Already experiencing a lifeguard shortage, Massachusetts is now seeing a rise in drownings, so state parks officials on Friday announced that its lifeguards will be getting a pay raise. Any guard who commits to working through the whole season will receive a $500 bonus on top of that, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides said at a news conference…

The stunning images coming out of south Florida were shocking to even the most veteran of building experts. “This is more than getting struck by lightning,” said John Lojek, commissioner of Inspectional Services for the city of Newton. “This is getting struck by lightning several times in a row.” More than half of a 12-story building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed…

It was business as usual on a recent night at the Stumble Inn Bar & Grill in Londonderry, New Hampshire, when a customer sat by himself at the outdoor bar.

Munim Khan has been driving for Uber and Lyft for 10 years. “Right now we don’t have no benefits,” said Khan of West Roxbury. “If I get injured or killed, there’s no protections for me, there is no workers’ rights, there is no sick pay.” Khan is part of the new Coalition to Protect Workers’ Rights, which will launch...

A motor home crashed into the side of a motel off Massachusetts Route 1 in Westwood Thursday, sending one person to the hospital, authorities said. Surveillance video captured the moment a motorhome slammed into the Budget Inn around 3:30 p.m. “I was in my room,” said motel guest Jerome Brown. “All of a sudden, I heard a big commotion.” The…

Getting food delivered became a lifeline for many people during the coronavirus pandemic, but now some restaurants in Massachusetts are worried about fees that could go up. At Krueger Flatbread in Haverhill, they’re done with third-party delivery companies. “It just didn’t make financial sense for us to give away 30-percent of the bill,” said general manager Jason Petrou. “We...

Deb McCarthy was back inside her fifth grade classroom Tuesday after serving a two-day suspension — she said she’d been told to go home Friday and stay there Monday when she refused to administer the MCAS exam. McCarthy is being called a conscientious objector, one of at least 55 teachers, most of them in the Cambridge school system, who say…

All high schools in Massachusetts are required to be back open for full-time, in-person learning starting Monday, although some have received waivers from the state. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey C. Riley made the announcement on Tuesday, April 27. In Andover, students getting ready to go back to the classroom full-time are experiencing a range of emotions. “I…

A pro-Palestinian crowd gathered outside the Boston Public Library on Saturday afternoon to condemn Israel’s attacks and decry United States support for Israel. The protesters could be seen holding signs that said “free Palestine.”  “I think it’s very worrisome,” said Nooran Alhamdan of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. “The reason it’s worrisome of course is that Palestinian lives don’t matter in...

Mayor Kim Janey said Friday that the investigation into decades-old domestic violence allegations against Police Commissioner Dennis White uncovered “a culture of fear and silence” within the Boston Police Department. “This investigation of Dennis White reveals a flawed process and a misguided department culture. It is clear from the report that we have to move in a different direction,” Janey…