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Police & Fire
One Killed, Two Hurt After Driver Crosses Yellow Line In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Police Say One Killed, Two Hurt After Driver Crosses Yellow Line In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Police Say
One Killed, Two Hurt After Driver Crosses Yellow Line In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Police Say One person was killed and two others injured in a two-vehicle crash after one of the drivers allegedly crossed the yellow line and hit the other vehicle head-on. The crash took place in Hampden County, around 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, in the area of North Westfield Street in Agawam. A preliminary investigation has revealed the operator of one motor vehicle crossed over the center double yellow line while driving north on North Westfield Street, said Lt. Dan Bonafilia. The operator then struck a vehicle traveling southbound. The two occupants of the vehicle that crossed&nbs…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Severe Storms Cause Property Damage In Western Massachusetts Severe Storms Cause Property Damage In Western Massachusetts
Severe Storms Cause Property Damage In Western Massachusetts Some in Western Massachusetts reported property damage overnight as storms rolled through the region, uprooting trees, downing power lines, and leaving some without power. Hundreds of residents in Western Massachusetts were left in the dark on Tuesday, June 29, as storms hit some areas - specifically Agawam, Longmeadow, and Pittsfield - hard, causing outages, property damage, and in some cases, temporarily closing roadways. Related story - Strong Storms With Damaging Winds, Lightning Could Cause Power Outages In Region According to reports, an old tobacco barn near Six Flags New Engl…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Seen Him? Police Issue Alert For Missing Western Mass Man Seen Him? Police Issue Alert For Missing Western Mass Man
Seen Him? Police Issue Alert For Missing Western Mass Man An alert has been issued by police investigators in Western Massachusetts for a man who has been missing for weeks. The Agawam Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Todd Polacco, who has been missing since April and hasn’t been seen or heard from since the end of April or the beginning of May this year. Police said that Polacco, age 54, lived alone in an apartment in Agawam and was not employed when he went missing. Polacco was known to ride his mountain bike through Western Massachusetts and frequented local hiking and fishing areas, including Bear Hole in West …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Suspects Nabbed After Armed Robbery, Crashing Into Police Cruisers In Western Mass Suspects Nabbed After Armed Robbery, Crashing Into Police Cruisers In Western Mass
Suspects Nabbed After Armed Robbery, Crashing Into Police Cruisers In Western Mass Multiple suspects were apprehended in Western Massachusetts following an armed robbery at an AT&T store, police said. The West Springfield Police Department received a report of an armed robbery from the AT&T store on Riverdale Street at 4:52 p.m. on Sunday, June 6. According to police, a patrol officer and narcotics detectives spotted the suspect's vehicle and attempted to conduct a stop, but the vehicle sped off and a pursuit began southbound on Riverdale Street. The pursuit ended at the Route 5 rotary in Agawam after the suspect crashed into multiple police cruisers. Police sai…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Officer Recovering After Being Hit By Vehicle In Western Mass Police Officer Recovering After Being Hit By Vehicle In Western Mass
Police Officer Recovering After Being Hit By Vehicle In Western Mass A police officer directing traffic in Western Massachusetts was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle early on Thursday morning, the department announced. An officer from the Agawam Police Department is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a vehicle around the Morgan Sullivan Bridge Replacement at approximately 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 6. Only one car was involved in the collision, and the driver remained at the scene to cooperate with the investigation. The officer’s injuries were described as being non-life-threatening. The crash led to a closure of Main Street in fr…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Shooting Girl In Leg In Western Mass, Police Say Man Accused Of Shooting Girl In Leg In Western Mass, Police Say
Man Accused Of Shooting Girl In Leg In Western Mass, Police Say A Western Massachusetts man has been arrested for allegedly shooting a girl in the leg. Hampden County resident Jose Estrada, age 21, of Agawam, was arrested around 6:55 p.m., Friday, April 9, for the shooting which took place around an hour earlier in the area of Worthington and Armory streets, in Springfield, said Springfield Police spokesman Ryan Walsh. According to Walsh, officers were responding to the area for a disturbance when they heard several gunshots and found a juvenile female with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. Investigating officers found the vehicle used i…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread
Covid-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread More 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, April 8, 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 latest…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread COVID-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread
Covid-19: 11 Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Virus Spread More 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, April 1, 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 latest…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass COVID-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass
Covid-19: New Regional Vaccination Sites Approved For Western Mass New state-run COVID-19 vaccination sites have been approved in Western Massachusetts. The announcements were made on Friday, March 26. The Eastern States Exposition (Big E) in West Springfield will also serve the communities of Agawam, Granville, Southwick, Tolland, and Westfield, Representative Joseph Wagner announced that Chicopee in Hampden County has been approved for the state-run Covid-19 vaccination site. The site will also include the surrounding communities of South Hadley and Granby, Wagner said. The opening dates of the sites will be dependent upon the number of v…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says
Covid-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says Five 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 25, 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 lates…

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by Zak Failla
News
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…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Western Mass Eatery Emerges As Go-To Destination For Italian Cuisine After One Year In Business Western Mass Eatery Emerges As Go-To Destination For Italian Cuisine After One Year In Business
Western Mass Eatery Emerges As Go-To Destination For Italian Cuisine After One Year In Business Just ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the Valley’s most popular fine-dining restauranteurs opened a little Italian spot in Longmeadow. Posto by The Federal is located in The Longmeadow Shops and serves “old-school new Italian” dishes. While Posto and The Federal share the same executive chef, Michael Presnal, Posto is more casual than the Agawam fine-dining destination. Whereas The Federal does service with elegance on white lenient, Posto does service with elegance on newspaper tissue printed to look like vintage news articles. Since opening in October 2019, online reviews have pra…

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by Kristin Palpini