Massachusetts

A day inside the Massachusetts department overseeing SNAP – The Boston Globe

Published

4 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

A day inside the Massachusetts department overseeing SNAP – The Boston Globe

The changes could further strain an already overwhelmed system: Of the nearly 15,000 calls made on average each day to DTA in November, nearly 4,500 were unable to connect, according to DTA’s own statistics. Another 7,000 were answered by a voice assistant, and just under 3,000 people were connected to a call center.

Dany Rodriguez, a 41-year-old DTA caseworker, tries not to focus too much on the politics, or how overwhelming the need is. “I just want to help clients,” said Rodriguez, who has been at the agency for five years and handles about 220 clients who use SNAP, cash benefits, or both. “I want to be there for them, to support them.”

Rodriguez started her morning taking calls from clients. Some, she would be able to help. For many others, the needs were too great, and the problems too deep: decades of homelessness, persistent health issues, unemployment, economic marginality. Rodriguez could try, but she was limited by the tools at her disposal.

First, there was a woman who wanted to know if she could get part of her gas bill covered for the winter. Like many SNAP recipients, she works as a personal care attendant, and with her wages low — around $17-$22 an hour — she was finding the bill “is too much, I can’t do that.” Rodriguez replied that the application for the state’s Home Energy Assistance Program, which can cover winter heating bills for some low-income households, was already in the mail. The woman thanked her profusely.

Rodriguez went to call a mother of three, taking a deep breath before dialing the number. She had to tell the client that she was no longer eligible for a cash assistance program DTA oversees, since she now makes about $2,000 a month as a cleaner. Even with the income, the mother is financially strapped: She pays $600 a month for rent, plus $780 a month in child care. Her income is so low she’ll continue to receive $994 in SNAP, the max for a family of four.

Next, Rodriguez called a client to recertify his application, something all SNAP users are required to do every six to 12 months. Despite having an appointment, he didn’t pick up. The man is homeless, bouncing between family members. He’s also disabled. Rodriguez wasn’t surprised he missed the call. She rescheduled his appointment and mailed a notice to his mom’s house. If he doesn’t get back to her within 30 days, his case will close and he’ll have to reapply.

Through each phone call, Rodriguez remained composed. She never slouched, her breathing was steady. In over three hours, she took just one sip from her pink Stanley water bottle and didn’t touch the granola bar on her desk. Throughout the morning, she toggled between three screens, keeping color-coded calendar reminders as notes to herself alongside an unwieldy client database.

The Jackson Square office where Rodriguez works is new, created to take some of the workload off the much larger Nubian Square office just a couple miles down the road. One staffer described the client load there as a “deluge.” Just over a quarter of the 34,454 people who visited a DTA office in November did so because they otherwise could not get through to staff.

Late morning, Rodriguez saw her first in-person client.

The visit was unexpected. The man showed up at reception, said he had been calling and had not gotten through. His case had been closed in October, when he started making too much money to receive any cash benefits. He still received some SNAP, though just $24 a month.

“What am I going to do, buy candy?” he told the receptionist, who popped her head into Rodriguez’s office. “I just want to give you a heads up,” she said. ”He’s mad!”

Rodriguez quickly reviewed his case, cross-referencing his name with work numbers shared by several agencies and employers. The man started working for a moving company in August where he was slated to have 40-hour work weeks at $22 an hour. But often, he only logged 20 hours, sometimes as few as six.

After sitting down in a corner chair, the client explained he lost his job just after Christmas and was now living in a shelter. He wanted to apply for cash benefits again. Rodriguez explained he had to first apply for unemployment, and only if that’s denied could he apply for cash benefits. He would need a termination letter and a new designation of disability from a doctor. On the other hand, without any income, his SNAP would go up, to $298 a month.

Rodriguez has an unusually intimate window into her clients’ lives. With this client, she learned about how his disability makes holding a job nearly impossible, which embarrasses him. When calling another client, she could hear the din of busy Boston outside: the rev of buses, the rush of traffic. She asked if anything had changed in his life. “Same situation financially, same situation, staying with family. I am still homeless.” She asked if he has any other income. “No. I wish.”

Chatting at the end of their call, the client asked whether it’s true that people can no longer use SNAP to buy sweets. “I don’t buy any myself, but you’re telling a mom you can’t buy her kids cookies?”

Rodriguez answered plainly, “We haven’t received any instructions about that.”

