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Business
400+ REI Employees Laid Off, Outdoor Retailer Ends Adventure Travel Program 400+ REI Employees Laid Off, Outdoor Retailer Ends Adventure Travel Program
400+ REI Employees Laid Off, Outdoor Retailer Ends Adventure Travel Program More than 400 employees will lose their jobs as REI closes its Experiences program, ending the adventure travel and outdoor education programs that have been part of the retailer’s identity for 40 years. REI announced the shutdown of its Experiences division in a news release on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The decision will result in 438 layoffs for 180 full-time employees and 248 part-time guides as the company shifts focus to its core business. The retail chain cited ongoing financial challenges as the reason for ending the program. Experiences included adventure travel, day to…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Furr-Giveness Program At Central Mass Public Library System To Paws Soon Furr-Giveness Program At Central Mass Public Library System To Paws Soon
Furr-Giveness Program At Central Mass Public Library System To Paws Soon March Meowness at the Worcester Public Library is coming to an end and the library system is 'feline' fine about how it went.  The program allows anyone with an overdue charge or lost or damaged book to have their fees forgiven if they bring a photo of a cat to one of the system's libraries. Any cat. Your cat. Feline photo from the internet. A drawing of a cuddly kitty would also count.  Librarians wanted people who may have lost a book or item and forgotten to return it during the pandemic to be able to return to one of the branches without worry.  Jason Homer, executi…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Superheroes, First Responders Deliver Custom-Built 'Batmobile' To Student In Western Mass Superheroes, First Responders Deliver Custom-Built 'Batmobile' To Student In Western Mass
Superheroes, First Responders Deliver Custom-Built 'Batmobile' To Student In Western Mass Criminals of Springfield, beware! Batman's new Batmobile will strike fear in the hearts of any ne'er-do-well, but how it came to be will soften the heart of even the toughest supervillain.  Benjamin Brunson, a second-grader at Rebecca M Johnson School in Springfield, on Thursday, April 13, climbed into the driver's seat of his custom-built accessibility tricycle decked out in all of the best Batman kit a boy could want.  The trike was a gift from Bob "the bike man" Charland, an honorary deputy with the Hampden County Sheriff's Department. The Bike Man even called in a few favors from his s…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Trend: Tasty Displays Of Support For Police More Common After BLM Trend: Tasty Displays Of Support For Police More Common After BLM
Trend: Tasty Displays Of Support For Police More Common After BLM Pies, pizzas, cupcakes, cookies, grinders, and more tasty foods are being dropped off at local police stations across Connecticut and Massachusetts as people more and more express their gratitude toward officers. Public displays of support for the police have increased along with the launch of the “Back the Blue” campaign, which started in response to the “Defund the Police” campaign and the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the Minneapolis police killing George Floyd on May 25. Tasty displays of gratitude toward the police are becoming more common.Rocky Hill PD Officers say they …

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by Kristin Palpini