The missing link

Also: What to expect from Healey's first budget proposal; a plowable snowstorm on our radar [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  February 27, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 32. Good Morning Boston, What a wild weekend of Boston sports finishes — from the [incredible yes!-no!-yes! final seconds of the Celtics' win]( the Red Sox's first spring training game, which ended in a tie, bottom of the ninth, two out, full count... [pitch clock strikeout]( Even the Revs kicked off their 2023 season with [a last-minute game-winning goal]( and the Bruins sealed their victory [with a goalie goal](. Today also is expected to end with an exciting finish: snow! Meteorologist Danielle Noyes [says the flakes will start falling late tonight, hitting most of Massachusetts with between 3 to 8 inches](. So, get ready for shoveling and a slow commute tomorrow morning. Check out [these maps]( for the exact timing and expected snow totals. - Nearly a year since the Green Line Extension first opened, Somerville and Medford are now enjoying the full benefits of two trolley branches featuring six new stops. But there’s one part of the long-awaited project that remains a wait, especially for local cyclists and foot commuters: the extension of Somerville’s community path. - The 1.7-mile project, which will run along the GLX’s Medford branch from central Somerville to East Cambridge, is the missing link between dozens of miles of multi-use [Charles River paths]( and the [Minuteman Bikeway]( as well as Alewife and Mystic River paths. When it opens, the extension will create a nearly 50-mile continuous network of paved, off-road paths — connecting Bedford to downtown Boston to Waltham. It even includes [a 50-foot-high bridge]( with sweeping views above the train tracks. - Its completion — much like the larger GLX project — has been an exercise in patience. MBTA officials said last summer that it would open “when trolley service begins on the Medford branch" this past December. That didn't happen. Somerville officials then pegged the opening for this February. But now, the T says it's aiming for this "spring." (In [a recent meeting]( Somerville planner Viola Augustin said that means "most likely" later than March.) - What's the hold up? The T hasn't explained why the date keeps getting pushed back, but Somerville officials say there's still some "weather-dependent" construction left. Additionally, the two sides have been working to finalize a legal agreement on who exactly is responsible for the path's upkeep. - One more thing: Even when the new path does open, Augustin says one stretch by the Gilman Square T stop will remain closed for up to "a year or more" due to construction at Somerville High School. They're planning a temporary bike lane detour. - For the first time today, Worcester police will work with a new piece of apparel on their uniforms: body cameras. Following a narrow 2019 pilot program, officials say that 300 officers will now be outfitted with body cameras and all have been trained how to use them. - The rules require that officers turn on the cameras during traffic stops, investigations, 911 call responses, non-emergency calls for service and when ordered by a supervisor, [according to MassLive](. (Casual conversations with civilians do not have to be recorded.) - The new program doesn't go as far as some advocates hoped. Patch reports that [several ACLU recommendations were left out](. - Go deeper: A [major 2021 study]( found police body cameras led to a meaningful drop in use of force and complaints against police. However, the equipment [remains the exception in Massachusetts](. - Heads up: Gov. Maura Healey is expected to unveil her first budget proposal this week, after what's been a back-and-forth, months-long process with members of the State House. WBUR's Steve Brown [reports the $50 billion plan will include unprecedented investments]( in the state's Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which helps developers incorporate green tech into building projects. - Go deeper: The proposal is also expected to include funding for free community college for people older than 25, as well as a boost in [local aid]( and [state funding for K-12 schools](. Dig into Brown's [full preview of Healey's budget proposal here](. - What's next: Healey may also [unveil her tax relief plan this week]( — and her office says she'll make a "major affordability announcement" this morning in Lynn. Related? We'll see. P.S.— Tune in to Radio Boston this morning at 11 a.m. for our monthly segment with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. And if you have questions for her, don't hesitate to ask. Tweet them to [@RadioBoston]( or text BOSTON to 617-766-0382. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Landlord group sues for emails related to Boston's rent control proposal]( Cambridge-based MassLandlords filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court asking that a judge order the city to turn over emails between members of the mayor's rent stabilization advisory committee. [Read more.]