ALDERMEN IN THE state’s largest city will debate the merits of a mask ordinance again this week.

WITH COLDER WEATHER arriving, Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long has come up with a plan to help try to connect more than 300 “unsheltered” people living on public property in Manchester — only about 27% of whom say they hail from here — with housing and other services.

IF MANCHESTER SCHOOL District Superintendent John Goldhardt didn’t already know the school board has his back, he does now.

If you were confused earlier this month after aldermen voted to put a school charter question on the ballot, you weren’t alone. The caretaker of this space has been scratching his head over the vote ever since.

BEWARE THOSE LATE Friday afternoon emails.

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS get what you want. The Rolling Stones knew that. Now Manchester’s School District Charter Commission does, too.

ON AUG. 26, the Executive Council approved $770,000 in funding for the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition to provide syringe service programs in Manchester, Nashua, Keene, Concord and the Seacoast region over a two-year period.

LIVE FROM CITY Hall, it’s the Board of School Committee.

A LITTLE MORE than two weeks before the Sept. 8 primary election, Manchester city officials are promoting the benefits of early voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT Charter Commission has resubmitted a series of proposed charter amendments to state officials for approval, after addressing concerns from the Attorney General’s Office.

IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER school board members will approve Superintendent John Goldhardt‘s recommendations Monday for reopening Manchester schools, but a survey of city teachers conducted by the Manchester Education Association shows why many support the plan.

A Manchester school district survey of parents and guardians showed a slight majority favors students returning to in-person learning in local classrooms when school resumes in the fall.

DON’T LOOK FOR the Manchester school board to meet in-person at City Hall any time soon.

THE MANCHESTER police department will no longer be responsible for school crossing guards after a month-long battle over who should pay their bill for the time schools were closed for COVID-19.

MANCHESTER SOON could join other cities across the state in offering expanded outdoor dining downtown, if aldermen approve a plan to allow restaurants to use Elm Street parking spaces as dining areas.

DIVERSITY TRAINING soon will be available to Manchester city staff, after the city received a $20,000 grant from the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation for a diversity and cultural competency program.

Manchester school board members are expected to vote Monday whether to pay a bill for almost $27,000 for crossing guards in April, when schools across the state were closed and students were learning remotely.

Last week’s vote by Manchester aldermen to maintain the city’s tax cap — and prevent the school district from accessing $3.5 million in additional state funds earmarked for local educators — continues to polarize residents and officials.

Several aldermen turned up the heat last week over a decision to close city pools, playgrounds and other facilities this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing two public votes on the issue.

Manchester school officials say they are frustrated by an executive order signed by Gov. Chris Sununu aimed at continuing to provide special education services to students during the coronavirus pandemic.

LESS THAN a month after warning Manchester would face a budget deficit of more than $2 million because of the coronavirus pandemic, city finance director Bill Sanders now projects an operating surplus of $648,537 in Fiscal Year 2020.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS in masks. Dedicated hand-washing stations. Smaller classes. In-person learning at schools on alternate days.

AFTER Manchester school administrators presented the district’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2021 last week, aldermen’s responses ranged from praise for Queen City teachers to renewed calls for “serious conversations” about cutting costs.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS will hit “pause” on a controversial plan to merge Manchester Memorial High School and Manchester School of Technology into one campus, after the proposal met with pushback from board and community members.

IF YOU bailed out before the third hour of last week’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, you missed Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long’s pitch for a homeless haven somewhere in the city.

AFTER CONSIDERING ways to address anticipated drops in revenue from the coronavirus pandemic, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig will tell aldermen this week she prefers a hiring freeze over furloughs, saying “significant savings” can be achieved.

LAST WEEK’S Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting included talk of finances, furloughs...and other f-words.

WITH 56,800 New Hampshire residents filing for unemployment benefits in a two-week span — and nearly 6.65 million claims nationwide for the last full week of March — Manchester aldermen last week raised the specter of furloughing non-essential employees.

MAYOR JOYCE CRAIG caused a stir among local sports fans earlier this month when she said conversations have taken place about bringing professional hockey back to the Queen City.