Winchester athletic fees still up in the air
Families have their say on steep increase, impact it could have on athletes
News
Winchester middle school teacher arraigned on charges of felony possession of child pornography
Parents in Winchester got the news in a superintendent’s letter on a Friday in June — an eighth-grade teacher at McCall Middle School had been put on immediate leave, barred from school buildings and told to have no contact with students while a criminal case moved forward in Lowell
Winchester offices to close June 19 for Juneteenth
In observance of Juneteenth, Winchester town offices and the Transfer Station will be closed on Friday, June 19. The Transfer Station will resume normal business hours on Saturday, June 20. Winchester News is a non-profit organization supported by our community. If you appreciate having local Winchester news, please donate
Winchester High School students, administrators meet to discuss diversity and inclusion
Students, teachers and administrators recently met to discuss how to make Winchester High School more inclusive, settling on a plan to re-evaluate the history and English curriculum and create change in the school’s environment. The members of gender, racial and religious minority clubs came together on June 3
Winchester Select Board launches voter survey after $11.5M override defeat
Listening sessions are underway, the form tests single, split and tiered ballot formats.
Winchester middle school teacher arraigned on child pornography charges
A McCall Middle School teacher was arraigned on June 12 for allegedly possessing child pornography. In a letter to parents and staffers, Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett stated that upon learning of the allegations, eighth-grade teacher Jason Van Dinter, was put on immediate leave. Hackett said Van Dinter wasn’t
Carey McDonald stakes a Senate bid on lessons from local government, nonprofit acumen
The Malden city councilor frames the Senate race around municipal budgets, Beacon Hill accountability and the practical limits facing communities across the district.
Winchester opens cooling sites as heat index climbs toward 98
The danger in this week’s heat is its timing. Heat-related illnesses and hospital visits tend to rise in the first few days of 85-degree weather, before bodies have adjusted to summer conditions, according to guidance posted by Winchester — and the season’s first serious heat arrived at
Rep. Michael S. Day passes bill establishing the Massachusetts consumer data privacy act
The following was submitted by the Office of Rep. Michael S. Day: Rep. Michael S. Day recently joined his colleagues in passing H.5472, An Act establishing the Massachusetts consumer data privacy act. This landmark legislation establishes essential consumer data privacy rights, provides consumers with greater control over their own
Winchester Beat releases local news survey
Residents encouraged to share their perspectives to inform local news coverage
Solar lesson turns Winchester’s Lynch School roof into a classroom
The $94 million school opened in August 2025 with an all-electric, net-zero design and a clean-energy project town officials call Winchester’s largest.
Winchester News awarded $75,000 Cummings Grant
Winchester nonprofit receives three years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Friends of the Fells ‘PoopBlitz’ documents 100+ pounds of dog waste in the Fells
The following was submitted by the Friends of the Fells: This April, Friends of the Fells staff and volunteers gathered at various locations in the Fells to collect data on dog waste left in the Reservation, calling the event a “PoopBlitz.” The name was inspired by a “bioblitz,” a community
Rep. Michael S. Day helps pass civil rights and technology bill
The following was submitted by the Office of Rep. Michael S. Day: Rep. Michael S. Day recently joined his colleagues in passing H.5444, An Act relative to civil rights and technology. Day, who chairs the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, helped re-draft the bill and carried the debate
Winchester climbs to No. 6 on SafeWise list of Massachusetts’ safest communities
The Middlesex County town moved up four places after holding its reported violent-crime rate at 0.2 incidents per 1,000 residents.
WIN Fast Forest and Grow Local will be giving away seedlings on Town Day
The following was submitted by the WIN Fast Forest: The WIN Fast Forest and Grow Local are giving away some 200 native seedlings and seed packets at their booth on Saturday, June 6 at Town Day. Mostly perennials, these plants will brighten your garden and draw pollinators of all sorts.