Worcester, MA
News
Central Mass Man Will Use $1M Lottery Winnings To Plan For Daughters' Futures Central Mass Man Will Use $1M Lottery Winnings To Plan For Daughters' Futures
Central Mass Man Will Use $1M Lottery Winnings To Plan For Daughters' Futures A Worcester County man who won $1 million in the Massachusetts State Lottery knows what he's going to do with the money: give it to his kids.  Stephen Sherblom, who won the aptly named "$1,000,000 Fat Wallet" instant-win game, said he will use the money to open bank accounts for his three daughters, the Massachusetts State Lottery said.  Sherblom decided to take the lump sum payment of $650,000 before taxes. So his wallet won't be as fat but thick enough to make a big difference in his kids' lives.  He bought the ticket at Xpress Stop, 321 Southbridge St. in Auburn…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Central Mass Woman Seriously Hurt In New Hampshire Motorcycle Crash: Police Central Mass Woman Seriously Hurt In New Hampshire Motorcycle Crash: Police
Central Mass Woman Seriously Hurt In New Hampshire Motorcycle Crash: Police A 32-year-old Worcester County woman was hospitalized on Wednesday, Aug. 23, after she was involved in a truck versus motorcycle crash, police said.  Jessica Westover, of Fitchburg, was riding her 2021 Kawasaki ZR900 motorcycle east along Route 31 in Mason, New Hampshire, when she crashed with a Ford F-250 driven by a 55-year-old Mason, NH, man, New Hampshire State Police said.   Officers did not say who was at fault.  Westover was taken to Eliot Hospital with serious injuries, police said.

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
News
'That Was Beautiful': Watch Mass Woman Wow Judges Again On 'America's Got Talent' 'That Was Beautiful': Watch Mass Woman Wow Judges Again On 'America's Got Talent'
'That Was Beautiful': Watch Mass Woman Wow Judges Again On 'America's Got Talent' Lavender Darcangelo returned to the "America's Got Talent" stage Tuesday night, Aug. 22, for her qualifier performance, and she did not disappoint.  The 27-year-old blind woman from Fitchburg in Worcester County belted out a beautiful rendition of Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is" that ended in a standing ovation. Viewers should have expected no less from the woman who earned the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Heidi Klum from her first performance in July.  Related: Blind Fitchburg Singer Has 'America's Got Talent' Judges Raving: 'Magical' King of the scowl judge Simon Cowell was …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Update: Police Suspend Search For Missing Kayaker In Central Mass Update: Police Suspend Search For Missing Kayaker In Central Mass
Update: Police Suspend Search For Missing Kayaker In Central Mass Update: Police and rescue crews have called off the search for a man they feared missing in a Worcester County reservoir on Friday, Aug. 18.  A man was seen fishing from a kayak Thursday morning, but the kayak was found capsized hours later without the angler.  A new surveillance video uncovered Friday shows the man launching the kayak at the Whitins Reservoir in Douglas Thursday morning. However, the video shows him leaving without the kayak at 2 p.m., meaning it was most likely left in the water, police said.  Original Story: Rescue crews resumed their search for a possibl…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Central Mass Man Charged With Murder When Victim Dies Weeks After Attack: DA Central Mass Man Charged With Murder When Victim Dies Weeks After Attack: DA
Central Mass Man Charged With Murder When Victim Dies Weeks After Attack: DA A 36-year-old Worcester County man was charged Tuesday, Aug. 15, with the fatal stabbing of 45-year-old Jesus Maisonet Davila earlier this year, authorities said.  Jeremy A. Cruz, of Leominster, was arraigned on a murder charge in the July 1 stabbing, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. He was previously charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and armed assault to murder in the alleged attack.  Police allege Cruz attacked Davila just before 2 p.m. near 199 Main Street in Fitchburg. Paramedics rushed Maisone…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Anti-Semitic Notes Left In Bags Of Rice At Mass Homes: Police Anti-Semitic Notes Left In Bags Of Rice At Mass Homes: Police
Anti-Semitic Notes Left In Bags Of Rice At Mass Homes: Police Several Jewish residents in Worcester County have started receiving strange items on their front door steps: bags of rice with anti-semitic fliers hidden inside. Sadly, this is not uncommon, as bags like these have shown up across the country for years, according to news reports.  The West Brookfield Police Department posted about the incidents on Facebook and said they are investigating their origins, but they believe they have a suspect in the case. They did not disclose what the flyers in the bag said.  On August 8, 2023, we received reports from individuals within our community who rec…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
News
