine

June 27, 2022

• Mansfield opens new water treatment plant to handle ‘forever chemicals’. via The Sun Chronicle

• Decades in the making: Tri-Town agreement paves way for new Braintree water treatment plant. via The Patriot Ledger

• State awards grant money to ‘green’ communities. via The Eagle Tribune

• Municipal officials urge state not to sit on ARPA funds. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

• Adams drops requirement for garbage disposals in new housing, hoping to reduce the cost of construction and the cost to the environment. via The Berkshire Eagle

• How long does it take a town to spend nearly $2 million? In Lenox, 12 minutes, 24 seconds. via The Berkshire Eagle

June 24, 2022

• Massachusetts GOP files lawsuit against mail-in voting reform signed into law this week by Gov. Charlie Baker. via MassLive Media

June 23, 2022

• Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno calls on legislature to pass $3.5 billion downtowns package. via MassLive Media

• Lawrence mayor commits $1.5M to child care scholarship. via Eagle Tribune

• Gov. Baker signs bill ensuring mail-in ballots, early voting in Massachusetts. via WBUR

• Mass. high court rules ‘millionaires tax’ question was written ‘fairly.’ It goes before voters in November. via The Boston Globe

June 22, 2022

• Fairhaven Town Meeting OKs next step for ‘cheaper, faster’ town Broadband. via South Coast Today

• Fall River police launch body-worn camera pilot program. via Herald News

• Family, friends remember Wayne Marquis. via Salem News

• Police oversight body says majority of officers up for review will be recertified. via GBH

• Hundreds of dead birds wash up on Martha’s Vineyard. via WBUR

June 21, 2022

• Franklin awarded AAA bond rating, first time in town history. via Milford Daily News

• Wellfleet’s Housing Angels, advocacy efforts earn Housing Hero Award. via Cape Cod Times

• High wages, gas prices jack up school busing costs. via GBH

• Northampton delays rules curbing plastic use by businesses. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Former mayor publishes book reflecting on 35 years in government. via The Eagle Tribune

• Meet the 19-year-old town coordinator’s assistant who helped Warwick secure nearly $663K. via The Recorder News

June 16, 2022

• Ipswich adopts needle exchange. via Salem News

• Salem leaders tackle safety concerns. via Salem News

• Watertown plans to start universal PreK with COVID relief grant. via Watertown Mass News

• With ‘fentanyl everywhere’ and Black deaths soaring, advocates in Brockton test ways to save lives. via WBUR

• Massachusetts House leader throws cold water on east-west rail authority proposal. via New England Public Media

June 15, 2022

• Western Mass. public officials outline municipal labor challenges at meeting with state leaders. via MassLive Media

• AG OKs Dighton ban on LGBTQ, other flags at Town Hall — but only Town Hall. via Taunton Gazette

• Many Harwich Leadership Positions Remain Vacant; Building Inspector Latest To Resign. via Cape Cod Chronicle

June 13, 2022

• Savoy posts go unfilled due to a lack of interest, leaving some duties undone. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Hampshire County COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to lag rest of western Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• ‘No one wants to be a cop these days’; Across Massachusetts, police chiefs say hiring and retaining officers is a challenge. via MassLive Media

• Employers piece together a hodgepodge of COVID-19 safety policies to stay open and healthy. via The Boston Globe

June 10, 2022

• Fall River wants to revitalize its downtown. This group went to Cambridge for inspiration. via The Herald News

• Gov. Charlie Baker talks impact of long-term hybrid work model in Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• Mass. Senate overrides Baker veto: Undocumented immigrants will be able to get driver’s licenses. via GBH

• County Bank willing to donate Ware building to town for use as new police HQ. via MassLive Media

June 9, 2022

• Report: Massachusetts opioid overdose deaths reached new high in 2021. via New England Public Media

• Salem now required to provide ballots in Spanish. via Salem News

• Time is running out on key East-West Rail development as Gov. Charlie Baker hopes Mass. doesn’t lose out on federal funds. via MassLive Media

• Huntington TM OKs overrides for library, ambulance service. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Massachusetts House overrides Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of driver’s license bill, advancing legislation to Senate. via MassLive Media

• MassDOT stares down scarcity of engineers, proposes pay raises. via GBH

• Marblehead was lacking in local news coverage. Three residents launched their own news site. via Boston.com

June 8, 2022

• Great Barrington Town Meeting approves restrictions on short-term rentals. via New England Public Media

• Short-staffed and strapped for cash, state parks struggle to handle surge of warm-weather crowds. via The Boston Globe

• Nonprofit executive to be next Cambridge city manager. via Wicked Local

June 7, 2022

• After years of uncertainty, Falmouth wind turbines to be demolished. via The Cape Cod Times

• Nearly one in three adults in Mass. are struggling to get enough food to eat, study finds. via The Boston Globe

June 6, 2022

• Topsfield installs solar-powered smart bench. via Salem News

• Great Barrington Town Meeting to consider dueling proposals for short-term rental rules. via New England Public Media

• After paying $30,000 to evict bats, a Dalton Town Hall project needs help to take flight. via The Berkshire Eagle

June 3, 2022

• Cape teens confront climate anxiety, learn how to make change at local level. via Cape and Islands

• Car-free streets coming to Boston’s Dorchester, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods. via GBH

• How leaders are working to address the racial wealth gap in Boston. via GBH

• New Bedford annual homeless count is lowest since 2017: 370 adults or children. via South Coast Today

• Former Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone energized by new job as president of Northeast Clean Energy Council. via The Boston Globe

June 2, 2022

• Mayor Wu directs grants to Boston family child-care providers. via The Boston Globe

• Malden taps COVID relief funds to provide $1,000 scholarships for all high school grads heading to college. via The Boston Globe

• Massachusetts Legislature’s approach to East-West rail authority remains clouded. via New England Public Media

June 1, 2022

• New Bedford awarded $72.7 million in federal infrastructure funds for harbor cleanup. via South Coast Today

• On Cuttyhunk Island, dwindling year-rounders look to recruit newcomers. via Boston Globe

• Heat, sewer problems and less lobster: New report details climate change’s impact in Boston. via WBUR

• New mayor reflects on Gloucester’s past and future fishing industry, beloved by Hollywood. via GBH

• Departing Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus reflects on transition, next steps. via MassLive Media

• Despite traffic and cars turned away, Gloucester encouraged by beach reservation system. via Gloucester Daily Times

May 31, 2022

• New department will maintain Braintree school and municipal buildings. via The Patriot Ledger

• In cities, murals emerging as a form of community development. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Communities urged to tap into infrastructure money. via The Eagle Tribune

• Boston police bought another ‘high performance’ drone — and want to create a new unit to fly it. via The Boston Globe

May 26, 2022

• ‘It’s opening up the doors’: Advocates push to make remote participation in public meetings permanent. via The Boston Globe

• Easton votes to spend $1 million to bring historic hall back to life. via The Boston Globe

• Worcester weighs new policy to increase affordable housing. via GBH

• Attleboro mayor, police chief tout school gunshot detection system in wake of Texas tragedy. via The Sun Chronicle

• Somerville City Council to consider legal protections for trans people. via Boston Herald

• Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes nominated to be US Marshal. via The Boston Globe

• Great Barrington residents divided on Airbnb rules now headed to a June vote. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Tisbury voters support housing bank. via MV Times

May 25, 2022

• Hey, Hopkinton: Does Town Meeting work for you? Let town officials know. via The Milford Daily News

• Worcester to implement new 311 customer service hotline with options for phone, text, WhatsApp and smartphone app. via MassLive Media

• Cambridge issues mask advisory, as COVID cases rise. via WBUR

May 24, 2022

• Senators push to expand school transportation funding in state budget. via The Eagle Tribune

• ‘The need for affordable housing in our community continues to grow’: Worcester to consider inclusionary zoning policy. via MassLive Media

• Brookline reinstates COVID mask mandate in schools and other indoor town spaces after CDC risk level rises to ‘high’. via MassLive Media

May 23, 2022

• Malden launches services to ease housing insecurity. via The Boston Globe

• Local officials & MassDEP at odds with National Grid over half-mile riverwalk on banks of Malden River. via The Boston Globe

• In storied New England mill city, Cambodian Americans make political history. via The LA Times

• Kim Janey to lead nonprofit targeting poverty. via The Boston Globe

• Barriers at the Beach: State law and town rules keep most of Mass. shoreline off-limits. via GBH

May 20, 2022

• North Attleboro pulling plug temporarily on EV charging stations. via The Sun Chronicle

• With COVID-19 cases on the rise, Boston health officials urge residents to take precautions. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. delays new police misconduct database. via WBUR

• In Sandisfield, voters agree on pot regulations allow up to 500,000 square feet of grow area with big setbacks, and two retail shops. via Berkshire Eagle

May 19, 2022

• New COVID-19 cases put Berkshire County among hardest-hit areas in continental U.S.. via Berkshire Eagle

May 18, 2022

• How lettuce — and jobs — could sprout from this downtown Brockton vertical farm. via Enterprise News

• Newton launching $1.75 million program to support low- and moderate-income residents. via Boston Globe

• Milton delays, shifts Town Meeting online due to COVID-19 concerns. via Boston Globe

May 13, 2022

• In Chelsea, cooling an urban heat island one block at a time. via WBUR

• Wu to launch a new era of school construction, pledging $2 billion to revamp city’s school facilities. via Boston Globe

• ‘We need this’; Free school meals on the chopping block as child hunger returns in Mass. and pandemic-era federal food programs disappear. via MassLive Media

• Brockton outlawed panhandling in 2019. Here’s why City Council just repealed the ordinance. via Enterprise News

May 12, 2022

• Chatham To Buy Church Land For Affordable Housing. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Greenfield partners with local charities for textile recycling. via The Recorder News

• COVID Concerns Convince Board To Move Chatham Town Meeting Outdoors. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Mask mandate back in place at Attleboro municipal buildings after rise in employee COVID cases. via The Sun Chronicle

• Senate announces four more COVID cases as masks are ‘strongly recommended’ in State House. via MassLive Media

May 11, 2022

• Mayor Mitchell announces grant program for arts-culture infrastructure revitalization. via South Coast Today

• Chronic homelessness just doubled across western Massachusetts. Experts are clear about why. via Berkshire Eagle

• Mass. Latino communities ‘struggling’ with employment, educational opportunities, report finds. via Boston Globe

• Verizon Wireless files federal lawsuit against Pittsfield Board of Health to block cell tower order. via Berkshire Eagle

May 10, 2022

• Municipal leaders eager to work on projects outlined in Baker’s economic development bill. via GBH

• ARPA funds to support festivals, special events in Salem. via Salem News

• Shared mental health clinician begins service in Erving, neighboring towns. via The Recorder News

• Northampton mayor proposes expanded health department to include Community Care Department. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Report: Homeless problem in western Massachusetts now worse in some ways, better in others. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• You can now get free rapid COVID tests at a pharmacy by showing your insurance card. via GBH

• Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge schools urging students to mask up after rise in COVID-19 cases. via The Boston Globe

• Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge schools urging students to mask up after rise in COVID-19 cases. via The Boston Globe

May 9, 2022

• The supply of trained, experienced municipal professionals is running mighty low, and Berkshires towns say problem now at ‘crisis’ stage. via Berkshire Eagle

• State grant will allow Adams, North Adams and Williamstown to share a human resources director. via Berkshire Eagle

• Seven Massachusetts counties ranked with high COVID-19 levels, says CDC; masks recommended. via The Boston Globe

• Hadley Town Meeting approves ban on single-use plastic bags. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Chicopee approves $3,000 COVID pandemic bonuses to employees. via MassLive Media

• Fed, business groups to update study that found average Black Boston household had net worth of $8; Researchers plan to take a more comprehensive survey to study Boston’s huge racial wealth gap in Boston. via The Boston Globe

