The City of Peabody - Government

08/31/2026

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, and we remember lives tragically lost due to overdose and families impacted by addiction.

Communities everywhere are affected by overdose, and the City of Peabody remains committed to reducing stigma, supporting those in recovery, promoting awareness, and prioritizing prevention efforts.

The City of Peabody Department of Social Services and Behavioral Health is here to help connect residents with life saving resources and support.

Read more about the City's recent Overdose Awareness flag raising ceremony at Peabody City Hall:

https://peabodyweeklynews.com/2026/08/25/peabody-sheds-light-on-overdoses/

08/31/2026

📣Coming soon: Caring Adult Academy!

Offering free virtual webinars from experts to help every caregiver and community member feel more informed, confident, and supported when navigating topics that affect youth.

Stay tuned for 2026–2027 webinar topics, dates, and registration information.

08/30/2026

08/30/2026

Today, dozens of community members gathered for the 2nd Annual Jason's Legacy Foundation 5K Walk.

Two Peabody students shared powerful messages about choosing kindness, including others, speaking out against bullying, and remembering it is okay to ask for help.

Thank you to all who showed up today and walked to honor Jason Bernard's memory and to foster a greater sense of belonging for every child. Let's keep the momentum going. 💚

08/28/2026

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is advising consumers and retailers about a voluntary recall of select Outshine Fruit Bars because they may contain glass. The recalled products were distributed to retailers nationwide and may have been sold in Massachusetts.

Action steps for consumers

• Check your freezer for recalled Outshine Fruit Bars
• Review the UPC, batch code, and best-before date printed on the bottom of the package
• Do not eat products included in the recall
• Throw away recalled products (listed above) or return them to where they were purchased
• Contact a health care provider immediately if you are concerned about a possible injury
• Check the FDA recall announcement for the most current product information, batch codes, best-before dates, and product photographs

Consumers with questions about the recall may contact Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Customer Service at 800-392-4885, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

08/28/2026

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has raised the risk level for West Nile Virus (WNV) in Peabody to MODERATE. This is as a result of the identification of WNV-infected mosquitoes in nearby communities. WNV-infected mosquitoes have not been identified in Peabody at this time, but we encourage all residents to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes until the first hard frost.

For more information on WNV in Massachusetts please visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/west-nile-virus-wnv

08/27/2026

📣Call for artists!🎨

The Peabody Foster Street Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) District is inviting artists to help bring color, creativity, and community pride to Foster Street through a new public art planter project.

As part of the district’s initial three-year revitalization effort, five 30” x 30” x 30” metal planters will be transformed into original works of public art, combining natural elements with creative expression to enhance the Foster Street corridor.

A second call for artists for five additional planters is planned for spring 2027.

Applications are due by 7:00 PM on September 9, 2026. Selected artists will be notified by September 11, and completed planters must be finished by September 27, 2026 in time for Peabody’s International Festival.

Applications, artist agreements, and full project guidelines are available at https://www.peabody-ma.gov/.

08/27/2026

The Peabody Police Department will host the 22nd Session of the Citizens Academy from October 14, 2026 through December 16, 2026. As part of the program, the class will tour our brand-new headquarters located on the hill behind the current station. And if all goes well, we may be able to hold the last few classes and academy graduation in the new facility.

Participants will learn about policing firsthand through classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations. Topics include patrol procedures, terrorism, legal process, domestic violence, investigations, motor vehicle stops, politics in policing, the role of School Resource Officers, Elder Affairs Officers, Community Policing, and more. We will also have live demonstrations from our Drone Unit and K9 Unit, an interactive fi****ms demonstration with our Training Division, and a motor vehicle stop class with our Traffic Division.

We invite you to participate in this exciting and informative program; in doing so, you will join the over 400 citizens who have already completed it.

You can obtain an application on our website, www.peabodypolice.org. Paper copies are available at the Peabody PD. Email completed applications to Captain Scott C. Richards at [email protected] or Officer David Murphy at [email protected], or drop them off at the PPD.

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

🐰📚 Last week, the Peabody Institute Library, Peabody hosted a "Read with Rabbits" event in their Technology Lab. Kids took turns reading to Sage and Oregano, a duo of twitchy-nosed, floppy-eared bunnies.

What a fun way to work on those reading skills, and the audience was all ears!

Read more:

A pair of fluffy friends were all it took to get young readers hopping into a good book. The Peabody Institute Library hosted Read with Rabbits, an event where children practiced their reading skills by popcorn reading “It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny” by Marilyn Sadler aloud to rabbits Sage and O...