Massachusetts news

• Developer Releases Schedule and Construction management Plan for 27/29 Hancock St. Project

  15-01-2026 19:06 via beaconhilltimes.com
  D. Murphy Photo
  Two adjacent properties at 27/29 Hancock St., which are poised to
  be redeveloped by the nonprofit, Fenway Forward, into a total of 15
  affordable homeownership units.
  Representatives for the newly rebranded Fenway Forward (formerly Fenway CDC) were on hand for a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to outline their schedule and construction management plan for a home-ownership project planned for 27/29 Hancock St. Per its agreement with developer JDMD, Fenway Forward -a nonprofit
  
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• Massachusetts Wins $10 million Federal Grant for Early Literacy Tutoring

  15-01-2026 19:03 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the SunThe Healey-Driscoll Administration is  celebrating that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has been awarded $10 million from the U.S. Education Department in a new Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant. The state plans to use this funding for early literacy tutoring as part of the administration’s comprehensive strategy to improve literacy for all Massachusetts students.The funding for the 2026-27 school year will support Massac
  
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• Wu and the OYEA Announce Mayor’s Youth Council Cohort

  15-01-2026 19:02 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesThe 31st cohort of the Mayor’s Youth Council includes 20 high school students from schools across Boston who will represent their peers in City government.
  Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement (OYEA) recently welcomed the 31st cohort of the Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC). The 20 high school students in the new council cohort were inaugurated with a swearing-in ceremony hosted by the Mayor. “For over 30 years, the Mayor&rsquo
  
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• Healey Announces Safety Reforms following Release of the ALR Commission’s Final Report

  15-01-2026 19:02 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesGovernor Maura Healey announced a comprehensive set of reforms to strengthen safety, transparency and consumer protections in assisted living residences (ALRs) across Massachusetts. This action follows the submission of the ALR Commission’s final report to the Legislature, which outlines both regulatory and legislative solutions to improve the safety and well-being of residents.  The ALR Commission was established through the 2024 Act to Improve Quality and Ov
  
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• MassDOT Announces Annual Safe Routes to School Program Yard Sign Design Contest

  15-01-2026 19:01 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through its Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 Yard Sign Design Contest. The annual contest raises awareness for transportation-related themes that help support school safety for walking and biking to school and is open to students in second through eighth grade who attend participating SRTS partner public schools. To become an SRTS partner, school administrators can connect with their Outr
  
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• City Offering Free Winter Fitness Series

  15-01-2026 19:01 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesThe Boston Parks and Recreation Department and Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) are pleased to announce the 2026 Boston Parks Winter Fitness Series, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. The series will offer free weekly classes in City of Boston parks until April 4. This season, Bostonians can enjoy a variety of healthy activities both indoors and outdoors, including Walking Group, line dancing, Bota Foga, Kids Dance Fitness, Strength and Balance,
  
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• The Museum of African American History Marks a Century of Black History Commemorations throughout the Month of February 

  15-01-2026 19:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
   Special to the TimesIn 2026, Black History Week will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The observance was expanded into a monthlong celebration in 1970, reflecting the growing recognition of the importance of Black history and culture. To honor this historic milestone, the Museum of African American History | Boston & Nantucket (MAAH) invites the public to take part in a vibrant series of programs, many offered at no cost, at its 46 Joy Street location on Boston&r
  
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• Boston City Council Welcomes Councilor Miniard Culpepper

  15-01-2026 19:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesThe Boston City Council welcomed Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who began his first term representing District 7 on January 5, following a recent inauguration ceremony.Councilor Culpepper represents the neighborhood of Roxbury and sections of Dorchester, Fenway, and the South End. Born and raised on Seaver Street in Dorchester, he was shaped by a family legacy rooted in activism, faith, and community leadership. His grandparents were the first Black couple to live on Seaver Str
  
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• Significant Drought Conditions Declared in Central and Northeast Regions

