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Matt McDonald, a Boston-area native, has decades of experience as a reporter, editor, and copy editor. His work has appeared in The Mashpee Messenger, Cape Cod News, and The Norfolk Boomerang.
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Supporters of a 4 percent state surtax on million-dollar-plus incomes can expect a largely receptive audience when they appear before a legislative committee Thursday to stump for an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to establish it. Beacon Hill leaders had their eyes on the extra revenue before the Massachusetts Supreme
Around New England
A bill that would make sex between school employees and students a crime in Rhode Island even if the student is of legal age to consent is drawing opposition from the two statewide teachers' unions and the American Civil Liberties Union. The age of consent in Rhode Island is
Around New England
Maine is one of 34 states in the country that don't use public money to pay for abortions, but Democrats who control the state Legislature and executive branch want to change that. A legislative committee in the Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday, April 9 to recommend a
Around New England
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering allowing deer, coyote, squirrel, and duck hunting at federal refuges in Chatham and Mashpee. Officials are accepting public comment on draft plans that would allow hunting that experts say won't hurt the balance of species, according to The Cape
Around New England
A Temple University professor of higher education has suggested that a program at Harvard College in which undergraduates clean the bathrooms of other undergraduates for money is demeaning to the workers. The program, called Dorm Crew, is one of the highest-paying jobs on campus, and is popular with students who
Around New England
Police in Montville, Connecticut say they found 199 bags of heroin in the car of a man who drove into an elementary school parking lot Sunday night. The 40-year-old man was acting suspicious, which led police to use a police dog to sniff the outside of the vehicle. The dog&
Around New England
County commissioners in central New Hampshire have privatized the kitchen of a county-run nursing home, leading to resignations from workers who wanted to keep their zero-dollar health insurance premiums and inclusion in the state pension system. County officials said they couldn't keep up with the high turnover at
News
Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill banning conversion therapy in Massachusetts on Monday, which an opponent says sets up a federal lawsuit to try to overturn it. Baker signed the bill, but the governor's press office did not issue a press release or tweet about it.