Subscribe
62°
MA Cities Among 10 Best For St. Patrick's Day Celebrations, Study Says: See Full List
Every year, some cities feel the luck of the Irish a little more than others.
WalletHub released its 2026 list of Best Cities for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations on Wednesday, March 11. The study ranked 200 US cities based on holiday traditions, Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, affordability, safety, accessibility, and even the weather forecast.
WalletHub said Americans are expected to spend about $7 billion on St. Patrick's Day in 2026.
"St. Patrick's Day celebrates the Irish, but it's become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of Americans regardless of their ancestry," said Wal…
Duo Accused Of Torching Springfield Shed During Eviction Dispute; Home Also Damaged In Blaze
Two people who were being evicted from a home in Springfield set fire to a shed on the property, damaging the house and destroying the other structure, police said.
Nelson Martins, 51, of Ludlow, and Wendy Champagne, 47, of Ware, were arrested in Ware on Wednesday, May 21, and charged with the March 1 blaze, Springfield Police said.
Firefighters were called to a fire on Kamuda Street in Springfield on March 1 and found a shed ablaze and flames leaping onto the nearby home.
Crews put out the conflagration with no injuries, but the shed was destroyed, and the house suf…
Walgreens Announces Dozens Of Upcoming Store Closures, Including 11 MA Locations
Walgreens announced this past fall that it will close about 1,200 stores over three years amid a decline in prescription drug payments and a rise in online competition.
About 500 of those closures will be in 2025.
Now, the locations of some of the specific stores slated to go out of business are emerging and being posted at walgreens.com.
Connecticut
East Hartford, 922 Silver Lane: Permanently closing on Tuesday, May 20.
East Haven, 157 Main Street: Permanently closing on Thursday, May 22.
New Britain, 1350 Stanley Street: Permanently closing on Monday, May 19.
New Milford, 173 Danbury R…
Boston's St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Named Best In US, New Study Says: See The Full List
Every year, some Northeast and mid-Atlantic cities really feel the luck of the Irish more than others.
St. Patrick's Day traditions vary widely along the East Coast. Some cities are steeped in Irish tradition with huge parades, historic pubs, and thriving Irish communities, while others lack massive celebrations.
WalletHub released its 2025 list of Best Cities for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations on Wednesday, Mar. 12. The study ranked 200 US cities based on holiday traditions, Irish pubs per capita, affordability, safety, and even weather.
WalletHub projects that Americans wi…
Northeast Cities Among Most Diverse In US: Here's What A New Study Says
The US population is rapidly diversifying, with cities in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic at the forefront, according to a new study.
WalletHub released its 2025 ranking of the nation's Most Diverse Cities on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Three Maryland communities topped the list of 501 locations, which were evaluated based on socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household, and religious diversity.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 10.2 percent of Americans identified as multiracial in 2020, a sharp increase from just 2.9 percent in 2010.
"The most diverse cities demonstrate diversity in many …
Man Who Gunned Down Ex-Springfield Mom, Infant In. CT Drive-By Busted In Puerto Rico: Police
A 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a young mother and her infant son in Connecticut was arrested in Puerto Rico, authorities announced.
Lance Morales, the suspect in the drive-by shooting that killed 20-year-old Jessiah Mercado and her 4-month-old son, Messiah Diaz, was taken into custody Saturday, Nov. 23, by the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, the Marshal Service said.
He was found at a home in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, and is being held on a $3 million bond.
The incident unfolded earlier this week when officers responded to Hartford Hospital after a vehicle arriv…
Teen Who Killed Mom In Hit-Run Crash, Impaling Her On Springfield Cemetery Fence Busted: DA
A teenager accused of a hit-and-run crash into a 36-year-old woman earlier this week that sent her body tumbling through the air until it landed atop a cemetery fence was arrested, authorities said.
Nathan Colon, 18, of Springfield, was arrested at his home on Lakevilla Avenue and charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury crash causing death, and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, the Hampden District Attorney said.
He was being held on a $10,000 bond, authorities said.
Kristine Andrews was walking along Boston Road on Monday, Sept. 2, when she w…
'Barbaric Attack': 2 Men Who Burned Victim During Springfield Home Invasion Sentenced
Two men found guilty of torturing and permanently disfiguring a Springfield man during a 2019 home invasion were sentenced to decades in prison on Thursday, June 27, authorities said.