She has seen how news about SNAP changes can impact her clients. In the last year, she noticed fewer people coming to the office — many of Rodriguez’s clients are immigrants. “They’re afraid just to even walk out of their house,” she said.

“I love what I do,” she continued. “The political piece is something else. I try to avoid it.”

Rodriguez turned back to her computer, and clicked through her database, to see who needed help next.

This story was produced by the Globe’s Money, Power, Inequality team, which covers the racial wealth gap in Greater Boston. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

Mara Kardas-Nelson can be reached at mara.kardas-nelson@globe.com.

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Massachusetts

Crews battle fire at Townsend home

Published

9 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

A fire broke out Sunday morning in Townsend, Massachusetts.

The Townsend Fire department said shortly before 7 a.m. that firefighters were on scene for a structure fire on Dudley Road.

People have been asked to avoid the area.

The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said state police fire investigators assigned to the state fire marshal’s office are responding to assist the Townsend Fire Department.

There was no immediate word on any injuries, or any information on what caused the fire. It’s also unclear if the large snow piles in the area impeded access to fire hydrants, as was the case at the house explosion in Taunton last week.

This developing story will be updated when we learn more

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Massachusetts

Eight high school takeaways from the midst of the state tournaments, plus a new Attleboro football coach – The Boston Globe

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Eight high school takeaways from the midst of the state tournaments, plus a new Attleboro football coach – The Boston Globe

Throw in Newton North winning its first state gymnastics title in 54 years, two Natick runners (and one from Oliver Ames) capturing New England titles, a last-minute goal from St. John’s (Shrewsbury) boys’ hockey to eliminate BC High, and plenty of overtime thrillers, and you get an all-time action-packed day.

Find all the scores here, and take a moment to browse all of our coverage:

Not seeing your team’s highlights in Takeaways? Here are all the ways to submit scores and stats to Globe Schools via phone, email, and social media.

▪ With a deep 3-pointer in the first quarter of Greater New Bedford’s 68-43 win over Springfield International, junior Jai-Ana Silva became the program’s leading scorer, surpassing Stephanie Antoine’s 1,493 points, set in 2012. Silva finished with 31 points and now sits at 1,513. Earlier this season, she became the fourth female 1,000-point scorer in school history.

▪ With 30 points in a 90-68 win over Quincy, Beverly senior Jacob Klass surpassed Peter Wynne’s scoring mark of 1,351, set in 1981. Klass, who reached 1,000 earlier this season, has 1,371.

▪ Concord-Carlisle senior goalie Sam Griswold made 44 saves, including the 1,000th of his career, in a 2-1 win over Woburn.

▪ Hoosac Valley senior Qwanell Bradley joined the 1,000-point club on a 3-pointer during a 78-59 Division 5 first-round win over Pacific Rim Charter.

▪ A pair of Bulldogs reached 100 points in Canton’s 9-0 smackdown of Somerset Berkley. Senior defenseman Teddy Shuman got there with a goal and three assists, and senior center Joey Ryan also reached the mark with three helpers.

▪ Taunton junior Jamie Vallarelli matched the school’s points record, joining Jeff Gallagher (’94) with 139, by notching a goal and adding an assist on the overtime tally that kept the Tigers’ season alive with a 3-2 win over Middleborough.

The single-digit seeds are starting to fall.

Saturday saw the first three top-five seeded teams sent home, with No. 3 St. John’s Prep boys’ hockey getting taken down by No. 14 Arlington Catholic in Division 1 action — the highest seed sent home through the first five days of the tournament.

The highest-ranked team to be bounced from the Division 2 boys’ hockey bracket became No. 5 Woburn. It fell, 2-1, to No. 12 Concord-Carlisle, which got an incredible 44-save performance from senior Sam Griswold and goals from Ben Brooks and Joe Grasso.

Division 3 also saw a top-five falter, as No. 5 Pembroke was clipped by No. 13 Norwood, 3-1, in the second round. John Lynch, Anthony Parise, and Mark Trahon provided the goals.

Not to be left out, Division 4 boys’ hockey also saw a significant upset, with No. 23 Bourne riding Jackson Palmborg’s 26 saves to a 3-2 first-round win over No. 10 Hudson.

On the hardcourt, No. 24 Pembroke boys’ basketball didn’t mind a morning ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard, taking down the ninth-seeded hosts, 65-50, behind Will Farrell’s 24 points.

