[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6297336,"mediaKeyId","2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14","parentId",2510240,"title","Health director flags missing air-quality reports, corrects school‑health language and announces sharps takeback","audioSeconds",388,"startMs",1282000,"endMs",1670000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14&start=1282&end=1670","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14/thumbnail_1282000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6297336/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Health-director-flags-missing-air-quality-reports-corrects-schoolhealth-language-and-announces-sharps-takeback","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6297336-f54adb97bf41ba9ba29f7a55b7e30e0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170890&Signature=hBEEUJk9K6o1IW~~MM4VgYgEV6KBWrWqu-KZvqbL5lLOfTWj6hO24bZRC6BRvqBqu1UjmFmggwvBep0Ve-W~AO6Kgc~woFaZZ91AFeXStrh91N93XaJjrGCYc~FFeDd5eXdUP-U7vInwWO7wQkrUWl1b84fv5p-M~Ko~Mjcrd4LNpLZEIx5FLwgD-cmSifcZIiduWAR9TkBYN5MCEcuxjDJPjxX1BPnfDm~T4CADDFbMtYujf9lasbYH3TLp0lzw6SnhKxmlw~QGxvh9QdOgr~yd7sQ5t9FPGMH33zfhxMIF-j~L9XwIK8IHyLJfRUFRuOfZAOjw0HRgsJSsQrFiHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lowell City, MA","date","2025-03-06T01:00:15Z","article","HHS Director Golden told the Lowell Board of Health on March 5 that the department has not received recent air-quality reports from the contractor Cashion's and will contact the vendor to seek missing monthly results.

“I have not had a report since November. I have asked twice for reports,” Golden said. She said she would call the contractor to determine whether testing has been performed and to request the missing reports for inclusion in the next packet.

Board members also asked for a wording correction in the Board of Health Substance Abuse and Prevention Division’s school‑health overview. A bullet in the packet said the co‑op “provided inpatient detox treatment services to 16 clients.” Golden and staff agreed the entry should read that the co‑op referred 16 clients to inpatient detox services; staff said they would correct the language for the packet.

Golden also summarized a staffing decision about a grant: the department opted not to continue a PEC grant aimed at preschool-age children because the program had difficulty engaging families and retaining a staff member, and the personnel focus shifted to other successful grants serving older youth.

Finally, the department promoted a community unwanted‑medication and sharps takeback on Saturday, March 15, at the Senior Center on Broadway: a drive‑through event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can drop off sharps and unwanted medication without leaving their vehicles.

Staff said that if the missing air‑quality reports for December–March are normal, they will include only any abnormal results in the next packet; otherwise they will provide the full set of results.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lowell Board of Health - March 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","HHS Director Golden told the board that recent air-quality reports from a contractor have not been received, staff corrected language about detox referrals in the school-health packet, and the department announced a community sharps and unwanted medication takeback on March 15.","taxTitle","Lowell City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4223,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6297340,"Chelmsford, Dracut ban kratom; Lowell Board hears regional coordination",49,1019000,1068000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14&start=1019&end=1068","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14/thumbnail_1019000.jpg","/articles/6297340/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Chelmsford-Dracut-ban-kratom-Lowell-Board-hears-regional-coordination","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6297340-024578613c2366e2cc896349a842d8fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170890&Signature=QgA9LwqtPgQy02zPQqUdq-zZZvu3Wrwv9t-Txc9WqmtYecNNa3-lhAtOz2hbE6ctXgTAH4-KPHicNvwRCTJm6SFLKPahJaImTwbIbmGyRziFbsUmKDqR16OOaNN3MwC0vh382A52S7D-KE3E2pdM9GtPFA-6lG~Sp-8RsrfR3GEwW7u7f40WuPeTXmY1G1KjOymf8BdMqh41pEbGpuaPO9ErZbykYzqegnuUlS1GRSKVDV55MAs~CF5Xha1b2ey~oO3X4QyDbILW6YYWj5a33paA~Rk1sR~xQXhueSNXTIEc-sZrD7Qqu2kb7PanrfYa79vKbTXaS66-73sYJspb8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Health on March 5 was told that neighboring Chelmsford and Dracut have passed bans on kratom and that the Middlesex District Attorney, Marian Ryan, plans to address kratom at an opioid task-force meeting and to discuss supporting a state-level approach.

