Mayor Martin J. Walsh last week announced the appointment of longtime Boston firefighter John (Jack) Dempsey as Commissioner of the Boston Fire Department. Commissioner Dempsey has served in the interim role of Commissioner since the retirement of former Commissioner Joe…
Author: Beacon Hill Times Staff
Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Down for the Second Week
Special to the Times Massachusetts had 80,153 individuals file an initial claim for unemployment insurance from April 12 to April 18. This represented a decrease of 22% over the previous week as most of the workers who have been laid…
Charlestown Company Offers Online Ordering of Produce and Specialty Foods for Next-Day Pickup
Consumers can now order a self-described “chef’s selection” of fresh fruit, vegetables and specialty food online for next-day pickup from a Charlestown-based company. Located at 18 Bunker Hill Industrial Park, Costa Fruit & Produce is offering its selection of the…
SJC Issues Updated Order Regarding State Court Operations During the Pandemic
The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) on Monday issued an updated order, which will be effective May 4, 2020, regarding the operation of Massachusetts state courts and courthouses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Under the new order, until at least June 1,…
Universal COVID-19 Testing Announced for Homeless in Boston
With the numbers of positive cases among the homeless in shelters heading towards 500, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the City of Boston will move forward with universal testing for COVID-19 (coronavirus) for all unhoused individuals in Boston. The City…
MBTA Fare Transformation Program Advances With Approval of Amendment
On Monday, the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board approved a contract amendment regarding the Public Private Partnership agreement involving the T and the consortium Cubic | John Liang – rolling out the new fare collection system that has been…
MBTA’s RIDE Now Offering Transit Services to All Personal Care Attendants
The MBTA announced that the RIDE paratransit service will temporarily allow customers to book trips for their personal care attendants (PCAs) in an effort to best support their ADA-eligible customers during the COVID-19 situation. “This change will allow the MBTA…
Police Briefs 04-30-2020
Beacon Hill Beat Larceny – Shoplifting 04/19/20 – A Charles Street liquor store reported two unknown male suspects entered the store at about 1:12 p.m., and one of them concealed a bottle of champagne under his jacket. The store clerk asked…
Allowing the States to Go Bankrupt Is a Really Bad Idea
One of the most glaring shortcomings thus far of the stimulus and disaster packages that have been passed by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the failure to provide assistance to the states. Every state in the…
Guest Op-Ed: Emergency Care Has Not Been Put on Hold If You Need Medical Assistance, Seek Help
By Mayor Martin J. Walsh During this public health emergency, many of us are feeling stressed and anxious. Days are uncertain and our routines have shifted. Many people are working remotely, or have lost their jobs. Students are learning online.…