BOSTON – Wednesday, November 19, 2025 – Representative LaNatra joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in unanimously supporting legislation that strengthens protections for health care workers, establishes preventive and protective standards to reduce the risk of violence, improves health care facility incident reporting, enhances interagency coordination to safeguard privacy, and creates legal protections for certain employees harmed in the line of duty.
“Our health care workforce is the backbone of Massachusetts nation-leading health care system. For too long, this workforce has endured violence in the workplace that has gone unaddressed on a state level.” said Representative Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “It is our job to ensure that health care workers do not have to worry for their own safety while trying to deliver the best care for their patients. This legislation affirms the Legislature’s commitment to protecting and strengthening the health care workforce and is a critical step in reducing workplace violence and giving workers the protections and benefits they deserve when it does happen. Thank you to Speaker Mariano, Chairman Lawn and Chairman Cahill for their leadership and thank you to Massachusetts Nurses Association, 1199SEIU and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association for working collaboratively with the legislature to address the health care workplace violence crisis.”
Every 38 minutes in Massachusetts health care facilities someone, most often a clinician or an employee, is physically assaulted, endures verbal abuse, or is threatened, according to the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. Violence against health care workers most often occurs in emergency rooms, inpatient units and psychiatric units. To support a culture of safety and respect in health care facilities, the bill passed takes the following approach:
Prevention Plans, Training and Reporting
• Establishes a statewide requirement for health care employers to address workplace violence through a standardized framework, requiring annual and facility-specific risk assessments conducted with employees and labor representatives to identify factors that place staff at risk.
• Mandates a written violence prevention plan that includes hazard mitigation strategies, employee training, post-incident debriefing and a crisis response program.
• Requires annual reporting of workplace violence incidents to the Department of Public Health (DPH) and district attorneys, supporting statewide and county-level data tracking while maintaining data privacy. The de-identified data will be publicly published and categorized by occupation and incident type.
• Imposes civil penalties against a health care employer for noncompliance (up to $2,000 per violation) and protects employees from retaliation.
Criminal Protections and Penalties for Assaults Against a Health Care Workers
The bill codifies graduated penalties for assaulting an employee or contracted employee in the line of duty. With 91 percent of violent incidents in hospitals committed by patients against workers, it focuses on health care settings where violence is most prevalent. Strengthening these protections ensures that direct health care providers, and the staff who support facility operations, on-site administrative work, security, or emergency medical transportation, have an opportunity to seek the justice that they are entitled to through the following penalties:
• Assault causing bodily injury: Up to 5 years in state prison, up to 2.5 years in a jail or house of correction, a fine of $500 – $5,000, or combination of imprisonment and fines.
• Assault causing serious bodily injury: Up to 10 years in state prison, up to 2.5 years in a jail or house of correction, a fine of $500 – $5,000 fine, or combination of imprisonment and fines.
Paid Leave for Employees
This bill establishes that employees directly employed by a health care employer in high-acuity settings, who suffer workplace violence resulting in bodily injury or serious bodily injury are entitled to paid leave without using any accrued time (vacation, sick or personal).
Privacy Protection for Employees and Union Members
Victims of workplace violence who are employed directly by a health care facility, or who are union members, may provide either the address of their health care facility or that of their labor organization instead of their personal home address for all court documents related to a workplace violence incident.
Alternative Pathways for Behavioral and Mental Health and Data Protection
• Mandates a statewide report from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to improve care and alternative treatment options for those with mental or behavioral health diagnoses, and for criminal justice patients.
• Requires identification of new, non-arrest pathways to reduce unnecessary criminal justice involvement for high-acuity behavioral health patients.
• All recommendations must include strong safeguards, penalties for data misuse, and full compliance with federal confidentiality laws, including heightened protections for behavioral health and substance-use information.
• Ensures that improving data sharing of workplace violence incidents to improve safety does not come at the expense of any patient or health care worker’s privacy.
The bill passed the House of Representatives 158-0. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

