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Hatfield, MA

Obituaries
Western Mass Man Killed In Crash, Dragged By Bear Remembered By Friends As 'Unique Soul' Western Mass Man Killed In Crash, Dragged By Bear Remembered By Friends As 'Unique Soul'
Western Mass Man Killed In Crash, Dragged By Bear Remembered By Friends As 'Unique Soul' You may have heard about Daniel Ducharme's death.  The 31-year-old was killed in Western Massachusetts on Sunday, May 5, after he lost control of his car and crashed in Hampshire County in the town of Hatfield. A bear is believed to have dragged him from the wreckage after that.  But his friends say those headlines left out who the South Hadley resident was.  Dozens of social media posts paint a far more complex picture of someone who cared for his friends, loved cracking jokes and making music, and had big plans for his future.  Evan Flynn posted on Facebook that Dani…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
(Update) Man Dragged From Car By Bear After Fatal Western Mass Crash ID'd By Police (Update) Man Dragged From Car By Bear After Fatal Western Mass Crash ID'd By Police
(Update) Man Dragged From Car By Bear After Fatal Western Mass Crash ID'd By Police A driver whose body was dragged away from a Hampshire County crash by a bear on Sunday, May 5, has been identified by police as a 31-year-old Western Massachusetts man, police said. Update: Friends Remember Man Dragged From Wrecked Car By Bear As "Unique Soul" Daniel Ducharme, of South Hadley, was ejected partially or fully from his Honda Civic just after 11 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, hit the guardrail multiple times, and crashed down an embankment on I-91 South, state police said.  Police found Ducharme's body next to the tree line near mile marker 30.8 in Hatfield. In…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Massive Fireworks Haul Found During Routine Traffic Stop In Western Mass Massive Fireworks Haul Found During Routine Traffic Stop In Western Mass
Massive Fireworks Haul Found During Routine Traffic Stop In Western Mass State police stopped one of the most patriotic men in Massachusetts over the weekend.  Police pulled over the 22-year-old Springfield man in Hatfield on Sunday, July 2, on Route 91 after a trooper noticed his insurance had been canceled. As the officer approached the 2019 Infiniti, they saw 64 boxes of fireworks in plain view, officials said. Authorities charged the man with various motor vehicle infractions, unlawful possession of fireworks, and driving with a suspended license, state police said.  Officials did not release the man's name.  They turned the fireworks o…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
Booze Out At These Top Wineries In Western Massachusetts Booze Out At These Top Wineries In Western Massachusetts
Booze Out At These Top Wineries In Western Massachusetts Whether you're looking to plan your next girls' day, special gathering, or chill weekend, spending time at a winery could be the perfect fit. Thankfully, Western Massachusetts is inundated with gorgeous vineyards and quintessential New England views along with some of the best locally-crafted wine in the region.  To help plan your next tasting, here are some of the highest-rated wineries in Western Mass based on traveler reviews.  Furnace Brook Winery at Hilltop Orchards (Richmond)  Furnace Brook Winery in the Berkshires has a 4.5 average rating on Trip Advisor and Yelp.  Known for its r…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Hit-Run Crash: Teen Killed After Being Runover In Remote Western Mass Cornfield, DA Says Hit-Run Crash: Teen Killed After Being Runover In Remote Western Mass Cornfield, DA Says
Hit-Run Crash: Teen Killed After Being Runover In Remote Western Mass Cornfield, DA Says Police in Hampshire County are looking for the pickup truck driver who ran over a Florence teenager in a cornfield in Hatfield Friday, March 24, and left the man to die of his injuries, authorities said.  Jesse Johansmeyer, 19, of Burts Pit Road, died the next morning at Baystate Medical Center after doctors couldn't save his life, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  Johansmeyer was run over around 11:30 p.m. on Friday while attending a bonfire in a remote area called the Hatfield Meadows off Great Neponset Road and South Street near the Connecticut River,…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Some Ogre Stole 200-Pound Shrek Statue From Hatfield: Police Some Ogre Stole 200-Pound Shrek Statue From Hatfield: Police
Some Ogre Stole 200-Pound Shrek Statue From Hatfield: Police Somebody stole a 200-pound Shrek statue from Hatfield this week, and police are asking for the public's help to peel this onion to find out who did it.  The concrete version of the swamp-dwelling ogre was taken from its Mountain Road home, where he lived with a dragon statue.  Investigators ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of the sculpture or who may have taken it to contact them at 413-247-0323. "Or return him in the condition you found him," they wrote in a Facebook post.  "The dragon sculpture he lives with is frustrated and lonely," they wrote.  …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Gun, Heroin Found During Hatfield Traffic Stop; Vermont Man Busted: Police Gun, Heroin Found During Hatfield Traffic Stop; Vermont Man Busted: Police
Gun, Heroin Found During Hatfield Traffic Stop; Vermont Man Busted: Police Police arrested a Vermont man last week after they found more than two dozen baggies of heroin and an unlicensed pistol in his car during a traffic stop, authorities said.  James Watkins, 31, of Lyndonville, was pulled over just after midnight on Jan. 11 along Route 91 in Hatfield because the license plate on his Audi had been expired for more than a year, Massachusetts State Police said. Watkins didn't have a driver's license either.  Troopers searched the car and found 25 wax baggies filled with what they believed was heroin and a .22 caliber revolver, authorities said. Wat…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
Best Christmas Tree Farms In Massachusetts To Branch Out Your Holiday Buck Best Christmas Tree Farms In Massachusetts To Branch Out Your Holiday Buck
Best Christmas Tree Farms In Massachusetts To Branch Out Your Holiday Buck You’re already bundling up and leaving the house to pick up a holiday tree, so why not make it an experience?  Tree farms and sellers across Massachusetts offer a myriad of experiences beyond just buying decorations. Hop on a hayride, snap a photo with Santa, or grab a free snack while browsing balsam firs and white pines. Chestnut Mountain Christmas Tree Farm (Hatfield) Chestnut Mountain offers four varieties of trees, along with hayrides, cider, and cookies. You can cut your own or buy pre-cut. Families can also take advantage of the farm's horse-drawn wagon ride, hot beverages and seas…

