Education

Barrett Expresses Hope After Northern Essex, Whittier Tech Cease Working Together

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Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett expressed hope Wednesday plans to locate a new Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School at Northern Essex Community College can be salvaged after the two schools stopped working together. The gulf between the schools became apparent Wednesday when Northern Essex President Lane A. Glenn sent a letter to communities, saying “we no longer see a viable path forward for the project as currently envisioned.”

Barrett, who conditioned any changes to the regional agreement between the 11 member communities on cooperation between the schools, said a renewed path forward is crucial. “I don’t see an immediate resolution, but I think this is almost too big to fail. It’s so important,” Barrett told WHAV. She said she will call for the communities to get together to try to put the project back on track.

Election Central

New Hampshire’s SCOTUS Appeal Puts Student Voter ID Law in Flux

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by Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin
October 20, 2026

Whether high school and college students in New Hampshire can use their student identification cards to vote on Nov. 3 remains up in the air, after the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office took the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court last week. The request, filed by the state Attorney General’s Office Thursday, asks the Supreme Court to reverse an Oct. 2 order by Judge Joseph Laplante of the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire to halt the new law. House Bill 323, signed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte in April, removed high school, college and university identification cards from the list of acceptable ways for voters to prove their identity when casting a ballot.

Haverhill

Haverhill Councilors Kill Plan for 3 Condo Homes on Marshland St.

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Haverhill city councilors Tuesday night killed a developer’s request to replace a single-family house on Marshland Street with three condominium units, with most members saying the plan would upset the character of the neighborhood. The “Marshland Commons” proposal from Matt Silva of Sterling Commonwealth Builders called for demolishing a single-family house at 27 Marshland St. and replacing it with three, three-bedroom townhouses—each with separate driveways to the street. Mark Dickinson, who said he has owned the nearby 30 Marshland St. property, was among those who spoke against the plan.

Haverhill

Holmes Joins Northern Essex Knights as Baseball Coach, Assistant Athletic Director

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Mitchell Holmes is the new baseball coach and assistant athletic director of the Northern Essex Community College Knights. Holmes most recently spent the previous two seasons as lead assistant coach at Babson College where he oversaw hitting and catching and helped lead the recruiting efforts for the Beavers who captured the 2026 NEWMAC championship and earned the third seed in NCAA Division III Southern Maine regional. Prior to his time at Babson, Holmes spent three seasons on the staff at Holy Cross. Athletics Director Dan Blair said Tuesday Holmes officially begins his duties next Monday. “I’m pleased to welcome Mitch to Northern Essex.

Beacon Hill News

State Awards Methuen $50,000 Grant to Identify Lead Pipe in Drinking Water Lines

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Methuen was formally awarded a $50,000 state grant Tuesday to help the city to identify and verify the existence of lead-based pipes to comply with federal environmental regulations. The grant, one of four to a gateway city, comes from the state Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance program and helps communities better compete for federal money. “This $50,000 investment will help Methuen take an important step toward identifying potential lead risks in its drinking water infrastructure. Knowing where these risks exist is essential to addressing them and protecting the health of our residents,” said Sen. Pavel M. Payano, who represents, Lawrence, Methuen and Haverhill. Gov. Maura Healey explained, “Our administration has made it a priority to pursue every federal dollar available, and these grants will enable more communities to do so.”

Methuen will use the money to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 order on Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which requires drinking water systems to replace lead and certain galvanized service lines and take other steps to improve public health protection and simplify rules.

Business Bulletin

Anna Jaques Hospital Plans to Break Ground on Expanded Breast Care Center

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An expansion of Anna Jaques Hospital’s Gerrish Breast Care Center is expected to begin next year to enable a larger number of patients to access to life-saving screening, diagnostic and supportive services. Construction plans for the 8,000-square-foot center at the Newburyport Medical Center were revealed last week during Anna Jaques Hospital’s SHINE at Night annual fundraiser for breast care services. “This investment reflects our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our community. By expanding our capabilities and bringing services together in one integrated center, we can create a more seamless experience for every patient who walks through our doors and make care more connected, convenient and supportive close to home,” said Anna Jaques Hospital President and Chief Operating Officer Megan Gray. The hospital said patient care will continue uninterrupted throughout construction, expected to be complete next summer, and the current breast care center will remain fully operational.

Community Spotlight

Greater Haverhill Arts Association Plans Holiday Show Nov. 13-15

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The annual Greater Haverhill Arts Association Holiday Show opens this year in the heart of downtown Haverhill. The exhibition takes place Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13 through 15, in collaboration with Creative Haverhill in the Cogswell Artspace Incubator gallery at Creative Haverhill, 43 Washington St. Greater Haverhill Arts Association members are invited to exhibit up to two framed works and up to 24 additional, smaller and unframed items. Organizers suggest smaller, reasonably priced work, including prints, notecards, ornaments, calendars and magnets. Other criteria, fees and registration are online at haverhillartassociation.org.

Haverhill

Pre-Season Poll Puts Northern Essex Knights’ Basketball on Top

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Northern Essex Community College men’s basketball team was selected Monday as the number one team in the national pre-season poll as announced by the NJCAA Basketball Committee. The Knights, who captured the program’s first-ever national championship back in March, are coming off a 33-3 season and will have a fresh look for the 2026-27 under head coach Darren Stratton who enters his 24th season with a record of 384-213. With four starters from last year’s national championship game moving onto to the four-year scholarship level, the Knights say they will rely heavily on sophomores Jay’von Depina and Jacob Mercedes, who both played significant roles a season ago. Xavier Rivera, who was a member of the Knights program in in 2024-25, returns to the program after taking a year off. Expected to make an immediate impact on the court this season, the team adds, are newcomers Rolky BreaArias, Isaiah Bean Britain and Martin Drejaj who will all provide significant minutes in the frontcourt.