'Comfort Station' At 'Methadone Mile' Sees Its End: The HUB

The HUB is a daily newsletter designed for what you want — to be caught up on the most interesting, important news in 5 minutes or less. It's a little bit of this, a little bit of that, but if there's something you want more or less of, email me at jimmy.bentley@patch.com.

Today is Wednesday, September 1. Let's get started.

The "comfort station," on a stretch of Boston known as "Methadone Mile" closed permanently, acting Mayor Kim Janey's office said Tuesday.

The station, located in a fenced-off lot on Atkinson Street near the border of Roxbury and the South End, served people who are homeless and battling drug addiction. It provided portable toilets, hand-washing sinks and outreach services.

Janey said the facility closed July 29 because of security concerns. But despite the initial, violent crime continued in the area. On. Aug. 23, a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death near the comfort station's former location, according to Boston police. Janey said the city is taking other steps to improve public health and safety in the neighborhood that has become marked by widespread homelessness and open-air drug use.

"In just the past week, we referred 55 people into treatment," Janey said. "This is life-saving work. We are also targeting exploitative and criminal behavior in the area. Over the past month, we have made more than 30 drug-related arrests. There is more work to be done for those who are suffering from substance use and mental health issues. We will continue to take a coordinated approach to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood."

Read more from the Boston Herald.

Top stories

The Supreme Court recently struck down a nationwide eviction moratorium, but that didn't stop Boston city officials from banning evictions indefinitely. Under the ban, landlords are prohibited from pursuing eviction proceedings, though details of how it will be enforced were not made immediately clear. Though eviction bans have faced criticism and legal challenges from landlords, city officials said it's needed because of the threat of the delta variant. Epidemiologists say evictions can increase the spread of COVID-19, because it can force tenants to become transient or live in tight quarters with relatives. (Boston Globe)

I love my job, don't get me wrong, but ask most people, and I'm sure most would say an early retirement sounds great. It seems many Massachusetts teachers agree. A group of Bay State educators will make a push on Beacon Hill for an early retirement bill Wednesday before the Joint Committee on Public. The bill would allow teachers to purchase years of service or age, while simultaneously allowing school districts to usher in a set of new hires. (Boston Herald)

The same Jamaica Plain school which settled a lawsuit accusing school administrators of failing to protect a student from sexual assault, has found itself in hot water again. The Mission Hill K-8 Pilot School is facing allegations it failed to stop students from bullying a gender-nonconforming student. Colman Herman from Commonwealth Magazine writes that although the bullying happened between 2014 and 2019, it only came to the attention of Boston Public Schools' central office in February, when a parent contacted school Superintendent Brenda Casellius. (CommonWealth Magazine)

If you have a minute

Said Noor's family members left their homes in Kabul, Afghanistan, in the dark of night Friday to escape the Taliban. Noor's family headed to a gas station and met a U.S. Marine, who ushered the code words: "Tom Brady," as a signal they were in safe hands to make their dangerous trek to Hamid Karzai International Airport, and eventually out of Afghanistan.

Noor, an Afghan interpreter for U.S. Troops now lives in Houston, but was able to get his family out of harms ways thanks to a local connection.

Noor worked with Justin Pothier, a member of the Massachusetts National Guard and the son of a Boston Globe editor. A Globe reporter asked Rep. Seth Moulton if he knew about Noor's case. Once the reporter told Moulton Noor's story, the congressman worked to help secure the safety of the man's safety. (Boston Globe)

A lighter touch

The New England Patriots' release of Cam Newton put an end to a months-long quarterback battle and ushered in a new age for the team, with rookie Mac Jones becoming the starter. Many outside the Patriots organization (including myself) viewed the decision as difficult, but the Boston Globe's Tara Sullivan thinks Newton made coach Bill Belichick's decision easy by not getting vaccinated against COVID-19. (Boston Globe)

Did you know: There's apparently five places in Boston that are the best places to buy shoes. Last week, Kev's Best helped fill our stomachs by naming the best steakhouses in the city. And now, Kevin Osborne is back, recommending some local stores worth checking out to find a new pair of kicks. (Kev's Best)

Weather: A chance of showers, mainly after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 75. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

– Jimmy Bentley

About me: Jimmy Bentley is a Massachusetts and Rhode Island field editor for Patch covering Cape Cod, Braintree, Barrington, East Greenwich, East Providence and North Kingstown. He was a reporter at the Plympton-Halifax Express and interned for Patch while earning his master's at Emerson College. In his free time, Jimmy hits concerts (sometimes reviewing them for Patch), watches movies and plays ice hockey. Email: jimmy.bentley@patch.com Twitter: @PatchBentley