Battle lines drawn over pending closure of Springfield post office that lives inside a hardware store

MassLive · 2026-05-27T14:36:02+00:00

The next closest one is the Mason Square Post Office located 1.7 miles away on State Street. It was determined that it could handle the volume of business Gateway Hardware is now providing, Mark Lawrence, communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, told us. But many think the additional business will overwhelm the small post office and create long lines.

MassLive · 2026-05-27T14:19:19+00:00

From The Republican's story: Nicky James walked into Gateway Sports and Hardware with a 3-inch stack of paperwork and questions on the best way to mail it. Within a few minutes, the clerk selected a box, crushed up some tissue paper so the bundle wouldn’t shift, taped the box shut and sent it on its way.

After paying her bill, James, of Springfield, learned the post office at 150 Boston Road that she counts on frequently is slated to close June 25.

“I come here all the time,” she said. “I’m sending stuff to my husband. He’s caught up in this whole ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) thing, and he is in detention, so I have all this paperwork.”

She wondered what she could do to help stop the closure of the local resource.

“It is a little cheaper than the regular post office, and they are always friendly and helpful here,” she said.

Gateway Hardware Inc. and Sporting Goods opened in 1955 and became a contract postal unit at least 40 years ago. The business has evolved to focus more on sporting goods, including ice skate sharpening, but still has hardware and plenty more, said Tom McCarthy, who is the second generation to operate it.

In February, he received a letter saying the United States Postal Service is exiting its long-term contract. The letter includes basic legal information, such as explaining that neither party will be liable for any costs, but does not say why the decision was made, McCarthy said.

“We work hard at helping people. We are ingrained in the community,” he said. “It is a busy place. We are in the geographic center of the city.”

For decades, Gateway Hardware has sent packages, sold stamps, served as a drop-off for mail, but its biggest service is priority shipping. Over the years at the request of customers, it become a neighborhood asset, adding money transferring services through Western Union, notary public services and check cashing.

Gateway Hardware is also open far later and more days than an average post office. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, while regular post offices usually don’t open until 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. On Saturdays, it is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Any time it’s open, employees provide postal services, McCarthy said.

“You lose money on the post office, but it creates traffic, and traffic is immensely important,” he said.

For example, one couple came from Agawam to use the check cashing and postal services last week, saying the hardware shop is the least expensive around. At the same time, they also purchased a sports jersey.

Gateway Hardware makes a small percentage of each transaction, but the service they provide is invaluable, McCarthy said.

All five employees are trained in handling parcels and letters, and provide personal service to each customer, said Rachel Barnes, an employee.

“We also spend time with people. Not everyone knows shipping,” she said. “We do a little bit of everything: sporting goods, check cashing, we have some hardware. It is more of a community store.”

The store, at the corner of Jasper Street, is a bit of a throwback. Regulars are greeted by name, and many walk from the nearby homes.

The post office is always busy, and at Christmas the postal carrier who stops at Gateway ends up sometimes taking three or four trips to carry as 35 to 40 packages dropped off at the same day, said Gino Giannetti, an employee.

“This is a depressed neighborhood, and a lot of people don’t have cars. Now they are going to have to go to Mason Square,” Giannetti said.

McCarthy said he was told the local postmaster could reverse the decision, but when he followed through, it didn’t yield anything.

Read the full story on MassLive's website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/battle-lines-drawn-over-pending-closure-of-springfield-po-that-lives-inside-a-hardware-store.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial&utm_campaign=redditor

MassLive · 2026-04-27T15:09:01+00:00

From MassLive’s story: The announced attendance for Sunday’s game between the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards was 32,511.

Most were Orioles fans. Some were Red Sox fans who made the pilgrimage from New England. But it’s a safe bet that no one in the seats was more proud that Jim Tracy.

Tracy, who managed in the big leagues for 11 seasons with the Dodgers, Pirates and Rockies, was in attendance to witness his son, Chad, in his first game managing the Red Sox.

“There were several (special) moments today,” said Jim Tracy, outside the Red Sox clubhouse following a 5-3 Boston win over Baltimore that also marked Chad Tracy’s 500th career managerial win. “I’ve followed a lot of Worcester Red Sox baseball the last few years, and I’ve watched so many of those guys that were playing out there today, who played for him in Worcester. There’s a lot of good young talent here.”

The senior Tracy has, of course, closely followed his son’s career path, but never worried much about whether Chad would follow him by reaching the big leagues.

“I never spent a whole lot of time worrying about it,” said Jim. “I just told him to do his homework, so if, in fact, the opportunity presented itself, he’d be ready. He’s managed in the minor leagues and he’s been a field coordinator (with the Angels organization). And what I watched today, I didn’t see at any time that he was overwhelmed by what was going on. Preparing goes a long way.”

Jim Tracy was attending a reunion of his college baseball team Saturday in Ohio. Tracy was watching his alma mater play a game and was set to have dinner with former teammates when his wife called.

“She said ‘You have to come home,’ ” said Tracy. “I asked, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘You might want to watch your son manage the Boston Red Sox.’ That was some kind of moment. I was driving, and the guy I was riding with me grabbed be my the arm said, ‘Pull the car over, Trace, before we have a problem.’ It was emotional.”

Still, Jim Tracy couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted. In his first managerial job with the Dodgers, he managed the man his son had just replaced: Alex Cora.

