From a historic mayoral transition to school budget battles, from Bachelor watch parties to weekly protests, 2025 was a year that reminded Newton residents why local news matters. Fig City News published 435 news articles in 2025 tracking the stories that shaped our community. Here’s a look back at the…
Posts published in December 2025
On her second-to-last day in office, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller reflected on her eight years leading Newton through a global pandemic, political polarization across the country, and ongoing development in the city, ahead of Marc Laredo taking office Thursday. In an interview with Fig City News, when asked what advice she…
Highlights this week… City Council City Council will meet on Thursday at 12PM in the City Council Chamber for the inauguration of Mayor, City Council, and School Committee. The Inauguration Docket includes: The New Docket includes: School Committee School Committee will be inaugurated on Thursday, January 1 at 12PM in the City…
As I write this, it’s been eight weeks since the world lost Setti Warren at the appallingly unfair age of 55. To me, he was a friend, mentor, boss, and big brother. Right until the day he passed, I spoke with Setti just about every day for the 20 years…
City Council will meet in person (Council Chamber) on Thursday, January 1 at 12PM for the inauguration of Mayor, City Council, and School Committee. See the New Docket. Watch a live broadcast on NewTV’s government channel (Comcast 9, RCN 13, 614(HD), Verizon 33) or on NewTV’s YouTube channel. The Inauguration Docket…
School Committee will be inaugurated on Thursday, January 1 at 12PM in the City Council Chamber. The Committee is not scheduled to meet this week.
There are no scheduled meetings of Boards or Commissions posted for this week.
“I’ve always been part of the community,” Newton Police Chief McMains told Fig City News two weeks before his scheduled retirement on January 8, 2026. His first community was Dunlap, Iowa, where he was born and raised on his family’s farm in a rural town where people helped one another. …
A mayoral election should be about bold vision and specific plans for our city’s future. Yet the Laredo campaign offered only Strategic Ambiguity; no promises, no firm commitments, and little more than the desire to be in charge. Mr. Laredo said “schools are the top priority,” despite previously stating that…
When Marc Laredo steps into the Mayor’s office January 1, he will do so with an unusual distinction: having served both as Chair of the School Committee and as President of the City Council. Laredo believes this background will be an asset in his new role. “Especially with a brand-new…