Springfield, MA
Weather
Local Overnight Snowfall Totals, Current Conditions For Thursday, Dec. 17 Local Overnight Snowfall Totals, Current Conditions For Thursday, Dec. 17
Local Overnight Snowfall Totals, Current Conditions For Thursday, Dec. 17 Overnight the winter storm dropped between 7 and 12 inches of snow on Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. As snow continues to fall, the National Weather Service provided overnight snowfall totals. At 7 a.m. here is how much snow had fallen in your area - Hartford, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties: Hartford County Simsbury - 11 inches Bradley Airport - 10.9 inches Canton - 10.5 inches Manchester - 10 inches Hampden County Longmeadow - 12 inches Southwick - 10.3 inches Westfield - 9.3 inches East Longmeadow - 8.5 inches Monson - 8 inches Chicopee -7.5 inches Hampshi…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result COVID-19 Test Kits At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result COVID-19 Test Kits
At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result Covid-19 Test Kits Rapid-result COVID-19 testing is coming to 134 public Massachusetts School Districts and facilities in December to help stop the spread of the virus. Among the 134 districts and schools receiving testing, at least 26 individual schools and full districts are from Central and Western Massachusetts (not including the Berkshires). For a list of districts and schools getting the tests, scroll down to the end of the article. Due to the limited number of tests, districts that will get the equipment are those that meet certain criteria and offer in-person education. The 2 million tests provided…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
COVID-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk COVID-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk
Covid-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk More than 50 Massachusetts cities and towns are now considered to be at “high-risk” for spreading COVID-19 infections, according to the most recent state data. Among the communities where the risk is highest - 8 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, per day - are 15 Western and Central Massachusetts municipalities. The community with the highest daily incident rate is Marlborough - 19.9 new cases per day per 100,000 and going up. Though the risk is still high, infections in Amherst, Southborough, Springfield, and Sunderland are decreasing. On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Massachus…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: Positive-Test-Rate Spikes - Twice As High As Summertime Average COVID-19: Positive-Test-Rate Spikes - Twice As High As Summertime Average
Covid-19: Positive-Test-Rate Spikes - Twice As High As Summertime Average The daily COVID-19 positive test rate has shot up to 4 percent in Massachusetts - a stark change from the 2 percent - or under - rates that the state enjoyed for much of the summer. More than 4.8 million COVID-19 tests have been administered in Massachusetts since the start of the pandemic. In the most recent weekly COVID-19 town-by-town state data, there were 40 communities listed as high-risk for the virus’ spread. The data was reported on Oct. 7. The week prior, there were 23 communities considered high-risk. The places where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest are in the Northeastern p…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
News
UMass Amherst Shortcut Avoiding Route 9 Traffic Could Be Closed To Commuters UMass Amherst Shortcut Avoiding Route 9 Traffic Could Be Closed To Commuters
UMass Amherst Shortcut Avoiding Route 9 Traffic Could Be Closed To Commuters The backroads to UMass Amherst may soon be shut off to many commuters as Hadley looks to address speeding on the residential roads. Knowing how to avoid traffic on Route 9 in Hadley is a sign of a true local, but the popular West Street, North Lane, and Cemetary Road route to and from UMass could be made slower or closed off to commuters. A recent traffic study found that most motorists do not obey the 30 mph speed limit in the area of the shortcut, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The shortcut, from the Coolidge Bridge to UMass, passes through residential and farmland and. The r…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Business
Two New Dog Parks Under Construction - 10 Area Bark Parks Total Two New Dog Parks Under Construction - 10 Area Bark Parks Total
Two New Dog Parks Under Construction - 10 Area Bark Parks Total Ground will soon be broken on one what will be one of the area’s only dog parks. And another dog park in Western Mass is on track to open this season.  A 25,000-square-foot dog park is being built inside Lemansky Park in Auburn in the space where the skate park resides. The skate park is being relocated. Shovels are expected to hit the dirt and start construction on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to the town. On this day, the skate park will be closed until the new one is built and reopened sometime in the spring. Auburn's dog park will become one of just 10 parks on this side of the…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Business
