BOSTON – Today, the State Senate passed an omnibus property tax relief bill S2124 – An Act improving real property tax abatements, application deadlines, and deferrals. This bill improves the property tax deferral program for active military personnel, senior citizens and for persons who are deaf. O’Connor Ives filed a bill for an Amesbury resident […]
By: State Senator Katy O’Connor Ives – June, 2017 The Massachusetts State Senate debated the Fiscal Year 2018 state budget last month, where I advocated for key provisions that will be beneficial to the constituents of my district and the Commonwealth. One of the amendments in the Senate Fiscal Year 2018 budget, which I co-sponsored, […]
By: Bharany Padmanabhan – June, 2017 Last month in this space I reported clearly on sweetheart no-bid contracts between the Board of Registration in Medicine and the Massachusetts Medical Society which the Society uses to coerce thousands of dollars out of doctors under the threat of the Board taking their medical license away if they […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives – April, 2017 Early Voting passed into law in 2014 and this past presidential election was the first in which residents were allowed to vote before Election Day. This is an advantageous concept for many people that want to vote but can’t get to the ballot box on one given […]
By: State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – Feb. 2017 Last session, as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses, I was tasked with reviewing proposals for a major overhaul of the state’s zoning laws which have become strained under modern housing pressures. The goal of the comprehensive bill passed by the […]
By: Senator Katy Ives – Feb. 2017 As regular readers of this column may know, last session I filed a bill to reduce housing costs for veterans by offering a tax rebate to landlords who rent dwellings below market rate to individuals who receive state Chapter 115 veterans’ benefits. In the past legislative session, a […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives (D-Newburyport) In my effort to continue to focus these columns on bills that I will file in the next legislative session, I want to discuss in this edition a bill I sponsored last session which sought to reduce human exposure to a dangerous chemical hidden in many items of daily […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives – Dec. 2016 The sight of military-style vehicles barreling down the narrow streets of Boston is a common one to those who live or work in the city. People may wonder how the iconic duck boats can safely manage to navigate the streets with bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians, all while […]
By: Tom Duggan – 12-28-16 DONATE HERE Yashua Duerte and Carlos Ortiz were lingering at the Methuen police station for hours on Monday waiting to hear from the Red Cross, or the City of Methuen, or anyone else, as to whether or not their hotel stay at the Day’s Inn would be extended another 24 […]
June Sauvageau, Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Independent Living Program (NILP) of Lawrence, James Lyons, of North Andover, Community Development Director at the NILP for the past 35 years, and local Leader, Richard Consoli (ESQ.) dedicated member of the NILP Board of Directors. Mr. Consoli has adroitly served as an active Board member of […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives – Oct. 2016 On July 31, the formal legislative session technically ended, meaning that between August and January, no formal voting on major bills takes place. In the months leading up to the beginning of a new formal session in January, I’m focusing in on what bills are priorities for […]
METHUEN — The Methuen Police Department has arrested a man over the weekend for an armed robbery that occurred at a local bank last week. On Thursday, Oct. 20, just before 2:30 p.m., Methuen Police responded to Methuen Cooperative Bank, 243 Broadway, for reports of an armed robbery. While in route, officers were advised that […]
Outstanding Contributions to EMS Award Offered by NorthEast Emergency Medical Services, Inc. Chief Kenneth E. Berkenbush is proud to announce that a member of the Amesbury Fire Rescue Department has been honored for his work in the field of emergency medical services. “In all of my years as a member of a fire rescue department, […]
Lawrence resident and United States Navy Veteran Brian Mercer teaches others to save lives through training and education. Five years ago Mercer, an EMT and owner of a wheelchair van service in Lawrence, saw a news story about 17 year old North Andover High School student Alexander Farese, who died of a heart failure on […]
By: Dani Langevin – Sept. 2016 Last month, Tom Duggan posted a comment asking people if they supported merit pay for teachers and the claws came out. I’ve been an educator for my entire adult life and I have never come face to face with anyone who expressed disdain for my field. I know few […]