Congressman Jake Auchincloss, drawing a direct line to the American Revolution, said Friday he supports using the Massachusetts National Guard to counter federal immigration enforcement operations if they escalate in the state. “250 years ago, we refused to quarter the King’s troops,” Auchincloss said in a Fig City News Podcast…
Posts published by “Jack Prior”
The inauguration of Newton’s new Mayor, City Council, and School Committee took place at noon on January 1. See this year’s gallery at https://photos.figcitynews.com/2026/2026-City-of-Newton-Inauguration/n-PHstRm. Photos by Jack Prior.
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…
The Fig City News restaurant directory has grown from 147 entries in May 2023 to 160 today — a net gain of 13 restaurants. That gain is the result of at least seven closures and roughly 21 new additions over the past two and a half years. Closures and their…
Newton Centre’s Holiday Shop & Stroll event drew shoppers, strollers, carolers, and good cheer to the sidewalks and warm shops and restaurants encircling Newton Centre Plaza. Teams from Newton Police and Fire Departments welcomed Touch-a-Truck fans who braved the cooler-than-chill weather. See this year’s gallery at https://photos.figcitynews.com/2025/2025-Newton-Centre-Holiday-Shop-and-Stroll/n-rbMw5C. Photos by Jack…
Newton Centre gastropub Thistle & Leek has received recognition from Michelin, one of the culinary world’s most prestigious authorities. It is one of only 26 Greater Boston restaurants so honored. The Michelin Guide announced on November 18 that Thistle & Leek has been named a Recommended Restaurant in its inaugural Boston…
Just over two years after Bigelow Cleaners closed its doors following 90 years of operation in Newton Centre, the iconic neon sign that graced the building’s facade since 1957 is slated for removal as part of a major renovation project at the corner of Langley Road and Sumner Street. The…
Newton’s Department of Public Works hosted Newton’s now-annual Pumpkin Smash outside City Hall on Saturday, November 1, with many inventive and powerful ways to smash post-Halloween jack o’ lanterns. Also available were environmentally themed exhibits about composting and managing food waste, Touch-a-Truck opportunities, food trucks, and ways to donate Halloween…
While some high school students may spend their summer vacations relaxing, a group of Newton teens dedicated eight weeks to engineering custom adaptive devices for people with disabilities through the LigerBots Adaptive Engineering Internship program. The program, now in its third year, pairs teams of students with real clients from…
Newton’s 209 Pan-Mass Challenge cyclists and volunteers together have raised $2,020,509 thus far for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as part of the 46th running of the two-day charity ride on August 2-3. The PMC has collected $55.6 million to date this year across all participants. Two Newton cyclists with remarkably similar…