The Newton Beacon

11/21/2025

“The violence continues because we have a government that condones it,” Holly Ryan said. “We have to fight to protect everything that we have gained. Everything that we have fought for. We cannot go backwards.”

In May, 1995, a transgender woman named Debra Forte was beaten and stabbed to death in Haverhill. A few months later, on Nov. 20, 1995, a 23-year-old transgender woman named Chanelle Pickett was brutally murdered [...]

11/21/2025

Rev. Debra Haffner of First Unitarian Society in Newton speaks during their Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony.

11/21/2025

Holly Ryan, transgender activist and former City Councilor, speaks at First Unitarian Society in Newton during their Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony.

11/07/2025

On Thursday, thousands of people—city officials, legislators, members of Congress and everyday Newtonians alike—stood in a line that stretched through two floors of City Hall and out to the roundabout outside to say a proper farewell to a friend, leader and city icon.

On Thursday, thousands of people—city officials, legislators, members of Congress and everyday Newtonians alike—stood in a line that stretched through two floors of City Hall and out to the roundabout outside to say a proper [...]

11/05/2025

Aaron Goldman considered Setti Warren to be like a brother and went to work for him in City Hall. Now, he and the city are coping with Warren's sudden death.

To Aaron Goldman, former Mayor Setti Warren was like a brother. Now, Goldman is among many left coping with the news of Warren’s sudden death on Sunday. “It’s a huge void that will never be [...]

11/05/2025

It looks like the city's overnight parking ban will stay.

11/05/2025

Linda Swain, Ben Schlesinger, Jonathan Greene and Victor Lee are headed to the School Committee.

11/05/2025

Cyrus Dahmubed, Julie Irish, Sean Roche and Lisa Gordon are headed to the City Council after winning their respective races. And Joshua Krintzman has won reelection to a fifth term.

11/05/2025

Marc Laredo has won the race to be the next mayor of Newton.

11/03/2025

Tragic news this weekend. Former Mayor Setti Warren has died.

Setti Warren, mayor of Newton from 2010 to 2018, has died at age 55. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wrote in an email to the community that she was shocked to hear of Warren’s death. “Setti loved [...]

10/31/2025

The 2025 local election cycle has been a strange one, from a notably small mayoral candidate field to a political action committee targeting union-backed School Committee candidates.

NEWS ANALYSIS Newton’s election 2025 will go down as a history maker. Not only are several city councilors not running for reelection, this is also the first time there’s been a near-total exodus of the [...]

10/31/2025

The superintendent acknowledged that it’s uncommon for school officials to weigh in on housing projects but noted that the proposal for 85 Dudley Road has benefits that would help solve multiple problems for the city and the district.

Superintendent Anna Nolin is adding her voice to the housing development debate, at least for one proposal. Nolin recently sent a letter to the Land Use Committee urging approval of a special permit for a [...]