New furniture for Boston schools
Each student in Elizabeth Di- Franco’s eighth-grade English language arts room at the Joseph Lee school has been assigned a number one through four at the beginning of class. As DiFranco faces the jumble of students seated at wheeled desks, she orders them into groups.

Rollins sworn in as Suffolk district attorney
The swearing-in was conducted by retired Massachusetts Supreme Court Associate Justice Geraldine Hines, the first black woman to hold that position, on a Bible held by Rollins’ daughter Peyton and her two young nieces, Meya and Victoria.

Walsh bills aimed at economic equity
“Housing and economic mobility are linked: a stable home allows residents to pursue opportunities,” Walsh said in a statement.

Rollins’ non-prosecution policy stirs national controversy
“Rollins’ role as district attorney for Suffolk County is no substitute for the role and obligations that control the Massachusetts Legislature, no matter how much Rollins may wish to the contrary,” the advocacy group’s complaint stated.

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Report cites Mattapan trolley repair needs
According to CommonWealth Magazine, which obtained the heavily redacted report through a public records request and appeal, the trolley line has infrastructure issues that also include tracks, bridges, stations, signals and switches, as well as the fleet maintenance facility.

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The loss of common courtesy
At the start of the new year, many people’s thoughts turn to quality of life matters. Sharp retailers understand this. That is why there are so many sales for home goods and bedding. The high cost of household furniture and kitchen appliances makes it difficult for the average working family to upgrade the quality of their household goods.

Clearly, Trump doesn’t have our backs
African Americans have learned how to progress over the years despite the racial discrimination that persists in some elements of society. However, blacks have always expected that political leaders, while tolerating bigotry, would nonetheless protect the interests of the nation throughout the world.

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An apology for racial profiling is not enough
DoubleTree Hotel moved fast when the video of Jermaine Massey being summarily booted out of a DoubleTree in Portland, Oregon went viral. The hotel apologized and solemnly reiterated that it was committed to diversity and took a hard line on discrimination.

ROVING CAMERA
It bothers me. People need to clean up after themselves. They should care about their surroundings. If we keep our community clean, the violence will come down..

IN THE NEWS
Urtubey’s extensive knowledge of Boston’s neighborhoods and small business community will complement her experience in creating growth strategies and building partnerships across community stakeholders.

Roxbury Community College — your future is our focus
Over the past several years, Roxbury Community College has undergone a significant transformation. We have been diligent and focused in our efforts to enhance educational excellence, grow school-wide respect and civility, and foster an open, inclusive environment and exchange of ideas.

Luxe beauty at low prices
Natasha’s Homemade Organic Body Butter line consists of 14 different body butters, including natural scents like passion fruit, vanilla chai, lavender rosewater, cherry blossom, cocoa butter and mango kiwi. Williams also makes body scrubs, natural teeth whitener and peppermint hair serum, which stimulates the hair follicles, she says.

BIZ BITS
“When advice or help is unsolicited, it can lead to a few issues. First, the advice/help may not be very useful or informative because there is a very real possibility that the helper does not have an accurate understanding of the problem or...

Job trends: Great Recession still colors outlook, fears
But the current labor market landscape is very different. We have experienced almost 100 consecutive months of job gains and, at 3.7 percent, unemployment is the lowest it has been in nearly 50 years. Job openings exceed unemployed job seekers by more than 1 million.

New business
PHOTO: JOHN WILCOX Mayor Martin Walsh attends the ribbon cutting for Beauty Line, a new business that has opened in the Washington Park Mall..

When life imitates art
Through Feb. 27, the walls of the Friends Meeting at Cambridge building are lined with photographs from the Chiapas Photography Project’s “Respeto/Respect” series. The CPP provides technical photography lessons and equipment to indigenous Maya people in Chiapas, Mexico.

Music in the air on Jazz 24/7
Voted Non-Terrestrial Station of the Year in 2017 by JazzWeek, “Jazz 24/7” brings you the best in recorded jazz, news about jazz throughout town, and articles about the music and performers. With four writers creating online content, and music playing every hour of the day and night, you have one less reason to leave home in the dead of winter.

‘River to River Deep’
In the late 1960s, he became involved in the Coalition of Black Revolutionary Artists, or COBRA (later renamed AfriCOBRA). During those years, he created large-scale figurative weavings that were showcased in the group’s exhibitions.

Part of an age-friendly city: advocacy training for elders
The Boston Senior Civic Academy, organized by the city’s Elderly Commission and researchers from University of Massachusetts-Boston’s Gerontology Institute, included visits to city, state and federal government buildings and opportunities to meet and hear from more than 40 people who help craft policies that affect aging in Boston.