Franchise Opportunities in Boston, MA

Raytheon Technologies, one of the biggest defense contractors in the country, is moving its corporate headquarters from Waltham, Massachusetts, to Arlington, Virginia, the company announced Tuesday.

Arlington is home to the U.S. Pentagon, and Raytheon said in a news release that being there "increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial aerospace customers and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry."

The news release didn't make note of Raytheon's longtime home in Waltham, give a timeline for when the move would happen or discuss the contractor's other locations in Massachusetts.

A representative for Raytheon said in an email that the move would not "impact our headcount" of Massachusetts workers, adding that "Raytheon Technologies is currently hiring for over 450 open positions in MA and will continue to invest in its MA workforce and facilities."

Raytheon noted that it has 600 facilities in 44 U.S. states and territories, and that its four businesses — Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense —already have facilities in Virginia.

The move of Raytheon's headquarters is being made without the company soliciting financial incentives from states or cities, it said.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised the move in a statement as demonstrating that his state "is the best destination for the aerospace and defense community."

Raytheon is a major arms manufacturer, aircraft engine manufacturer and aerospace company. It's also one of the largest employers in Massachusetts, with locations around the Boston area as well as in Pittsfield, though last year it cut thousands of jobs in the state and aimed to reduce its office space as it adapted to the pandemic.

The company was founded 100 years ago in Cambridge as the American Appliance Company.

When the news was broken during a Massachusetts Association of Health Plans budget forum Tuesday, association president Lora Pellegrini called it a "timely message."

She said it spoke to the need for Massachusetts to create "an economy, and a place where people want to live and work, and it's affordable, maybe that is one of the reasons Raytheon is moving. Obviously it's a huge loss to the commonwealth."

"Wow," Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation President Eileen responded.

She went on to recall tax policy changes enacted in the 1990s to retain Raytheon, at a time when the Department of Defense was doing belt-tightening and the company was exploring a potential move to Arizona and its more favorable tax climate.

"They fought like hell to get a better tax climate in Massachusetts, and they've been fighting ever since," she said. "They've been, you know, made to be the monsters ... because they asked for this policy. I mean our defense manufacturers were a critically important sector in Massachusetts, a lot of high tech jobs in it. And so that is, it's troubling."

The State House News Service contributed to this report.

BOSTON —

Nearly two dozen celebrities and VIPs are in attendance for Wednesday's NBA Finals Game 3 at TD Garden.

The list of Boston Celtics legends who are in the building include Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Bill Walton, along with Antoine Walker, Charlie Scott, ML Carr, Leon Powe, Dana Barros and Eddie House.

Walton, who won a title with the Celtics in 1986, was spotted taking the MBTA's Orange Line to TD Garden.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Bill Walton taking the T to the TD Garden to watch his @celtics host Game 3! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/1vHUlxwlFH

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 8, 2022

Once outside the Garden, Walton received a warm welcome from Celtics fans.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

The @celtics faithful salute 1986 Boston Celtics Champion Bill Walton! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/oCy1Nvhfgf

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 8, 2022

New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick are at TD Garden supporting the hometown team, along with players James White, Dont'a Hightower, Damien Harris, Davon Godchaux and Byron Cowart.

Rapper and singer Nelly is performing at halftime of Game 3. Other musical artists who are at TD Garden for the game are Boston native Michael Bivins, Jadakiss, Millyz and Michelle Brooks-Thompson, a Massachusetts native who performed the national anthem before the game.

Actress Nia Long, the fiancé of Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, is of course at the game. TV personality and restaurateur Guy Fieri is also taking in the game at TD Garden.

Finally, Houston Rockets point guard and five-time NBA All-Star John Wall is watching the Celtics and Warriors duke it out in Boston.

Have you been suffering from pollen allergies and the symptoms feel never-ending? You're not alone, and there are a few reasons for it — and all the pollen that's been settling on cars and decks for what seems like weeks.

