New health regulations aimed at reducing groundwater contamination will result in many homeowners in Ocean Heights and Arbutus Park paying tens of thousands of dollars for new water and septic systems.

The regulations, finalized this week, will apply to all new developments and will also, over time, require modifications to hundreds of existing homes built on substandard lots.

The four big Island towns will for the first time allocate millions of dollars in community preservation funds at their annual town meetings this year, with recommended projects ranging from installing Edgartown street-style lanterns to a revolving loan program to help Oak Bluffs families install denitrifying septic systems.

After a busy week on the floor, Cong. Willliam Delahunt could not refrain from putting his feet up on his desk to rest. "It's been frenetic," he said last Friday, taking a short break in his House office across the street from the Capitol.

It took just 13 minutes for the state of Massachusetts to end more than 80 years of independence for the Martha's Vineyard hospital, and transfer ownership to the state's biggest health care provider.

The Steamship Authority is expected to impose higher fees and new restrictions on the operations of its main competitor, Hy-Line Cruises, when the SSA board meets to consider Hy-Line's new licensing agreement on Tuesday.

Just over a decade ago, the Massachusetts state government cut funding for the Dukes County Cooperative Extension Service and forced closure of the popular Island program, which provided useful resources for Vineyard farmers.

Today, with a resurgence of small-scale agriculture spreading across the country and taking hold here on the Vineyard, the state is recommending the creation of another Island public agency to address farming interests.