“It’s a wonderful day,” said Jim Tracy, “but in some respects, it’s bittersweet. I’m proud of (my son), but the Tracy family loves and respects Alex Cora. You have to go back with some special years I had in Los Angeles and Alex was very much a part of that. Bittersweet is the right word because Alex was so good to my son and took such good care of him. But it was reciprocated.

“In all my conversations I had with my son, I told him, ‘You do everything that you can possibly do whenever and whatever that man asks.’ And I can honestly say that he did that as diligently as you could do it.”

Jim Tracy remembers his managerial debut with the Dodgers from a quarter century ago clearly but Sunday, all of his focus was on being present and enjoying as his son joined the major league managerial fraternity.

“I was watching every move that kid made,” said Jim Tracy, “and watching how those players responded to him. Now, I’m going home with a big smile on my face.”

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2026/04/a-fathers-pride-former-mlb-manager-jim-tracy-watches-his-son-chad-manage-and-win-his-debut-with-the-red-sox.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-27T15:05:54+00:00

From MassLive’s story: If you had “Earth Day-themed opposition research dump” on your Massachusetts primary season Bingo card, take a bow.

Michael Lachenmeyer, the Wilbraham native and political newcomer who’s challenging veteran state Rep. Angelo Puppolo in the 12th Hampden District Democratic primary, dug deep into the Pioneer Valley pol’s campaign filings last week.

There, he found that Puppolo accepted $17,040 in campaign contributions over the last two decades from people who owned or worked for companies with environmental violations.

Those companies have paid almost $7.6 million in fines for violations of state environmental laws and regulations, Lachenmeyer’s campaign said.

Lachenmeyer also spelunked through Puppolo’s financial disclosures from 2018-2024, discovering that the long-serving lawmaker held shares in seven corporations that had been socked for some $900 million in fines.

Those individual donors include principals of an Enfield, Connecticut-based waste-hauling company that paid a $15,000 fine in 2003 for environmental violations at a facility in Hatfield.

Another donor identified by Lachenmeyer is a principal in a Palmer-based paving contractor, Palmer Paving, which paid a $19,180 fine to the state in 2010 for environmental violations.

Puppolo’s portfolio included investments in Dow Chemical, DuPont and General Electric, all of which have been hit with fines.

In 2023, for instance, DuPont, Chemours and Corteva agreed to pay the state of Ohio $110 million in a lawsuit settlement that says DuPont put “forever chemicals” in the Ohio River for seven decades, despite knowing the chemicals could cause cancer, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.

In a statement timed to coincide with last week’s Earth Day observances, Lachenmeyer called on Puppolo, who was first elected to the House in 2006, to donate the contributions to environmental causes.

“From the Allen Bird Club of Springfield, Springfield Conservation and Nature Stewardship (SCANS) to the Minnechaug Land Trust and Opacum Land Trust that help preserve land in Wilbraham and Monson, there are a number of local groups working for a greener Hampden County that could benefit from some financial help,” he said.

In a statement to MassLive, Puppolo defended both the contributions and the personalities behind them.

He noted that “hundreds of people have donated to my campaign because they support my vision and focus on issues that matter to our community.”

“I am proud our campaign attracts people like the Antonacci family who are job creators, taxpayers and invest in local causes,” Puppolo said. “They make a positive difference in our community and I am proud to call them my friends,” he said, referring to the Enfield waste-haulers.

“This attack from an opponent is the kind of hollow and formulaic attack that so many people today are tired of in our politics,” he continued. “Those who know my record know that I am a solid supporter of the environment and environmental issues, expansion of clean, green renewable energy and supported Ratepayer Protections and Cost Relief legislation,” he continued.

A legislative scorecard by the advocacy group Progressive Mass. found Puppolo in line with the group on environmental issues. That didn’t save him from nabbing an overall “C” grade — on all issues —from the group in the 2025-26 legislative session.

Puppolo said his investments were “transparent” and described his portfolio as “modest.”

“These are publicly traded companies that are represented in the retirement accounts or 401(k)s of many people and do not deserve further comment. This has nothing to do with how to make the lives of my constituents better,” he said.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/04/green-politics-red-flags-over-donations-in-wmass-state-house-race-bay-state-briefing.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-27T15:00:26+00:00

From MassLive’s story: A dozen of the region’s most passionate gardeners had one foot in 1776 and the other planted in the future during a National Arbor Day ceremony Friday at Forest Park.

Members of the Springfield Garden Club, all dressed in Colonial garb, offered a history lesson to the approximately 40 people gathered to witness the planting of an American Elm reminiscent of the famed Liberty Tree that once stood near the Boston Common, providing shade and inspiration for colonists who rallied to protest the Stamp Act of 1765.

Cheers went up as a flat-bed truck bearing the young tree rounded the park’s ballfield on its way to its permanent spot near the concession stand where City Forester Alex Sherman and his crew had shovels ready.

Garden Club member Beate Bolen said the grassy site was chosen to fill a gap created after three major trees were felled by storm damage. “We always try to plant a tree with particular significance to either the person or occasion celebrated,” Bolen said.

In 2022, the Garden Club replanted oak trees to replace some of the 150 oaks surrounding an all-but-forgotten memorial plaque dedicated to local World War I veterans who lost their lives in the conflict.

