Newton - The Boston Globe

‘I owe you a drink. A dinner. A foot massage.’ Newton city councilor sends ‘unwelcome’ texts to colleague.

City Councilor Rick Lipof blamed “COVID fog” for messages sent last month to City Councilor Brenda Noel, who is now calling for the city to create an ethics commission to oversee the conduct of local elected officials.

Latest Newton Headlines

Newton council passes scaled-back plan to allow more multifamily housing in some areas

The rezoning is Newton’s effort to comply with the state’s new MBTA Communities housing law, which mandates denser multifamily housing near transit corridors in nearly 180 municipalities and has ignited controversy across the state.

Newton, other suburbs, face crucial housing votes ahead of state deadline

Most communities facing a deadline this month have yet to approve plans to comply with a 2021 state law aimed at addressing Massachusetts' housing shortage.

In Newton, Somerville, ‘catch-up’ water bills catch many off guard, with some owing thousands

For four years, Newton has sent residents water bills based on estimated usage, not the actual amount. Now, as city employees go door to door checking exact readings as they replace thousands of water meters, some residents are receiving big retroactive bills.

More Newton News

Two men arrested, more than 1,000 pieces of stolen mail recovered after crash in Brookline

Yasser Teixeira Mendonca, of New York, and Dahshein Karon Perry, of Massachusetts, were charged with receiving stolen property and failure to stop for police, Newton police said. 8:40 p.m.

Newton's plans to revitalize its village centers with additional housing could be in jeopardy.

Critics’ successes in election could cool interest in Newton’s plan for more housing

Five newcomers won City Council seats after being backed by groups critical of plans for additional multifamily housing. 6:47 p.m.

Director Connie Galli leads the Rock Voices community choir in singing the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel tune “Cecilia” in Framingham.

Community choirs rock the house

Rock Voices spreads the harmony of being so happy together 7:00 a.m.

RI WEATHER

Video: It wasn’t a tornado that toppled the Lincoln High School press box

The National Weather Service said wind, not a tornado, damaged the school’s press box, however other damage in Lincoln was due to a tornado, along with damage in communities in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 3:21 p.m.

Alex Andrew Bohm was an associate professor of developmental, molecular, and chemical biology at Tufts University School of Medicine.

‘He has left an incredible legacy’: Tufts School of Medicine professor killed in Newton bike crash remembered as scientist, mentor

Alex Andrew Bohm was an accomplished scientist whose discoveries made headlines, but his life was marked as much by his mentorship, those who knew him said. 11:50 a.m.

Bicyclist killed in crash with UPS truck in Newton was beloved Tufts medical professor

Alex Bohm, 57, of Newton, was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where he was pronounced dead, law enforcement officials said Tuesday evening. 9:52 p.m.

A contractor worked to replace artificial turf at Newton South High School. Environmentalists are upset about "improper" removal and health and climate impacts.

‘This is acres of plastic’: Environmentalists concerned over artificial turf replacement at Newton high school

Environmentalists are worried about the leakage of “forever chemicals” from the artificial turf being replaced and the spillage of crumb rubber, which can pose health risks to the children who play on the turf and can contaminate the wetland in a nearby conservation area. 1:16 p.m.

Richard J. Hanson, 64, appeared in Newton District Court for his arraignment last week.

Richard Hanson, Newton man charged with killing his wife, cannot have contact with their 3 sons, judge rules

A Newton District Court judge ruled Monday that Richard Hanson cannot have contact with his three sons as he is awaiting trial for allegedly bludgeoning the boys’ mother, Nancy Hanson, to death while they were all together in their home. 11:59 a.m.