Ben Simmoneau

Boston

Journalist at WCVB-TV (Boston, MA)

Dad, husband, journalist @WCVB. Retweets are not endorsements. [email protected]

Articles

Boston College professor weighs in on historic election of Pope Leo XIV

6 days ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

JOHN ATWATER WCVB NEWSCENTER 5. JOHN. THANK YOU. LET’S BRING IN NOW THOMAS GROOME, WHO IS PROFESSOR OF RELIGION AND THEOLOGY HERE AT BOSTON COLLEGE. PROFESSOR GROOME, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU. ALL RIGHT. FIRST OFF, I HAVE TO GET YOUR REACTION TODAY TO THIS BEING, OF COURSE, THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE. WE ARE AT AN INTERESTING TIME IN WORLD POLITICS. IT’S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. FIRST POPE, ALSO FROM ALL OF NORTH AMERICA. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THAT AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT?
First American pope: Boston College expert discusses historic moment

6 days ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

FROM NORTH AMERICA. AND HERE NOW TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE ON THE NEW POPE, DOCTOR GREGORY NEWTON WITH BOSTON COLLEGE AND THE PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW AND POLICY GROUP. DOCTOR NEWTON, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. MY PLEASURE. FIRST, WE WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO ALL THIS. THE FIRST AMERICAN POPE AND A FELLOW VILLANOVA ALUM. WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH. SO IT’S A SIGNIFICANT DAY FOR THE CHURCH.
Mass. homeowners say state ignoring cost in push toward all electric heat

1 week ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

Massachusetts is pushing homeowners to switch from oil or gas heat to electric heat pumps, but several people who have made that switch said they have buyer's remorse. They said they were shocked at how expensive it was this winter to heat their homes with electricity and believe the state should have done more to lower the cost sooner, especially if it wants everyone to adopt electric heat pumps. Laura and Joe Stephens could not believe their electric bills this winter.
Mass. gas companies under fire for possibly overcharging customers

1 week ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

After a winter of sky-high natural gas bills, regulators in Massachusetts have now said the state's gas companies may have been overcharging customers for work they're doing to replace pipes. The finding comes as part of a new series of actions the Department of Public Utilities is taking to try to lower customer bills. In orders issued late Wednesday, the DPU immediately cut the amount of money gas companies can spend on pipe repair and replacement.
Bank refuses to help Mass. consumer after thousands vanish from account

1 week ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

A Massachusetts woman's fight to get her bank to act on fraudulent charges is serving as a warning to all consumers. Jennifer Colleran noticed her checking account was low last fall. When she looked closer, she saw a nearly $2,800 charge she didn't recognize. "It's a lot of money. It's definitely something that drew my attention," said Colleran. What appeared to be a debit card purchase was identified only as "SP Midwest Retail Prop" in Clayton, Missouri.
Massachusetts electric customers shocked by thousands in charges

2 weeks ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

Electric and gas customers across Massachusetts said they've been slammed with surprise utility bills totaling thousands of dollars after Eversource or National Grid failed to bill them regularly for months. Customers received the jumbo bills despite state regulators saying utilities generally don't have the power to collect charges older than 60 days, if a customer wasn't billed timely.
'Boston Billy' marks 50 years since 1975 win, celebrates running for all

3 weeks ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

Boston Marathon legend Bill Rodgers is marking 50 years since his first win on Boylston Street in 1975. In the aftermath of that victory, Rodgers would go on to win both the Boston and New York City marathons four times over five years. Despite his remarkable success in elite fields, Rodgers has dedicated much of his life to proving that anyone can be a runner, no matter the distance. The marathon great still runs about 20 to 25 miles a week.
Wu goes 'On The Record' on her reelection campaign, housing and safety

1 month ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is running for reelection this year, hoping that a recent win streak will extend her historic administration. However, Wu not only faces competition locally in the upcoming Boston mayoral race, but she also has many opponents within President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington, D.C.On Saturday, Wu officially announced her reelection bid, though she had already told WCVB’s “On the Record” that she was running during her previous appearance on the show.
Frustrated customers say National Grid not complying with state order

1 month ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

Frustrated customers of National Grid — who were hit with multiple months of bills all at once — said the company isn't doing enough to comply with a state order to waive old charges. Questions about thousands of customers, who went months without bills from National Grid this winter, got state regulators to crack down. On Monday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities ordered the company not to collect on charges older than 60 days if it didn't issue bills in a timely manner.
Mass. fines utility company, $15M in refunds expected for customers

1 month ago | wcvb.com | Ben Simmoneau

National Grid is expected to be required to return $15 million to utility customers after Massachusetts regulators penalized the company for a slew of consumer complaints, NewsCenter 5's Ben Simmoneau has learned. The action was tied to a review of complaints by National Grid customers in 2023. The Department of Public Utilities is still reviewing complaints from last year, and more penalties are expected.