Some of it certainly is thanks to the recent dry conditions we've experienced. Rain tends to cleanse pollen, whereas days of dry wind simply blow it around, keeping the pollen count high to very high.

With Boston's 90-day rainfall total now more than 4 inches below normal, pushing the Boston Metropolitan Area and surrounding communities all the way into Providence and Hartford into Moderate Drought classification, this certainly has lowered our ground water table, but that lack of rainy days has also resulted in long stretches of consecutive days of high pollen count.

This weather setup is the driving force behind the very difficult pollen season, but it doesn't stop there.

Our pollen season has extended over the last three decades, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, starting as much as 20 days earlier than it used to, with a duration of eight days longer. This is owing to a rising temperature in a changing climate.

This longer pollen season generates more pollen, too — some 20% more pollen than three decades ago.

Pollen allergy sufferers used to get hit hard but get it over with, now it's more of a drawn-out battle that means more total pollen, stretched over a longer period of days

The extending pollen season may still have a long way to go: if warming of global temperatures continues at its projected rate, a recent University of Michigan study designed to predict changes in the pollen season suggests the season could start as much as 40 days earlier, and extend another 20 days longer than it currently does, over the next century.

Indications are the intensity of pollen at its peak concentration may not stay as high when the season lengthens, but the impact, of course, is spread over many more days. Put more plainly: pollen allergy sufferers used to get hit hard but get it over with, now it's more of a drawn-out battle that means more total pollen, stretched over a longer period of days.

The impacts of this extended pollen season have yet to be fully understood, but certainly pollen allergy sufferers are aware of the respiratory and sinus impact when the immune system mistakenly identifies pollen as a danger and raises levels of histamine in response.

Dr. John Costa, medical director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Practice at Brigham and Women's Hospital, said he's receiving calls from patients about red eyes, itchiness and stuffy noses.

"The past week the pollen levels have been extremely high we are at a peak that combines the end of the tree season and the beginning of the grass season so we are getting a double whammy," he said.

There is some good news to share: we've entered the final stage of the tree pollen season, with the yellow dust of pine and the continued stream of oak pollen ready to subside in the next week or two, and with rain in our First Alert Forecast Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, this should mean a low pollen count on all three of those days in our 10-day forecast.

A Taunton, Massachusetts, man did not read the fine print when he purchased a motorhome last year.

When problems arose, he reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds for help.

Nate Daniels traded in his small travel trailer and upgraded to a larger bus style motorhome last June.

“When I stepped foot inside of it, I fell in love with the layout. It's exactly what I was looking for in a Class A Motorhome,” Daniels recalled. “Plenty of space inside, lots of sleeping room to bring people with us.”

He and another family member purchased the pre-owned 2006 motorhome for $50,000. But once he got it on the road, he says he realized there were problems.

“That same first trip there was a real bad shake that was starting to happen when we were going down the road,” he shared. “I said, that just doesn’t feel right to me. They didn't disclose any issues that we discovered later on.”

Daniels says among the problems, the motorhome needed six brand new tires, the front windshield leaked, the passenger thermal pane window was fogging up and he couldn’t see the side mirror, storage areas were rusted out, a stabilizer jack needed to be replaced and the refrigerator was broken.

A Bourne couple will think twice before they ever rent a car again; a dented door during a trip to Europe has left them on the hook for more than $14,000.

He says he contacted the company and they agreed to replace the refrigerator and the jack, but not the other repairs.

That’s when Daniels realized that he bought the camper “as is.” It says in the contract it comes with no dealer guarantee or warranty.

“I didn't see that until afterwards when I was combing through it, reading all the fine print, which again, lesson learned,” Daniels said. “Take it home, take a couple of days, read through it before signing it. But sometimes in the excitement of the whole process, it's like, let's just get this done. We want to get it.”

Daniels reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds because he felt potential safety issues with the vehicle should have been disclosed to him before the sale.

