Massachusetts news

• Groups files complaint over Harvard's legacy admission policy days after SCOTUS ruling

  03-07-2023 17:09
  Harvard, having taken a hit to its affirmative action practices in its admissions last week from the U.S. Supreme Court, is now facing a new civil rights complaint targeting its prioritizing of legacy admissions and relatives of major donors.
  
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• Violinist Rachel Barton Pine to perform Sept. 13 at Calderwood Hall

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Violinist Rachel Barton Pine to perform Sept. 13 at Calderwood Hall
  Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum presents violinist Rachel Barton Pine in concert on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Calderwood Hall at 25 Evans Way.
  Tickets each cost $70 to $99, while students and children, age 5-17, are admitted for $25, and seniors are admitted for $63-89.
  Visit https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/rachel-barton-pine-20260913 to purchase tickets and for more information on this performance.
  West
  
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• Kori bustard chick hatches at Franklin Park Zoo

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Throughout the day, the dedicated team at Franklin Park Zoo takes turns visiting a small fluffy, striped kori bustard to make sure the month-old chick is getting enough exercise and reaching important developmental milestones.
  Hatched on August 1, the female kori bustard chick is being raised by the Animal Care team to ensure it has the best opportunity to thrive. This is a significant hatch for this species, and marks the first successful hatch at Franklin Park Zoo since 2003.
  The chick has bee
  
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• Jury acquits Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins of extortion charges

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  A federal jury acquitted Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins of extortion charges Wednesday, September 2, following a trial in the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston.
  Tompkins had been charged with two counts of extortion related to an investment in a cannabis company.
  Tompkins was appointed Sheriff of Suffolk County in 2013. He won a special election in 2014 and two general elections for six-year terms in 2016 and 2022. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.
  During
  
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• Healey invests $4.2 million to grow offshore wind workforce and research

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Governor Healey and the Mass Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced $4.2 million in funding to 20 projects that will prepare workers for offshore wind and maritime careers, and support research on fisheries, wildlife, and the marine environment. The funding is awarded through two MassCEC programs: $1.7 million through the Offshore Wind Works program and $2.4 million through the Offshore Wind Science, Research and Analysis program. These awards are part of Massachusetts’ continued investme
  
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• Freedom Trail hosts after dark experiences

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Special to the TimesDiscover the Freedom Trail in a new light – after dark – on the official Freedom Trail Lantern Tours. Freedom Trail Foundation announces the return of the unique Lantern Tours, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to experience the sinister history and mystery of the Freedom Trail by lantern-light! The annual Lantern Tours will be offered on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 6 p.m. from September 17 until October 30, and Wednesday, October 28. Offici
  
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• City of Boston releases request for proposals for new Street Furniture Program

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The City of Boston announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) procurement process to identify a business partner to upgrade and expand its network of bus shelters, wayfinding kiosks, and other street furniture elements in the City’s rights-of-way. These amenities serve transit riders, active transportation users and pedestrians. The City’s vision for its new Street Furniture Program is to influence how people travel and improve public spaces through functional, well-designed amenities t
  
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• Boston Arts Festival returns for 23rd year with more than 50 local artists

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Boston Arts Festival is back with more than 50 artists who will be taking over Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park from September 12 + 13, 2026. The annual celebration of all things art was first launched in 2003. Over the years, it has grown to become Boston’s biggest art celebration of the summer, giving dozens of local artists and musicians a platform. The family-friendly event runs from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. each day and is free. Blankets, chairs, and picnics are encouraged; dog
  
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• Author Jenny Jackson celebrates latest book with Sept. 17 event at Beacon Hill Books

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Things are always hopping at Beacon Hill Books, but the energy will amp up on Thursday, Sept.17, at 6 p.m., when New York Times-bestselling author Jenny Jackson signs copies of her latest book, ‘The Shampoo Effect.’
  Jenny is a publishing industry heavyweight as a vice president and executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf and the author of two bestsellers, ‘The Shampoo Effect,’ and before that, ‘Pineapple Street.’
  Jenny will be joined by her longtime friend, Alexa
  
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• AG Campbell releases annual Labor Day report spotlighting actions to protect workers

  11-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell released the Attorney General’s Office (AGO)’s annual Labor Day Report, spotlighting the AGO’s dedicated efforts to protect the rights of Massachusetts workers and ensure access to fair pay, benefits, and safe working conditions for all.
  “While decisions by the federal government create new uncertainty for workers and families, my office continues to do what it’s always done: protect working people,” said AG C
  
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• Upstairs Downstairs Home’s 250th American Anniversary fundraising event set for Sept. 30

