A British man convicted of murdering his wife and baby girl in their Hopkinton home on Cubs Path is seeking a new trial, according to multiple news sources. Neil Entwistle, 44, is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after he was...
Mary Ellen Gambon
Water Department: Irrigation system activity may be contributing to water discoloration
The Water Department on Thursday morning announced that some of the water discoloration the town has been experiencing over the past two weeks may be related to irrigation systems set on automatic timers. "We think this latest issue may be related to the amount of...
Construction of PFAS filtration system begins at Well 6
Town Manager Norman Khumalo and Director of Public Works Kerry Reed announced Thursday morning that construction for Hopkinton’s Well 6 PFAS filtration system has begun. Bay State Regional Contractors Inc. began digging a foundation at Hopkinton’s Fruit Street Well 6...
Conservation Commission roundup: Grasshopper solar array request gets negative feedback; fined Leonard Street developer threatens to reopen lawsuit against town
The Conservation Commission at its meeting Tuesday night focused on two long-standing cases. They included a fee waiver request from a controversial solar array development and fines assessed against a Leonard Street developer for violations that prompted him to...
Fire chief, DPW director respond to recent water discoloration issues
As the town works to resolve several instances of water discoloration over the past two weeks, the town’s interim fire chief explained that one cause was from a power outage Thursday morning in the neighborhood near the Eversource LNG facility. “A security guard at...
Select Board roundup: FY 25 budget message calls for level-service funding; police hiring policy discussed
The Select Board during its meeting Tuesday night approved by a 4-0 vote a budget message that stressed frugality to town departments when making their fiscal year 2025 budget requests. The town is bracing for a challenging budget season, with a current projected...
Open Space Preservation Commission discusses guidelines for land donation
The Open Space Preservation Commission at its meeting Thursday night discussed the need for OSPC to review land slated to be donated to the town before it is conveyed because this had not been done in the case of Turkey Ridge Estates open space earlier this year....
Eversource addresses Maple Street gas leak after 2 weeks of complaints
On Friday morning, an Eversource crew began to dig up the yard in front of 1 Maple Street to repair a leaking gas line in response to residents’ complaints of a pervasive noxious odor for the past two weeks. The Independent began investigating the issue Thursday after...
Rijhsinghani hired as assistant town accountant
Town Manager Norman Khumalo announced this week that Poonam Rijhsinghani has been hired as the as the town’s new assistant town accountant. Rijhsinghani comes to Hopkinton from H&R Block Tax Services, where she served as a senior tax analyst since 2000. She worked...
Tractor-trailer rollover in Hopkinton leads to I-495 off-ramp closure
A tractor-trailer rollover Wednesday morning at the interchange of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 495 in Hopkinton caused garbage to spill onto the roadway, leading to the temporary closure of the ramp for a few hours. The crash occurred at 9:15 a.m. on the...
Select Board sets dates for November’s Special Town Meeting, election
At a 10-minute meeting Tuesday night, the Select Board voted 4-0 to set the date for the Special Town Meeting for Monday, Nov. 13, and the Special Town Election for Tuesday, Nov. 28. The primary goal of this Special Town Meeting (STM) is to vote on the proposal for a...
Whisper Way subdivision dominates Planning Board meeting
The Planning Board at its meeting Monday night granted an extension of time for the donation of open space at a 12-unit subdivision on Whisper Way in a 7-0 vote after a procedural error hampered the process. Five additional acres also will be donated to the town that...
Commission on Disability works on town survey, accessibility checklist
The Commission on Disability at its meeting Monday night made progress on the creation of a town survey and event accessibility checklist to increase community awareness about the need for venues and documents to be accessible to people with disabilities. According to...
Trails Committee reviews committee charges, approves Scout project requests
The Trails Committee revised drafts of its charge and the one it proposed for the beleaguered Upper Charles Trail Committee at its meeting Wednesday night. The committee made some edits to the new version of its charge as well as its proposed recommendation of changes...
New Parks & Rec director takes helm; temporary skate park concept introduced
The Parks & Recreation Commission at its Wednesday meeting welcomed new department director Jon Lewitus to the department. Lewitus, the former assistant recreation director for the town of Brookline, has been in his new role for five days and has been building...
Pedestrian bridge proposals dominate Conservation Commission meeting
The Conservation Commission at its meeting Tuesday night focused its attention on separate proposals for pedestrian footbridges. The commission approved 6-0 the request of an Eagle Scout to construct a pedestrian footbridge at Berry Acres Trail. Projects of this type...
Lake Maspenock advocates push for limited use of herbicides to control weeds
Thickening invasive weeds in Lake Maspenock have some residents calling for a potential limited use of herbicides to contain the growing problem that threatens to choke off the aquatic life there. “The problem has been going on for years,” explained Sabine St. Pierre,...
Zoning Advisory Committee seeks public input on MBTA Communities zoning as deadline looms
The Zoning Advisory Committee at its meeting Monday night sought community feedback as the town formulates its response to the state’s MBTA Communities Act. The state adopted the MBTA Communities Law in 2021 to spur the development of multifamily housing by right in...
Commission on Disability holds first meeting, sets goals for community engagement
The Commission on Disability held its first meeting Monday night, electing officers and outlining goals for community engagement and awareness of accessibility issues in town. Holly Morand, also a School Committee member, was elected chair in a 4-0 vote. Alex Danahy...
Inaugural Ash-Hop Porchfest brings music into neighborhoods Sept. 30
Area musicians and aficionados will share their passion for song at the first Ash-Hop Porchfest grassroots music festival, which is taking place in Hopkinton and Ashland on Saturday, Sept. 30. “It’s like a scavenger hunt for music,” explained Porchfest Organizing...