▪ Seventh-grader Effie Parsons found the net with 31 seconds left in overtime as No. 2 St. Mary’s girls’ hockey escaped a strong upset attempt from No. 18 Winchester, which led, 2-1, before Alyssa Norden tied it up in the third period.

▪ Reading sophomore Payton Curran not only delivered the equalizer in the final minute of regulation, but provided the overtime winner to lift the Rockets to a 3-2 girls’ hockey win over Waltham.

▪ Nantucket’s Gaven Smith forced overtime against Swampscott with a 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation, but the fourth-seeded Big Blue rode 26 points from Connor Chiarello and 25 from Teddy O’Neill to a 67-61 win over the No. 29 Whalers.

▪ No. 25 Bishop Fenwick girls’ hockey nearly upset No. 8 Bishop Stang, which would have eliminated both of last year’s Division 1 finalists, but the Spartans survived, 1-0, on junior Alexis Pettinato’s overtime winner.

▪ Braden LaChance netted the overtime winner for Taunton, which survived Middleborough, 3-2, in the third matchup between the two programs in 12 days. The Tigers won, 4-1, on Feb. 16 at Aleixo Arena before Middleborough prevailed, 4-0, on Feb. 18 at Bridgewater Ice Arena.

▪ Nico Santella scored on a stick-side snipe with 42.2 seconds left to propel St. John’s (Shrewsbury) past BC High, 2-1, in a Division 1 second-round matchup of Catholic Conference rivals.

Cal Atherton, Newburyport — The senior erupted for 31 points, guiding the Clippers to a first-round win over the defending Division 2 champions, Somerset Berkley.

Allen Brown Jr., Holbrook — The senior poured in 32 points, the highest total reported to the Globe on Saturday, to lead the Bulldogs past Boston Prep, 66-45 and into the second round.

Amelia Crowe, Pentucket — Amelia Crowe caught fire from deep, draining eight 3-pointers en route to 27 points and a 40-33 first-round win over Seekonk.

Addy Harrington, Duxbury — The senior produced one of the night’s three hat tricks, scoring thrice in a 4-2 second-round win over Melrose.

Levi McNally, Barnstable — Just a sophomore, he netted a hat trick for the Red Hawks in a 5-2 first-round win over Minnechaug.

Cam Melone, Hanover — The senior went for 5 points, scoring twice and assisting thrice in a 6-1 second-round win over Lynnfield.

Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan — The junior scored a natural hat trick in the first period and finished with four goals in a 6-2 second-round win over Acton-Boxborough.

Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick — The senior captain contributed across the board, providing 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals for the top-seeded Crusaders in a 58-27 waxing of Wilmington.

Jackie Pohl and Jenna Oman, East Bridgewater — Pohl, a sophomore, and Oman, a junior, were everywhere in a 63-39 first-round win over Bellingham. Pohl finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Oman had 15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

Attleboro High has a new football coach. Lamont Penn, a Bridgewater-Raynham assistant under Eian Bain, will take over the Bombardiers. They went 3-8 last year under Jim Winters, who helmed the program for four seasons, going 14-30.

Penn served as Norwood’s offensive coordinator from 2018-21. He was introduced to the team Friday.

Providence junior Jon Mignacca, a Bishop Feehan graduate from Seekonk, won the Big East high jump championship, clearing 6 feet, 8.25 inches (2.04 meters) to beat out UConn’s Enaji Muhammad (6-7).

▪ UMass Dartmouth sophomore Ancil Alexander, a Taunton graduate, was named Little East Conference Field Athlete of the Year for men’s indoor track after taking second at the LEC Championships in the shot put (51 feet, 3.75 inches). He won the event three times during the season.

▪ UMass Dartmouth freshman Michael Veegh, a Bishop Stang graduate from Tiverton (R.I.), was named Little East Conference men’s indoor track Rookie of the Year. He won the 400 at the LEC Championships (50.54 seconds) and was part of the second-place 4×400 relay (3:28.67). He was also named All-LEC first team.

▪ Keene State junior Tyler Bolaske, a Palmer graduate, was tabbed as the Little East Conference’s male Track Athlete of the Year after leading the Owls to their first indoor championship since 2008. Bolaske won the mile at the LEC Championships in 4:11 and was runner-up in the 800 (1:59.25).

