Greater transparency, expanded human services and more state funding are among the goals shared by candidates running for the Dukes County commission. Seven people are running to fill seven seats on the board next Tuesday. Four appear on the ballot, while three are running as write-ins.

Candidates running for nine open seats on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission reflect a wide range of priorities for the Island’s regional planning and review agency, but only two are newcomers. All the candidates acknowledge the need for better public understanding of the commission’s role in the community.

Sandplain grasslands are extensive on the Cape and Islands and include a variety of grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. But it is the native grass little bluestem that creates the ochre hues in fall, and helps sustain the diversity of the grassland ecosystem.

Four months after its first meeting, the committee on Squibnocket has shifted gears and is evaluating various proposals and considerations collected from the public.

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An uncommon visitor turned up in Edgartown harbor this weekend: a juvenile African pompano, an iridescent tropical fish that likely drifted north from waters off the southern United States.

The fish was caught by a squid that was caught by a fisherman.

After a period of dormancy, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust has resurfaced with a renewed mission to support commercial fishermen.