May 6, 2022

• Gov. Baker, negotiators eye path to energy bill compromise. via GBH

• Franklin County towns grapple with spike in trash disposal prices. via The Recorder News

• Need a ride and there’s no bus, taxi or Uber? Three South County towns are poised to test ‘on-demand’ service, even on Sundays. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Marlborough City Council rescinds prior approval of mayor’s ARPA fund plan. via MetroWest Daily

• Peabody mayor asks state for $3 million to expand senior center. via Salem News

• Municipal governments endorse state ‘millionaires tax’ to address local budget shortfalls. via Wicked Local

• A solar battle in Wareham is pitting environmentalists against each other. via The Boston Globe

• New plan charts 30-year course for equity and resilience in Greater Boston. via GBH

May 5, 2022

• Cape committee: Climate Change Demands Local Action Including Tougher Regs, Better Planning. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Springfield, West Springfield taking part in initiative to reduce carbon footprint. via MassLive Media

• Jump in COVID-19 cases in Pittsfield has schools considering whether to resume masking. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Housing Secretary Kennealy says state must get MBTA zoning proposal ‘right’. via Gloucester Daily Times

• The Birds have landed. Here’s what you need to know about Pittsfield’s new e-scooters. via The Berkshire Eagle

• In Malden, a diverse city strives to be ‘a place for everyone’. via The Boston Globe

May 4, 2022

• Nantucket voters send short-term rental regs back for more work; Decline to pass zoning rules to either restrict or allow rentals. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Harwich OK’s Six Ponds Land Acquisition; Town Meeting Backs CPC Affordable Housing Funds. via Cape Cod Chronicle

May 3, 2022

• Dalton nudges zoning with elders in mind, allowing ‘accessory dwelling units’. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Covid funds will power $22M in cash assistance, but the federal money is being spoken for quickly. via Cambridge Day

• Supreme Court rules Boston violated First Amendment rights by refusing to fly Christian flag at City Hall Plaza. via The Boston Globe

• Marblehead clears overrides in wild first night of Town Meeting. via The Salem News

• Savoy bylaw seeks ‘control’ of town’s cannabis future. Only one business would be allowed at a time. via The Berkshire Eagle

May 2, 2022

• MBTA to unveil new bus network design. via GBH

• SJC will consider challenges to all four ballot questions; three lawsuits aim to throw questions out due to ‘relatedness’. via CommonWealth Magazine

April 29, 2022

• Cambridge will give $500 a month to every family below the poverty line; first city in the country to take this step, the mayor said. via The Boston Herald

• Why do so many Massachusetts’ town names end in ‘ham’? via GBH

• Chicopee starts long process to make up $286 million in unfunded retirement liabilities. via MassLive Media

• Chilmark Gives Housing Bank Its Fourth Win at the Ballot Box. via Vineyard Gazette

• Wayfair’s Pittsfield jobs promise from 2019 still unrealized, despite tax breaks. via New England Public Media

• Rejected provisional ballots cited by voting reform advocates. via The Eagle Tribune

April 28, 2022

• Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides steps down. via The Boston Globe

• ‘The New Bedford we aspire to build’: What Mayor Mitchell said about the state of the city. via South Coast Today

• After 100 days in office, affordability is the top priority for Somerville’s new mayor. via GBH

April 27, 2022

• See which Brockton projects are tapped for federal millions. via Enterprise News

• Wellesley launches Recycling & Disposal Facility app. via The Boston Globe

• Springfield outlines plans for $7.2M from opioid settlement. via MassLive Media

• Melrose releases plan to reduce city’s carbon footprint. via The Boston Globe

• Municipal electric companies lag on using clean energy. via The Boston Globe

• Deerfield voters give nod to $3M for wastewater plant. via The Recorder News

• Gov. Charlie Baker shows support for East-West rail in Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• Consultant Will Try To Find PFAS Contributors, Focusing Around Drinking Water Wells. via Cape Cod Chronicle

April 26, 2022

• Easthampton launches ‘NaloxBox’ program, placing anti-opioid overdose medication within easy public reach. via MassLive Media

• Amesbury named to LEED program, a green feather in its cap. via Newburyport News

• Long-sought NYC-Pittsfield rail link will get its test this summer with Berkshire Flyer. via Berkshire Eagle

• Arlington Residents Eager To Ban Single-Use Water Bottles. via CBS Boston

April 25, 2022

• Ipswich Board of Health considering syringe service program. via The Salem News

• Attleboro mayor trying out electric cop cars. via The Sun Chronicle

• Continued student struggles are weighing on teachers in the third year of the pandemic. via The Boston Globe

• How Extreme Weather Has Created a Disaster for School Infrastructure. via The Washington Post

April 22, 2022

• Fall River’s homeless count doubled. Now, it will get $3.8 million to address the crisis. via The Herald News

• Newton struggling to make ends meet as new budget year approaches. via The Boston Globe

• Federal disaster relief approved for Mass. communities hit by blizzard in January that dumped two feet of snow. via The Boston Globe

• In an effort to curb Lyme disease, scientists hope to release thousands of genetically altered mice on Nantucket. via The Boston Globe

• Conflicting mask rules, requirements surface, after decision by federal judge in Florida. via New England Public Media

• Just one paycheck away.’ Report finds 163,000 low-income Mass. families need affordable housing. via New England Public Media

April 21, 2022

• PFAS Task force seeks to phase out use of “forever chemicals”. via CommonWealth Magazine

• More than 30 Massachusetts communities are using ARPA funding to support first responders. via New England Public Media

• Great Barrington earmarks $850,000 in pandemic relief funds for affordable housing. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Maynard plastic bag, polystyrene bans begin in July. via The Boston Globe

• Biden administration to appeal ruling striking down transit mask mandate. via The Washington Post

April 20, 2022

• Mayor Fiorentini encourages Haverhill residents to apply for thousands in new federal funding. via The Eagle Tribune

• Hanover to offer counseling to veterans, but still needs clinicians. via The Patriot Ledger

• Milford police officers must report misconduct without fear of retaliation. via The Milford Daily

• MetroWest Regional Transit Authority to resume fare collection in May with new system. via The Boston Globe

• Masks are no longer required on the MBTA. via WBUR

April 19, 2022

• Lenox’s tourism tax revenue is on a record-setting pace — it’s ‘spectacular’ says the town manager. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Local chiefs hail Civil Service exit as ‘one of the best decisions’ for their departments. via The Recorder News

• Poll: Mass. residents concerned about climate change, but more worried about health care, education and jobs. via WBUR

April 14, 2022

• With emergency rental aid window closing in Massachusetts, advocates warn of impacts. via New England Public Media

• Wu unveils nearly $4 billion Boston operating budget. via GBH

April 13, 2022

• Gov. says his infrastructure bond bill would help state compete for additional federal infrastructure dollars. via Newburyport News

• Chatham Turns Focus to Treatment Rather Than Finding PFAS Source. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Berkshire communities will share $4.5 million from an opioid settlement. Now they are figuring out how to spend it. via The Berkshire Eagle

• As Boston COVID cases rise, Mayor Wu urges marathon-goers to take precautions. via Boston.com

• Wu to detail $3.99 billion budget, city priorities for COVID relief funds. via The Boston Globe

• As House budget reveal looms, Gov. Charlie Baker pushes for tax relief package amid COVID pandemic. via MassLive Media

• A much-debated proposal on short-term rentals in North Adams has been sent back to the city for changes. via The Berkshire Eagle

• A Hundred Days In Office For Mayor Nicholson In Lynn. via Item Live

• Danvers hires first director of equity and inclusion. via Salem News

• Senate’s climate change plan faces pushback. via Gloucester Daily Times

• Mass. wants more electric vehicles. How about more chargers? via The Boston Globe

April 12, 2022

• Medway lands $2.75M in federal funds to be put toward water treatment project. via Milford Daily News

• House plans $110 million investment in early childhood ed and care. via GBH

• Music, food, Dunkin’: Here’s how Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wants to bring people back downtown. via The Boston Globe

• Research finds stark racial disparities in how Boston responds to unhealthy conditions that trigger asthma. via The Boston Globe

• Baker’s plan to reprioritize health spending is running out of time. via GBH

April 11, 2022

• Lawmakers, local officials share priorities at Western Massachusetts Municipal Conference hosted by MMA. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• More COVID funding flowing to these Massachusetts community organizations to help with vaccine equity. via MassLive Media

• It’s not just in your head, potholes really are worse this year. via GBH

• ‘It’s devastating.’ As Boston-area weeklies close, towns ponder civic life without local news. via The Boston Globe

April 7, 2022

• Gloucester Mayor Verga said listening was important during first 100 days. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Second night of Falmouth Town Meeting passes potential fiber optic network for town. via Cape Cod Times

• Bodycams are coming soon for Great Barrington and Sheffield police officers; Towns are first in Berkshire County to get the technology. via The Berkshire Eagle

April 6, 2022

• Somerville launches mattress recycling program ahead of Massachusetts’ ban on beds in trash. via WCVB

• Massachusetts to receive more than $525 million from opioid settlement. via GBH

• Gloucester mayor pushes back on MBTA zoning guidelines. via Gloucester Daily Times

• As Beacon Hill moves toward undocumented drivers’ licenses, big-city mayors voice support. via GBH

April 5, 2022

• New Inclusive Boston ad campaign aims to change perception of city; 30-second ad emphasizes that there is not just one Boston accent. via The Boston Globe

• Natick officials continue to preserve the town’s history, one page at a time. via MetroWest Daily News

• Communication plan hopes to improve dialogue in Burlington. via Daily Times Chronicle

• Maps: What’s the average commute for workers in your town? via The Boston Globe

• With federal funds in hand, public housing also at play in Mayor Wu’s agenda. via The Boston Globe

• How Mass. climate goals align with the latest UN report. via WBUR

• Mayor looks to expand outdoor dining Haverhill. via The Eagle Tribune

• ‘An unprecedented level of nastiness’. via Salem News

• Changes to how we work are here to stay. A new report shows how Mass. needs to change with them. via Boston.com

• https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/04/04/boston-massachusetts-hotel-hospitality-tourism-summer. via WBUR

April 4, 2022

• Springfield City Councilors propose using ARPA funds to pay for 3 free bus routes. via New England Public Media

• Town Meeting supports bid to expand Select Board in Wenham. via The Salem News

• Cape Cod businesses struggle to find workers ahead of expected banner summer. via WBUR

April 1, 2022

• Material costs are inflating price tags for municipal projects like schools and roads. via GBH

• Plainville gets $1.5 million in federal funds to expand water system. via The Boston Globe

• Montague sorts out best use of American Rescue Plan Act funds. via The Recorder News

• An international shout-out for Boston planning efforts. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Town planners lay groundwork for accessory dwelling units in Worthington. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Somerville mayor launches listening sessions on city’s pandemic recovery. via The Boston Globe

Mar. 31, 2022

• Ordinance limiting protest hours OK’d by Boston City Council. via WBUR

• The Berkshires is plagued with chronic housing issues. A new report aims to address those problems. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Cyclists say Mass. needs a legal framework for electric bikes. via GBH

Mar. 30, 2022

• New Census data confirms Massachusetts has some of the highest housing costs in the US. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. revisits rules about burning wood for electricity, including environmental justice protections. via WBUR

• Technology, remote work shaping future labor force; Childcare, transit, housing seen as essential for workforce. via CommonWealth Magazine

• As Boston weighs a reparations commission, questions of cost and control arise. via GBH

• There’s never been such a severe shortage of homes in the U.S. Here’s why. via WBUR

Mar. 29, 2022

• New website tracks progress on Massachusetts climate law requirements. via MassLive Media

• Rehoboth can’t use well at new town hall due to PFAS chemicals. via The Sun Chronicle

• On second thought, T zoning proposal needs a redo (opinion). via CommonWealth Magazine

