North Shore Pols Size Up Palin (Salem News)

Local Officials React to Senator John McCains VP pick, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Nelson Benton 8/15/08 (Salem News)

In his weekly column for the Salem News, editor Nelson Benton comments on the end of the 2007-2008 Legislative Session, as well as Senator Berry's summer plans.

Rep: $350K to plan Town Hall fixes (Salem News)

$350,000 in state bond requests had cleared the Legislature, money that could be used to plan a Topsfield Town Hall renovation and shave time, cost and political opposition from the project.

State funding moves closer for Higgins (Salem News)

Higgins Middle School was one of 11 schools moved forward in the state's school building process last week.  The Massachusetts School Building Authority Board, which oversees school capital projects, voted Friday to move the renovation project one step closer to funding.

Senate Boosts Aggie, Tech Project (Salem News)

A merged North Shore Technical and Essex Aggie high school inched closer to reality with the Senate's passage of a bond bill with $60 million in secured funding.

The passage of a series of bond bills, announced yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, D-Peabody, also contained nearly $32 million for a new allied health building, backfill and renovations to North Shore Community College's Danvers campus.

College Library to Get $106.4M (Salem News)

Help may be on the way for the shuttered Salem State College library.

The state Legislature has passed a bond bill that includes $106.4 million in funding for the college library, as well as science labs for Meier Hall, state Sen. Fred Berry's office announced.

Letter: A Reasonable Compromise on Nurse Staffing  (Salem News)

On July 17, the Massachusetts Senate passed an important bill — SB 2816 — that will closely track how hospitals staff their inpatient care units and allow the state to step in and strictly regulate underperforming facilities.

Senate Approves Comprehensive Energy Bill  (Press Release)

Senate Majority Leader Frederick E. Berry announced that the Massachusetts Senate has passed An Act Relative to Green Communities.  This wide-ranging legislation includes a provision that will help the City of Salem in the event that tax revenues from its power station diminish as a result of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) mandates.

Berry Amendment for Salem State Included in FY09 Senate Budget  (Press Release)

Senate Majority Leader Frederick E. Berry announced that the FY09 Senate Budget that will contain an amendment to potentially benefit state colleges, including Salem State College.  The commission will study the merit of allowing state colleges to gain the name of university.  It will report its findings to the Joint Committee on Higher Education on or before November 15, 2008.

Berry Receives National Recognition as State Legislator of the Year \(Press Release)

Senator Frederick E. Berry, a leader in the Massachusetts Legislature, has been recognized by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare as a 2008 Awards of Excellence winner. Nominated by the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts (MHSACM), Senator Berry was selected to receive the State Legislator of the Year Award, acknowledging his long time leadership advocacy for mental health and substance use disorders.

Berry: Tougher penalties needed for repeat domestic abusers (Salem News)

Domestic violence is on the rise and it affects all of us. According to the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, 2007 marked a 15-year high with 55 deaths being attributed to domestic violence. These numbers only tell a piece of the story, as we have no way of documenting the countless frightened victims who do not report their abuse...

Senate Passes Berry’s Domestic Violence Bill

Majority Leader Fred Berry announced on March 20 the passing of Senate Bill, No. 62, An Act Establishing Criminal Penalties for Assault and Battery on a Family or Household Member.

Berry and Speliotis React to Danversport Explosion Report (Press Release)

"Public safety has to be the first priority, and that is why I support the current legislation filed to develop higher standards for chemical safety.  We must enhance our training in chemicals to protect our neighborhoods"...

Marshall: Danvers plant had too many flammables (Boston Herald)

The Danvers chemical plant that exploded in November 2006 was storing twice comthe bustible material for which it was licensed, the state fire marshal has found.

Danvers plant had twice legal limit of chemicals (Salem News)

The two companies inside the Danversport factory that blew up in November 2006, resulting in millions of dollars in property damage, were storing twice the amount of hazardous and flammable material as their license allowed, a state investigation concluded...

Raising O' the Green: Homeless Benefit Takes On An Irish Tenor (Salem News)

Local politicians donned green attire and drew some laughs at yesterday's third annual Old-Fashioned Irish St. Patrick's Day Political Luncheon to raise money for the River House homeless shelter in Beverly...

Nelson Benton: Premature speculation in 2nd Essex (Salem News)

Local blogs have been rife with speculation about who might be running for the 2nd Essex (Salem, Peabody, Beverly, Danvers and Topsfield) state senate seat next fall.

 

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2007