Massachusetts

A very small earthquake was reported in Massachusetts on Monday, according to a local observatory.

Lunenberg, near the New Hampshire border, had 1.5 magnitude shaking around 1 p.m., according to the Weston Observatory, which tracks seismic activity through its New England Seismic Network.

Typically, earthquakes of 1.5 magnitude are barely felt, if at all, though people on a Facebook page for nearby Townsend reported feeling and hearing an earthquake.

Quick little earthquake in Lunenburg around 1pm today. A mere 1.5 magnitude (barely felt). Thanks to the Weston Observatory for the data. pic.twitter.com/e281Ru2EXD

— Pete Bouchard (@PeteNBCBoston) November 18, 2024

The earthquake didn’t register on the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of all earthquakes in the last 24 hours, though a smaller, 1.3 magnitude temblor in the Stamford, Connecticut, area did.

Small earthquakes are fairly common. Damage is usually only caused by earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 or 5 — roughly 1,000 times more powerful than the one detected Monday.

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First Night Boston, New England’s largest New Year’s Eve party, returns to City Hall Plaza this year to celebrate the start of 2025.

The free event runs from 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 through 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Segments of the program will be carried live on NBC10 Boston, NECN and Telemundo Boston’s digital platforms.

With activities and entertainment for the whole family, First Night will feature a wide range of local musicians, artists, and performers at City Hall Plaza, Boston Common, and other nearby locations. Showcasing talents from hip-hop to country, and jazz to classical, back-to-back performances will make up a full schedule, now available at www.firstnightboston.org.

In addition to the musical acts, First Night includes ice sculptures, family activities, a parade, a laser and pyrotechnic show and two separate fireworks displays. Oh, and don’t forget the food!

Performances include children’s music at Boston City Hall’s Civic Pavillion, arts and crafts within City Hall, while strings, keys, and voices across all genres of musical talent will delight crowds from the event’s main stage. Outdoor performances begin at 2 p.m. and continue past the stroke of midnight.

New this year, performances at Boston Public Market and Cambridgeside Galleria will provide indoor venues for daytime programming. The 6 p.m. parade from City Hall Plaza will lead into the 7 p.m. fireworks above Boston Common, and the midnight fireworks above Boston Harbor will again set the city aglow.

Among the event’s leading sponsors are Meet Boston, Amazon, the Hyatt Regency and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. Interested donors can visit www.firstnightboston.org. For more on First Night Boston 2025 visit www.FirstNightBoston.org or follow on Facebook, @FirstNight on X, @firstnightboston on Instagram and follow the conversation using the hashtage #FirstNightBoston.

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The Boston Celtics say they will make the traditional champions’ visit to the White House on Thursday, when they will be welcomed by President Joe Biden a day before their game in Washington against the Wizards.

The Celtics won their NBA-record 18th championship in June, beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals in five games. They will be visiting Washington for the second and final time during the regular season.

The Celtics first visited the White House as champions in 1963 in the John F. Kennedy administration and last went in 2008, when they met with former President George W. Bush.

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