Akanksha Goyal - Marblehead Current

19 Nov

FISCAL STORM: Town’s budget crunch mirrors broader statewide fiscal crisis

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Marblehead’s looming budget challenges are part of a broader fiscal storm sweeping cities and towns across Massachusetts. According to a report from the Massachusetts Municipal Association last month, municipalities statewide are caught between rising service costs, constrained local revenue growth and limited, slow-growing state support. That combination, the MMA warns, is weakening many cities’ and towns’ ability to absorb new costs. Marblehead is already experiencing those pressures, town officials say. The MMA report found that municipalities are heavily dependent on property taxes and constrained by…

19 Nov

EDUCATION: MPS already on track as state pushes early literacy reforms

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Local News

Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced a sweeping early literacy bill aimed at addressing what they call a statewide literacy crisis. The legislation, which passed the House on Oct. 29 and now heads to the Senate, would require school districts to adopt evidence-based curricula and expand early screenings requirements for K-3 students. Marblehead is already ‘meeting the moment’ as the state pushes new literacy standards, according to Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira. COURTESY PHOTO While the measure could bring significant changes across the state, Marblehead educators say much…

17 Nov

Board of Health tops 2,600 survey responses, tackles underage drinking

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Top Stories

After weeks of urging residents to complete the town’s community wellness survey, the Board of Health said participation has surpassed 2,600 responses, and it outlined plans to build on that work through state funding at its Nov. 10 meeting. Board Chair Dr. Tom Massaro credited a recent CodeRED alert for boosting survey participation and said the board hoped to reach 2,500 responses before the survey closes Nov. 16. Hitting that mark, he said, would give the results “statistical legitimacy” to guide future public health efforts.…

12 Nov

From Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill: Local woman lobbies to protect patients from sexual abuse

Akanksha GoyalLocal News

Less than seven months after testifying at the Massachusetts State House about being sexually abused by a Boston rheumatologist, Marblehead resident Rory McCarthy has helped shape a federal bill that would require medical professionals nationwide to offer patients the option of a chaperone during sensitive exams. Rory McCarthy stands outside the State House April 9, where she testified about the sexual violence she says she endured at the hands of a Boston doctor. She hopes proposed state and federal legislation will protect other patients. COURTESY PHOTO…

21 Oct

Town officials weigh crypto ATM risks amid state debate

Akanksha GoyalPublic safety, Top Stories

With Massachusetts considering new rules for cryptocurrency ATMs, Marblehead officials are taking a closer look at whether to regulate the machines locally as police statewide report a rise in scams tied to digital-currency kiosks. The state’s Joint Committee on Financial Services heard hours of testimony last week on a proposal that would, for the first time, require cryptocurrency kiosk operators to register with the state, post fraud warnings and set daily transaction limits. It would also require kiosk operators to refund victims of fraudulent transactions.…

20 Oct

Town tackles rising recycling costs, wellness efforts and flu warning

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Local News

The Board of Health wants to hear from residents, as the town chooses a new trash and recycling vendor. At an Oct. 15 meeting, Public Health Director Andrew Petty said the town is considering three main options for curbside collection: continuing the current system with residents using their own barrels and limited recycling; switching to automated pickup with barrels provided by the town; or automated pickup with recycling every other week, which could reduce costs. He noted that all options would result in higher expenses.…

08 Oct

Bicycle facilities proposal charts path to safer, more accessible streets

Akanksha GoyalLocal News

Marblehead is gearing up to make its streets more bike-friendly, unveiling a plan that could reshape how residents and visitors navigate the town. On Sept. 24, the Select Board heard the Bicycle Facilities Plan, a blueprint developed over the past year to construct bike lanes, improve signage and enhance safety at critical intersections. At the meeting, town Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey described this project as the final piece of planning for Marblehead’s Complete Streets framework. Previous efforts have focused on sidewalks, pavement management and Rail…

01 Oct

MHS rebounds to no. 61 in new U.S. News rankings

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools

Marblehead High School is ranked no. 61 among Massachusetts public high schools in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings, released last month. The school also placed no. 50 in the Boston metro area and no. 1,526 nationally. The annual survey evaluates nearly 400 public high schools across the state using factors that include college readiness, state assessment scores, graduation rates and performance among underserved students, according to the report. The methodology has remained largely unchanged over the past five years, though the publication…

26 Aug

District outlines AI expectations as students return to class

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Local News

Families across Marblehead will receive updated student and family handbooks before the start of school on Aug. 27, with one notable change for the elementary level. For the first time, the documents include expectations around artificial intelligence. Assistant Superintendent for Learning Julia Ferreira said the district is relying on academic integrity expectations rather than a separate AI policy. These guidelines, already in place at Veterans Middle and Marblehead High School, are now being extended to younger students. “Previous to our work this year, they were…