The Bay State Banner

Concord Baptist Church honors 110 years of faith

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Concord Baptist Church honors 110 years of faith
By OLIVIA GRANT
Approximately 360 people gathered at UMass Boston’s Campus Center on Sept. 26, said anniversary committee member Robin Parker. Some arrived using wheelchairs, walkers or canes. Congregants gave one another rides. Relatives traveled from other states..

Healey and Minogue face off in final debate

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Healey and Minogue face off in final debate
By EVA RIVERA
Healey said she is the “first governor in Massachusetts in 20 years to cut taxes,” pointing to a $1 billion tax relief package she signed in 2023. Moderators asked both candidates about what other taxes they might suspend after the gas tax pause, which is 24 cents per gallon.

Wu, Skipper deliver State of Boston Schools

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Wu, Skipper deliver State of Boston Schools
By YAWU MILLER
The Boston Public Schools have been steadily improving over the last few years, Mayor Michelle Wu and BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper told a gathering of city and school officials, elected officials and members of the public during an address at UMass Boston Monday.

In memoriam: Ralph Cooper, veteran, veterans’ advocate

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

In memoriam: Ralph Cooper, veteran, veterans’ advocate
By ED GASKIN
Ralph Cooper spent his life making sure that veterans of color, and veterans without homes, got what they had earned. He did it first in Roxbury, as a co-founder and executive director of Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse. He did it nationally, as a co-founder of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV).

South End icon: Mel King’s legacy endures

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

South End icon: Mel King’s legacy endures
By TRINITY ALICIA
Activist, organizer, legislator and lifelong South End resident Mel King is regarded as the architect who redesigned Boston’s sociopolitical blueprint.

“Why would they want to repeal...

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

“Why would they want to repeal...
“Why would they want to repeal legalized marijuana, cripple all those new entrepreneurs and turn it over to the illegal market?”.

No all-party primaries Vote no on 3

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

For more than a century, Massachusetts has run political primaries for elected state offices the same way. Candidates from each party compete against each other for the right to represent its members in the general election. Unenrolled or independent voters can choose either a Democratic or Republican primary ballot at their polling place.

Keep recreational marijuana legal

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

But when else has Massachusetts so consciously moved to cut Black entrepreneurs into an emerging industry? Those Black-owned dispensaries are worth preserving, expanding and multiplying, for the employment and economic activity they create, as well as precedent for industrial policy that seeks to redress racial discrimination.

The 2026 midterms and Black emotional health

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By JENNIFER PORTER GORE
With the midterm elections less than four weeks away and early voting already starting in some states, Black voters are heading to the polls with a familiar knot in their stomachs, worried that democracy itself — and their civil rights — is on the ballot.

What Massachusetts stands to lose if we eliminate our regulated cannabis market

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By RYAN DOMINGUEZ
A decade later, voters across the Commonwealth are now facing Ballot Question 8, which would repeal the will of voters and make the retail sale of recreational marijuana illegal. If passed, Massachusetts would abandon a decade of progress and revert to a time when the regulated, tested and taxed retail market did not exist.

IN THE NEWS

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

IN THE NEWS
Judy Cazeau’s selection as one of the Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees marks a defining milestone in a career distinguished by leadership, strategic vision, and significant economic impact.

Hispanic Heritage Month: Looking back with gratitude, moving forward with pride

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Hispanic Heritage Month: Looking back with gratitude, moving forward with pride
By JULIA M. MEJIA
When I think about Hispanic Heritage Month, I think about the people who came before us. The chairs they pulled up to tables of power so we could have a seat, and the tables they built themselves when necessary. I think about our shared history, the beauty of our cultures, and generations of sacrifice.

Have you met Andrea James? She’s running to be your governor

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Have you met Andrea James? She’s running to be your governor
By ADAM REILLY
“We’re tired of mainstream media that wants to pretend there’s not a third candidate running,” James told me as we stood at the edge of Soldiers Field Road, a stone’s throw away from where supporters of Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and Republican challenger Mike Minogue were yelling and blasting air horns.

Roxbury partners and MGH bring HABIT study on pain and memory to older Black adults

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Roxbury partners and MGH bring HABIT study on pain and memory to older Black adults
By BANNER STAFF
Nearly 200 older Black adults in Boston and Cambridge have taken part so far in a Massachusetts General Hospital study of chronic pain and early memory decline, and the research team has received up to 1,100 referrals of people who might join, said Nia Stewart, a project coordinator for the program at the hospital.

Weight-loss drug coverage ends for many in Mass.

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Weight-loss drug coverage ends for many in Mass.
By BANNER STAFF
An estimated 112,000 fewer commercially insured residents used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss in the first quarter of 2026 than in 2025, a 52% decline, according to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, an independent state agency that monitors health care spending.

Check out these new restaurants in and around Boston

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Check out these new restaurants in and around Boston
By CELINA COLBY
Fall is a busy time for restaurant openings and there are plenty of new spots to dig into as the weather cools. Whether you’re craving a classic meal from the French countryside, a hearty London broil or a strong Yemeni coffee, these restaurants have you covered.

Costumes are a must at this frightfully fun Halloween party

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Costumes are a must at this frightfully fun Halloween party
By DEIDRE E. MONTAGUE
If you are looking for a fun night to celebrate Halloween in community, the second annual Are You Trickin’ or Treatin’? is the best place for you to be. The party, costumes mandatory, is on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Montserrat Aspirers Inc, 358 Washington St. in Dorchester.

Chris Rock exposes Hollywood’s dirty laundry in ‘Misty Green’

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Chris Rock exposes Hollywood’s dirty laundry in ‘Misty Green’
By OLIVIA GRANT
The film opens with a definition of “the bag,” voiced by actress Lake Bell, who previously dated Rock. The irony is delicious. Here is a movie about the blurry boundaries between professional and romantic relationships, narrated in part by the director’s former girlfriend.

Find art at fair prices at Affordable Art Fair

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Find art at fair prices at Affordable Art Fair
By CELINA COLBY
Affordable Art Fair is on a mission to prove that owning art doesn’t have to mean dropping big money and grappling with complicated insurance policies. Back in Boston for the second year, the fair features 58 galleries and artist collectives, with artworks starting at $100.

Local entrepreneur places value on giving back to the community

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Local entrepreneur places value on giving back to the community
By DEIDRE E. MONTAGUE
From there, Samuels won a contract to clean Boston City Hall and entered a federal Small Business Administration program, where he won many federal contracts. Fast forward 33 years, and his business, Done Right Facility Services (DRB), has grown into a successful company in the city.

7 year-end strategies small businesses are using to prep for tax season

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

By ELLIOT GAJADHAR
For most small business owners, tax season does not start in April. It’s year-round, and doesn’t begin until the last weeks of December, when the window closes on many of the moves that shape what they will owe. That window matters more than many owners realize.