https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefsThe daily local brief for Back Bay, Boston, MA.en-ushttps://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-09-02https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-09-02Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey won Tuesday's Democratic primary over U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, securing the nomination as he seeks a third full term. He will face Republican John Deaton in the general election. In his victory speech, Markey called the result "a testament to the power of the progressive movement of our nation," citing Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and taxing billionaires among his priorities.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-09-01https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-09-01Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000Boston's State Primary runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today across 275 precincts, staffed by more than 1,872 poll workers, with voters choosing party nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and local offices. The city has 438,367 registered voters; 4,558 had cast ballots at in-person early-voting sites as of Aug. 27. Ballots are printed in English and Spanish, with English-Chinese and English-Vietnamese ballots where required, and all locations are wheelchair accessible with an AutoMark terminal; the Election Department advises checking your registration and polling location, as some precincts have changes.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-31https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-31Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Trevor Story returned to the Red Sox lineup Sunday in New York for the series finale against the Yankees, months after Anthony sprained his right hand and wrist in early May and Story underwent sports hernia surgery later that month. Interim manager Chad Tracy hit Anthony leadoff as the designated hitter and batted Story eighth at shortstop; Anthony went 2 for 4 and Story 2 for 3. The club sits in prime playoff position with less than a month left in the regular season.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-30https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-30Sun, 30 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Former Celtics forward Jaylen Brown holds "741 Frequency Fest" from 2 to 7 p.m. today at the Charles Street entrance of Boston Common, a free block party marking the end of his decade in the city before he joins the Philadelphia 76ers. Organizers say the afternoon will include music, carnival games, giveaways, back-to-school activities, a 741 Pop-Up experience, surprise performances and a concert. No ticket is required, and the event is open to the public.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-29https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-29Sat, 29 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The City of Boston has issued a traffic advisory warning of extensive parking restrictions and street closures across the neighborhood for college move-in weekend. The Open Newbury Street series will not run on Sunday, Aug. 30.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-28https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-28Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Boston Public Health Commission said Thursday that a Boston man in his 60s has tested positive for West Nile virus, the first human case in the city this year and the third in a Massachusetts resident. State health officials still rate the city's risk level as "high," citing positive mosquito samples collected in several neighborhoods over the past two months. BPHC advises residents 50 and older and those who are immunocompromised to avoid outdoor activity from dusk to dawn, and asks everyone to empty standing water from bird baths, flowerpots and kiddie pools at least twice a week.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-27https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-27Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000A Massachusetts inspector general report released Wednesday found Boston Public Schools employees repeatedly hired vendors without valid contracts or the required competitive bidding between 2018 and 2024, then devised a workaround to pay them later. Payments were routinely routed through a handful of companies with existing district contracts acting as middlemen, with mark-ups costing at least $77,000 in added fees; the district also paid high, sometimes duplicate shipping charges, including a $211 shipping fee on a $96 order for four books. Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro told WBUR investigators found no evidence of fraud or criminal conduct, but said at least $200,000 could have gone to programs more directly affecting students.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-26https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-26Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Reconstruction of Northeastern University's Matthews Arena is set back at least nine months after workers uncovered asbestos during excavation on Tuesday. The Huntington News reports the material could date to the arena's original 1910 construction.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-25https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-25Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Mason Windley performs tonight at 6 p.m. at Lyrik, 400 Newbury Street, as part of Berklee's Summer in the City 2026 concert series. The free performances, held at the junction of Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston and Newbury Streets, span all genres and feature musicians from Berklee College of Music. Performances will be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather; the series continues on Tuesdays into September.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-24https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-24Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and management agreed Sunday to a two-day extension of the contract that was set to expire that night, averting a strike due to begin at midnight. BSO president and CEO Chad Smith said he looks forward to "your continued support and engagement during this period." The extension leaves the underlying contract unresolved.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-23https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-23Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Boston Musicians' Association said Saturday that Boston Symphony Orchestra players voted to authorize the first strike in the ensemble's 145-year history, as their three-year contract expires at 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The union cited management's failure to reach a new agreement and its refusal of a proposed mediator, following the BSO's March decision to force out music director Andris Nelsons after 13 seasons. CEO Chad Smith said the orchestra respects the musicians' right to take the step and remains focused on negotiations; the season is scheduled to open Sept. 17.