Steve Junker

As case numbers continue to rise, local hospitals cope with a shortage of protective gear. Governor Baker orders nonessential bricks-and-mortar businesses to close and extends the school shutdown until May. The Islands attempt a contruction ban, but it's no so easy. And local volunteers take up the call to sew protective masks.

The first confirmed coronavirus cases have appeared across the region, in Barnstable, Plymouth, and Bristol Counties. One week into statewide closures, shutdowns, and quarantine, there are still unanswered questions about testing and about supporting people now out of work.

Lish Roth teaches grades 6 and 7 at the Barnstable Intermediate School. She began running a fever on Saturday. At least one staff member in the Barnstable Public Schools has tested positive for covid-19. That person was at the Barnstable Community Innovation School, but Roth says students at her school have siblings at the Innovation School, and she works with at least 2 teachers who move between the schools.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: Cape hospitals and nursing homes restrict visitors as a precaution against the new coronavirus, even as questions arise about testing locally and in the state; we round up preparations and cancellations around the region; and the Cape Cod Commission gives a favorable report on the plan to restore the Herring River.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: the field has been narrowed for the special election for the Plymouth-Barnstable State Senate seat; and local officials are making preparations in the event that COVID-19 makes an appearance in the region.

With St Patrick’s Day coming up, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this weekend.  Here's your Weekend Outlook.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: Local health officials continue to assure the public that risk from the novel coronavirus is low;  questions continue about the safety of radioactive waste the site of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station: and put the phone down if you’re driving! We’ve got a new state law in effect.

Good news for music lovers – plenty of lively events are happening around the Cape and Islands.  Here's your Weekend Outlook.  

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: homeowners in Barnstable want more regulations on short-term rentals; Carlos Rafael's fishing fleet and permits will stay in New Bedford; latest estimates say the new Woods Hole terminal project will cost the Steamship Authority almost $93 million; and Massachusetts gets a chance to try early voting for a presidential primary, for the first time ever.

In January the mercury reached 74 degrees in Boston, and here on the Cape and Islands we've had multiple days with temperatures in the 50's. While we can't point to warm winter days as evidence of climate change, we can look at trends and patterns to put what we're experiencing into context. Joining us to discuss weather, climate change, and the complexity of climate modeling and forecasting are David Coe, Ph.D. student at UMass Lowell Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, and Tyler Harrington, Masters student at UMass Lowell Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. Steve Junker hosts.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe heads to court to defend its sovereignty; a big expansion by Cape Cod Health in Hyannis is put on hold; and Oak Bluffs’s Fire Chief resigns.

We continue our conversations with candidates for the Plymouth Barnstable State Senate Race. Today we talk with Democratic candidate John Mahoney.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: Provincetown gets fired up over the Cape’s first recreational marijuana shop; local schools are changing student travel plans as a precaution against the Coronavirus; and a former Cape League coach is remembered for his passion.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the week's top local and regional news, including: Mashpee Commons is set to take the next step toward a major expansion; the Steamship Authority has a rough week, including a major crash of its reservations website; and National Grid gets its way with a new power installation on Nantucket.

You can get out of the house this weekend to enjoy music, flowers, history, and more. Here's your Weekend Outlook.