Emma Hagert

Newton school officials advocated for a proposed Proposition 2 ½ override that would include $4.5 million to fund additional mental health support and technology for students in the city’s public schools during an Oct. 20 town hall.

"Tibetan students in general are in many ways disadvantaged when you compare them to students at the same age in other countries, in just having access to educational resources, such as tutoring itself, but also connection with the international community,” she said.

In response, Tarafdar founded “ The Lotus Project ” out of her Newton home this summer to partner Tibetan kids with Newton high schoolers for virtual, weekly tutoring lessons in English language learning on the video messaging plat

“Black Bird” showrunner Dennis Lehane discussed the making of the true crime series alongside leading actor Paul Walter Hauser, who played the convicted serial killer Larry Hall, in a journalist roundtable discussion at the Liberty Hotel on Nov. 10.

Lehane’s screenplay was based on the memoir “In with the Devil” written by James “Jimmy” Keene, a man who was sentenced to 10 years in prison, played by Taron Egerton. The show focuses on Keene’s journey to befriend Hall and get him to confess, a tr

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an alliance between the U.S. State Department and the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University to promote Afghan women’s economic agency through entrepreneurship, workforce participation and education.

According to a memorandum written by Rachel Brulé, assistant professor of global development policy in Pardee, the alliance will provide Pardee graduate students with high-level and policy driven opportunities, position the Pard

Authentic, comforting and colorful Latin cuisine — inspired by Masterchef USA contestant Grace Ramirez’s cookbook, “La Latina” — is coming to all of the Boston University dining halls this Friday.

“For Latino students, I hope they feel fairly represented,” said Ramirez. “I hope that they’re able to have a bite of those black beans and [it] reminds them of their grandmother’s beans or their mom’s beans.”

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Ramirez said she worked with Aramark, the food s

Racks stacked with vintage clothing are set up once a week outside of In Your Ear Records on West Campus — taking the meaning of street fashion to a new level. You can now get your clothing fix from timeless pieces to old album tees in this renewed era of fashion.

Xavier Andreu, who runs the street rack, called “Follow the Thread,” along with its Instagram account, said he initially started the rack on his own but soon partnered with Deondré Jones, who runs High Society Vintage.

Andreu, who wo

Singer-songwriter Keshi’s die-hard fans created an atmosphere at Thursday night’s sold-out concert that was a performance in itself. As a relatively new listener, I watched in awe as the audience came alive with energy that even Keshi himself said was insane.

Casey Luong, a Houston-native who goes by his stage name Keshi, is popular within the Asian-American community. He gave an unforgettable performance at Royale Boston for his HELL / HEAVEN tour to fans who chanted words of endearment, lust

The final Cinémathèque screening series held by the College of Communication Department of Film and Television featured Luke Matheny, an Academy Award winner, on April 29. Matheny joined the audience over Zoom as he clued students in on how he navigated a notoriously difficult industry.

There were two screenings — one of his award-winning short “God of Love,” and the series finale of another award-winning Amazon family series “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street” which he produced and serve

As the sole performer on stage, all eyes were on singer Holly Humberstone as her melodious voice echoed throughout the venue. Her performance entranced the audience as they swayed to the beat of her tunes and softly sang along.

Holly Humberstone opened for Girl in Red at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday to a sold out show. The line of eager fans waiting to get in wrapped around Comm. Ave. and across the street in front of Agganis Arena.

The England-based artist is no stranger to crowds as she

WARE, Mass. —
Former Ware Fire Chief Thomas Coulombe was indicted Thursday at the Hampshire County Supreme Court in connection with two alleged embezzlement schemes, according to the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.

Coulombe allegedly embezzled over $28,000 from the town and three regional non-profit fire associations, officials said.

He will be arraigned on four counts of larceny over $1,2000, according to the OIG. The date for his arraignment has not been set.

The OIG began investigating Coulombe after he was accused of submitting false and inflated reimbursement requests to the town of Ware, and for allegedly stealing funds from three regional fire associations where he served as the treasurer, officials said.

The OIG said they initially shared the investigation's findings with the Northwestern District Attorney's Office for prosecution, but it was referred to the Worcester District Attorney's Office to avoid a perceived conflict of interest.

Coulombe worked as the Ware Fire Chief from 2002 to 2019. According to the indictment, it was between 2014 and 2019 that he allegedly made reimbursement requests for non-existent expenses and that he falsified or altered receipts to overstate his expenses.

