MASSACHUSETTS

With temperatures expected to be in the teens this weekend, and possible rain and snow expected, several emergency shelters have been put in place in western Massachusetts.

Panelists discuss Gov. Healey’s State of the Commonwealth, the lack of EV chargers in the Berkshires, the consequences of decreased food support for low-income people in western Mass., gender inequality in sober homes, and much more.

The speech was eight pages long and touched on everything from the economy to the housing crisis in Massachusetts.

We find out what the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services of Springfield has in story for MLK Jr. Day, see how the Trust Transfer Project is uplifting artists pursue their passions, and learn what the Word Nerd has to report from the American Dialect Society.

Massachusetts has reason to both celebrate accomplishments and fret over serious challenges as Gov. Maura Healey gets set to check in with a joint session of the Legislature at 7 p.m. Thursday.

"I believe these changes are appropriate and needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the state shelter system," she said.

Only certain materials may be burned during the season, which lasts from January 15 through May 1. Not all communities participate, and there are penalties, like fines and jail time, for unsafe fires.

We find out how we can honor Indigenous history in western Mass. at the Wendell Meetinghouse and check in with the SSO as it prepares for its annual MLK Jr. celebration.

The Health Incentives Program (HIP) now only offers $20 per family, compared to $40-to-$80 previously. Farmers and advocates say, without restored funding, they will have to reduce winter market options.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is starting to roll out some specifics from her forthcoming fiscal year 2026 budget, announcing Monday that it will include a provision to do away with renter-paid broker's fees.