The Healey-Driscoll Administration is preparing an application for funding from the federal government’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.

The application must outline how Massachusetts will use the funds for investments that will transform the way care is delivered in rural communities, as defined by the State Office of Rural Health. EOHHS is seeking public input for its application on how to improve healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities: COMMBUYS - Bid Solicitation.

As outlined in the above link, all responses must be submitted to EOHHS by 4PM on October 9, 2025 to [email protected] and [email protected]

Earlier this year, Congress allocated $50 billion to the RHT Program to “empower states to strengthen rural communities across America by improving healthcare access, quality, and outcomes by transforming the healthcare delivery ecosystem. Through innovative system-wide change, the RHT Program invests in the rural healthcare delivery ecosystem for future generations.” More information about the funding is available here: Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program | CMS.

Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program
Application Deadline: October 30, 2025
 

The Office of Grants and Research has funds available through two grant programs to help protect nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a hate crime or terror attack. 

The Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides funds for help eligible organizations improve their security infrastructure. 

The Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program assists eligible nonprofits with the cost of contracted security personnel.

Priority will be given to applicants who:

• Demonstrate the greatest need (experienced threats and/or incidents of terrorism or hate crimes known or believed to be related to their nonprofit organization’s purpose, mission, or services)
• Propose cost-effective solutions

Eligibility:
Nonprofits that are at heightened risk of a hate crime or terror attack are eligible to apply for these programs. This includes faith-based, educational, medical/health care service providers, human services, and other nonprofit organizations.

Applicant Assistance Webinars:
September 30, 2025, at 11 a.m.
Register here.

Application deadline for both programs:
October 30, 2025, no later than 4 p.m.

The MBTA today announced service changes in October on the Green and Orange lines.  

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/PlannedWork. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site to offer information and assistance during these service changes. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date service information.   

On the Green Line: 

The MBTA will perform continued work on the Green Line on the Union Square, Medford/Tufts, and Riverside branches in October to install Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) infrastructure. When complete, GLTPS will combine vehicle and wayside equipment to avoid train-on-train collisions, incorporate speed enforcement, and more.  

To accomplish this work, the following service suspension will take place: 

• Green Line service will be suspended between North Station and Union Square as well as Medford/Tufts beginning at approximately 8 PM through the end of service on Friday, October 3, and continuing through the entire weekend, October 4 – 5.  

• Free and accessible shuttle bus service will replace trains between North Station and Medford/Tufts.   
• Riders should note there will be no shuttle bus service to Union Square. Green Line Union Square Branch riders can instead use area bus routes:  
• Route 109 is the best alternative for riders. As a Frequent Bus Route operating every 15 minutes or better, the 109 operates between Union Square and East Somerville Station on the Medford Branch. Route 109 also connects to Sullivan Square Station on the Orange Line and to Harvard Station on the Red Line for a faster travel time to downtown Boston.   
• Riders may also utilize Route 91 between Union Square and East Somerville Station on the Medford Branch. The 91 also connects to Sullivan Square Station on the Orange Line and Central Station on the Red Line for a faster travel time to downtown Boston.   
• Riders may also utilize Route 87 between Union Square and Lechmere station.   

• Accessible van service will be available at Magoun Square Station. Riders can request this service by seeing onsite personnel.  

• Green Line service will be suspended between Kenmore and Riverside beginning at approximately 8 PM through the end of service on October 24 and all day, every day for the following seven days, October 25 – 31.  

• Free and accessible Express and Local shuttle bus services will replace trains between Riverside and Kenmore.  

• Express Shuttle: Shuttle buses will make all stops between Riverside, Woodland, Waban, Eliot, Newton Highlands, and then run express to Copley.  
• Local Shuttle: Shuttle buses will make all stops between Riverside and Kenmore except Beaconsfield.  
• There will be no shuttle service at Beaconsfield. Riders are encouraged to travel instead to Dean Road on the C Branch, which is less than a quarter mile away (or about a four-minute walk).  
• Riders may change between each shuttle bus option at Newton Highlands.  
• Riders who typically board or disembark at Reservoir are encouraged to instead consider traveling to Cleveland Circle on the C Branch, which is less than a tenth of a mile away (or a two-minute walk).  
• Riders using shuttles buses should budget ample extra travel time. For example, a rider traveling to Government Center from Riverside should budget at least an additional 30 – 45 minutes of travel in additional to their regular commute. 

On the Orange Line:  

The MBTA will continue signal upgrade work on the Orange Line in October. By upgrading its signals, the MBTA will significantly increase operational efficiency and improve scheduling reliability for riders.  

To accomplish this work, the following service suspensions will take place: 

• Orange Line service will be suspended between North Station and Forest Hills for three days, October 11 – 13.  

• Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops between Forest Hills and Back Bay as well as Copley on the Green Line. 

