A historic plastic-free achievement, how Weymouth won the SOUPer Bowl & more!

Plus, it's hard to believe but baby wildlife season is almost here!

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Dianna Carney & Camilo Díaz
February 16, 2026

Welcome to this week’s edition of Community Connections!

The mission of this newsletter is to highlight small businesses, bring people together, and encourage community connections. We do this by publishing our articles on Substack, where they can be read for free. Every week, this newsletter sends you a curated selection of our articles that are most relevant for the upcoming week ahead. From local events happening in Southeastern Massachusetts to small business news, this newsletter aims to help you start every week feeling more connected with your community.

Our articles can always be found on the always-free NewsBreak App and on MSN.

The local nonprofit wildlife center is looking ahead to spring and the arrival of hundreds of orphaned wildlife patients.

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

The Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, has announced an upcoming Basic Boating Course designed to help boaters prepare for the upcoming season!

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

Harris, known for her debut picture book The Big Squeeze, will read from her latest work, Whirby, and lead participants in a robot-themed craft activity.

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

The SOUPer Bowl, which ran from January 8th through February 8, 2026, was a friendly competition between the two Massachusetts communities.

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

The New England Aquarium has successfully eliminated all single-use plastics from its on-site dining and concessions operations!

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

The Milton Animal Shelter is calling on young artists to help brighten the days of their canine residents, and if you don’t live close, they are accepting mailed art!

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

While winter weather continues across Massachusetts, screech owls are already preparing for spring.

To learn more, check out the full article by clicking here.

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If you don't see your area mentioned, don't worry! We cover different towns within Southeastern Massachusetts every week. If you let us know what you want to see and stick around, we may surprise you with some stories about something happening just around the corner from you! To suggest a business or story for us to feature, please let us know by responding to this email or by contacting the Editor, Dianna Carney, directly at www.diannacarney.com/contact-dianna