'Tis the season of early sunsets, which calls for caution on the road. Traffic accidents tend to jump after the switch to standard time, AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop told WBUR's John Bender. If you find yourself feeling groggy, sleep scientists suggest getting extra rest (if you can) and plenty of sunshine to help adjust. Now, let's get to the news: Grounded: Amazon's drone program won't be taking flight in Westborough anytime soon. The multi-trillion dollar company announced over the weekend it's withdrawing its request to begin drone delivery in the town, after residents expressed numerous concerns, WBUR's Paul Connearney reports. The proposed delivery program would use drones to fly small packages to customers within a 7.5 mile radius of Amazon's Westborough warehouse. But Massachusetts Rep. Kate Donaghue says there needs to be legislation on the tech in place "rather than have private industry decide what's appropriate and isn't." - The locals' argument: Westborough residents said the drones pose a threat to the environment, their property value and privacy, according to Rep. Donaghue. "Residents had concerns around noise, safety ... that we felt needed to be addressed before things moved forward," Donaghue added.
- Not over just yet: Amazon wrote in its withdrawal letter that it "looks forward to continuing to work with [Westborough] officials on next steps," leaving the door open for a future proposal. State Sen. Michael Moore said the community can't just "put its head in the sand" until then. "We have to pay attention, we have to be proactive and work with the cities and towns to make sure there's the appropriate zoning in place," State Sen. Michael Moore told Paul.
- Moving forward: Westborough had a zoning board meeting already on the books tonight, and opponents of the drones plan to attend to voice their concerns around the possibility of a new proposal.
The case continues: Lindsay Clancy is due back in court today for a hearing that could determine whether or not she'll face a new trial for the deaths of her three children. Judge William Sullivan — the same judge who declared Clancy's case a mistrial back in September — is expected to hear today's motion. Prosecutors say they seek to "pursue justice" for 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan, but have not said if they'd consider pursuing a first-degree murder conviction again or opt for lesser charges, if a new trial does take place. The defense wants the case dismissed, arguing the mistrial declaration was unnecessary, and the judge should have taken steps to question and potentially replace the holdout juror, WBUR's Deborah Becker reports. - What the experts are saying: Criminal defense attorney Keith Halpern, who isn't involved in the case, told Deb he predicts today's hearing will result in another trial: "I don't think there was ever any question that they were going to retry this case in one form or another."
School's out: Every fall, the Boston Public Schools assesses which of its institutions could benefit from restructuring, renovation or closure. This year, it's proposing to close Charlestown High School over rapidly declining enrollment. (Other schools are also being considered for closure, but Charlestown was the only one named so far.) Over the last three years, enrollment at the school has declined by 32% and nearly 80% of current students live outside of Charlestown, according to district data. The smaller classes make it "increasingly difficult" to sustain courses and enrichment, BPS spokesperson Sujata Wycoff said. - So what's the plan? Another high school would be transitioned into the building as early as the 2028-2029 school year, Superintendent Mary Skipper and Mayor Michelle Wu said in a joint statement. This means there would be no gap between Charlestown High's closure and the new school's opening. Skipper and Wu added that the new school "reflects BPS's vision of a high quality experience" and would be "a thriving anchor for our BPS high school network, for Charlestown and for the whole city."
P.S. — Massachusetts might have a reputation as a "deep blue" state, but when it comes to gubernatorial elections, the commonwealth is positively purple. You can see for yourself in this new interactive map from WBUR's Roberto Scalese. |
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