Massachusetts
Permit granted to allow Nibi the beaver to stay with wildlife rescue group in Massachusetts
CHELMSFORD – Gov. Maura Healey has issued a special permit allowing a beaver to stay at a Massachusetts wildlife facility after MassWildlife said she had to be released into the wild.
The beaver, named Nibi, has captured the hearts of many people in Massachusetts and around the country. She was found orphaned in Sturbridge two years by Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, who have cared for her since.
MassWildlife initially said Nibi had to return to the wild and Newhouse disagreed, saying Nibi would die and that she should remain with the rescue as an educational animal. A judge issued an order on Tuesday, preventing MassWildlife temporarily from taking the beaver.
“Nibi has captured the hearts of many of our residents, mine included,” said Healey in a statement. “We’re excited to share that we have issued a permit for Nibi to remain in Newhouse’s care, continuing to educate the public about this important species. I’m grateful to our state’s dedicated wildlife biologists who work every day to care for Massachusetts wildlife, and I hope Nibi inspires more people to protect our natural world.”
A Change.org petition calling for Nibi to remain with Newhouse got more than 30,000 signatures.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts town warns parents, students of dangerous ‘galaxy gas’ trend
Medfield’s school district warned parents and students about a viral TikTok trend that could be deadly in the most severe cases.
Galaxy Gas, a brand of canned Nitrous Oxide for culinary use, has taken social media by storm. Young adults can be seen inhaling the gas that causes lightheadedness, dizziness, and weakness.
Medfield’s Social Emotional Learning department said they haven’t dealt with a case at any district schools.
“A lot of this is preventative medicine,” said Dr. Dave Worthley, director of the Social Emotional Learning department.
He works daily with students at the high school to catch onto the latest trends.
He asks the student body questions like, “What kinds of stuff are you seeing online? What kinds of stuff are you exposed to? What do you see as far as your friends? What do you see in other communities?”
Dr. Worthley and the district issued a statement to parents this week about the TikTok trend that can cause long-term damage.
The statement about Galaxy read in part:
· It is easy to get.
· It is legal to purchase over 18
· It is technically for culinary purposes only
· It is being packaged in bright, fun colors and designs to appeal to kids
· It is in all area Vape shops
· It is extremely dangerous and can lead to brain injury, cardiac injury, and death.
· Galaxy Gas may have paused distribution (on Friday) but many other brands are selling Nitrous Oxide, and Vape shops, Walmart, and other places have lots of stock, as well as Amazon.
Worthley told Boston 25 Thursday, “I’ve had a lot of parent responses saying, ‘Thank you. I hadn’t heard of this. I never knew this existed. I’ll go home and talk to my kids right now.’”
David Richards, CEO of Fish Public Relations and a professor at Emerson College, said this is the latest of many social media trends.
“Parents are 10 steps behind,” he said.
Richards blamed young adults with easy access to social media as the root cause of the viral trend.
He added, “It’s exposing children to all kinds of issues and problems and bad behaviors.”
Galaxy Gas reportedly halted their sales Friday after the social media craze.
A statement on their website reads in part:
“Products containing nitrous oxide are sold solely as a food processing propellant for whipped cream and culinary food use only. It is unlawful for a person to purchase products containing nitrous oxide for any purpose not intended herein and legally authorized.”
The district is asking parents in Medfield and across the state to have tough conversations with their children to safeguard them from dangerous substances.
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Massachusetts
Free community college in Massachusetts expected to draw 45,000 students within a year
WELLESLEY – Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents are expected to take advantage of a new policy expanding eligibility for free community college in the state, Gov. Maura Healey says.
Healey was part of a celebration of the MassEducate program at MassBay Community College Wednesday.
She said 10,000 students have enrolled in community colleges for the fall semester, more than double the number of students who qualified for free tuition under “MassReconnect” a year before.
“This is a big deal,” Healey said. “And we estimate that it’s going to be 45,000 in no time, in just a year.”
What to know about free community college in Massachusetts
The governor’s budget dedicated $117.5 million for the free community college program. Much of it is being funded through the “Millionaire’s Tax” in Massachusetts.
Anyone without a bachelor’s degree who has lived in Massachusetts for at least a year and enrolls in about two classes per semester is eligible for free community college. There is also an allowance of up to $1,200 a year for books, supplies and other expenses, depending on a student’s household income.
“It’s a revolutionary change in higher education in Massachusetts,” MassBay president David Podell said.
Senate President Karen Spilka said that community college enrollment “going through the roof” will help close the workforce gap in Massachusetts.
“Our community colleges help fill the gaps in health care, early education and care, life sciences, automotive,” Spilka said. “We need skilled, talented folks going into all of these areas.”
Helping students afford a higher education
Ziakeya Haggerty is 36 years old and was never able to earn a higher degree.
“I had went to college years ago and never finished,” she said. “I realized that I just couldn’t afford it.”
But as Massachusetts expanded free community college eligibility, Haggerty learned about the free tuition possibility and enrolled at Roxbury Community College. She has plans to go to medical school and use her degree to help her neighbors in Boston.
Now Haggerty says she is doing her best to spread the word about free community college.
“Everybody I talk to, I inform, ‘you know you can go back,’” she said.
Massachusetts
Healey makes move to block efforts to suspend Mass. gun reform law for 2 years
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed an emergency preamble to a gun reform bill passed this summer, a move that prevents the law from being suspended while opponents work on a ballot measure to put before voters in two years.
The law addresses, among other things, ghost guns and red flag laws.
“We needed to give time to our agencies and municipalities to take the steps and do what they need to do in order to get ready for implementation on Day One,” Healey said Wednesday.
Critics say that doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Jobs will suffer, people’s lives will suffer, because of this action she is taking today,” said spokesman Toby Leary of Civil Rights Coalition, a group calling for the gun law’s repeal.
Gun advocates collected thousands of signatures in recent weeks hoping to push pause on the bill until voters could weigh in with a 2026 ballot question.
“Now, she’s saying, ‘Nope, we’re not going to allow that process to happen,’” said Leary. “‘You can still put it to a vote in two years, but you’re going to live with the law we signed,’ and I feel that is a subversion of the Constitution.”
Healey and others balk at that framing.
Gov. Maura Healey held a ceremonial signing for Massachusetts’ new gun reform bill that bans Glock switches and more, bringing praise from advocates, though the National Rifle Association said it plans to challenge the legislation.
“The system is there, it’s a democracy, you can go to your legislature and you can advocate for policy and advocate for laws,” Healey said. “That’s the way the system works.”
“The vast majority of Massachusetts residents wants this bill and want it to take effect as soon as possible,” said Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka.
As for opponents of the bill, attention now turns to the courts.
“It’s all reaching a crescendo, and we’re tired of being the whipping post,” said Leary.
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