MassDOT Begins Wrong-Way Driver Safety Work On Peabody's Route 128
PEABODY — State transportation crews this week began installing wrong-way driver warning signage along Route 128 ramps in Peabody, a safety push aimed at preventing further crashes on the North Shore highway, according to a Peabody Patch report. The work coincided with a City Hall ceremony where Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. accepted a historic reproduction of the Declaration of Independence as part of the city's America 250 recognition.
TOWN HALL
Mayor Bettencourt accepted the historic reproduction of the Declaration of Independence at City Hall, the latest event tied to Peabody's America 250 recognition efforts marking the nation's 250th anniversary, according to a notice posted on the city's website.
City officials also scheduled a public meeting on Peabody's Annual Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a follow-up to the 30-day public comment period on the city's annual HUD report that opened earlier this month. The city separately posted voter information ahead of the state primary election, directing residents to registration and polling details on peabody-ma.gov.
SCHOOLS
Peabody Public Schools posted a series of calendar announcements as summer break winds down. The School Committee holds its next regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25, new teachers report Aug. 26, and a professional development day with no classes for students falls Aug. 31. Kindergarten screening is set for Sept. 2, the same day grades 1 through 12 return to class, according to the district's posted calendar.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
Peabody's community calendar carries several events this week, per Peabody Patch's local listings: "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Celebrate REV250" is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19, and the 2026 Peabody Community Market returns Sunday, Aug. 23, alongside "Story Songs of the 70's, a Summer Show" the same day.
ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
"North Shore Route 128 Wrong-Way Driver Measures Aim To Prevent More Tragedies": MassDOT is installing new signage along Route 128 ramps in Peabody during weekday daytime work that began Tuesday, aiming to cut down on wrong-way crashes, Peabody Patch reports, a story the city has not addressed in its own News Flash postings. (read it at https://patch.com/massachusetts/peabody/north-shore-route-128-wrong-way-driver-measures-aim-prevent-more-tragedies)
COMING UP
Peabody's Summer Concert Series closes out with the annual Summer Concert & Fireworks Spectacular at Leather City Common on Sunday, Aug. 23; the senior center shuttle begins running at 4:45 p.m., with free parking available at the common.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.