• Local officials challenged to take ‘two steps’ against antisemitism. via Salem News

Mar. 28, 2022

• Making of a mayor: Settling in at city halls, new mayors navigate ‘connecting phase’. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Mental health alternatives to policing gather steam in western Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• Boston ordinance would reduce carbon emissions more than 60% by 2050. via Boston.com

• Expansion of bottle bill to include nips has supporters, critics in Attleboro area, state. via The Sun Chronicle

• Lee takes a step closer to an open town meeting form of government at special town meeting. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Mass. plans bond sale of $2 billion to $3 billion to bolster unemployment trust fund. via The Boston Globe

• ‘We have to be proactive’: Municipal leaders attending summit to combat rising antisemitism, commemorate Holocaust in Massachusetts. via MassLive Media

• Worcester to dedicate memorial for public to reflect and remember pandemic victims. via WBUR

Mar. 25, 2022

• To-go cocktails, expanded outdoor dining likely here for at least another year. via MassLive Media

• Five Franklin County towns receive grants to explore shared police, EMS services. via The Recorder News

• Wastewater data sends mixed signals amid dip in Boston-area COVID-19 cases. via GBH

• Thousands of residents left Suffolk County during the pandemic. via WBUR

Mar. 24, 2022

• Senate climate change bill likely to coincide with Earth Day, Senate President Karen Spilka says. via MassLive Media

• Wu announces new office focused on LGBTQ+ Bostonians. via GBH

• Mass. House Speaker says lawmakers could tackle soaring childcare costs ‘right away,’ potentially in next month’s budget. via The Boston Globe

• Baker offering employers $4,000 for each worker hired. via CommonWealth Magazine

• ‘We have the will’: Mental health bill gaining traction on Beacon Hill, with House Speaker Ron Mariano backing reform. via CommonWealth Magazine

• MBTA zoning regulations garner mixed reviews from Amesbury officials. via Newburyport News

Mar. 23, 2022

• Auditor flags 29 bills for impact on local budgets. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Bar Association, Salem create program to aid in housing stability. via Salem News

• State weighs plans to expand EV charging stations. via Gloucester Daily Times

• More relief coming to Massachusetts residents looking to enter the workforce, Gov. Charlie Baker says. via MassLive Media

• State-run program to provide COVID tests to daycares could expire this summer. via GBH

• Rockport pushes back against state’s proposed MBTA housing requirements. via Gloucester Daily Times

• ‘Impact fee’ on recreational pot shops is canceled until the city finds any impacts it needs to pay for. via Cambridge Day

• Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. announces he is stepping down in May. via Telegram & Gazette

Mar. 22, 2022

• ARPA money coming to Haverhill, Lawrence water/sewer projects. via The Eagle Tribune

• Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña on his plans to turn around the city’s schools. via GBH

Mar. 21, 2022

• Western Mass. lawmaker says transportation bill filed by governor could be transformative for region. via New England Public Media

• Gloucester mayor eyes surplus properties for affordable housing. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Amesbury mayor makes call for action on city’s bond bill money. via The Newburyport News

• Wu, MBTA have different takes on fare-free bus results. via CommonWealth Magazine

• State to conduct second review of Boston Public Schools amid concerns it could pursue receivership. via The Boston Globe

• How one Mass. school board got caught in the culture wars. via WBUR

Mar. 18, 2022

• With typical emergency response times of 20 to 30 minutes, Richmond and West Stockbridge explore sharing EMT services. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Sheffield to measure residents’ internet dissatisfaction with survey and speed checks; Town is considering building its own fiber-optic system. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Op Ed: PILOT payments should be standardized statewide; legislation would set payment level at 25% of commercial rate. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Mass. workers have the fourth-longest commute time among US states, according to new Census data. via The Boston Globe

• Baker urges quick adoption of new $9.7 billion transportation bill. via WBUR

• City Council nominates candidates for Boston Commission on Black Men and Boys. via GBH

Mar. 17, 2022

• Inflation blunts impact of school aid increases in Baker’s budget; more than 40% of school districts would receive an increase of only about 1%. via WBUR

• Feds roll out plan seeking to replace every lead pipe in New England. via New England Public Media

• Broadband providers offer free Internet to low-income families. via The Boston Globe

• Data shows unsafe bacteria levels in Merrimack River after sewer overflows. via WBUR

• Boston-area coronavirus wastewater is ticking back up after plunge: ‘Something we need to keep our eye on’. via The Boston Herald

Mar. 16, 2022

• Local officials growing frustrated with ‘inadequate’ Chapter 90 funding for roads. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

Mar. 15, 2022

• EPA designates Lower Neponset River in Boston and Milton a Superfund site. via WBUR

• Two years into the pandemic, rental assistance continues to climb. via GBH

• Modernizing the bottle recycling program in Mass. would have big benefits, report finds. via WBUR

• Fixing early ed system could cost $1.5 billion a year; Legislative commission recommends more spending on childcare. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Waterfront development: How Fall River will spend $1.5 million from federal spending package. via The Herald News

• A shortage of college students will soon hit the Northeast. via The Boston Globe

• Senate seeks fixed date for bus electrification; Poftak said more money needed to transition more quickly. via CommonWealth Magazine

Mar. 14, 2022

• Lawmakers seek to limit train idling times. via Newburyport News

• Two years of COVID: A new analysis reveals a heavy toll on young families of color in Massachusetts. via The Boston Globe

Mar. 11, 2022

• Lawmakers consider revising road funding formula; Rural communities have complained of being shortchanged. via CommonWealth Magazine

• 85 square miles, one police chief. Becket and Otis begin sharing top cop this week. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Wu launches committee to deliver rent control policy recommendations. via WBUR

• MBTA projects a $230M deficit after federal aid runs out. via WBUR

• 2020 Census undercounted Latinos, Blacks and Native Americans, bureau estimates show. via The Washington Post

Mar. 10, 2022

• The fight against light in New Marlborough, to prevent loss of ‘our stars’. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Lynn hires part-time interpreters in four languages. via The Boston Globe

• Boston Public Health Commission to drop state of emergency declaration. via GBH

• Massachusetts a healthy ‘green’ when it comes to COVID-19 levels — except Hampshire County. via New England Public Media

• 1 in 5 local election officials say they’re likely to quit before 2024. via WBUR

• Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty running for state Senate. via GBH

• Amherst will petition state for reparations initiative. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Nantucket Select Board looking to fund town-employee housing costs. via The Inquirer and Mirror

• Report suggests how Newton should spend federal pandemic relief funds. via The Boston Globe

• Federal COVID funds offer Boston Mayor Michelle Wu a big boost with her big plans. via The Boston Globe

• How Air Pollution Across America Reflects Racist Policy From the 1930s. via The New York Times

Mar. 9, 2022

• Lexington residents vote to restrict, eventually ban gas-powered leaf blowers. via WCVB

• Homeownership program offers hope for residents in Boston’s low-income communities. via GBH

• Agawam Senior Center will buy van with COVID relief funds. via MassLive Media

• Deaf residents want to take part in civic life. But how often are interpreters provided? via South Coast Today

• House Ways & Means Committee pares down Gov. Baker’s supplemental budget bill to $1.6B. via CommonWealth Magazine

• To-go cocktails could stay legal in Mass. for a while longer. via The Boston Globe

Mar. 8, 2022

• Holyoke lands $555K-plus grant to address youth, gang violence. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• With no sign of relief from years of rat problems, Cambridge wants to deploy ‘Smart Box’ zappers. via Cambridge Day

• Cape is running out of space for trash. One solution – ship it to another state by train. via Cape Cod Times

• Massachusetts vows to maintain rapid COVID test stockpile as virus reaches ‘endemic’ stage. via MassLive Media

• National business group survey says what employers know: Hiring is tough. via Newburyport News

Mar. 7, 2022

• State House to drop COVID-19 mask, vaccine requirements for visitors. via The Boston Globe

• Wastewater Drives 6.65% Harwich Budget Increase. via The Cape Cod Chronicle

• Arlington launches rental and mortgage assistance program with federal funds. via Wicked Local

• In Fall River, homeless people can get free ID cards. Here’s why that’s critically important. via The Herald News

• Massachusetts will close 30 of its free COVID testing sites this month. via WBUR

• In Springfield, some people are losing their homes to a program intended to fix blighted property. via GBH

• Four-year mayoral term, expanded School Committee recommended. via The Salem News

• Chicopee experiment merging 2 departments ends with employees overwhelmed, work undone. via MassLive Media

• Five years after voter approval, state lawmakers revisiting marijuana regulations. via GBH

• In Boston, a constant of New England winter proliferates: ‘endless’ potholes. via The Boston Globe

Mar. 4, 2022

• Massachusetts could receive $110 million from new Purdue settlement. via WBUR

• Zoning changes, MBTA communities process collide. via Gloucester Daily Times

• Wage study set for West Newbury town employees. via Newburyport News

• Swampscott Finds Itself Short-Staffed. via Item Live

Mar. 3, 2022

• Mass. pandemic emergency sick leave program to end March 15. via GBH

• The White House has a new plan for COVID-19 aimed at getting things back to normal. via WBUR

• Bettencourt joins board of director for mayors’ association. via The Salem News

• The Green Line is coming to Somerville. Big changes are coming too. via The Boston Globe

• Boston City Council approves real estate transfer tax on sales over $2M. via GBH

Mar. 2, 2022

• Boston to lift mask mandate for businesses, other venues. via WBUR

• Mass. no longer requiring masks on school buses for K-12 students, officials say. via The Boston Globe

• Many dams in Massachusetts are hazards. But demolishing them is no small feat. via WBUR

• Somerville Pilots New Rodent Control Technology. via Patch

Mar. 1, 2022

• New Massachusetts House, Senate district descriptions available. via The Berkshire Eagle

• New head of EPA New England wants to engage with ‘historically overburdened’ communities. via New England Public Media

• What does the dire new UN climate report mean for New England? via The Boston Globe

• 10 years after sex trafficking law took effect, Massachusetts now seen as national leader. via GBH

• New Bedford ends its vaccination or testing mandate for city employees. via New Bedford Light

• Wu’s plan would restrict ‘targeted residential picketing’. via WBUR

• Fitchburg policy highlights complexity of municipal communications. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

• Everett Poole, Town Moderator of Chilmark over four decades, dies at 91. via The Boston Globe

• Wu says she’ll wind down Boston’s urban renewal districts. Here’s what that means. via The Boston Globe

• AG Healey says she had no choice on blocking Brookline’s fossil fuel ban. via GBH

Feb. 28, 2022

• Brookline wants a fossil fuel-free future. With latest ruling, the AG says: Not yet (again). via The Boston Globe

• Small Berkshire towns of Savoy, Washington and Windsor explore jointly hiring a single full-time administrator. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Haverhill Mayor pushes for $160 million downtown redevelopment project. via The Eagle Tribune

• Lynn’s new mayor, Jared Nicholson, vows to oversee ‘inclusive growth’. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Franklin County towns join legal brief in land use case. via The Recorder News

• As schools remove mask mandates, some students may struggle with transition. via The Boston Globe

• At long last, employers are rolling out return-to-office plans (again). via The Boston Globe

• Mayor Mitchell wants the city to buy the century-old armory. Here’s how much it will cost: $10. via South Coast Today

Feb. 25, 2022

• Boston mayor says city will increase food production efforts. via WBUR

• Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority free bus rides begin March 1. via The Eagle Tribune

• Deerfield enters pact with Amherst to cover wastewater plant operations. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Feb. 24, 2022

• Governor Charlie Baker announces $75 million in aid for small businesses. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Boston to open new early childhood office to streamline access to care options for parents. via WBUR

• Somerville mayor announces new plan to diversify boards and commissions. via The Boston Globe

• Wellesley launches new Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. via The Boston Globe

