"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land."

Bob Hilborn, emergency management specialist with the West Hartford, Conn., Fire Department, after more than 100 residents helped shovel out the town’s 1,300 fire hydrants following February’s blizzard conditions, a volunteer effort sparked by a social media call-out that offered gift cards and fire truck rides as incentives. The department’s Facebook post drew more than 150 comments, all positive, as kids and adults alike pitched in to ease the burden on firefighters. “We think that’s a record,” Hilborn said, calling the response a feel-good moment of civic pride. (CT Insider)

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Niedzwiecki, explaining why widespread power outages hit Cape Cod during the blizzard of ’26. Niedzwiecki said falling trees and above-ground power lines made the outages inevitable, leaving about 80 percent of the region’s economy in the dark and more than 150,000 residents without electricity at the storm’s peak. He is now urging officials to bury portions of the electrical grid underground and create a regional resilience plan, arguing that stronger infrastructure is essential to protect homes, businesses and critical services from future storms. (Boston Herald)

Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, venting frustration during a marathon overnight legislative session at the Arizona House of Representatives that began on February 25. Hernandez made the remark after a Republican lawmaker walked out around 5 a.m., briefly throwing the chamber into chaos with more than 20 bills still awaiting votes. Lawmakers had been debating for nearly 19 hours straight during crossover week, with tensions flaring over exhaustion, rushed debate and a process some said left little time to carefully consider legislation. (Arizona Mirror)

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, expressing concern after a call with federal officials about immigration enforcement and the upcoming elections. Bellows said federal authorities told state officials that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not planning to target polling locations. However, she said officials declined to clearly affirm that states have sole authority over election administration, raising fears about potential federal interference as tensions grow between states and the Trump administration over immigration and voting policies. (Bloomberg)