$1M Central Mass Lottery Winner On Her Way To Car Dealership $1M Central Mass Lottery Winner On Her Way To Car Dealership
$1M Central Mass Lottery Winner On Her Way To Car Dealership A Worcester County woman who won $1 million in a scratch-off lottery said she knows exactly what she will buy with some of her winnings.  Michelle McGrath, of Millbury, won the seven-figure sum in the “$5,000,000 100X Cashword” in the Massachusetts State Lottery.  Related: Mechanic Returns To Work After Claiming $1 Million Lottery Prize McGrath, who claimed the prize at the Dorchester lottery offices with her husband Patrick, said she plans to buy two new cars with the money.  McGrath opted to take the one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes, which should buy …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Offensive Facebook Post On Police Page Is Hacker Hoax, Central Mass Chief Says Offensive Facebook Post On Police Page Is Hacker Hoax, Central Mass Chief Says
Offensive Facebook Post On Police Page Is Hacker Hoax, Central Mass Chief Says An incendiary post on a Worcester County police department's Facebook page about trans people was not written by an officer, the chief promised on Wednesday, Aug. 2. They were hacked.  The post appeared on the Hopedale Police Department's page on Tuesday night, claiming that an officer had shot a trans woman after she showed him her genitals. Chief Mark Giovanella released a statement saying that someone had gotten into their account and made the post without their knowledge. He added that his department is investigating the matter.  “Unauthorized access was gained to our soc…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
News
Newly Minted Millionaire Retires After Winning Lottery In Central Mass Newly Minted Millionaire Retires After Winning Lottery In Central Mass
Newly Minted Millionaire Retires After Winning Lottery In Central Mass It's a dream nearly everyone has had, but Paul Bashaw gets to live it. The Worcester County resident recently won a $1 million lottery jackpot, then promptly retired from his job of more than 20 years.  Bashaw, age 65, of West Boylston, won the seven-figure sum after playing the $5,000,000 100X Cashword scratch-off game on July 20, the Massachusetts State Lottery said. The truck driver was ecstatic, but he kept the windfall quiet.  Bashaw didn't tell anyone at work about his lucky win until he claimed his ticket on Friday.  “I told my wife there were three things in lif…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Misplaced Fire Extinguisher Helps Police Foil Burglary In Central Mass Misplaced Fire Extinguisher Helps Police Foil Burglary In Central Mass
Misplaced Fire Extinguisher Helps Police Foil Burglary In Central Mass Two alleged burglars had their plans foiled thanks to a misplaced fire extinguisher tipped off investigators that something was amiss in Worcester County.  Southborough police were called to Dell/EMC Warehouse at 21 Colin Drive just before midnight Sunday, July 30. When officers arrived, they saw a fire extinguisher propping open a door, and they went in to investigate.  That's when officers found two people trying to carry out a large piece of furniture that they were trying to steal, police said. They didn't make it out the door.  Jacob Shore, of Southborough, and an …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
News
Man Pulled From Central Mass Swamp After Getting Stuck For More Than Hour Man Pulled From Central Mass Swamp After Getting Stuck For More Than Hour
Man Pulled From Central Mass Swamp After Getting Stuck For More Than Hour Police and firefighters in Worcester County saved a man after he fell into a swamp and was stuck for more than an hour, authorities said.  First responders began receiving 911 calls just after 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 28, from people who said they could hear a man screaming for help on Pitcherville Road in Hubbardston.  They found the man stuck in chest-deep murky water in a swamp about 30 yards from the road, Hubbardston firefighters said. Crews pulled the exhausted man from the bog and took him to an area hospital for treatment. He was suffering from minor injuries and heat exhaus…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Family Dog Killed In Central Mass Fire; Blaze Under Investigation Family Dog Killed In Central Mass Fire; Blaze Under Investigation
Family Dog Killed In Central Mass Fire; Blaze Under Investigation A fire in Worcester County earlier this week nearly destroyed a home and killed a family dog, authorities said.  Fire crews responded to the blaze just before 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26, at 1075 Dana Road in Barre after a neighbor saw smoke pouring from the home's second floor and called 911, the Barre Fire Department said.  Firefighters burst through the front door and were met by "heavy fire," the report said. They were able to contain the blaze within 20 minutes.  The home was heavily damaged in the fire, but no one was injured. A family dog died in the conflagration…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier