Steve Junker

Barnstable High School retires its Red Raider mascot. New state travel restrictions mean longer lines at testing sites. And, in the midst of the pandemic, short-term rentals are booming —but some wonder if that’s a good thing.

Terns, gulls, osprey... to find fish in the water, plenty of fishermen pay keen attention to the activity of birds in the air.

Local officials are focusing a message on young adults, asking them to take the coronavirus seriously. 96-for-96: a sweeping round of testing on Cuttyhunk Island comes back all negative. And tempers are flaring about regulating short-term rentals. 

King mackerel have been showing up in Cape Cod waters in numbers for the past four years, joining Spanish mackerel as a seasonal visitor that anglers target. Atlantic mackerel are a perennial local favorite of striped bass. And this year, reports of chub mackerel are coming from just a little south of us.

A cluster of new coronavirus cases is linked to a house party in Chatham. Tiny Cuttyhunk Island sees its virus cases leap from zero to eight. And a flashback to when our hazards came from the sky: we mark the 1-year anniversary of the Cape tornadoes.

It can be intimidating to walk into a tackle shop and see all the bait offerings. Eels, menhaden, squid, meal worms, night crawlers... Here's what you need to know to get out fishing around Cape Cod and the Islands.

You can get out on the water fishing even without a traditional boat. Fishing from a kayak brings you closer to the action and offers lots of other upsides, too. 

Should Martha’s Vineyard have an island-wide mask policy? Hate group stickers appear in Chatham. And the state lays out its plans for the new Cape bridges.

Great whites get a lot of attention around Cape Cod. But local anglers know that a number of other sharks found in our waters may deliver a surprise at the end of a fishing line.

The new Cape bridges are going to belong to the State of Massachusetts, once the federal government pays for them. Phase 3 of the pandemic reopening begins, which is good news for gyms and museums.  And toxic algae blooms are showing up in Cape ponds.

Here comes one of the busiest weekends of the year, and officials are urging continued vigilance against the pandemic.  New-and-improved efforts to track sharks are coming – including maybe surveillance balloons. And a multi-faith group holds a somber rally in Hyannis.

Pencil poppers, chuggers, torpedoes... topwater lures can bring some of the most exciting inshore fishing. There's no greater thrill than when a striper or bluefish smashes one of these on the surface.

Traditional hooks are called "J hooks," because they look like the letter. Circle hooks have points that curve back toward the shank. These can help prevent gut-hooking striped bass, which means a lower mortality rate when fish are released.

The pandemic prompts changes at local beaches for many towns. White supremacist fliers appear in at least two communities on the Cape. And an endangered North Atlantic right whale is found dead, even as new rules to protect the species continue to be delayed.

Juneteenth brings local rallies and observances. The state reaches a settlement over Plymouth's Pilgrim Nuclear plant. And more coronavirus testing is coming to Cape Cod. 

Black sea bass season is going strong, which is good news for anglers and anyone who knows one with an extra fish to spare. They're one of the tastiest fish to come out of our waters.

With the launch of Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, the ground rules for Cape Cod’s pandemic summer are taking shape. Meanwhile, protestors continue to gather in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe wins a court battle.

Bluefish may not get the respect from fishermen that striped bass do, but the fish are getting similar attention from regulators concerned about the health of the stock.

Many of the rallies across the region have been organized by young people. Events are planned to continue through the weekend.

Going forward, only recreational fishing will be allowed. The change aims to reduce public nuisance problems along the canal and simplify enforcement of fishing limits. But some fishermen worry about the precedent it sets. 

That was the quietest Memorial Day Weekend in memory. So, is it a preview of our pandemic summer to come? Meanwhile, an aggressive coyote is shot at the National Seashore. And baseball may return to Cape Cod this summer after all – but it’s likely not how you think.

You don’t have to tell fishermen to social distance – most of the time they’re already angling that way.

Local businesses react as Governor Baker announces Phase 1 of his plan to reopen the state’s economy. And voters head to the polls, wearing face masks and carrying their own pens, to elect a new state senator.

We have those stories and more on the local news roundup, as WCAI News Director Steve Junker speaks with some of the region’s leading journalists.

What’s the pandemic going to mean for heading to the beach this summer? That’s a big question for towns across the region. Meanwhile, small businesses seeking to reopen are counting the obstacles. And Martha's Vineyard has a plan to dramatically expand coronavirus testing.

We have those stories and more on the local news roundup, as WCAI News Director Steve Junker speaks with some of the region’s leading journalists.

Cape Cod Healthcare announced Thursday that it's furloughing about 600 workers. Meanwhile, a new task force is looking at how to safely re-open the Cape and Islands for the summer. And restaurants in Provincetown, doing takeout business, are trying to get a handle on how this is all supposed to work.

Those stories and more on today's program, as WCAI News Director Steve Junker discusses local news with some of the region’s leading journalists.