Massachusetts
Massachusetts political contributions from Nantucket wind farm developer scrutinized
As Nantucket continues to reel from the Vineyard Wind turbine blade failure, critics are raising concerns around how the project’s parent company, Avangrid, has donated thousands of dollars in campaign money to state elected officials.
A Herald analysis found that employees who list Avangrid as their employer have made 217 donations totaling $57,677 to dozens of state and local campaigns since March 2018, two months before the Baker administration selected a Vineyard Wind bid for contract negotiation.
Notable figures include project supporters Gov. Maura Healey receiving 38 donations totaling $16,425 since 2018, and state Sen. Julian Cyr, a Democrat whose district represents the Cape and Islands, collecting 17 contributions for $3,036 since 2021, according to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
While the donations represent minuscule portions of Healey and Cyr’s cumulative campaign funds, sharply less than 1%, respectively, critics argue the electeds are putting their interests with Avangrid ahead of their constituents.
Vineyard Wind, a venture of Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, continues to clean up debris — a mix of foam and fiberglass pieces of various sizes — on Nantucket and the surrounding area in the aftermath of the turbine blade failure.
“Campaign donations have bought their support for a project that makes very little sense at this point,” said Paul Diego Craney, a spokesman for watchdog Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Elected officials should think objectively on policy decisions, but in this case, their judgment is getting blinded by the campaign donations they are receiving.”
The Healey campaign declined to comment.
The $3,036 that Avangrid employees have donated to Cyr since 2021 counts for 0.4% of the $688,518 in contributions he’s received in that time, the senator told the Herald.
Cyr highlighted how Massachusetts campaign finance law limits the maximum contribution a candidate can receive per person per calendar year to $1,000.
“By capping contributions, we ensure that the voice of every voter matters, rather than allowing those with deep pockets to dominate the political landscape,” the senator said in a statement Saturday. “This promotes fairness, transparency, and trust in our elections, ensuring that our representative democracy is truly for the people, not for those who can spend the most.”
Christopher Lauzon, a Barnstable resident and Republican candidate running for Cyr’s seat, called the Vineyard Wind situation “one of the biggest disasters to hit the Cape and Islands since Hurricane Bob.”
“It’s having devastating environmental and economic impacts,” Lauzon said of the Vineyard Wind blade failure in an interview with the Herald on Friday.
“Senator Cyr has been completely MIA on this issue,” the candidate continued, adding how he visited Nantucket last weekend to speak with island residents. “They are not happy. They feel like they’re being ignored.”
An analysis of Cyr’s social media activity since the blade broke apart on July 13 showed that the senator has not made any posts relative to what many Nantucket officials and residents are calling a crisis.
Healey also hasn’t made any social media posts about her response.
In a July 16 post on X, Cyr included a link to his monthly newsletter. In it, he highlighted a trip he made with Healey to the Vineyard Wind warehouse facility on June 6 and a celebration of “Global Wind Day” at Craigville Beach in Barnstable a week later.
“Vineyard Wind has demonstrated a commitment to the Island,” Cyr wrote in the newsletter. “I am proud to have played my part in working to forge the partnership between Islanders and the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind installation, and I’m excited to see this effort create a whole host of good in our community.
Healey, during her trip with Cyr, remarked, “To all of the workers, contractors, the people who financed and so many others, thank you for bringing this home. We were serious when we said we were going to make a big bet on wind. It’s where we need to go.”
Lauzon is taking exception to how Cyr has collected five contributions totaling $1,300 from his former chief of staff, Patrick Johnson, who currently serves as Avangrid’s director of public affairs.
Johnson donated five other gifts to Cyr for $1,101.38 under prior employment.
“When you get into the thousands of dollars it does add up. That’s significant,” Lauzon said. “Honestly, it presents a conflict.”
Cape Cod Concerned Citizens highlighted how it “holds the strong opinion that the pattern of campaign contributions that is publicly available for all to see reveals a giant grift that is poisonous to the democratic process and silences the voices of Cape Cod constituents.”
Cyr stood firm with how he makes his “decisions and votes based on what I believe is best for Cape Codders and Islanders, not for any political contributors.”
“I have been all in on clean energy, including offshore wind, but I am clear-eyed that can only happen if we get it right,” Cyr told the Herald. “That means doing right by the local people and communities who host these projects. Anything else is unacceptable.”
