A 10-foot pet boa named Linguini slipped out of a Plymouth home; animal control says it’s not believed to be a threat as the owner asks neighbors for help.

A Brewer woman says her husband died after a tick bite led to Powassan virus, and state officials confirm another case this summer. She’s urging neighbors to take ticks seriously.

Howard Hanna has partnered with Maine’s Portside Real Estate Group to establish a Northern New England footprint, promising wider listing exposure and new agent tools. The deal keeps Portside’s local leadership intact.

City crews stopped a 15,000‑gallon sewer leak that sent wastewater toward Lake Quinsigamond; officials have restricted swimming and fishing while daily E. coli testing runs.

Stockbridge paid $45M for the 17K‑SF warehouse at 3 Furlong Drive in Revere, buying the site from Link Logistics. The price underscores demand for infill, last‑mile industrial near Suffolk Downs.

A 44-year-old man was found shot on Bay State Road near the Merrimack River; state police detectives are investigating while officials have released few details.

A handcuffed man bolted from officers outside the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, sprinting down New Chardon Street while officers gave chase.

Worcester police say Summer Impact officers found a gun and suspected fentanyl in a car on Church Street; a 58-year-old man was arrested and charged.

A Brockton mother who mistook pregnancy symptoms for GLP‑1 side effects gave birth in an ambulance; her son, born at about 22 weeks, spent months in the NICU and is now home. Experts say early GLP‑1 exposure appears not to raise major risks in the first trimester, but caution remains.

Regulators approved an average 10.4% hike to merged‑market premiums that will leave nearly 700,000 Bay Staters facing double‑digit increases for 2027. Insurers blame drug and outpatient cost growth.

Watertown ordered four bodywork businesses closed after joint inspections found permit violations and sexual items at one site. Officials say none may reopen until compliant.

Seven fare gates — including two wider accessible gates — will be activated at Ruggles on Aug. 3; MBTA says staff will assist riders and conductors will still check fares.

The B.A.A. will randomly award about 1,000 2027 spots to runners who hit BQ times but missed tightened cutoffs; registration runs Sept. 14–18, 2026.