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Taylor Swift's Relatives From Hartford County, Include This Famous Poet, Ancestry Reveals
From one “tortured poet” to another: the uber-famous Taylor Swift is related to another famous wordsmith, who happens to be from Massachusetts.
Taylor Swift, the internationally-loved pop star who recently announced her upcoming album “The Tortured Poets Department,” was discovered to be related to iconic poet Emily Dickinson, NBC’s TODAY Show announced on Monday, March 4.
According to Ancestry, who revealed the star-studded lineage to TODAY, Swift and Dickinson are both descendants of a 17th-century English immigrant, who was an early settler in Connecticut, in the Hartford County t…
This Connecticut Liberal Arts College Ranked Among Top 20 In US, New Report Says
The grades are in, and these colleges are a cut above the rest.
Of the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the United States, four can be found in Massachusetts, three in New York, and one in Connecticut, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings.
They are:
No. 1 - Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts
No. 2 - Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts
No. 4 - Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts (Tied with Pomona College in Claremont, California and Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania)
No. 8 - United States Military …
Police In Western Mass Mourn Loss Of Comfort Dog Winston Before His Second Birthday
The Amherst Police Department is mourning the loss of their Comfort Dog Winston, who died after being diagnosed with lymphoma and leukemia last weekend, the department said on Facebook.
"This progressed so aggressively that his handler, Officer Laramee, had to make the heartbreaking decision to end his pain and let him pass peacefully," on Wednesday, June 15, police said. Winston was just about to celebrate his second birthday.
"Officer Laramee had a vision for a comfort dog program here in Amherst and he was greeted with the perfectly tempered, incredibly happy, very sleepy, Winston," po…
Prominent Restaurant Owner In Region Dies At Age 59
A prominent Western Mass restaurant owner has died at the age of 59, surrounded by family.
Andy Yee, a partner of the Bean Restaurant Group, which includes restaurants such as the Student Prince In Springfield, the White Hut, in West Springfield, and Johnny's Tavern in Amherst, died on Thursday, May 27.
"It is with great sadness that we announce that our brother, Andy Yee passed away on Thursday, May 27, 2021," the family said on the White Hut's Facebook page. "Anyone who knew Andy knew that his laugh was contagious, his personality bigger than life, and he was always bursting with pr…
Parents Awoken By Strange Sound, Foil Kidnapping Attempt In Western Mass
When the parents went to investigate a strange sound in their home, they found a man on the second floor, dressed in dark clothes, and holding their toddler.
The man attempted to flee with the 20-month-old child, but the parents were able to tackle him and take their child back.
The incident took place on Saturday, March 13, sometime after 1 a.m. in Amherst, according to police.
The following day, Amherst Police arrested a suspect - Jimmy Lee Sanchez, 35, a homeless man living in Amherst, in connection with the alleged attempted kidnapping.
The terrifying incident was reported to police…
Covid-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk
More than 50 Massachusetts cities and towns are now considered to be at “high-risk” for spreading COVID-19 infections, according to the most recent state data.
Among the communities where the risk is highest - 8 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, per day - are 15 Western and Central Massachusetts municipalities.
The community with the highest daily incident rate is Marlborough - 19.9 new cases per day per 100,000 and going up.
Though the risk is still high, infections in Amherst, Southborough, Springfield, and Sunderland are decreasing.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Massachus…
Covid-19: College-Town Businesses More Likely To Stay Closed
College town businesses that closed due to COVID-19 conditions are 24 percent more likely to stay permanently closed once the virus is gone compared to communities without institutions of higher education, according to a recent Yelp analysis.
Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts are home to many communities with economies that depend on business serving higher education institutions and people - especially:
- Worcester, MA: (Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assumption College, UMass Worcester, Becker College, etc.),
- Hartford, CT: (Hartford University, Trinity…
