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Daily brief · Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

Man arrested after edged-weapon threat, lockdown

September 2, 2026

Top story

Machete threat sparks Harvard Square lockdown, arrest

Cambridge police say a man brandished an edged weapon at a Harvard Square coffee shop at 8:47 a.m. Tuesday, prompting a Harvard police emergency alert near 124 Mount Auburn Street and a shelter-in-place request for the area. Officers from Harvard, Cambridge and State police searched the vicinity and arrested him near Mount Auburn Hospital; the shelter-in-place alert has been lifted. He will be charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct.

Cambridge Day

Decker, Rogers, Mbah, Ewen-Campen win state primaries

In Tuesday's state primary, Cambridge Rep. Marjorie Decker led the 25th Middlesex race and Rep. David Rogers defeated Nomita Ganguly, while Somerville-based Will Mbah and Ben Ewen-Campen won House primaries covering parts of Cambridge. The Brownsberger-Lander state Senate race remains too close to call.

Cambridge Day

School Committee opens year with tech, ICE proposals

At its first meeting of the school year Tuesday, the School Committee considered a policy to restrict smart glasses and other wearable tech in classrooms, plus items on immigration protections in schools and the future of 158 Spring Street.

Cambridge Day

Pop-up recycling event at Green and Pleasant streets

The City of Cambridge holds its seventh pop-up recycling event today, Wednesday, from 4-7:30 p.m. at 9 Pleasant St., accepting batteries, books, electronics, fluorescent bulbs, plastic film, scrap metal and bulky rigid plastics.

City of Cambridge

Board of License Commissioners holds remote meeting

The Board of License Commissioners hosts a remote public meeting via Zoom today, Wednesday, at 9 a.m. to discuss rule changes and proposals.

City of Cambridge

Blues & Roots Wednesdays launches at The Sea Hag

The Barrett Anderson Band kicks off a weekly live music series at The Sea Hag Restaurant & Bar, 49 Mount Auburn St., tonight from 6:30 to 9 p.m. with no cover.

Harvard Square Business Association

Grolier hosts Amy De'Ath poetry lecture

Amy De'Ath delivers a Grolier Poetry lecture, "Behind Our Backs: Feminized Poetry and Capitalist Abstraction," tonight from 7-8 p.m. at 6 Plympton St. and on Zoom.

Grolier Poetry Book Shop

LGBTQ+ Commission Outreach Working Group schedules online meeting

The Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission's Outreach & Visibility Working Group meets online today from 6 to 7 p.m. to discuss upcoming events and budgets.

City of Cambridge

Fiber crafters drop-in group meets at O'Connell Library

The O'Connell Branch welcomes knitters, crocheters and other fiber artists for a drop-in crafting session today from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

City of Cambridge

Peace Commission launches 'Meet Your Neighbor Month'

The Cambridge Peace Commission kicked off its annual celebration Tuesday under the theme "Stories We Share: The Courage to Connect," launching a community passport program to promote local connection.

City of Cambridge

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