Super JJ saves Marblehead: 4-year-old cancer fighter’s wish day draws hundreds
A young child’s imagined alter ego became a public event as residents lined streets and shops to support his recovery journey beyond months of intensive treatment.
Will Dowd
I started my full-time reporting career in Marblehead in 2012 and have failed spectacularly at leaving. Now I cover the town through The Independent, following its people and stories with the curiosity that makes this place impossible to quit.
Hundreds rally in Marblehead as 'No Kings' protests sweep the nation
Residents gathered at a neighborhood intersection, holding signs and engaging passing drivers during a coordinated national day of protest over federal leadership concerns.
Schools cap Finance Committee’s Super Saturday as more cuts still loom
Get our free local reporting delivered straight to your inbox. No noise, no spam — just clear, independent coverage of Marblehead. Sign up for our once-a-week newsletter. Marblehead’s first Finance Committee “Super Saturday” ended with the town’s largest budget and, by several members’ account, its most consequential one: the
Rotary Easter egg hunt set for April 5 at Seaside Park
The Marblehead Rotary Club will bring back its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, April 5, with families set to gather at Seaside Park for a fast-moving community tradition that organizers say routinely draws a big crowd. In an email to The Independent, Laney Dowling said the hunt will
Select Board approves fiscal 2027 budget 3-1, sends package to Town Meeting
The vote clears the way for the full spending plan to go before voters in May, but one member objected over funded vacancies and reserve levels while employees face layoffs.
School Committee OKs $1.5M in cuts, turns to override push
With Town Meeting about five weeks away, administrators said future budget planning must begin sooner and rely on shared assumptions across government.
Armini, Crighton announce $31,200 security grant for Marblehead school
Get our free local reporting delivered straight to your inbox. No noise, no spam — just clear, independent coverage of Marblehead. Sign up for our once-a-week newsletter. The Arthur J. Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead has been awarded $31,200 through the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Personnel Grant Program to help cover
Select Board locks in three-tier override structure, votes to unite town and school asks
Officials backed a multiyear tax plan plus a separate trash-funding ballot item, setting up a combined municipal-education package ahead of June.
ASK THE INDEPENDENT: Menu or tiered? How override ballot questions work
If Marblehead pursues a Proposition 2½ override, voters could see multiple questions on the ballot. Here’s what that means and how to read it.
School subcommittee deadlocks over $462,000 insurance reserve, sends two budgets to Friday vote
Officials agreed on the math but split on policy, leaving Jenn Schaeffner and Melissa Clucas backing different spending cuts for fiscal 2027.
Marblehead gears up to become 4-year-old’s superhero universe
A child undergoing treatment for a brain tumor will lead a daylong series of themed activities, drawing crowds to downtown shops and public spaces.
Marblehead officials map out possible $262 trash fee if override fails
New barcoded bins are scheduled for June, and crews would collect only material placed inside town-issued containers after a six-week trial period.
VFW Post 2005 commander meets national leader during Salem visit
Get our free local reporting delivered straight to your inbox. No noise, no spam — just clear, independent coverage of Marblehead. Sign up for our once-a-week newsletter. Ronny Knight, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2005 in Marblehead, met national VFW commander-in-chief Carol Whitmore during her visit to Salem VFW
Pfifferling a finalist for Whittier Tech finance post
A special meeting this week will consider two candidates for a business office opening created by a longtime administrator’s planned retirement.
Marblehead Independent survey invites resident input before Town Meeting
The Marblehead Independent is inviting Marblehead residents age 18 and older to take a short community survey on several of the biggest issues ahead of the 2025 Town Meeting on Monday, May 4, 2026. The survey asks about the town’s budget and override question, service priorities, and a small
Miles for Mary fundraiser at Marblehead Opticians is a success
On Wednesday, March 18, Jim Trick, proprietor of Marblehead Opticians, hosted a fundraising event to support brain cancer research through Miles for Mary. Friends and neighbors gathered at Marblehead Opticians for an evening of conversation, music and fashion in support of the cause. Guests enjoyed live music performed by Trick