Most meetings in Wellfleet are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting that interests you on the calendar at wellfleet-ma.gov for details. All meetings are at […]
News
Fresh local news that brings you closer to your neighbors and the community.
Browse all News stories below or dive into a topic:
EASTHAM: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Climate Action Plan
Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Eastham are in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you are interested in on the calendar at eastham-ma.gov for details. All meetings are […]
ENVIRONMENT
Green Crab Removal Gets Boost in Wellfleet Harbor
Pilot project offers population data and possibilities for baitfish, compost, and dinner
WELLFLEET — A menace stalks the shores of Wellfleet in the thousands: the European green crab, Carcinus maenas, an invasive species that feasts on juvenile shellfish and clips eelgrass to […]
IMMIGRATION RAIDS
ICE: Only 2 of 38 Arrested on Islands Committed Serious Crimes
Agency said it targeted ‘egregious offenders’ on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard
PROVINCETOWN — Thirty-six of the 38 people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket more than three weeks ago have still not been identified […]
AT SEA
Two Die as Fishing Vessel Sinks off Billingsgate Shoals
Coast Guard is investigating what caused the boat to go down
ORLEANS — A Coast Guard search and rescue operation on June 11 located a 30-foot commercial dragger out of Rock Harbor that had been reported missing the day before. The […]
TRURO HOUSING
Demolished Cottage Will Be Replaced
State will come through with a $900K grant that had been promised
TRURO — Two cottages that were moved to a town-owned lot on South Highland Road in February 2024 were supposed to be renovated and ready to house town employees by […]
ON THE WARRANT
Eastham’s Voters Will Decide Whether to Fund a Sewer System
A low-interest loan from the state requires fast action
EASTHAM — There’s only one item up for a vote at Eastham’s special town meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 23: a $170-million authorization for a sewer system around […]
PLANNING DEPT.
Cape Cod Commission Plans Safety Upgrades for Route 6A
State and towns could improve the roadway for cyclists and pedestrians
PROVINCETOWN — Some of Cape Cod’s charming roads have so many twists and turns that it’s easy to imagine the horses and buggies that once traveled them. Old King’s Highway […]
MILLION-YEAR PICNIC
Getting to Know the Moon
Watching Earth’s satellite reminds us of all the movement in the night sky
Meteor showers, eclipses, and other unusual celestial events get a lot of press. Sometimes this is deserved. The total solar eclipse of 2024 was stunning; in 2020, Comet NEOWISE was […]
THIS WILD CAPE
The Big Appeal of Our Smallest Thrush
The unpredictable outcomes (and predictable responsibilities) of inviting bluebirds into your yard
No matter the season, people are always asking me about eastern bluebirds. Musicians and poets want to write about them. There’s no question that whatever our fondness for birds may […]
THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Bass Are Here, There, and Not Everywhere
Flounder on the shoals, bluefish in the sound
Striped bass are playing hide and seek with us now. One day we have them good, with big numbers of fish around and feeding well, and the next day there […]
NATURAL SELECTION
A-Dime-a-Dozen Daisy
Maybe the cattle of Europe and western Asia, where Leucanthemum vulgare is native, once upon a time had striking yellow eyes with thick white lashes. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, June 17 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
WEATHER
Cape Cod Summer Starts at the Solstice
Welcome to summer. At 10:42 p.m. on June 20, the earth’s tilt toward the Sun will reach its maximum point in the Northern Hemisphere, with the sun passing directly over […]
PROVINCETOWN: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS
Juneteenth Events
Meetings Ahead
Most meetings in Provincetown are held in person, typically with an online-attendance option. Click on the meeting you want to attend on the calendar at provincetown-ma.gov for a link to […]