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Massachusetts

Statewide 911 service outage cause determined

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2 years ago

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Statewide 911 service outage cause determined


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – State officials have been able to determine what happened Tuesday that caused 911 services to be disrupted statewide.

According to the Massachusetts State 911 Department the outage was caused by a firewall.

“A preliminary investigation conducted by the State 911 Department and (911 vendor) Comtech determined that the outage was the result of a firewall, a safety feature that provides protection against cyberattacks and hacking. The firewall prevented calls from getting to the 911 dispatch centers …” the Department said Wednesday morning.

The interruption to the system started at about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday and lasted for about 2 hours.

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By 3:15 p.m. the 911 system was back up and running as normal.

[ Statewide 911 service restored across Massachusetts]

“Comtech’s initial review of the incident has confirmed that the interruption was not the result of a cyberattack or hack; However, the exact reason the firewall stopped calls from reaching dispatch centers remains under review,” noted the MA State 911 Dep.

State officials report that Comtech has applied a technical solution to “ensure that this does not happen again.”

“The Massachusetts State 911 Department is deeply committed to providing reliable, state-of-the-art 911 services to all Massachusetts residents and visitors in an emergency. The Department will take all necessary steps to prevent a future occurrence,” explained Frank Pozniak, the Department’s Executive Director.

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We’re told while the 911 system was disrupted on Tuesday, there were no reports of any emergencies being impacted.

“The State 911 Department wishes to thank state and local emergency response agencies for their swift response to this matter.”

This marks the second time this year the 911 system has been disrupted in MA.

Back on April 12, several communities across the commonwealth, including Springfield, were impacted by an outage to the 911 system.

In that case, a network issue at one of the 911 Department’s data centers was determined to be the cause.

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[READ MORE: Springfield’s 911 system back online following statewide issue]

Copyright 2024. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.



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Massachusetts

Officer shot and injured responding to barricaded suspect in Spencer, police say

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12 hours ago

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February 3, 2026

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Officer shot and injured responding to barricaded suspect in Spencer, police say


A police officer was injured in a shooting Tuesday evening while responding to a barricaded suspect in Spencer, Massachusetts, authorities said.

Police in Spencer urged the public to avoid the area of the Big Y plaza in a social media post just after 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Millbury Police Chief Brian Lewos said an officer with his department, who is also a member of the CEMLEC SWAT team, suffered multiple gunshot wounds. That officer was hospitalized and is in stable condition.

“We ask that you keep the officer, the officer’s family and fellow officers in mind during this difficult time,” Lewos said in a statement.

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Route 9 is temporarily closed between West Main Street and South Spencer Road, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said.

State police said troopers and local officers “continue their work to achieve a peaceful resolution of the situation,” also saying that people should avoid the area. They said the suspect is barricaded inside a business.

ATF Boston confirmed their agents were also responding to assist local law enforcement.

No further information was immediately available.

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Massachusetts

High school sports photo gallery: Making a splash amid the snow – The Boston Globe

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24 hours ago

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February 3, 2026

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High school sports photo gallery: Making a splash amid the snow – The Boston Globe


In the spirit of Groundhog Day, here’s a high school photo gallery (again) from students throughout Massachusetts — though none feature Punxsutawney Phil.

These nearly 50 pictures were taken by student photojournalists who are part of the Globe’s unique program. The high school photojournalism program is free to join and open to any Massachusetts high school student. The first step: Sign up here.

By doing so, we can’t guarantee spring will come any quicker, but the students are sure to make a splash.

