Sean Corcoran  

 

Topics by Sean Corcoran

Energy

Community Comes out for Cape Wind Hearing


SEAN CORCORAN'S CAPE WIND BLOG
By Sean Corcoran
Both sides of the issue were well represented at a public hearing to discuss NStar's proposal to buy and sell nearly a quarter of the energy anticipated from the Cape Wind project.
Health Care

On Island, Health Care Coverage Gaps Are Common


By Sean Corcoran
Nantucket is getting ready for summer — a busy time not just for vacationers but for the island's labor force. But there's a serious side to island living, especially for those residents who aren't employed all year round: a gap in health insurance coverage.
WGBH News Focus: The MBTA

'Tourist Train' Status: Delayed


WGBH NEWS FOCUS: THE MBTA
By Sean Corcoran
With cost concerns at the fore, expanding MBTA service is a tough proposition. So the Cape Cod transit authority decided to delay a tourist train to the Cape ... even though the service would pay for itself.
Gambling

The Silver City Goes for Casino Gold


By Sean Corcoran
The Mashpee Wampanoags' proposed casino in Taunton, Mass., would contribute about $120 million annually in economic development to the region, the tribal chief said.
Courts, Crime & Police

Barnstable DA: Killer Will Be Brought to Justice


By Sean Corcoran
Law enforcement officials have identified a body found in a remote area of woods in Falmouth as Trudie Hall, a Nantucket resident who went missing in July 2010.
WGBH Local News

Studying Libraries, Part 2: The E-Book Battle


STUDYING LIBRARIES, PT. 1
By Sean Corcoran
Librarians are reporting dramatic increases in the numbers of people looking to borrow e-books. But some publishing houses are rethinking whether they want libraries loaning out e-books at all.
Education

Studying Libraries, Part 1: More with Less


WCAI
By Sean Corcoran
People are looking to libraries to respond to technology and make up for cuts in their own household budgets — and libraries are answering the call.
Energy

Further Delay Predicted For Cape Wind


WCAI CAPE WIND BLOG
By Sean Corcoran
The region's wholesale electricity market overseer has determined that Cape Wind will not be ready to generate electricity within the next 3.5 years.
Energy

Pilgrim Nuclear Turns Back On


POWER STRUGGLE: THE FIGHT OVER PILGRIM NUCLEAR
By Sean Corcoran
The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth, Mass. is returning to service after replacing a leaking safety relief valve, a spokesman said on Dec. 30.
Energy

Utility Gets Go-Ahead To Purchase Cape Wind Power


WGBH/WCAI CAPE WIND BLOG
CAPE WIND MULTIMEDIA
By Sean Corcoran
The Mass. Supreme Judicial Court has no problem with the state-sanctioned power purchase agreement between Cape Wind and the utility National Grid, ruling that the deal is in the public's interest. 
Energy

Nuclear Plant Shut Down For Second Time In Two Months


POWER STRUGGLE: RELICENSING PILGRIM NUCLEAR
NPR: NO EASY FIX AS NUCLEAR PLANTS AGE
By Sean Corcoran
The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., was shut down on Dec. 26 because a safety relief valve was leaking steam. The reactor was also shut down in mid-November due to mechanical concerns.
War & Conflict

Soldier's Death An Accident?


By Sean Corcoran

Army Sgt. Brent McBride, facing murder charges for allegedly killing Sgt. Matthew Gallagher of Falmouth, testified on Dec. 17 that Gallagher died while playing a game of "quick-draw."

Energy

Judges Deny Request To Suspend Nuclear Plant Relicensing


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Federal regulators will not halt a review of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant's bid to extend its operating license. WGBH News reported on the Pilgrim controversy this November.
Energy

Power Struggle, Part 3: The Emergency Plan


POWER STRUGGLE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Officials say there is no plan for how Cape Cod could be evacuated in the event of a radiation release — and they estimate only 10,000 people have potassium iodide pills to protect against radiation in a disaster.
Energy

Power Struggle: The Fight Over Pilgrim Nuclear


By Sean Corcoran
The owners of the 39-year-old Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth have applied for a 20-year extension. Opponents question its safety, especially after its sister plant experienced explosions and likely meltdowns this year in Fukushima, Japan. In a three-part series, WGBH News reports on the controversy.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

Power Struggle, Part 2: Burning Out On Fuel Rods


POWER STRUGGLE PART 1: RELICENSING
By Sean Corcoran
At Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, about 3,000 spent fuel rods sit in a pool designed to hold one-third that amount. In Fukushima, some rods stored in similar pools melted down.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