NBC10 Boston contacted the company about his concerns and Daniels tells us they reached out to him directly, agreeing to cover window repairs on the vehicle and they also gave him a $300 gift card.

A company representative told NBC10 Boston that they worked with Daniels to resolve the issue.

He ended up shelling out $5,000 for new tires and says he would do things differently next time.

“Do your homework, definitely do your homework,” Daniels said. “ Don't rush into something. It's ok to take your time.”

He also says he didn’t realize he could have hired a certified RV inspector to do a detailed inspection of the vehicle before he bought it.

“What I would do next time is I would hire the RV inspectors, would come out and take a look at it,” Daniels said. “And then if there was certain minor issues that I knew I could address on my own, I would be making an informed purchase.”

RV inspections vary in price depending on the size and type of motorhome you’re having inspected. But spending the money before you buy the vehicle can potentially save you a lot of money in the long run.

If you have a consumer problem you need help with, reach out to us at NBC10Boston.com/ContactResponds or call us at 1-888-521-NEWS.

With little time remaining in the current school year, Boston Public Schools students and staffs will no longer be required to wear face masks starting next week.

Boston Public Health Commissioner Dr. Bisola Ojikutu sent a letter to BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius on Wednesday that advised masking no longer be required indoors in the district's schools beginning Monday, June 13.

Masking will continue to be required in school health offices, however.

Students, parents and staff who choose to mask will be supported in that choice, city health officials said.

The recommendation from the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is based upon a recent decline in COVID cases and hospitalizations, as well as fewer traces of the virus showing up in the city's wastewater, the letter said.

If the proposal is approved, it could determine who has the responsibility to fix Boston schools.

The COVID-19 policy decision was left to local leaders after the statewide school mask mandate ended in February, and BPS was among the last remaining districts across the state to keep its requirement in place that masks be worn in school.

According to Wednesday's letter, the BPHC made its recommendation after comparing publicly-available COVID-19 case rate data among students in Boston schools versus school districts in three neighboring communities: Brookline, Cambridge and Newton.

"The number of cases per 1,000 students was significantly lower among Boston school students than among each of the other three public school districts during the period when BPS required masking and the other districts were mask optional," the letter reads.

BPHC advised Wednesday that the district's schools require masks indoors under certain circumstances, including for students and staff who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 but return to school before the end of their 10 day isolation period; for students and staff who are identified as part of a cluster investigation with in-school transmission, or while a cluster being investigated; and for students and staff who are experiencing COVID symptoms while in school.

At least one parent questioned the decision's timing, noting how few school days are left.

The last day of school for Boston Public Schools students is listed on the district's calendar as June 22, though it was not immediately clear if weather cancellations have extended the school year at all.

Following months of rising COVID cases in Massachusetts schools, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported a statewide decline in positive coronavirus cases last Thursday for a second consecutive week, with 6,106 new cases among students and 1,941 among staff in its weekly COVID report covering May 26 through June 1.

State Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced last month that Massachusetts will end its state-run school COVID-19 testing program after this school year, and will no longer supply self-tests or other COVID testing services to schools. At the same time, the Department of Public Health also updated the isolation and quarantine guidance for children in child care centers and other educational settings so that asymptomatic children who’ve been exposed to COVID-19 are no longer required to quarantine.

The BPHC noted Wednesday that indoor masking remains an important strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and encouraged face masks in indoor public settings, on transportation and at school-sponsored activities. Indoor mask use is also strongly recommended for adults and children who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who have or live with people with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

Ojikutu told Cassellius in her letter that the city's health commission continues to recommend a layered approach to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in school settings, including participating in the districtwide COVID-19 testing program; maximizing outdoor activities, classes and lunches; opening windows in classrooms, school buses and other transportation vehicles; maintaining good hand hygiene practices; staying home when sick, and following all quarantine and isolation guidance.

The BPHC is also strongly urging all eligible people to receive a COVID vaccine and booster and will continue to support schools with vaccination clinics.