Westford Academy’s Ethan Barrett propels himself with a backstroke during the Dual County League swim championships on Jan. 31, 2026, at Beede Center in Concord.Gabriel Freeman/Westford Academy
Allen Brown Jr. raises his trophy after becoming Holbrook’s first boys’ varsity basketball to reach 2,000 career points during a game with visiting East Bridgewater on Jan. 30, 2026.Zanayah Dasilva/Holbrook High School
A fan holds the faces of Dighton-Rehoboth seniors Kensley Macean and Josh Reidy on Senior Night, a 65-62 win over visiting Somerset Berkley on Jan. 30, 2026.Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
Lowell Catholic’s Derian Osuna brings the ball up during a 59-51 loss at Shawsheen on Jan. 30, 2026.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
St. Sebastian’s Solis Blue attempts a through-the-legs dunk before a game against visiting Belmont Hill on Jan. 30, 2026.Lincoln Silva/St. Sebastian’s
Lexington senior Aubrey Deardorf breaks her own meet record by winning the girls’ dash in 7.21 seconds at the Middlesex League championships at the Track at New Balance on Feb. 2, 2026.Zoe Blumenthal/Melrose High School
Westford Academy’s Lauren Malone prepares to race during the Dual County League swim championships on Jan. 31, 2026, at Beede Center in Concord.Gabriel Freeman/Westford Academy
Xaverian’s Connor Lanard (12) looks up to the scoreboard in the closing seconds of a 55-51 win at BC High on Jan. 30, 2026.Daniel Logan/Boston College High School
Greater Lowell’s Madelyn Rogers took first place in the girls’ 500 freestyle during the Vocational State Swimming Championship on Jan. 31, 2026, at Shawsheen Tech High School.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Newton South captain James Payton controls the puck at center ice during a 5-1 loss to visiting North Andover on Jan. 31, 2026, at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown.Peter Looby/Newton South High School
Quabbin girls’ basketball coach Evan Barringer implores his team during a game with visiting Hudson on Jan. 23, 2026.Maddy Hardy/Quabbin High School
Peter Evans solved the case of the resurfaced the ice in the Mystery Machine Zamboni at the Shawsheen/Bedford/Lowell girls’ hockey game against Central Catholic at Breakaway Ice Arena in Tewksbury on Jan. 29, 2026.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Dighton-Rehoboth coach Bill Cuthbertson is flanked by Kensley Macean (left) and Josh Reidy (right) and their families during Senior Night festivities Jan. 30, 2026.Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
Amherst Regional boys’ basketball players and fans celebrate a 90-74 win over visiting Springfield International Charter School on Jan. 30, 2026.Sophie Ziomek/Amherst-Pelham Regional
The Medfield gilrs’ basketball team celebrates its Senior Night win over visiting Norton on Jan. 30, 2026.Maria Barros/Medfield High School
The St. Sebastian’s basketball team enjoys a light moment before a game at Noble and Greenough on Jan. 28, 2026.Lincoln Silva/St. Sebastian’s
The Monomoy boys’ hockey team celebrates with its student section after scoring an early goal during its game with visiting Dennis-Yarmouth on jan. 28, 2026.Mason Cress/Dennis-Yarmouth High School
St. Sebastian’s eighth-grader Chris Welby celebrates the first goal to kick off a 3-1 win at Thayer on Jan. 30, 2026.Austin Kilmartin/St. Sebastian’s
St. Sebastian’s sophomores Jack Queally (19) and Cade Noonan (obscured) celebrate Noonan’s goal during a 3-1 win at Thayer on Jan. 30, 2026.Andrew MacDougall/St. Sebastian’s
Newton South’s Andrew Yum screams after scoring first varsity goal in a 5-1 loss to visiting North Andover on Jan. 31, 2026, at John A. Ryan Arena in Watertown.Peter Looby/Newton South High School
St. John’s Prep senior Logan Daigle lines up for a faceoff during a 2-1 win over visiting Xaverian on Jan. 31, 2026.Matteo Faggiano/St. John’s Prep
Harvard freshman Chase Stefanek gets into position for a faceoff during a 3-1 win over visiting RPI on Jan. 30, 2026.Cullen Melsheimer/Xaverian High School
Sophomore Filip Sitar of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute gets into position for a faceoff during a 3-1 loss at Harvard on Jan. 30, 2026.Cullen Melsheimer/Xaverian High School
Central Catholic’s Molly Boyden (left) gets a fist bump from goalkeeper Sloan Costa after scoring in a 5-3 win over Shawsheen/Bedford/Lowell at Breakaway Ice Arena in Tewksbury on Jan. 29, 2026.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Newburyport junior captain Henry Waddell heads to the puck during a 7-3 win over visiting Triton on Jan. 31, 2026.Calleigh Curran/Newburyport High
Xaverian’s Will Dugas dribbles through defenders en route to a 55-51 win at BC High on Jan. 30, 2026.Daniel Logan/Boston College High School
Medfield’s Nathan Behrmann gets off a shot during a 77-40 win over visiting Westwood on Jan. 27, 2026.Maria Barros/Medfield High School
Somerset Berkley’s Ryan Crook dribbles the basketball while watched by his brother Alex Crook (left, member of Somerset Berkley state shampionship basketball team in 2025), his mother Jen Crook (coach of SB field hockey championship teams in 2024 and 2025), and brother Lucas Crook (bottom right, member of SB field hockey state title teams in 2018 and 2019).Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
Quabbin sophomore Brady Patchen (left) and junior Jacoby Dilling celebrate after an impressive play during a 59-55 loss to visiting Lunenburg on Jan. 20, 2026.Maddy Hardy/Quabbin High School
Amherst Regional’s Mitchell Carey from Amherst Regional goes for a layup during a 90-74 win over visiting Springfield International Charter School on Jan. 30, 2026.Sophie Ziomek/Amherst-Pelham Regional
Somerset Berkley’s Dom Taylor eeks through the defense for a shot during a 65-62 loss at Dighton-Rehoboth on Jan. 30, 2026.Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
Bishop Fenwick junior OG Pashoto (right) boxes out freshman Mason Hiduchick during a loss to visiting St. Mary’s on Jan. 30, 2026.Lauren Cinelli/Bishop Fenwick High School
St. Sebastian’s sophomore Ja Bennett dribbles up the court during a game at Noble and Greenough on Jan. 28, 2026.Lincoln Silva/St. Sebastian’s
Dighton-Rehoboth senior captain Kensley Macean listens to his coach during a 65-62 winover visting Somerset Berkley on Jan. 30, 2026.Calder Troutman/Somerset Berkley High School
Dennis-Yarmouth freshman Darrius Mendes listens to his coach during a 68-66 win over visiting Nauset on Jan. 23, 2026.Mason Cress/Dennis-Yarmouth High School
Andrew Gu and Panos Kokkinias Center) represent Lexington’s league-champion 4×200 relay at the Middlesex League championships at the Track at New Balance on Feb. 2, 2026.Zoe Blumenthal/Melrose High School
Shea Kelley is comforted by her teammates after completing her last swim event for Shawsheen Valley Technical High School during the Vocational State Championship on Jan. 31, 2026, at Shawsheen.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Westford Academy swimmers look on as their team competes in the Dual County League championships on Jan. 31, 2026, at Beede Center in Concord.Gabriel Freeman/Westford Academy
St. Sebastian’s senior captain Ty Curry stands for the national anthem before a game at Thayer Academy on Jan. 30, 2026.Andrew MacDougall/St. Sebastian’s
Lowell Catholic’s Delvis Rodriguez (3), Isaiah Ferguson (5), Teddy Chege (4), and Derian Osuna (2) strategize during a 59-51 loss at Shawsheen on Jan. 30, 2026.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Westford Academy’s Kendall Kulesza competes in the freestyle during the Dual County League swim championships on Jan. 31, 2026, at Beede Center in Concord.Gabriel Freeman/Westford Academy
Ethanael Vecchiarelli from Minuteman set a record in the boys’ 200 during the Vocational State Swimming Championship on Jan. 31, 2026, at Shawsheen Tech High School.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Chloe Burke of Blackstone Valley Tech won the girls’ 100 freestyle at the Vocational State Swimming Championship on Jan. 31, 2026, at Shawsheen Tech High School.Madeline Manning/Shawsheen Valley Technical
Melrose’s Emma Drago readies herself to race the girls’ 600 at the Middlesex League championships at the Track at New Balance on Feb. 2, 2026.Zoe Blumenthal/Melrose High School
Melrose junior Reilly Powell receives her gold medal after winning the girls’ 2-mile race at the Middlesex League championships at the Track at New Balance on Feb. 2, 2026.Zoe Blumenthal/Melrose High School
The Quabbin NJROTC Color Guard presents the colors during the national anthem, which was sung by Sarah Sherblom, a Quabbin boys’ basketball game against visiting Lunenburg on Jan. 20, 2026.Maddy Hardy/Quabbin High School

