Peabody's MacLean Running Down An Olympic Dream: Patch Weekender

PEABODY, MA — Welcome to the start of a week that is going to start off very, very hot and will end with a Fourth of July weekend that might seem a little more special this year given everything that's encompassed the past 16 months.

As we head toward the heart of the summer, there is still plenty going on in the North Shore to keep up with each week.

It was quite the busy one in Peabody with a public forum on the much-debated proposed peaker power plant, a three-alarm fire, two shootings and — in a welcome contrast — a hometown girl done spectacularly as Peabody High alumna Heather MacLean qualified for the U.S. Olympic team at the Tokyo Summer Games late next month.

Salem debated in-person City Council meetings, Marblehead voters went to the polls, a Beverly music venue opts to stay closed and a cautionary tale from the Danvers Fire Department.

Catch up on anything you may have missed while looking for the Red Sox sweep of the Yankees here.

Olympic Dreams: Heather MacLean Runs Down Trip To Tokyo

Heather MacLean stamped her ticket to Tokyo with less than a tenth of a second to spare.

The Peabody High and University of Massachusetts-Amherst alumna finished third in Monday night's Olympic Trials in the 1,500 meters from Eugene, Oregon to earn Team USA's final spot in the event for the 2021 Summer Olympic Games.

Proposed Peabody Power Plant Defended, Challenged At Public Forum

The first major public forum in the six-year history of the planned Peabody peaker power plant Tuesday night included more than four hours of utility officials laying out the benefits and necessity of the proposed fossil fuel-powered facility, while those concerned about the environmental and health impacts of the plant called for additional community input before a decision is made on the project's future.

Communication Pledge Follows Peabody Power Plant Forum

The utility behind a long-planned Peabody peaker power plant said that Tuesday night's four-hour public forum at the Torigian Center was part of a renewed commitment to communication with North Shore residents and officials on the proposed surge capacity plant project.

Fire Destroys Peabody Abandoned 3-Family Home

A boarded-up abandoned house on Warren Street — the site of a previous fire — is completely destroyed after a blaze ripped through the three-story building in Peabody Wednesday night.

Danvers Fire Shares Cautionary Tale On Cigarette Disposal

The Danvers Fire Department is using a mulch fire that spread to a nearby building Sunday morning as a reminder to residents about the dangers of careless cigarette disposal.

Marblehead Abbot Libary Supporters Cheer Huge Renovation Vote Win

Marblehead's vote to authorize a $9.5 million override to renovate the Abbot Library came as a welcomed relief to those who have worked for the better part of six years on the campaign to modernize the historic library.

That the vote was so overwhelming was a restoration of faith at how much the 144-year-old library means to so many town residents.

Salem City Council Votes To Keep Meetings Remote Through Summer

The Salem City Council came together long enough to agree to stay apart a little bit longer Thursday night.

In their first in-person meeting in more than 15 months since the onset of the coronavirus health crisis, councilors met in a special session to determine whether meetings would be in-person, fully remote or a hybrid model of in-person meetings with a remote viewing and participation option now that both the state and citywide state of emergencies have lapsed.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton Weighs In On Britney Spears Saga

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) became the latest national politician to react to the bizarre and unsettling Britney Spears saga Friday when he addressed her conservatorship on social media.

Peabody Woman, Lynn Man Identified As Peabody Shooting Victims

A 23-year-old Peabody woman and 22-year-old Lynn man suffered gunshot wounds in Thursday night's shootings on Veterans Memorial Drive.

Coronavirus Pandemic Toll Too Much For Beverly Music Venue

There was a brief bolt of optimism that emerged out of popular Beverly music venue 9 Wallis in May when Gov. Charlie Baker announced that in just 12 days all state coronavirus-related business restrictions would be lifted.

Peter Wolf To Play December Benefit At Beverly's Cabot Theater

Peter Wolf is planning a triumphant return to the Cabot Theater stage to benefit a worthy cause this Christmas season.

State Grants Swampscott $34 Million For New Elementary School

Swampscott officials plan to seek a special town meeting in September and town-wide vote in October on a $64 million debt exclusion for a new twin elementary school after the Massachusetts School Building Authority allocated up to $34,350,000 in grant funding to the project on Wednesday.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)