Hopkinton is latest community to use CPA funds for COVID-19 housing help
Hopkinton officials are taking applications through Sept. 1 for the town's new COVID-19 Emergency Housing Relief Program, which will cover up to 70% of a household's monthly rent payment or deed-restricted mortgage payment. "To combat this unexpected financial burden, we encourage residents to apply for our COVID-19 Emergency Housing Relief Program that will assist them with their housing costs." In May, Town Meeting voted to approve the use of $90,000 in Community Preservation Act money reserved for community housing to fund the program, joining several municipalities pursuing similar approaches. The Beverly City Council in June 2020 approved the use of $240,000 in CPA funding for an emergency housing assistance program, and Newton used a combination of CPA money and Community Development Block Grant funds for its program. Other cities and towns that approved the use of CPA funds for pandemic-related housing assistance include Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Easthampton, Malden, Manchester, Medford, Monson, Pittsfield, Rockland, Stoughton, Stow, Sunderland, Waltham, Wellfleet and Weston, according to a Community Preservation Coalition database.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 11:37 UTC
Anti-gay Catholic cardinal who opposed COVID-19 vaccines hospitalized with virus
Cardinal Raymond Burke, a high-ranking official in the U.S. Catholic Church, has been placed on a ventilator after contracting COVID-19. The anti-gay conservative and vaccine skeptic was hospitalized just days after testing positive for the coronavirus during a visit to Wisconsin. He has also repeatedly criticized COVID-19 vaccines, including arguing against vaccine mandates, claiming they violate the “integrity” of citizens. Slamming the “aggressiveness of the homosexual agenda,” Burke said that Catholic families planning Christmas gatherings should avoid allowing gay family members to bring their partners if children would be present. “What would it mean to grandchildren to have present at a family gathering a family member who is living [in] a disordered relationship with another person?” Burke told LifeSiteNews.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 11:26 UTC
Mayoral hopeful Carlos Valadares: 'When I'm helping people, there isn't a bad day'
FRAMINGHAM — Carlos Valadares was disappointed he wasn't in a position to run to become the city's first mayor in 2017. "I realized in my life (that) if I cannot help people, I get literally, I'm not saying depressed — but I get down," Valadares said. "But when I'm helping people, there's not a bad day in my life." "I want to find the best person in each position that's very important to the city to work with me." "Unfortunately, here, in my view, Framingham south side is completely neglected, not just now, but even before Framingham became a city," he said.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 11:14 UTC
Local veterans say it was time for troops to come home from Afghanistan
FRAMINGHAM — Alexander Hohl understands why some veterans are questioning the U.S. government pulling out of Afghanistan, especially with the Taliban taking over Kabul. “I’m glad that American troops are going to be back on American soil,” said Hohl, 31, who finished his second tour in 2012. “Finally, to our Afghanistan veterans and their families, I am too honest to stand here today and try to convince you that your sacrifice was worth it,” he said in his statement. Washington gains comfort that this majority of the American public is behind them to withdraw; consequently, they will not be punished for executing a withdrawal. "We need to bridge the gap between veterans and citizens to help veterans heal and to return them to wholeness.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 11:03 UTC
Home Depot’s U.S. sales slow as DIY frenzy tapers off
Home-improvement chains had a blockbuster 2020 as revenue and profit surged from stuck-at-home Americans splurging on paint, tools, and gardening equipment to upgrade their living spaces through DIY projects. The steady rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, however, prompted more Americans to return to outdoor activities and abandon some pandemic-induced shopping habits. U.S. same-store sales at Home Depot climbed 3.4% in the second quarter ended Aug. 1 – the smallest increase in two years, and missed analysts’ estimates of a 4.9% rise, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The slowdown in sales lowers expectations for smaller rival Lowe’s Cos Inc, which is even more dependent on DIY consumers than Home Depot, J.P. Morgan analysts said in a note. The trend helped push Home Depot’s quarterly net sales up 8.1% to a record $41.12 billion, while its net earnings rose 11% to $4.81 billion.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 10:14 UTC
The flavor of Brazil New downtown restaurant, bar in Framingham adds a distinctive twist when it serves up sushi
Last month, Samuel Almeida opened up Sam Sushi, Art & Music — an upscale, Brazilian-style sushi restaurant offering dishes like rolls, bowls and sashimi — at 181 Concord St. (Rte. Brazilian-style sushi fuses traditional Brazilian flavors (including lime, lemon and coconut) with raw fish, Saul Almeida said. This is the first restaurant Samuel Almeida has opened, but he also owns Alliance Jiu Jitsu, a Jiu Jitsu studio at 16 Concord St., his brother said. That business, which opened three years ago, features Samuel Almeida as a teacher. Saul Almeida started doing martial arts when he was 8 — around the time he moved to the United States — and is now a professional MMA fighter.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 08:48 UTC
Japan to extend COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo area
TOKYO (Reuters) – The Japanese government plans to extend a state of emergency in and around Tokyo until the last week of September in a further bid to contain the coronavirus epidemic, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Saturday. The government plans to extend them by about two weeks in Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, the Mainichi said, without citing sources. Under the state of emergency, the government has sought to reduce foot traffic by asking restaurants to shorten their hours and refrain from serving alcohol, and companies to let staff work from home more frequently. It will consider downgrading or lifting states of emergency in prefectures that have seen hospital beds free up to non-critical levels, the Mainichi said. Japan is battling its fifth and biggest wave of COVID-19 cases, driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 04:40 UTC
Malaysia’s king calls on parties to work together in search for new PM
