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Schools
COVID-19: School In Region Closes Due To Increase In Cases COVID-19: School In Region Closes Due To Increase In Cases
Covid-19: School In Region Closes Due To Increase In Cases A school in Western Massachusetts is the latest to go remote for the remainder of 2021 due to a rise in COVID-19 cases amid the arrival of the Omicron variant. In Hampshire County, school officials announced late on Monday, Dec. 20 that the R.H. Conwell Elementary School in Worthington will be closed for the rest of the week due to a spike in confirmed cases of the virus within the building. Schools Superintendent Gretchen Morse-Dobosz and Worthington School Nurse Samantha Pease issued the alert after the district identified 33 close contacts within the elementary school that spanned betwee…

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by Zak Failla
News
Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Shooting In Region Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Shooting In Region
Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Shooting In Region Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of a Western Massachusetts man. The shooting of the 39-year-old man took place around 11 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 1 in Hampshire County in Northampton. The victim, who has not been identified, was transported to Baystate Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, said Northampton District Attorney’s Office Spokesperson Laurie Loisel. A short time later, a suspect in the shooting was detained.  The unidentified suspect will be arraigned Thursday, Dec. 2 in Northampton District Court on charges including: Murder Assault Ba…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Woman Rescued After Falling Down Deep Embankment In Region Woman Rescued After Falling Down Deep Embankment In Region
Woman Rescued After Falling Down Deep Embankment In Region Police and firefighters rescued a Western Massachusetts woman after she fell down a steep embankment and into a shallow stream. The incident took place in Hampshire County around 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13, when Northampton Police and Northampton Fire Rescue responded behind the Millbank Condominiums for a 53-year-old woman that had fallen down a steep embankment and into a shallow stream, the fire department said. Police officers were able to pull the woman out, and firefighters extricated the female up the steep embankment using a sled.  The woman was transported to Cooley Dickins…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
Prestigious College In Northeast Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni Prestigious College In Northeast Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni
Prestigious College In Northeast Dropping Admissions Advantage For Children Of Alumni Amherst College in Massachusetts announced it is ending a longstanding admission policy that gives preference to applicants who are children of alumni. The college, located in Hampshire County, said legacy students previously accounted for about 11 percent of each class. Moving forward, the college said legacy status will no longer factor into the admissions process, in an effort to give opportunities to more applicants. “Now is the time to end this historic program that inadvertently limits educational opportunity by granting a preference to those whose parents are graduates of the Colleg…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Utility Pole Fire Knocks Out Power Throughout Northampton Utility Pole Fire Knocks Out Power Throughout Northampton
Utility Pole Fire Knocks Out Power Throughout Northampton Some were left without power in Western Massachusetts when a utility pole caught fire overnight. In Hampshire County, firefighters were called to the intersection of King Street and North Street in Northampton shortly before 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, when a pole caught fire and caused power outages downtown. The fire engulfed the entire pole, but Northampton firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames. Some in the area were left without power for more than two hours as National Grid reported more than 200 outages shortly after 10 p.m. with power largely restored by 10:30 p.…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
ID Released For Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region ID Released For Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region
ID Released For Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region Police have released the ID of a bicyclist who was struck and killed crossing a busy intersection in Western Massachusetts. Officers from the Northampton Police Department in Hampshire County said that local resident Charles Braun was riding his bike near the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and Elm Street at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6 when he was struck by a car. Braun was transported to Corey Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where he was later pronounced dead. Police noted that the 23-year-old driver, from Haydenville in Hampshire County, remained at the scene and coo…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region
Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car At Intersection In Region A 69-year-old bicyclist was struck and killed by a driver crossing a busy intersection in Western Massachusetts, police said. Officers from the Northampton Police Department in Hampshire County said that a cyclist was riding his bike near the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and Elm Street at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6 when he was struck by a car. The man was transported to Corey Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where he was later pronounced dead. Police noted that the 23-year-old driver, from Haydenville in Hampshire County, remained at the scene and cooperated during t…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
High School In Region Goes Remote After Substance Found On Walls High School In Region Goes Remote After Substance Found On Walls
High School In Region Goes Remote After Substance Found On Walls A high school was forced to alter its reopening plan after a suspicious substance was found growing on the walls and furniture inside the building in Western Massachusetts. South Hadley Schools Superintendent Jahmal Mosley issued a letter to the community in Hampshire County this week advising that “a black/white” substance was located inside the building, prompting them to open the year remotely. Mosely said that the district called in Fermata Home Services to assist, which took samples of the substance and sent them to a lab for testing. It is unclear when the test results will be avail…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Western Mass Woman Wins $320K In State Lottery Western Mass Woman Wins $320K In State Lottery
Western Mass Woman Wins $320K In State Lottery  A woman won a whopping $320,000 playing Keno in the Massachusetts State Lottery. The winner, Hampden County resident Sharon Miner matched all numbers in the 9-spot game on Wednesday, Aug. 18, according to lottery officials. Miner, of Holyoke, played a $2 ticket and added the Keno Bonus for an additional $2. The Keno Bonus multiplier for this draw was 4X. In the game, match 9 out of 9 for $1 wager is $40,000 prize, since it was a $2 wager, it became $80,000 plus the additional 4x multiplier, which landed Miner with $320,000. The winning numbers were 2-5-7-9-10-17-19-26-27 The ticket…

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by Kathy Reakes