  04-09-2026 07:02 via beaconhilltimes.com
  On Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m., Upstairs Downstairs Home at 69 Charles St. will host and salute a 250th American Anniversary event, ‘An American Portrait,’ with a fundraiser for veterans and their families.
  The nation’s birthday celebration, said Laura Cousineau, who co-owns the shop, along with her husband, Bob, “did not begin and end on the Fourth of July, but now in the remainder of 2026 offers all of us, in the most historic of all places in the nation&rsquo
  
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• Women’s Lunch Place’s Spaghetti Dinner set for Oct. 29 at Fairmont Copley Plaza

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  For decades, Spaghetti Dinner has been one of Women’s Lunch Place’s most beloved traditions, bringing the Boston community together for an unforgettable evening in support of women experiencing homelessness and poverty.
  After last year’s event sold out, Women’s Lunch Place is preparing to fill the room once again—and raise critically needed funds to provide essential services for women across Boston.
  On Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, Spaghetti Dinn
  
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• ParkARTS Fall Watercolor Painting Workshops Return for 2026

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  ParkARTS Fall Watercolor Painting Workshops Return for 2026
  The Boston Parks and Recreation Department today announced the return of its popular ParkARTS Fall Watercolor Painting Workshop series, taking place throughout September. The free workshops are part of Boston Parks’ 2026 ParkARTS program, which brings arts and cultural programming to parks across the city.
  Open to Boston residents ages 9 and up, the Watercolor Painting Workshops welcome artists of all skill levels to create their
  
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• Healey-Driscoll Administration expands joint active shooter response training statewide

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  More than 1,000 police, fire and EMS professionals have completed joint active shooter response training across Massachusetts this year as the Healey-Driscoll Administration expands efforts to prepare first responders to act quickly and work together during a crisis.
  One of the latest Active Attack Integrated Response courses brought approximately three dozen first responders to Tufts University for two days of classroom instruction, hands-on exercises, and realistic scenarios. Participants incl
  
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• Governor Maura Healey declares September College Fire Safety Month

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Governor Maura Healey proclaimed September College Fire Safety Month in Massachusetts as thousands of students return to campus and move into dormitories, apartments, and other student housing.
  Fire officials are offering guidance to help prevent fires and injuries during what is traditionally the leading month for fires in student housing.
  “Massachusetts is proud to welcome thousands of students to our colleges each fall, and we want every one of them to have a safe and successful year,&
  
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• Goats And Boats event help clean up the parks and wetlands

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Goats And Boats is a popular event hosted by the Muddy River Initiative, Boston Parks And Recreation, and the Red Cross to bring people together to help clean up the parks and wetland along the Muddy River. The goats are part of the entertainment and the boats being volunteers into the water to help clean up. Music, free ice cream, and appreciation of the urban oasis of the Fenway we’re the reward for the volunteers.Volunteers get acquainted with the goats from Enchanted Animal Parties. A
  
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• City and Fenway Forward celebrate grand opening of 43 Hemenway St.

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Mayor’s Office of Housing joined Fenway Forward, community partners, and residents on Aug. 26 to celebrate the grand opening of 43 Hemenway St. – a six-unit affordable homeownership development in the Fenway neighborhood.
  Supported by the funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the project transformed an existing brick row house into six renovated, income-restricted condominiums, expanding opportunities for first-time homebuyers while preserving long-term affordability
  
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• City and Boston Public Schools launch inaugural cohort of BPS AI Educator Ambassadors

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper launched the first cohort of BPS AI Educator Ambassadors following a Summer Institute held August 24–28. Twenty-five secondary school educators received training in innovative and responsible artificial intelligence practices and will lead AI learning projects in their schools.
  The inaugural cohort is among the first district-wide AI educator ambassador programs in the nation and a core component of the BPS AI Literacy
  
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• At-home grooming

  04-09-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  This month, we needed more home grooming for our dog, Poppy, because she had to go five weeks instead of four between professional grooming sessions. Part of our job as companion animal guardians is ensuring our animals receive the grooming they need.
  Poppy has a regular morning grooming session with Ed, who cleans her feet, checks her ears, medicates specific areas as directed by her dermatologist, and brushes her teeth. She also has a nightly toothbrushing before bed.
  Poppy has a Sunday appoin
  
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• Wu expands Boston Family Days with free, professionally guided tours

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the 2026 Boston Family Days program now includes free, professionally guided tours across the city, giving Boston students and their families new ways to explore the neighborhoods, landmarks, and stories that have shaped Boston for generations. Running from August through early October as part of the City’s Boston 250 commemoration, the new partnership brings together local tour organizations to make Boston’s history and culture more accessible this f
  
