The Mass Brief

Sunday, June 21, 2026  |  First day of summer edition ☀️

 

The Lead

A Mattapan Tragedy on a Busy Afternoon

Blue Hill Avenue — one of Boston's most traveled corridors — turned into a scene of chaos and grief on Saturday afternoon when a man crashed his car near Woodhaven Street in Mattapan, then carjacked a second vehicle and went on a destructive tear down the road at speeds witnesses described as around 70 miles per hour. A woman who was crossing Blue Hill Avenue near Fairway Street was struck and killed. The suspect also hit several other cars and an MBTA bus before being taken into custody. A second person was injured; a third reportedly suffered a panic attack witnessing the scene unfold in front of them.

This happened in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon on one of the neighborhood's busiest streets. Witnesses described the horror in real time — one told reporters they heard the victim's last words. That kind of trauma doesn't just disappear when the police tape comes down. Blue Hill Avenue remained closed for hours, and the victim's identity had not been released as of Saturday night pending family notification and autopsy.

The arrest has been made, but the questions that follow a tragedy like this — about street safety, carjacking trends, and what a neighborhood absorbs when violence happens in plain sight — will take longer to answer. Boston officials haven't yet commented publicly. Expect that to change early this week.

Full story at Dorchester Reporter →

 

What Else You Should Know

The Legislature Fires Back at DiZoglio — Loudly

House Speaker Ronald Mariano's allies are going on offense over the ongoing legislative audit fight, with a new op-ed accusing State Auditor Diana DiZoglio of running a campaign built on misinformation and personal attacks rather than good-government substance. The piece argues the House's recently passed bill already gives DiZoglio the documents she's requested and, for the first time, subjects the Legislature and the governor's office to public records law — with backing from the ACLU of Massachusetts and Common Cause. DiZoglio, who has been eyeing a run for higher office, has framed the fight differently. This one is far from over, and voters will have their say at the ballot box.

CommonWealth Beacon →

 

An Andover Middle Schooler Has Died

Cody Nguyen, an eighth grader at Doherty Middle School in Andover, passed away on Friday — nearly a month after he was found unresponsive and submerged in Field Pond at Harold Parker State Forest in May. He was medflighted to a Boston hospital after first responders pulled him from about 10 feet of water. The school district confirmed his death Saturday and will provide grief support for students and staff Monday and Tuesday. Andover Police continue to investigate.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

 

Scituate Girls' Sports Getting the Short End — By a Lot

A Title IX athletics equity audit presented to the Scituate School Committee has exposed significant and systemic disparities between boys' and girls' sports programs, with parents pointing to unequal schedules, match counts, and facilities. The boys' golf team gets an 18-match season; the girls' team doesn't. Superintendent Dr. Tom Raab presented an 11-point corrective action plan, but parents weren't satisfied — particularly given that budget breakdowns for FY2025 and FY2026 were missing from the report, leaving the full scope of the spending gap unknown. The newly reorganized committee, now chaired by Nicole Brandolini, has some accountability work ahead of it.

South Shore News →

 

Plympton Is Racing the Clock on Federal Water Money

The small Plymouth County town of Plympton has until December 31 to complete a public water supply infrastructure project or lose its remaining ARPA federal funds entirely. Interim Town Administrator Robert Fennessy announced the town is pivoting its procurement strategy — dropping the Owner's Project Manager approach and going straight to a project designer — to shave precious weeks off the timeline. A bid package goes out this week, with opening around July 13. If the build isn't done by year's end, the money reverts to the federal government. No pressure.

South Shore News →

 

A World Cup Watch Party Ends in a Shooting

A man was shot in the chest Friday night at an unofficial World Cup watch party at Hood Park in Charlestown. Homicide detectives were initially called in given the severity of the wound, but the victim is now expected to survive. Hood Park management said it is cooperating fully with Boston Police. With World Cup games drawing big crowds to venues across the region, this is a reminder that large public gatherings require real public safety planning.

Universal Hub →

 

Worth Your Attention

Plymouth LGBTQ Tea Dance — June 28: Psychotherapist Kelly Bearer is launching a quarterly afternoon gathering for the South Shore's LGBTQ community at 36 Cordage Park in Plymouth, 4–7 p.m., closing out Pride Month with dancing, connection, and — per the science — potentially a lower risk of dementia. Plymouth Independent →

Rain Monday: WCVB has declared Monday an "Impact Weather Day" — expect widespread rain and possible thunderstorms arriving by the evening commute, so plan accordingly if you're heading into work. WCVB →

Silver Lake School Committee — Infrastructure Watch: The Silver Lake Regional School Committee has approved emergency repairs on a failed $585,000 rooftop HVAC unit at the middle school using capital stabilization funds — worth watching as the district navigates aging 21-year-old facilities and tries to secure town funding for a broader capital plan. South Shore News →

 

FY2027 Budget Tracker

Current stage: Conference committee reconciles

Governor's Budget (H2) — filed

House Budget (H5500) | 1744 amendments filed — house_floor

Senate Budget (H5501) | 1 amendments filed — conference

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