Pittsfield, MA
News
Western Mass Business Owner Accused Of Scheme To Defraud State Of Sales Tax Western Mass Business Owner Accused Of Scheme To Defraud State Of Sales Tax
Western Mass Business Owner Accused Of Scheme To Defraud State Of Sales Tax A Western Massachusetts business owner has been indicted in an alleged scheme in which he sold software that allowed restaurants to delete cash sales from cash registers and keep meal taxes paid by customers. Hampden County resident Paul K. Backholm, age 53, of Westfield, was charged and arraigned on Friday, April 9, said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The AG’s Office alleges from 2010 to 2015, Backholm, who owns a company that sells cash registers, sold sales suppression software to restaurants for cash that enabled the restaurants to delete cash sales, keep the meals tax t…

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by Kathy Reakes
Pittsfield, MA
News
Woman Charged After Western Mass Heroin Distribution Investigation Woman Charged After Western Mass Heroin Distribution Investigation
Woman Charged After Western Mass Heroin Distribution Investigation A lengthy investigation into heroin distribution in Western Massachusetts led to the arrest of a woman who was busted with drugs and illegal ammo, police said. The Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement (CINRET) West Team launched an investigation into a Hampden County heroin distribution operation earlier this year, officials said, following complaints from the community about potential drug distribution. During that investigation, police said that detectives identified a Holyoke residence where suspect Yaileen Santiago-Cosme lived, as a point of…

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by Zak Failla
Pittsfield, MA
News
COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread
Covid-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread More communities in Western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, April 8, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the latest…

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by Zak Failla
Springfield, MA
News
COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread
Covid-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread More communities in Western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, April 1, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the latest…

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by Zak Failla
Pittsfield, MA
News
COVID-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass COVID-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass
Covid-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass New state-run COVID-19 vaccination sites have been approved in Western Massachusetts. The announcements were made on Friday, March 26. The Eastern States Exposition (Big E) in West Springfield will also serve the communities of Agawam, Granville, Southwick, Tolland, and Westfield, Representative Joseph Wagner announced that Chicopee in Hampden County has been approved for the state-run Covid-19 vaccination site. The site will also include the surrounding communities of South Hadley and Granby, Wagner said. The opening dates of the sites will be dependent upon the number of v…

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by Kathy Reakes
Pittsfield, MA
News
COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says
Covid-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says Five communities in western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, March 25, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the lates…

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by Zak Failla
Pittsfield, MA
Police & Fire
Western Mass Firefighter Accused Of Enticing Child Western Mass Firefighter Accused Of Enticing Child
Western Mass Firefighter Accused Of Enticing Child A 42-year-old working as a firefighter and paramedic in Western Massachusetts was busted attempting to sexually entice someone he thought was a teenage girl from his work computer, though it was actually an undercover police investigator, officials announced. Richard Paul, of Westfield, was arrested this week and placed on administrative leave after being accused of sending sexually suggestive and explicit messages to an officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. Police said that the charges against Paul came as part of an online sting operation that was being run by investigators in Newbury, wh…

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by Zak Failla
Pittsfield, MA
News
COVID-19: Two Western Mass Communities Placed In Red Zone; New Rundown Of 20 High-Risk Areas COVID-19: Two Western Mass Communities Placed In Red Zone; New Rundown Of 20 High-Risk Areas
Covid-19: Two Western Mass Communities Placed In Red Zone; New Rundown Of 20 High-Risk Areas Two communities in western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, March 18, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the late…

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by Zak Failla
Worcester, MA
Schools
COVID-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week COVID-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week
Covid-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week This past week, 11 Massachusetts public schools experienced COVID-19 outbreaks of 9 or more students and staff coming down with the virus. The largest outbreak was recorded in Leominster. From March 4-10, 21 of the school district’s students (15) and staff (6) reported positive cases. The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education produces weekly reports on positive COVID-19 cases reported in each school district. The Thursday, March 11 report found about 140 school districts - out of more than 350 - had at least one student or staff member test positive for COVID-19. C…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Suspected Major Heroin Dealer And Crew Busted In Western Mass Suspected Major Heroin Dealer And Crew Busted In Western Mass
Suspected Major Heroin Dealer And Crew Busted In Western Mass An alleged major supplier of heroin to Western Massachusetts was busted up on Tuesday, March 2, with the arrest of 4 local men. The arrests were the result of a year-long investigation into local heroin trafficking from Springfield to New York. The investigation involved surveillance as well as the controlled purchases of “half packs” - a common form of packaging in Western Massachusetts each consisting of 50 dosage units or 1 gram of the drug, Massachusetts State Police said. Police suspect the ring leader or source of the heroin was Enrique Alicea, 29, of West Springfield. Hu…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Owners Of Big Rig That Hit And Killed 7 Motorcyclists Accused Of Cover-Up Effort Owners Of Big Rig That Hit And Killed 7 Motorcyclists Accused Of Cover-Up Effort
Owners Of Big Rig That Hit And Killed 7 Motorcyclists Accused Of Cover-Up Effort The owners of the Westfield trucking company involved in a horrific big rig crash that killed seven people have been indicted on charges related to the 2019 accident. The U.S. Attorney's office said that Dartanayan Gasanov, 36, is charged with one count of falsification of records, while Dunyadar Gasanov, 35, is charged with one count of falsification of records, one count of conspiracy to falsify records, and one count of making a false statement to a federal investigator following a federal grand jury indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Massachusetts, said. According to court document…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
City Spends $8,000 Per Mile On Snow/Ice Removal - How Does Your Town's Spending Compare? City Spends $8,000 Per Mile On Snow/Ice Removal - How Does Your Town's Spending Compare?
City Spends $8,000 Per Mile On Snow/Ice Removal - How Does Your Town's Spending Compare? 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 i…

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by Kristin Palpini