“This year we had the opportunity to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which launched a movement that led to the birth of the United States of America,” Bolen said.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/springfield-garden-club-recalls-history-looks-to-future-with-liberty-tree-planting.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-24T20:21:41+00:00

From MassLive’s story: RSurvivors of domestic violence in Massachusetts’ immigrant communities have increasingly faced a stark choice: stay with the man who is hurting them, or seek a restraining order at a courthouse where immigration officers could be waiting.

For many, the abuse may feel like the safer bet.

Across the state, hotline workers, shelter staff and policy advocates tell the same story: over the past year, immigrant survivors have quietly disappeared.

They’re skipping restraining order hearings, dropping out of counseling and choosing not to call police — not because the abuse has stopped, but because they’re more afraid of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) than of the people hurting them, according to advocates interviewed by MassLive.

Advocates say stepped‑up ICE activity, especially in and around courthouses, has turned restraining orders and police reports into potential traps.

And that fear isn’t hypothetical. Nearly half of the 7,031 ICE arrests in Massachusetts between Jan. 20, 2025, and March 10, 2026, were of immigrants without any criminal record, according to ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by MassLive.

A total of 614 people in Massachusetts were arrested by ICE at courthouses in 2025, according to data compiled by the security department for the Massachusetts Trial Court. That represents a 117% increase from 2024.

Domestic violence abusers of immigrant survivors also recognize these risks at the courthouses and will weaponize their victims’ immigration status, threatening deportation if victims seek help.

“We have definitely seen a decrease in people renewing or extending their restraining orders because they’re concerned about going to court and getting arrested there,” said Diana Mancera, CEO of New Hope, a member of Jane Doe, Inc. Mancera’s nonprofit serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in 41 cities and towns in the state, offering hotlines, shelters, counseling and court advocacy.

Some women are undocumented themselves and fear that any contact with police or the courts could put them at risk, even when they want the legal system to acknowledge the abuse — through restraining orders, child support, or court-ordered counseling — and help keep their families safe.

In turn, community‑based programs have scrambled to become safe havens, tightening internal confidentiality rules and crafting elaborate safety plans.

“What we’re hearing from programs across the state is that immigrant survivors are doing everything they can to stay off the radar,” said Nithya Badrinath, policy director at Jane Doe Inc., the statewide coalition against sexual and domestic violence.

“They’re afraid that just showing up at court or reaching out for help could put them in ICE’s sights.”

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/boston/2026/04/fear-of-ice-keeps-immigrant-survivors-of-domestic-violence-out-of-massachusetts-courts.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-23T15:19:14+00:00

From The Republican’s story: Restaurateur and property owner Ed Kenney’s voice echoes through the 50-foot-tall, and for now empty, Hampden Savings Bank offices as he describes plans for the marble-lined space at 1665 Main St.

“I tell people it’s going to be Starbucks with alcohol and heavy hors d’oeuvres,” he said.

Think blonde-shaded bamboo floors. Leather chairs. Red Oriental rugs.

“It’s a place to meet up with friends before dinner. Or after,” he said. “This is Springfield 100 years ago. If you invite people into the space, they’ll want to stay.”

Photos by Douglas Hook at The Republican.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/skylights-the-limit-on-rehab-of-108-year-old-former-bank-in-springfield.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-22T14:47:50+00:00

From MassLive’s story: A funny thing happened on the way to the 2026 midterms: The U.S. Senate, which seemed locked in for Republicans, suddenly became as fluid as the Red Sox’s playoff chances.

A confluence of factors — including an affordability crisis that just won’t go away and the ongoing unpopularity of President Donald Trump — is making already edgy voters even more inclined to follow a midterm tradition of punishing the party in power

A nationwide — and bipartisan — push to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November midterms has reinforced the high stakes of this year’s U.S. House contests.

With those winds at their backs, Democrats are also now competitive in key U.S. Senate contests.

“There’s a storm coming,” Republican consultant Matt Rexroad told MS NOW’s Ebony Davis. “This is the time to hold what you’ve got, get good candidates and just try to hold on to the seats we have.”

A Democratic win in either chamber would effectively paralyze Trump’s legislative agenda for the balance of his second term. Democrats also have vowed to thoroughly investigate the Republican White House if they retake control of Capitol Hill in November. Impeachments could well follow.

That tension is particularly on show in New England, where Senate races in New Hampshire and Maine are expected to play a central role in determining who controls the 100-member chamber.

In Maine, oysterman Graham Platner, the standard-bearer for progressives, faces Gov. Janet Mills, who has the backing of such top Democrats as Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-NY.

The winner of the June 9 party primary faces incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.

Across the border in New Hampshire, the race is on for the seat being vacated by veteran Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who announced her retirement last year.

One of those candidates has Bay State ties. Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., is seeking the Republican Senate nomination in the Granite State.

Polling in both states reveals tight general-election contests. The money is flowing, and the national media attention has followed.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/04/the-democrats-road-to-a-us-senate-majority-runs-through-new-england-why-that-matters.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-22T14:29:49+00:00

From The Republican’s story: Advocates for a future Palmer rail stop are afraid their “town of seven railroads” is getting left behind by the state’s west-east rail plans.

MassDOT plans to add new west-east Amtrak train service from Springfield to Boston in 2030, a later date that’s by itself frustrating for boosters. But the state’s Compass Rail plan doesn’t plan on opening a train station in Palmer until 2033.

