The MBTA today announced the successful completion of critical track work that was planned on the Red Line between JFK/UMass and Park Street Stations. Shuttle buses replaced service between these stations during the evenings from November 14-16 and all day during the weekend of November 18-19.

National Grid is preparing for storm activity that is expected to impact Massachusetts Tuesday evening through Wednesday, bringing hazardous wind gusts and a mix of rain and snow into the region.

Rain, snow and gusting winds have the potential to bring down trees and limbs and knock down power wires, causing power outages in impacted locations. Currently, the forecast is predicting hazardous wind gusts of up to 55 mph in some coastal areas, with a coating of a few inches of snow in areas of higher elevation in Western and Central Massachusetts before it changes to rain. The storm is projected to depart by late Wednesday, and calmer weather is expected for Thanksgiving.

The MBTA today announced service changes in December on the Green, Orange, Silver, and Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail lines. The MBTA will continue working to improve service reliability across the system.

Funding is available to support police departments with programs providing critical incident stress management services to emergency responders. Learn more at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/commonwealth-critical-incident-stress-management-cism-program

Updates: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
Registry locations closed for Veterans Day on Saturday, November 11
Pittsfield RMV adding customer appointments; closing on Saturdays
as of 12/2/2023
Number of driving licenses issued July-October has doubled from same time a
year ago

On November 15, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will launch a new interface for its MyCharlie website which will provide customers with a modern portal to register CharlieCards and order monthly passes.

The Joint Committee on Agriculture would like to share open American Farmland Trust (AFT) grant opportunities that may be of interest to farmers in your district. Both of these grant applications close on November 21st.

Western New England Regenerative Livestock Farming Grant:

This grant provides direct financial assistance to livestock producers in select counties in CT, MA, NH, and VT for projects that improve soil health through the adoption of regenerative agricultural practices. Eligible MA counties include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester.

New England Farmland Access, Succession, and Transfer Support Grants (FAST):

This grant provides direct financial assistance to farmers for projects that facilitate farmland access, succession, or transfer. Some examples of eligible projects include: farmland purchase or leasing transaction costs, consultant and attorney fees, surveys, appraisals, agriculture conservation easement fees. Eligible MA counties include Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket.

Please refer to the hyperlinks above for detailed information on grant eligibility and application requirements. As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

On behalf of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Department of Fire Services (DFS) is pleased to make available $5 million in grant funding to support the purchase of firefighter turnout gear, fire suppression equipment, and related items through the FY24 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program. The competitive grant program reimburses local fire departments for the purchase of qualifying safety equipment. Departments of every city, town, fire district, and eligible state authority may apply for a grant. Maximum funding amounts are based on the size of the population the department serves. Additional information about this funding opportunity can be found below.

The MBTA today announced service changes in November on the Red, Orange, and Haverhill lines. The MBTA will continue working to improve service reliability across the system. Additional service changes may take place in November and will be announced when details are finalized.

I am pleased to share with you that Mass Cultural Council (MCC) has launched a new grant program, Grants for Creative Individuals, which will provide unrestricted awards of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners. This is a new program; however, Mass Cultural Council expects this to be competitive. Around 375 grants will likely be awarded in FY24 through this program.