Newton’s new community services chief, John Rice, has devoted his life to the city
Newton’s new community services chief has devoted his life to the city John Rice was 8 years old when his brother, James, was killed in [...]
In Brief: Laredo drops some news, police warn of scam and more
Laredo’s Listening Tour takes off Mayor Marc Laredo has been on a listening tour across Newton, and on Wednesday night he was at Bigelow Middle [...]
From submarines to City Hall, Newton’s new COO Josh Morse has built a career around service
Josh Morse has a desk at City Hall, but unlike other Newton officials, he considers his true office to be in Newton’s backyards and streets. [...]
In new City Hall role, Lauren Berman looks to help Newton’s business community thrive
Lauren Berman has organized PTO fundraisers, helped revamp Newton’s farmers market and organized a “bakery crawl” to benefit small shops. Now that she has assumed [...]
Not So Fast: Albright charters vote on fate of Newton Centre Plaza
The Newton Centre Plaza is in jeopardy of being shut down way before its Halloween expiration date, but on Monday, it got a temporary reprieve [...]
Digging Out: Cleanup continues after rare massive snowstorm buries Newton
Let there be sidewalks. After all was said and done, Newton ended up with about 24 inches of snow from the Sunday-Monday snowstorm that brought [...]
Meryl Kessler lays out her plans for Newton’s new Arts & Culture Department
On Monday, Meryl Kessler presented the Newton Cultural Council with her plan for the city’s new Department of Arts & Culture Department. The 31-year Newton [...]
Newton’s enhanced new 311 app brings convenience to user experience
This story is from The Heights, an independent, nonprofit newspaper run by Boston College students with which the Newton Beacon has a partnership. Newton has rolled out [...]
Committee approves new public buildings commissioner
With Josh Morse promoted to Chief Operating Officer at City Hall, the city needs a public building supervisor. And Mayor Marc Laredo has picked Deputy [...]
City Council approves funding for two key Laredo administration jobs
The City Council approved $300,000 for positions in Mayor Marc Laredo’s new administration Monday night. The money will pay the salaries of Chief of Community [...]
Dana Hanson loves local governments, and now she gets to help run hers
Dana Hanson has lived much of her life leaping into things. She fought to save a neighborhood library and ended up in a political career. [...]
City, Harvard launch internship in Setti Warren’s honor
In November, Newton mourned the sudden loss of former Mayor Setti Warren, who died at the age of 55. Now, there’s a City Hall internship [...]
Arts & Culture Department gets unanimous committee approval
Mayor Marc Laredo’s idea for an Arts & Culture Department took a huge step closer to reality recently when the City Council’s Programs and Services [...]
Guest Essay: Veteran councilor gets a cold shoulder
Pull up a chair and grab your popcorn. Newton’s new City Council, with its shuffling of committees and leadership, brings a frisson of excitement in [...]
Giddy-Up: Newton is set to harness energy and movement in 2026
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2025 was the Year of the Snake, a time for shedding the old and making room for the new. And 2026 [...]