South Shore News Podcast

WHITMAN - Whitman’s cherished civic ritual, the annual WinterFest, which spanned two decades, began as a simple idea on a miserable day and evolved into one of the town’s most successful volunteer-led celebrations before concluding due to volunteer fatigue in 2015. The event, which transitioned from a traditional holiday festival to the innovative “First Night” cookie drop, left a lasting physical...

BRIDGEWATER - The Town of Bridgewater is grappling with a severe water crisis that has forced the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to declare a formal Water Supply Emergency, officially issued on December 11, 2025. For weeks, residents have faced brown, discolored, and sometimes “pitch black” sludge flowing from their taps, contaminating everything from showers to lau...

South Shore Bar Pizza (SSBP) is a regional anomaly that has skyrocketed from a guarded local secret to a national culinary sensation. It is not merely a type of pizza, but a proud blue-collar culinary tradition rooted in the pubs, taverns, and dive bars of the communities located south of Boston. There is no pizza in the world quite like it. The Industrial Crucible: Birthplace and Blueprint The hi...

HANSON - November 27 - For over a hundred years, the Thanksgiving Day football rivalry between the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Panthers and the Abington High School Green Wave has been more than just a game; it is an enduring cultural institution on the South Shore. This annual contest is deeply embedded in the civic history and family fabric of both neighboring communities. This year, the...

The approach of the annual tax classification hearing represents the most important local policy decision regarding the allocation of the property tax burden. It is essential for municipal leadership to navigate this process with a clear understanding of the law and the profound implications of each available option. Critically, the classification decision does not change the total amount of money...

Abington residents will head to the polls on Saturday, November 15th , for a special election to fill an open seat on the Select Board. The vacancy arose following the unexpected resignation of Amanda Zompetti. Zompetti, who had recently won a full three-year term in April, moved out of state after securing an opportunity to buy a bed and breakfast in Bar Harbor, Maine. The winner of the election...

NORWELL - The Town of Norwell’s relocation of its municipal offices from the crumbling 73-year-old former schoolhouse on Main Street to a modern office condominium at 93 Longwater Circle stands, in hindsight, as a striking model of municipal pragmatism for other communities struggling with aging infrastructure and restrictive budgets. By strategically acquiring an existing commercial building, Nor...

EAST BRIDGEWATER - The East Bridgewater Central Elementary School Building Project is rapidly approaching a critical juncture as the town prepares for two crucial votes this November. Residents are being asked to approve funding for the construction of a new PK–2 school, a project that is poised to be the largest municipal investment since the junior/senior high school. Here is a breakdown of what...

PEMBROKE - The question of whether Pembroke should join the South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School (SSVT or SST) district is rapidly moving from philosophical debate to immediate action, requiring a crucial decision from residents this fall. The proposed initiative, framed by proponents as the only realistic solution to a longstanding educational gap, promises comprehensive vocation...

COHASSET – Voters and taxpayers planning to attend the November 3rd Special Town Meeting (STM) expecting to vote on the Cohasset Public Safety Building project at 135 King Street may be surprised to learn the Select Board voted on October 7, 2025, to remove the project from the warrant and delay the critical vote until the spring. The delay comes after the estimated cost of Phase 1 of the project—...

BOSTON/SOUTH SHORE — The legal status of Kratom ( Mitragyna speciosa ) in Massachusetts is currently defined by a profound policy vacuum at the state level, forcing local Boards of Health across the Commonwealth to create an inconsistent patchwork of regulations. For South Shore policy makers, this dynamic presents immediate challenges, as municipal bans enacted nearby threaten to displace sales a...

Massachusetts is grappling with a housing crisis that has been decades in the making, and the South Shore is feeling the impact. The Commonwealth’s urban communities and their surrounding suburbs must significantly increase housing production to meet growing demand and foster mixed-income neighborhoods. This isn't just about putting roofs over heads; it's about the fundamental health and future vi...

SOUTH SHORE – In an era of fluctuating energy prices and a growing demand for renewable sources, towns across the South Shore are increasingly exploring and adopting Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs, also known as municipal aggregation. This innovative approach, authorized in Massachusetts as one of only six states, allows local governments to take control of electricity purchasing on behalf...