Amherst Could Pay You To Shop And Eat In Town Amherst Could Pay You To Shop And Eat In Town
Amherst Could Pay You To Shop And Eat In Town To help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Amherst BID is awarding gift cards to people who shop in the town's stores and eat at its restaurants. The Amherst Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) announced Thursday, Oct. 7, the launch of its “Take the Pledge” campaign. From now until Dec. 31 people can turn in their receipts from an official checklist of restaurants, retailers, and services or salons to be entered to win one of three prizes: $100-$500 in Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce gift cards. “As our town navigates through the pandemic during the fall and early…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
COVID-19: Dozen Central/Western Mass Communities Are 'High-Risk' For Infection COVID-19: Dozen Central/Western Mass Communities Are 'High-Risk' For Infection
Covid-19: Dozen Central/Western Mass Communities Are 'High-Risk' For Infection COVID-19 rates are spiking in new communities in Western and Central Massachusetts. According to the most recent state data, Wednesday, Oct. 7, there are about a dozen “high-risk” or “red” communities in the second half of Massachusetts. High-risk communities have 8 or more positive COVID-19 tests per 100,000 residents - a level that puts the town at high-risk for spreading the disease. The community with the highest rate of average daily COVID-19 infections is Sunderland, with 20.67 new infections per 100,000 residents. The community with the most total cases over the past two weeks is …

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Business
Amherst Seeks To Extend Outdoor Dining Season With 50 Mobile Heaters Amherst Seeks To Extend Outdoor Dining Season With 50 Mobile Heaters
Amherst Seeks To Extend Outdoor Dining Season With 50 Mobile Heaters Amherst is seeking to extend the outdoor dining season with the purchase of 50 mobile heaters. As the weather turns cooler and indoor dining is still tightly restricted due to COVID-19, restaurants are looking for ways to keep the alfresco season going. Amherst town officials said they are seeking a $200,000 Shared Streets grant and some of that money would be used to purchase 20 outdoor heaters at about $2,000 each, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. The Amherst Business Improvement District (BID) director said the organization is looking into purchasing 30 outdoor heaters for area re…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Program That Keeps Offenders Out Of Jail Is Expanding In Pioneer Valley Program That Keeps Offenders Out Of Jail Is Expanding In Pioneer Valley
Program That Keeps Offenders Out Of Jail Is Expanding In Pioneer Valley A program meant to keep adults who have done wrong out of the court system and jail is expanding in the Pioneer Valley. Communities for Restorative Justice (C4RJ) is partnering with the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office to provide an alternative to the court system. It's called restorative justice and it's kind of like doing community service to atone for causing harm - but without the perpetrator being charged with a crime. “Restorative justice provides an alternative to the criminal justice process,” said Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. It enables “the community to ta…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
News
UMass Amherst, Unions Square Off On Cost-Saving Measures During COVID-19 UMass Amherst, Unions Square Off On Cost-Saving Measures During COVID-19
UMass Amherst, Unions Square Off On Cost-Saving Measures During Covid-19 Two labor unions allege that the University of Massachusetts Amherst is pushing for hundreds of layoffs if employees don’t agree to certain concessions. UMass Amherst officials say the cuts are necessary to make ends meet during the COVID-19 crisis. The Professional Staff Union and the University Staff Association say that they have filed complaints with the state against UMass. Administrators, the unions said, have asked employees to make up $5.2 million in voluntary staff cuts and early retirements, but that they have not justified the cuts. “UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy is…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
News
Funky Massachusetts Town Eyes Art Tax On Construction Projects Funky Massachusetts Town Eyes Art Tax On Construction Projects
Funky Massachusetts Town Eyes Art Tax On Construction Projects A Massachusetts town known for its out-of-the-box programs and solutions to local and national issues is eyeing the creation of an art tax. If approved, town-funded construction projects would include an additional fee for the purposes of promoting, creating, acquiring, and maintaining public art in Amherst. Amherst residents will get a chance to comment on the proposed bylaw on Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m., during the Town Council virtual meeting. Town Council could vote on the bylaw - the “Percent for Art” bylaw - as soon as Sept. 21, according to a town announcement. Amherst is already k…

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by Kristin Palpini