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Athol, MA

Man Admits To Killing Athol Woman In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Will Lose License For 15 Years Man Admits To Killing Athol Woman In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Will Lose License For 15 Years
Man Admits To Killing Athol Woman In Head-On Western Mass Crash, Will Lose License For 15 Years A 64-year-old Needham man has admitted to causing the head-on collision in Franklin County last year that killed a 57-year-old woman, authorities announced on Monday, June 24.  Benoit Marande, 64, pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation in the June 30, 2023, crash and was sentenced to nine months in prison along with a 15-year revocation of his license, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. A judge suspended all but 30 days of Marande's prison term.  Marande was accused of killing Tracy Matthews when his Mazda MX-5 Miata crossed o…
Wendell Man ID'd In Fatal Motorcycle Crash With SUV Wendell Man ID'd In Fatal Motorcycle Crash With SUV
Wendell Man ID'd In Fatal Motorcycle Crash With SUV A 34-year-old Franklin County man has been identified as the motorcyclist who was killed on Monday, June 10, when he was involved in a crash, authorities said.  Evan Stoos, of Wendell, was hit by an SUV driven by a 21-year-old Athol man just before 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Wendell Depot Road and Farley Road in Wendell, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Leverett police responded to the crash, and paramedics rushed Stoos to Athol Memorial Hospital, where he died of his wounds.  Police closed the road for several hours as they cleaned and cleared the s…
Multiple $100K Lottery Tickets Sold Across Mass Multiple $100K Lottery Tickets Sold Across Mass
Multiple $100K Lottery Tickets Sold Across Mass Two Bay Staters had a very lucky Thursday, June 6, when they collected $100,000 checks for playing the Massachusetts State Lottery.  Both winners correctly guessed all five numbers in the Mass Cash drawing. Those were: 3, 10, 15, 16, 21.  The winners' names were not released.  The winning tickets were sold at Andy's Walnut Mart at 36 Walnut St. in Peabody and Country Convenience at 216 S Main St. in Athol.  The stores will receive a $1,000 bonus for the sale.  There were 579 winners who collected $600 or more in the state lotter…
Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA
Central Mass Man Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Children, Gets 18 Months: DA A Worcester County man was found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault on children under 14 years old and has been sentenced to 18 months behind bars, authorities announced on Thursday, Feb. 1.  Gregory J. Batchelor, 50, was convicted of four counts of taking indecent liberties with two children at an Athol location in 2019 and 2022, the Northwestern District Attorney said.  Batchelor was convicted following a two-day trial wherein five people — four children and one adult — testified against him, the prosecutor said.  Assistant District Attorney Jillian Parent thanked…
Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA
Central Mass Man Admits To Shooting Victim In Neck; Will Serve 5 Years In Prison: DA A 48-year-old Worcester County man who pleaded guilty to shooting a man in the neck inside a home in November 2022 will serve five years behind bars, authorities announced on Wednesday, Dec. 13.  Yamil Colon Nunez, of Athol, was convicted of the shooting that left a man in the hospital for a week, the Northwestern District Attorney said. Two other people were inside the Pine Street home in Athol during the attack, but they were not harmed.  Nunez was charged with assault and battery by means of a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious b…
Woman, 62, Killed In Fire ID'd; Investigators Say Central Mass Blaze Started In Kitchen Woman, 62, Killed In Fire ID'd; Investigators Say Central Mass Blaze Started In Kitchen
