An expanding cast of candidates
A year ago, the ACLU launched a nation-wide campaign called “What a difference a DA makes,” highlighting the impact district attorneys have on the functioning of criminal justice system and the importance of voters making the right choice in the often-ignored races for the position.

Arroyo accuser drops complaint
The woman who accused former Boston Chief of Health and Human Services Felix G. Arroyo of sexual harassment has withdrawn her complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in a move that could open the door to filing a civil law suit.

City back in court over controversial hair test
The plaintiffs in the trial, represented by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, claim they did not use drugs, but that African American hair is more susceptible to absorbing drugs from the environment and that the positive results from hair testing do not prove ingestion or use of the drug.

Construction company pauses helipad plan
Nicole Caravella, press secretary for the mayor’s office, said, “With Suffolk Construction informing the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services that it will be indefinitely postponing its plans to construct a helipad, at this time the community process for the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing is on hold.

Puerto Rico hurricane relief
State Representative Jeff Sanchez received a $2,500 donation on behalf of the Boston Fund for Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC35 and the Painters and Glaziers Employers Association of New England.

Whittier reconstruction
PHOTO MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY ISABEL LEON Elected officials gathered for the groundbreaking for phase one of the $30 million Whittier Choice redevelopment program..

Brockton officials plan to sue state for education aid
While a new bill proposed by Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, called “An Act Modernizing the Foundation Budget for the 21st Century,” is currently under review by the House and Senate, the Brockton school committee is hoping their legal action will finally get the attention of Governor Charlie Baker.

Student protests can diminish the power of the NRA brand
Mass murders are now commonplace in the U.S. Last Oct. 1, Stephen Paddock killed 58 people who were enjoying a concert in Las Vegas. A month later, a killer gunned down 26 parishioners in a Sutherland Springs, Texas church. And a distraught teenager recently shot and killed 17 fellow students at a high school in Florida.

.

IN THE NEWS
The Disability Law Center has announced the selection of Marlene Sallo, Esq., as its new executive director. Sallo will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Christine Griffin. The selection was made after a national search and selection process.

ROVING CAMERA
Because it’s in the nature of the culture. America has been violent since the Puritans came here. If you look at the experience of people of color, you see the attitude of control through violence..

It’s Long Past Time to Act on Gun Control
As a nation, we have experienced so many of these mass murders, in churches and theatres, at concerts and nightclubs, that the “thoughts and prayers” we all offer start to lose their meaning. They seem hollow — like something one says because lack of action is the real problem and everybody knows it.

In New York, statistics show crime has fallen along with police stops
If you grew up in New York City in the 1970s, the number can be hard to get your head around: 291. If you were a reporter in New York City in the early 1990s, the number can almost make your head explode: 291 murders in 2017, the lowest total since the 1950s.

Whittier Black History Month Celebration
PHOTO: CHRIS ADUAMA/ADUAMA PHOTOGRAPHY Whittier Street Health Center held its Black History Month Celebration and Annual Meeting recently.

Vying for greater growth
Cesar DaSilva has pictures of his company’s design and construction projects, the blueprints and sketches as well as the completed ones, covering the walls at the Design Construction Consulting Services, Inc. office.

BIZ BITS
It’s that time of year again when you may find a little bit of extra money in your pocket, thanks to your annual tax refund.

Get noticed
obnoxious can be thin, and depending on the industry and company you’re applying for, there may not be much room for creativity at all. But if you’ve done your research and you know the company is open to expression of personality — maybe it’s a quirky startup or a design agency — a well-designed resume can be an effective strategy.

Governor announces grants for high schools
At Lynn Tech, Governor Charlie Baker, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta, and Education Secretary James Peyser announced $2.3 million in Skills Capital Grants to seven high schools that will use the funds to purchase new industry-standard equipment, in a variety of fields, so students are better prepared for college and careers.

The Magic of Mardi Gras
Artist Robert Freeman had been a fan of photographer Max Stern’s work for some time before they visited New Orleans together in March of 2017. Inspired by Stern’s vivid pictures of black Indians in celebratory costume, Freeman asked to come with him on Super Sunday — a day of processions in New Orleans in mid- March — to learn about the culture.

‘Paredes Que Hablan’
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK) unveiled “Paredes Que Hablan (Walls that Speak),” a mural that students at Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester and Gardner Pilot Academy in Allston have been painting since October.

‘The White Card’
Audiences of “The White Card,” produced by ArtsEmerson and the American Repertory Theater, are ushered into a sterile white cube constructed on the stage of the Paramount Theatre.

Ketogenic eating
This is activist fat; as the visceral deposits build, they begin to act like their own internal organs, even releasing hormones, some of which have been tied to inflammation and disease. I began laying down my visceral deposits decades ago in high school, when I discovered I had a talent for eating.

FOOD
Lemon zest can add some brightness and extra flavor to many different foods. Along with adding flavor, lemon zest (or peel) add a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. Here are a few dishes you can add lemon zest: salads, seafood, roasted vegetables and grilled chicken.

Attorney General’s office says BPDA violated Open Meeting Law during PLAN: JP/Rox vote
meeting room, approximately a dozen seats remained unfilled as the meeting continued,” the report reads. “The security personnel stood throughout the meeting room, sometimes in between rows of seats amidst the audience. ... Based on the loud chants of ‘LET THEM IN,’ this fact could not have escaped the notice of the Board members.

Breaking ground at Whittier Street
PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY ISABEL LEON Mayor Martin Walsh celebrates with residents during Phase 1 of the Whittier Street public housing project breaks ground in Roxbury..

.