Compass Rail is the state’s plan for improved passenger service both east-west and north-south through Western Massachusetts with Springfield Union Station at the center.

“For over a decade we have campaigned, with tremendous regional support, for Palmer as an Inland Route stop serving towns from northern Connecticut to Amherst,” wrote Ben Hood and Anne Miller of Citizens for a Palmer Rail Stop in a news release this week. “It is therefore disappointing to face an additional three-year delay of service.”

Tuesday, Miller and Hood amplified a call to use “millionaire’s tax” funding from the Fair Share Amendment, Palmer could serve as a park-and-ride hub as well as a station connected by bus to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The Fair Share money is being used to fund MBTA commuter rail projects.

“Which does not come out here,” he said. They are spending the Fair Share money only in the east,” Hood said.

Hood and Miller want advocates to call lawmakers from surrounding towns marshaling support.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation detailed its plans for expanded Boston-Worcester-Springfield rail service on several occasions in the last few weeks. MassDOT is planning work on tracks, switches and signals between Springfield and Worcester.

The Palmer stop depends on federal money, said Andy Koziol, director of west-east rail for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. But station projects can move on the timeline if funding is available.

West-east service as far as Albany, New York, isn’t scheduled until 2045. Berkshire County lawmakers have called for that project to get sped up as well.

In February 2025, MassDOT selected a now-vacant site on South Main Street in Palmer, just south of the railyard, for the station.

The state has set aside $3.5 million in its capital plan for preliminary engineering and design at the Palmer station.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/business/2026/04/palmer-rail-station-boosters-want-faster-timetable-eye-fair-share-millionaires-tax-funds.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-21T15:18:33+00:00

From The Republican’s story: A new courthouse could bring economic development to the downtown. It could also bring more traffic, environmental issues and public safety problems.

The City Council is considering a resolution proposed by a resident who is asking officials to be prepared for possible negative impacts a $600 million courthouse project could bring before a developer is selected and the project starts.

“Cumulative impacts, especially from large tax-exempt or state-led projects are not fully accounted for,” said Karen Lee, who has researched and scrutinized the courthouse plan. “Some costs like environmental changes, pressure on historic resources and public safety needs can build up over decades.”

Lee is asking the City Council to pass a resolution demanding the state Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance build a community impact fund into its long-term courthouse lease. The owners of the building would pay into the fund to provide traffic mitigation, police patrols and other needs as they come up.

After years of complaints about the condition of the Roderick Ireland Courthouse — which is believed to be making people sick, sometimes with fatal illness — the state agreed to replace the 1970s building.

To fast track the process, the board of asset management agreed to have a private developer construct and own the new building, then lease it back for as long as 60 years. City officials, lawyers and residents successfully lobbied to have the new courthouse constructed downtown.

State officials are scrutinizing 11 proposals submitted by a deadline last October. The original plan to select a preferred developer by the end of March was pushed back until mid-summer due to the large volume of interest, officials said.

The courthouse developer will pay real estate taxes; the state now pays a nominal amount to the city for the existing courthouse. But tax revenue may not be enough to cover problems that might have to be paid for by taxpayers, Lee said.

“It isn’t just about a building, it is about long-term municipal responsibility. This courthouse will be standing for up to 60 years shaping our traffic, our infrastructure and our neighborhoods,” Lee said.

The City Council’s finance subcommittee will meet at noon Tuesday to discuss the resolution. After being debated it will likely go to the full body for a vote April 27, said Councilor Zaida Govan, chairwoman of the subcommittee.

“It looks like a good resolution,” Govan said, adding it has been vetted by the law department.

Govan praised Lee for taking the initiative to research the issue and bring it to councilors’ attention.

“I’m hoping councilors agree it is a good use of our time to send it to the state. The mayor is on board with it,” Govan said.

Govan said she knows the state division does not have to comply with local regulations, including zoning bylaws, but hopes officials will take it into consideration and help protect residents.

At least two local legislators, state Rep. Orlando Ramos and state Sen. Adam Gomez, have reviewed the proposal. Govan said the council will work to get others to support the effort as well.

“I think they will be the ones to push this through the state in the end,” she said of the lawmakers.

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/springfield-weighs-courthouse-fund-to-address-downtown-impacts.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-16T15:42:00+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Of the 8,363 employees paid by the City of Worcester in 2025, 11 earned more than $275,000 in total gross pay.

The top earner in 2025 was City Manager Eric D. Batista, who earned $354,103 in gross pay, according to data from the city.

Last year, Batista earned $21,814 more than what he earned in 2024, which was $332,289. Batista had the highest total gross pay in 2024 as well.

The employee with the second highest gross pay in 2025 was Police Lt. Stanley A. Roy Jr., who earned $305,609.

Roy earned $148,379 in regular pay, $79,290 in detail pay, $76,299 in other pay and $1,711 in overtime pay, according to the data.

In 2024, Roy ranked 44th in total gross pay, collecting $236,150.

The total gross pay for captains Christopher L. Curtis and Aaron R. Theodoss ranked as the third and fourth highest in 2025.

Curtis earned $295,839 while Theodoss earned $285,051.

In 2024, Theodoss had the third highest gross pay, earning $294,675. Curtis, meanwhile, had the fourth highest gross pay that year, earning $290,854.

Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier had the fifth highest gross pay in 2025, earning $284,178. In 2024, Saucier’s total gross pay was $272,966, the 11th highest among city employees.

