(Additional photographs below.) If you make a list of the events and community initiatives that are Haverhill’s hallmark, most involve a Team Haverhill effort. For 20 years the nonprofit, independent and all-volunteer community action group has been taking great ideas and turning them into reality—from the 19-week Haverhill Farmers Market and Thursday Night Live summer concert series on Bradford Common to September’s…

Haverhill Police issued a rare reassurance Thursday that recent cooperation between the department and federal agents in making crime-related arrests is not related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement—or ICE—activity. The department said in a social media post that “Haverhill Police does not conduct civil immigration enforcement and does not inquire about an individual’s immigration status when responding to calls for service or during routine police activity.” Police explained, consistent with longstanding department policy, “Our goal is to ensure that all residents feel safe contacting the police when they need assistance.”

Three new firefighters joined the Haverhill Fire Department after graduating last week from the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. Juan Jimenez, John Von Nessen and Derek Clark were among 28 firefighters to complete training during the 50-day Career Recruit Firefighting Training Program. Besides Haverhill, Academy Class 335 represented the fire departments of Bedford, Belmont, Chelsea, Needham, Peabody, Reading, Sudbury, Sutton, Taunton, Tewksbury, Wayland and Woburn.

Bayberry at Emerald Court hosts members and guests of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce early in February for a Networking at Noon lunch. Bayberry at Emerald Court provides independent living, assisted living and Avita Memory Care. The gathering takes place Wednesday, Feb. 4, from noon to 1:15 p.m., at Bayberry at Emerald Court, 2000 Emerald Court, Tewksbury. Admission is $20 each for Merrimack Valley Chamber members and $30 each for non-members and spaces may be reserved online at MerrimackValleyChamber.com or by calling 978-686-0900.

A few copies of the third annual Haverhill Fire Department and Sweet Paws Rescue calendar are still available, with proceeds going to support a “forever home” for the charity that rescues cats and dogs. Haverhill firefighters appear with rescue dogs within the glossy, color calendar produced by Jarvi Productions photographer Michael Jarvis of Haverhill. Sweet Paws Rescue recently purchased the 20-acre Spring Tide Farm in Boxford to carry on its animal sanctuary.

A languishing plan to reduce train noise around the Bradford station by moving parked trains to another location was revived by the Haverhill City Council Tuesday after a resident complained rumbling from the rail lines has intensified since The Beck apartment complex was constructed. Paul Bellos, who lives above the train station on Laurel Avenue, said he has suffered permanent hearing loss as well as sleep deprivation, blaming train sounds that reverberate off the five-story apartment building.

Haverhill city councilors approved a five-year Housing Production plan Tuesday that calls for the city to create zones for smaller starter homes, offer additional tax breaks for seniors who want to stay in their homes and appointing five representatives to an Affordable Housing Trust. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett called the plan “aspirational” and a road map that would help the city qualify for state grants.

The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce is recognizing the law firm of Sheehan, Schiavoni, Jutras and Magliocchetti as its member of the month. In a statement, Chamber officials praised the downtown Haverhill firm for its commitment to the community. “For years, this outstanding firm has been a trusted and supportive partner of the Chamber, always willing to share their time, expertise and guidance to help strengthen our business community.

Orlando Pacheco, Georgetown’s town administrator, was appointed to Wednesday to serve on the Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School’s Regional Agreement Amendment Committee by the Whittier Tech School Committee. Michael Colburn, chair of the Salisbury Select Board, and Sharif Zeid, a Newburyport city councilor, were also appointed alternates for their communities. Pacheco served as Haverhill’s purchasing agent before taking the administrator’s position in Lancaster in 2017…

Haverhill native author and historian David Goudsward’s latest book, “Adventurous Liberation,” was recently released from Bold Venture Press. “Adventurous Liberation” is a look at horror author H. P. Lovecraft’s visits to Florida and its influence in his writings. Because Lovecraft’s visits revolve around his correspondents in amateur journalism, Goudsward makes note how this also refers back to his contact in Haverhill, Charles W.

Nearly 90 traffic stops resulted in the discovery of 106 commercial vehicle violations during a joint enforcement exercise between New Hampshire State Police and Plaistow Police Department. This past Tuesday, state troopers assigned to the Troop G barracks partnered with members of the Plaistow Police Department to address Plaistow residents’ concerns about unsafe operation of commercial vehicle there. Both agencies worked together to deter and detect excessive speed, violations of weight restrictions, driving on restricted roads and other unsafe behaviors.

Rank-and-file police officers in Haverhill could be equipped with body cameras by the end of the year after the Haverhill City Council ratified its contract with the patrolmen’s union Tuesday. As WHAV reported last month, the Haverhill Patrolman’s Association agreed to wear the equipment as part of the three-year pact which is retroactive to last July 1. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett told councilors Haverhill Police Chief Wayne Tracy has already applied for a state grant to pay for the cameras.

