As state Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s quest to pry open the inner workings of the Legislature moves closer to likely ballot approval, questions about her office’s legal standing to perform that review remain. The ballot question, along with initiatives to remove the MCAS as a high- school graduation requirement and give rideshare drivers the ability to […]
editorial
Editorial: Don’t let Ayer hospital fall victim to Steward’s financial malpractice
Let the auctions begin. That’s what a Texas bankruptcy judge declared, now that he’s allowed the sale of dozens of Steward Health Care System hospitals to move forward. On Monday, attorneys for Dallas-based Steward told U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Lopez that any delay in the sale of the hospitals could impact the company’s ability […]
Editorial: Fragmented Mass. grocery market fills basket of local chain
It’s painfully obvious to anyone responsible for a family’s supermarket shopping that grocery bills in Massachusetts, especially the Boston area, have been rising at a faster clip than in most of the country, even as overall inflation has abated somewhat. Consumers who live in cities with higher costs of living tend to pay more for […]
Editorial: Leominster, time to apply for FEMA flood disaster aid
The federal government gave Leominster and other communities a reprieve in their efforts to receive funding to help them recover from last September’s devastating rains, and now it’s time for individuals and businesses to take advantage of that opportunity. In February, federal officials rejected Gov. Maura Healey’s request for disaster relief for Bristol, Hampden, and […]
Editorial: In praise of nursing grads embarking on a challenging career
Yes, the path you have chosen is a difficult one. Those words, spoken by Kim Shea, dean of Nursing and Health Sciences, went out to the 94 graduates of Mount Wachusett Community College’s Associate Degree in Nursing program earlier this month. They occurred during the traditional pinning ceremony at the Mount Fitness facility in front […]
Editorial: Guard’s assault grim reminder of dangers inherent in this duty
It’s no surprise that corrections officers exhibit the worst health of any U.S. occupational group, with high rates of on-the-job injuries, suicide, obesity, hypertension and sleep disruption. Their life expectancy averages more than a decade less than those in other professions, according to research in multiple states. Mazen El Ghaziri, the assistant chair and associate […]
