Worcester, MA
Weather
Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA
Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA A passing Nor'Easter left about 3-17 inches of snow across the region with snowfall totals varying greatly in communities all over Central or Western Massachusetts. The National Weather Service has put a winter weather advisory into place until Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. Before the late afternoon, people can expect to see light snow showers and pockets of freezing drizzle. A glaze of ice developing on top of the snow is possible. Wind gusts may reach as fast as 40 mph. Below are snowfall totals from the Monday, Feb. 1 winter storm. The totals are reported as inches are as of 8 a.m. Tuesday,…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Weather
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA When this Nor’easter is over, some communities in Central and Western Massachusetts are expected to be covered in more than 1 foot of snow. A Winter Storm Warning by the National Weather Service is in effect until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 7 to 15 inches and winds gusting as high as 45 mph. The communities that are expected to see the most snow are across the Worcester Hills and the east slopes of the Berkshires. The following are forecast snowfall totals including the smallest amount predicted, the most likely amount to fall…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Schools
COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates
Covid-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates Two local school districts experienced COVID-19 flare-ups over the last week, according to the most recent state data. On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released how many COVID-19 incidents were reported by students and staff from Jan. 21-27. Most of the Central and Western Massachusetts, as well as the Berkshires, had school districts where no COVID-19 incidents were reported that week. However, Shrewsbury and Hampden-Wilbraham school districts each reported 12-15 students and faculty that had become il…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map
Covid-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map A new map of where you can get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Massachusetts shows 20 locations in Central and Western Massachusetts. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, Mass.gov has created an interactive map of vaccination sites you can use to learn more about the facilities and how to book appointments.  It appears that most people live within 10-12 miles of a vaccination center, but for the more far-flung communities, including North Adams and Sutton, the trek could be 20 miles or more. The closest vaccination center to Williamstown, which is located in the most northwest…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
Police & Fire
Nearly 80 Grams Of Crack, Cocaine Seized Following I-91 Chase Nearly 80 Grams Of Crack, Cocaine Seized Following I-91 Chase
Nearly 80 Grams Of Crack, Cocaine Seized Following I-91 Chase A speeding Kia led to a recent, major drug bust in Franklin County’s only city. On Thursday, Jan. 21, around 7 p.m., State Police Troopers patrolling Route 91 in Greenfield observed a gray Kia sedan allegedly making numerous marked lanes violations while speeding, police said. Troopers flicked on their emergency lights and sirens to get the Kia to pull over, but the vehicle allegedly accelerated and failed to stop for the officers, police said. Shortly after the chase began, the troopers dropped it and alerted area police departments to the vehicle’s description and whereabouts. Although …

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Lifestyle
What's The Best Sandwich In MA? Each State's Most Iconic Sandwich What's The Best Sandwich In MA? Each State's Most Iconic Sandwich
What's The Best Sandwich In MA? Each State's Most Iconic Sandwich In a celebration of lunch, Food & Wine magazine has come out with a list of the best sandiwches in every state. And, in a move that supports the list’s acumen, the Fluffernutter was not chosen as THE sandwich of Massachusetts. Can you guess what the top sandwich in Massachusetts is? What makes a sandwich the “best” in each state, according to Food & Wine, is how iconic the food is. Visual appeal, trends, and availability were not considered. Also not allowed on the list: burgers, hotdogs, burritos, tacos, and barbecue. Sandwich legends only, the magazine said. New England is known…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Weather
How Much Snow Did You Get? Regional Snowfall Totals, Monday, Jan. 4 How Much Snow Did You Get? Regional Snowfall Totals, Monday, Jan. 4
How Much Snow Did You Get? Regional Snowfall Totals, Monday, Jan. 4 We're starting off the first workweek of 2021 waking up to a light blanket of snow. In the Central and Western areas of Massachusetts as well as the Berkshires, the place that received the most snow appears to be North Granby with 2.2 inches and Noth Adams with 2.4 inches. Chicopee also reached 2 inches of snow accumulation. After that, Holden came the closest to joining the 2-inch club with an accumulation of 1.7 inches of snow. Meanwhile, Worcester, Holyoke, Amherst, and Westfield got 1 inch of snow each. Some of the area's largest communities received less than an inch of snow: Springfi…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
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…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Homicide Charge Filed Against Surviving Driver In Fatal Crash Homicide Charge Filed Against Surviving Driver In Fatal Crash
Homicide Charge Filed Against Surviving Driver In Fatal Crash Charges have been filed against the surviving driver in a fatal two-car crash on Route 2 in early October. The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that George Cortina, 62, of Turners Falls, is being charged with crimes connected to the Oct. 4 accident on Route 2 in Greenfield that left Jonathan Rohrs, 41, of Acton, and his dog dead. Cortina is to be arraigned on Monday, Oct. 26. He is being charged with: - Motor vehicle homicide; - Operating under the influence of drugs causing serious bodily injury; - Operating under the influence of drugs, second offense…

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by Kristin Palpini
Springfield, MA
News
With 15,000-Plus Homes Without Power, Some Schools To Excuse Online Absences With 15,000-Plus Homes Without Power, Some Schools To Excuse Online Absences
With 15,000-Plus Homes Without Power, Some Schools To Excuse Online Absences Some 15,000 households are without power this morning following a high-wind storm Wednesday, Oct. 7, and it’s affecting students in distance learning. In light of the power outages, some school districts have said they will excuse distance learning absences, “Absences for students unable to log in will be excused today,” the Westfield School District sent in a message to parents around 6:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 8. This morning there are more than 2,000 Springfield homes without power. Other communities with hundreds of outages include Deerfield, Greenfield. In Worcester, there are only 110…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Business
COVID-19: Western Mass Businesses Start GoFundMe Campaigns To Stay Open COVID-19: Western Mass Businesses Start GoFundMe Campaigns To Stay Open
Covid-19: Western Mass Businesses Start GoFundMe Campaigns To Stay Open Several local businesses have started GoFundMe campaigns to make ends meet as the pandemic-induced economic downturn continues to eat away at revenue. Among the businesses that have resorted to fundraising are: Gateway City Arts, of Holyoke; Barts and Snows Ice Cream, of Greenfield; And Odyssey Bookshop, of South Hadley. Here's why ... GATEWAY CITY ARTS, Holyoke Seeking: $70,000 Raised: $29,412 Recipient of GoFundMe Small Business Relief grant ($500) The first donation was made one month ago. Gateway City Arts is a converted mill building in the Holyoke Canal District that has prov…

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by Kristin Palpini
Amherst, MA
Police & Fire
Driver Who Allegedly Tried To Run Over Three People With A Bus Is Being Held Without Bail Driver Who Allegedly Tried To Run Over Three People With A Bus Is Being Held Without Bail
Driver Who Allegedly Tried To Run Over Three People With A Bus Is Being Held Without Bail A Greenfield bus driver accused of trying to hit a man and two children with a public transit bus is being held without bail following a dangerousness hearing. Steven Connell, 38, of Gill, was ordered held without the right to bail during a Greenfield District Court hearing on July 8, according to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. Connell is awaiting trial related to charges stemming from a June 4 incident in which he allegedly tried to hit three people - at least one of whom is black - with his bus by crashing it into a building. According to police reports, three males had bee…

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by Kristin Palpini