LOWELL — The 38th annual Lowell Folk Festival is now less than a week away, and with it comes a diverse lineup of performances taking place across the three-day event. To Festival Director Lee Viliesis, the musical lineup has always turned out fantastically, and this year, she said, is no exception.
Lowell
Lowell Folk Festival gets ready to party
LOWELL — Excitement is building for the 38th annual Lowell Folk Festival that opens in just 12 days. The longest-running and second-largest free folk festival opens Friday, July 25 at 6:15 p.m., with the traditional Parade of Flags, and runs through Sunday, July 27.
Judge begins releasing defendants amid legal representation crisis
LOWELL — Defendants facing charges including armed robbery and drug trafficking were released from custody on Wednesday at the Kiernan Judicial Center, as trial courts in Middlesex and Suffolk counties began holding emergency Lavallee Protocol hearings at the Lowell-based courthouse in response to a statewide shortage of court-appointed attorneys.
North Middlesex Regional hires Jason Rivers as varsity football coach
After Jordan Murphy resigned as the North Middlesex Regional High School football coach so he could spend more time with his growing family, the school’s athletic director, Ryan DeMar, didn’t have to look far to find his replacement. Assistant coach Jason Rivers, who has over 20 years of coaching experience at four varsity programs, has been announced as the new guy in charge. “We formed a committee and went through the interview process with the candidates, and we just feel like coach Rivers is the best person to build off what we have now but also bring new excitement, which […]
‘Strong medicine’: SJC orders courts to begin potential release of indigent defendants as right-to-counsel crisis hits breaking point
BOSTON — Declaring a “systemic violation” of constitutional rights, Massachusetts’ highest court on Thursday ordered trial courts in Middlesex and Suffolk counties to begin hearings that could lead to the release of jailed defendants and dismissal of charges against individuals who remain unrepresented.
‘Completely against our culture’: Ousted Market Basket officials speak out about ‘pre-planned attack’
Like many longtime employees of the eastern New England grocery chain, Joe Schmidt and Tom Gordon started as associates at Market Basket and worked their way up. Now, they fear the unique culture of Market Basket is at risk as a result of board maneuvers that have at least temporarily ousted them, CEO Arthur T. Demoulas and others amid an ongoing Demoulas family feud over succession.