• FEMA presents coastal erosion hazard map for Essex County. via Newburyport News

• Needham launches discussion series on police and the community. via The Boston Globe

• Weymouth mayor says town taking ‘holistic approach’ to improve coastline. via The Patriot Ledger

• Weymouth Town Council take big action on Route 3 billboards. via The Patriot Ledger

• Nantucket Select Board undecided on short-term-rental articles. via The Inquirer and Mirror

• Town of Tewksbury swindled out of more than $100K in phishing scam from fraudulent email with copycat posing as regular vendor. via MassLive Media

Feb. 23, 2022

• State auditor says it will cost $2 million to keep polls open in 2022. via WBUR

• Spring Town Meeting petition article would ban new fur sales in Plymouth. via Wicked Local

Feb. 22, 2022

• Massachusetts State House reopens Tuesday morning to the public; Here’s what COVID policies to expect. via MassLive Media

• Threats and outbursts directed at local health leaders are driving many to quit. via The Boston Globe

• Andover to bulk up mental health resources. via The Eagle Tribune

• Utilities make progress on fixing gas leaks. via The Eagle Tribune

• Digital access to public meetings has been embraced in Stockbridge. Town leaders are debating whether to continue the hybrid format. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Hearing reopening on proposed ‘memorial forest reserve’ in Ashfield. via The Recorder News

• Heroux makes case for mayoral succession charter change in Attleboro. via The Sun Chronicle

• Bernardston approves cannabis sales tax, PILOT agreements at Town Meeting. via The Recorder News

• Boston lifts proof of vaccination requirement for businesses. via GBH

• Towns’ landscape, infrastructure make housing compliance difficult. via Newburyport News

• Lawmakers want to restrict local pot shop fees. via Newburyport News

Feb. 18, 2022

• Urban forests may store more carbon than we thought, study finds. via WBUR

• Firefighters sue equipment makers over ‘forever chemicals’ in gear. via WBUR

• Can shabby shopping plazas become vibrant new villages? via The Boston Globe

• NOAA says New England’s temps are warming, sea levels rising faster than the global rate. via The Providence Journal

• Some rural areas see record-breaking opioid overdose numbers. via The Boston Herald

• With sea level rise to come, Mayor Wu is turning her attention to East Boston’s waterfront. via boston.com

• Lowell issues report showing 8% vacancy rate in city government. via GBH

Feb. 17, 2022

• Municipalities see savings in bottle deposit expansion bill. via WWLP

• Lowell City Council takes on vacant jobs in city government. via Lowell Sun

Feb. 16, 2022

• Voting reforms present challenges for local elections administrators. via Cape Cod Times

• With election workers harder to find, city and town clerks look to boost pay. via GBH

• Milton will use COVID relief money for police mental health clinician, cemetery expansion. via Quincy Patriot Ledger

• Appeals court grants injunction against Boston Mayor Wu’s workforce vaccination mandate. via Boston Globe

• U.S. could see a century’s worth of sea rise in just 30 years. via Boston Globe

Feb. 15, 2022

• Massachusetts Statehouse reopening planned for Feb. 22. via New England Public Media

• Report: A year after executive order, work continues dismantling structural racism in Worcester. via Worcester Telegram

• Beverly clerk seeks pay increase for election workers. via Salem News

• ‘Better transit services not free service’: Springfield and PVTA support subsidized busing rather than free fare. via MassLive

• Mask mandate for Massachusetts schools to expire Feb. 28. via New England Public Media

Feb. 14, 2022

• Meet Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne; a community activist who believes in messy, inclusive leadership. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Montague Selectboard looks to fund wastewater projects with ARPA money. via The Recorder News

• Concerned for rural schools, Berkshires lawmakers prep for education funding debate in state budget. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Boston’s city workforce became slightly more diverse over the past year. via The Boston Globe

• Short-term rentals are a cash cow for Great Barrington, but some residents want stricter regulations — even if that means less revenue. The Select Board will vote soon on bylaw regulating the rentals. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Mayor: Recent storms cost Amesbury $170,000. via The Newburyport News

• Speaker Ron Mariano wants ‘equal access’ to the Massachusetts State House when it reopens to the public. via MassLive Media

• Politics and the City: Outbursts reveal remote participation at City Council not perfect. via The Telegram & Gazette

• Quincy city pension investment manager lost $3.5 million in an email phishing scam. via The Patriot Ledger

• $3 Million Open Space Deal Announced. via The Cape Cod Chronicle

• COVID-19 numbers could improve enough to lift Boston’s indoor vaccine requirement ‘in the coming weeks,’ public health commissioner says. via The Boston Globe

Feb. 11, 2022

• A Tradition the Coronavirus Could Not Crush? Town Meeting & Its Moderation …. via Western Mass Politics & Insight

• ‘Modern-day necessity’: Easthampton takes step toward municipal broadband in hopes of improving internet access. via MassLive Media

• Mayor Wu launches push to give Bostonians more say in city’s almost $4B budget. via GBH

• ‘Change is a journey’: Election of first women in decades, first person of color on Chicopee City Council inspires discussions of who should lead the city. via MassLive Media

• The Massachusetts State House has a tentative reopening date, per Senate President Karen Spilka’s office. via MassLive Media

• Cambridge: Should cash from ARPA funds go directly to struggling residents? via Wicked Local

• Employer relations board upholds Baker’s vaccine mandate. via WBUR

• States seek to keep Mass. trash out of landfills. via The Eagle Tribune

• Why Are So Many Mass. Towns Pronounced Differently than They’re Spelled? via Boston Magazine

Feb. 10, 2022

• Mayor Michelle Wu’s push for free buses is spurring other cities and towns to act. via The Boston Globe

• Peabody awarded sensors to monitor pollution. via Salem News

• Gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy and bad for the environment. Boston will soon consider what to do about them. via The Boston Globe

• Boston makes three buses fare-free until early 2024. via GBH

• Mask mandate for Massachusetts schools to expire Feb. 28. via New England Public Media

• New Bedford in line to get $30 million to improve waterfront Marine Commerce Terminal. via South Coast Today

• EPA appeals board rejects attempt to block Berkshire County PCB disposal site. via New England Public Media

• Governor Charlie Baker to release first book. via The Boston Globe

Feb. 9, 2022

• Baker administration unveils building code slide deck; Calls for updates of 2 existing codes and addition of a 3rd. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Leominster, Fitchburg, Clinton move to bilingual ballots in line with Voting Rights Act. via The Telegram & Gazette

• Greenfield relaunches downtown revitalization plans. via The Recorder News

• New study touts pilot-to-permanent bus programs in Everett, Cambridge/Watertown, Arlington. via The Boston Herald

• Salem, once dismissed, now getting top billing on offshore wind; Speaker Mariano calls municipality ‘focal point’ of efforts. via CommonWealth Magazine

• An unexpected item is blocking cities’ climate change prep: obsolete rainfall records. via WBUR

• Here’s when Boston plans to lift its COVID vaccine requirement for certain indoor venues. via WBUR

• Franklin investigating elevated PFAS at a town well. via The Milford Daily News

• Baker’s budget shortchanges upcoming elections, Galvin says. via GBH

• How will Boston bounce back from COVID? via The Boston Globe

• Massachusetts Legislature takes first crack at Charlie Baker’s last budget. via The Boston Herald

• As Massachusetts State House enters 700th day of being closed due to COVID, activists push for reopening. via MassLive Media

Feb. 8, 2022

• Baker seeking major changes in building code; Municipalities could adopt rooftop solar, full electrification requirements. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Baker pushes for approval of $5B bond. via The Newburyport News

• The pandemic has led to a surge in mental health need in Mass., survey finds. via WBUR

• Westfield will deploy 9 air quality monitors in downtown, North Side. via MassLive Media

• COVID spurred bike lane construction. Will the Boston area keep up the momentum? via The Boston Globe

• Worcester becomes latest Mass. community to end indoor mask mandate. via GBH

• 15 mayors and town managers line up behind driver’s license bill. via Salem News

• Biden taps new director for EPA in New England. via The Boston Globe

Feb. 7, 2022

• Massachusetts provides $13M for 300 EV charging stations. via The AP

• Lawrence councilors OK tax exemption for city’s Gold Star parents. via The Eagle Tribune

• Gloucester schools get $120K to address students’ mental health needs. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• FEMA to discuss future coastal erosion, sea level rise in Essex County. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• State releases list of 146 bridge projects. via The Eagle Tribune

• Holyoke group releases first 5-year report on efforts to rescue dilapidated buildings. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Local governments weigh plans to spend APRA funds. via The Eagle Tribune

• Cambridge City Council embarks on manager, auditor and clerk searches. via Wicked Local

• Wu says Boston ready to enforce vaccine mandate after union compromise talks fall apart. via WBUR

• Deadline extended on bill to lower voting age in Northampton elections. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Communities of color get more gas leaks, slower repairs, says study. via WBUR

• 30 minutes in Roslindale: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s block has taken center stage in one of the city’s ugliest political dramas. via The Boston Globe

• A decision made behind closed doors may set clean energy back by two years. via The Boston Globe

Feb. 4, 2022

• Governor Charlie Baker touts priority projects for new federal infrastructure funds. via The Boston Globe

• North Attleboro gets $4.5M to deal with PFAS contamination. via The Sun Chronicle

• Westfield receives $15M state loan for PFAS treatment plant. via MassLive Media

• New Bedford Police was hit by a ransomware attack. Here’s how the city responded. via South Coast Today

• Wu taps Roxbury campaign organizer to lead new Boston Office of Black Male Advancement. via GBH

• Report examines exodus of Amherst school leaders. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Feb. 3, 2022

• Boston likely to spend $5 million on new round of grants for small businesses. via GBH

• Amherst picked for initiative to boost public art. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Trees are more than scenery. They’re a social justice issue. via The Boston Globe

• What’s the city have going on over there? Check its new online map to find out. via The Gardner News

• Weymouth Food Pantry, town to turn school bus into mobile food pantry. via The Patriot Ledger

• Consultant: To Boost Economy, Orleans Needs To Build Upon Its Assets. via The Cape Cod Chronicle

• Proposal would create commission to study reparations in Boston. via WBUR

Feb. 2, 2022

• With new Mass Save three-year plan, Massachusetts sharpens its best climate-fighting tool. via The Boston Globe

• On Cape Cod, the latest barrage of wind and waves, exacerbated by climate change, turns concern to desperation. via The Boston Globe

• Harwich To Work With Dennis On Wastewater Treatment. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Baker secures deal with federal government to replace Cape Cod Canal bridges. via GBH

• State to expand behavioral health services. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Ayanna Pressley, other Boston elected officials of color condemn ‘hateful attacks’ on Michelle Wu. via The Boston Globe

• Secretary of State Galvin filing bill to make documents from the governor’s office open to the public for first time. via The Boston Globe

• Big House Bylaw Heads to West Tisbury Warrant. via The Vineyard Gazette

Feb. 1, 2022

• ARPA money to aid Western Mass. towns hit by July storms. via The Recorder News

• Efforts to modernize Adams government will get underway this spring. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Climate-driven floods will disproportionately affect Black communities, study finds. via WBUR

• Gov. Charlie Baker meets with governors, President Joe Biden, Pentagon officials. via MassLive Media

• After much fanfare, other cities balk at following Boston’s proof-of-vaccination mandate. via The Boston Globe

• Carolyn Dykema joining caravan of departing Massachusetts representatives. via MassLive Media

• Vaccine mandate prompts exit of 1,013 state workers; Latest records indicate 97% compliance in executive branch. via CommonWealth Magazine

Jan. 31, 2022

• Here’s what Berkshire lawmakers say their priorities are as the Legislature enters a busy stretch. via The Berkshire Eagle

• In combating climate crisis, cities team up. via The Salem News

• Deal between CSX and Amtrak could help pave the away for East-West Rail. via The Boston Globe