North Easton Savings Bank is proud to announce its continued leadership in the Massachusetts’ banking landscape, as confirmed by the recently released FDIC Deposit Market Share Report. In a competitive field of 14 banks, five of which are among the nation’s largest, North Easton Savings Bank has emerged as a standout performer, capturing more than one-third of all market growth across its 10-town footprint.
Data indicate that the overall market grew by $297.87 million in deposits over the past year, with North Easton Savings Bank comprising $107.12 million or 35.96% of that total. While the regional 10-town FDIC market grew 3.4%, North Easton Savings Bank’s deposits were up 7.5% year-over-year – indicating that better than one in three who moved funds transferred them to the Bank. The Bank’s performance reflects a growing preference among consumers and businesses to choose institutions that not only understand and support their local needs, but also have a solid understanding of the mobile-first digital landscape we are all living in.
The Bank views FDIC Deposit Market Share numbers as a “back of the baseball card”-type stat sheet that reflects customer preference, competitive strength, and community trust.
“We have a motivated and talented team here that is relentlessly focused on creating positive outcomes for their clients,” stated Rich Spencer, President and CEO of North Easton Savings Bank. “Our growth in the market is a reflection of our growth in service platforms, tech-integrations, and most importantly – people. I believe we are creating something special here, we’re working hard at it, and the most recent FDIC data tell me the families and businesses of Massachusetts are noticing.”
North Easton Savings Bank’s recent performance in the FDIC Deposit Market Share arrives during a time of celebration at the Bank, as it has recently finished renovations on new banking centers, received local and national awards as a best place to work, and is managing total assets that are at an all-time high. The Bank is looking to continue its current pace via the addition of its new commercial banking teams, the launch of a family banking suite, and expanded service platforms through mobile and in-person channels. At North Easton Savings Bank, all deposits are insured in full as a member of both the FDIC and DIF.

CARVER, KINGSTON, PLYMOUTH, MIDDLEBORO, LAKEVILLE, and PLYMPTON, MA, ISSUED OCTOBER 24, 2025… Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth (HFHGP; www.hfhplymouth.org), a nonprofit organization with a mission of providing decent affordable housing for low income households in the region, is now accepting applications from income-qualified local residents who wish to own an affordable 3-bedroom home, with mortgage, in Carver.  Selection for this opportunity will be made by lottery, with a first preference for          U.S. military Veterans with honorable discharge.
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership for households earning 30 – 60% of the area median income (AMI).  Applicants should either work or live in one of the affiliate’s service area towns—Carver, Plymouth, Kingston, Plympton, Middleboro, and Lakeville—and must meet income guidelines required to be a Habitat for Humanity homeowner. Household size should suit the size of this modest 3-bedroom home without overcrowding. Applicants must also agree to Habitat’s model of putting in ‘sweat equity’ hours helping to build their own home alongside volunteers and/or helping the organization in other ways.
This is a partnership project between HFHGP and the Town of Carver, with a goal of providing housing to a military Veteran and family.  All qualified applicants will be placed in a lottery drawing. Habitat homes are not gifted; once finished, HFHGP will sell the home to the selected homeowner, who will hold a mortgage for $242,848.  The property will be deed restricted as an affordable unit in perpetuity. Important details about eligibility, requirements, income limits and the application process can be found at www.hfhplymouth.org/own-a-home.
Anyone interested in learning more are strongly encouraged to attend one of the two upcoming public information sessions:  Saturday, October 25 at 4 pm at the Habitat ReStore, 160 N. Main Street, Carver; and Wednesday, October 29 at 5:30pm at the Carver Public Library, 2 Meadowbrook Way, Carver.  There is no advance registration for Info Sessions; attendance is not required to apply but it is highly encouraged to learn about the many details involved in Habitat homeownership.
The deadline to submit completed applications is December 4, 2025 at 5 PM; applications can be dropped off at the Habitat office or ReStore located at 160 N. Main St., Carver, or mailed to HFHGP, PO Box 346, Carver, MA  02330; email is not permitted.  Applications are available for pick up at the Habitat ReStore (160 N. Main St., Carver) and at any of the public libraries or Veteran Service Officer offices in HFHGP’s service area (above); or by downloading from www.hfhplymouth.org/own-a-home.  Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth is an Equal Housing Lender.

