The winter issue of CommonWealth is in the mail and available online. The cover story focuses on Kingston, a South Shore town that is discovering that going green – with the help of hefty subsidies paid by utility customers – is not only good for the environment but good for the town’s bottom line.

CommonWealth’s writers also take in-depth looks at the WinnCompanies, where campaign contributions are just another cost of doing business; the Benjamin Franklin Institute, a private community college churning out graduates at a rapid pace, and a son’s efforts to convince law enforcement officials that they got it wrong when they concluded his mother caused the traffic accident that killed her.

The Conversation sits down with Brockton High School Principal Susan Szachowicz, who tells the amazing story of how an urban school that has every reason to be an academic also-ran is becoming one of the nation’s best turnaround stories.

Analysis and commentary runs the gamut from Charles Chieppo on the lack of success benchmarks at the Convention Center Authority to a Don Gillis review of the book Activists in City Hall to a call by Jerry Rubin and John Schneider for the state to get its workforce development house in order.

Finally, CW looks at how health plans are starting to charge their customers more depending on which provider they choose, a successful recovery/reentry program that relies on “job therapy,” and the zero-sum game of redistricting.

This is just a sampling of what’s in the magazine. There’s also a lot more content online at CommonWealthmagazine.org, including the daily Download of news and analysis culled from publications across Massachusetts and the country. Don’t get buried by the news; get the Download.