Boston officials are considering whether a fee on vacant storefronts in the city’s neighborhoods could boost the local economy by pushing commercial landlords to bring in tenants.

According to Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Segun Idowu, long-term vacant storefronts can lead to decreased property values, crime and disinvestment in the area, as well as a “negative vibe” of blight. These issues particularly affect communities of color in neighborhoods such as Roxbury and Mattapan, he said.

“The hustle and bustle of our main streets is important not just for supporting small businesses, but attracting others to the neighborhood, making folks want to live in that area because of what’s right down the street from them,” Idowu said during a Friday morning hearing of the Committee on Small Business and Professional Licensure. “When there are too many vacancies in our main streets, other businesses are negatively impacted.”

Data Skrive

One of the best runners in college football will be on display when Brashard Smith and the SMU Mustangs (8-1) take on the Boston College Eagles (5-4) on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

You should check out ESPN in order to watch this game.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

Learn more about the SMU Mustangs and the Boston College Eagles.

How to Watch SMU vs. Boston College

• When: Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas
• Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

• SMU vs. Boston College Predictions

SMU’s 2024 Schedule

SMU 2024 Stats & Insights

• SMU has the 46th-ranked defense this season (341 yards allowed per game), and has been more effective on the other side of the ball, ranking 21st-best with a tally of 446.1 yards per game.
• With 251 passing yards allowed per game on defense, which ranks 22nd-worst in the FBS, SMU has had to rely on their 43rd-ranked passing offense (249.6 passing yards per contest) to keep them in games.
• Offensively, the Mustangs have been a top-25 unit, ranking sixth-best in the FBS by totaling 40.1 points per game. They rank 38th on defense (21.8 points allowed per game).
• The Mustangs rank 29th in rushing yards this season (196.6 rushing yards per game), but they’ve been playing really well on the other side of the ball, ranking fourth-best in the FBS with 90 rushing yards allowed per game.
• SMU has been making things happen on both sides of the ball on third down this year, owning the 19th-best mark in third-down conversion rate (46.6%) and 23rd-best in third-down defense (33.1% third-down percentage allowed).
• The Mustangs have forced 19 total turnovers (11th in the FBS) this season and have turned it over 16 times (102nd in the FBS) for a turnover margin of +3, 46th-ranked in college football.

SMU 2024 Key Players

Boston College’s 2024 Schedule

Boston College 2024 Stats & Insights

• Boston College ranks 97th with 354.2 total yards per contest on offense, and it ranks 73rd with 372.7 total yards allowed per contest on the defensive side of the ball.
• Boston College ranks 20th-worst in passing yards per game (178.7), but it has been more productive on the defensive side of the ball, ranking 103rd in the FBS with 243.3 passing yards ceded per contest.
• The Eagles rank 72nd in the FBS with 27.6 points per game on offense, and they rank 55th with 23 points given up per game on the defensive side of the ball.
• The Eagles are compiling 175.6 rushing yards per contest on offense this season (49th-ranked). Meanwhile, they are allowing 129.3 rushing yards per contest (44th-ranked) on defense.
• Boston College is generating a 43.9% third-down conversion rate on offense this season (35th-ranked). Meanwhile, it is giving up a 36.8% third-down rate (52nd-ranked) on defense.
• At +4, the Eagles own the 33rd-ranked turnover margin in the FBS, with 17 forced turnovers (21st in the FBS) and 13 turnovers committed (62nd in the FBS).

Boston College 2024 Key Players

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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BOSTON – If you are thinking it is too early to talk snow, here’s a reminder that you have just 39 shopping days until Christmas. Before you know it, the flakes will be flying … but how soon, exactly?

When does Boston see the first snow of the season?

Looking strictly at averages, our first measurable snowfall in the city of Boston comes around Nov. 28, which just so happens to be Thanksgiving this year.

Farther inland, the first measurable snow date is earlier. In Worcester for example, the average is Nov. 18.

These “first” dates have been trending later and later in recent years. Last year it took until Dec. 6th in Boston to measure some snow. Since 2015, it has only snowed twice in the city before Thanksgiving.

Widening the scope a bit, we see the average date of the first inch of snow in Boston is Dec. 11 (Nov. 26 in Worcester).

The first 3″+ storm in Boston comes on Dec. 27 (Dec 11. in Worcester).

We are getting fewer and fewer white Christmases in recent years. Technically there is about a 50-50 chance north and west of Boston, but you might want to bet the under on that proposition in our current climate state.

Boston’s last big snowstorm

What about bigger storms, you ask? Well, we kind of don’t get those anymore. That’s a bit of sarcasm, but it has been nearly 1,000 days since the city of Boston had 4″ or more in a single storm, the longest such streak on record.

We have to go all the way back to Feb. 25, 2022, for what some would call a “real” snowstorm.

The last two winters have both placed in the Top 5 least snowy winters in Boston’s recorded history. 

If keep this up, we are going to forget how to drive in snow.

How much snow will Boston see this winter?

Is this winter going to be another “dud”? Sorry to be a tease but you’re going to have to wait until next Thursday for that answer.  This is when we are airing our official WBZ Winter Weather Forecast!

For now, there is no snow in the forecast in the short term. There are some hints of a possible pattern change (colder/wetter) in the 7-14 day period but frankly, we’ll believe it when we see it.

Many of you could have cleared the snow over the last few paltry years with a dust buster. Still, it can’t hurt to gas up the snowblower and give it a test run sometime soon.