MARSHFIELD, BROCKTON, Road to Responsibility (RTR; http://roadtoresponsibility.org), one of the region’s largest and most successful nonprofit organizations supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, announces the opening of a new residential program, located on Wendell Avenue in Brockton, Massachusetts.
The residence was formerly used to house Boston College graduate students participating in a teaching program at a nearby Catholic school. The 16-bedroom, 7-bathroom home includes three kitchens and a garage used for storage for a church-run food pantry. Following the dissolution of the teaching program and the departure of its final resident, the house was made available to RTR by a private owner.
The food pantry operations will continue from the garage, and the home will now provide a nurturing environment for five young adults with Autism and complicating needs.
While this marks the 52nd residence operated by RTR, this is the first home located in the city of Brockton, expanding the reach of the organization to provide more services to more people.  Similar to other RTR residential programs, the Brockton home offers a supportive environment with a wide range of services, 24-hour staffing, and independent living options including smart technology.
“This residence is a powerful example of how spaces can evolve to meet changing needs,” said Christopher T. White, Ed.D., president and CEO of Road to Responsibility. “We’re deeply grateful for the opportunity to repurpose this home and continue our mission of empowering individuals to live with dignity, support, and connection, and to bring our services to the great city of Brockton.”

Kingston, Mass. — Plymouth songwriter and musician Michael Shea will present “The Rise of the Singer/Songwriter in American Music: From Bob Dylan to Joni Mitchell to Billy Joel” on Tuesday, October 14 at 6p.m. at the Kingston Council on Aging (30 Evergreen St., Kingston, MA).
Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, Shea will trace the development of the unique self-contained performer (lyricist, composer, singer and instrumentalist) in American popular music from 1952 through the present. This phenomenon grew out of Folk Revival of the 1960s, developed beside and against all other genres while continuing to flourish for decades. Lyrics influenced by poetry, structures borrowed from folk, country, blues, and traditional music accompanied with vocals, subjects and themes that reflected a more personal and intimate (sometimes autobiographical) vision or experience together are characteristics that distinguished the movement.
The 75-minute set will be comprised of songs that include many of the following well-known artists including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Greg Allman, Bonnie Raitt, Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel and many others. Preluding each piece will be biographical facts and anecdotes about the artists and their songs.
Shea is a professional guitarist, singer, and songwriter who has performed for four decades at numerous venues, such as Bridgewater State University, the Blackthorn Tavern, the South Shore Folk Music Club, the Spire Center for the Performing Arts, and the annual Falmouth Arts Alive Festival. Most recently, he was half of the successful duo Lewis and Shea that performed “Songs and Stories of the American Folk Revival” at local senior centers and libraries on the South Shore during the spring of 2024.
This program is sponsored in part by a grant from the Kingston Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
To register for this event, please visit – https://kingstonpubliclibrary.org. For more information, you can contact Steven Miller, Reference Librarian at (781) 585-0517 x6272 or at smiller@kingstonma.gov.

For almost two decades, I have been deeply involved in town government including 12 years serving as a selectman and 15 years as chair of the Community Preservation Committee. As the sale of my home at Just Right Farm is imminent, I write today to let you know that effective Friday, Sept. 26, I am resigning from the Plympton Board of Selectmen, Plympton Community Preservation Committee and Area 58 Board of Directors.
It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the unique little town of Plympton. Throughout, I have tried as much as possible to encourage and foster civility and transparency in town government, and especially to encourage the preserving of Plympton’s charm and unique rural character…all this while remaining ever cognizant of the substantial tax burden our citizens must bear. It is a challenging and endless battle to keep our tax rate under control while still delivering essential services.
Of the many projects in which I have been involved, I particularly savored the opportunity during my tenure to be part of the creation of three protected areas (Churchill Park/Cato’s Ridge, Two Brooks Preserve and Turkey Swamp). Each of these projects exemplifies what can be accomplished with creative, collaborative multi-sourced funding which minimized cost to taxpayers. Each, though arduous, was a fascinating and thoroughly rewarding exercise. The end result was several hundred acres preserved in perpetuity at very modest cost.
I am deeply appreciative of the chance to serve and am so very thankful for the opportunity to be purposeful. Even with the occasional bumps and inevitable bruises that are an integral part of town politics, it has been rewarding beyond measure.
While no longer living here, Kim and I will not be so far away and we will surely be rooting from the sidelines. I heartily encourage others to get involved, continue the work and make a difference even if it means stretching a little (or a lot). Don’t miss the opportunity!

Heartfelt thanks,
Mark Russo