By Rozanna Latiff, Liz Lee and Mei Mei ChuKUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Malaysia’s king asked leaders from different parties to work together to address the economic and health woes facing the country, as he began a search on Tuesday to replace Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister. The constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, who met leaders of political parties on Tuesday, had previously ruled out elections because of the pandemic, saying he would appoint a prime minister he believed likely to command a majority. Muhyiddin then put together a coalition with political parties that were defeated in the polls, including UMNO. No single political party has a majority in parliament, so a successful prime ministerial candidate will have to forge a coalition. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff, Mei Mei Chu and Liz Lee; Writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and David Holmes)
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 02:37 UTC
Letter: Marjorie Taylor Greene a danger to our country
MetroWest Daily NewsOnce upon a time there was a country that featured a Congress that worked for the betterment of the people and the country. Today there is a country that features a Congress that works for the betterment of that political party. She is most definitely a threat to the safety and well being of her constituents and the United States of America as a whole. She is also the most logical vice presidential candidate to run with Donald Trump for president in 2024. That is assuming Donald Trump is not "restored" as the 47th president prior to the 2024 conventions.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 02:26 UTC
Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover presents fresh challenge for social media companies
(Reuters) – The Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan poses a new challenge for big U.S. tech companies on handling content created by a group considered to be terrorists by some world governments. Social media giant Facebook confirmed on Monday that it designates the Taliban a terrorist group and bans it and content supporting it from its platforms. On Twitter Inc, Taliban spokesmen with hundreds of thousands of followers have tweeted updates during the country’s takeover. Major social media firms this year made high-profile decisions on handling sitting world leaders and groups in power. Complicating matters further, though most countries show little sign they will recognize the group diplomatically, the Taliban’s position on the world stage may yet shift as they cement control.
Source:MetroXpress
August 17, 2021 00:56 UTC
Massachusetts cranberry growers optimistic about this fall's harvest
YoungState House News ServiceBOSTON — A year after a drought created headaches for them, Massachusetts cranberry growers this summer have had to contend with a historically rainy July and are projecting that this fall will produce a fairly average cranberry harvest. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, which represents more than 300 cranberry growers throughout the state, said its leadership thinks the best estimate for Bay State cranberry production in 2021 is 1.9 million barrels of 100 pounds each. "Although there is more than a month to go before harvest begins, Massachusetts cranberry growers are gearing up for a busy harvest season. Like every growing season, there are always ups and downs that growers experience as they nurture our native berry." "In an age of weather extremes, our growers have persistently worked to keep the bogs dry, quite a change from last year's drought," Wick said.
Source:MetroXpress
August 16, 2021 23:15 UTC
Cat locked in carrier found on side of road in Westborough
WESTBOROUGH — Authorities are trying to find the owner of a cat found inside a carrier on Sunday on the side of East Main Street. The cat appears to be uninjured, but angry, Westborough Animal Control Officer Melinda MacKendrick said Monday. 30) near the McDonald’s parking lot when he noticed the cat carrier on the side of the road and stopped to look inside. She said it is possible someone had stopped to let the cat out to go to the bathroom and forgot to load the cat carrier back into their vehicle before driving off. Police are investigating the incident and MacKendrick said she hopes someone recognizes the cat or saw what happened.
Source:MetroXpress
August 16, 2021 23:03 UTC
MiABLE Helps: One Michigan Family’s Story
With support from a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services program called Children’s Special Health Care Services, Dehen applied for a waiver program for Medicaid. “We used money from his MiABLE account to buy him a swing that we could hang in a doorway of our house. And contributors who are Michigan residents can take a deduction of up to $5,000 ($10,000 for joint filers) on their Michigan income tax returns. When the Dehen family held a benefit to raise money for needed big-ticket items, they took what they raised and deposited it into Gabe’s MiABLE account. “Diapers are provided through Medicaid, but wipes are not, so we can use the MiABLE account to buy baby wipes or Tylenol if needed,” she says.
Source:MetroXpress
August 16, 2021 20:29 UTC
Equality Virginia Advocates endorses Democrats in races for statewide office
Equality Virginia Advocates, the political action arm of the commonwealth of Virginia’s top LGBTQ organization, has endorsed the three Democrats running for the three statewide offices appearing on this November’s ballot. Equality Virginia Advocates endorsed former Gov. “It is imperative that we elect leaders committed to LGBTQ equality, especially as anti-LGBTQ proponents continue to make headlines by attacking transgender students,” Vee Lamneck, the executive director of Equality Virginia Advocates, said in a statement. I have laid out a clear plan to make Virginia more inclusive and I’m grateful to have the endorsement of Equality Virginia Advocates. Together, we will build a stronger Commonwealth for all.”Ayala, first elected to office in 2019, has consistently earned scores of 100 on Equality Virginia Advocates’ Legislative Scorecard for her support of pro-LGBTQ legislation during her two terms in office.
Source:MetroXpress
August 16, 2021 19:30 UTC
State confirms a second bald eagle has died due to rodent poison
WESTBOROUGH — The state has confirmed another bald eagle death due to rodent poison — this time, it was an eaglet. After being admitted to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University in North Grafton, the eaglet died. A necropsy and toxicology results indicate that second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, also called SGARs, are to blame. “The choices we make as individuals and as communities regarding rodent control and trash management practices can help prevent wildlife exposure to SGARs,” said Dr. Maureen Murray, director of the Tufts Wildlife clinic, in a statement. Mass Wildlife and the Tufts Wildlife Clinic suggest using other methods before resorting to these sorts of poisons, such as securing food in animal-proof containers and using snap traps.
Source:MetroXpress
August 16, 2021 19:07 UTC