Power Struggle, Part 1: Relicensing Pilgrim Nuclear


By Sean Corcoran
The owners of the Plymouth Nuclear Power Station are asking for it to be relicensed for another 20 years of service. But the landscape surrounding nuclear power has changed since the disaster in Fukushima, Japan. As regulators consider the request, the debate in the community is heating up.
WHERE WE LIVE

Provincetown Prices Out Young Artists


EMILY ROONEY SHOW: INCOME INEQUALITY
WHERE WE LIVE: COMPLETE SERIES
By Sean Corcoran
Emerging artists are attracted by the town's history and fellowships, but housing costs make it hard for them to stay. 
A DECADE OF STORIES

After The Call, Cape Cod Fighter Pilots Patrolled The Skies


FULL STORY
SEPT. 11: A DAY OF REFLECTION, A DECADE OF STORIES
By Sean Corcoran
Colonel Timothy Duffy was a first-responder on Sept. 11, arriving at the Twin Towers in one of Otis's F-15 Eagles, along with his wingman, Major Daniel Nash. People often ask Duffy if he'd arrived in New York sooner, would he have shot down a hijacked airliner?
Environment

Nature In Balance: The National Seashore Looks Forward


MORE FROM WCAI
By Sean Corcoran
As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the Cape Cod National Seashore bears the legacy of the agreements that founded it -- which supporters say will help it navigate its future.
CAPE COD

Nature In Balance: Creating The National Seashore


CAPE COD TIMES SLIDESHOW: NAT'L SEASHORE, THEN AND NOW
By Sean Corcoran
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Cape Cod National Seashore. But its formation was not without controversy. 
89.7 WGBH

Falmouth Soldier Killed In Iraq


By Sean Corcoran
A Falmouth soldier, Sgt. Matthew Gallagher, was killed in Iraq on Sunday, according to the U.S. Army and his family. He was 22 years old.
WGBH SERIES

Facing Alzheimer's: The Caregivers' Challenge


By Sean Corcoran
The Alzheimer's caregivers’ story is often one of sustained stress, exhaustion and isolation. Rates of depression, poor nutrition and chronic disease among caregivers of Alzheimer's patients are higher than for non-caregivers — and the state has more than 120,000 of those patients. Read and listen to Sean Corcoran's coverage, which won regional Murrow and AP awards.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Supporting The Caregivers


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
Tracking devices, certain medications and group therapy programs are among the tools available in Massachusetts to support Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Art Therapy for Alzheimer's


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
Looking at paintings in a museum or singing songs around a piano is not going to stop Alzheimer's as it steals away memories and personality. But around the country, art and music therapy programs are becoming more common for people with memory impairment.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Caring Places


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
The goal of many people with Alzheimer's disease and their families is to find a way for the person to spend their final days in their home. Oftentimes the burdens associated with the disease makes that impossible, but a new kind of assisted-living home for the memory-impaired offers an alternative to the traditional nursing home.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Planning For Loss


FACING ALZHEIMERS: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
The Noonan family knows too well what it's like to watch a loved one die of Alzheimer's: Their mother had it, and passed it on to at least four of her ten children. They say advanced planning, although painful, has been key to helping the family handle the disease.
The Caregivers' Challenge

Facing Alzheimer's: Plight Of The Caregivers


FACING ALZHEIMER'S: THE CAREGIVERS' CHALLENGE
By Sean Corcoran
There are more than 120,000 people with Alzheimer's Disease in Massachusetts. Their caregivers each have stories of sustained stress, isolation and exhaustion -- with higher-than-normal rates of depression and chronic disease. This week, WGBH's Sean Corcoran takes a deep look at the challenges of caregiving.

WHERE WE LIVE

Fishing Sustains Chatham Economy


WGBH SERIES: WHERE WE LIVE
By Sean Corcoran
Chatham owes just about everything it has to the fact it's located on the ocean. From its architecture — which, in many cases was based on buildings sea captains would find in other areas of the world — to its culture and tourism, the sea has helped keep the community fiscally strong, including during this recent financial trouble.
89.7 WGBH

Ferry Company Reverses Course On Cape Wind


By Sean Corcoran
A prominent Cape Cod ferry company has reversed course and says it no longer opposes the plan to install 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, and instead will look to conduct "eco tours" of the Cape Wind turbine site.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Complete Series


By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth, Mass. say they're suffering headaches, insomnia and depression because of a 400-foot tall town-owned wind turbine that began operating there last year. Most scientists say wind turbines don't cause health problems, but the experience of residents has strengthened anti-wind sentiment in the region.
CLIMATIDE