During his employment with Avangrid, Johnson has contributed to roughly 25 other campaigns including $500 to Healey, $825 to Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and $900 to Rep. Jeffrey Roy, the House chair of the Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee.
“Avangrid always supports the ability of its employees to exercise their rights and participate in the political process,” company spokesperson Leo Rosales told the Herald in a statement Sunday, “including supporting public officials on important issues like clean energy and climate policy.”
GE Vernova, the designer, manufacturer and installer of the turbines, has pointed to a “manufacturing deviation” and not an engineering design flaw in the failure of its wind turbine off the coast of Nantucket. An initial third-party environmental analysis of the disaster has found the debris from the 351-foot blade to be “inert, non-soluble, stable and non-toxic.”
Vineyard Wind is prohibited from generating electricity from any of its turbines and building any additional towers, nacelle and blades, under a federal order.
The company is permitted to “install inter-array cables and conduct surveys outside of the damaged turbine’s safety exclusion zone,” the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a Friday release.
Nantucket officials, in a Friday update, highlighted how they met with the state for the first time on Thursday to discuss the state’s “monitoring and response efforts.”
The Biden administration restarted permitting for Vineyard Wind 1, the subject of a federal appeal, in February 2021, just a month after the president took office. GE Vernova has installed 24 turbines to date.
Vineyard Wind 1 is planned to grow to 62 turbines that are expected to have the capacity to generate 806 megawatts, enough electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses across the state, according to state officials.
Avangrid has either begun construction on or is in review of other wind farm projects in the Nantucket Sound, which Barnstable residents are fighting against.
“The offshore wind industry is critical to our ability to combat climate change and produce clean, affordable energy,” a spokesperson for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs told the Herald, “and the Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to delivering these benefits to our residents.”
Massachusetts
Nine high school sports takeaways from the first full night of the winter season – The Boston Globe
Browse our players to watch for the upcoming season: Boys’ basketball | Girls’ hockey | Girls’ basketball | Boys’ hockey
Preseason Top 20 rankings: Boys’ basketball | Girls’ hockey | Girls’ basketball | Boys’ hockey
Earning their first coaching wins with their programs were Jesse Mitchell (Canton girls), Liv Robles (Essex Tech girls), Mark Garrity (Malden Catholic boys), Josh Keilty (St. Mary’s boys), Danny Burns (Belmont boys), and Adam Russo (Melrose boys).
▪ The North Reading girls emerged from double-overtime battle with Pentucket with a 52-45 victory thanks to a game-high 23 points from Sophia Gallivan.
▪ Amari Moe provided the buzzer-beating basket as the Lexington boys nipped Burlington, 64-62, despite a big night from the Redmen’s Matty Gray (29 points). Charlie O’Brien paced the Minutemen with 23 points.
▪ Eighth-grader Jackson Hines drilled a tying 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, then scored 4 of his team-high 13 points in the extra period to give the Arlington Catholic boys a 62-55 road win over Revere.
Our first Top 20 team to get taken down was the No. 17 Abington boys, who lost an 89-80 barnburner to New Bedford despite getting 30 points and 10 rebounds from Kingston Maxwell and 24 points and six rebounds from Tyler Staiti.
Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop — In a 54-43 win over East Boston, the senior posted 30 points and seven rebounds.
Ashley Cox, Barnstable — The junior led all rebounders on Friday night, pulling down 15 boards to go with 12 points in a 53-28 win over Bourne.
Hannah D’Angelo, Pembroke — Our one hockey entry of the night, the senior paced the Titans to a 5-1 win over Norwell with two goals and two assists.
Kayla Dunlap, Natick — The sophomore saturated the stat sheet with 25 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals in a 62-43 triumph vs. Brookline.
Anna Kanders, Swampscott — The sophomore did a tremendous job sharing the ball and looking for her own shot, scoring 20 points with eight assists in a 58-40 win against Gloucester.
Eileen Lowther, Hingham — The junior dominated the paint, blocking seven shots, grabbing 10 rebounds, and scoring 13 points to beat Middleborough, 43-19.
Diego Montanari, New Bedford — The senior dropped 31 points, leading the Whalers to an 89-80 upset of 17th-ranked Abington
Elian Rodriguez, Salem — The junior notched a double-double, scoring 21 points and dishing 10 assists in a 73-51 triumph over Saugus.
