Use of The Ride plummets since fare increase

Some senior and disabled patrons said the cost of The Ride has left them virtually house-bound.

Kirsten Hughes, a Quincy city councilor, is the new chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Hughes takes her presence to to Mass. GOP stage

In the staid, familiar world of lawyers and politicians, Quincy city councilor Kirsten Hughes has one of the glitzier profiles.

Scott Brown in 2009.

Finances may influence Scott Brown’s next move

Scott Brown spent most of the last four years saying jobs were his top priority. Now he has to find a new occupation.

Mark Sargent, 45, (right) and Jeanmarie Louis, 23, (center) pleaded not guilty Thursday to arson charges.

Fire-starters, GPS tracking led police to arson suspects

That discovery of fire-starter logs spurred what the state’s fire marshal is calling the largest arson investigation in recent memory.

Bill Parcells left the Patriots after coaching them to a loss in Super Bowl XXXI.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff/File

Dan Shaughnessy

Bill Parcells’ legacy with Patriots still strong

Parcells, a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this season, helped save the Patriots franchise in the 1990s and is the godfather of the team’s success since 2001.

Cambridge Eagle Scout Tano Holmesson of Derrick Z. Jackson, raises the flag at a Boy Scouts event in 2006.

Derrick Z. Jackson

A troop before its time

Maria Henley was ahead of her time in 1998 when she gave easy acceptance to the son of two gay women who walked up to her at a meeting of Boys Scouts of America.

Globe writer Shira Springer (left) learned the finer points of pole vaulting from Olympic gold medalist Jenn Suhr.

Gold medalist provides novice instruction in pole vaulting

Globe reporter Shira Springer tries pole vaulting with help from Jenn Suhr, the world’s top-ranked female.

Punxsutawney’s famous groundhog Phil predicts spring will come early this year.

Groundhog doesn’t see shadow, forecasts early spring

Punxsutawney’s famous groundhog Phil has predicted spring will come early this year.

Globe Insiders

From the Archives | Photo gallery

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2013/01/30/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/bridge003a-930[2].jpg The (Mystic) Tobin Bridge

The Mystic Bridge opened for traffic on Feb. 26, 1950, and was renamed in honor of former Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor Maurice J. Tobin in 1967.

Sports

Tags in this section:

Though he wasn’t drafted until the third round, Frank Gore of the 49ers has racked up six 1,000-yard seasons.

Frank Gore runs on staying power for 49ers

San Francisco running back Frank Gore made it out of his tough Miami neighborhood, weathered two torn ACLs, and endured six losing seasons with the 49ers on his way to Super Bowl XLVII.

Metro

Tags in this section:

Carol Johnson’s husband, Matthew, is in poor health.

Boston schools chief in talks about time off

School Superintendent ­Carol R. Johnson has been in discussions about her need to care for her ill husband, raising questions about her continued tenure in her post.

Nation & World

Tags in this section:

Politics

Scott Brown said another Senate race was “not the only way for me to advance the ideals and causes that matter most to me.’’

Brown opts not to run for Kerry’s seat, stuns his party

Scott Brown’s decision not to seek John F. Kerry’s Senate seat delivered a major blow to Republican leaders who saw in him their best chance to win the June 25 election.

Business

Tags in this section:

Marc Casper says he expects growth in 2013 to be slower than in 2012.

Thermo Fisher chief sees hard work ahead

While it posted sales of $12.5 billion last year, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will have to work harder to continue increasing its profit and revenue.

Arts

Tags in this section:

Stage Review

From left: Miles Jacoby, John Gardiner, Nick Cosgrove, and Michael Lomenda in “Jersey Boys.’’

In ‘Jersey Boys,’ the songs tell the story

What makes this story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, now playing at the Colonial Theatre, rise above the others is the four men who made it.