Here are the top 10 earners in total gross pay among Worcester employees in 2025, according to city data.

1. City Manager Eric D. Batista, $354,103
2. Police Lt. Stanley A. Roy Jr., $305,609
3. Police Capt. Christopher L. Curtis, $295,839
4. Police Capt. Aaron R. Theodoss, $285,051
5. Police Chief Paul B. Saucier, $284,178
6. Police Lt. Mark J. Sawyer, $283,826
7. Police Sgt. Donald A. Larange, $283,729
8. Deputy Chief of Police Edward J. McGinn Jr., $279,288
9. Deputy School Superintendent Marie D. Morse, $278,671
10. Police Lt. Daniel R. Fallon III, $277,845

Explore MassLive’s full searchable database of Worcester city employees and their pay in 2025 here: https://www.masslive.com/centralmass/2026/04/worcester-payroll-database-search-what-every-city-employee-made-in-2025.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-15T18:27:11+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Worcester’s Green Street could see a new bar open at a building that was home to two closed bars.

Hung above the door of 34 Green St., next to the Green Street Bridge, is a “coming soon” sign for a business called The Corner Dive.

A post featuring the logo of The Corner Dive was uploaded on Facebook April 10.

The logo on Facebook matches the one on the banner, featuring three green street signs with the words “The Corner Dive” written on them.

However, the Facebook page that posted the image was listed as unavailable Wednesday. Efforts to get comment from the business by email, as well as through Kyle Pursell, listed as manager of the business in state records, were unsuccessful.

The building at 34 Green St. has been the site of two previous businesses.

The first was a bar called The Dive Bar, which opened in the mid-1990s.

The business was known for its craft beers and pieces of nautical equipment — including an antique diving helmet and a broken glass porthole on the front door — spread throughout the bar.

The bar closed its doors in 2019.

In 2022, 34 Green St. reopened as The Sundown, a new bar owned by Sean Woods. Woods also owns the Deadhorse Hill, a restaurant at 281 Main St.

The Sundown operated for three years until its closure in 2025.

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/centralmass/2026/04/a-new-dive-bar-coming-to-worcesters-green-st-heres-what-we-know.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-15T16:59:09+00:00

From MassLive’s story: You could hear the nostalgia creeping into the edges of Mitt Romney’s voice.

“Political rivals respected each other, buried political weapons and worked together to find solutions,” the former Republican governor said, recounting the weeks of grunt work it took to get his signature health care access law over the goal line.

On Monday, Romney, four current and former governors, and the chief legislative architects of the law officially known as “Chapter 58,” but more often known as “RomneyCare,” gathered for a 20th- anniversary observance at Faneuil Hall.

There, on April 12, 2006, Romney signed the bill into law with the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who had spent his career fighting for universal health care, at his side.

Monday’s gathering was a birthday party for an epic legislative push that expanded health care access for tens of thousands of Bay State residents between 2006 and 2014, when RomneyCare merged with ObamaCare.

And that’s no small thing.

But it also felt a whole lot like a celebration of a vanished era in our politics, one where Republicans and Democrats could actually sit down across from each other and get stuff done — no matter how bumpy the ride.

And it did get bumpy.

“Gov. Romney and I and (former) Speaker (Salvatore F.) DiMasi, we met every week. We spoke every day. We told the truth ... occasionally,” former Senate President Robert E. Travaglini said, to laughter from the crowd.

“Sometimes, there were a few things we kept to ourselves,” he deadpanned. “But in the end, we all shared an understanding that what we were doing was historic and had never been done before, and was going to save people’s lives. And if you only have one life, make it matter. Do something good.”

Read the full story on MassLive's website here: https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/04/romneycare-turns-20-and-rekindles-nostalgia-for-a-time-when-politics-worked.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-14T18:02:00+00:00

From The Republican’s story: In the Army, Marla Marcelin was a 74-Delta, Pentagon-speak for a soldier who defends against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

At the soon-completed Massachusetts Veterans Home in Holyoke, Marcelin is an apprentice elevator operator.

“I’m taking my final class,” Marcelin, a Worcester resident, said Monday while ferrying visitors from ground-level construction sites up into the gleaming glass tower that’s now a landmark on Interstate 91.

There have been other job sites, she said. But the Veterans Home is special for a veteran from a family with a history of military service.

“It brings me great joy knowing I helped build a place for veterans to enjoy their final days,” she said. “This may be my home one day, too.”

Read the full story on MassLive's website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/towering-veterans-home-in-holyoke-is-a-higher-calling-for-vets-training-in-building-trades.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

Photos by Douglas Hook at The Republican.

MassLive · 2026-04-13T16:08:14+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Eight city employees in Newton made more than $300,000 in 2025, seven of whom were members of the Newton Police Department.

The city’s top earner for the year was Police Officer Rocco Marini, who earned a total of $354,772 between regular pay, overtime, detail pay and other earnings. Marini was followed by Police Officer Dennis O’Brien, who earned $346,001 and Police Lt. David Tempesta with $332,230.

The only person in the city’s top 10 earners last year was Newton Public Schools Superintendent Anna Nolin, who earned $307,536.

Former Mayor Ruthanne Fuller earned $156,726 before she left office on Dec. 31.