Woman, 62, Killed In Fire ID'd; Investigators Say Central Mass Blaze Started In Kitchen Fire investigators say the three-alarm fire that killed a 62-year-old woman in Worcester County on Thursday, Sept. 7, started on the kitchen stove, authorities said.  Jacqueline "Jackie" Doherty died in the 92 Fern Street blaze in Athol that began just before 10 a.m., the State Fire Marshal's Office said. A second person in the home was taken to an area hospital and is recovering from their wounds. Their name and the extent of their injuries were not released.  Dan Plourde, a friend of Jackie's, said she was a brilliant woman who worked at Schepens Eye Research Institute. She…
Woman Dies In Athol House Fire; Investigators Believe Blaze Began In Kitchen Woman Dies In Athol House Fire; Investigators Believe Blaze Began In Kitchen
Woman Dies In Athol House Fire; Investigators Believe Blaze Began In Kitchen A woman was killed in a three-alarm blaze in Worcester County Thursday afternoon, Sept. 7, authorities announced.  The fire was reported just before 9:45 a.m. at 92 Fern Street in Athol, the state Fire Marshal's Office said.  Related: Woman Killed In Athol Fire ID'd; Fire Investigators Determine Cause Of Blaze Authorities have not released the victim's name, but Athol Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said she was a beloved community member and active in her church and neighborhood. Firefighters believe the blaze began in the kitchen, but they are still investigating the fire's origi…
Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash
Athol Woman Killed, 2 Injured In Head-On Western Mass Crash A 57-year-old Worcester County woman was killed after a car drifted into her lane and collided with her car on Friday afternoon, June 30, authorities said.  Tracy Matthews, of Athol, was driving her Chevy Cobalt east in Franklin County on Route 2 in the town of Gill near Barton Cove Campground around 4 p.m. when a Mazda Miata crossed the center line and crashed into her, authorities said. Paramedics rushed her to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, where doctors pronounced Matthews dead.  The 63-year-old Needham driver of the Miati and his passenger were…
Drug Ring Bust Leads To 20 Convictions In Western Mass Drug Ring Bust Leads To 20 Convictions In Western Mass
Drug Ring Bust Leads To 20 Convictions In Western Mass Authorities in Western Massachusetts are celebrating as two men, busted as part of a drug ring in 2021, pled guilty on Thursday, June 8. That makes 20 felony convictions since investigators began dismantling the operation in 2021, officials said.  Jason Nadeau, 42, of Ludlow, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of trafficking cocaine and one of conspiracy, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.  David Gallegos, 30, of Deerfield, will serve a year of probation after a judge continued without a finding a charge of conspiracy, the prosecutor said. …
'Real Sweetheart': Loved Ones Mourn Central Mass Man, 29, Killed In Crash 'Real Sweetheart': Loved Ones Mourn Central Mass Man, 29, Killed In Crash
'Real Sweetheart': Loved Ones Mourn Central Mass Man, 29, Killed In Crash The tragic death of a man from Athol has loved ones wishing they could got back in time and relive their fondest memories with the 29-year-old. "I wish we could still be stupid together," Desiree Rose said after hearing about her friend Kyle Bezio's death. "I can't even believe it." I wish we could still be stupid together Kyle Bezio i cant even believe it… Posted by Desiree Rose on Sunday, April 9, 2023 Bezio died after he was struck by a car on Route 202 near 150 Daniel Shays Highway just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, as previously reported by Daily Voice. The driver, a 20-ye…
29-Year-Old Man From Central Mass Killed In Weekend Pedestrian Crash: DA 29-Year-Old Man From Central Mass Killed In Weekend Pedestrian Crash: DA
29-Year-Old Man From Central Mass Killed In Weekend Pedestrian Crash: DA A 29-year-old man from Athol has died after he was hit by a car in Central Massachusetts this past weekend, according to officials.  The man was struck by a vehicle traveling on Route 202 near 150 Daniel Shays Highway just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office reports. The driver, a 20-year-old Athol resident, and passenger got out of the car to help the victim. He was taken to the hospital where he later died from his injuries, the DA's Office said. The crash is under investigation. 