• ‘I said to myself, “Enough is enough!”’: How a new Lowell city councilor began fighting anti-Asian harassment in the ’80s. via The Boston Globe

• Mayor Wu brings her policy — and personality — to social media. via The Boston Globe

• ARPA money could fuel Leahy School rebuild in Lawrence. via The Eagle Tribune

• Amherst police alternative program expected to be ready by May. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Jan. 27, 2022

• Same-day voter registration reform left out of House voting bill. via MassLive Media

• Fitchburg State University receives $3 million ARPA grant for downtown Theater Block project. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

• Pittsfield Mayor Tyer elected president of Massachusetts Mayors’ Association. via The Berkshire Eagle

• ‘Walking into the lion’s den’: Cities and towns say they need help as climate change dangers grow. via The Boston Globe

• Coastal resiliency: Public’s input wanted for Sandwich village climate change strategies. via The Cape Cod Times

• Leyden to hire consultant to manage ARPA funds. via The Recorder News

• Gov. Charlie Baker proposes $48.5 billion budget for Massachusetts in the next fiscal year. via MassLive Media

• New mayor of Holyoke turns to recent political rivals for advice. via New England Public Media

• Boston City Council votes to consider making the School Committee an elected body. via GBH

• State Sen. Harriette Chandler not seeking reelection. via WBUR

Jan. 26, 2022

• Governor Charlie Baker says he’ll pursue tax breaks for renters, seniors, parents, and low-income workers. via The Boston Globe

• Harwich Selectmen Back ARPA Funds For Health Dept. via Cape Cod Chronicle

• Wu announces $40 million to fund affordable housing projects. via GBH

• South Shore Plaza needs to step up and step up big’: Braintree mayor seeks increased security. via The Patriot Ledger

• Mass. Senate President calls for same-day voter registration as House takes up voting rights. via GBH

• Massachusetts to host 2,000 Afghans, double expected amount. via WBUR

• Former governor Deval Patrick will become professor at Harvard Kennedy School. via The Boston Globe

Jan. 25, 2022

• Massachusetts State House could partially reopen next month, Senate President Karen Spilka says. via MassLive Media

• Same-day voter registration could be sticking point. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Unvaccinated students in some schools can go maskless. via WBUR

• Judge considers request for injunction over Salem vax mandate. via The Salem News

• 94% of Boston city workers have complied with COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Wu said. via GBH

Jan. 24, 2022

• For Small Towns With Small Work Forces, Omicron Means Small Margins for Error. via The New York Times

• How the pandemic tipped Lenox onto a national list of ‘economically distressed’ communities. via The Berkshire Eagle

• After months of delays, state approves doubling of solar energy. via The Boston Globe

• Baker seeks level funding for local road projects in next year’s capital spending plan. via The Boston Globe

• Municipal officials say 2.7% local aid increase is not enough given rising state revenues. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Wu again extends vaccination deadline for city workers. via GBH

• A look inside the first few weeks of Mayor Macksey’s time in office and priorities for North Adams. via The Berkshire Eagle

• State Senator Lydia Edwards says she will keep East Boston council seat through the end of April. via The Boston Globe

• Racist covenants still stain property records. Mass. may try to have them removed. via WBUR

Jan. 21, 2022

• Burlington Town meeting postponed three weeks due to Omicron surge. via Wicked Local

• Trash is a burning question with mixed answers in some Mass. towns. via WBUR

• With cases surging, Massachusetts officials will ‘pivot’ on COVID testing in schools. via WBUR

• Former Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey starts a new chapter in academia. via The Boston Globe

• Rep. Ehrlich steps down to take FEMA position. via The Salem News

Jan. 20, 2022

• How’s the COVID-19 rapid test distribution going in Massachusetts towns and cities? via GBH

• Work beginning in Amherst on senior-friendly town initiative. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Agawam High School needs $26 million in repairs. via MassLive Media

• With help from the Justice Department, Williamstown Police aim to rebuild a bond with the community. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Here’s what Taunton, Raynham will get from $26B national opioid settlement. via The Taunton Gazette

Jan. 19, 2022

• 2 mayors explain their ARPA spending strategies; Pittsfield, New Bedford officials place some big bets. via CommonWealth Magazine

• House releases $55m bill for COVID testing, school masks. via CommonWealth Magazine

• All around Massachusetts, cities and towns want to go fossil fuel free. Here’s why they can’t. via The Boston Globe

• $1.1 billion in federal aid will help repair 472 bridges in Massachusetts, Rep. Richard Neal says. via The Berkshire Eagle

• New York City to Pittsfield train service could start this summer if final hurdles are cleared. via New England Public Media

• MassDOT, state and local leaders gather in Framingham to celebrate funding. via Milford Daily News

• Marblehead selectmen push for gender-neutral name, language in town bylaws. via The Salem News

• COVID-19 spike putting pressure on police departments’ overtime budgets. via The MetroWest Daily News

• At-home tests mark shift in Massachusetts school COVID-19 surveillance. via New England Public Media

• Municipalities wrangle with how to keep rapid tests in residents’ hands without excluding undocumented immigrants. via GBH

• Attleboro mayor seeks charter change to cover gap in succession. via The Sun Chronicle

• Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Comcast hope for quick resolution in cable TV contract dispute. via MassLive Media

• Do North Adams city employees get paid as much as those in other towns? A grant-funded project will find out. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Homeless people are coming to Worcester for help but the city would like other communities to do more. via MassLive Media

• Supreme Court justices suggest Boston should have flown ‘Christian flag’. via WBUR

Jan. 18, 2022

• In less vaccinated Western Mass., overwhelmed hospitals, but progress on vaccinations. via The Boston Globe

• For marginalized groups, COVID testing shortages a bigger burden. via The Boston Globe

• Charlie Baker files $5 billion bond bill for workforce development, cybersecurity, public safety. via The Boston Herald

• Seven new mayors across Greater Boston offer hope, visions for the future. via The Boston Globe

• Town admin: $770K pedestrian bridge grant ‘a tremendous win’ for Montague. via The Recorder News

• Fairhaven launches Belonging Committee. How the board plans to help better the community. via South Coast Today

• MBTA communities must boost multifamily housing. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Mass. seeks to claw back at least $2.7 billion in jobless benefits it says were incorrectly paid. via The Boston Globe

• Educators work to keep classrooms open despite COVID surge. via WBUR

• Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga promises reset of City Hall. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Cambridge appoints Christine Elow as permanent police commissioner. via Cambridge Chronicle-Tab

• Families in Alabama have free, full-day prekindergarten while many Mass. families can only dream of it. via The Boston Globe

Jan. 14, 2022

• Supreme Court halts COVID-19 vaccine rule for US businesses, allows mandate for most health care workers. via The Boston Globe

• COVID pandemic is impacting trash services in Massachusetts, causing some to go without trash pickup for weeks. via MassLive Media

• Will Boston’s vaccine requirement for certain indoor venues eventually require boosters? Here’s what Michelle Wu said. via Boston Dot Com

• City bids to buy lots, make them ‘pocket parks’. via Salem News

• Easthampton City Council president seeks to increase understanding, accessibility at meetings. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Gov. Baker pours new funding into COVID vaccination efforts. via MassLive Media

• Some top Mass. lawmakers say the entire state should require proof of vaccination for certain indoor venues. via Boston Dot Com

• A ‘millionaires tax’ in Mass. would net $1.3 billion in revenue, report finds. via WBUR

Jan. 13, 2022

• Cities, towns continue distribution of rapid COVID tests. via Salem News

• Coogan’s fight for ARPA guideline changes leads to $10 million for pandemic revenue losses. via The Herald News

• As state ignores at-home COVID test data, boards of health come up with their own solutions. via GBH

• Judge rejects Boston police and fire unions’ bid to halt Wu’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. via GBH

Jan. 12, 2022

• Brookline to Require Proof of COVID Vaccine at Certain Businesses. via NBC Boston

• Fresh off his gig as North Adams mayor, Tom Bernard set to lead Berkshire United Way. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Infusion of American Rescue Plan money boosts Mass. fuel aid program. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Baker administration changes the rules on offshore wind and clean energy. via The Cape Cod Times

• Vaccinated city employees to receive $500 stipend in Haverhill. via The Eagle Tribune

• Four South Shore towns to open COVID test site Wednesday in Hingham. via The Patriot Ledger

• It was tied in November, but tonight’s Framingham special election results were clear. via The MetroWest Daily News

• Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll joins Democrats vying for lieutenant governor. via WBUR

• Lydia Edwards to take state Senate seat. via The Boston Herald

• House and Senate still can’t agree on police reform oversight. via GBH

• Municipal buildings in Seekonk remain closed for month with more than two dozen town employees currently out due to COVID. via The Sun Chronicle

Jan. 11, 2022

• Long test lines, increasing cases return to COVID-weary Chelsea. via WBUR

• Leominster firefighters receive new gear purchased with American Rescue Plan Act funding. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

• 2021 was the 4th warmest year on record in the US, with damage from climate change costing more than $145 billion. via MassLive Media

• Mariano eyes vaccine mandate for public access to State House; Baker says his state of state address will be at Hynes Convention Center. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Mass. offers QR code to prove COVID vaccine status. via CommonWealth Magazine

• State education leaders extend school mask requirement until Feb. 28. via WBUR

• Tri-Town health board plans public hearing to weigh a possible vaccine mandate for indoor diners. via The Berkshire Eagle

Jan. 10, 2022

• COVID-19 surge exposes Mass. educational inequities in livestreaming classes. via GBH

• Cahill, Driscoll win national awards for climate plans. via The Salem News

• Downtown Pittsfield steps into the digital age with $100K grant for public Wi-Fi network. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Mayor’s office relaunches grant program to help Taunton’s small businesses with tech. via The Taunton Gazette

• State to adopt stringent truck emissions rules. via The Eagle Tribune

• New Lawrence mayor says it’s now the people’s turn. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Natick residents pool resources, share COVID-19 tips in mutual aid group. via MetroWest Daily News

Jan. 7, 2022

• COVID-19 infections are hitting local government services, including snow removal. via GBH

• Federal Infrastructure funding to benefit Haverhill, other communities. via The Eagle Tribune

• Worcester officials look for state, federal help as COVID testing lines create wait times of several hours. via MassLive Media

• COVID surge disrupts trash collection. via The Salem News

Jan. 6, 2022

• This chart may tell us more about the Mass. COVID surge than any other. Here’s why. via The Boston Globe

• Rail Trail, ambulance, police training: How Fall River will spend $20M in COVID funds. via The Herald News

• ‘We will meet this moment.’ Ruthanne Fuller begins second term as Newton’s Mayor. via The Boston Globe

• Amid swell of COVID-19 cases, towns seek extra test kits. via The Recorder News

• Mayor Wu suggests state’s ban on remote learning — even when it’s due to staffing shortages — is too rigid. via Boston Dot Com

• As new COVID cases surge to record highs in Worcester, 110 firefighters are out creating a ‘very critical’ situation. via MassLive Media

• Commission sharply split on qualified immunity proposals. via CommonWealth Magazine

Jan. 5, 2022

• South Hadley to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to buy COVID test kits. via MassLive Media

• Amid process dispute, Barnstable County asks for public input on ARPA spending. via The Cape Cod Times

• Massachusetts could make free breakfast and lunch for all students permanent. via GBH

• Municipalities are adding EVs and hybrids to their fleets. Are they worth it? via The Swampscott Reporter

• Some New Hampshire towns making big money ask, ‘What recycling problem?’ via GBH

Jan. 4, 2022

• Massachusetts comptroller: FY 2021 revenues smashed estimates by $13 billion. via MassLive Media

• 1st Cambodian American mayor in U.S. takes office in Lowell. via WBUR

• Gina-Louise Sciarra sworn in as Northampton’s 45th mayor. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Verga sworn in as Gloucester’s new mayor. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Boston’s fare-free bus pilot program sets the stage for transit equity, advocates say. via GBH

