A $7 million delivery

Also: From frozen pipes to T service, Boston feels the effects of this weekend; Woburn teacher reach a deal [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 6, 2023 ⛅ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48. Good Morning Boston, Today is the 45th anniversary of [the legendary Blizzard of '78](. So remember, as cold as it got this weekend, it could have been worse. (Personally, I found the sea smoke [photos]( and [videos]( mesmerizing.) Anyway, we're [back to nearly T-shirt weather]( this week, with temperatures forecast to [reach into the 50s](. To the news: - Boston's yellow buses are about to get a little more green. Mayor Michelle Wu and other local officials are getting together this morning in Hyde Park to celebrate the arrival of the city's first electric school buses. It's just the beginning of Wu's pledge to electrify the entire Boston school bus fleet by 2030. For this first order, Boston is using $7 million in COVID relief funds. - Wu's office says the initial batch of 20 buses will go into service after February vacation. But first, the city is planning "extensive training" for drivers, mechanics and operations staff. - There's still a long way to go: Boston has over 700 gas-powered school buses, which account for 11% of the city government's greenhouse gas emissions. Wu [has said]( the deployment of this first group of electric buses will help the city figure out where to place charging stations and how to adjust routes for their more limited range. - Zoom out: Boston's not the only one. WBUR's Carrie Jung [reports that five Massachusetts school districts]( including Lawrence, New Bedford and Fall River, qualified for federal grants to put a total of 76 new electric buses on the roads by next year. - While the region swiftly thawed out from the frigid cold snap Friday and Saturday, we're still feeling some of its effects. Boston Medical Center says its emergency department [will remain closed until tomorrow]( after a pipe froze and burst on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Boch Center Wang Theater [had to postpone two sold-out shows]( Saturday night after a burst pipe forced them to evacuate the venue. - Fred Webster, the owner of a Chelmsford plumbing company, [told WBUR his workers were overloaded by calls this weekend](. "This is by far the event of the year, at a 10-times proportion," he said. - Bookmark this for the next cold snap: [A guide to preventing frozen pipes and other extreme cold problems]( in your home. - MBTA service is also still a bit hampered from this weekend, but not because of the weather. Alewife Station and Garage remains closed — and shuttle buses will replace subway service between Alewife and Davis for at least this week — after a car crashed into the top floor of the Cambridge station's garage on Saturday. - The crash sent debris and [a 10,000-pound concrete barrier]( smashing into the station head house below. (You can see [photos of the aftermath here]( Firefighters say a young girl hit by debris was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. - While the garage remains closed at least through today, T officials say bus service at Alewife remains accessible. Riders can also catch shuttle buses to Davis at the Alewife busway. - We have a deal: School staff and students in Woburn are headed back to class this morning after the teachers union and city [agreed to a new contract Sunday]( putting an end to last week's five-day strike. - WBUR's Max Larkin reports that the deal includes double-digit pay increases for teachers and paraprofessionals, as well as smaller class sizes in the fourth and fifth grades. [Read more here](. - Heads up: The puck drops tonight for the 70th Beanpot college hockey tournament. On [the men's side]( Boston College and Harvard take the ice at 5 p.m. at TD Garden, followed by BU and Northeastern at 8 p.m. - Meanwhile, the women's Beanpot semifinals [begin tomorrow at BC's Conte Forum](. P.S.— Another week, another celebrity chef at CitySpace. Ming Tsai, the James Beard Award-winning chef and longtime PBS cooking show chef, will [discuss his culinary career and food philosophy]( at 6:30 p.m. In-person attendees will also get to sample his new line of plant-based "MingsBings" after the conversation. Scoop up tickets [here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [More than 1,000 are reported dead from an earthquake that has struck Turkey and Syria]( Search-and-rescue efforts are underway after more than 1,000 are reported dead from a powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday. The death toll is expected to rise. [Read more.]( [More than 1,000 are reported dead from an earthquake that has struck Turkey and Syria]( Search-and-rescue efforts are underway after more than 1,000 are reported dead from a powerful earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday. The death toll is expected to rise. [Read more.]( [Black women are more likely to get sick and die from pregnancy. A simple medical device could help]( High blood pressure is sometimes called the “silent killer” because it can suddenly rise to dangerous levels without causing pain or other symptoms. A program at Boston Medical Center sends pregnant patients home with blood pressure cuffs, and closely monitors their readings everyday — all to improve their health and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. [Read more.]( [Black women are more likely to get sick and die from pregnancy. A simple medical device could help]( High blood pressure is sometimes called the “silent killer” because it can suddenly rise to dangerous levels without causing pain or other symptoms. A program at Boston Medical Center sends pregnant patients home with blood pressure cuffs, and closely monitors their readings everyday — all to improve their health and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. [Read more.]( [The State of the Union will showcase the state of the Biden-McCarthy relationship]( President Biden developed a strong working relationship with Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell over the years. The same isn't true for Biden and new Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy. [Read more.]( [The State of the Union will showcase the state of the Biden-McCarthy relationship]( President Biden developed a strong working relationship with Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell over the years. The same isn't true for Biden and new Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy. [Read more.]( [What's next in the saga of the suspected Chinese spy balloon]( U.S. defense officials are working to recover the wreckage of a Chinese balloon downed near South Carolina, as relations between the two countries are further strained. [Read more.]( [What's next in the saga of the suspected Chinese spy balloon]( U.S. defense officials are working to recover the wreckage of a Chinese balloon downed near South Carolina, as relations between the two countries are further strained. [Read more.]( [Photos: Bostonians cope with frigid conditions]( With temperatures plummeting toward the single digits Friday, residents throughout Massachusetts bundled up to brace against frigid air and biting winds. [Read more.]( [Photos: Bostonians cope with frigid conditions]( With temperatures plummeting toward the single digits Friday, residents throughout Massachusetts bundled up to brace against frigid air and biting winds. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - [Not even Los Angeles traffic]( could stop Beyoncé from setting a new Grammys record last night with her 31st all-time award. However, the show's [biggest prizes were divided among a cast of stars](. - One of last year’s very best films never played at Boston theaters. But [as Sean Burns writes]( that changes this week at Somerville Theatre, thanks to the folks at the Independent Film Festival Boston. - Two beloved Porter Square staples — Christopher’s and its adjoining music venue Toad — are up for sale. WBUR's Cristela Guerra [talked to the owners about the decision and what comes next](. - The frigid weather wasn't enough to rain on Jennifer Coolidge's parade Saturday. [Here's what it looked like]( as the Norwell native — donning a leopard print coat and fluffy pink hat — celebrated her Hasty Pudding Women of the Year award in Cambridge.  What We're Reading 📚 - Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure? ([The Cut]( - A pregnant runner’s open letter to the Boston Marathon helped spur change ([Washington Post]( - Amazon’s Endgame ([The American Prospect](  Tell Me Something Good [This abandoned 1-year-old pig is looking for a new home (Boston.com)]( Last October, the pig, now named Clarendon, was left behind in a Boston residence by a northern New Englander visiting family in the city. The family gave the pig to animal control. Now, the Animal Rescue League is looking to find him a permanent home. [Read more.]( [This abandoned 1-year-old pig is looking for a new home (Boston.com)]( Last October, the pig, now named Clarendon, was left behind in a Boston residence by a northern New Englander visiting family in the city. The family gave the pig to animal control. Now, the Animal Rescue League is looking to find him a permanent home. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common explores [how the housing crisis is affecting refugees in Massachusetts](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: Feels like -28 degrees? [Let's freeze a t-shirt.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 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 © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.