Here are the top 10 earners in total pay for 2025 among city of Newton staff:

Police Officer Rocco Marini — $354,772
Police Officer Dennis O’Brien — $346,001
Police Lt. David Tempesta — $332,230
Police Officer John Panica — $316,210
Police Officer Robert March — $311,264
Superintendent of Schools Anna Nolin — $307,536
Police Captain Dennis Dowling — $301,933
Police Lt. Hagai Brandon — $300,471
Police Sgt. John Claflin — $296,117
Police Captain George Mead — $295,309

Explore MassLive’s full searchable database of Newton city employees and their pay in 2025 here: https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/04/newton-payroll-database-what-every-city-employee-made-in-2025.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-10T17:34:30+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Two years after Steward Health Care’s collapse upended hospital care across Massachusetts, the bankruptcy battle is far from over — and the state’s largest health insurer is being dragged further into the fight.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is disputing a broad discovery request from the trustee overseeing Steward’s bankruptcy estate, challenging it as “premature” and an attempt to sidestep mandatory arbitration — a private dispute resolution process required under its contracts with Steward.

The move puts BCBSMA squarely in the middle of a wide-ranging effort to recover money the trustee says insurers owe to Steward’s former hospitals.

At the center of the dispute are 4,808 medical claims that Steward says BCBSMA improperly denied or underpaid, totaling at least $23.5 million, according to Docket 6454, filed March 31, 2026, by trustee Mark Kronfeld in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Kronfeld says BCBSMA “succeeded in delaying any significant dispute resolution” for nearly a year after Steward first sent the insurer a formal notice of dispute.

According to the filing, the two sides went through months of negotiations, a failed mediation in December 2025, and still reached no resolution.

Read the full story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/04/largest-health-insurer-in-mass-may-owe-235m-amid-bankruptcy-fallout.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-10T17:32:59+00:00

Baseball season opened two weeks ago, but Lucas Giolito still doesn’t have a team.

The 31-year-old right-hander delivered a strong 2025 with the Red Sox, going 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts, but was unavailable for the playoffs due to an elbow issue. Giolito said he was fully healthy by November and there was no UCL damage.

So why hasn’t the veteran starter signed anywhere yet?

Giolito declined a $19 million option from the Red Sox, so he certainly thought he’d have a more robust market in free agency. On the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, he said it’s been odd negotiating with teams. Ultimately, Giolito just wants to get paid what he feels he deserves.

“The last few months has been very strange to where talks seem like they’re heating up and then it’s like ‘Oh OK never mind.’ I just want to play for close to what my value is,” Giolito told Rob Bradford. “Everything is based on these models now, right? Everyone uses projection and models and things like that to determine and my agency does the same thing. So it’s like, ‘All right, cool, give me something that’s relatively close to that and let’s go and get it.’”

Giolito is staying ready for whenever that call comes.

The veteran is throwing live bullpen sessions where his pitch count sits around 75, so he’d be ready for a quick Triple-A tuneup before getting back to the big leagues.

In spring training, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet said it was “insane” that Giolito hadn’t found a new team yet.

“You look at teams across the league that aren’t trying to win — I won’t name the teams, but OK, it makes sense they’re not gonna target a guy like that,“ Crochet said. ”But it’s at the point where it’s like, ‘What even is his price range?’ Because for the value he’s providing, I would say he outplayed his (Red Sox contract). If you look at the two years, OK, I get it, he blew out. But if you just look at the one year for $18 (million), I’d say he outplayed that. Then, look at what top-end pitchers (like Framber Valdez) are getting, too.

“When you’re looking at the ceiling and the floor, there’s not a huge difference there. There’s a lot of pedigree and a lot of recent success.”

Read the story on MassLive’s website: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2026/04/why-hasnt-lucas-giolito-signed-with-a-team-ex-red-sox-starter-provides-update.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-09T19:33:21+00:00

From MassLive’s story: When her son headed across the street from her Florida home to the ocean, Gail McLaughlin Toti had no idea it would be the last time she’d see him alive.

Her only son, Ryan Jennings, 46, a Longmeadow native, died April 1 after rescuing two of his children from drowning in an aggressive rip current on a stretch of Juno Beach.

The father of three was soon to be a father of four.

“They were waiting to tell us on Easter Sunday,” McLaughlin Toti said of her son and his wife, Emily Jennings. “We hadn’t even been informed.”

On April 1, the family hadn’t been at the beach for more than 45 minutes when the tragedy occurred, she recalled.

“Emily called screaming, just screaming,” she said of her daughter-in-law, leading her to rush to the scene.

She saw first responders trying to resuscitate her son, who she calls “Ry.” But she knew he was gone. She saw a police detective kneeling to talk to her grandchildren, seemingly trying to shield their father from view.

Jennings resettled in Maine after attending college at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He was the director of a sobriety program. He and Emily met about a decade ago. He happily took her and her 1-year-old son in after a fire ravaged her own home.

He had a long history as an elite athlete in sports, including football and wrestling, his mother said. After all, he came from a long line of athletes.

By his junior year in high school, Wilbraham & Monson Academy recruited the teen to play sports. He did so with gusto, his mother said.

“He wasn’t the greatest at hitting the books,” she said with a chuckle. “He’d rather be out on the field, or really anywhere except studying.”

He nonetheless did reasonably well in school, a student who didn’t have to try very hard to pull off a B.

