Stories
One of the largest remaining elm trees in New England has died. But the wood from the 109-foot-tall slippery elm tree is heading on to a new life — as custom furniture. And a percentage of the sales proceeds will support research to breed elms that are resistant to Dutch elm’s disease.
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Earlier this year, it seemed a commuter rail line could really happen for southern New Hampshire. Polling had shown 74 percent of residents support it, and lawmakers were voting on whether to use $4 million in federal dollars to connect Boston’s commuter rail to Nashua and Manchester.
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A new railroad investment is about to get underway in eastern Connecticut that its backers hope will be a boost for the economy right along the tracks and into greater New England. Instead of giants scissors, the New England Central Railroad chose a train to cut the ribbon on this new project.
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Has little Rhode Island become the center for offshore wind power in the United States? Sure seems like it. The nation’s first offshore wind farm will start operating there next month. The project drew interest from European visitors recently, and this week, it hosted an offshore wind energy conference.
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The rare New England cottontail rabbit and other shrubland species are getting some new help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency is targeting 15,000 acres of land in six northeastern states, including Maine, to be included in a new Great Thickets National Wildlife Refuge.
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If you spend any time walking in the woods, you see a lot of strange looking trees — trees shaped by the wind, split by lightning or reaching toward. And — occasionally — some twists and turns are man-made.
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A decision by Connecticut energy officials could have a major impact on Massachusetts and all of New England. The decision pulls the plug on plans to construct more natural gas pipelines in Connecticut, while boosting the use of renewable energy throughout the region.
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Some Housatonic River advocates say they wish the EPA’s cleanup plan called for digging up more PCBs. This comes as the agency released its final plan Monday to remove toxins from the river.
The $613 million plan calls for removing and capping PCBs from the river bottom and floodplain.
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Refugees from around the world continue to find homes in Massachusetts.
The number of Syrian refugees, in particular, has more than doubled here over the last year, despite heated national rhetoric around immigration.
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Massachusetts is one of about 40 states where someone who abuses drugs or alcohol to an extreme can be legally committed to a locked treatment facility. In most cases, a worried family member has to go to court to make that happen.
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