There’s pain buried within the budgets of town departments and committees in the form of salary freezes, reduced services, and, in the case of the schools, staff reductions and fewer offerings. It will be up to the Finance Committee and Select Board to do what they can to relieve it.

Beginning March 1, Massachusetts municipalities will no longer receive first-dose COVID-19 vaccines to distribute to their residents, except for 20 towns and cities identified by the state as disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

To better characterize the extent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, the state Department of Environmental Protection has announced free PFAS testing for select private wells.

The state reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Harvard for the week ending Feb. 23, bringing the town’s cumulative number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 107.

Although the town voted to fund a $40,000 conceptual design study for improving the Department of Public Works buildings, Town Hall has not yet published a request for proposals. That’s finally about to change.

The Planning Board has approved the Verizon cell tower on Woodchuck Hill Road, concluding the monthslong approval process for the controversial tower. 

The Planning Board has decided to propose two housing bylaws for Spring Town Meeting: an update to Harvard’s existing accessory apartment bylaw and a senior housing bylaw that would set the requirements for future senior housing bylaws. 

The Planning Board’s housing survey results are in: While Harvard’s citizens want senior housing and increased housing diversification, they also prefer housing types that fit Harvard’s current aesthetic.