• Riders should note that there will be no shuttle bus service between Back Bay and North Station. Riders are encouraged to utilize parallel Green Line service between North Station and Copley for travel through the downtown area. The MBTA will increase Green Line service during this time to accommodate anticipated increases in ridership. 
• Riders are also encouraged to consider the Commuter Rail for fare-free service between Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay, and South Station.
• Accessible vans will be available at North Station and Tufts Medical Center Station, serving all stations between North Station and Back Bay as well as Copley on the Green Line. 
• Riders using the shuttles buses should budget ample extra travel time. For example, a rider travelling to Downtown Crossing from Forest Hills should budget at least an additional 30 minutes of travel in additional to their regular commute. 

• Orange Line service will operate on the southbound track between Jackson Square and Forest Hills beginning at approximately 8:30 PM through the end of service each day, October 26 – 30. 

• Riders may experience longer wait times due to this service change. 

The MBTA previously announced service changes in September. More information is available here.   

Please be aware that the RMV will stop effective this coming Monday, September 22^nd  remote driver education learning.

REMOTE DRIVER EDUCATION LEARNING

Effective Monday, September 22, 2025, the RMV will require all curriculum modules be taught in-person; remote learning will no longer be allowed.

• Professional Driving Schools will begin in-person classes for all 16 modules on that same date, Monday, September 22, 2025.
• There is a maximum of 30 students in each in-person class; with a student-to-teacher ratio of 30:1.
• Instructors are required to teach all classes in-person, including the "Parent Class" module.

About RIZE Massachusetts:

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE) is solely dedicated to funding and collaborating on solutions to end the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived and living experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, designing programming, and supporting community partners who are using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment and recovery supports. RIZE makes health equity a programmatic priority by addressing root causes such as racism, systemic barriers to care, and power imbalances. Learn more at www.rizema.org.

About Mosaic:

Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic), funded by the MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and powered by RIZE, is a unique, public-private collaboration designed to fund initiatives that are addressing the opioid overdose crisis in communities and populations that have been historically underserved and have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths. Guided by people with lived and living experience, Mosaic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lift up and bring together the best and most promising ideas to save lives, end stigma, and improve quality of life for people living with substance use disorder. Learn more at mosaic.rizema.org.

With winter weather and increased gas usage on the horizon, Eversource previews bill changes along with programs available to help customers

BOSTON and SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 18, 2025) – As temperatures begin to cool and winter weather approaches, natural gas customers will soon be turning on their heating systems, causing increased usage that will translate into larger bills for gas customers during the winter. Regular rate changes for natural gas customers are scheduled to take place on November 1 as the region transitions from the off-peak summer gas season to the peak winter gas season. This year, Eversource natural gas customers will also notice a redesign of their bill format – reflecting direct feedback from customers and communities – making the bill easier to read and understand.

The new user-friendly bill layout will break down a customer’s total bill into three categories – instead of the current two – to provide the bill in clearer language for customers to gain a better understanding of their charges and the costs associated with those charges. Currently, customers see charges in only two categories, which are “Supply” and “Delivery,” with “Supply” referring solely to the cost of natural gas and “Delivery” referring to everything else.  Going forward, “Delivery” will now be clearly displayed as two separate components: “Maintenance and Infrastructure Investment” and “Public Benefits.” Maintenance and Infrastructure Investment are the costs necessary to ensure customers can safely and reliably heat their homes, including equipment, materials, and vehicles, as well as the workers who maintain, repair, and upgrade the system, especially during the cold peak days when customers need it most. Public Benefits are the costs of programs, including energy efficiency and payment assistance, that provide value to customers and the state by helping reduce energy usage and enabling customers to better manage their monthly bills, among other benefits. The redesign also follows direction from the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) earlier this year to include a line item for energy efficiency on bills to increase transparency. Eversource will be providing additional information about the bill redesign directly to customers in the coming weeks.

“We work every day to ensure that our customers can safely and reliably heat their home during the winter, have hot water and cook their food throughout the year,” said Eversource President of Gas Distribution Kevin Kelley. “We take this responsibility very seriously, and it’s critical that we are transparent with our customers about this work and everything else that makes up their total bill. We heard our customers loud and clear when they said their bills needed to be easier to understand, and this bill redesign improves transparency – helping people better understand exactly what they’re paying for with the various rates included in their bills.” 

This week, the energy company filed its cost of gas adjustment – or supply rate – with the DPU for the peak season, one of several rates that typically change at the beginning of November for gas customers. The supply rate changes every six months based on the regional wholesale market price of natural gas, is passed through to customers without any markup or profit to Eversource, and typically increases during the peak season due to higher demand driving up the market cost of supply. In addition, adjustments will also be taking place to rates that reflect necessary maintenance and investment to the natural gas system to provide safe and reliable service year-round for the hundreds of thousands of customers relying on natural gas to heat their homes, water and cook their food, as well as valuable public benefits programs that customers rely on and use. While rates will be increasing in total compared to last peak season, Eversource estimates that total customer bills will be slightly less or similar to last winter’s if the weather and usage return to 10-year historic averages.