Paul Gayle, 30, and Malik Erskine, 24, both of Springfield, were found guilty of multiple violent felonies in the "barbaric attack," Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. Markendall Johnson, now 21, who was charged as a youthful offender because of his age on the day of the robbery, was also convicted in the case.
Gayle was sentenced to 35 to 40 years in state prison, and a judge gave …
Maine Man Busted In 24-Year-Old Rape, Kidnapping Case In Western Mass Thanks To DNA Testing: DA
A 48-year-old Maine man is behind bars on Wednesday, May 8, after DNA tests linked him to the violent rape of a woman in the woods of Hampden County in 2000, authorities said.
Jamie Dodge, of Brownville, Maine, is charged with aggravated rape and kidnapping in connection with an attack that happened in Holland, which is just outside of Springfield, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office said. He was being held on a $250,000 bail.
A woman told police on July 23, 2000, that a man had grabbed her, dragged her into a nearby wooded area, and raped her. She described the m…
Western Mass Mom Of 2 Allegedly Killed By Boyfriend ID'd As Sheriff's Assistant: DA
A 48-year-old Hampden County woman who was found stabbed to death in Holyoke next to her boyfriend was the executive assistant to Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, authorities said.
Eileen Monaghan, of Chicopee, and a mother to two daughters, was found on Sunday, April 14, around 1:30 a.m. in a home on South Water Street after police were called for suspicious activity, officials said.
Police found Eileen on the ground next to her boyfriend, Jason Chapdelaine, who was suffering from stab wounds, police said. Investigators later ruled those cuts were self-inflicted. …
Men Attempt To Carjack Western Mass Police Detective, Get Free Ride To Jail Instead: Police
Two men who attempted to steal a car from a plainclothes Springfield police detective left empty-handed, but did end up getting a free lift to jail.
Dannie Abrew, 20, and Devin Abrew, 19, both of Springfield, face multiple felonies following the incident on Friday, March 29, Springfield police say.
A plainclothes detective was sitting in his car in the area on Reed Street around 8:15 p.m. when he heard a metallic tap on his driver's side window. He turned to see Danne Abrew pointing a gun at his head while Devin circled the unmarked police car, authorities said.
The detective s…
Police ID Man Who Stole Car With Baby Inside In Western Mass
Police have identified the man who sparked a statewide Amber Alert when he stole a vehicle in Western Massachusetts, on Friday morning, March 29, that had a 3-year-old baby inside.
Vadim Vorobyov, age 52, of Springfield, is charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and fugitive from justice in Connecticut and is also expected to be charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and motor vehicle larceny in Massachusetts, State Police said.
Vorobyov stole the running car when he came across it outside of a home on Exchange Street in Chicopee around 8:40 a.m., police said. T…
2 Charged With Car-To-Car Fatal Shooting That Killed Father Of 1 In Western Mass
A Hampden County teenager and 22-year-old woman have been charged in connection with the death of a father of one as they drove along I-391 earlier this month, authorities said.
Noah Torres, 19, of Springfield, and Kiana Gonzalez, 22, of Holyoke, are linked to the death of 35-year-old Guyton Winspeare, 35, of Chicopee on March 12, the Hampden County District Attorney said.
The shooting happened just before 8:45 p.m. between exits 3 and 4 on I-391 South in Chicopee when one person fired shots into another car on the interstate. Two people were injured in the shooting, and the…
Student Threatens To Shoot Springfield School; Mom, 2 Others Busted
Springfield detectives have arrested a 12-year-old's mother and two others after the child told a classmate they were going to bring a gun to school, authorities announced Tuesday, March 26.
Lilly Casanova, 40, Ramon Gonzalez, 24, and Nathan Gonzalez, 20, were arrested early Tuesday morning after police raided their home on White Street, Springfield police said.
Springfield police received a tip that a 12-year-old had boasted about having access to guns and was planning on bringing one of them to school. Officers contacted the student's mom, Casanova, who told them the chil…
Western Mass Dad Of Springfield School Shooter, Attacker Arrested For Role In Incident: Police
The father of a 20-year-old Chicopee man who forced his way inside a Springfield high school, pistol-whipped someone, and fired a round that blew out a window was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, March 19. Police say the dad was there during the incident and helped his son and another person escape after the shooting.
Dana Dudley, 45, of Chicopee, was arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant, carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, and armed breaking and entering daytime for a felony putting a person in fear, Springfield police said.
Related: Warrant Issued For Man …