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• Wu announces Kerry Jordan as Executive Director of City of Boston Election Department

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Kerry Jordan as the new Executive Director of the City of Boston Election Department and provided an update on the department’s ongoing operational and modernization efforts ahead of the September 1 State Primary. Jordan will assume the role effective September 8, 2026. Until then, Commissioner of City Records Paul Chong, who is serving as Acting Head of the Elections Department, will continue leading day-to-day operations.
  “Over the last several ye
  
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• Old South Church installs Middle Passage Slave Trade educational exhibit

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  As America marks its 250th anniversary year, Old South Church in Boston is inviting the community to confront the nation’s history with honesty—including the painful history of slavery and the lives and labor of the people who shaped this country.
  Gathered in 1669, Old South Church has a long and complex history. Its story includes radical abolitionists and the publication in 1700 of what is believed to be the first anti-slavery tract on this soil. It also includes early ministers an
  
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• Musical ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll brings laughter and music to Boston’s Hale House

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  It was an afternoon filled with music, laughter, birthday wishes and plenty of audience participation when nationally recognized Musical Ventriloquist Kevin Driscoll entertained residents and staff at Hale House, located at 273 Clarendon Street in Boston’s historic Back Bay.
  “Awesome audience, fantastic facility, and super staff!” said Driscoll following the performance. “We were honored to entertain the residents and staff at the Hale House with our musical ventriloquis
  
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• Massachusetts Fire Departments achieve nation’s fourth-highest emergency response rate

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Department of Fire Services announced that Massachusetts fire departments have achieved the fourth-highest reporting rate in the country for the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). 90% of Massachusetts fire departments have reported more than 1.3 million apparatus responses to more than 788,000 incidents. This achievement reflects the state’s commitment to leading the nation in public safety data collection and will help local and state officials make informed decis
  
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• Flynn continues to advocate on public safety around Beacon Hill

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  As a violent summer in the City of Boston begins to come to an end and families prepare for their students to return to school, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn continues to focus his advocacy on public safety and ensure we as a city are providing a safe and healthy environment for all residents, families, students and workers in downtown, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the Boston Common.As the school year approaches, Councilor Flynn has met with concerned parents and educators to discuss concerns abo
  
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• DCR warns drivers about “Storrowing” on move-in day

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Ahead of Greater Boston’s college move-in day on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is reminding drivers of moving trucks and other large vehicles to avoid roads with low-clearance bridges, including Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road and Memorial Drive.DCR works with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Massachusetts State Police (MSP) to alert drivers that these parkways, commonly known as the River Roads, are restricte
  
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• Co|So announces next show ‘Fantastical Realities’

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  The Copley Society of Art (Co|So) is excited to announce its next Juried Members Show: Fantastical Realities starting September 17. In this exhibition, works explore unexpected color and dimensions, psychological interiors, speculative futures and reimagined pasts. Artists interpret this theme broadly, from surreal landscapes and legendary narratives to quiet distortions of everyday environments. In uncertain and rapidly changing times, we invite you to imagine new realities through artistic vis
  
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• Conservancy, Citizen Plaintiffs respond to Mass. Supreme Judicial Court decision in Franklin Park White Stadium case

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Emerald Necklace Conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek issued the following statement in response to the court’s decision on the Franklin Park White Stadium case:
  “We’re disappointed by this outcome, which means that a new professional for-profit sports stadium and entertainment complex in Franklin Park will not be subject to the high level of scrutiny, formal review of alternatives, and required approvals that our state’s constitutional public recreation land protect
  
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• Aquarium documents 2,000 animals, including whale sharks, during aerial survey

  28-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Aerial survey observers with the New England Aquarium sighted more than 2,000 animals during a recent flight over the Northeast Canyons and Seamount Marine National Monument, showcasing the area’s extraordinary biodiversity.Scientists with the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life flew over the Monument in their survey airplane on August 16 and sighted 15 different marine species. The team initially counted 1,800 dolphins across four species and later sighted a sperm whale,
  
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• Upcoming film screening at Copley BPL highlights voters’ rights ahead of ’26 midterms

  21-08-2026 07:00 via beaconhilltimes.com
  Ahead of the ‘26 midterm elections, True North Action Alliance Boston, a dual chapter of Indivisible and Progressive Mass, continues its four-part documentary and community discussion series, the Good Trouble Film Series, with a screening of the 2025 documentary, ‘Democracy Under Siege’ on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Rabb Hall at the Copley Square Branch of the Boston Public Library.
  Directed by Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Laura Nix, the film “traces t
  
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