The Wait Could Soon Be Over: The HUB

The HUB is a rundown of the stories people in Boston are talking about. Patch publishes the HUB every weekday.

Good morning, Boston! Today is Friday, April 8. We're talking about how it pays to get vaccinated, my spacious Fenway experience and thinking twice about stiffing the T.

But first...

It's been 65 days since Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White was placed on leave after The Boston Globe's explosive report unearthing 1999 domestic abuse allegations against him.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey said in a GBH interview Thursday the investigation into White could be completed by the end of the month. It's unclear what the future holds for White, but Janey appeared to leave the door open for moving past the decades-old allegations that he threatened to shoot his wife.

"I do believe people should have the opportunity to move on from things when they happen like this," Janey said. "When you take responsibility, you can move on."

White was placed on leave just days after he was appointed by then-Mayor Marty Walsh to replace William Gross. Questions remain as to how deep Walsh's administration dug into the background of the man who would lead the state's largest police force.

The question about White begins at 28 minutes of the interview below:

Check it out

It pays to get vaccinated. Sam Adams is sending beer money — well $7 that you can use for anything, though if you don't drink feel free to buy me a cold one — to anyone who shows off their vaccination credentials. Here are the details: Beginning Monday, the first 10,000 people who post a photo of their vaccination sticker or bandage to Twitter or Instagram, tag @SamuelAdamsBeer and hashtag #ShotForSam can look for the Boston-based beer company to slide into their DMs. Sam Adams will then send $7 to your Cash App account. Read more here.

The Red Sox are rolling, and trust me, Fenway Park is a pretty safe experience right now. I went to Wednesday afternoon's game, and it seemed like the team could have doubled or tripled the 12 percent capacity and I would have felt pretty comfortable. There was plenty of space between the two- and four-person "pods" in the stands, copious amounts of sanitizer and almost total mask compliance. Some quick things to note: You need download the MLB Ballpark app to show your tickets (and get ready to fill out a quick health screening before entry;) there are the usual concessions, but you have to go to a stand to get them; and the nearly empty stadium makes for a fun time with foul balls and hollering at the players. Tickets for May home games go on sale today at 10 a.m.

Think twice before stiffing the T. The MBTA is proposing $50 fines for a person's first few fare evasions, significantly lower than the escalating fare structure that currently dings someone $600 for third and subsequent offenses. But if you decide to skip the fine just like you skipped the fare, you might find yourself unable to renew your driver's license. Bruce Mohl at Commonwealth Magazine has more on the T's proposal.

Later today

The following is from the State House News Service: Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations holds a hearing to consider restricting the use of chemical crowd control agents and kinetic impact projectiles by Boston police and other law enforcement officers working in the city. The ordinance (Docket #0369), filed by Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Andrea Campbell, points to permanent injuries caused by long exposure to chemical irritants and says kinetic impact weapons like rubber bullets "are specifically designed to cause trauma and incapacitate individuals." STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

What I'm reading today: My good friend Milton Valencia at The Boston Globe talked to some in Boston who are watching the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. "It’s like racism is on trial," one person said.

Weather

The National Weather Service says: During the day —Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. At night —Partly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 7 mph.

Have a swell Friday.

You can email me at mike.carraggi@patch.com and follow me @PatchCarraggi.