The Falmouth Experience


READ CLIMATIDE
By Sean Corcoran
Complaints about a turbine in Falmouth are raising the possibility that one bad experience could jeopardize Patrick’s state-wide push for wind energy.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: The Green Debate


LAWMAKERS RENEW PUSH FOR SIMPLER TURBINE PERMITTING
By Sean Corcoran
The effort to install land-based wind turbines on Cape Cod has slowed, largely because of opposition to a 400-foot tall turbine that was installed last spring in Falmouth.
Energy

The Falmouth Experience: Flickering Light


PART 2: SICK FROM THE NOISE
By Sean Corcoran
Residents in the town of Falmouth say that a nearly 400-foot wind turbine has severely impacted their quality of life. They talk about noise issues, but sound isn’t the only thing generating discontent. There also are complaints about a phenomenon called ‘shadow flicker’.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Sick From The Noise



By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth say they’re feeling sick from the sounds coming from a large, town-owned wind turbine. While turbines are not silent, those claims are often controversial.
WGBH SPECIAL REPORT

The Falmouth Experience: Life Under The Blades



READ THE STORY ON CLIMATIDE
By Sean Corcoran
Some residents of Falmouth say a wind turbine installed last year has changed their lives — and not for the better. This week, WGBH’s Sean Corcoran explores all sides of the issue in a special series, The Falmouth Experience: The Trouble with One Town’s Turbine.
Local Politics

Despite Scrutiny, Jeff Perry Gets Top Police Job


LISTEN: MORE FROM THE EMILY ROONEY SHOW
By Sean Corcoran
Jeffrey Perry has a new job. The former state representative ran unsuccessfully on the GOP ticket for the 10th Congressional District -- and now he'll be the Special Sheriff for Barnstable county, months after his law enforcement record was scrutinized during the campaign.
Energy

With Two Final Permits, Cape Wind Cleared For Development

By Sean Corcoran
Cape Wind is good to go: After a final pair of permits last week, project developers are cleared to begin installing the 130 turbines that will generate electricity off the shore of Cape Cod.
Energy

Officials May Lease More Local Waters For Wind Farms


CLIMATIDE: OFFSHORE WIND TOPS 2010 HEADLINES
By Sean Corcoran
The state and federal governments are testing the waters for interest in erecting more wind turbines off the islands of Martha's vineyard and Nantucket.
ENVIRONMENT

State's Top Environmental Official Will Step Down


By Sean Corcoran
Ian Bowles, the state's top environmental official and a key player in Gov. Deval Patrick's first term in office, is stepping down from his position as secretary of energy and environmental affairs.
ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Track Cottontails To Save Them


By Sean Corcoran
Efforts are underway to save the rare New England Cottontail rabbit by creating new habitat for the species. But first, trackers have to find them.
Energy

State Approves National Grid Purchase Of Cape Wind


READ SEAN CORCORAN'S CAPE WIND BLOG
By Sean Corcoran
The state's Department of Public Utilities Monday approved an agreement that will allow power distributor National Grid to buy half of the electricity generated by the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound.
Health Care

In Charlestown, Venture Capital Fuels Alzheimer's Research


PHOTOS: INSIDE THE LAB
PART 1: MASS. VENTURE CAPITALISTS INVEST IN ALZHEIMERS
By Sean Corcoran
Groundbreaking Alzheimer's research in Charlestown is being funded not by the government, but by a group of Massachusetts venture capitalists. 
Health Care

Mass. Venture Capitalists Invest In Alzheimer's Research


By Sean Corcoran
A small group of local business leaders who are using their proven investment techniques — and their personal fortunes — to assemble what they believe are the world's most promising researchers to slow, stop or reverse Alzheimer's Disease.
Mass Decision 2010

Keating Defeats Perry With Safe Margin


FULL ELECTION RESULTS
By Sean Corcoran
In the closely-watched 10th Congressional District race to replace retiring Congressman Bill Delahunt, Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating held off a strong showing by Republican Jeff Perry of Cape Cod Tuesday night in a contest that was expected to come down to the wire. 
MASS DECISION 2010

WGBH Poll Shows Dead Heat In 10th District


HOW THE NUMBERS BREAK DOWN
FULL POLL RESULTS
By Sean Corcoran
The race for the 10th Congressional District is wide open, according to a poll released Monday by WGBH and the MassINC. Polling Group.

The hits and the highlights from WGBH

Stay in the know about upcoming shows, special events, discounts, and more!
See a sample »