ROCKLAND - Rockland residents are once again called to the polls for a crucial decision on the future of the town's fire department. A Special Election is set for Saturday, September 13, 2025, to decide the fate of a revised $26.1 million Fire Station Building Project and a $2 million Fire Department Ladder Truck. This vote serves as a "tiebreaker" after both proposals faced a split decision in th...

COHASSET - Cohasset's Recycling Transfer Facility (RTF) is facing a critical juncture, with a proposal to establish an RTF Enterprise Fund set to be revisited at the Fall 2025 Special Town Meeting. This decision could profoundly impact how the facility operates, how it's funded, and ultimately, what residents pay for its services. The move to create an Enterprise Fund aims to make the RTF financia...

SOUTH SHORE, MA – A fierce and ongoing battle is unfolding across the South Shore as numerous towns continue to resist the state-mandated MBTA Communities Act, a law designed to spur multi-family housing development near public transit. Despite a ruling by the state's highest court upholding the law's constitutionality, local municipalities are fighting back, primarily citing concerns over the fin...

BROCKTON - The Brockton Public Schools (BPS) faced a significant financial crisis in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), stemming from a budget deficit initially reported at $14.4 million and later confirmed to be at least $18 million or $18.25 million. This shortfall came as a shock to parents and the public just before the new school year began in August 2023. Two independent investigations were launched t...

ABINGTON, MA – For years, the town of Abington has grappled with a disturbing and persistent problem: a disproportionately high number of fatal and serious incidents along its MBTA commuter rail lines. Despite ongoing efforts by town officials to advocate for improved safety measures, the tracks continue to be the scene of tragic collisions, leading to deep concern and frustration within the commu...

PEMBROKE – Town government in Pembroke has become a battleground for a series of contentious "culture war" issues, reflecting deeper ideological divisions among residents and elected officials. Debates over diversity, equity, and inclusion, classroom symbols like Pride flags, and even local policy-making have fueled heated exchanges and solidified a landscape of competing visions for the town's fu...

HALIFAX – The town of Halifax has experienced a remarkable journey through its municipal leadership over the past few years, moving from a period of abrupt resignations and a "one-man band" Select Board to a more stable, forward-thinking administration. This transformation is highlighted as the town now prepares for the departures of Town Administrator Cody Haddad and Select Board Chair John Bruno...

ROCKLAND – The Rockland Board of Health (BOH) is currently experiencing a period of intense conflict, marked by unprofessional meetings and escalating personal disputes among its members and with town staff. The discord centers primarily around Chairman Robert Stephens, Vice Chair Tina Gallant (his mother), Board Member Michelle Kennedy, and Health Agent Delshaune Flipp. The Board of Health operat...

The East Bridgewater Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) granted a Comprehensive Permit for the "Residences at Meadow Brook" development on April 9, 2025 . This complex project involves a total of 240 housing units , comprising 80 townhouses off Winter Street and 160 apartment units across three buildings along Route 18 . The developer, represented by attorney Rob Pellegrini and Peter Freeman, introduce...

Leading up to its May 3, 2025, town election, Marshfield experienced significant leadership changes and continued to grapple with major financial challenges. The election saw challenger Trish Simpson defeat incumbent Select Board Chair Lynne Fidler, with key campaign themes including fiscal concerns, transparency, and resident engagement . Shortly after, the Select Board reorganized on May 5, 2025...

The need for operational overrides in these Massachusetts towns is a recurring theme driven by a combination of rising fixed costs, inflation, competitive labor markets, unfunded mandates, and insufficient state aid, all while operating under the constraints of Proposition 2 ½. While towns have implemented various strategies to increase efficiency and revenue, many find themselves at a crossroads...

The podcast primarily discusses the town of Duxbury's ongoing efforts to comply with the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act , a state law requiring municipalities to zone for multi-family housing. Duxbury initially rejected a zoning plan, leading to a lawsuit challenging the act's constitutionality as an unfunded mandate, though a Superior Court judge has since dismissed similar lawsuits. In respo...