A staff member reported that Chelmsford voted to ban kratom and that Dracut has also enacted a ban. The speaker said the district attorney’s office had invited the Board to describe Lowell’s approach and that the DA’s task force planned to consider regional coordination and state legislative options.

Board members had no additional action; the item was informational. No local regulatory change in Lowell was proposed at the meeting.","Board members were briefed that neighboring towns have banned kratom and that the Middlesex District Attorney plans to discuss a broader regional/state-level approach with the opioid task force.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6297345,"Development services: five new businesses; inspector flags problems at Northwood Rehab",276,140000,416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14&start=140&end=416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14/thumbnail_140000.jpg","/articles/6297345/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Development-services-five-new-businesses-inspector-flags-problems-at-Northwood-Rehab","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6297345-640a484d5130fd349a409ba3b814a6c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170890&Signature=l8SzypZvuWDyz5BvMJ3h6eZzCTJ9OCWByxGsWMHHO~LTp-gdbSaDqrbcNgQyLRlZ4iiR5jQYLNWiWJWRdE9yodblprCn0JAMgvGyBJ9Qsyfw07GfvHHq7Z8bnCvyTd74GRXeHkg49xd0JwkcyoGKlQAAofnkGyc1IvzPGLrTPoaxDP-yMrMt6dNqH35KAl2ajOL-jpCUuxzliKRtlYplkoW11ufH7eTpGlCk75J9kGlW3QX5Dj-8ZvddsEtAJKYxM3pJMZyAJuWWstFx76J3yqZwQCMaGCgHfmMn4nlvwEApRlBnZgteDWhSVEcWQ2I-bebrUX2pgCFZUI-3K5taBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matthew Shane presented the development services report to the Board of Health on March 5, saying five new businesses opened in the city since the previous meeting and that one fire-damaged store on Middlesex Street is now open and operational.

Shane reported three establishments failed inspections during the reporting period; he identified Northwood Rehab on Bonham Avenue as the site with recurring problems that are partly outside the department’s purview because contractors have not been paid. Shane said staff had flagged issues to the state and would include any new developments in the next meeting report. “I made the call,” Shane said when asked whether he had notified the Department of Public Health about the facility’s problems.

Shane and the board discussed inspection counts and formatting of the monthly list; staff said the exported spreadsheet appeared shorter on the packet but that the full list would be available and that inspection frequency remains standard for the regulated categories. The board asked the department to verify why some establishments (examples given: Dunkin’ Donuts and Hong Kong Market) had gaps of 11 months since their last inspection, and Shane said he would check and report back.

No formal action was taken; staff will follow up on Northwood Rehab and provide updated inspection records in the next packet.","Matthew Shane reported five new business openings, three failed inspections during the reporting period and staff concerns about maintenance and unpaid contractors at Northwood Rehab; inspectors will follow up.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6297349,"Lowell sees decline in overdose calls; health department pilots machine-learning classification",598,432000,1030000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14&start=432&end=1030","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14/thumbnail_432000.jpg","/articles/6297349/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Lowell-sees-decline-in-overdose-calls-health-department-pilots-machine-learning-classification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6297349-df644dba53857ca1cf91bf11a5d71185/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170890&Signature=WYPvCLC9f~c4NByAnasjeXHRAJw27TwvZaDHP6S1FZy9l4wVSYeBQyb-I~Z-1wk18Zunfk6qTwBNFbYYZWC-0hE~-97b2rn5RPJnv~LCFJ7AooYnSkKwGYMsgPDdSn0zE~WWilQh~ulzEzAJigV~Ad9QkomvLkX8mXK0IfUk1uzgsdZ1pHkZkzaL0~pZu4b9jXwr75gcfTm3wg5WqgdzIbd6KOmsgXbu1JLB9gPNFv9U7ZaZLR5UBb5X30hbPNavPghK6kfS53Pgi7upBj7~B57ze9KQAyrIfa68LyMVXWFZSADAv6F1CVVtqKyv~wclHB1EVhW~wQ3uHoqfTDCZUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lowell Health Department staff told the Board of Health on March 5 that opioid-related calls and Narcan administrations have fallen significantly from the epidemic peak and that the department is piloting machine‑learning to help categorize overdose reports.