Roman Treadwell, Minuteman — The senior filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks ina 68-44 win over Nashoba Valley Tech.
Oliver Van Rhijn, Dover-Sherborn — The junior posted 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 56-44 win over Nipmuc.
▪ St. John’s Prep has a new volleyball coach: Pamela Benzan Leete. Leete coached both the boys’ and girls’ programs at Essex Tech, qualifying for the postseason for 10 consecutive years, capturing seven Commonwealth Athletic Conference crowns, and producing nine CAC MVPs.
“I am thankful and excited for this incredible opportunity,” said Leete in a statement. “I look forward to working with the boys and helping to mold this program’s future.”
Leete has also served as an assistant at Endicott and has spent more than a decade as a clinician at the Jumbos Volleyball Clinics at Tufts. A Danvers resident who grew up in Malden, she is the English department chair at St. John’s Prep, where she has worked since 2018.
“Pam embodies the kind of educator-coach who strengthens the heart of St. John’s Prep,” said athletic director Jameson Pelkey. “She understands how athletics can deepen a student’s confidence, character, and sense of purpose, and she has a remarkable track record of helping teams achieve at a high level while building a culture rooted in integrity and individual growth.”
Leete takes over an SJP program that has reached the Division 1 quarterfinals in two of the last four seasons.
▪ North Andover announced that former assistant Caitlin Enright will serve as interim girls’ lacrosse coach this spring. A North Andover alumna, Enright played three sports for the Scarlet Knights and went on to play lacrosse at Merrimack. A math teach at North Andover, Enright also serves as a JV soccer coach and freshman basketball coach.
▪ Former Catholic Memorial running back Datrell Jones has entered the transfer portal after three years at Boston College. He played in five games in 2024, with eight carries for 73 yards and a touchdown, but didn’t see the field in 2025.
▪ WPI sophomore Myles Lakin, a Reading graduate, and graduate student Lauren Meinhold, an Acton-Boxborough graduate, were named to the NFHCA Region 1 First Team. Meinhold is a two-time selection after leading the Engineers with 10 goals and five assists. She finished her career with 27 goal sand 26 assists. Lakin, who was named NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year, logged 14 wins in net with an .863 save percentage and .955 goals against average.
▪ On Tuesday, the United Soccer Coaches released its All-America lists. Massachusetts was represented on the boys’ side by Emmanuel Marmolejo (Berkshire School), Alex Hensch (Longmeadow), Luke Dougherty (Natick), Bless Jeremie Mbuyi Kasongo (Northfield Mt. Hermon), and Garrison Murphy (St. John’s Prep). Honored on the girls’ side: Emmy O’Donnell (Concord-Carlisle), Sarah Tressler (Central Catholic), Emily Burnham (Wellesley), Sidney Heavey (Medfield), Addison Kalaw (BB&N), Tyler Martens (Groton), Nicole Proia (Natick), and Wylie Roossien (Phillips Andover).
▪ North Attleborough will retire Mike Babul’s No. 43 in between the boys’ and girls’ games against Attleboro on Jan. 20. Babul was a standout player for the Red Rocketeers before going on to play at UMass. After several stops as a college assistant, Babul was in his second season coaching Thayer Academy when he died of a heart attack at age 47 in 2024.
