Large crowds arrived at Salem’s Alternative Therapies Group last Saturday as it opened its doors to recreational marijuana sales. Increased security and police activity is expected in the area, yet crime incident reports obtained by MuckRock point to a history of minimal criminal activity around current medical marijuana dispensaries and future retailers.

As we wrote last week, the school districts of Attleboro, Brockton, Leicester, Middleborough, and Quincy, all found the highest levels of lead in their school buildings. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at all of them.

Statewide testing conducted last year shows that hundreds of public schools across Massachusetts, reported high levels of lead in their drinking water, putting thousands of students at risk for long-term health effects. However, despite the danger, these tests remain optional under current law.