Ice Bucket Challenge week destined for state law
Lawmakers want to drench the first week of August in cold water, sending Gov. Charlie Baker legislation on Thursday to annually commemorate the catchy and frigid fundraising activity known as the Ice...
View ArticleFewer teens working summer jobs
THE ISSUE: Roughly 44 percent of Massachusetts teens are working summer jobs, compared to more than 61 percent in 2000.THE IMPACT: Teens who work summer jobs are more likely to develop marketable...
View ArticleExperts warn of mosquito risk
THE ISSUE: Mosquito-borne illnesses such as West Nile virus and EEE pose a public health risk.THE IMPACT: There have been 27 mosquito sample pools to test positive for West Nile virus this year, as of...
View ArticleGovernor Baker signs rewritten recreational pot law
BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law on Friday overhauling the marijuana legalization measure voters put on the books in November, and immediately afterward offered a cautious outlook on the...
View ArticleHave you seen a truck missing two wheels? State Police ask for help.
Early Monday morning, at approximately 5:35 a.m., a State Police cruiser was parked in a construction zone on Interstate 84 Eastbound, when it was struck by two wheels/tires, that came off of a passing...
View ArticleSome schools will make up snow days with at-home assignments
THE ISSUE: Some schools are using at-home assignments to avoid making up snow days at the end of June.THE DETAILS: While Massachusetts has no formal policy, the state allows school districts to adopt...
View ArticleFederal bill could put pitchfork in Massachusetts farm animal welfare law
THE ISSUE: A proposal in Congress would prohibit states from taxing or regulating out-of-state businesses.THE IMPACT: Some analysts say the bill could affect parts of an approved 2016 Massachusetts...
View ArticleRevenue 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 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 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 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...
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