Median tax bill to rise $84 in FY2026 despite rate falling 46 cents
Select Board kept a single $8.59 per $1,000 property levy for homes and businesses, as assessments based on 2024 sales push the typical single-family tab above $11,000.
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.
Marblehead volunteers wrap season of giving for town’s elders
A grassroots memorial fund started by the community’s first Council on Aging director now organizes December cookie deliveries to more than 900 residents age 80 and older.
Moulton reviews Burlington ICE facility, cites ongoing concerns
The visit included discussions with staff about intake practices, food service, legal access and communication procedures.
Subcommittee weighs FY27 budget amid enrollment decline, service expectations
Spreadsheets, testimony and staffing data revealed how officials are mapping educational priorities against limited revenue as planning for the coming fiscal cycle begins.
Public Works Committee reviews Reynolds Field project, energy plan and committee’s future
Members are weighing structural changes to the interdepartmental group, including revised membership and a shift to quarterly meetings ahead of a Town Meeting article in January.
Police chief responds to criticism over social host law enforcement
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 police chief Dennis King released a statement Monday defending his department’s enforcement of social host laws, responding to concerns raised
CBS films Revolutionary War segments in Marblehead
Segments will connect the community’s stories with a statewide effort to recognize events leading into the nation’s founding.
COLLEEN’S GARDEN: Happy Thanksgiving!
It is exhilarating to get out of the house while the turkey is steaming up the kitchen, even for just 10 minutes. If you look around your garden, you may see something still green or even blooming. My honeysuckle has some color. I just found packets of seeds I want
When Lincoln proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving as Marblehead endures Civil War
When President Abraham Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation on Oct. 3, 1863, Marblehead — like communities across the Union — was living through the strain of the Civil War. While New England towns had long observed their own annual days of thanksgiving, Lincoln’s order created the first recurring national observance. By
Power restored on Marblehead Neck after gas leak
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. Power was restored around 12 p.m. Tuesday on Marblehead Neck after the Fire Department asked the Marblehead Municipal Light Department to
5MW battery storage plan promising $500K in annual savings presented to light board
Commissioners reviewed a revenue-sharing model that would let the storage unit lower peak costs while giving the utility emergency control during grid shortages.
Marblehead Board of Health tackles youth drinking enforcement, health misinformation
Officials reviewed research on childhood immunization, shared updates on seasonal illness trends and outlined next steps for gathering townwide health data.
Marblehead library crafts stars to showcase shelter cats
The Abbot Public Library is launching a December craft project that invites children to decorate paper stars with photos of cats from the Marblehead Animal Shelter in an effort to help the animals find new homes. The program, promoted through a flyer provided to the library’s patrons, encourages kids
Marblehead chimney fire prompts safety reminder
Fire crews responded to a chimney fire on Lincoln Avenue last night, containing the blaze before it spread beyond the chimney, according to the Marblehead Fire Department. With colder weather increasing fireplace use, the department is urging residents to take the following precautions: * Schedule an annual chimney inspection and cleaning
Our Lady Star of the Sea announces community Christmas fair
Our Lady Star of the Sea will hold its annual Christmas fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is open to the community and will include food and activities for all ages. Local vendors will offer handcrafted items and gifts. Food and
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK: The story behind the Independent's new nameplate
In the mid-2000s, when the Old Town House reopened after a round of accessibility and town-funded renovations, I walked down to Market Square with nothing but my cell phone, a pen and a reporter’s notebook. The building had just regained its place as one of the longest-