Surrounded by friends, family and fellow law enforcement officers on Tuesday, Jonathan Klaren was sworn in as the new chief of the Chilmark police department.

A northern long-eared bat on the Vineyard has tested positive for white-nose syndrome, a condition that has decimated bat populations on the mainland.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week plowed through a wide-ranging agenda that included a proposed historic house demolition.

With the dredging of Menemsha Channel still unfinished after two years, the Army Corps of Engineers has terminated its contract with J-Way Inc. of Avon, Ohio.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is revising its 2007 water quality policy, with an eye toward stricter rules for developments that contribute nitrogen to saltwater ponds from wastewater.

A draft of the federal budget eliminates the National Sea Grant College Program, raising alarm among aquaculturists and others who benefit from the scientific research funding.