LOWELL — Practically every municipality and agency across the commonwealth has experienced some form of a cyber-related event. That was the message from Chief Information Officer Mirán Fernandez, who appeared before the City Council’s Technology and Utilities Subcommittee on Wednesday, in a continuation of a hearing that originally was held April 10. Fernandez spoke before Chair Wayne Jenness and Councilors Kim Scott and Sokhary Chau to request the committee’s approval to expand the organizational and operational mission of Management Information Systems to better secure Lowell’s municipal net ..read more

BOSTON — As tensions simmer around college campus protests and university responses, Gov. Maura Healey gave a mostly muted response Tuesday to the proliferation of pro-Palestinian encampments, saying “there has to be” space for both protest and Jewish student safety alike. Colleges around the country are grappling with how to respond to student demonstrations against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, some of which have featured growing tent encampments. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the campus protests escalated when more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators camped out on Columbi ..read more

On Friday morning, the University of Massachusetts will inaugurate a new chancellor at UMass Amherst, Dr. Javier Reyes. Chancellor Reyes was born in Mexico and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City. He came to the United States to earn his PhD at Texas A&M, entered academia, and has emerged over the past two decades as one of higher education’s rising stars. By every measure, Dr. Reyes is the right person to lead UMass Amherst in its next phase, and I was proud to recommend him to the UMass Board of Trustees. He is a distinguished academic ..read more

Pictured are members of Brownie Troop #65249 and Daisy Troop #65397, from Pepperell, along with their troop leaders Danielle Lavin (right) and Jacqui Slowe (left). The two girl scout troops spent an afternoon collecting trash at the town field, playground, and soccer fields, earning a new patch to add to the others on their vests. (COURTESY OF JOANNA REAGAN ..read more

A national phenomenon involving the mass theft of certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles has apparently hit home. The Lowell Police Department recently sent out a warning to residents about a significant increase in motor-vehicle thefts in the city targeting certain models of Kias and Hyundais with known security flaws. Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon stated in a press release last Friday that from Oct. 1 to April 17, his department has documented and investigated 70 incidents relating to the thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles. February and March saw a dramatic uptick, with 19 incidents in F ..read more

The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims. AYER • Coby Bryan Escobedo Mendoza, 23, 41 Main St., Upton; warrant. • Raymond Dubois, 73, 214 Wilson St., Apt. 1B, Manchester, N.H.; warrant. • Jessica Marie Abbey, 33, 41 W. Main St., Apt. 16, Ayer; assault with dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. LOWELL • Ryan Runyan, 29, 74 Butler St., Salem ..read more

BASEBALL Abington 8, Cardinal Spellman 1 Boston English 14, New Mission 2 Boston Latin 9, Waltham 3 Bridgewater-Raynham 5, Brockton 2 Canton 7, Foxboro 0 Charlestown 6, O’Bryant 5 Excel 15, Tech Boston 3 Georgetown 11, Essex Tech 1 (5i) Hanover 8, North Quincy 1 Latin Academy 7, East Boston 0 Newburyport 3, Ipswich 2 North Andover 5, Central Catholic 2 Norwood 10, Dedham 9 (8i) Old Colony 11, Cape Cod Tech 1 (5i) Pembroke 5, Scituate 1 Plymouth South 12, Quincy 4 St. John Paul II 11, Dennis-Yarmouth 4 St. Sebastian’s 3, Groton 2 Shawsheen 7, Northeast 2 Silver Lake 10, Marshfield 0 (5i) Swamps ..read more

In a spirited Mid-Wach girls lacrosse battle in Tyngsboro, Groton-Dunstable nipped the Tigers, 11-10. Leading the offense for the winners were Jenna Koch and Annabelle Shreve. Koch tallied four goals and one assist, while Shreve netted three goals and two assists. Hannah Stark scored twice for Groton-Dunstable (6-2). For Tyngsboro (2-5), Bella Adams continued her torrid scoring with six goals. Kayla Freelove responded with a hat trick. ST 9, Nashoba Tech 7: After Nashoba jumped out to a 3-2 lead after the first quarter, Shawsheen tallied three fourth-quarter goals to win at home in a tough bat ..read more

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI (Associated Press) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s GOP-controlled Statehouse on Thursday gave their final approval to legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, clearing the way for the first-in-the-nation proposal to be sent to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. The bill mirrors almost the same language from a so-called anti-abortion trafficking proposal Tennessee Republican lawmakers approved just a day prior. In that version, supporters are hoping to stop adults from helping young people obtain abortions ..read more

MCC’s College for Kids programs LOWELL — Middlesex Community College’s “College for Kids,” summer programs for ages 8-17, start on Monday, July 8. The programs provide opportunities for young students to explore careers and learn new skills. “Whether they are looking to dive deeper into one of their hobbies or explore something new, there is a lot for kids to choose from in this summer’s College for Kids line-up,” Dean of Workforce Development Audrey Nahabedian said. “Engaged in exciting and hands-on activities, kids can enjoy their summer while also maintaining a sense of normalcy and routine ..read more