Michael P. Norton State House News Service Courthouses in Massachusetts will reopen to the public on July 13 for limited purposes, with the courts continuing to conduct most business virtually. Under an updated order issued Wednesday by the Supreme Judicial Court, entry will be limited to people attending in-person proceedings, …
Read More »Independent investigation examining the tragedy at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home released
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration released the independent report ordered by Governor Baker to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. On April 1st, Governor Charlie Baker retained Attorney Mark Pearlstein, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate the causes of the tragic events that occurred at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. …
Read More »New Bedford reports no new coronavirus cases on Tuesday
For the first time since the pandemic reached New Bedford, health officials reported no new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The total COVID-19 count in New Bedford remains at 2,123. One new COVID-19 related death was reported on Tuesday bringing the death count to 105 in the city. According to New …
Read More »Massachusetts voting bills diverge on mailings, poll location change
Chris Van Buskirk State House News Service Two issues could become a focus of negotiations between six lawmakers tasked with finding a compromise on vote-by-mail legislation: application mailing methods and limitations on changing polling locations. As a new House-Senate conference committee works out its meeting plans, advocates are pointing to …
Read More »Indoor dining set to resume in Massachusetts on Monday
Matt Murphy State House News Service Restaurants that have been serving patrons on patios and sidewalks for the past two weeks will be able to welcome diners indoors beginning Monday as Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that he was triggering the next stage of his economic reopening plan. In the …
Read More »Rep. Pressley calls for wide range of prisoners to be released for at least one year
Chris Lisinsk State House News Service Warning that prisons and jails are “major incubators” of the highly infectious coronavirus, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley proposed legislation Thursday that would require large numbers of people to be released from incarceration or custody for at least one year. The bill, which Pressley introduced …
Read More »Bristol County inmates test positive for COVID-19 bringing total to 5 this week
Four of those inmates are currently being housed in medical isolation. One was released as the individual’s sentence was concluded. Before being released, the BCSO notified the person picking them up from the correctional facility as well as the state Department of Public Health, which in turn notified the local …
Read More »Indoor dining in Massachusetts set to reopen on Monday
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Step Two of Phase II of the Commonwealth’s four-phase reopening plan, Reopening Massachusetts, will begin on Monday, June 22 to allow additional industries to resume operations under sector-specific guidelines. Businesses and sectors set to begin operating in Step Two of Phase II are subject …
Read More »New Bedford passes 100 total COVID-19 related deaths
New Bedford health officials reported three more COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total to 102 in the city. New Bedford has seen 17 COVID-19 related deaths since last Thursday. Mayor Jon Mitchell’s office reported nine additional confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Bedford on Thursday, bringing the total positive cases in …
Read More »Baker didn’t join other governors at the White House today
Matt Murphy State House News Service President Donald Trump had a discussion with governors at the White House Thursday about reopening small businesses, but Gov. Charlie Baker wasn’t among them. The president’s schedule released Wednesday night included the 3 p.m. roundtable with governors in the State Dining Room. A senior …
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