The holiday in season is in full swing. Here is a look back at five of last week's biggest stories: 1. Selectmen Set New Tax Rates Taxes are going up, but not by too much. On the residential end, the rate per $1,000 will increase from $13.52 to $13.92. On the commercial side, the rate will increase from $18.63 to $19.16. 2. Dunkin Drama Last Sunday a caller reported that his neighbor made a threat to him at the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street. Also last Sunday, a Salem Street resident reported a boy walked down the street with a gun. It turned out to be an air gun; the police brought the boy …

This December week was packed full of headlines. Here were five of them: 1. Controversial Hire: School Committee Chair Chris Allen came under fire from many in town when it was revealed that she had hired David Castricone, the former North Andover High School wrestling coach charged with possession of child pornography, to fix her roof. 2. Confrontation: At the Board of Selectmen meeting, Allen and her husband confronted selectmen about comments they had made about hiring Castricone, and tempers flared. 3. Trees for Troops: The annual Trees for Troops event was held at Smolak Farms, and Sen. …

November took off and December rushed in. Here are five things that made headlines this past week. Santa Came to Town: North Andover held its annual Santa Parade last weekend, with temperatures near 70 degrees. The nice weather and Christmas spirit brough massive crowds to Main Street. Even the dogs loved it. The Senior Center also had their Holiday Fair that day. Pet Gifts: We showed you places in town to buy gifts for your pets. Make sure you don't forget them this holiday season. Toys Wanted: The Fire Department is collecting toys for Massachusetts children. Drop off toys at either fire …

What a week. Thanksgiving kept everyone busy. Here are five things that made headlines. 1. Meals Tax Woes: Early in the week, local restaurants expressed frustration over the new meals tax approved by Special Town Meeting. 2. Car Crash: There was a car crash near Merrimack College, and two people were injured. One driver was medflighted to Boston. 3. Tops in Nation: It was announced that Merrimack College's hockey team is now number 1 in the nation. 4. Turkey Time: North Andover celebrated Thanksging on Thursday, and we gave you a bunch of recipes for casseroles, side dishes and drinks. 5. …

It was another eventful week in North Andover. The voters of North Andover approved an increase in the town's meal tax, a controversy erupted at the North Andover School Committee, and the Merrimack Hockey team shot up in the national polls. Also this week, Richard Tisei announced his run for Congress and Patch did a live blog from Tuesday's special town meeting.  1. Voters Approve Meals Tax By a margin of 253 to 246, North Andover voters decided to increase the meals tax from 6.25% to 7%. The vote will increase a $100 bill by seven cents.  2. Email Controversy Erupts at School Committee …

What a week. Here are five things that made headlines. 1. He's Running: Former Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei announced that he will run for Congress and seek the Republican nomination for the 6th District campaign against Congressman John Tierney. 2. Town Meeting Prep: Many in town spent the week rallying for Special Town Meeting, which will decide on school construction projects and a meals tax. 3. Help Wanted: Town Hall is looking for people to fill some committee vacancies. 4. Veterans Day: Veterans Day was Friday, and the town had a parade and ceremony. We'll post footage of that …

What a week. North Andover had an eventful seven days, and here are five things that topped headlines. Money for Fields: The North Andover Fields Committee raised an astonishing $50,970 for the town, donated mostly by youth sports organizations. Bear in Town: A bear was spotted on Campbell Road, and a local family got some up-close video footage of her. Local Advocate: The Massachusetts Advocates for Children honored local teen Nate Richards as their Youth Advocate of the Year for his hard work combatting bullying of kids with disabilities. Knights on the March: The North Andover High School …

Another eventful week is in the books. Here are five things that made headlines. Decision Made: After a months-long thorough search, the Board of Selectmen made a decision Monday night to hire Andrew Maylor as the new town manager. Meals Tax Redux: The proposed Local Option Meals Tax will be put before the voters again, this time at the Special Town Meeting next month. Coffee Cake Fire: There was a fire at Bake 'n Joy, but nobody was injured. Redistricting: The state legislature released proposed redistricting for the state. See how it may impact North Andover. Kobi's Story: A local law …

What a week. Here are five topics that made headlines in North Andover. 1. And then There Were Two: Selectmen interviewed the finalists for town manager last week and were so impressed by two of them that they narrowed the field down to just them. 2. No Special Election: Selectmen made it known loud and clear that they would oppose a special election to fill Dan Lanen's seat for the remainder of his term... largely because it would cost the town up to $16,000 to fill a seat for 12 weeks. Selectmen also expressed interest in changing the town's charter to make filling vacated seats easier. 3. …

It was an eventful week in North Andover. Here are five thingss that topped headlines. 1. Sunday Standoff: A man was charged with trying to kill his roommate Sunday after he shot a shotgun at his roommate's room, and police had a standoff waiting for the shooter to come out of his house. 2. Helping Out: On Monday, the fundraising group Cops For Kids With Cancer presented Bill Donegan with a check for $5,000 to help with his son Devin's expenses as Devin battles leukemia. 3. Town Manager Search: The Town Manager Search Committee narrowed the applicant pool for the town manager position down to…

