Massachusetts news

• Statue of Jack Connors unveiled outside old Hancock Tower


  19-06-2026 15:23 via beaconhilltimes.com
  A bronze statue of the late Boston business titan and philanthropist, JackConnors Jr., seated on a bench in the front courtyard of the old John Hancock Tower was unveiled on Tuesday, June 9, at a gathering of around 250 of his family members and friends.

  For many years, Connors, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2024 at the age of 82, helmed the Hill Holliday advertising agency from his office inside the former Hancock Tower (now called 200 Clarendon) and later on the building’s top
  
  Read more

• Beacon Hill Civic Association Community Corner


  19-06-2026 15:23 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Upcoming Events

  Groundwater & Wood Piles Walking Tour – Saturday, June 20th, 11am (meet outside Starbucks at Beacon and Charles Streets)

  Founders Reception – Wednesday, June 24th, 6pm (by invitation only)

  Young Friends Social – Wednesday, June 24th, 7pm, Liberty Hotel

  Meet & Greet – Monday, July 6th, 6pm, 75 Chestnut

  

  Upcoming Meetings

  Zoning & Licensing Committee – Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm, via Zoom

  
  Read more

• Wu, secretary Phil Eng announce extension of fare-free transit program


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Mayor Michelle Wu and MassDOT Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng today announced that the City of Boston has extended its successful fare-free transit program through the end of 2026. During the pilot, ridership has grown faster on Routes 23, 28, and 29 than anywhere else in the MBTA system, while saving families money and improving bus speed and reliability. 

  “Fare-free buses are delivering results for residents—saving commuters money, easing traffic, and gro
  
  Read more

• Tick bites surge to a 10-year high as Sawyer offers expert guidance for peak season


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Tick bites are sending Americans to emergency rooms at rates not seen in a decade, according to a CDC statement released in April 2026. With Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome all on the rise, outdoor protection brand Sawyer is urging families to take simple, proven steps to stay safe this season.

  The scale of this season’s surge is striking: during the fourth week of April 2026, approximately 114 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits in th
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Related Beal signs lease agreement with Brick Street Bagels


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Related Beal announced that it will welcome Brick Street Bagels at 144 Charles Street in Beacon Hill this fall. The Charles Street location marks Brick Street Bagels’ third permanent shop in Boston, bringing its signature handmade bagels to one of Boston’s most beloved corridors.

  Founded in 2022, Brick Street Bagels is a Boston-based bagel shop that began as a pop-up and bike delivery operation and eventually settled at The Buttery in the South End before opening its first per
  
  Read more

• Neighborhood Roundup 6-19-26

  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Boston Groundwater Trust to offer June 20 walking tour of Flat of the Hill

  The Boston Groundwater Trust will offer a free walking tour of the Flat of Beacon Hill on Saturday June 20, from 11 a.m. to noon.The meeting location is the Starbucks on the corner of Beacon and Charles streets at 65-66 Beacon St.

  The tour will be led by Christian Simonelli, the Trust’s executive director, who will talk about the critically important work of the Trust looking out for the Flat of Beacon
  
  Read more

• Juneteenth is more
significant than ever

  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Juneteenth, which has been a national holiday since 2021, marks the day when the Union Army entered the city of Galveston on June 19, 1865, and formally freed those who still were being enslaved in Texas.
  As the Union Army advanced through the South in the final months of the Civil War, Confederate slave-owners in states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas forced tens of thousands of slaves to go to Texas, which was the only Southern state where the Union Army had not taken full control
  
  Read more

• FBI Boston Warns Drone Operators of Temporary Flight Restrictions During FIFA World Cup 2026


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Planning to fly your drone in Massachusetts or Rhode Island during the FIFA World Cup 2026? Be aware that the government will establish temporary flight restrictions around FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums, fan festivals, and other event locations. Flying a drone in a restricted zone is not only dangerous, but it is also a federal crime and can result in criminal fines up to $100,000, up to a year in federal prison, and seizure of the drone.

  Temporary flight restrictions define a certain area
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Boston Common Frog Pond spray pool opens June 23


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  

  Mayor Michelle Wu, Chief Climate Officer Brian Swett, Commissioner of Boston Parks and Recreation Diana Fernandez Bibeau, and The Skating Club of Boston are pleased to welcome children and their caregivers to kick off the 2026 summer wading season as the Boston Common Frog Pond spray pool reopens on Tuesday, June 23.

  The wading pool opening is made possible by presenting sponsors H.P. Hood LLC and the New England Dairy Council. The event will include an exciting celebration at 11
  
  Read more

• Boston celebrates Guinness World Records title for 


  19-06-2026 15:22 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) joined Mayor Michelle Wu, elected officials, and Guinness World Records North America, Inc., at Piers Park II to celebrate a record-breaking achievement on Boston’s waterfront and the start of FIFA World Cup festivities across the region. A towering 47.9-foot soccer ball displayed at Piers Park II in East Boston has officially earned the Guinness World Records title for the World’s Largest Soccer Ball, giving Boston a larger-than-life symbo
  
  Read more

Follow @MassNewslocker on Twitter!