“Outrageously” high water bills

Also: How preschool access in Mass. stacks up; 5 things to do this weekend [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 18, 2024 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 49 and a chance of afternoon showers. Good Morning Boston, Don't look now, but the [championship-or-bust]( Celtics just got [one step closer]( to a first-round playoff matchup with the dreaded Miami Heat. But first, the news: - Will the fare-free bus keep on rolling? Leaders of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority will [decide today]( whether to keep its buses free for a fifth year. The bus system has not charged riders since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020. - Riders like it: Seven out of 10 residents support keeping the policy, according to [a recent WRTA poll](. And [according to The Boston Globe]( the ridership in 2023 exceeded its pre-pandemic level by over 30% — making the WRTA an outlier among the state's 15 regional transit authorities. - Businesses are fans, too: Karen Pelletier, the executive vice president of the Greater Worcester Chamber of Commerce, told WBUR's Dan Guzman keeping the bus system free "seems like a no-brainer." "Transportation and access to jobs is a critical piece of being able to meet employment demand," Pelletier said. - What's the long-term plan? The WRTA [has been using federal COVID relief funds]( to make up for forgone fare revenue, which accounted for around 9% of the agency's operating budget before the pandemic. There's still $23 million in federal funds left — more than enough to cover a few more years of free buses. [Fare-free proponents say]( that's "ample runway ... to encourage policymakers to invest in RTAs as the public goods that they are." - Drowning in bills: Somerville elected officials are also frustrated by the massive catch-up water bills the city has sent to some residents. WBUR's Walt Wuthmann and Priyanka Dayal McCluskey [report hundreds of homeowners have complained about surprise water bills reaching into the thousands]( due to old meters not accurately transmitting past water usage. - How big are the bills: State Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven said she received a $4,000 water bill. Another resident, who apparently had an undetected water leak, was billed $41,000. - What can they do about it? State law prevents the city from simply waiving the bills or even lowering the 14% annual interest rate charged on balances. For now, Somerville is offering payment plans while the city [explores other assistance alternatives](. - Somerville isn't the only one: Newton officials [said last fall that 5-10% of residents]( were also getting large catch-up bills — some [as high as $67,000.]( - Don't get burned: Massachusetts officials have identified 50 lithium-ion battery fires across the state in the last six months, thanks to a new tracking tool. That's a marked increase compared to the previous four years, when the state averaged less than 20 per year. - The most common culprits: Nine fires involved micro-mobility devices like e-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards; eight involved laptops and another eight were due to cell phones and tablets. - PSA: [Click here to read the state's list of tips]( for properly charging and handling lithium-ion battery-powered devices. - More beds are coming to Mass General. State regulators signed off yesterday on 94 new hospital beds for Massachusetts General Hospital, bringing the state's largest hospital to a total of about 1,000 beds. The additional beds are part of the hospital's $2 billion expansion in Boston's West End, slated to open in 2027. - Despite its size, Mass General has continued to struggle with [too many patients and not enough space.]( Priyanka reports 60 patients had to wait in the emergency room yesterday because there were no available beds — a situation that has become routine. - Biotech blues: Cambridge-based Sage Therapeutics' stock hit a new record low yesterday, after the biotech announced it would stop work on its experimental Parkinson's Disease drug. Company leaders [said]( the drug was not showing any difference in test patients compared to those taking a placebo. However, they'll keep testing to see if it has any benefits for those with Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease. - Zoom out: The news is the latest in a series of setbacks for Sage. While the FDA [approved its postpartum depression pill last summer]( the agency rejected Sage's drug intended for major depressive disorder, leading the company to [lay off 40% of its workers](. Sage's stock, which was valued at as much as $190 a share in 2019, closed yesterday at $12.57. P.S.— Boston's restaurant scene got The New York Times treatment this week. [Use this paywall-free gift link]( to browse their full list of the "25 Best Restaurants in Boston Right Now" and lock down a reservation. (Sorry, we still can't save you from that Bagelsaurus line.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Report finds preschool access expanded in Mass. and across country last year]( Massachusetts state-funded preschool programs met six out of 10 of the research institute's quality standards and ranked highly when it comes to 3-year-old preschool access. [Read more.]( [Report finds preschool access expanded in Mass. and across country last year]( Massachusetts state-funded preschool programs met six out of 10 of the research institute's quality standards and ranked highly when it comes to 3-year-old preschool access. [Read more.]( [Senate kills articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas]( The Senate rejected the two articles that accuse Mayorkas of refusing to enforce immigration laws. The House voted to impeach him in February. [Read more.]( [Senate kills articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas]( The Senate rejected the two articles that accuse Mayorkas of refusing to enforce immigration laws. The House voted to impeach him in February. [Read more.]( [Oklahoma man arrested after authorities say he threw a pipe bomb at Satanic Temple in Mass.]( An Oklahoma man has been arrested after authorities accused him of throwing a pipe bomb at the headquarters of a group in Salem, Massachusetts, called The Satanic Temple. [Read more.]( [Oklahoma man arrested after authorities say he threw a pipe bomb at Satanic Temple in Mass.]( An Oklahoma man has been arrested after authorities accused him of throwing a pipe bomb at the headquarters of a group in Salem, Massachusetts, called The Satanic Temple. [Read more.]( [NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO]( The senior editor says CEO Katherine Maher has "divisive views" that confirm the issues he wrote about in an essay accusing NPR of losing the public's trust. [Read more.]( [NPR editor Uri Berliner resigns with blast at new CEO]( The senior editor says CEO Katherine Maher has "divisive views" that confirm the issues he wrote about in an essay accusing NPR of losing the public's trust. [Read more.]( [Lawsuit alleges incarcerated young adults are deprived of special education services]( The action as a whole seeks to represent a statewide class of young adults ages 18 to 22 who are serving time in county jails and have IEPs but are not receiving the panel of services to which they're entitled under state law. [Read more.]( [Lawsuit alleges incarcerated young adults are deprived of special education services]( The action as a whole seeks to represent a statewide class of young adults ages 18 to 22 who are serving time in county jails and have IEPs but are not receiving the panel of services to which they're entitled under state law. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We have [a packed lineup of local things to do this weekend]( — from Taylor Swift album release parties and the Massachusetts Craft Brewers Festival, to a concert tribute for a Worcester cycling legend. - In a new book, Cambridge-born author and musician Elijah Wald examines [how early jazz's ribald rhymes were buried for decades by folklorists and record companies](. - The NBA has banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter from the league for life, after [an investigation found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and wagered on games](. Porter is the first player to be permanently banned from the league in the 21st century. - For a long time, joy felt like a ghost of the past, [Nina Sharma writes in this Cognoscenti essay](. Then she went to a warehouse in Brooklyn, and sang Maggie Rogers with 400 strangers.  What We're Reading 📚 - 'Voted off the island': Inside Bill Belichick's failed job hunt ([ESPN]( - She was surprised Concord Academy removed her as commencement speaker. She thinks it had to do with her ‘politics.’ ([The Boston Globe]( - The Life and Death of Hollywood ([Harper's Magazine](  Tell Me Something Good [51-year-old amputee playing baseball at Mass. community college after accident ended trucking career (WBZ)]( Paul Landry joined the Quinsigamond Community College baseball team while studying for a new career. [Read more.]( [51-year-old amputee playing baseball at Mass. community college after accident ended trucking career (WBZ)]( Paul Landry joined the Quinsigamond Community College baseball team while studying for a new career. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common kicks off Earth Week early by chatting with [a Chelsea teen organizing her peers for a greener future](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Happy apartment hunting season.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.