The first full week of autumn was a busy one. Here are five things that made headlines. 1. Getting Into the Season: With summer officially behind us, autumn is here. And we started the week off with some photos from the North Andover Merchants Association Fall Festival. Smolak Farms prepped for their Harvest Festival. And here are five things that say Autumn in North Andover. 2. Special Town Meeting: Selectmen approved a Special Town Meeting proposed for November to address funding for school construction projects. 3. Knights In Action: The Knights defeated Amesbury in soccer but lost to …

What a week! Here are five things that topped headlines. Kudos to Thomson: The MCAS scores were released, and Thomson Elementary School did so well that they were taken off the "accountability status" list. Patch-iversary: North Andover Patch reached a milestone this week -- one year since launch. Football Victory: The NAHS Scarlet Knights football team defeated Westford Friday night. Case Closed: A North Andover man was sentenced for stabbing his therapist to death. Fall Festival: The North Andover Merchants Association held their first Fall Festival on Saturday. We'll have photos from that …

The week started with reflections on tragedy 10 years ago and ended with a thrilling football victory. Here are five things that topped our news this week. Remembrance: The week of reflecting on Sept. 11 culminated in a ceremony organized by the Fire Department and the Veterans Services office at Veterans Memorial Park. Political Extension: Interim Town Manager Jim Purcell may be sticking around a little longer than expected. His appointment was extended by the Board of Selectmen to allow more time for a permanent town manager search. Fall Begins: The town has put summer behind it and is …

The last days of August brought plenty for us to talk about. Here are five things that made headlines. 1. Irene: Hurricane Irene arrived in the Merrimack Valley on Sunday downgraded to a tropical storm. We live blogged throughout the storm to keep you updated every minute, and you shared your photos from the storm as well. Irene ended up going easy on North Andover, but she took out some power lines on her way through town. 2. Waiting for Power: On Monday, hundreds of homes were still without electricity in town. For some, the power did not come back on for days. 3. Dropping the Brownies: …

Eventful doesn't even begin to describe the past week. Disease-spreading insects, an earthquake and a hurricane. It almost sounds biblical or science fiction. Here are five things that made headlines. West Nile Again: The town had to spray for mosquitoes after a second batch of mosquitoes collected downtown were found to have West Nile Virus. Quake: A 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Virginia early in the week could be felt all the way up here in the Merrimack Valley. Brothers Crash: Two North Andover brothers were in a fiery car crash on Storrow Drive in Boston Sunday morning. Both suffered …

Our beloved editor Bryan was away on vacation this week, so let's be sure to give him a warm welcome back tomorrow. 1. Pay it Forward: Beth Daigle told us the inspirational story of Jenna Buco and Anthony Sideri. The two are getting married soon and requested that in lieu of gifts, each of their guests make a donation to Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence. Read all about it here.  2. Burglaries: A Wood Lane resident called the police about a past burglary. Police are investigating a series of house breaks in the Waverley Road area. The suspect or suspects targeted homes with open ground-floor …

What a week. We had sun, we had rain, and we had news. Here are some things that made headlines this past week. Working Dog: We had a video feature on Kyzer the North Andover Police K-9 dog Monday. Check it out. West Nile: After mosquitoes in town were found to be carrying West Nile virus, officials ordered spraying done in town Monday. Kids' Style: Kids are getting in on the salon action for back-to-school fashion. We featured a video of Ally and Julia Daigle having their nails and hair done at a local salon. Sports: North Andover 8-year-olds wrapped up a great season recently. Tourney for …

What a week. Here are five things that made headlines this past week in North Andover. Night Out: North Andover celebrated National Night Out on Tuesday, and the crowds gathered in droves. Kyzer Honored: Kyzer, North Andover's K-9 dog, was honored with an award for best Working Class Hero Dog by Pet Sitters International. Little League: North Andover 10-year-olds gave it their all in the Eastern Region tournment, but they lost against Rye, N.H., Connecticut and Essex, Vt. Growing Garden: Smolak Farms is teaming up with Boston Center for Adult Education by supplying a garden for their culinary…

The heat may have calmed down in the weather, but the news this past week stayed hot. Here are five things that made headlines. 1. A Chief Choice: After months of uncertainty since former Police Chief Richard Stanley left to take a job in Wareham as well as an extensive Assessment Center review of potential replacement candidates, selectmen interviewed three finalists for the permanent police chief spot. And they ultimately chose for interim Police Chief Paul Gallagher to stay in the role. 2. Watson's Ascension: Selectmen voted to send Tracy Watson to the chair... the good kind. Gallagher …

This past week went from mild to off-the-charts hot. Here are five things that made headlines. Summer Heat: Sure, it gets hot in the summer. But toward the end of the week temperatures climbed and climbed, and by Friday we were seeing triple digit temperatures with a heat index of 108 degrees. The Senior Center was even set up as a cooling center for residents to escape the heat. Gubernatorial Guest: Early in the week, Gov. Deval Patrick visited North Andover to tour Jessica's Brick Oven Bakery. In the Clear: Town Attorney Thomas Urbelis has been accused by the Securities and Exchange …