Violent Kidnapping: 5 Busted In Central Mass Held Victims For Hours, Beat Them, DA Says Violent Kidnapping: 5 Busted In Central Mass Held Victims For Hours, Beat Them, DA Says
Violent Kidnapping: 5 Busted In Central Mass Held Victims For Hours, Beat Them, DA Says Five people are expected to be arraigned Friday, Feb. 17, that they took part in a violent assault and kidnapping at an Athol home earlier this month, authorities said.  The five were arrested in connection with a Feb. 1 kidnapping where two victims were held at a house for four hours against their will, robbed, and assaulted, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. One victim reported the incident to Athol police the following day.  This week, investigators arrested multiple people in the case. They are:  Franklin Payne, age 46, of Athol. He is charged with armed…
Too Dangerous For Bail: Athol Man Accused Of Attempted Murder Will Await Trial Behind Bars: DA Too Dangerous For Bail: Athol Man Accused Of Attempted Murder Will Await Trial Behind Bars: DA
Too Dangerous For Bail: Athol Man Accused Of Attempted Murder Will Await Trial Behind Bars: DA A judge ruled on Friday, Feb. 10, that an Athol man accused of shooting someone in the head and neck last year is too dangerous to be released on bail.  Yamil C. Nunez, 47, faces more than half a dozen charges stemming from a Nov. 25 shooting, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. Nunez pleaded not guilty last week, but a judge ruled him to be held without bail under the state's "dangerousness" statute.  Investigators said Nunez shot a man in the head and neck at a home on Pine Street in Athol. The men knew each other, officials said. Paramedics rushed the vi…
Famed Painter's Son In Central Mass Guilty Of Ramming Cops With Shield In Jan. 6 Attack: Feds Famed Painter's Son In Central Mass Guilty Of Ramming Cops With Shield In Jan. 6 Attack: Feds
Famed Painter's Son In Central Mass Guilty Of Ramming Cops With Shield In Jan. 6 Attack: Feds A Washington, DC, jury found a 61-year-old Athol man who testified he thought the Jan. 6 riots on the US Capitol was "fun and enjoyable" guilty of taking part in the violent uprising, federal authorities said.  Vincent Gillespie was convicted earlier this month of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers; civil disorder; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, the US Attorney's Office said. A judge will sentence him in March.  NBC News reporter Ryan J. Reilly tweeted that in November Gillespie …
Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds
Car Full of Fools Gold Sinks Scammer's Plan To Swindle Central Mass Woman: Feds A Jersey City, NJ, man posing as a DEA agent attempted to scam an Athol woman out of more than $330,000 in a complicated grift involving non-existent drug dealers and a car loaded down with fake gold in a Texas Roadhouse parking lot, federal authorities said.  Gaurang Contractor, 38, an Indian national, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the charge of wire fraud, the US Attorney's Office announced on Friday, Dec. 9.  Investigators said Contractor contacted the woman in August and claimed to be a DEA agent named Oscar White. He told her that she was implicated…
'I Deserve What I'm Getting': Central MA Man Gets 6-12 Years For Fatal 2019 Crash 'I Deserve What I'm Getting': Central MA Man Gets 6-12 Years For Fatal 2019 Crash
'I Deserve What I'm Getting': Central MA Man Gets 6-12 Years For Fatal 2019 Crash A Worcester County man has been sentenced to 6-12 years in state prison in connection with a fatal 2019 crash in Western Massachusetts, authorities said. Gary Gregoire, of Athol, was sentenced for his role in the crash that took the life of 70-year-old Stephen Karpovich of Amherst, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office reports.  This came after Gregoire changed his plea to guilty to charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and operating a motor vehicle on a suspended license. “He didn’t just kill Steve, he killed a little part of all of our…
Central Mass Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2019 Murder Of Kelsey Clifford Central Mass Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2019 Murder Of Kelsey Clifford
Central Mass Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2019 Murder Of Kelsey Clifford A 25-year-old Athol man was sentenced to life in prison for the vicious murder of a 26-year-old Leominster woman almost three years ago, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office reports. Keith Hamel was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of murdering Kelsey Clifford with a hammer on November 11, 2019, the office reports.  Her body was later found outside the entrance of the Athol Wastewater Treatment Plant, WBZ NewsRadio reports. It is also alleged that Hamel tried to rob Clifford before killing her, MassLive reports. After hearing from membe…
Two Killed In Head-On Worcester County Crash Two Killed In Head-On Worcester County Crash