• Baker approves solar, truck emission initiatives. via CommonWealth Magazine

• It’s a new year, but the same big issues remain for statewide leaders in Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

Jan. 3, 2022

• Local libraries are writing new chapters during the pandemic. via The Boston Globe

• New mayors take office in Gloucester, Framingham, North Adams. via The Boston Globe

• Jennifer Macksey outlines her goals as North Adams first woman mayor. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Holaday reflects on her 12 years as Newburyport mayor. via The Newburyport News

• Firefighters, police unions sue to block Boston’s vaccination mandate for city workers. via The Boston Globe

• Some Boston city employees will work from home beginning Tuesday, Wu says, citing winter surge in COVID-19 cases. via The Boston Globe

• Public asked to stay home, view Lawrence inauguration remotely. via The Eagle Tribune

• Newburyport inauguration shifted to hybrid model. via The Newburyport News

• Coming to a city or town near you: Projects funded by the state’s $4 billion COVID-19 relief bill. via The Boston Globe

• Beverly COVID meeting ends in chaos. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• Boston, MBTA, FTA to meet on fare-free test. via CommonWealth Magazine

Dec. 21, 2021

• You’ll need a vaccine to go inside Boston restaurants, entertainment venues and gyms. via WBUR

• Lynn and Salem expected to follow Boston’s lead on vaccine requirement. via Item Live

• Where (and how) to get a COVID-19 test in Mass.. via The Boston Globe

• At UMass lab, McGovern, state lawmakers tout efforts to combat PFAS in water supplies. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• State expanding, extending child care grant program. via The Salem News

• Biden’s omicron battle plan to include a half-billion free at-home tests, support for overwhelmed hospitals. via The Washington Post

• State troopers aid Dalton, after half of the local police force tests positive for COVID-19. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Springfield mayor warns restrictions could return as COVID cases spike. via MassLive Media

• Gender neutral changes in Attleboro charter approved … almost. via The Sun Chronicle

• New committee aims to strengthen Southampton’s financial health. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Dec. 20, 2021

• Mass. rainy day fund hits highest level ever; State has $4.6b, equal to 13% of state expenditures. via CommonWealth Magazine

• PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ constantly cycle through ground, air and water, study finds. via The Guardian

• Edward Augustus Jr., who orchestrated Worcester’s renaissance, shares rare glimpse into his past and what’s beyond city hall. via MassLive Media

• What happens when students remove masks? These Mass. schools are finding out. via The Boston Globe

• Affordable housing trust is ‘another tool in our toolbox’ to make Newton more accessible. via The Boston Globe

• With an eye on older residents, ‘granny flat’ bylaw proposal in works for Dalton. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Rep. Claire Cronin of Easton confirmed as US ambassador to Ireland. via WBUR

Dec. 17, 2021

• How Are Free Home COVID Tests Being Distributed? Mass. Cities Are Being Strategic. via NBC Boston

• Nearly $160 million later, the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing program is ending. via The Boston Globe

• Legislators push for towns’ flexibility to lower speed limits on Massachusetts roads. via GBH

• Carolyn Shores Ness is Recorder’s 2021 Citizen of the Year. via The Recorder News

• Boston aims to tamp down vehicle emissions with more electric charging stations. via GBH

Dec. 16, 2021

• Fenway mass vaccination site reopening. via WBUR

• Worcester City Council reviews federal relief plan: ‘We need to stay nimble,’ says City Manager. via The Telegram and Gazette

• Worcester bans use of controversial facial recognition technology. via GBH

• Pesticide attracts eye of committee, commission. via Newburyport News

• ‘It’s going to be an interesting winter’: Mass. scientists report Omicron variant’s spread appears to be so fast it’s hard to track. via The Boston Globe

• Wu raises fare-free snafu with Buttigieg; FTA issues statement confirming MBTA’s reading of situation. via CommonWealth Magazine

• The largest city in the U.S. bans natural gas in new buildings. via WBUR

Dec. 15, 2021

• Will the Legislature let pandemic mail-in and early voting reforms expire? via WBUR

• Surge renews debate in Massachusetts over indoor mask mandate. via New England Public Media

• Wu’s contracting equity pilot would be a first for Massachusetts. via GBH

• Amherst creates 2 depts. to improve community safety and equity. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Where Will $4 Billion in COVID Relief Money Be Distributed in Mass.? via NBC Boston

• McGee Reflects On His Term In The Corner Office. via Item Live

• DOT kicks off 18-month project to assess viability of North Adams-Boston rail service. via The Berkshire Eagle

Dec. 14, 2021

• As COVID infections rise, cities consider rules on vaccinations. via Salem News

• Springfield warns of ransomware attack on Kronos Private Cloud used to track employee hours and time off. via MassLive Media

• To prevent more mold at high school, South Hadley officials eye costly new HVAC system. via New England Public Media

Dec. 10, 2021

• With days left to sign ARPA bill, Gov. Charlie Baker worries about hurdles to distribute funds across Massachusetts. via MassLive Media

• Toxic PFAS chemicals will be added to Mass.’ official list of hazardous substances. via WBUR

• ‘A pile of lemons.’ Framingham City Council finalizes precinct, district boundaries. via The MetroWest Daily News

• Incoming Amherst councilor representing town at national reparations forum. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• MassDOT partnership could deliver critical services to your doorstep. via GBH

• As Omicron looms, Mayor Wu turns City Hall into a mass vaccination site. via The Boston Globe

• COVID field hospitals not needed in Massachusetts for now to handle holiday surge, Gov. Charlie Baker says. via MassLive Media

Dec. 9, 2021

• COVID-era mail-in, early voting expansions set to expire Dec. 15. via Boston Herald

• Barnstable County may reach an agreement for spending $41 million in COVID-19 rescue funds. via The Cape Cod Times

• State efforts to address opioid overdoses detailed. via The Gloucester Daily Times

• EPA’s water infrastructure funds could reduce sewage overflows in Connecticut River. via New England Public Media

• Holyoke City Council upholds rule barring city employees from serving in elected office. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Stoughton police create LGBTQ+ community liaison position. via Enterprise News

• Pushing for equity and election reform, Massachusetts activists urge lawmakers to approve same-day voter registration. via MassLive Media

Dec. 8, 2021

• Local governments staff up, team up to confront climate change. via GBH

• North Attleboro gets grant to help mitigate impact of PFAS chemicals in town water supply. via The Sun Chronicle

• With a new requirement to build housing near train stations, towns brace for density — and drama. via The Boston Globe

• Amazon Network Services outage leads to cancellation of parking tickets, shuts down local services in Boston. via The Boston Globe

• Smith College gifts $500K to Northampton. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• West Tisbury Eyes Bylaw to Regulate Big Houses. via The Vineyard Gazette

• Two crucial pillars of the state’s plan to cut carbon emissions have crumbled. Where does it go from here?. via The Boston Globe

Dec. 7, 2021

• Strapped public health departments in Massachusetts poised for massive boost. via WCVB

• Boston announces free COVID-19 rapid tests, larger vaccine clinics for hard-hit neighborhoods. via The Boston Globe

• Natick ends water ban because PFAS levels remain safe. via MetroWest Daily News

• A false sense of security’: Critics question the state’s COVID testing program in schools. via WBUR

• Haverhill’s new Department of Public Health ramping up. via Eagle Tribune

Dec. 6, 2021

• State tax revenues keep heading higher; Mass. already challenged in spending billions in federal aid. via CommonWealth Magazine

• COVID vaccine booster supply not an issue as Governor Charlie Baker calls on cities and towns to expand clinics. via MassLive Media

• State to get federal money to remedy drinking water contamination. via Gloucester Daily Times

Dec. 2, 2021

• Racial, income disparities leave high numbers of young children unvaccinated amid race against Omicron variant; data show wide disparities in vaccination rates between low-income and wealthier communities. via The Boston Globe

• ‘Launching the city out of the pandemic’: @NewBedford_MA Mayor @JonMitchellNB outlines $80M COVID relief plans. via South Coast Today

• Boston City Council greenlights Mayor Wu’s $8 million free bus expansion proposal. via GBH

• Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will not seek reelection. via The Boston Globe

• Middlesex DA’s office reports 39% spike in hate-related incidents in one month. via GBH

Dec. 1, 2021

• Negotiators reach ARPA spending bill deal; no details released on $4 billion compromise plan. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Braintree’s ‘anti-blight’ law targets dilapidated commercial, industrial properties. via The Boston Globe

• State panel weighs restrictions on herbicide. via Gloucester Daily Times

Nov. 30, 2021

• FEMA money still available for COVID-related expenses. via The Eagle Tribune

• Governor Baker: QR code vaccine passport coming soon. via GBH

• Brockton and Worcester health officials brace for the omicron variant. via GBH

• Judge strikes down Boston’s eviction moratorium. via The Boston Globe

Nov. 29, 2021

• Chelsea and Chinatown are building microgrids to solve big energy, climate challenges. via WBUR

• Greenfield, Montague, Deerfield and Sunderland awarded $250K grant to support public health coordination. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Chatham joins at least two other Cape towns in PFAS lawsuit. via Cape Cod Times

• Foxborough moves to drop civil service hiring rules for police. via The Boston Globe

• Schools struggling to ease mask mandates. via Newburyport News

Nov. 22, 2021

• County commissioners, Assembly spar over ARPA spending process, court action possible. via Cape Cod Times

• Northampton, Amherst restaurants press state for continued outdoor dining as COVID rules set to expire. via MassLive Media

• Somerville and Boston want rent control, but Beacon Hill could get in the way. via WBUR

• Mayor Wu says she will sign Boston fossil fuel divestment ordinance Monday. via The Boston Globe

Nov. 19, 2021

• Baker pulls Mass. out of TCI emissions pact, citing lack of buy-in from other states. via WBUR

• Acton announces allocations for ARPA funding. via Wicked Local

• ARPA funds to benefit internet build-out, housing assistance in Greenfield. via The Recorder News

• Officials scrambling to find solutions as violence breaks out in schools nationwide. via GBH

• Buoyed by early results, Boston and Worcester push to extend free public transit. via WBUR

• Select Board earmarks $100,000 for Newbury food pantry. via Newburyport News

• Judge rules Hopedale Select Board has final say in protecting forestland. via Milford Daily News

• In historic shift, Hadley splits tax rate. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Newton seeks community input to help guide support for lower-income residents. via The Boston Globe

Nov. 18, 2021

• Massachusetts transportation agencies still sorting through federal infrastructure law. via The Boston Globe

• Senate approves mental health access plan. via Eagle Tribune

• Boston City Council says no to fossil fuel investments. via The Boston Globe

• Fewer people appear to want to become police officers. Chiefs have theories as to why. via MetroWest Daily News

• Judge denies request to halt mask mandate in Mass. schools. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. could have an all-renewable energy future, but challenges remain, report says. via WBUR

Nov. 17, 2021

• Expanded voting by mail ends next month in Massachusetts, ramping up calls for a permanent law. via The Boston Globe

• Cambridge’s battle over bike lanes could be coming to a community near you. via GBH

• Senate to take up mental health access bill. via Eagle Tribune

• ‘We have so much work to do.’ Michelle Wu sworn in as mayor of Boston. via The Boston Globe

• Mariano plans to seek another term as Massachusetts House Speaker. via WBUR

• ‘Failure to elect.’ Recount results in tie for Framingham’s District 3 council seat. via Metrowest Daily

• Gov. Lamont puts TCI on hold in Connecticut; Mass. finds itself in go-it-alone position. via CommonWealth Magazine

Nov. 16, 2021

• Infrastructure bill signed by Biden allocates at least $9 billion to Mass., and transportation advocates have ideas on how to spend it. via The Boston Globe

