PROVINCETOWN — In response to the Trump administration’s decision on Jan. 21 to lift restrictions barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from making arrests in “sensitive locations” including […]
Local Journalism Project
H5N1
Avian Flu Is Spreading, Affecting Wild Birds Most
Waterfowl hit hardest, with poultry and pets at risk; more surveillance underway
WELLFLEET — If you feel like you’ve been noticing a lot of dead birds lately, you’re not alone. According to State Ornithologist Andrew Vitz, we are in the midst of […]
WELLFLEET MARINA
Cavanaugh Aims to Clean Up Harbormaster’s Act
He plans upgrades to infrastructure and a new approach to engaging fishermen
WELLFLEET — A Jan. 18 notice from the harbormaster raised eyebrows among shellfishermen here. Winter dockage fees for use of the pier, due on Jan. 31, were being increased dramatically […]
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Enrollment Declines Steeply in Wellfleet and Truro
Wellfleet isn’t part of regionalization study with the rest of Nauset district
This article was updated on Jan. 30, 2025. WELLFLEET — With young families finding the Outer Cape increasingly unaffordable, elementary school enrollment has plunged by about 30 percent since the […]
ENVIRONMENT
Wellfleet Adopts New Septic Regulations
Priorities: upgrades, cesspool removal in stages, and case-by-case decisions
WELLFLEET — The board of health approved a new set of septic system regulations at its Jan. 22 meeting. The rules are an essential part of the town’s Targeted Watershed […]
FISCAL DUTIES
Wellfleet Debuts Joint Committee to Review Draft Budget
Guerino, foreseeing a tight squeeze, awaits free cash certification to present final figures
WELLFLEET — Town Administrator Tom Guerino is even busier than usual, says his executive assistant, as Wellfleet embarks on a new kind of financial review. For the first time, a […]
WHALE WATCH
Government Withdraws Tighter Vessel Speed Rule
Opposition focused on ferry services, but critics say NOAA was slow to adapt
PROVINCETOWN — The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) — the part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration charged with stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitats — […]
COMMUNITY
Serving Food and Fresh Clothes Amid L.A.’s Fires
Cape residents who winter in Los Angeles find ways to support neighbors
PROVINCETOWN — Michela Murphy, who owns Sal’s Place in Provincetown with her mother, Siobhan Carew, landed in Los Angeles for the winter on Jan. 6 to help manage the Italian […]
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Into the Vortex
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A polar vortex swooped down from the Arctic on Monday, fueled by climate change-driven instability in the jet stream, forcing Donald Trump’s inauguration indoors. But nobody in […]
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
After Tense Prologue, Film and Discussion Go Forward Without Incident
About 20 people protested a documentary, claiming it is anti-Semitic
WELLFLEET — The organization Wellfleet for Palestine organized a screening of the 2016 documentary film The Occupation of the American Mind on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the Wellfleet Public Library. […]
WASTEWATER
Wellfleet Maps Its Expanded Sewer District
High-density and low-lying areas shape path to nitrogen reduction target
WELLFLEET — A map showing the town’s proposed sewer district, updated as of Dec. 11, 2024, has been posted on the board of health page of the town website. The […]
BACKLOG
Truro Select Board Takes Months to Release Minutes
Vacant positions and overwhelmed staff are said to bog down a routine duty
TRURO — The process of keeping minutes of select board meetings and getting them approved and released slowed to a crawl last year, with minutes from late August and September […]
BEACH DAY
With Exhausted Crew Asleep, Fishing Boat Runs Aground in Truro
No injuries, damage, or pollution is reported, and the boat is towed back to sea
TRURO — A 70-foot groundfishing vessel, the F/V Guardian out of New Bedford, ran aground on the back shore here on Jan. 3, about a mile north of Wellfleet’s Newcomb […]
TAXATION
Eastham Board Votes 3 to 2 Against RTE
‘Need-based alternatives’ dominate 90-minute discussion
EASTHAM — For the fifth year in a row, the select board voted 3 to 2 on Monday against adopting a residential tax exemption (RTE) for the coming fiscal year. […]
TRURO TREASURE
DPW Price Tag Will Be $26M to $30M, Says Project Manager
Updated cost estimates reignite concerns as design process lags
TRURO — The projected cost of an upgraded Dept. of Public Works (DPW) facility, which has been on the town’s agenda for at least 13 years, has climbed back up […]