He allegedly stole over $3,700 from the Town of Ware as a result of this scheme, the OIG said.

Coulombe was also a treasurer for three non-profit fire associations that provided training and services to the region while he served as the Ware fire chief. These associations received funding from area communities, officials said.

Coulombe allegedly embezzled over $24,000 from these associations between 2013 and 2020, according to the indictment.

BARNSTABLE COUNTY, Mass. —
According to the Barnstable Sheriff's Office, Deputy Sherriff Gregory Djaoen was placed on administrative leave after being charged in connection to an incident with a motorist.

State police pulled over Djaoen on Route 28 in Bourne on July 29 after a motorist reported he tried to run them off the road and pointed a gun at them, police said.

When asked about this incident, Djaoen said he saw a car swerving in the lanes, but his firearm was on the dashboard, according to police reports.

Police said Djaoen reported having left his firearm on the dashboard earlier that day because it wasn't positioned in his upholster correctly.

When asked if he pulled out his gun at all that day, Djaoen responded, "No, it was on my dashboard and it slid," according to police reports.

Police said they solicited a witness statement from the reporting party after taking Djaoen into custody.

The deputy sheriff was arrested and has now been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and threats to commit a crime, police said.

An investigation is currently underway.

BOSTON —
Massachusetts HOV lanes only permit vehicles with two or more occupants, and no, this does not include mannequins as emphasized by a recent stop made by state police.

A South Boston trooper pulled over a Mercedes-Benz driver in the HOV lane who attempted to replicate a second occupant by strapping a mannequin in the passengers seat, according to the State Police Association of Massachusetts.

"Let this post serve as a reminder that the HOV lane is reserved for vehicles with two or more HUMAN passengers (mannequins, dogs and imaginary friends don’t count) in order to keep our roads safe and traffic regulations respected," the union said in a statement.

NASHUA, N.H. —
Bring the waves to you on your next staycation with a trip to an indoor surfing facility in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Surf's Up has North America's largest surf stream, with a 32-foot channel that drives waves up to six feet high. The facility maintains a tropical warm temperature every day, with palm trees dotting the indoor space to make you feel like you're on the beach.

"I wanted to create a place that you can come year-round," said Laurie Greer, owner of Surf's Up, who used to visit the Hawaiian Islands to surf. "I like to say this is my island and summer never ends."

Instructors will teach surfers beforehand the proper stance and how to fall if needed.

Rob Mariano, known as Boston Rob, visited Surf's Up for his very first surfing lesson in an episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown" last year.

"I'm not nervous, but I've seen this done before, I've never actually tried it," Mariano said before he gave it a go.

Download the VeryLocal app to watch Boston Rob Does Beantown and more Boston-area programming

Woman accused of taking explicit photos of kids at Massachusetts day care expected to be released
People can book a group surf session of up to six people for $45 a person.

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

EXETER, N.H. —
A not-so-typical spa experience can be found in Exeter, New Hampshire, at a man-made salt cave containing up to nine tons of Himalayan salt.

Soleil's was started six years ago by two parents who sought to curb their daughter's health problems. When inhaled into your sinuses, the salt helps break down the layer of mucus in your respiratory system and provides longer relief for conditions like allergies and asthma.

"The cave is lined with Himalayan salt, which is aesthetic. It's nice to look at, but the inhaling, you want to make sure you're breathing in pharmaceutical," said Daryl Browne, the owner of Soleil's salt cave. "So, while you're laying there, you're going to feel a dry mist in the air, and that will be pharmaceutical salt."

Browne said while you lounge throughout the space, you're breathing in about five days of sea air.

Rob Mariano, known as Boston Rob, visited the salt cave in an episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown" last year.

"There's been a lot of success stories," Mariano said. "It's not medically documented, but people definitely do feel the healing benefits of the salt."

Download the VeryLocal app to watch Boston Rob Does Beantown and more Boston-area programming

Woman accused of taking explicit photos of kids at Massachusetts day care expected to be released
A private salt bed session in the "Room of Renewal" costs $60 for 45 minutes.

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

BOSTON —
Boston-based restaurant tech company Toast announced Wednesday its new headquarters will reside in the Seaport district after prematurely breaking the lease of its previous location in Fenway.

Toast said they plan to open the new space located at 333 Summer Street in early 2024.

The move will bring Toast closer to Boston's main transportation hubs, South Station and Logan Airport, which they say will promote enhanced support networks, collaboration and innovation.