Georgia Murray, Bishop Feehan, 4

Addy Harrington, Duxbury, 3

Levi McNally, Barnstable, 3

Riley Bergeron, Acton-Boxborough, 2

Brayden Boczenowski, Arlington Catholic, 2

Cate Buckler, Barnstable, 2

Abigail Burke, Notre Dame (H), 2

Payton Curran, Reading, 2

Hannah D’Angelo, Pembroke, 2

Luke Dickson, Medfield, 2

Colman Donohue, Hingham, 2

Will Doucette, Canton, 2

Ryan Elrick, Canton, 2

Jack McCourt, Catholic Memorial, 2

Cam McKenna, Hingham, 2

Cam Melone, Hanover, 2

Joe Pumphret, Winthrop, 2

Nolan Russell, Arlington, 2

Sabrina Stone, Milton, 2

Ella Sullivan, Pembroke, 2

Connor Hines, Hanover, 3

Cam Melone, Hanover, 3

Joe Ryan, Canton, 3

Teddy Shuman, Canton, 3

Abigail Burke, Notre Dame (H), 2

Kellen Labanara, Canton, 2

Hunter McClain, Bourne, 2

Sam Griswold, Concord-Carlisle, 44

Stephen Camara, Arlington Catholic, 33

Jackson Palmborg, Bourne, 26

Jaxson Fleming, Catholic Memorial, 24

Jim Lyman, Winthrop, 22

Colin McCarthy, St. John’s Shrewsbury, 21

Lydia Barnes, Methuen/Tewksbury, 18

Dom Conte, BC High, 18

John Snider, Arlington, 15

Vivienne Melo, Bishop Stang, 14

8. Basketball leaderboard

Allen Brown, Holbrook, 32

Cal Atherton, Newburyport, 31

Jacob Klass, Beverly, 30

Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 30

Mike Berry, Cape Cod Academy, 28

Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 28

Tyler Staiti, Abington, 28

Amelia Crowe, Pentucket, 27

Jag Garces, West Bridgewater, 27

Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 26

Sysy Emmanuel, St. Mary’s, 26

Dom Taylor, Somerset Berkley, 26

Michael Cimetti, Hull, 25

Grant Neal, Lynnfield, 25

Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 25

Will Farrell, Pembroke, 24

Logan Volkringer, Plymouth South, 24

Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 23

Julian Allison-Cardoso, Dedham, 22

Mateo Jackson, Bridgewater-Raynham, 22

Tori White, Canton, 22

Tori Adams, Walpole, 21

Liam Conneely, Hull, 20

Jackie Pohl, East Bridgewater, 20

Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 15

Krem Amparo, Latin Academy, 14

Mateo Jackson, Bridgewater-Raynham, 14

Bella Bingham, Walpole, 13

Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Old Rochester, 13

Devyn Walsh, Pentucket, 13

A’laya Colbert, North Quincy, 12

Zade Garron Ciberay, Plymouth South, 12

Mike Ekweanya, New Mission, 11

Chase Groothuis, Swampscott, 11

Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 11

Brooke Connor, Canton, 10

Jenna Oman, East Bridgewater, 10

Hannah Thorell, Old Rochester, 10

Jackie Pohl, East Bridgewater, 8

Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 7

Jacob Klass, Beverly, 6

Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 6

Luke Tirrell, Bridgewater-Raynham, 6

Sydney Bosma, Old Rochester, 5

Cason Faulk, Bridgewater-Raynham, 5

Manny Valentino, New Mission, 5

Grace Goudreau, Seekonk, 4

Sadie Hartley-Matteson, Old Rochester, 4

Celia Neilson, Bishop Fenwick, 8

Emma Farrell, East Bridgewater, 6

Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 5

Sienna Miranda, Seekonk, 4

Brooke Connor, Canton, 3

Zade Garron Ciberay, Plymouth South, 3

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.

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Massachusetts

20k customers without power in Revere, Winthrop areas

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

20k customers without power in Revere, Winthrop areas

National Grid is reporting that roughly 20,000 customers are without power due to outages in the Winthrop and Revere areas.

The utility company’s live outages map shows that 10,753 customers are without power in the Revere area and 9,261 customers are without power in the Winthrop area as of 2:25 p.m. Saturday.

The Herald has reached out to National Grid for comment. The Herald has also reached out to Eversource for information regarding any outages in their service regions, where a Herald photographer has seen some outages. Eversource’s outage map did not display any major outages at 2:25 p.m.

This is a developing story.

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