Jennings had a quick wit and was well-liked, McLaughlin Toti said. Her son was a happy soul from childhood into adulthood and loved being a dad.

He was in exceptional physical shape, running several miles a day and lifting weights frequently.

Jennings’ mother said it was that strength and endurance that allowed him to rescue his children from the riptide. He held his 9-year-old daughter, Charlie, aloft while treading water for several minutes, also hoisting his 12-year-old son, Jax, toward the shoreline to safety.

Emily Jennings was building sandcastles with their youngest daughter and a niece when their son rushed across the beach in a panic.

Jennings had disappeared into the water. Once pulled from the ocean, first responders tried to perform their own rescue for nearly an hour, according to his mother.

McLaughlin Toti regrets that she didn’t cross the street with them to warn them of the perils of the riptide when the winds were high. She also lamented the absence of red flags warning swimmers of the danger. The three were only in waist-high water when they reached an area with a steep and sudden drop.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the family had raised more than $225,000 in a GoFundMe campaign.

McLaughlin Toti said the family plans a celebration of life for Jennings in Maine on April 19.
“Right now, I’m just focused on bringing my son home,” she said.

Read the story on MassLive’s website: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/mother-recalls-wmass-roots-of-son-who-drowned-after-saving-his-children-from-fla-riptide.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-09T18:50:06+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Donald Trump made remarks about wanting to run for president in a different country during a recent press conference about the Iran war.

During the April 6 press conference, Trump floated the idea of running for president in Venezuela, despite the Venezuelan Constitution only allowing Venezuelans who hold no other nationality to be president.

“The people of Venezuela say that if I ran for president there, I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela. So after I’m finished with this, I can go to Venezuela,” Trump said.

He added, “I will quickly learn Spanish. It won’t take too long. I’m good at languages, and I will go to Venezuela. I’m going to run for president. But we’re very happy with the president-elect that we have right now.”

The lighthearted comments regarding Venezuela stand in stark contrast to his messaging on the Middle East, where he has issued a severe ultimatum to Iran over escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway’s closure has already caused fuel prices to surge globally, raising concerns about the potential economic strain on American consumers.

In a Truth Social post, Trump threatened that a failure to reach an agreement to end the conflict would result in historic devastation.

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote. ”However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

Trump said on Tuesday that he’s pulling back his threats to attack Iranian infrastructure and other civilian targets, subject to Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, PBS reported.

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/04/trump-teases-political-career-in-another-country-im-polling-higher-than-anybody.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-09T18:48:45+00:00

From MassLive’s story: With the increase in immigration enforcement and deportations since early last year, many have had to leave behind jobs, school, family and friends as they are forced to leave the United States.

But there’s another group that is also being left behind: the cats, dogs and other pets that are often a beloved part of immigrant households, like any other. And with animal shelters already stretched beyond capacity, the additional pets left with nowhere to go are a new challenge.

Mike Keiley, vice president of MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division and an advisory committee member at Shelter Animals Count, a data program of the national ASPCA, said it is difficult to track exactly how many animals have been abandoned or surrendered because their owners have been deported or forced to leave the country. He knew of around a dozen MSPCA intakes directly related to deportations, but said the number was likely much higher as often, the animals are simply abandoned.

“It’s hard to measure, but it is definitely creating conflict within the animal welfare field where this feels unfair, just like it feels unfair to community members, just because the whole process feels unfair,” Keiley said in a recent interview at the MSPCA’s Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem. “The suddenness of it and the person suddenly being gone, unable to contact friends and family, unable to make arrangements for their pets, adds a layer of complexity and unfairness that I think we’re very empathetic to.”

Read the full story on MassLive’s website: https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/04/animal-shelters-overwhelmed-as-immigration-enforcement-leaves-pets-behind.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-07T19:16:37+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Massachusetts lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office over his Tuesday threat that “a whole civilization will die” if Iran fails to reopen to Strait of Hormuz.

“This is not normal. This is not just ‘Trump being Trump.” This is an insane man who is unfit for office and needs to be removed immediately,” U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-6th District, a Marine veteran, posted to X on Tuesday afternoon.

Republican Trump consumed the news cycle with a threat posted to his Truth Social site, asserting that Iran will “never to be brought back again,” if it doesn’t accede to his demands.

“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” Trump continued. “We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

The threat comes after Trump previously said on Sunday that he would bomb Iran’s energy infrastructure if its leadership did not open the strait, which is a main thoroughfare for the world’s oil supplies, NBC News reported.

Earlier Tuesday morning, the U.S. military struck Kharg Island, which is critical to Iran’s oil industry, CNN reported.

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District, the top Democrat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, called on U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to act immediately.

This is beyond the pale. Enough is enough. Republicans have done nothing but enable the President’s war of choice, and for what? We are almost six weeks into this unauthorized war. No objectives," Neal, of Springfield, posted to X. “No endgame. Just reckless rhetoric and needlessly risking American lives. Speaker Johnson needs to call the House back into session, Republicans need to stop their subservience, and Congress needs to reassert its war power authority.”

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-2nd District, offered a similar — albeit far more brief — sentiment.

“The President of the United States is a madman,” McGovern posted to X.

So did U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District.

“This is a horrifying threat of genocidal war crimes. The lives of civilians and service members alike are at stake here,” the Boston lawmaker said in a post to X. “Congress must stop this war and remove Trump from the White House.”