“We had 460 overdoses in the city last year,” said Mr. Kelly, who presented the January opioid report and a year‑end recap covering 2011–2024. He said the city’s overdose volume has fallen toward earlier levels and that the drop was evident in January reporting. “The numbers are so low,” he said, after the report was re-run to confirm the figure.

Mr. Kelly described an existing internal program in which a staff member, “Joe,” reviews and categorizes opiate reports and said Tufts School of Medicine data scientists have trained models to reproduce that work. “Right now they’re up to about 94% accuracy,” Mr. Kelly said. The department has applied for a CDC grant to expand the automated system to five agencies nationwide to test whether the approach generalizes beyond Lowell.

The department also presented the fourth-quarter EMS and response-time report. Staff said total call volume remained roughly steady while some incidents compressed into multiple simultaneous calls, and that out‑of‑service or “out-of-shoot” times are a major factor in extended response times. “We’re not fully staffed,” Mr. Kelly said, explaining that workload and fewer trucks on the road increase on-scene or turnaround time. The department has begun running a daily manual ‘‘shoot’’ report and distributing it to supervisors to address patterns in delayed response times.

The board asked for small edits to the published report (for example, correcting a mislabeled quarter column and clarifying where intubation entries apply to Lowell versus the company overall). Staff said they would correct the packet for the next meeting.

No formal action was taken on the reports; the Board received the presentations and asked staff to return corrected materials.","Lowell Health Department reported a substantial drop in opioid-related calls compared with recent peaks and described a machine‑learning project with Tufts to automate case classification; EMS response times and staffing were also discussed.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6297354,"Lowell Board of Health backs staged increase to body-art permit fee",212,1106000,1318000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14&start=1106&end=1318","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2510240-120c3213d138463e084715529fcb0e14/thumbnail_1106000.jpg","/articles/6297354/Lowell-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Lowell-Board-of-Health-backs-staged-increase-to-body-art-permit-fee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6297354-c6b0acea65281b18565cec042322f348/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170890&Signature=gZoEDgN3sf6k0w06iA6MVGZewjAp6GqD65k9MWQdtCFewsGz1e5Rnf8AggUvkeBtCL3zdXTl7EPLV5io7PRjFhlKKNwnqXBAalDsLFS7vdlPW890zanb0-3swn9RdmsdNvNSMmwwl03~TZyMYzb4K2r2c~rOHbM026MIbN4IhKgDOUJJsh97Af9st-L~Vi37l9sJLTl-Sh-~0GCE-WZ-3avDNhPmiWHQ0VqbmJV6xj7oN2CJDlBn5XiM~eeFv5NCFQvSFCqdFgSkVlvcv9u5kJ3FlvVpNj9dPD-CL7M0Mno3-uFn5tt6L8iRL3BmzoFt8ccMS2d2qYwMpHUaMnSdiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lowell Board of Health on March 5 voted to send a memo to the City Council recommending a staged increase in body-art establishment permitting fees to $375 effective Jan. 1, 2026, and $500 effective Jan. 1, 2027.

The recommendation was presented after discussion of a city-council request and a previous public hearing. Board members said the schedule allows a gradual increase rather than an immediate jump. “The recommendation was, for it to go to $375 as of January 2026 and $500 as of 01/01/2027,” the board chair said during the discussion.

The board’s action at the meeting was limited to approving the recommendation and asking the secretary to send a memo to the City Council. A member moved the motion and another member seconded; the board then voted in favor with an aye vote called at the meeting. The vote was to forward the recommended fee schedule and not final adoption by the City Council, which will hold its own public hearing and may request the matter return to the Board of Health for additional comment.

Board members discussed the language of the motion and confirmed that the motion was only to forward the recommendation; final regulatory changes remain with the City Council and any related regulatory filings. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: the board’s secretary will formalize the recommendation in a memo to the City Council, and the Council is expected to schedule another public hearing before any change becomes law.","The Board voted to send a memo to the City Council recommending raising body-art establishment permitting fees to $375 on Jan. 1, 2026 and $500 on Jan. 1, 2027, with further public hearings to follow.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Health director flags missing air-quality reports, corrects school‑health language and announces sharps takeback

Chelmsford, Dracut ban kratom; Lowell Board hears regional coordination

Development services: five new businesses; inspector flags problems at Northwood Rehab

Lowell sees decline in overdose calls; health department pilots machine-learning classification

Lowell Board of Health backs staged increase to body-art permit fee