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by David Cifarelli
News
12 Nabbed In Connection To Cocaine Trafficking Operation In Region 12 Nabbed In Connection To Cocaine Trafficking Operation In Region
12 Nabbed In Connection To Cocaine Trafficking Operation In Region A months-long investigation involving several law enforcement organizations led to the arrest of a dozen people in connection with an alleged cocaine trafficking operation operating throughout Western Massachusetts. A dozen people from Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague, Ludlow, Charlemont, and West Springfield were arrested in connection with the enterprise, said Laurie Loisel, with the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.  The group was busted on Tuesday, Dec. 14, when members of the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force coordinated the simultaneous executi…

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by Kathy Reakes
Weather
Storm Ida: How Much Rain Did You Get? A Look At Totals From Massachusetts Storm Ida: How Much Rain Did You Get? A Look At Totals From Massachusetts
Storm Ida: How Much Rain Did You Get? A Look At Totals From Massachusetts There have now been 42 confirmed fatalities after Ida battered the Northeast with historic rainfall and flash flooding. In New York City, more than 3 inches of rainfall fell in one hour in Central Park on Wednesday, Sept. 1, smashing the previous record. Here is a look at some rainfall totals from throughout Massachusetts compiled on the day after, on Thursday, Sept. 2, by the National Weather Service. Boston, 4.20 inches Berkshire County Pittsfield, 2.16 inches Franklin County Northfield, 2.43 inches Sunderland, 3.02 inches Warwick, 2.35 inches Hampden County Agawam, 5.13 inc…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
$4 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In Western Mass $4 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In Western Mass
$4 Million Lottery Ticket Sold In Western Mass A $4 million winning lottery ticket was sold in Western Massachusetts to a lucky group trust. The "$4,000,000 Winfall" instant $10 ticket was purchased by Poker Face Nominee Trust of Quincy on Thursday, July 29 in Hampshire County, according to the Massachusetts Lottery. The trust, represented by trustee David Spillane, selected the cash option for its prize and received payment of $2,600,000 (before taxes), the lottery said.  The winning ticket was purchased at Hatfield Market located at 72 School Street in Hatfield.  The store will receive a $40,000 bonus for the sale of the …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Western Mass Motorcyclist Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash, Police Say Western Mass Motorcyclist Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash, Police Say
Western Mass Motorcyclist Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash, Police Say A Western Mass man died after his motorcycle crashed, the second fatal motorcycle crash in two days in the area. The Franklin County man was found when a driver traveling south on Route 63 in Northfield came upon the crash and stopped to call 911 around 8:18 p.m., Sunday, June 6, said Laurie Loisel, of the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. The driver stayed on the scene until Northfield Police officers and Massachusetts State Police troopers arrived. The motorcyclist, a 35-year-old man who was a resident of Northfield, was pronounced dead at the site of the crash. Gregory J. P…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
39-Year-Old Killed In Single-Vehicle Western Mass Crash 39-Year-Old Killed In Single-Vehicle Western Mass Crash
39-Year-Old Killed In Single-Vehicle Western Mass Crash A 39-year-old Western Mass man was killed when his motorcycle went off the roadway. Hampshire County resident Gregory J. Papageorge was killed around 1:30 a.m., Saturday, June 5, at the intersection of Pantry and Mountain roads in Hatfield, said Laurie Loisel, with the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. Investigators said Papageorge, of Hatfield, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. A resident of a nearby home heard the crash and called 911 at 1:19 a.m., Loisel said.  Hatfield police officers and firefighters responded to the scene, as did Massachusett…

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by Kathy Reakes
Schools
School Superintendent In Western Mass Abruptly Resigns School Superintendent In Western Mass Abruptly Resigns
School Superintendent In Western Mass Abruptly Resigns A popular school superintendent in Western Massachusetts will be unexpectedly leaving his position at the end of the academic year as he pursues other opportunities in education. Hatfield School Superintendent Martin McEvoy announced this week that he will be stepping away from the district as of Wednesday, June 30 after a year and a half of navigating the district through the COVID-19 crisis. McEvoy was appointed by the School Committee slightly more than a year ago, in March 2020, right as the pandemic was hitting the East Coast hardest. He took over for former Superintendent John Robert…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week COVID-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week
Covid-19: Virus Outbreaks Recorded In 11 School Districts Last Week This past week, 11 Massachusetts public schools experienced COVID-19 outbreaks of 9 or more students and staff coming down with the virus. The largest outbreak was recorded in Leominster. From March 4-10, 21 of the school district’s students (15) and staff (6) reported positive cases. The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education produces weekly reports on positive COVID-19 cases reported in each school district. The Thursday, March 11 report found about 140 school districts - out of more than 350 - had at least one student or staff member test positive for COVID-19. C…

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by Kristin Palpini