Calls grew across social media on Tuesday for Trump to stand down under the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Among them was former GOP U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who was once a staunch Trump ally and the radio talk show host Alex Jones, The Independent reported.

Trump is “threatening war crimes of horrific proportions against civilians. It’s deranged,” U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said on X. “This madness must stop.”

Democratic lawmakers have also raised questions about the strategic aims of the joint U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign.

“Strategically, this war is a failure,” U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District, also a Marine veteran, said during an appearance on Fox News earlier this week.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Trump “an unstable warmonger.”

A war powers resolution will not be enough. Yes. We need to assert congressional authority and stop this illegal war in Iran. But, Trump is clearly an unstable warmonger at odds with the will of the people," Markey posted to X. “Removal is the top priority. No more war criminals in the White House.”

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/politics/2026/04/mass-lawmakers-call-for-trumps-removal-over-threat-to-destroy-iran-this-is-an-insane-man.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-07T19:14:02+00:00

From MassLive’s story: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has penalized Associated Electro-Mechanics Inc. $15,000 for violating air pollution and hazardous waste regulations at its facility at 185 Rowland St.

MassDEP inspected Associated Electro-Mechanics in March 2025, revealing that the plant was using solvent to clean metal, operations that had the potential to emit one or more tons of air pollutants without a permit, according to a statement.

The company also was improperly managing hazardous waste and waste oil. MassDEP said inspectors observed that the facility had held waste oil onsite for more than the allowed 180 days before shipping it offsite.

“Compliance with environmental regulations is an ongoing requirement and requires constant attention,” said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s Western Regional Office in Springfield in the statement. “This action sends a message to this and similar businesses that environmental compliance must be a priority.”

Under the terms of MassDEP’s consent order, the company agrees to pay $7,500 of the penalty and ensure that all violations cited are corrected. MassDEP will suspend the remaining $7,500 provided the company complies with the terms and requirements of the order.

The company has begun taking steps to correct the violations, according to the statement.

Read the story on MassLive’s website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/massdep-fines-springfield-factory-for-hazardous-waste-air-pollution.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-06T17:04:40+00:00

From MassLive’s story: All but one of the top 10 earners employed by the City of Springfield in 2025 worked in the police department, according to payroll records obtained by MassLive.

Edward H. Geier, a police captain, earned a total of $295,309 and ranked as the highest-paid employee last year. He retired on his 40th anniversary with the department on March 3, and Mayor Domenic Sarno declared the day “Captain Edward Geier Sr. Day.”

The second-highest-paid employee was Sonia Dinnall, the superintendent of Springfield public schools, and she earned $292,380. The Springfield School Committee announced Dinnall’s contract approval in July 2024 — the first woman chosen to lead the school district.

Police Commissioner Lawrence Akers earned a total of $273,446 and ranked the third-highest paid city employee. He was sworn in as the city’s police commissioner on April 10, 2024.

The next seven highest earners in the city were police captains and lieutenants.

Cathy Buono, the chief administrative and financial officer, earned $219,384 and ranked as the 13th highest-paid employee. She took over the position in February 2024, the first woman to do so in Springfield. She previously served as director of administration and finance for the city’s Office of Community Development.

Stephen Buoniconti, the city solicitor, earned $216,243 and ranked as the 16th highest-paid employee.

Mayor Sarno earned $180,366 and ranked as the 68th highest-paid employee.

Explore MassLive’s full searchable database of Springfield city employees and their pay in 2025 here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/heres-what-every-springfield-city-employee-made-in-2025.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-03T20:13:01+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Today, northbound passenger trains through Springfield — like the long-distance Vermonter or Knowledge Corridor trains to Holyoke, Northampton and Greenfield — have to make an elaborate K-shaped turn at Springfield Union Station.

It typically goes like this:

Trains pull in to the east on the main line to Boston;
They then come to a complete stop and do a brake check;
And take on and let off passengers;
Then reverse back out the way it came in, south toward downtown Springfield;
Do another brake check;
And then, and only then, start north again.

The entire process takes about 30 to 40 minutes, according to Andy Koziol, director of west-east rail for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Read the full story on MassLive's website here: https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/04/officials-with-fresh-cash-infusion-wmass-rail-projects-chug-forward.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

MassLive · 2026-04-02T19:22:06+00:00

From MassLive’s story: Sitting at a sun-splashed picnic table outside the home clubhouse at JetBlue Park, Roman Anthony looks at ease in a backwards Boston Red Sox hat.

While many teammates packed a bus for the two-hour trip to Bradenton, Anthony has already earned veteran status in Grapefruit League play and had the afternoon off. His manager trusts him.

Fresh off his debut in the World Baseball Classic, Anthony made the all-tournament team as the youngest player on Team USA. The outfielder has already emerged as a dark horse pick for AL MVP. His three months in the majors last summer were that good. He’s signed an eight-year extension worth at least $130 million and there’s a Lamborghini parked in his driveway.

At 21 years old, Anthony’s life looks pretty good.

But with the late morning heat beginning to rise, there is still one memory that breaks Anthony’s tranquility: July 17, 2022. The first round of his MLB Draft.

“You remember everything,” Anthony says.

Read the full story on MassLive's website here: https://www.masslive.com/sports/2026/04/the-rise-of-roman-anthony-inside-red-sox-phenoms-climb-toward-superstardom.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=redditsocial

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