Creative Haverhill is offering “Where Color Meets Quiet,” a winter exhibition celebrating the work of three local women. The free exhibition by Denise Chesky, Pixie Yates and Tina Rawson features painting, ceramics and mixed media is on display through Friday, Feb. 6, at Creative Haverhill, 43 Washington St., Haverhill. “Winter can feel long and heavy, and this show is an invitation to pause, breathe and be reminded of how much color matters,” says Creative Haverhill Director Erin Padilla.

State Rep. Ryan M. Hamilton, who represents Haverhill and Methuen, addresses Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce’s new “Civic Mornings” program in Methuen. The Chamber describes “Civic Mornings” as “Bringing influential public and private figures together with the local business community for crucial conversations around the challenges and opportunities our region faces.” Hamilton speaks and takes questions during the free talk Wednesday, Feb.

Pam Noon, outreach coordinator at Visiting Angels in Rowley, gives a free talk to at Groveland Council on Aging about resources available for older residents aging at home. Noon’s talk, “Building the Bridges to Care,” is Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 10:30 a.m., at Groveland Town Hall, 183 Main St., Groveland. She will cover companion care, shopping assistance, housekeeping and transportation as well as the advantages of working with an agency such as hers.

Haverhill Police and federal agents teamed up last Thursday in a high-profile operation that brought the arrests of two on charges ranging from illegal firearms to drugs trafficking. According to a police release Tuesday, the raid on a Main Street apartment involved police and representatives of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Thirty-five-year-old Jason Ortiz was arrested on a federal warrant, charging illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Paul Bellos tells Haverhill city councilors he believes reverberations and noise from commuter rail and freight trains running below his Laurel Avenue house became more intense after construction of the five-story Beck apartment building. In a letter to the Haverhill City Council, Bellos is asking to discuss his concerns Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. He writes that once windows and siding were installed during the summer of 2024, he began to notice a “bass echo reverb” at his property which registers as high as 89 decibels inside and 102 decibels on his side porch.

The state declared Monday that drought in the northeast region, which includes the Merrimack Valley, has worsened. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said the Northeast and Central Regions are now listed as being in a Level 2, or “Significant Drought.” Officials pointed out drought is a look back at conditions over a period of time. The Drought Management Task Force collected and analyzed data from August 2024 through December 2025.

Three athletes and the 2016 national runner-up baseball team will be honored this spring when they join the sixth class of the Northern Essex Community College Athletic Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony features Nathan Proulx, class of ‘03, Men’s Basketball; Shana Blaney, class of ’09, Track and Field; Olivia Mullins, class of ’19, Cross Country and Track and Field; and the 2016 Knights baseball team.

Haverhill attorney Gerald L. Shyavitz discusses the importance of end-of-life estate planning at a talk sponsored by the Haverhill Council on Aging. Shyavitz’s free lecture is Friday, Jan. 16, at 11 a.m., in room 45 of the Haverhill Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., Haverhill. Among items he will review is how to pick a health care proxy. He said he will use himself as an example as his proxy status became important when his wife of 57 years, Pearl, was hospitalized shortly before she died in 2024.

A Haverhill teen was arrested Monday and charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a man last September in Lawrence. Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker’s office said late Monday afternoon 18-year-old Hector Mota was charged with allegedly shooting and killing 27-year-old Hugo Delrosario. Delrosario was pronounced dead Saturday, Sept. 13, at 154 Essex St., in Lawrence.

Social media has become the equivalent of falsely yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. In this light, WHAV is reducing its social media presence. Please suggest family members, friends and others to listen to 97.9 WHAV on the radio or its 24/7 Live Stream and sign-up for WHAV’s Wavelengths eNewspaper for reliable, trustworthy and comprehensive reporting. It might also be a good idea to challenge your elected officials to proactively send news to WHAV before haphazardly posting to social media.

The state said Friday the Haverhill Housing Authority is receiving more than a million dollars of construction help to modernize and make repairs at several apartment buildings. The state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities said approved construction contracts include $605,500 to rehabilitate vacant apartments and $527,296 to replace a rotted structural beam. According those familiar with the projects, rehabilitation is spread between the Housing Authority’s…

The public has opportunities to shape policy this week as various Haverhill boards meet. In the interest of transparency in government, WHAV provides this list of upcoming meetings every week on-air and online. Haverhill Promise, the city’s campaign for grade level reading, is getting a new coordinator. Eric Magee is scheduled to be introduced as the successor to Jessica Kallin when the Haverhill Public Library’s Board of Trustees meet Thursday.