John Vitti can be reached at john.vitti@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeVitti.





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Massachusetts

State’s biggest business groups sound off on how to make Massachusetts more competitive – The Boston Globe

Published

1 day ago

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February 2, 2026

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State’s biggest business groups sound off on how to make Massachusetts more competitive – The Boston Globe


How do we make Massachusetts more competitive?

It’s a question that’s often discussed by the leaders of the state’s biggest business groups. But it’s taken on some added urgency with the news last week that 33,000 more people moved out of Massachusetts to other states, than moved here from elsewhere in the US, in the 12 months that ended on July 1.

Massachusetts has suffered from net domestic outmigration for years. That’s not new. But that was a big uptick from the previous year.

“Affordability” seems to be the big watchword among the state’s business groups, and last week’s annual meeting of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association was no exception.

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Speaking on a panel about competitiveness, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation president Doug Howgate suggested more municipal zoning reform is needed, to spur more housing construction, and state leaders need to make the state’s generous unemployment insurance system more sustainable.

Brooke Thomson, chief executive of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, emphasized the need for establishing a new educational standard in the wake of voters’ rejection of passing MCAS tests as a graduation requirement.

Jim Rooney, chief executive of the Greater Boston Chamber, gave one example of how the state could become more business friendly, by peeling back the red tape and regulation imposed on housing construction.

The simplest advice for state leaders, though, may have come from JD Chesloff, president of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable: “We hear a lot from our members [asking], ‘Just don’t make it any worse.’”

This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston’s business scene.

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Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.





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