For the second year in a row, Emily Craven (NNHS ’22) has run the Boston Marathon to raise the funding that makes possible the Fig City News summer internship program, now in its fourth year. And once again, Emily has exceeded her goal. This year she has raised $10,300 —…
Fig City News
The NPS Reflections Program at Williams Elementary School in Auburndale is moving to what will be the newly reconstructed Franklin Elementary school beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year. The program is described as being for students requiring “extensive content modifications and instructional methodology that integrates functional skills and substantial related…
The LigerBots, Newton’s dual-high school FIRST Robotics team, finished 10th out of 200 New England teams and qualified for FRC Worlds at the New England District Championship (DCMP) in Springfield, Saturday, April 18. The LigerBots and their robot, “Hermes,” will travel to Houston, Texas to compete, April 29 – May…
Grace Yang has won a Silver National Medal in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her work, How to Find Belief. A junior at Newton South HS and a former Fig City News intern, Yang was recently named co-Editor-in-Chief of the Newton South HS Lion’s Roar newspaper. Sangeet…
Mayor Marc Laredo marked his first 100 days in office on April 11, citing progress on his promises to expand housing, improve basic City services, and strengthen community connections. His administration is advancing those priorities, though many initiatives remain in early stages, as residents raise questions about school funding, federal…
Across the country, coworking spaces are reshaping the traditional office model. In Newton, centers like Ware Street Workspaces in Auburndale, Labshares in Nonantum, and the UMass Innovation Institute in Oak Hill are prominent examples of that trend, offering different services. According to a report by Statista in November 2025, the…
Newton residents support young people in several communities in Africa through health programs, education, and career development managed by longstanding nonprofits with close ties to Newton. These efforts face growing uncertainty as federal funding for international aid has been cut. Fig City News has explored the situation with three nonprofits…
On April 14, the City’s Retirement Board voted unanimously to approve Mayor Marc Laredo’s request to extend the schedule for funding the City’s outstanding pension liability. The City had originally planned to have its pension liability paid off by 2032. The new plan will pay off the liability by 2035,…
Hundreds turned out to sample dishes from 42 local restaurants at the Charles River Regional Chamber’s annual Spring Seasonings event on Monday, April 13. It’s a regional culinary showcase that now includes Brookline alongside Needham, Newton, Watertown, and Wellesley. Twenty-six of the participating restaurants are based in Newton. Trevor Smith,…
Michael A. “Mike” Malec – devoted husband, father, and friend; gifted professor; humanitarian leader; public servant; Democratic activist, basketball player; lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and Newton resident for more than 60 years – passed away on March 31 at age 85. A Chicago native, Mike came to Boston College to…
On April 13, the Justice Department announced that Mark Nacht of Waltham, MA, was arrested by the FBI in Albany, NY on April 10 for attempted enticement of a minor. On April 14, Newton Public Schools (NPS) informed the school community of the arrest, noting that Nacht was formerly an…
The 45 runners in Team Newton, created by the Mayor’s Office, will run the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20. Each is not only running the Marathon but also fundraising for a Newton-based charity. See the City’s website for runners’ biographies. These charities are important to Newton, and these runners…