TALES FROM SPIN CITY – Two of former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration officials, Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Kennealy, both vying for the Republican party’s nod to run against incumbent Democrat Gov. Maura Healey in 2026, participated in a debate on Friday, August 22nd. Shortsleeve served as Chief Administrator head of the MBTA while Kennealy was Baker’s Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. Continue reading This Week’s QUOTABLE QUOTES on Beacon Hill
By Bob Katzen
The House gave initial approval to a bill that would establish September 22nd as Military Service Members and Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day. The day would acknowledge that suicide is an epidemic among service members and veterans and works to foster awareness and call for suicide prevention measures and support.
Continue reading MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS SUICIDE AWARENESS AND REMEMBRANCE DAY (H 3388)
By Bob Katzen
Gov. Maura Healey announced that five of the state’s health insurance carriers will return $75.6 million to over 350,000 people covered by individual and small employer healthcare plans in Massachusetts under the state’s enforcement of the Massachusetts health laws. The five carriers are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue; Fallon Community Health Plan; Harvard Pilgrim Health Care; Mass General Brigham Health Plan; and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company.
Continue reading 75.6 MILLION REBATE TO HEALTH INSURANCE CONSUMERS
By Bob Katzen
The State Lottery Commission voted to approve a five-year contract for the company that next summer in 2026 will launch an online version of the Lottery that allows people to place bets online. Continue reading BAY STATE HIRES COMPANY TO RUN THE UPCOMING ONLINE LOTTERY
By Bob Katzen
The House gave initial approval to a bill that would prohibit the use of tinted or smoked license plate covers, along with any bracket, frame or covering that alters or obscures the license plate’s visibility. Specifically, the bill prohibits anything that obscures the license plate; the color of the license plate; the name or abbreviated name of the state; or any character or characters, decal, stamp or other device indicating the month or year in which the vehicle’s registration expires. Continue reading BAN THE USE OF TINTED LICENSE PLATE COVERS (H 4029
By Bob Katzen
The House gave initial approval to legislation that would change some language in the 50-year-old law that created Councils on Aging in local cities and towns. Changes include deleting language that refers to “problems of the aging” and replacing it with “the needs of older adults;” deleting language that calls workers “clerks” and replacing it with language that calls workers “staff;” and adding “and delivering services” to the language in the bill which gives the council the authority to “carry out programs.” Continue reading CHANGE LANGUAGE IN LAW THAT CREATED COUNCILS ON AGING (H 4301)
By Bob Katzen
The House gave initial approval to legislation that would require that motor vehicle repair and storage facilities display a notice that informs the public and first responders of the presence of motor vehicle batteries on the premises.
Continue reading MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERIES (H 2652)
By Bob Katzen
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released a Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) report that uncovered $4.8 million of public benefit fraud in the final quarter of fiscal year 2025. BSI’s goal is to help make government work better by investigating fraud, abuse and illegal acts involving public assistance benefits across the state.
Continue reading AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO UNCOVERS FRAUD IN PUBLIC BENEFITS
Obituary
Lorraine F. Erb-Grande – of Somerville passed away on August 28, 2025, at the age of 90. She was the daughter of the late James and Doris (King) Rumson of Somerville. A lifelong resident of Somerville, she worked as a Court Officer at the Cambridge Courthouse for many years before her retirement. She was a member of the American Legion Post 377 and Post 19. A member of the George Dilboy VFW Post in Davis Square. She loved spending time with her kids, eight grandchildren and her sixteen great- grandchildren. Continue reading Somerville/Medford Remembering Lorraine F. Erb-Grande
Mayor Ballantyne invites all to City’s open-air market featuring eclectic arts & crafts, vinyl
records, vintage clothing, and more
Continue reading Somerville Rock + Roll Yard Sale in Union Square September 14
Obituary
Barbara Lois Thornton of Somerville passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with a long-term illness. Continue reading Somerville/Medford Remembering Barbara Lois Thornton
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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COPYRIGHT
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APPLICABLE LAW
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FRAUD PROTECTION PROGRAM
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WHAT OUR PRIVACY POLICY COVERS
· What our Privacy Policy Covers
· What Personal Information is Collected
· How We Protect Your Information
· How We Use Your Personal Information
· Who Views Your Personal Information
· Making a Purchase
· Children Under 13
· Website Cookies
· Questions About This Policy
WHAT OUR PRIVACY POLICY COVERS
Thank you for visiting our site. We are committed to protecting your privacy.
This Privacy Policy covers any personal information that we obtain from you when you use services on our site. This policy does not cover the practices of companies that we do not own or control, or the actions of people that we do not employ or manage.
Our Privacy Policy may change in the future. We invite you to check back periodically to see if we have made any changes.
By using this site, you agree to the terms of our policy. For more information about the terms of use for this site, please visit our legal page.
WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION IS COLLECTED
Depending on how you use our site, we may ask you to share personal information with us. Whether you choose to give us this information is completely up to you, but keep in mind that if you withhold information, you may not be able to use some of our services.
We will ask you for information, including some personal information, when you Make a purchase. When you buy something on this site, you have to supply a billing address, phone number, shipping address, and credit card information.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
We realize that our customers trust us to protect their personal information. We take that task seriously. We never display your full credit card number once it has been entered. We urge you to protect your own privacy. We recommend that you do not share your password with anyone or share your password in an unsolicited phone call or e-mail.
Unfortunately, despite all of our efforts, there is always a risk that third parties may unlawfully intercept transmissions. This reality is true of all Internet use. As a result, we cannot ensure the security of any information you transmit, and you transmit all information at your own risk.
HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect personal information primarily to make our services more rewarding for you to use. We usually use this information for internal purposes, such as studying our customers' preferences. We may also use your information to contact you for account and promotional purposes.
WHO VIEWS YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We may share your personal information with companies that perform services for us, such as delivering packages, sending postal mail and e-mails, processing credit card payments, investigating fraudulent activity, and providing customer service. They have access to personal information needed to perform their functions, but may not disclose your personally identifiable information for other purposes. Some personal information is stored on servers owned by other companies. Only our personel and our websites have the right to access this information. We do not currently sell or license personal information and have no plans to do so. Your personal information will only be used by this site.
At this time, we do not share any personal information with marketing affiliates. It is unlikely that this policy will change in the future. If we do decide to share information with our affiliates, we will post a notice in this Privacy Policy.
MAKING A PURCHASE
When you buy something on this site, you have to supply a billing address, phone number, shipping address, and credit card information. By making a purchase, you become a registered user. You can choose to store information needed to make a purchase, such as your shipping and billing addresses in the My Account — Profile page. Your credit card information is NEVER stored in our databases and is used only for the duration of the purchase transaction. This data is always transmitted securely to the merchant bank and immediately erased from our systems.
CHILDREN UNDER 13
Our site is not designed for children. We do not wish to collect personal information from children under 13. This policy is designed to protect children. Federal law requires us to take special steps to safeguard children's privacy. If you register with us and we discover that you are under 13, we will delete your registration. We will send you a message if we do this. If you are under 13 and want to make a purchase, please ask a parent to place the order for you.
WEBSITE COOKIES
We collect some anonymous information about how you use the site by setting and accessing cookies on your computer. These cookies track information such as how often you visit our web site, what pages you view, and where you go after you leave the site. The cookies track your computer, not you. They are not connected to any personal information about you.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS POLICY
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or the content or practices of our website, you can contact us directly at:
Mass Publishing Inc. wmtauro@aol.com
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30 day money back cancellation return policy on yearly subscriptions.
Contact Email: Somervillenewsweekly@yahoo.com