Karen Brown

Police departments are toning down the law enforcement, and offering drug users recovery help instead. But convincing drug users to accept the help is not easy.

Mark Schand spent nearly 30 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He considers the vindication more important than the money.

As an exoneree, Mark Schand did not qualify for job training, tuition help or other re-entry services offered to people on parole. But he did fight for, and receive, monetary compensation.

A microscope that clips on to your phone's camera can detect bacteria, such as salmonella or E. coli, even in tiny amounts. But the technology can't yet distinguish between good and bad bacteria.

Some Massachusetts opioid users are so desperate to quit the drug habit that they are asking judges to lock them up and require treatment. Critics question whether courts should play this role.

The rise in heroin use in the town of Turners Falls, Mass., has led to another problem: a proliferation of discarded hypodermic needles. Police can't keep up, so they've asked residents to help.

The mild New England winter means that more black bears are up and about, looking for food — and not just in the woods. In Northampton, Mass.,they're also exploring urban backyards and residential cul-de-sacs, where finding food scraps is a lot easier than berry-picking.