The new building will feature flexible layouts that support hybrid working schedules, workout facilities and a mezzanine with an outdoor patio for community gatherings.

“We are grateful to the greater Boston community for supporting us throughout the years, and look forward to opening our new, collaborative space,” said Aman Narang, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Toast.

TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass. —
From caring for beehives to selling honey out of a garage, what started as a backyard business for this New England family grew into a buzzing company.

The Colony in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, is a third-generation beekeeping and honey-making farm that strives to educate its visitors about the importance of honeybees while operating as a one-stop shop for all bee merchandise.

"Bees are really responsible for a lot of the food that we eat, so the pollination value of bees is very important," said Rick Reault, the owner of The Colony, who started keeping bees in his backyard over 30 years ago.

Honeybees would unfortunately no longer exist in the U.S. without beekeepers, Reault said.

Rob Mariano, known as Boston Rob, recently visited the bee colony for a tasting of the honey and mead with Reault in an episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown."

"That's dangerous, Rick," Mariano said of the honey-bound mead he tried. "It tastes delicious. It doesn't taste like liquor at all."

Download the VeryLocal app to watch Boston Rob Does Beantown and more Boston-area programming

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

ERVING, Mass. —
An injured bear cub was rescued in Erving, Massachusetts on State Road along Route 2 after being struck by a car Thursday evening, according to police.

Officer Brandon Bryant and Sgt. Adam Paicos said they found the cub with an injured left leg and foot, and the mama bear was keeping watch when they arrived.

"She appeared to be in distress, she was calling out," Paicos said of the mama bear's reaction. "She was monitoring the area, making sure we weren't getting close."

Paicos said the mama bear eventually retreated further into the embankment after the cub scooted off the roadway on its injured leg.

They were able to safely intervene and move the cub into the care of MassWildlife, where the cub was taken to the Tufts Animal Hospital, police said.

The cub received a physical examination and radiographs from veterinarians at the clinic, according to a statement provided by Tufts.

"The cub is being kept comfortable and is receiving pain medication and supportive care," wrote Dr. Maureen Murray, director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. "Veterinarians are assessing the injuries and will continue to provide treatment and monitor the cub over the coming days."

Police said there's a center in New Hampshire they hope will rehabilitate the cub so the animal can be released back into the wild within a year.

TAUNTON, Mass. —
A serious crash involving a moped and SUV is under investigation in Taunton Friday morning, according to police.

Police say they responded to reports of a crash at 6:28 a.m. at the Bay Street and Interstate 495 intersection and found a GMC Acadia and moped that had collided near the I-495 off-ramp.

The moped operator, a 60-year-old Taunton man, was taken by ambulance to a nearby parking lot where he was flown to the nearest hospital, police said.

The other victim, a 47-year-old Carver woman who was driving the GMC Acadia, was reportedly uninjured.

The crash remains under investigation.

IPSWICH, Mass. —
In an effort to keep federal protections in place for endangered wolves, a Massachusetts sanctuary cares for the animals while offering educational programs to help raise awareness.

The Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, Massachusetts has been looking after North American gray wolves for over 30 years and is open for the public to walk through with one of their educators.

Kevin Kenny, the operations manager at Wolf Hollow, discussed the wolf's diets, howling habits and family-based instincts with Rob Mariano, better known as Boston Rob, in a recent episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown."

"They're eating better than I am on a fairly consistent basis," said Kenny of the meals he serves to the wolves. "I come out here, I'm thawing out Cornish game hens, and sirloin steak that's been grass-fed in Maine."

The Ipswich local rediscovered his passion for helping care for wolves after a chance encounter in his hometown with the director of the wolf sanctuary. He switched his major in school, joined the team and hasn't looked back.

"If you want to do something different like you've never done before, learn about the wolves," said Mariano.

Download the VeryLocal app to watch Boston Rob Does Beantown and more Boston-area programming

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

BOSTON —
Rather than preparing meals for a dine-in restaurant, one commercial kitchen in Massachusetts is serving a different kind of customer.

The CommonWealth Kitchen in Dorchester rents out its kitchen spaces to food businesses trying to start up in the industry. People can come in and rent it by the hour to prepare food for their restaurant, food truck or catering business.

"We're a food business incubator, so we try to help people who have a dream to build any kind of a food business," Jen Faigel, executive director of the CommonWealth Kitchen, said. "They have a hot sauce company, or a cookie company or they want to start a food truck but they don't know where to start."