Diego Montananri, New Bedford, 31
Alex Ste. Marie, Manchester Essex, 31
Noah Bayersdorfer, Winthrop, 30
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 30
Matty Gray, Burlington, 29
Cal Atherton, Newburyport, 28
Justin Flores, Lynnfield, 28
Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 27
Liam MacPhee, Stoneham, 27
Jovani Melendez, Norton, 27
Caleb Haynes, Brookline, 26
Nate Lane, Salem, 26
Leticia Castro, Greater Lowell, 25
John Chareas, St. Mary’s, 25
Brandon Doherty, Lynnfield, 25
Kayla Dunlap, Natick, 25
George Howell, O’Bryant, 25
Mathaios Stamm, Newton North, 25
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 24
Cam Santos, Bridgewater-Raynham, 24
Tyler Staiti, Abington, 24
Malikhi Tavares, Wareham, 24
Rolky Brea Arias, St. Mary’s, 23
Ethan Elie, Braintree, 23
Sophie Gallivan, North Reading, 23
Sarah Michel, Blue Hills, 23
Charlie O’Brien, Lexington, 23
Jonny Sullivan, Tewksbury, 23
Oliver Van Rhijn, Dover-Sherborn, 23
Harrison Burbine, Winchester, 22
Allie Danis, Newton North, 22
Savvy Eriksen, Abington, 22
Olivia Gaynor, Peabody, 22
Jordan Oliver, Acton-Boxborough, 22
Aiden Richard, Tewksbury, 22
Lily White, Dracut, 22
Weston Bunnell, Stoneham, 21
Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 21
Amare Rose, Wareham, 21
Meredith Gibbs, Dover-Sherborn, 20
Shane Harrington, Walpole, 20
Adyxandra Jimenez, Fenway, 20
Anna Kanders, Swampscott, 20
Ashley Cox, Barnstable, 15
Kelsey Hudon, Dracut, 12
Aboubakar Nimaka, Malden Catholic, 12
Bobby Taku, Malden Catholic, 12
Roman Treadwell, Minuteman, 12
Paige Morrison, Sandwich, 11
Sophia Coburn, Peabody, 10
Jeremy Hernandez, Catholic Memorial, 10
Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 10
Ava Martin, Somerville, 10
Kingston Maxwell, Abington, 10
Cassidy Saindon, Dracut, 10
Oliver Van Rhijn, Dover-Sherborn, 10
George Howell, O’Bryant, 9
Katie McMahon, Natick, 9
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 9
Kate Suneson, Apponequet, 9
Lizzy Bettencourt, Peabody, 8
Kyle Ewans, Gloucester, 8
Jackson Farrington, O’Bryant, 8
Matt Kenney, Salem, 8
Erin Langone, Shawsheen, 8
Lily White, Dracut, 8
Elian Rodriguez, Salem, 10
Anna Kanders, Swampscott, 8
Domenic Paniello-Torres, Beverly, 8
Bridget Pole, Natick, 8
Dom Torres, Beverly, 8
Sienna Miranda, Seekonk, 7
Kaylee Maier, Dracut, 6
Kyle Ewans, Gloucester, 5
Grace Goudreau, Seekonk, 5
Amari Kergo, Somerville, 5
Rex Satter, Ipswich, 5
CC Curran, Natick, 4
Jillian Gagnier, Apponequet, 4
Hanna Kuriscak, Apponequet, 4
Teddy O’Neill, Swampscott, 4
Roman Treadwell, Minuteman, 4
Vin Winter, Ipswich, 4
Caelen Mahoney, Seekonk, 7
Kyle Ewans, Gloucester, 6
Lala Gomez, Shawsheen, 6
Amari Kergo, Somerville, 6
Tori White, Canton, 6
Avery Bettencourt, Peabody, 5
Kayla Dunlap, Natick, 5
Kelsey Hudon, Dracut, 5
Olivia Gaynor, Peabody, 5
Aliana Ryan, Peabody, 5
Connor Chiarello, Swampscott, 4
Jillian Gagnier, Apponequet, 4
Cece Levrault, Apponequet, 4
Sienna Miranda, Seekonk, 4
Denai Williams, Natick, 4
Eileen Lowther, Hingham, 7
Sophia Coburn, Peabody, 5
Carson Sarpong, Winchester, 5
Roman Treadwell, Minuteman, 2
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.
And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.
The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.
- This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe
Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.
Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.
Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.
- ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million
But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.
Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.
And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.
Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees
It swims in the family.
A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.
On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.
Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.
IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.
“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.
The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.
According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.
“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.
Nebraska volleyball sweeps Kansas in NCAA Sweet 16: Score, highlights
The Indiana game is a must-win for Kentucky, even in December
Undefeated, first state championship: This Louisiana high school football team lives the dream
Maine Lottery results: See winning numbers for Mega Millions, Pick 3 on Dec. 12, 2025
Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Republican House leader signals plan to begin contempt proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton
Three years on, former MEP Kaili remains in limbo still awaiting trial
Afghan CIA fighters face stark reality in the U.S. : Consider This from NPR
Video: Behind the Supreme Court’s Push to Expand Presidential Power
Kilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin
-
Alaska6 days agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas7 days agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Ohio1 week agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Washington4 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL6 days agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH5 days agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World5 days ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