  15-01-2026 18:59 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Drought conditions worsen in the Southeast Region, Nantucket County and Millers Basin, while conditions have improved in Dukes County Special to the TimesEnergy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper has declared the Central and Northeast Regions have worsened to a Level 2–Significant Drought. Conditions also declined in nearly all other regions, moving the Southeast Region to a Level–1 Mild Drought and the Millers River Basin to a Level 3-Critical Drought. In
  
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• MBTA to Operate two Patriots Trains from Boston on Sunday, January 18

  15-01-2026 18:59 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the MBTA’s operations and maintenance partner for Commuter Rail, announced today that two trains will operate from Boston to Gillette Stadium for the Patriots playoff game on Sunday. Additionally, a third train will operate from Providence to Gillette. Tickets are limited and are currently available through the mTicket app.Trains to Foxboro:The first train from Boston will depart South Station at 12:40 PM and arrive in Foxboro at 1:40 PM. The
  
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• Wu Appoints Lydia Torres and Franklin Peralta, and Reappoints Stephen Alkins to Boston School Committee 

  15-01-2026 18:58 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesMayor Michelle Wu recently announced three new appointments to the Boston School Committee, Lydia Torres, Franklin Peralta, and Dr. Stephen Alkins. Torres and Peralta will begin their first terms, and Dr. Alkins will begin his second term, after first being appointed by Mayor Wu in January 2022. The Boston School Committee is the governing body of Boston Public Schools (BPS).“I’m excited to reappoint Dr. Stephen Alkins and appoint Ms. Lydia Torres and Mr. Franklin
  
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• Officials Announce over $300,000 in Swim Safe Grants to Expand Free Swim Lessons for Youth

  15-01-2026 18:58 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesThe City of Boston’s Office of Human Services and Boston Centers for Youth & Families announced the award of Swim Safe grants totaling $314,118 to 15 Boston-based nonprofit organizations to expand access to free beginner swim lessons for young people across the city. The grants bolster Boston’s ongoing efforts to enhance water safety and equitable access to aquatics programming.“This investment of City funds ensures that every young person has access to
  
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• Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

  15-01-2026 18:57 via beaconhilltimes.com
  For those of a certain age, it is hard to imagine that 2026 will mark 58 years since the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis while he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. Recalling how we felt when he first heard the news of Dr. King’s murder still brings chills and a deep sense of sadness that never has subsided.For those who are too young to have been alive in that era of American history, there are a few things that everyone should
  
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• Motor Mart Garage Reportedly going back on the Market

  15-01-2026 18:57 via beaconhilltimes.com
  By Dan MurphyThe owner of Motor Mart Garage has apparently scrapped its ambitious redevelopment plans and is now reportedly poised to put the property on the market this winter.The CIM Group, owner of the century-old garage  since 2016, has apparently hired the global commercial real estate services and investment firm, CBRE, to potentially sell the 1.2 acre site, which spans a full city block where Bay Village meets Back Bay, according to the Jan. 7 edition of The Boston Globe. (Banker &am
  
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• BPLF Hosts Free Estate Planning Webinar for Same-sex Couples and Non-traditional Families

  15-01-2026 18:57 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Boston Public Library Fund (BPLF) is proud to announce that it will host an online Zoom  free webinar on Wednesday, February 4, 12:30-1:30 p.m.,  featuring Scott E. Squillace, Esq., for an in-depth program exploring the unique estate planning considerations affecting same-sex couples and non-traditional families.In the wake of shifting federal administrations, LGBTQ+ individuals have faced evolving questions about marriage rights, legal protections, and long-term planning. This pro
  
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• Still Time to get Flu Shots for Yourself and Your Children

  15-01-2026 18:56 via beaconhilltimes.com
  An estimated 7400 Americans already have died from the flu this season. Although most deaths occur among senior citizens, young children are the next most-vulnerable group.The tragedy is that almost all of these deaths would have been preventable if those who died had received their flu shotsIt is not surprising that this flu season has seen more hospitalizations and deaths compared to last year. Fewer Americans have received a flu shot, even though a vaccination is the number one means by which
  
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