Two Killed In Head-On Worcester County Crash Police are investigating a head-on crash that killed two people in the region. It happened at approximately 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23 in Worcester County. Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to State Police-Athol responded to Route 2 in Athol. Athol and Orange Fire/EMS and Police also responded to the scene. Troopers observed two vehicles with heavy front-end damage and both operators suffering serious injuries, said police.  A preliminary investigation revealed a 2007 Nissan Versa, operated by Eric Shaw, age 46, of Maynard in Middlesex County, was being operated westboun…
New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection
New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection A 60-year-old Massachusetts man is the latest to be charged for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, federal officials announced. Worcester County resident Vincent Gillespie, of Athol, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 18, and charged for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers during the riot and breach at the Capitol. According to court documents from at least 4:11 p.m. to at least 4:25 p.m. on Jan. 6, Gillespie was among rioters in the Lower West Terrance of the Capitol who engaged in pushing, shoving, yelling, and fighting with law enforcement…
Four Charged With Shoplifting At Big Y In Region Four Charged With Shoplifting At Big Y In Region
Four Charged With Shoplifting At Big Y In Region Four suspects are facing a host of charges after being busted with illegal drugs, a handgun, and other suspicious items during an investigation into shoplifting in Western Massachusetts. In Hampden County, the East Longmeadow Police Department received a report of four people shoplifting from the Big Y Supermarket on North Main Street at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20. An employee at the score provided officers with a description of the suspects and the vehicle they fled in, which was later located near the Big Y. During the traffic stop, investigating officers located sus…
Massachusetts State Police Investigating Double-Fatal Wrong-Way Crash Massachusetts State Police Investigating Double-Fatal Wrong-Way Crash
Massachusetts State Police Investigating Double-Fatal Wrong-Way Crash Police are investigating after two drivers were killed in a wrong-way crash in Massachusetts. Troopers in Worcester County responded to the crash on Route 2 in Phillipston at about 11 p.m., according to the Massachusetts State Police. State Police had received reports shortly before 11 p.m. about a driver going west on the eastbound side of Route 2. Authorities then received reports about a head-on crash on the eastbound side west of Exit 79 in Phillipston.  Police said the crash involved a 2014 Chevy Sonic and a 2018 Ford Escape. Authorities said the Ford left the roadway and we…
Western Massachusetts Man Killed After Losing Control Of Vehicle, Police Say Western Massachusetts Man Killed After Losing Control Of Vehicle, Police Say
Western Massachusetts Man Killed After Losing Control Of Vehicle, Police Say A 59-year-old man was killed after he lost control of his car negotiating a curve and collided head-on with another vehicle in the opposite lane, according to police. The crash took place shortly before 8:30 p.m., Monday, July 5, in Worcester County, near 49 South Main St., in Athol, said the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. The man, from the Town of Orange in Franklin County, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the DA's Office said.  The driver of the other vehicle was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Athol firefighter…
Risk Level For Contracting EEE, West Nile In Western Mass, Worcester Is Low For Now Risk Level For Contracting EEE, West Nile In Western Mass, Worcester Is Low For Now
Risk Level For Contracting EEE, West Nile In Western Mass, Worcester Is Low For Now The risk of contracting mosquito-born EEE or West Nile Virus is low in Western Massachusetts and Worcester County, but surrounding communities are starting to see the threat level rise. The risk level of someone contracting EEE in Western Massachusetts and Worcester County range from remote to low, according to the most recent information from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources. However, nearby Franklin County is starting to show signs of a surge. The communities of New Salem, Wendell, Athol, and Orange are at threat level "moderate." The risk rank goes like this: Remot…
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County Positive tests for COVID-19 continue to stay under 2 percent in Massachusetts. Massachusetts' seven-day positive test rate for COVID-19 has been below 2 percent since the beginning of July. On Friday, July 17, Gov. Charlie Baker said the positive rate for the past seven days is 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, in Worcester County, Worcester has the highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests countywide over the past 14 days (2.6 percent), followed by Clinton and West Borough. 14-day, COVID-19 Positive Test Rate Per CommunityKristin Palpini on Infogr.am The state economy is now in Phase 3 of a four-…