Governor Baker Declares State of Emergency, Boots Columbia Gas, Replaces With Eversource

By Katie Lannan and Michael P. Norton STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Friday afternoon declared a state of emergency in the wake of a series of gas fires and explosions in the Merrimack Valley, handing over control of the response to Eversource in place of the local utility that Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said had been "hiding from the problem."

By Katie Lannan and Michael P. Norton STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Friday afternoon declared a state of emergency in the wake of a series of gas fires and explosions in the Merrimack Valley, handing over control of the response to Eversource in place of the local utility that Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera said had been "hiding from the problem."…