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THE MASS BRIEF
Monday, June 15, 2026
Your morning briefing on what matters in Massachusetts.
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The Lead
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Marshfield Is a Town on the Edge — and Tonight's Town Meeting Could Make It Worse
Marshfield heads into its annual Town Meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Marshfield High School in about as precarious a position as a South Shore town can find itself. The Select Board is deadlocked 1-1 (one seat is vacant) over who should be the next town administrator — a position that's been empty for more than a year. Meanwhile, the town's fiscal year 2027 budget is a mess, with a structural deficit driven by years of patching operating costs with one-time funds, a $1 million snow removal overrun, expired federal COVID relief money, and the loss of nearly $1.2 million in outside revenue. The Advisory Board voted 7-0-1 to recommend a $4 million Proposition 2½ override as the responsible path forward. But officials are planning to force a $7 million override onto the floor tonight anyway — a move that opponents say is flatly illegal. The two sitting Select Board members, Rick Smith and Eric Kelley, can't agree on a town administrator, which means municipal leadership remains in limbo until a third member is elected to break the tie. Residents at last week's joint board meeting weren't subtle about their frustration — one called on the board to stop hiring "novices" and get someone with a real track record in the chair. The leading finalist, Ted Langill, has a background in Weymouth municipal government and has supporters pushing hard for his appointment. Tonight's meeting is the kind of event where local democracy gets loud. Marshfield residents will have to decide whether to approve a budget that may or may not be legal, without a permanent administrator to help execute it, with a board that can't agree on much of anything. If you live in Marshfield — or just like watching municipal governance at its most chaotic — tonight matters. |
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What Else You Should Know
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Two Dead in Bellingham House Fire
A two-alarm fire ripped through a single-family home on Temi Road in Bellingham just after midnight Monday, killing two residents despite firefighters rescuing them from the structure. The fire spread rapidly and caused serious damage to the home, though crews kept it from reaching neighboring properties. State Police fire investigators are working to determine the cause. Boston.com → |
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Cape Cod Murder Case Heads to Court — With a Self-Defense Claim
Nicholos D. Campbell, 26, is being arraigned today in Orleans District Court on a murder charge stemming from a late-night shooting at Moonfish Restaurant & Tavern in Dennis on Saturday. His attorney says Campbell, who has a valid license to carry, acted in self-defense after being stabbed in the head during the altercation. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by the Cape & Islands DA's Office. Boston.com → |
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Nubian Square Is Getting Its Pharmacy Back
A CVS is coming to Warren Street in Roxbury's Nubian Square, filling a gap left when Walgreens shuttered its location there in 2024 as part of its Boston-wide pullback. For a neighborhood without easy car access to suburban strip malls, having a pharmacy within walking distance is a genuine quality-of-life issue — not just a retail footnote. Universal Hub → |
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Markey vs. Moulton: The Party Chair Weighs In
Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan sat down this weekend to talk about the Senate primary shaping up between incumbent Senator Ed Markey and Representative Seth Moulton — arguably the most consequential intra-party race in the state this cycle. Kerrigan also addressed controversy swirling around Maine candidate Graham Platner. No bombshells reported, but worth watching where party infrastructure lands. WBZ/CBS Boston → |
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Holyoke Puts $1.66M in Federal Funds to Work
The City of Holyoke is deploying $1.66 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds across public infrastructure, housing rehabilitation, social services, and economic development. It's the kind of unsexy-but-important local spending that directly affects whether people's streets, homes, and services hold up — and worth noting as federal funding streams grow increasingly uncertain nationwide. WWLP Western MA → |
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Worth Your Attention
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Marshfield Town Meeting kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. at Marshfield High School — budget, overrides, and governance drama all on the agenda. WATD → The world's largest soccer ball — a 47.9-foot Guinness World Record-holder installed at Piers Park II in East Boston — is only on display through June 18, so you have a few days left to see it before it comes down. Boston.com → The Cape Cod arraignment of Nicholos Campbell in the Dennis restaurant shooting is scheduled for Orleans District Court this morning — expect more details about the circumstances of the case to emerge. Boston.com → |
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💰 Money Watch
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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions
Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance |
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
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One More Thing
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Walpole said goodbye to Rebel the golden retriever on Monday morning — the police department's community resource dog who was accidentally struck and killed at the station last week — with a full procession from Tufts veterinary hospital, American flag draped over her casket, children holding signs along the route. Eight years of greeting kids and comforting people in crisis, honored the way she deserved. WBZ/CBS Boston → |
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