BREAKING: Two Salem Homes On Fire In 3-Alarm

BREAKING: Salem, Massachusetts - There is a three-alarm fire at this hour that involves two houses.

Fire is at 27, 29 Hancock Street in Salem, Massachusetts.

Multiple area departments are on scene.

Composting in Salem

City of Salem offering discounted home composting bins, curbside composting; Q&A event May 4, 10am, Salem Common

It’s easy to make compost and the City of Salem makes it even easier by offering rodent-resistant Earth Machine home composting bins for $25, more than half off the retail price. The Earth Machine has a capacity of 11 cubic feet, the equivalent of about four bags of leaves, with a sliding door at the bottom for removing compost and a locking lid. The bin is made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastic.

To obtain a discounted compost bin, please fill out this form(https://www.salem.com/sites/salemma/files/uploads/2019compost_bins_orderl_flyer.pdf) and bring it to the Department of Public Services at 5 Jefferson Avenue. You can also fill out and submit the forms at a composting Question and Answer session on May 4th at 10:00 a.m. on Salem Common during the SalemRecycles Swap N’ Drop Event

Composting is a great way to recycle organic “waste” into a beneficial soil amendment for yards and

Salem Area Public Safety Agencies to Hold Joint Exercise

May 7th simulation to take place in Danvers River off McCabe Park in Salem

Salem, Massachusetts - The Salem Fire Department and Salem Harbormaster will join with their counterparts from the Town of Danvers, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the United States Coast Guard to carry out a training exercise on Tuesday, May 7th.

On that date, residents may notice activity taking place in the Danvers River off of McCabe Park, adjacent to the Kernwood Bridge, particularly in the afternoon. Agencies will be carrying out an exercise simulating an oil spill incident in the river and deploying booms and other response measures as a result. No oil will be spilled as part of this training exercise. Access to parts of McCabe Park and Marina may be restricted during the exercise.

City of Salem Begins Short-Term Rental Registration

Registry and other regulations now in effect for Salem property owners who list on sites like Airbnb

Salem, Massachusetts - In 2018 the Salem City Council adopted an Ordinance regulating short-term rentals in Salem. That Ordinance went into effect on April 15, 2019.

If you list your property on a short-term rental home-sharing platform like Airbnb, VRBO, or similar websites, you should be aware of these new regulations. In addition to registering your short-term rental annually with the City of Salem, you are required to receive a Certificate of Fitness and, if it is not your primary residence, you will also need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and to register for the non-owner-occupied trash fee. Applications for the special permit from the ZBA must be received no later than June 15, 2019. Zoning regulations also restrict this use to certain neighborhoods in the City. Pursuant to state law, all short-term rental providers will also be required to collect state/local room occupancy excise tax. The City has published https://www.salem.com/str, with all of the information you need to know about offering a short-term rental in Salem.

What regulations impact me if I want to offer a short-term rental in Salem?

Click this link to go through a "dynamic" FAQ about short-term rentals in Salem.