The New England Patriots will advance to the playoffs' Divisional Round after beating the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 during last night's game in Foxborough. MVP candidate Drake Maye led the team to their first playoff win since 2019. (Now I understand why they've been writing songs about him.) Pats Nation will eagerly watch tonight's matchup between the Texans and Steelers to see who the team will face next. Now, to the news: Running dry: Nearly 3 million people in eastern Massachusetts rely on the Quabbin Reservoir — located just east of Amherst — for their drinking water. But keeping the reservoir clean and healthy falls to those towns surrounding the water. Now, as drought conditions have drained the reservoir, abutting towns want some financial help — and a seat at the table making decisions about the reservoir, WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports. - A little background: Residents in the 12 watershed towns surrounding the Quabbin don't use its water. All of it goes to eastern and central Massachusetts, as was planned when the reservoir was created in 1938. Still, these municipalities (including Belchertown, Pelham, Petersham, New Salem and Ware) are tasked with the maintenance and protection of the 412 billion-gallon resource. "This means that our small local governments have extra responsibilities to keep those lands safe, especially from residential or commercial development that might lead to pollution," representatives for the watershed towns wrote in an open letter addressed to the residents of eastern Massachusetts.
- Why they're asking for support: Drought in the region has brought the Quabbin down 10 feet below its full capacity, and residents in the nearby towns have had to restrict their water use to offset the effects. They want water recipients to chip in $35 million a year to a new Quabbin Host Community Trust Fund. (A bill to create the fund is pending in the State House.) "What we're talking about here would amount to pennies a month for water users, and would make a huge difference ... to help us both offset the development and some of the costs associated with making sure that we keep the waters as pristine as possible," Bob Agoglia, a Pelham select board member, told Amy.
- Zoom out: This isn't the first time the Quabbin watershed towns have asked for help. State Sen. Jo Comerford has been filing similar bills since 2023. She spoke to WBUR's All Things Considered about the Quabbin communities' needs in 2024. You can listen to that interview here.
Informed change: A state panel is expected to approve recommendations today that would make assisted living facilities in Massachusetts safer. WBUR's Paul Connearney reports that the Assisted Living Residences Commission, which is advising lawmakers, delayed its final report of safety suggestions last summer after the Gabriel House fire in Fall River killed 10 assisted living facility residents. The commission says the Gabriel House fire "underscored" a need for stronger fire and emergency standards , which they've worked into their new recommendations. - What would change: If approved by lawmakers, new legislation — informed by the ALRC's report — would require certified annual inspections at assisted living facilities. The commission is also suggesting that facilities conduct quarterly evacuation drills and keep an updated document that shows first responders where residents with medical complications (who might need more help evacuating) are housed. Facilities also need to better coordinate with local public safety officials, and maintain staffing levels that meet residents' medical needs, said the commission.
From tragedy to triumph: A local figure skater who lost both of his parents in a deadly plane crash outside of Washington, D.C. in January 2025 is headed to the Winter Olympics in Milan next month. Maxim Naumov — son of skaters and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov — was named to the U.S. Olympic team this weekend. Naumov's parents were among the 67 people who died after their plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter. The government has since taken accountability for its role in the crash. - Naumov honored his parents during last week's U.S. Figure Skating Championships, holding up a photo of him at 3 years old with them as he awaited judging.
- He will make his debut in Milan alongside pairs competitors Emily Chan and Spencer Howe, who all train at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood.
Heads up: The Callahan Tunnel will be closed tonight between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. so crews can complete maintenance work on the North End's Richmond Street Bridge. If you're headed that way tonight, expect to be detoured through the Financial District and toward the Ted Williams Tunnel, as in past closures. P.S. — Boston has a new public art installation. "Wild Benches of Hope," an exhibit by internationally acclaimed artists Gillie and Marc, went up on Saturday at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where it will remain until January 2027. The collection features a bronze giraffe, elephant and hippopotamus. But these aren't your average animal statues. |