• Colrain’s town-wide broadband project nearing completion. via The Recorder News

• Here are the problems Dighton hopes federal infrastructure money will help fix. via Taunton Gazette

• ‘Ready to be your mayor’: Joshua Garcia sworn in as Holyoke’s 45th and first Latino mayor. via The Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Meet the next mayor of Somerville: Katjana Ballantyne; “I know from experience that in Somerville we can continue moving forward as long as we work together, we can build a city where we all thrive.”. via Boston Dot Com

• Fall River, New Bedford would stay separate in latest Congressional district proposal. via MassLive Media

Nov. 15, 2021

• National orgs representing local governments are asking Congress for more flexibility in how ARPA funds can be used. via Gloucester Daily Times

• After breaking barrier, Holyoke’s first Latino mayor ready to focus on the basics; Josh Garcia is bringing his municipal management know-how to City Hall. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Massachusetts lawmakers must act to extend vote-by-mail, Secretary of Commonwealth Bill Galvin warns. via WCVB

• Shop local and get paid is part of North Attleboro plan for federal aid money. via The Sun Chronicle

• After 600 days, the Massachusetts State House remains closed to the public. It appears to be the only state capitol still shut on this continent. via The Boston Globe

• COVID-19 cases increase among Mass. students, staff statewide. via The Boston Globe

Nov. 10, 2021

• Easton holds ‘vote & vax’ clinic before town meeting. via The Boston Globe

• In the void of national climate legislation, locals lead the way. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. senators unveil wide-ranging mental health measure. via The Boston Globe

• Lawrence is miles from the ocean. But homeowners are seeing huge increases for flood insurance. via WBUR

Nov. 9, 2021

• Mass. to get windfall from federal package for infrastructure needs. via Eagle Tribune

• Baker’s hate crimes task force releases guide to handle and prevent incidents in schools. via The Boston Globe

• Mayor Kim Janey reflects on short, but historic time as Boston’s mayor. via WBUR

• Radical changes and big incentives as Mass Save becomes a climate fighting tool — but is it enough?. via The Boston Globe

• Braintree Town Council passes anti-blight law that would fine property owners $300 per day. via Patriot Ledger

Nov. 3, 2021

• PFAS advisory: State asks people to limit or not eat fish caught at 5 Cape Cod ponds. via Cape Cod Times

• Senate ARPA bill includes $400m investment in mental health. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Massachusetts urges active vaccination role for schools. via New England Public Media

• The 2020 census likely left out people of color at rates higher than a decade ago. via WBUR

Nov. 2, 2021

• Lawmakers propose new Congressional maps for Mass. via The Boston Globe

• Study details Northampton’s internet needs; ballot question would allow city to continue pursuit of a municipal broadband internet system. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• As cable companies lose customers, public access TV channels are paying a price. via Milford Daily

• Election officials predict low turnout for local races across Massachusetts on Tuesday. via WBUR

• Worcester’s vaccine mandate began Monday with 93% of city side employees complying, officials said. via MassLive Media

Nov. 1, 2021

• Mass. Races To Watch Outside Of Boston On Election Day. via GBH

• PFAS detection leads to water treatment plant repairs in Wilmington. via Lowell Sun News

• Why the UN’s climate conference matters to Boston and Massachusetts. via WBUR

• Can ARPA spending spur transformative change? So far, most of the money is going into existing programs. via CommonWealth Magazine

• A short but historic mayoral term: Kim Janey matters. When Kim Janey inherited the seat left behind by Marty Walsh, it showed Bostonians something they’d never seen before: A Black woman mayor. via The Boston Globe

• Hundreds of Mass. state workers have been suspended, fired or resigned over vaccine mandate. via WBUR

Oct. 29, 2021

• New Massachusetts legislative district maps sent to Gov. Charlie Baker for review. via MassLive Media

• ‘Forever chemicals’ widespread in Mass. surface and ground water, says new report. via WBUR

• Across western Massachusetts, a half-dozen contested mayoral elections Tuesday. via New England Public Media

• Massachusetts surpasses major COVID vaccination milestone, Gov. Charlie Baker announces. via MassLive Media

• Norton residents endorse master plan for future. via The Sun Chronicle

• Get jabbed or get tested: Vaccine mandate begins Monday for Worcester municipal employees. via The Telegram & Gazette

Oct. 28, 2021

• Lawmakers poised to send new political maps, increasing number of majority-minority districts, to Baker. via The Boston Globe

• Amherst awarded $450,000 grant to develop public safety program sending unarmed responders to some 911 calls. via MassLive Media

• New Methuen voting precinct maps head for state approval. via Eagle Tribune

• Tyngsboro special town meeting moves to adopt ‘town manager’ form of government, must be approved by Legislature. via The Lowell Sun

• Tyer puts $500,000 more behind second round of At Home in Pittsfield home improvements. via Berkshire Eagle

Oct. 27, 2021

• Cambridge to join with Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop to trace COVID as state opts to end its contact-tracking program. via Cambridge Day

• Lawmakers push for more funds to fix sewer outfalls. via Eagle Tribune

• Massachusetts schools cannot require negative COVID test for a student’s return to class after holidays or vacations, DESE says. via MassLive Media

• Municipal coalition endorses public bank to aid small businesses, cities, and towns. via The Boston Globe

• Massachusetts school mask mandate extended to Jan. 15, 2022. via New England Public Media

Oct. 26, 2021

• Learning with COVID: How educators and students are finding a ‘new normal’. via WBUR

• Mass. economy shows sixth consecutive quarter of growth. via WBUR

• Study affirms bright future for ‘blue economy’. via Newburyport News

Oct. 25, 2021

• Lawmakers poised to unveil ARPA spending bill. via The Boston Herald

• State House moves toward reopening, but timeline remains unclear. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Chelsea, a city hit hard by COVID, has become a vaccination standout. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. lawmakers relax decades-old rule to allow public retirees to work more while getting pensions. via The Boston Globe

• Groveland hires its first town administrator. via Eagle Tribune

• Acting Mayor Kim Janey to challenge US Census count of Boston residents. via The Boston Globe

• Buckland Town Meeting passes zoning changes to increase affordable housing. via The Recorder News

• Hopkinton High School is first school in Mass. to lift mask requirement. via WBUR

Oct. 21, 2021

• Add paper to the list of things in short supply; shortage caused cancelation of mail-in voting brochure. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Providers’ Council honors Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno as Municipal Official of the Year. via MassLive Media

• Mental Health Treatment Is A Key Component To Mass. Pandemic Recovery, Baker Says. via GBH

• New work week: Tuesday through Thursday; MassDOT commuter planning tool finds new pattern. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Mass. lawmakers draw new maps to help candidates of color. via WBUR

• Framingham expected to host new majority-minority legislative district. via Metrowest Daily

Oct. 20, 2021

• Senate adds 6th majority-minority district in Brockton; lawmakers set to vote on redistricting plans. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Greenfield mayor, residents exchange visions for using ARPA funds. via The Recorder

• Brookline seeks community input on spending federal stimulus money. via The Boston Globe

• Fare-free Worcester buses called bright spot in transit recovery; business group backs discount fares for intermittent commuter rail riders. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Western Mass. town pushes for new tax on recreation to fund ambulance service. via New England Public Media

• Coming together: New Sandwich Town Hall will allow office consolidations and ‘higher tech’. via Cape Cod Times

• Chatham Joins Coalition To Support ‘Mansion Tax’. via Cape Cod Chronicle

Oct. 19, 2021

• North Attleboro OKs borrowing for PFAS treatment; more likely to come. via The Sun Chronicle

• EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’. via WBUR

• Following record-low influenza season, low natural immunity, health officials recommend getting flu vaccine. via MassLive Media

• Racial equity scorecard will grade ARPA spending. via The Eagle Tribune

• Mass. Senate faces blowback over proposed new districts. via Enterprise News

• About 4% of state employees have not complied with Gov. Baker’s vaccine mandate. via WBUR

Oct. 18, 2021

• Flooding could shut down Logan airport, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure in Mass., and the risk is only growing, report says. via The Boston Globe

• Advocates press lawmakers on redistricting, call for changes to proposed maps. via The Boston Globe

• Gov. Baker signs school meals bill. via Eagle Tribune

Oct. 15, 2021

• Educators say school mask policies likely to continue. via Newburyport News

• Closing the ‘digital divide’: Interest in municipal internet is rising on the South Shore, nationwide. via Patriot Ledger

• Amherst offers free asymptomatic COVID test kits. via MassLive Media

• EPA makes it official: Gloucester consent decree ended. via The Gloucester Times

• Gov. Baker files bill to put DOER in charge of procuring clean power. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Worcester School Committee votes to move away from at-large elections. via CommonWealth Magazine

Oct. 14, 2021

• Eversource withholding millions of dollars in taxes from 87 Massachusetts communities. via MassLive Media

• Municipal light plants partnering with offshore wind developer. via Newburyport News

• Stronger together: Beverly, Salem officials team up to tackle climate work. via Salem News

• Methuen adopts diversity and inclusion ordinance. via The Eagle Tribune

• Baker shifts thinking on offshore wind; calls for major infrastructure investment, end to price cap. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Boston will offer free swim lessons in communities of color to combat drownings. via The Boston Globe

• Salem Gears Up For The Return Of Halloween Festivities — With Caution. via GBH

Oct. 13, 2021

• Lawmakers propose new districts for Massachusetts’ 200 state House and Senate seats; new map would add 15 majority-minority districts, reflecting population growth among communities of color. via The Boston Globe

• Western Mass. would lose a state House seat under redistricting proposal. via New England Public Media

• Gov. Baker activates the National Guard to help with COVID testing in schools. via WBUR

• Hopkinton High School becomes first in state to get approval to lift mask mandate. via The Boston Globe

• Get the candy bowl ready. Dr. Fauci says Halloween is a go this year. via WBUR

• These images show what Boston landmarks will look like underwater depending on the climate choices we make. via The Boston Globe

Oct. 12, 2021

• Secretary of state pushes for three days to count votes in November election. via The Boston Globe

• Clerk to City Council: State lawmakers asked to go by city maps for census-driven redistricting. via The Telegram & Gazette

• Karen Spilka promises ‘we will get it done’ on ARPA spending bill. via The Boston Herald

• So far this year, schools report far higher rates of COVID-19 in students, staff. via WBUR

• Massachusetts ‘got pretty lucky’ with no EEE cases so far in 2021. via WBUR

• Lawmakers brace for new political maps. via The Eagle Tribune

• The silent majority in support of housing action; voices dominating local debates often don’t reflect the broader sentiment. via CommonWealth Magazine

Oct. 8, 2021

• Public health advocates urge state to ban PFAS in food packaging. via Patriot Ledger

• Some towns yearn for commuter rail silence. via CommonWealth Magazine

• This district’s population center is Latino-majority Lawrence. But white Andover residents have long held the state Senate seat; advocates say new political maps are needed to empower communities of color. via The Boston Globe

• Mass. National Guard to Drive School Buses in 4 New Communities Amid Shortage. via NBC Boston

• Baker appoints new MBTA board; Longtime Massport official Betsy Taylor will be chair. via CommonWealth Magazine

Oct. 7, 2021

• Public health, equity, homeless are proposed Amherst COVID relief spending priorities. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Methuen hires Andover accounting firm to administer spending of $46M ARPA money. via Eagle Tribune

• Kim Janey signs executive order to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in Boston. via Boston Dot Com

• Hingham and Carver among 14 districts sued over legality of school mask mandates. via Patriot Ledger

• Cases of Legionnaires’ disease detected in the Merrimack Valley. via Eagle Tribune

Oct. 6, 2021

• Sept. collections exceed projections by 14%. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Senate committee report urges action on addressing inequities post-COVID; work, housing, transportation policies could widen wealth gaps. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Mass. Senate panel produces wide-ranging list of spending options amid pandemic. via New England Public Media