( [Landlord group sues for emails related to Boston's rent control proposal]( Cambridge-based MassLandlords filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court asking that a judge order the city to turn over emails between members of the mayor's rent stabilization advisory committee. [Read more.]( [From Ukraine to Harvard, Mass.: A family finds safety with the help of old friends]( One year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians fled the country. Ira Ostapenko was one of them, and made the journey to Massachusetts with her family with some help from old friends. [Read more.]( [From Ukraine to Harvard, Mass.: A family finds safety with the help of old friends]( One year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians fled the country. Ira Ostapenko was one of them, and made the journey to Massachusetts with her family with some help from old friends. [Read more.]( [Newspapers have dropped the 'Dilbert' comic strip after a racist rant by its creator]( The comic's creator, Scott Adams, said a recent opinion poll changed his mind about "helping Black Americans." [Read more.]( [Newspapers have dropped the 'Dilbert' comic strip after a racist rant by its creator]( The comic's creator, Scott Adams, said a recent opinion poll changed his mind about "helping Black Americans." [Read more.]( [Boston warns of surge in overdoses linked to cocaine laced with fentanyl]( Boston public health officials have alerted health care providers in the city about a “concerning” increase in overdoses that connect the powerful opioid fentanyl to the use of cocaine. [Read more.]( [Boston warns of surge in overdoses linked to cocaine laced with fentanyl]( Boston public health officials have alerted health care providers in the city about a “concerning” increase in overdoses that connect the powerful opioid fentanyl to the use of cocaine. [Read more.]( [Effort underway to help people expunge cannabis-related convictions from their records]( Saturday's "Changing Legacies" clinic is part of an effort to help people impacted by marijuana-related arrests or convictions to expunge their records. [Read more.]( [Effort underway to help people expunge cannabis-related convictions from their records]( Saturday's "Changing Legacies" clinic is part of an effort to help people impacted by marijuana-related arrests or convictions to expunge their records. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - John Olver, a former Democratic congressman who represented western Massachusetts for more than two decades, died late last week. Here's [how his legacy is being remembered by former colleagues](. - PSA: Unventilated indoor heating methods can increase your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning during the winter. [Here's how you can avoid accidentally poisoning yourself]( plus measures to make sure you know when there's a leak in your home. - A new national report [gives Massachusetts a C- for its efforts to address lead in school drinking water](. As WBUR's Gabrielle Emanuel reports, that's because the state has a voluntary school lead testing program, but no law requiring testing or improvement. Still, the grade is better than the majority of states, who earned an F. - Julie Wittes Schlack [writes in this commentary]( that all of us have been guilty of torturing a good song, but Rep. George Santos covering Leonard Cohen’s classic “Hallelujah,” is where she draws the line.  What We're Reading 📚 - I know Michael Delaney. After what he did, he doesn’t deserve to be a judge. ([The Boston Globe]( - HBO’s Leading Man: Casey Bloys on Perfecting ‘The Last of Us,’ HBO Max Streaming Merger and Axing Shows ([Variety]( - A Basic iPhone Feature Helps Criminals Steal Your Entire Digital Life ([The Wall Street Journal](  Tell Me Something Good [Here & Now | It's 'Puppy Love': How Bendu, an elder dog with terminal cancer, found his forever home]( It's hard for older animals to find homes, especially if they have health issues. But Bendu, a dog estimated to be 10 years old with terminal cancer, just found his forever home after his story created an "instant heart connection" with his new caretakers. [Read more.]( [Here & Now | It's 'Puppy Love': How Bendu, an elder dog with terminal cancer, found his forever home]( It's hard for older animals to find homes, especially if they have health issues. But Bendu, a dog estimated to be 10 years old with terminal cancer, just found his forever home after his story created an "instant heart connection" with his new caretakers. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [breaks down Healey's biggest budget priorities](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: That's [one way to put COVID relief funds to use](. 😎 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.