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-22https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-22Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Boston Public Health Commission's Aug. 20 advisory about a cyanobacteria bloom in the Charles River Lower Basin, downstream of the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, is still active. State Department of Public Health staff found cyanobacteria exceeding state guidelines for recreational waterbodies; the algae can produce toxins that make people and pets sick. Residents are urged to avoid contact with the water and shoreline algae, including swimming, and to keep dogs from swimming in or drinking the water, rinsing off immediately after any contact.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-21https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-21Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Vanbarton Group has proposed converting the block-long office building at 31 St. James Ave. into 478 apartments. The plan joins a broader city push to turn obsolete offices into housing: since late 2023, developers have proposed 29 conversion projects downtown totaling 2,331 units, but only 431 units have started or completed construction, according to the Boston Planning Department. Financing remains the hurdle — a nearby 110-unit conversion at 31 Milk St. closed a $40M construction loan this week only after assembling a city tax abatement, a federal historic tax credit and a $4M state grant.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-20https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-20Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000State Senator Sal DiDomenico and Senate colleagues advanced legislation Thursday setting criminal penalties of up to 10 years in state prison and fines up to $500,000 for fire and building code violations that cause a death. The bill follows key recommendations of the Walsh-Kennedy Commission, created by the Legislature to examine public safety and licensing around hot work such as welding, plasma cutting, and other spark-producing construction. It stems from the 2014 Back Bay fire, caused by unpermitted welding, that killed Boston Fire Lt. Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-19https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-19Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000Boston Police District A-1 officers and U.S. Marshals arrested Mark Sullivan, 60, of Brockton at about 6 a.m. Tuesday on a Boston Municipal Court warrant for photographing sexual or intimate parts of a child. Officers were first called to the Boston Common Frog Pond at about 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, where witnesses said Sullivan was recording children in the playground using sunglasses fitted with a camera as well as his cell phone. Witnesses said he followed one family that tried to move away from him, and that he attempted to break the glasses by hand after being confronted.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-18https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-18Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000An inbound Providence Line train reported a downed wire on Track 2 at Back Bay Station around 5:40 a.m. Monday, and was itself held more than 30 minutes while crews responded. Trains kept moving through the station's other tracks, but the MBTA warned riders using Back Bay and South Station to expect delays of up to 30 minutes on the Fairmount, Fitchburg, Franklin/Foxboro, Framingham/Worcester, Needham and Providence/Stoughton lines. No injuries were reported; operations resumed by 11 a.m., with repair work continuing through the day and the cause under investigation.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-17https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-17Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The Esplanade Association and Boston Dance Alliance host a free Bachata and Merengue class at 6 p.m. at Hatch Grove, next to the Hatch Shell at the foot of the Fiedler Footbridge, led by Anara Frank. The 60-minute class is followed by free food and beverages from local restaurants for participants to connect socially. Pre-registration is recommended so attendees receive updates; organizers ask people to cancel if they can no longer attend.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-16https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-16Sun, 16 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000MassDOT will close the left northbound lane of the Bowker Viaduct between the Boylston Street intersection and Storrow Drive beginning Monday morning, August 17, with vehicular barriers and a fixed work zone installed starting Sunday night. The closure supports the $84 million Bowker Overpass replacement over I-90 and is expected to stay in place until the end of the year. Barriers will also go in along the left side of the southbound viaduct without reducing southbound travel lanes; drivers should expect delays and reduce speed through the marked work zone.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-15https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-15Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000The 16th Annual African Festival of Boston runs today from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Boston Common at 139 Tremont Street, with doors at 8:30 a.m. The free, 11-plus-hour program includes live performances, drumming, traditional dance, a fashion show, authentic African cuisine and a marketplace. Billed under the theme "Together We Rise," the lineup features DJ Prince, DJ/MC Goddess Merlins, Godson C.E. and KHENSANI; parking is paid.https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-14https://nanopress.net/back-bay-boston-ma/briefs/2026-08-14Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000A new report from Boston's Office of Housing found more than 6,200 income-restricted units have been built or put under construction during Mayor Michelle Wu's first term, the highest level of production in 25 years. The city directed much of its $560 million in pandemic-era relief funds into housing, and now has a higher share of subsidized housing inventory than any peer among the nation's 15 largest markets. That federal aid is set to run out by year's end, and the Office of Housing says the city is seeking new funding avenues as construction slows more broadly amid rising costs and higher interest rates.