Amherst, MA
News
Western Mass Ex-Marine Stole $344K in Benefits, Lied To Get Purple Heart: Feds Western Mass Ex-Marine Stole $344K in Benefits, Lied To Get Purple Heart: Feds
Western Mass Ex-Marine Stole $344K in Benefits, Lied To Get Purple Heart: Feds Federal authorities have accused a former US Marine from Franklin County of stolen valor after they say he illegally accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in veteran benefits and lied about suffering a traumatic brain injury in a roadside bomb to earn a Purple Heart.  Paul John "PJ" Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, is charged with one count of theft of government money and one count of making false statements, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces potentially decades in prison if convicted on all charges.  Herbert is accused of stealing more than $344,000 …

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
Body Found By Kids In Western Mass ID'd As Man Missing For 3 Years: DA Body Found By Kids In Western Mass ID'd As Man Missing For 3 Years: DA
Body Found By Kids In Western Mass ID'd As Man Missing For 3 Years: DA Police in Franklin County have identified the skeletal remains found on an island in the Connecticut River last month by a group of children on a nature hike.  The bones belonged to Brian Cornwell, age 57, who was reported missing in 2020, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. Investigators are trying to determine how he died.  About 24 students and chaperones with the Westhampton-based summer camp Biocitizen Inc. were exploring Rawson Island — in between Greenfield and Montague — on Aug. 23 when they stumbled on the body, authorities said.  They called…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
Children Stumble Upon Human Remains On Western Mass Island: DA Children Stumble Upon Human Remains On Western Mass Island: DA
Children Stumble Upon Human Remains On Western Mass Island: DA A group of children found a body on a Franklin County island in the Connecticut River while on a nature hike last week, authorities said.  Reports said around 24 students and chaperones from the Westhampton-based summer camp Biocitizen Inc. stumbled across the human remains on Wednesday, Aug. 23, while on Rawson Island in Greenfield, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. The camp teaches students the importance of exploring nature.  The adults on the trip contacted the police. Officers remained at the scene until all the remains could be retrieved the following day.&n…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
2 Charged With Animal Abuse After Dog Found Starved With Broken Bones In Western Mass 2 Charged With Animal Abuse After Dog Found Starved With Broken Bones In Western Mass
2 Charged With Animal Abuse After Dog Found Starved With Broken Bones In Western Mass A dog in Franklin County named Conrad was rescued from horrid conditions that left him emaciated, with several broken bones that had healed without being treated, and 20 small rocks in his stomach, the MSPCA said. But despite the abuse, Conrad's story may still have a happy ending.  Yarras P. Fletcher and Aliah K. Rivera, both of Greenfield, were charged with two counts each of felony animal cruelty on Friday, Aug. 18, according to the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement Division. The duo were the owners of Conrad, a 5-year-old pit bull mix.  Greenfield police reached out to MSPCA investigators in Jul…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
Infamous Native American Statue Along Mohawk Trail In Western Mass Removed Infamous Native American Statue Along Mohawk Trail In Western Mass Removed
Infamous Native American Statue Along Mohawk Trail In Western Mass Removed A 20-foot-tall Native American statue and tourist attraction in Franklin County that was considered an offensive eyesore to some and a symbol of representation for others was removed on Friday, Aug. 11.  The Charlemont souvenir shop Native and Himalayan Views, formerly the Big Indian Shop, confirmed that it had removed the statue that sat along the Mohawk Trail on Route 2 for nearly 50 years.  The statue won't be down for long, however. The Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita, Oklahoma, announced on Facebook it had purchased the figure. The new owners said they would erect it along the famed Route 66 as…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
Police Rescue Injured Bear Cub In Western Mass Police Rescue Injured Bear Cub In Western Mass
Police Rescue Injured Bear Cub In Western Mass Police did more than the bare necessities after they learned of an injured baby bear in dire need of help in Western Massachusetts.  The cub was found in Franklin County off Route 2 in the town of Erving after it had been hit by a car Thursday evening, July 27.  Its hind leg was injured, and the baby could barely walk, Erving Police said. Erving Officer Brandon Bryant and Sgt. Adam Paicos responded and found the animal and its very worried mama bear around 7 p.m. Fearing for their safety, they called a biologist in Hubbardston who walked them through how to safely cor…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
'True Hero': Firefighter Saves Woman After Car Falls Into Western Mass Floodwaters 'True Hero': Firefighter Saves Woman After Car Falls Into Western Mass Floodwaters
'True Hero': Firefighter Saves Woman After Car Falls Into Western Mass Floodwaters Rescue workers in Franklin County are calling one of their brethren a hero after he risked his life last week to save a woman after her car was swept away by flood waters.  Deerfield Assistant Fire Chief Ben Clark was surveying storm damage on Friday, July 21, just after 3 p.m., when the car in front of him was swallowed as the pavement on Lower Road gave way. The vehicle clung to the asphalt by its back tires and dangled precariously over a 15-foot drop into fast-moving floodwater, Deerfield Police Department said.  Then things got worse.  Clark called for backup and&n…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Driver Killed By Falling Tree In Western Mass Driver Killed By Falling Tree In Western Mass
Driver Killed By Falling Tree In Western Mass A 75-year-old man was killed Wednesday morning, July 19, after a tree uprooted and fell in front of his pick-up truck in Franklin County, authorities said.  William Mattei, of Leicester, was driving west on Petersham Road (Route 122) near the intersection of Sweezy Lane when the tree crashed directly into the path of his 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, state police said.  A witness told investigators that there was no way Mattei could have avoided hitting the tree.  Debris from the tree damaged a van and scattered across the road. No one else was injured, according to po…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass
High Court Upholds 2005 Murder Conviction Of Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman In Western Mass A Massachusetts court has once again upheld Dennis Bateman's murder conviction for the vicious killing of 21-year-old Brandy Waryasz and her unborn child in April 2005 in Franklin County.  Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied Bateman's request for a retrial, the Northwestern District Attorney announced on Monday, July 17.  Bateman was convicted of first-degree murder in 2007 and ordered to serve two life sentences without parole after a jury found him guilty of the strangulation death of Waryasz, who was seven months pregnant, records show. Her unborn child, who s…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Power Pole, Narrowly Avoids Western Mass Home Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Power Pole, Narrowly Avoids Western Mass Home
Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Power Pole, Narrowly Avoids Western Mass Home A driver had to be cut from their car late Friday night, July 14, after they lost control of the vehicle, glanced off of a tree in someone's front yard before crashing into a power pole in Franklin County, authorities said.  Bernardston police were the first to reach the wreckage on Keets Brook Road around 10:30 p.m. and found the mangled car on its side, propped up by the pole, Bernardston police said in a Facebook post. Evidence showed that the vehicle narrowly missed crashing into someone's bedroom.  The unidentified driver was thrown into the backseat and was trapped inside with severe…

