Highlights from last night’s Town Meeting include: Approved a bylaw that will increase to $300 the fine for anyone caught smoking marijuana in public. Voters increased the school budget and, in a nonbinding vote, sent a message to selectmen to not to increase retirees’ insurance premiums. Town meeting debated the School Department budget for almost 90 minutes before increasing it [...]

The Central Congregational Church was severely damaged after a four-alarm blaze ripped through the antique structure Monday morning but firefighters managed to save several artifacts, the altar cross and the old Bible used for every service.  A two-story pipe organ  was lost in the blaze.  The Rev. Bruce D. Smith said the “white lace balcony” made of a rare bog iron survived, [...]

Nominations for the following properties being considered for listing or related actions in the National Register were received by the National Park Service before May 9, 2009. Pursuant to section 60.13 of 36 CFR part 60, written comments concerning the significance of these properties under the National Register criteria for evaluation may be forwarded by United States Postal Service, to [...]

In the ideal human resources world, employees would eagerly anticipate each benefits update, jumping at the chance to try the corporate intranet’s new self-service features or to pore through a detailed newsletter. Employees would read every benefits communication with zeal as they sat down, set work aside, and focused on the information before them. The reality of today’s employee is [...]

Despite their relative newness, companies are embracing Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking tools, blogs and webcasts for internal communications and as part of their overall technology mix, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt, a leading global consulting firm. Watson Wyatt’s 2009 HR Technology Trends Survey found that since the economic downturn began, 72 percent of employers [...]

Tours of one of the oldest cemeteries in the area will be offered Sunday, with guides showing off a burial ground that dates back to the 1600s that is also a special, pristine spot. Volunteer Carol Damon said Sunday’s “Stroll thru History” at Nemasket Hill Cemetery at 515 Plymouth St. will give visitors a sense of “what Middleboro used to [...]

PRSourceCode, a tech-focused content service provider connecting the public relations (PR), journalism, conference, and industry accolade communities, announced today the results of its 2009 “Best of the Blogs” study, which ranks the top technology blogs and most influential bloggers. Based on a survey conducted in the first quarter of 2009 of 246 technology PR professionals, the study not only names [...]

Middleboro has won an appeal before the Plympton Board of Assessors that reduces its tax payment on 25 acres of the Soule Farm that is in Plympton. Barbara Erickson, Middleboro’ sassessor-appraiser, said the Plympton Board of Assessors agreed to reduce the assessed value from $407,400 to $301,900. The reduction will mean a savings of $1,335.63 for fiscal year 2009. Erickson said [...]

Reviving the Traditional Press Release - It’s about time we breathe new life into the press release template.

Marketing professor Zsolt Katona, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and a team of researchers found that as the number of one’s online contacts increases, the average influential power of that networking individual decreases. From a marketer’s perspective, better understanding of consumer influencers is invaluable in developing successful marketing campaigns and effective viral marketing strategies. Katona recognized how [...]