“We work diligently to keep the maintenance and infrastructure costs we can control as low as possible, but the cost of this work is not optional – because heating our homes during a New England winter isn’t a choice,” Kelley continued. “Last winter was the coldest we’ve seen in recent years, driving significantly increased gas usage that – when coupled with the regular Nov. 1 peak season rate adjustments – led to higher-than-normal bills and a renewed focus on affordability in Massachusetts. While we all hope for a milder season, the weather is not something any of us can control or predict, and we’re laser-focused on efficiently managing our maintenance and infrastructure costs while maintaining reliability, providing transparent information to customers, and connecting them with energy efficiency and financial assistance programs that can help anyone who may be struggling with their bill.”

Based on the filings that have been submitted to the DPU, beginning Nov. 1, an NSTAR customer using 126 therms per month will see a total bill increase of $6.22 or approximately 2% in the supply portion of their bill, a total bill increase of $34.47 or approximately 11% within maintenance and infrastructure investment, and a total bill increase of $0.57 or approximately 0% in public benefits. Compared to the average peak season rates for last winter, NSTAR customers using 126 therms per month will see a total bill increase of $41.26 or approximately 13%. Separately, EGMA customers using 127 therms per month will see a total bill increase of $14.87 or approximately 5% in the supply portion of their bill, a total bill increase of $26.65 or approximately 9% within maintenance and infrastructure investment, and a total bill increase of $7.02 or approximately 2% in public benefits. Compared to the average peak season rates for last winter, EGMA customers using 127 therms per month will see a total bill increase of $48.54 or approximately 17%.

How an individual customer’s bill will be affected ultimately depends on their usage and weather conditions. Bill impacts above are based on the average usage during a normal winter, which is 126 therms for NSTAR and 127 therms for EGMA. Due to the much colder temperatures last winter, customer usage increased significantly, to an average of 143 therms for NSTAR and 168 therms for EGMA. This increase in usage ultimately accounted for approximately 40% of the bill increases that all customers saw last winter.

Help is available for customers who need it.

“We know that any rate increase can be difficult for our customers, which is why we’re encouraging them to prepare before the heating season begins by taking advantage of the programs and plans we have available – including Budget Billing, which can smooth out the spikes that usage and rate changes can have on a bill to keep your monthly bill more predictable, and energy efficiency programs like weatherization to reduce usage,” Kelley continued.

Eversource encourages customers to enroll in one of its payment plans or assistance programs if they need help with their energy bill by calling 866-861-6225 (NSTAR) or 800-688-6160 (EGMA), or online.

• Budget Billing Plans are also available and can help customers avoid seasonal spikes on their energy bill by paying a level amount each month based on their average annual usage. 
• A Discount Rate is available to customers receiving public assistance benefits and have a household income at or below 60% of the state median income. These customers may be eligible for a 25% discount on their monthly natural gas bill.
• The New Start Program for NSTAR customers and the Residential Arrearage Management Program (RAMP) for EGMA customers can help income-eligible customers reduce or eliminate their outstanding balance in as little as 12 months when they make on-time monthly payments. Eversource will eliminate or forgive a portion of the total balance enrolled in the program – reducing the amount owed each month.
• Flexible Payment Plans are available to all customers, regardless of income, to pay their past-due balance over a period of time. 
• The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a free resource offered by the state to help eligible homeowners and renters pay a portion of their winter heating bills. Customers can apply online.
• The Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund provides energy assistance to residents in temporary crisis who do not qualify for state and federal assistance programs. Find your local Salvation Army Corps Community Center to apply.
• Beginning on Nov. 1, Eversource electric customers who use a heat pump to heat all or part of their home can take advantage of a seasonal Heat Pump Rate, which is a new, reduced distribution and transmission rate during the winter months (Nov. 1 to April 30) to help save on winter electric bills.

Eversource is also continuing to schedule in-person bill assistance events across the state, which are also posted online, along with additional information about energy efficiency and assistance programs.

Today, in addition to attending the 9/11 Memorial Event from City of Everett, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Madeline Amy Sweeney Ceremony at the State House. The ceremony honored victims and families of the Sept. 11th attacks including the family of Madeline ”Amy” Sweeney. It also presents the Sweeney Civilian Bravery Award. The Sweeney Civilian Bravery Award is given to any civilian who performs an act of true heroism. This years recipients were Everett DPW workers Jesse Winocour and Jason Papa. On July 3, 2024, the two drove by a building with smoke coming out and quickly realized there were people stuck inside. The pair helped bring 14 people to safety and alerted Everett Fire Department of where the remaining person was. They risked their lives to help others. I am eternally grateful for their actions and to have them in the Everett community. They are certainly heroes.

Amy Sweeney was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11 who took action amidst the chaos, giving ground crews and law enforcement critical information about the situation and terrorists, before ultimately colliding with a tower. Amy’s actions saved further lives from being lost and helped law enforcement understand what was happening. Her legacy and memory endures through her family and her heroic actions.