Massachusetts
Gas prices in Massachusetts keep falling ahead of Labor Day weekend travel
Filling up the fuel tank for Labor Day weekend journey might be considerably cheaper than throughout the Fourth of July earlier this summer time, as pump costs preserve falling throughout the Bay State.
The typical for normal fuel in Massachusetts is now precisely at $4.00 a gallon — means down from the document excessive of $5.04 in mid-June. The typical will doubtless break the $4 mark within the subsequent few days with costs persevering with to nose-dive.
The $4.00 common is 47 cents cheaper than a month in the past. In the meantime, the nationwide common is eighteen cents decrease than the Bay State, coming in at $3.82 forward of the vacation weekend for the unofficial finish of summer time.
Inventories are decrease within the Northeast in comparison with different components of the nation, resulting in greater costs.
“Costs proceed to fall steadily, nevertheless, and that’s excellent news for motorists planning their final summer time driving journey over the upcoming Labor Day weekend,” mentioned Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast’s director of public and authorities affairs.
Based on an off-the-cuff regional survey of AAA members, 31% say they plan to journey for Labor Day weekend, whereas 49% won’t journey. Additionally within the survey, 70% of the respondents admitted that inflation –together with greater fuel and airfare costs — performed a task of their journey choices.
Nevertheless, a major variety of respondents mentioned they plan to journey within the remaining months of the 12 months or in 2023, particularly with airfare costs anticipated to say no this fall and winter.
After fuel costs spiked within the spring amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, costs have now declined each week of the summer time.
“It was a dizzying time as fuel costs surged forward of summer time, which prompted many People to rethink their summer time journey plans, just for the longest decline in fuel costs for the reason that pandemic to begin offering significant aid,” mentioned Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation for GasBuddy. “Because the solar units on summer time, fuel costs are in much more acquainted territory and will proceed to say no nicely into fall, barring main disruptions from hurricanes and the likes.”
For these hitting the highway on Labor Day weekend, AAA encourages drivers to go away early if potential. Additionally, whereas fuel costs are falling, individuals ought to refill their tank earlier than they hit the highway as a result of fuel is usually pricier at standard vacationer locations.
Forward of the vacation weekend, state officers had been reminding individuals to not drink and drive.
“Over #LaborDay weekend in 2020, 38% of visitors fatalities within the US concerned a driver who had been consuming,” MassDOT Security tweeted. “The selection is straightforward: Should you’re consuming, don’t drive. #DriveSober or Get Pulled Over.”
Massachusetts
Winning $50,000 Powerball ticket sold in Massachusetts
A lottery player won $50,000 playing Powerball in Massachusetts on Monday.
The winning numbers for the Powerball drawing on Nov. 11 were 3, 21, 24, 34, 46 and Powerball: 9. The multiplier was a 3X.
The $50,000 ticket sold in Massachusetts matched four of the first five numbers, and the Powerball number. It was sold in Waltham at a 7-Eleven.
Overall, at least 200 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Monday, including eight in Springfield, seven in Worcester and 20 in Boston.
The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.
So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $1 million a year for life.
The prize was from the lottery’s “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game. The winner claimed their prize through a trust on July 10, and opted to receive a one-time payment of $15.4 million.
Massachusetts
Schools closed in 3 Massachusetts communities Tuesday as teacher strike continues
GLOUCESTER – Still at a deadlock, 10,000 students in three North Shore communities have classes canceled on Tuesday, as the teacher strike continues in Gloucester, Beverly, and Marblehead.
The three unions spoke together Monday night, accusing their school committees of digging in their heels at the bargaining table while school leaders accused the unions of colluding to drag negotiations.
All three teacher union contracts expired on August 31st, 2024.
“It is not a coincidence, it’s a message that these issues are felt widely and deeply across the North Shore,” said Andrea Sherman, co-president of the Beverly Teachers Association.
“It is the school committee and their attorneys for all three districts that are colluding together to draw this out,” said Jonathan Heller president of the Marblehead Education Association.
In Gloucester, right now, school leaders say the town and teachers are $800,000 a year apart on salaries alone, plus school officials said under the union’s proposal 24 teachers would be laid off over three years.
“We are committed to mediating long into the night, but our teachers should be in the school during the day with their students,” said School Committee President Kathy Clancy. “That is unacceptable and most definitely not in the best interest of our students.”
“To meet their proposal would mean either a tax override resulting in a permanent increase to taxes or cuts to services to our taxpayers and residents,” said Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga.
Striking teachers rally together
Monday afternoon, teachers on the picket line from each district rallied with their biggest goals in mind: better wages for underpaid paraprofessionals and safer schools.
“It feels amazing because we have seen so much community support and this is just really empowering us to continue to do right by our students,” said Beverly Teacher Lauren Lauranzano.
Since teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, a judge had ordered the Gloucester and Beverly teachers to be back in the classroom on Tuesday, but now they’ll be headed to court.
Marblehead will start it’s strike which was announced on Friday after failed negotiations.
The president of the state teacher’s union is in solidarity with the teacher unions, saying these are issues educators face statewide.
“Our members are saying get to the bargaining table, let’s stay all night, lets resolve these issues. These are not new issues, all of these locals have been bargaining for months and months,” said Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Massachusetts
Crews from Maine, N.H. help Massachusetts firefighters battle brush fires across state
NORTH ANDOVER – Crews from Maine and New Hampshire are making the trek down to Massachusetts to help the state battle large brush fires.
Crews coming from Maine and New Hampshire
On Monday the National Guard was helping firefighters battle brush fires by dropping buckets of water from the air on Boxford State Forest in North Andover.
“We just are fortifying that perimeter, just making sure that we’re working 20 to 30 feet in soaking it down incredibly basically turning it to mud. The unburned side we are using leaf blowers and rakes to blow everything away and wetting that down,” North Andover Deputy Fire Chief Graham Rowe said.
Rowe says the biggest challenge with this brush fire is poor cell reception in the area and accessibility to water.
“We have running tankers our closest fill-up station is about half a mile away so they have to rotate in to fill up the tankers. Cell service is bad and radio communication because of the thick brush,” he said.
Brush fires have been raging across Massachusetts for three weeks. The state is currently experiencing a severe drought.
Brush fire near golf course
About 10 miles away from the North Andover fires, grounds crews at the Gannon Golf Course in Lynn were busy keeping a close watch on the brush fires that closed down the greens.
“It sort of popped over from the other side of the reservoir you can’t quite see it in through here because there’s no water anymore it’s all dry. It sort of jumped and then it started and made its way up and to the middle, to the 13th hole,” Gannon Golf Pro David Sibley said.
Golfer Lisa Franklin is making the most of it despite only being able to play the first nine holes.
“I say hats off to all the firefighters that are doing such a great job,” Franklin said.
Red Flag warning
The National Weather Service issues a red flag warning for all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut for Tuesday due to the new fires, high wind gusts, and dry weather. They also advise people to avoid any outdoor burning.
If you see a brush fire near you call 911.
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