Massachusetts

The United States Postal Service plans to get rid of hundreds of pieces of letter-sorting equipment at facilities across the country, including two in Massachusetts, and has also warned the state that it may not be able to return mail-in ballots in time to be counted for the presidential election, according to an internal Postal Service document and a letter…

A suspect was arrested Friday at the Wrentham Outlets in connection with the murder of 17-year-old Christian Vines in broad daylight an apartment complex in Stoughton, Massachusetts, the Norfolk County District Attorney announced. Stoughton police and state troopers made the arrest around 6:45 p.m. Friday. The suspect, who was not identified, was taken into custody without incident, authorities said. The…

Four employees at an elementary school in Athol, Massachusetts, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the school district’s superintendent. Superintendent Darcy Fernandes sent a letter to the community on Wednesday, informing them that two employees had tested positive for COVID-19. On Friday, Fernandez said two more employees had tested positive for the virus. The employees all...

Democratic members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation said Friday that the cuts to the Postal Service threaten the election.

A juvenile was arrested Friday at the Wrentham Outlets for the murder of 17-year-old Christian Vines, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Family members say Tatianna Morales was meeting with her male friend in Boston on Tuesday, and it was a Snapchat message from that evening that led them to the Boston Harbor area.

One school committee in Massachusetts is pushing the state to provide free, easily accessible, ongoing COVID-19 testing with a quick turnaround time before any school district in the commonwealth brings students back into the classroom. “It feels irresponsible for us to say, ‘well it’s your responsibility to go get a test and bring it back,’” said Worcester School Committee...

Another Massachusetts beach is reducing its parking capacity to 50% over concerns of overcrowding and as the town now finds itself in the state’s new coronavirus “red zone.” The parking capacity at Nantasket Beach State Reservation in Hull will be reduced until further notice, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation announced Friday. The announcement comes two days after Hull…

Franklin Public Schools sent a letter to parents saying a high school student who had taken part in out-of-season workouts had tested positive for COVID-19.

A high school student from Franklin, Massachusetts, has tested positive for the new coronavirus after taking part in out-of-season workouts with other members of the boys soccer team, according to district officials. The Franklin Public Schools superintendent’s office sent a letter to the community Friday saying the athletic department was told of the high school student’s diagnosis. NBC10 Boston...

There are new parking restrictions at the popular Nantasket Beach in Hull in an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

School districts across Massachusetts have been grappling with potential budget shortages and the need to adjust staffing due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Randolph, there’s concern from some that students will be missing out on a complete education. The superintendent says they’re trying to make the best of a very difficult situation.

Worcester is pushing the state to provide free, easily accessible COVID-19 testing with rapid results, as other districts like Burlington solidify their plans for the school year.

Massachusetts health officials reported 212 new confirmed coronavirus cases Friday and an additional 14 deaths, as well as a change to the state’s new coronavirus risk map. There have now been 8,582 confirmed deaths and 113,729 cases, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The percentage of coronavirus tests coming back positive, on average, is down to a new…

Massachusetts has launched a new website that gathers data from all the state’s police departments into one place. The Massachusetts Crime Statistics site breaks down hundreds of local and state police agencies’ arrest numbers and offers details on the number and types of of crimes reported each year, going back as far as 1994. The new database, launched by the…

A woman who had been trapped under a vehicle and needed to be extricated following a pedestrian crash Thursday morning in Concord, Massachusetts, died from her injuries, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said. The crash happened at about 10:30 a.m. the intersection of Thoreau and Main streets, police said. The victim was taken to an area hospital where she...

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office is accusing four real estate firms of discriminating against low-income renters by denying them the opportunity to lease an apartment because they received public assistance through the Section 8 voucher program. “I think that there’s these implicit biases that take place within the industry,” said long-time realtor Linda Champion, managing broker for Champion Urban...

After Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s latest travel restrictions prompted questions about what was permissible for residents who live along the Rhode Island border, the state has published updated guidance that includes exemptions for activities like grocery shopping, visiting a doctor or attending to the needs of a family member. The new travel rules put in place by Baker required...

School districts must submit their final reopening plans to Massachusetts’ education department by Friday.

Boston, the state’s largest school district with more than 55,000 students, has yet to publicly announce its plan for reopening schools. School districts across the state have to submit their plans for reopening in the fall to the state on Friday, but they may not all be released publicly. The state’s education department directed school districts to prepare plans...