Snow Plowing - How Much Does Your Town Spend On Snow Removal? Snow Plowing - How Much Does Your Town Spend On Snow Removal?
Snow Plowing - How Much Does Your Town Spend On Snow Removal? Snow plowing is among the most important services a city or town can provide in the winter - but it’s more of a priority in some places than others. In a review of snowplow/snow removal expenditures per community, differences in how much a town is willing to pay for the service quickly emerge. Among the 10 largest communities in Central and Western Massachusetts, it’s hard to beat Worcester. The city spent $8,530 per mile of city roadway on plowing services in 2019. The biggest city spending the least amount of money per mile to plow its streets is Chicopee - which spent $2,635 per mile in…
Family IDs 25-Year-Old 'Kind-Natured' Victim In Fatal Crash Family IDs 25-Year-Old 'Kind-Natured' Victim In Fatal Crash
Family IDs 25-Year-Old 'Kind-Natured' Victim In Fatal Crash The victim in a fatal, one-car crash has been identified by the family - He was a hard-working Pioneer Valley bartender and star athlete.  The crash happened on Wednesday, Dec. 16, on Southampton Road in Holyoke.  The victim was Samuel “Sammy” Garcia, Jr., 25, of Easthampton, according to his obituary. Garcia was a star athlete in high school and worked at popular bars and restaurants in the Pioneer Valley. The accident happened on Wednesday during the height of a snowstorm that left parts of Western Massachusetts covered in more than a foot of snow. Garcia’s car apparently slid…
Regional Pizza Dynasty Patriarch, Sierros, Has Died Regional Pizza Dynasty Patriarch, Sierros, Has Died
Regional Pizza Dynasty Patriarch, Sierros, Has Died The patriarch of a local pizza-making dynasty has died, his family announced Wednesday, Dec. 16. Nickolaos “Nick” Sierros died at age 81, according to an obituary written by his family and published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Sierros owned A-1 Pizza in Florence (Northampton), Massachusetts, for nearly 40 years. The popular neighborhood pizzeria became Sierros’ in 1983. Sierros, a Greek native, comes from a family of pizza-makers and A-1 wasn’t his first shop. Along with his brother Christos and sister Panagiota, Sierros opened ABC Pizza in Cromwell, Connecticut. Family members went …
COVID-19: Live Music Venue Seeks $40,000 To Survive Pandemic COVID-19: Live Music Venue Seeks $40,000 To Survive Pandemic
Covid-19: Live Music Venue Seeks $40,000 To Survive Pandemic A popular “guitar bar” known for hosting live music is seeking financial help from the community. In November, owners of Luthier's Co-op in Easthampton created a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $40,000. The money will be used to pay bills since COVID-19 has led to the closure of Massachusetts bars as well as capacity restrictions for indoor events and restaurants. So far, the intimate venue on Cottage Street has raised $8,700. The owner who created the campaign, Steven Baer, said the fundraising request became necessary due to mounting debt. “For obvious reasons, we have been unable to…
COVID-19: 9 New Central, Western Mass Communities Turn 'Red' - Local Data COVID-19: 9 New Central, Western Mass Communities Turn 'Red' - Local Data
Covid-19: 9 New Central, Western Mass Communities Turn 'Red' - Local Data Nine more Central and Western Massachusetts communities have been added to the state’s COVID-19 “red” list as infection rates climb across the state and nation. This week, Nov. 27, there are 31 Central and Western Massachusetts communities in the red - meaning that they are at the highest risk to spread the virus. Last week, Nov. 19, there were 21. The week before that, Nov. 12, there were 9. This week, the Massachusetts average daily COVID-19 rate per 100,000 people was 34.9. Newly added to the red list are Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Leicester, Millbury, Monson, Paxton, Rutland, Sutt…
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…
COVID-19: WMass City Reverts To Full-Remote Education COVID-19: WMass City Reverts To Full-Remote Education
Covid-19: WMass City Reverts To Full-Remote Education A small Western Massachusetts city is the latest city to join the full-remote learning club. On Tuesday, Nov. 17, Easthampton School Committee voted 4-3 to revert students to full-remote learning, according to WesternMass News.  There were not many children in classes at the moment - only kindergarten and special needs. Students were supposed to return to school on Thursday, Nov. 19, but this has been indefinitely delayed. School officials said they would revisit the decision in early December.
COVID-19: Town Rates And Trends For Hampden County COVID-19: Town Rates And Trends For Hampden County
Covid-19: Town Rates And Trends For Hampden County A little more than one-third of Massachusetts cities and towns are “red” and considered high-risk for the transmission of COVID-19. As of Thursday, Oct. 29, there are now 122 red municipalities reporting high numbers of new COVID-19 cases every day for the past 28 days. The “red” refers to the color-coded system Massachusetts is using to communicate where COVID-19 hotspots are in the state. Red signifies the highest case rate and highest risk of spreading the virus. Of the 122 red Massachusetts communities, 10 are in Hampden County: Agawam, Blanford, Brimfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Ho…
UPDATE COVID-19: The Towns Where You Can - And Can't - Go Trick-Or-Treating UPDATE COVID-19: The Towns Where You Can - And Can't - Go Trick-Or-Treating
Update Covid-19: The Towns Where You Can - And Can't - Go Trick-Or-Treating Communities across the state are taking different approaches to Halloween this year amid COVID-19 concerns. Some have outright banned trick-or-treating while others have left it up to parents whether their children will participate. If you’re wondering where you can go trick-or-treating this year, below is a list of cities and towns that have made decisions about how their communities will do Halloween amid COVID-19. Most communities are asking people to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Halloween guidelines.  The CDC advised against door-to-door trick-or-tre…
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…
Is The Drought Over Yet? Southern Part Of State Drier Than The Rest Is The Drought Over Yet? Southern Part Of State Drier Than The Rest
Is The Drought Over Yet? Southern Part Of State Drier Than The Rest The downpour that soaked the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 29-30, deposited 1.5-2 inches of rain, but still, much of southern Massachusetts is experiencing extreme drought. According to state data released Thursday, Oct.1, nearly 30 percent of the state is experiencing “extreme” drought - the second highest degree of drought tracked by the state. The worst degree of drought is “exceptional.” The ranking goes, from least to most drought-like conditions, are None, Abnormallly Dry, Moderate Drought, Severe Drought, Extreme Drought, and Exceptional Drought. In…
Lawyer Swindles Clients Out Of Millions; Forges Mom, Ex-Wife's Info To Further Scheme Lawyer Swindles Clients Out Of Millions; Forges Mom, Ex-Wife's Info To Further Scheme
Lawyer Swindles Clients Out Of Millions; Forges Mom, Ex-Wife's Info To Further Scheme A local attorney - who threw his own mother under the bus - brazenly stole, lied, and manipulated his clients out of millions of dollars has been sentenced to 66 months in prison. Phillip R. Williams, of Easthampton, pleaded guilty in December, to wire fraud, engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 of proceeds derived from criminal activity, money laundering, and tax fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts, said. On Friday, Sept. 25, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni sentenced Williams to over 5 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release…