As the price of hiring private bus contractors to transport students through Plymouth’s sprawling geography exceeds $6 million per year, public school officials are considering taking over the service. It’s the first time Plymouth Public Schools officials have put so much consideration into such an enormous move, one which would put the burden on taxpayers […]
Author Archives: Fred Thys - Independent Staff
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Power restored, roads open
Five days after a historic storm blasted through Plymouth, paralyzing most of the town for days, officials on Friday announced reopenings and a slow return to normal. Schools are set to reopen Monday. Roads are open along with most businesses, and libraries are expected to open on Saturday, along with the Manomet Youth Center, the […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
TOWN DIGS OUT
Four days after a historic storm with hurricane-force winds dumped nearly three feet of snow on Plymouth, residents and emergency workers were still struggling to dig out. Utility workers expected to restore power to 99% of customers by midnight; town inspectors were touring to make sure roads are passable, and essential businesses throughout Plymouth – […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Thousands remain without power days after storm
Three days after Monday’s powerful blizzard blanketed Plymouth with 30 inches of heavy snow, causing widespread power outages and stranding thousands of residents in their homes, a return to normalcy remained out of reach for many. Eversource crews on Wednesday continued working around the clock to restore service to thousands of customers still without power, […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Blizzard blitz aftermath: Power outages, drifts, impassable roads
Plymouth began recovering Tuesday following Monday’s blizzard, which dropped 30 inches of snow, causing widespread power outages, creating massive drifts, and virtually paralyzing the town. Power was slowly being restored, with the downtown area getting up and running in the afternoon. But there was still a long way to go. Eversource reported that as of […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Plymouth takes worst of blizzard
Plymouth residents hunkered down as the town was battered by a historic storm bringing high winds, heavy snow and whiteout conditions Monday. Thousands of residents sheltered in their homes without electricity or heat. Plymouth was one of the Massachusetts towns worst hit by power outages. As of 4:37 p.m. Monday, Eversource reported 26,372 Plymouth customers […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Ban on potent nicotine pouches takes effect April 1
The most highly potent forms of nicotine pouches sold over the counter will be banned April 1 in Plymouth, making it the latest Massachusetts community to halt their sale. In a unanimous vote by the Plymouth Board of Health on Wednesday, any retail pouches containing more than 6 milligrams of nicotine will no longer be […]
Posted inGovernment
Select Board recommends bylaw to restrict ICE
Unsatisfied with a decision to leave the town’s immigration enforcement policy solely in the hands of police, a group of Plymouth citizens is petitioning to enact a new bylaw at Town Meeting. More than a dozen residents seeking to codify a policy prohibiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement turned out at Tuesday’s meeting […]
Posted inGovernment
Golden announces Republican bid for state representative
Less than two years after his election to the Select Board, David Golden is looking ahead to the next step in his political career. He is running in the Sept. 1 Republican primary for state representative in the 1st Plymouth district, which includes the entire town, except for downtown, North Plymouth, and part of West […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Study to measure radiation levels around Pilgrim site
A Harvard University professor whose team recently published a study on the cancer risks near nuclear plants has been tapped to conduct a federally funded effort to measure radiation surrounding the decommissioned nuclear power plant. The research team – led by Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of […]