About the Cape Ann Current

The Cape Ann Current is a free source of public information for Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. It is an individual project. It is not a business or a nonprofit.

Our purpose

We gather facts from public records and government data, explain them in plain words and share them for free. The goal is simple: help people across Cape Ann know what is happening in their towns, how decisions get made and how to take part.

Most of what we use comes from public sector sources: our city and town governments, school districts, the U.S. Census Bureau, state agencies like the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Division of Local Services, and the MIAA for high school sports. We also build free widgets and data sets that anyone can use. See Data and tools.

What the Current is, and what it is not

• It is a research and information sharing project. We read the records so you do not have to, and we show our sources.
• It is not a newspaper or a traditional news organization. We do not have reporters, and we are not trying to replace anyone. Local newspapers, radio and town websites all matter, and we hope you use them too.
• It does not share opinions. We report what the records say and leave the conclusions to you. Reader letters in Crosscurrents are the readers' own views, and they are labeled that way.

What we believe

Public information should help people take part in their own community. Choices about schools, roads, taxes and the waterfront are made in public meetings, often before most people hear about them. Our job is to help you know before it is decided.

• Plain language. We explain town plans, budgets and votes in words anyone can follow. We also show how city and town government works, so you know how to speak up and take part.
• Facts first. Everything we publish is built on public records and data. We show where every number comes from, and we do not take sides.
• Free for everyone. Knowing what is happening in your town should not cost money.
• Staying local. We cover Cape Ann and nothing else: its people, history, businesses, events, government and sports.
• Cheering for our kids. We celebrate our student athletes and teams, win or lose.

Take a two minute tour

Kerry Jane, the Cape Ann Current's host, walks you through what is on the site, why we do this work and what is coming next.

Captions are on. Tap CC to turn them off.

Meet the Meeting Finder

Kerry Jane explains why we built the Meeting Finder, who it is for and how to use it: every public meeting coming up in all four towns, what is on the agenda in plain words, what was decided, and the free meeting data and widget that towns, schools, libraries and local groups can use on their own websites.

Captions are on. Tap CC to turn them off. Open the Meeting Finder · Get the free widget

Getting around Cape Ann

Kerry Jane shows how to use Getting around Cape Ann, our free tool for train and bus times in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester: plan a trip, see the next trains, tap a bus route on the map, find out if you can get a Dial-a-Ride or ADA ride, and call a local taxi.

Captions are on. Tap CC to turn them off. Open Getting around

What we cover

• Public meetings in all four towns: city council, select boards, school committees, planning and zoning, and more.
• Town updates from each city and town hall: public works, public safety notices, budgets and elections.
• High school and youth sports, with schedules, scores and reports from the teams themselves.
• Business updates: openings, closings, the chambers and local employers.
• Events across all four communities.

How the Current is made

The Current is one person's project, and it relies on AI tools to do most of the work. The AI gathers public records, drafts most write-ups and checks them, following rules set by the person who runs the Current.

• Watching sources. Software checks town and school websites, agendas, minutes, official notices and event calendars every day. Tips from readers and other local sources are only leads. We confirm facts in public records before we use them.
• Meeting video. For public meetings, we watch the meeting online and link the video in the sources. Nobody from the Current attends a meeting unless the write-up says so.
• Writing and checking. AI tools draft each write-up from those records and check every name, number, date, dollar amount and vote against the source before it publishes.
• Holding what needs a person. Anything that cannot be confirmed, or that involves accusations against private people, crime, arrests or minors, is held for a person to review instead of publishing.
• Audio. The Morning Current audio is written and voiced by AI from what is already published on the site. A person approves each episode before it posts.

Every write-up lists its sources at the end. The details, including which AI tools we use, are in our standards and corrections policy.

When we publish

• The site updates every morning, and again every evening with scores, reader submissions and corrections.
• The Morning Current email goes out every morning, seven days a week, after the site updates.
• The Morning Current audio posts in the morning once a person approves it.

Free to read

Public information should not sit behind a paywall. Everything on the Current is free to read, and you never need an account.

Questions or ideas: [email protected]. Tips or corrections: [email protected]