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by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash
Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash A 57-year-old Worcester County woman was killed after a car drifted into her lane and collided with her car on Friday afternoon, June 30, authorities said.  Tracy Matthews, of Athol, was driving her Chevy Cobalt east in Franklin County on Route 2 in the town of Gill near Barton Cove Campground around 4 p.m. when a Mazda Miata crossed the center line and crashed into her, authorities said. Paramedics rushed her to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, where doctors pronounced Matthews dead.  The 63-year-old Needham driver of the Miati and his passenger were…

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by Josh Lanier
Amherst, MA
News
Fake Cop: Man Caught Riding In Western Mass In Fake Police Car With Gun, Badge Fake Cop: Man Caught Riding In Western Mass In Fake Police Car With Gun, Badge
Fake Cop: Man Caught Riding In Western Mass In Fake Police Car With Gun, Badge A man with a history of impersonating a police officer was arrested in Franklin County on Tuesday, June 13, for dressing up like a cop and riding around in a car that mimicked a patrol cruiser, the real police said.  The man, whose name has not been released, was pulled over in Bernardston after officers noticed his Crown Victoria car had a paint scheme nearly identical to that of a police cruiser, authorities said.  The driver was decked out in a tactical vest with a police-style badge pinned to the front. He also had a pistol, handcuffs, knives, and several other items officers carry whi…

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by Josh Lanier