Faigel said the kitchen primarily works with women, immigrants and people of color as part of their investment toward racial, social and economic justice.

Rob Mariano, known as Boston Rob, recently visited the shared kitchen for an episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown."

"You're starting them off," said Mariano of the food kitchen's efforts. "I think that's an awesome thing that you're doing here for the community, it's a great need."

The organization also offers additional guidance with anything from permit applications, licensing to lessons in marketing.

For $35 an hour, people have access to all the kitchen equipment and the staff available to meet their needs.

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

BOSTON —
Nearly $3 million is going to local businesses as Boston aims to revitalize empty storefronts throughout the city, Mayor Michelle Wu announced.

Twenty-four local entrepreneurs have been selected for the American Rescue Plan funding made available through the city's Supporting Pandemic Affected Community Enterprises Grant to aid with their expansion to vacant storefronts city-wide. Three-quarters of the businesses receiving SPACE Grants are minority-owned, and over half are women-owned, Wu's office said.

“The SPACE Grant program connects entrepreneurs with the extra capital and technical assistance they need to be vibrant, successful additions to our downtown and our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Michelle Wu in the city of Boston SPACE Grant press release. “These first 24 recipients each have an incredible story of entrepreneurship, from immigrants sharing their culture through food, to daycares filling a need seen in many of our communities. This program at its core is a win-win for Boston, filling vacant storefronts while helping our small businesses thrive.”

Included in the first round of grants, worth a total of $2.8 million, were industries ranging from retail, art, bars, food and daycare centers. Of the recipients who have received the funding, some will be opening up their first storefronts, while others will be expanding to second locations.

"When I got the grant I just started to cry," said Dawne Brown of the daycare in Hyde Park she plans to expand. "I'm so appreciative."

The full list of grantees is available on the city of Boston's website.

Of the total $9 million ARPA dollars allocated for the SPACE Grants, a little over six remain for the next round of grants, which will open for applications on Oct. 2. The second round will also work to bring in more diverse local businesses to take up shop in vacant spaces around the city, Wu's office said.

CARROLL, N.H. —
With roaming wildlife, stunning views and calming atmospheres, New England forest trails are indulged by all kinds of explorers and, occasionally, horseback riders too.

At Bretton Woods Stables, people can receive horse-riding lessons through the New Hampshire White Mountains, no matter their level of experience. After learning the ropes, the guides will take riders out to explore the beautiful region.

Rob Mariano, known as Boston Rob, recently visited the stables for his first-ever riding lessons in a recent episode of Very Local's "Boston Rob Does Beantown."

"Luckily, we encountered no wild animals while horseback riding," said Mariano of the experience on the trails. "What you're more likely to witness are scenic views of the Presidential mountain range if you explore enough of these trails."

Wildlife from deer, coyotes, and on rare occasions, bears are all typical sightings when out for a stroll through these woods.

Download the Very Local app to watch Boston Rob Does Beantown and more Boston-area programming

The trail riding rates available to the public are by the hour and range from $70 for a group tour to $95 for a private tour of up to two guests. Pony rides for children are $18.

What is Very Local?

Very Local is a streaming app where you can watch local daily newscasts, original series and more. Keep connected to your hometown with the news and weather team you trust, and discover original series and specials that explore your community and beyond.

Follow Very Local on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more.

BOSTON —
Berklee College of Music President Erica Muhl will not return from an unexpected leave of absence she took at the end of June, bringing an end to her two-year tenure, according to a statement released by Berklee.

Berklee Provost David Bogen and Vice President Betsey Newman are set to lead in her stead.

“For the last several weeks, the Board of Trustees has been actively engaged in ongoing discussions with President Muhl,” Trustees Chairman Martin Mannion wrote in a brief email to faculty and students. “While we are unable to share further details, President Muhl will not be returning to Berklee. The board thanks President Muhl for her time, her leadership during the pandemic, and her investment in Berklee’s educational experience."

The Boston University Revolutionary Marxist Students held a protest at the Engineering Career Fair outside the George Sherman Union Oct. 6 to oppose BU promoting “societal engineers,” because it invites companies that participate in weapon-making and surveillance technology.

Sam Fogelberg, a junior in the College of Engineering and member of the BU Revolutionary Marxist Students, said they are protesting the defense contractors invited to the career fair such as General Electric, General Dynami