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Amherst, MA

Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic Poet, Ancestry Reveals Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic Poet, Ancestry Reveals
Taylor Swift's Relatives Include This Iconic 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…
These 7 Mass Liberal Arts Colleges Rank Among Top 20 In US, New Report Says These 7 Mass Liberal Arts Colleges Rank Among Top 20 In US, New Report Says
These 7 Mass Liberal Arts Colleges Rank 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 …
Harrison Ford Forced To Make Quick Exit From Popular Farmers Market In New England Harrison Ford Forced To Make Quick Exit From Popular Farmers Market In New England
Harrison Ford Forced To Make Quick Exit From Popular Farmers Market In New England Harrison Ford left the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is Los Angeles for somewhere more quaint over the weekend when he visited Western Massachusetts for the Amherst Farmers Market.  The 80-year-old A-Lister was in town to see his youngest son Liam graduate from Amherst College.  While in Amherst, Ford stopped by the farmers market but didn't get a chance to buy anything because word quickly spread that Indiana Jones was about, said Joyce Douthwright, who runs Cold Spring Soapery with her husband. She snapped a photo of him just before he was mobbed by fans.  "…
Western Mass Man Who Said His Name During Armed Robbery Gets 8 Years In Prison: DA Western Mass Man Who Said His Name During Armed Robbery Gets 8 Years In Prison: DA
Western Mass Man Who Said His Name During Armed Robbery Gets 8 Years In Prison: DA A 24-year-old Amherst man learned the hard way that saying your name while robbing someone you know defeats the purpose of a mask, officials said.  Oscar Garcia Alvarado pleaded guilty to a 2019 armed robbery, and a judge sentenced him to between seven and eight years in prison on Thursday, Oct. 6, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  Alvarado and another man who police have not identified broke into an Amherst man's apartment on Nov. 14, 2019, while he was playing video games with friends online, police said. The duo carried a pistol and a rifle and covered their fa…
Western Massachusetts Woman, 36, Killed In Multi-Vehicle Crash Western Massachusetts Woman, 36, Killed In Multi-Vehicle Crash
Western Massachusetts Woman, 36, Killed In Multi-Vehicle Crash A 36-year-old woman has died from a multi-vehicle crash in Western Massachusetts last week, authorities said. Carmen Henriquez, of Springfield, died in the crash that happened at the intersection of Route 116 and Sunderland Road in Amherst around 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, the Northwest District Attorney's Office said.  Initial investigation revealed Henriquez collided with two other vehicles that were going in the opposite direction as her. The impact caused her vehicle to roll over, the office reports.  Henriquez was the sole fatality of the crash.  The drivers of the …
Western Mass Father Pleads Not Guilty To Infant Son's Death By Adult Sleep Medication Western Mass Father Pleads Not Guilty To Infant Son's Death By Adult Sleep Medication
Western Mass Father Pleads Not Guilty To Infant Son's Death By Adult Sleep Medication A father from Western Massachusetts has pleaded not guilty to several charges in connection with the death of his 4-month-old son almost three years ago, the Northwestern District Attorney's office said.  Isaac Villalobos, formerly of Amherst, is facing several charges after allegedly gave he after his infant son a lethal dose of adult sleep medication on September 15, 2019, the office reports.  After being indicted by a Grand Jury, Villalobos was arrested last week in Maryland and brought back to Massachusetts on Thursday, July 14, the office reports.  The charges…
Police In Western Mass Mourn Loss Of Comfort Dog Winston Before His Second Birthday Police In Western Mass Mourn Loss Of Comfort Dog Winston Before His Second Birthday
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…
Investigation Of Endangered Cattle Breed Results In Animal Cruelty Charges In Western Mass Investigation Of Endangered Cattle Breed Results In Animal Cruelty Charges In Western Mass
Investigation Of Endangered Cattle Breed Results In Animal Cruelty Charges In Western Mass An investigation into rare “Kerry” cattle in Western Massachusetts led to a host of charges for a woman accused of animal cruelty. The Massachusetts SPCA said that eight head of very rare “Kerry” cattle, along with one Holstein cow and 22 Saanen, Lamancha, and Alpine-mix goats are available for adoption at the MSPCA at Nevins Farm following an animal cruelty investigation in Hampshire County. Officials said that the investigation was launched in Amherst, leading to 35 counts of felony animal cruelty against Shannon Rice-Nichols, of Hadley. She is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges i…
Reports Of Black Students Receiving Racist Emails Under Investigation At UMass Reports Of Black Students Receiving Racist Emails Under Investigation At UMass
Reports Of Black Students Receiving Racist Emails Under Investigation At UMass UMass Amherst is reporting an increase in racially motivated anti-Black incidents, according to a statement by the university’s vice-chancellor. In a message sent to students on Thursday, Sept. 23, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer Nefertiti Walker, said a racist email was sent to numerous Black-centered student groups on campus on Friday, Sept. 17. The university is investigating the email which was reportedly sent from a non-student account and signed “UMass coalition for a better society." The content of the email, Walker said, was “vile, blatantly racist, and violently offens…
COVID-19: School District In Region Considering Vaccine Mandate COVID-19: School District In Region Considering Vaccine Mandate
Covid-19: School District In Region Considering Vaccine Mandate A school district in Western Massachusetts is considering a COVID-19 vaccination mandate to go along with orders to wear facial coverings while in school buildings. Officials in the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District are considering taking the extra step to provide extra protection against the spread of the virus by mandating faculty and staff members all get the COVID-19 vaccine. The decision will now move forward to a special school committee vote. Officials noted that if mandated, particular religious and health exemptions would have to be agreed upon between the school and its se…
Diver From NY Wins Medal At Olympics Diver From NY Wins Medal At Olympics
Diver From NY Wins Medal At Olympics A diving duo from Long Island and Massachusetts who met at the University of Indiana dove their way into the record books, joining the parade of Americans claiming medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Nassau County native Andrew Capobianco, who calls Mineola home, and his teammate, Hampshire County resident Michael Hixon, out of Amherst, Massachusetts, took home the silver medal for the US in the men’s synchronized 3-meter springboard event. The duo finished with a score of 444.36 to take the silver behind the Chinese pair of Wang Zongyuan and Xie Siyi. Germany’s Patrick Hausding and Lars Rudiger …
Prominent Western Mass Restaurant Owner Dies At Age 59 Prominent Western Mass Restaurant Owner Dies At Age 59
Prominent Western Mass Restaurant Owner 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…
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…