• State regulators roll out combined sewer overflow discharge notice rules. via Gloucester Times

• New ordinance to squeeze emissions from Boston’s largest buildings. via WBUR

• Newton taps federal COVID relief funds to support city trees, local trails. via The Boston Globe

• What Are The Legislative Hurdles For Same-Day Voter Registration In Massachusetts?. via GBH

• Cambridge School Committee OK’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for eligible students. via The Boston Globe

Oct. 5, 2021

• Lawmakers to consider legislation that would make vote-by-mail and early voting permanent. via WBUR

• As it considers how to prioritize American Rescue Plan Act funds, Great Barrington seeks input from residents. via Berkshire Eagle

• North Adams Planning Board adopts design standards and moves forward on ‘Smart Growth’ zoning. via Berkshire Eagle

• ARPA spending: Massachusetts lawmakers consider reduced MBTA fares, WiFi investments. via MassLive Media

• Massachusetts planning to spend ‘some’ ARPA money by Thanksgiving. via Boston Herald

• Gov. Charlie Baker selects Terrence Reidy as new Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. via MassLive Media

Oct. 4, 2021

• With redistricting, federal stimulus decisions, and more on the menu, there could be legislative feast before Thanksgiving. via The Boston Globe

• PFAS contamination: Of 21 Barnstable ponds tested, 21 had contaminants, town report finds. via Cape Cod Times

• COVID-19 concerns remain as Salem, Topsfield celebrate autumn traditions. via The Boston Globe

• Berkshire County likely to see four Mass. House seats cut to three in redistricting. via Berkshire Eagle

• States, cities slow to spend pandemic funds. via AP News

• Lawmakers pressed to approve school building money; Voc-tech schools ask for ARPA funding. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Delays hinder state’s pooled testing program for schools; staffing challenges at CIC Health cited. via CommonWealth Magazine

• From COVID tests and contact tracing to angry parents, school nurses say it’s hard to keep up. via WBUR

• Massachusetts schools sitting large pot of federal COVID relief funds. via MassLive Media

• State gauging landscape for new COVID-19 vaccinations . via Salem News

• COVID spreading at the highest rate through Central and Western Massachusetts; See how your town compared. via MassLive Media

Oct. 1, 2021

• Mass. Senate presses to make vote-by-mail permanent, institute same-day registration. via The Boston Globe

• Worthington broadband internet network completed. via MassLive Media

• Chelmsford board backs plan for PFAS removal. via Eagle Independent

• Norwell contends with discolored water while trying to reduce PFAS levels. via Patriot Ledger

• School districts are scrambling to find food for student meals; supply chain and staffing shortages combined with vast expansion of free lunch programs are overwhelming cafeterias this fall. via The Boston Globe

Sept. 30, 2021

• Nantucket Study committee: Consider Town Meeting change. via The Inquirer and Mirror

• Buildings to be likely focus of carbon emissions fight. via Newburyport News

• Lowell is making a comeback; the former industrial city’s revival efforts have stalled in the past, but this time the push has momentum and money behind it. via The Boston Globe

• Budget watchdogs identify ‘immediate’ needs as Massachusetts sits on mountain of coronavirus aid, surplus dollars. via Boston Herald

• COVID Vaccine Mandate Set For Eligible Amherst-Pelham Students. via New England Public Media

• Nearly three-quarters of Boston city workers have provided proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test under first phase of mandate. via The Boston Globe

Sept. 29, 2021

• ‘Clock ticking’ on $4.9B in ARPA funding as Massachusetts spending lags. via Boston Herald

• COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts Continue In Western Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• Massachusetts State Lottery produced $1.112 billion in net profit for Commonwealth during 2021 fiscal year, breaks record. via MassLive Media

• Should Great Barrington control how homeowners rent their property? Early bylaw talks stir resistance. via Berkshire Eagle

• COVID for the foreseeable future? Herd immunity seems unlikely as experts discuss annual boosters, holiday surges. via MassLive Media

• Breakthrough COVID cases in Massachusetts decreased last week along with total cases. via MassLive Media

• Advocates propose sweeping changes to state’s political map. via The Boston Globe

• Sciarra, Warner Top Northampton Mayoral Preliminary. via New England Public Media

Sept. 28, 2021

• Bristol County joins three counties to administer $389 million in federal ARPA funds. via South Coast Today

• Expert: Too Soon To Tell If COVID-19 Cases Have Plateaued In Western Massachusetts. via New England Public Media

• Mass. Extends School Mask Mandate Through October. via WBUR

Sept. 27, 2021

• Police to form partnership to help ‘most vulnerable’. via Salem News

• Trick-or-treating outdoors this Halloween as COVID pandemic continues is ‘absolutely’ safe, CDC director says. via MassLive Media

• New Bedford wins three-year lawsuit against ABC Disposal over recycling fees. via South Coast Today

Sept. 24, 2021

• Mass. Schools Report More Than 2,200 New COVID-19 Cases Among Students. via NBC10Boston

• State says nursing homes should be ready to give COVID-19 booster shots next week. via The Boston Globe

• Court denies Massachusetts State Police union’s attempt to delay COVID-19 vaccine mandate. via WCVB

• Mass. House Agrees to Vaccine Mandate For Reps, Staff. via GBH

Sept. 23, 2021

• Boston Council Puts Big Buildings On Track To Achieve Carbon Neutrality By 2050. via GBH

• Lawmakers seek to fortify coast communities. via Gloucester Times

• Springfield Enlists Public School Students To Help Improve Low Vaccination Rate. via New England Public Media

Sept. 22, 2021

• How To Spend $5 Billion In COVID Relief: Mass. State Legislature Hears Public Health Proposals. via GBH

• Easton sues chemical companies over PFAS in water. via The Boston Globe

• Leicester voters overwhelmingly seal the deal: Town buys former Becker College campus. via Telegram & Gazette

• Newton mayor designating $125,000 in federal COVID funds for local arts. via The Boston Globe

• Tyngsboro selectmen support significant change in local governance. via Lowell Sun News

• With state testimony, local leaders seek public health system investment. via The Recorder News

Sept. 21, 2021

• Massachusetts Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Reprecincting Process Change. via WBUR

• Gov. Baker creates first-of-its-kind clean heat commission to help state reach climate goals. via Boston.com

• Report outlines 10 recommendations on how the Worcester Fire Department can prevent line-of-duty deaths. via MassLive Media

• Job Gains In Massachusetts Slowed To A Trickle in August. via New England Public Media

Sept. 20, 2021

• Salem To Require A Negative COVID-19 Test To Attend Halloween Events. via WBUR

• Top city officials prepped for first run of new election system in Tuesday preliminary. via Lowell Sun News

• Workers are going back to the office, just not how they expected to. via The Boston Globe

• Local PAC seeks to dispel misinformation. via Salem News

• Milford is installing signs and remote cameras, with plans to prosecute illegal dumping. via Milford Daily News

Sept. 17, 2021

• In first report of new school year, state shows 1,230 coronavirus cases among students, 190 among staff. via The Boston Globe

• Springfield mayor: Spike in COVID cases ‘very alarming and scary’. via MassLive Media

Sept. 16, 2021

• More Than 90% Of State’s ARPA Money Not Allocated. via WBUR

• Region’s mayors see ‘sense of urgency’ on housing, climate change. via Salem News

• After Mold Mess And Back-And-Forth With State, South Hadley High To Begin School Year Online. via New England Public Media

• Voters shrug at Boston’s ‘historic’ mayor’s race; Turnout lower than 8 years ago, despite population growth. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Races for mayor, council shaping up in Easthampton. via Daily Hampshire Gazette

• Costs pushing more people into poverty in Mass.. via Newburyport News

Sept. 15, 2021

• After years of planning, Boston Planning & Development Agency board sets new rules for building in flood-prone parts of Boston. via The Boston Globe

• North Adams City Council passes ‘Smart Growth’ zoning. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Newton to implement master plan for bicycling and pedestrians. via The Boston Globe

• New England Forests Can Help Slow Climate Change. A New Report Shows Exactly How Much. via WBUR

• Governor Charlie Baker plans another run at health care reforms. via The Sentinel And Enterprise

• Leicester town meeting approves money to buy Becker College campus, ballot vote next week. via Telegram & Gazette

• In hard-fought race, Boston’s mayoral field is cut down to Wu and Essaibi George. via The Boston Globe

• Charlie Baker says a lot of people got the COVID-19 outbreak in Provincetown all wrong. via Boston.com

• Advocates renew plans to expand bottle bill. via The Eagle Tribune

• Voters across Greater Boston make decisions in preliminary mayoral races Tuesday. via The Boston Globe

Sept. 14, 2021

• 15 city preliminary elections set for today. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Lawmakers hear more pitches for ARPA relief money. via The Eagle Tribune

• Boston’s new mayor will be sworn in mid-November, not January. via The Boston Globe

• Gov. Baker: National Guard to assist with school transportation; House Speaker Mariano says federal aid spending plan could come by Thanksgiving. via CommonWealth Magazine

• Report: ‘Hundreds’ of Mass. schools still waiting for state’s COVID test supplies. via Boston.com

• ‘Greener alternative’: Cape businesses support plastic water bottle ban, seek substitutes. via The Cape Cod Times

Sept. 13, 2021

• Whatever happens in Tuesday’s preliminary mayoral election, Boston is on the brink of change. via The Boston Globe

• Low COVID-19 teen vaccination rates plague many hard-hit Mass. communities as students start school. via The Boston Globe

• Settlement agreement: Wayland will make elementary playground more accessible. via Metro West Daily

• Here’s what the next six months of the pandemic will bring. via The Boston Globe

Sept. 10, 2021

• Springfield To Require Masks Indoors Across The City, As Officials Urge ‘Shots In The Arms’. via New England Public Media

• EPA Recommends Superfund Status For Lower Neponset River. via WBUR

• 20 years after 9/11, New Englanders reflect on a defining moment. via The Telegram & Gazette

• Colrain voters OK debt exclusion; funds to support school repairs. via The Recorder News

• School bus company pays $165,000 to settle idling charges; Diesel engines ran for 20 minutes outside New Bedford schools. via CommonWealth Magazine

Sept. 9, 2021

• Amid spike in cyberattacks, Mass. officials debate how to protect state networks. via The Boston Globe

• Massachusetts schools will be required to resume COVID case reporting, officials say. via MassLive Media

• Pembroke seeks residents for climate resiliency workshop. via The Patriot Ledger

• Here’s where the COVID-19 booster shot rollout stands. via The Boston Globe

• Zoom official contacts West Stockbridge Police after hacker interrupts meeting with threats, racial slurs. via The Berkshire Eagle

• Somerville Mayor To Take Over Environmental Council When Terms Ends. via WBUR

Sept. 8, 2021

• Chatham Poised To Reactivate Shuttered Well; Another Well Shows Rise In PFAS Contamination. via The Cape Cod Chronicle

• Toxic Firefighting Foams A Challenge To Replace Quickly. via New England Public Media

• UN Report: Weather Disasters Have Become 5 Times As Common, Thanks In Part To Climate Change. via New England Public Media

• 2021 has been warmer and wetter: Boston had the warmest and 3rd wettest summer on record, Worcester had 4th wettest summer, 11th warmest on record. via MassLive Media

• Massachusetts traffic is back. It’s also different. Is it about to get worse?. via Boston.com

Sept. 7, 2021

• As Barnstable hunts for new sources of public drinking water, PFAS contamination rears its ugly head. via The Cape Cod Times

• Somerville Aims For Climate Resilience And Equity With New Urban Forest Report. via GBH

• Some Hope Voting By Mail Could Boost Dismal Turnout In Local Mass. Elections. via WBUR

• Fall River is getting its first female veterans agent — how her unique experience will help. via The Herald News