Hurricane Irene Hit MA One Year Ago

1. It's going to be a rainy start to the day, according to the National Weather Service. The clouds should move along after 2 p.m. with temperatures in the mid 80s for the day and high 50s as night falls.

2. Today is the first anniversary of Hurricane Irene, that turned into a tropical storm when it hit Massachusetts communities causing power outages, downed trees and minor flooding.  who gave up-to-the-minute statuses of their towns. 

While many area communities saw severe home damage and others were without power for several days, . The  from the tropical storm. But, Winchester residents didn't avoid power loss completely, as . In response, Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office announced this month they are  "failed to adequately prepare, respond, and communicate during Tropical Storm Irene and the October 2011 snowstorm".

3.  is now . Palliative care is for patients and their families as they face either chronic conditions or life-limiting illnesses like Alzheimer’s, congestive heart failure or cancer, while hospice manages symptoms and enhances quality of life in the last months of a patient’s life. Both programs provide guidance on physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues.

4. We are starting a new monthly series today. You will be able to read about restaurant news from neighboring communities. Since we all travel for a good meal, you can see highlights consisting of opening, closes and awards. .

5. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse said roughly 17 percent of American high school students engage in smoking, drinking or doing drugs during the school day. And about 44 percent said they knew of a classmate selling drugs. We asked if you think this is a problem in our high school. .

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