Familiar barriers hinder city’s growth 

Christopher King, husband of Jonathan Clayton, interim city clerk for the City of Peabody, reported him missing on Aug. 3. His disappearance has left his family, friends, and the City of Peabody scrambling for answers. The disappearance: Clayton’s last known phone conversation was with Peabody Mayor Catherine Weems at 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 3. Clayton mentioned attending a PMSA meeting at 11:30 a.m. and that his husband, Christopher King, was unwell. Weems noted no changes in Clayton’s behavior “Even our conversation on Saturday morning seemed perfectly normal,” Weems said. However, when Clayton failed to appear at the meeting, concerns arose. “A [...]

Planning is underway to update a portion of Sixth Street in Halstead, making it safer for students on their way to school. “It will make it safer for children to walk,” Halstead City Clerk Julie Wait said. This is part of the Safe Routes to School project Halstead is working on. Wait said from Sixth to 10th Street, there are no sidewalks. “They [students] are walking in the street,” Wait said. Wait said the project would also improve the existing sidewalks. Wait added that the proposed improvements would make the street more visually appealing, as well. Halstead received a $400,000 Transportation [...]

With the City of Halstead still awaiting feedback from Concurrent LLC, the planning commission tentatively set a public hearing for their next meeting on Monday, Sept. 16. City Manager Ethan Reimer hoped this would get a response from Concurrent, a company wishing to locate a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Halstead. The commission listed regulations at a meeting in June. The city attorney then sent the regulations to Concurrent but hadn’t heard back. “I’m hoping this will put pressure on them,” Reimer said. Reimer said if he told them there was another public hearing, he hoped that would encourage Concurrent [...]