David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Nestor Ramos
In the aftermath, residents in Lawrence are trying to move forward. But on Thursday, with no warning, their lives were upended.
Columbia Gas and its parent have been linked to fires and explosions Records show that Columbia Gas of Massachusetts has been fined tens of thousands of dollars by the state?s utilities regulator in recent years, and its corporate parent linked to other serious blasts.
Editorial
After the fires, who will pay for damage? State and local officials need to be aggressive in using powers to enact safety measures, and if need be, legal action against Columbia Gas to pay for rebuilding neighborhoods.
HELP DESK
Need to turn off the gas, or electricity, or water? Here?s how. The explosions in the Merrimack Valley were a wake-up call for those of us who don?t know the first thing about the shut-off valves in our basements.
As many as 80 buildings burned in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, with one person dead and at least 13 injured. Thousands of people fled, and now officials and residents are trying to understand what happened and why.
![//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/09/14/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/LeonelRondon[1].jpg](http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2018/09/14/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/LeonelRondon[1].jpg)
?Yesterday he was celebrating.? Today, friends and family mourn for Lawrence teen Leonel Rondon, 18, had just gotten his driver?s license and had gone to visit friends when a nearby house exploded, sending the chimney crashing down onto his vehicle.
In a catastrophe this big, why were there so few injuries and deaths? First responders, hospital officials, and other experts attribute the small number of casualties to a variety of factors ? including luck.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Florence has proven deadly with its nearly nonstop rain, surging seawater and howling winds, and the threat is days from ending as the storm creeps inland across the Carolinas.
The Latest: Even as Florence weakens, flooding is still a major threat Some areas of the Carolinas are forecast to receive up to 15 inches more rain, and storm totals could reach over 3 feet in some places.
NICK CAFARDO | SUNDAY BASEBALL NOTES
Tony La Russa is loving every moment watching this year?s Red Sox ?The Red Sox play the game the right way,? says the Hall of Fame manager.
WINSLOW TOWNSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAN SHAUGHNESSY
There?s one stat that is holding him back in the race for to be the American League?s best starter.
Dinner with Cupid
Blind date: ?We debated just ordering drinks, then going to Chipotle? Will shared confusion over menu items bond this 911 dispatcher and assistant teacher?
Love Letters
My friend wants to lose his virginity ? with me Our families are also close, so this won?t be just an uncomplicated summer fling.
Paul Manafort pleads guilty, has ?cooperation agreement? with prosecutors Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty Friday to two federal crimes after cutting a deal with prosecutors and agreeing to cooperate with the special counsel?s Russia probe.
Manafort plea deal begs key question: What does he know? As Trump associates folded one-by-one over the last year under the pressure of federal investigators, there was always Paul Manafort.
Michael A. Cohen
A lot of people don?t like Trump, and in recent weeks, even more don?t like him The most underappreciated aspect of American politics is that, despite the buoyant economy, President Trump is deeply unpopular, inspiring far more loathing than he does love.
Brett Kavanaugh denies allegation of sexual misconduct in school Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh?s denial comes after a report of an alleged incident that took place while Kavanaugh was attending Georgetown Preparatory School.
A suspended Massachusetts State Police trooper from Braintree pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to collecting pay for hours he did not work, according to federal prosecutors.
Far from Harvard, Bacow preaches the gospel of higher education Harvard president Lawrence Bacow returned to Pontiac, Mich, the community where he grew up, to preach the gospel of education with himself as case study Number One.
?I?m getting back to a normal life,? says Cape Cod shark bite victim ?I thought, ?If I don?t do something, I could be dead,?? said Dr. William Lytton.
Man, 60, added to state?s most wanted sex offender list John W. Corbett, a Level 3 sex offender, was convicted in 1990 for aggravated rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and breaking and entering.
Editorial
The long-term merits of Rachael Rollins?s plan for petty crimes Democratic nominee for Suffolk County district attorney Rachael Rollins has a plan to reform prosecution of petty crimes.
The life and rise of Ayanna Pressley Long before her shocking win, Pressley?s was an against-the-odds story. Time and again, she has toppled expectations.
This Week in Politics A convenient digest of the top political news of the past week, delivered every Saturday. Sign up now.
?This summer I trained harder than I?ve ever trained, smarter than I?ve ever trained,? Donato said after Saturday?s game.
As emergency responders went door to door Friday checking gas lines, locksmiths? services were in high demand.
The first thing you should do is leave --- immediately. Stay up-to-date on the gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover on Boston.com.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says his Obama-era predecessor John Kerry has been ??actively undermining?? US policy on Iran.
Residents poured into the streets prior to an expected offensive by the Assad regime to retake the territory.
Search This Week's Specials
Although zero percent offers are on the decline, Edmunds says buyers can still score a deal by combining a competitive interest rate with an incentive that the carmaker is offering.
Hawaiian Airlines is about to make the difficult slog to Honolulu ? often lasting 15 hours or more ? much easier for New Englanders with new nonstop flights.
This week?s picks by Globe critics.
My grandmother had always shown up for me. The least I could do was return the favor.
BU researcher calls on NIH to retract statement on alcohol and cancer risk Dr. Michael Siegel says the statement is in ?direct contradiction with the scientific evidence.?
Until next year, my sweetheart In a special bonus episode, Meredith Goldstein explores what happens to summer romance when the summer ends, and ?Wet Hot American Summer? creator David Wain shares a girl-crazy memory from his own camp days.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic
Fall House Hunt: Tips for making that winning offer Buyers who know what sellers want can craft a winning offer in a crowded field without putting themselves at risk.
Seattle?s mayor talks growing pains that offer some lessons for Boston Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan spoke at a Globe event on how innovation is shaping our world, and she?s in high demand among the hundreds of mayors gathered in Boston.
More about Last Seen: The Largest Unsolved Art Heist ever A true-crime podcast about the most valuable ? and confounding ? art heist in history: the theft of 13 irreplaceable artworks from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
The Big Picture
Here?s a look at some of the best images taken by Globe photographers last month: staying cool in the summer heat, installing a new police commissioner, spotting sharks on the Cape, campaigning politicians on the trail, and flipping gymnasts at the US championships.
Play the crossword Puzzled? Keep trying your hand at our interactive crossword and see if you can triumph.
