Revenue chairman "certain" there won't be a sales tax holiday this year
Consumers will get no break on the sales tax from the state of Massachusetts this summer, as lawmakers opt for the second year in a row to forego a tax holiday weekend.Revenue Committee Chairman Jay...
View ArticleToxic algae poses risk in some Massachusetts ponds
THE ISSUE: Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, has become a common sight on many bodies of water.THE IMPACT: Exposure to high concentrations of cyanobacteria can cause symptoms ranging from skin rashes...
View ArticleTelemedicine lets doctors diagnose remotely
THE ISSUE: Using telemedicine, doctors can remotely diagnose or monitor some medical conditions, eliminating the need for an in-person visit.THE IMPACT: Advocates of a pending telemedicine bill say it...
View ArticleCould free community college come to Massachusetts?
THE ISSUE: Four states now offer free community college to their residents, covering tuition and mandatory fees.LOCAL IMPACT: It could likely cost Massachusetts an estimated $127 million annually to...
View ArticleFour years of construction looming on Route 18
At about the same time work wraps up on the new Fore River Bridge this fall, South Shore commuters will contend with another traffic nightmare: the widening of Route 18 from Abington to Weymouth. But...
View ArticleINTERACTIVE MAP: More than 40 communities connected with human trafficking...
Use this interactive map to find out more about the human trafficking cases pursued by the Attorney General's Office in the past five years. Readers on a mobile device should turn their device...
View ArticleGrant money to replace collapsing culvert in Weymouth
WEYMOUTH – The town plans to use nearly $400,000 in state money to replace a collapsing culvert at Puritan Road with a new structure that will restore natural flow in the Back River’s Spring Brook and...
View ArticleAnti-racism groups turn to Boston ahead of 'free speech' rally
Violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, set Americans on edge over the weekend as officials in Boston cast a wary eye on a rally planned for Boston Common this Saturday.In a letter Monday, anti-racism...
View ArticleMayor Walsh urges 'free speech' ralliers to stay away after Virginia violence
State and city officials on Monday denounced the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend and pledged to keep Boston safe during a planned rally this Saturday, while acknowledging...
View ArticleLISTEN: Extra! Extra! speaks with Wicked Local News Bank Editor Gerry Tuoti...
Extra! Extra! podcast hosts Caitlyn Kelleher and Joy Richard jump into their first interview with Wicked Local News Bank Editor and veteran reporter Gerry Tuoti.The pair spends the episode breaking...
View ArticleBoston Holocaust Memorial vandalized for a second time this summer
The New England Holocaust Memorial has been vandalized for the second time this summer, according to the Boston Police.Boston Police said a witness on Monday evening saw a 17-year-old Malden man throw...
View ArticleConstruction site fires heighten scrutiny of wood
THE ISSUE: As new multi-story wood-frame apartment complexes have become more common, some have raised safety concerns following recent fires.THE IMPACT: Fires this summer have destroyed apartment...
View ArticleCould you pass a U.S. citizenship test?
Recent studies show many Americans would struggle to pass a U.S. citizenship test, an exam that many states are adopting as a high school graduation requirement.
View ArticleSTATE HOUSE ROUNDUP -- Free, but not welcome, speech
A recap and analysis of the week in state government.It would be virtually impossible to so quickly forget the racial violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, but political leaders at all...
View ArticleLISTEN: Extra! Extra! talks sharks with Wicked Local journalist Ruth Thompson
Extra! Extra! podcast hosts Caitlyn Kelleher and Joy Richard take a closer local at local ecology and the influx of great white sharks with Wicked Local Multimedia Journalist Ruth Thompson.The pair...
View ArticleLOTTERY: $759 million Powerball winner sold in Chicopee
A gas station in Chicopee sold the Powerball ticket with numbers 6-7-16-23-26 and Powerball number 4, the lucky combination that can be turned in to claim a $758.7 million jackpot, the largest jackpot...
View ArticleWhat you need to know to be a responsible renter, landlord, neighbor
THE ISSUE: Under state law, renters and landlords have defined legal rights and responsibilities.THE IMPACT: The laws will affect the thousands of Massachusetts residents who enter new leases on Sept. 1.
View ArticleAfter massive spike, opioid death rate down slightly
THE ISSUE: Opioid deaths fell slightly in the first half of 2017, but the decrease follows years of sharp increases.THE IMPACT: Public health officials say Massachusetts hasn't seen such a large spike...
View ArticleMassachusetts seeks waiver from MCAS-Alt limit
THE ISSUE: Some students with severe disabilities take an alternative to the MCAS.THE IMPACT: A new federal requirement caps the number of students who can take the alternative assessment, and...
View ArticleSTATEHOUSE NEWS: Boston 'wiped out as a city' if Harvey hit, Mayor Walsh says
While Boston sends helps to Houston as that city recovers from record rainfall and devastating flooding, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh is turning his attention to how Boston would cope with a similar...
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