New Report Ranks These High Schools As Franklin County’s Best New Report Ranks These High Schools As Franklin County’s Best
New Report Ranks These High Schools As Franklin County’s Best As the back-to-school season settles into full swing, the community and school ranking site Niche named these Massachusetts schools as the best in the area. The 2023 “Best Public High Schools in Franklin County” list, released by ranking site Niche, evaluated institutions in the area and based on categories such as academics, diversity, and more, declared the following as the best of the best: No. 1 - Frontier Regional School No. 2 - Four Rivers Charter Public School No. 3 - Turners Fall High School  No. 4 - Greenfield High School No. 5 - Mohawk Trail Regional High School …
These High Schools Ranked Top 5 In Worcester County, Report Says These High Schools Ranked Top 5 In Worcester County, Report Says
These High Schools Ranked Top 5 In Worcester County, Report Says The grades are in, and these high schools are a cut above the rest, according to the community and school ranking site Niche. After considering several key areas, the following schools were ranked in the website’s 2023 “Best Public High Schools in Worcester County” report: No. 1 - Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science in Worcester No. 2 - Westborough High School No. 3 - The Bromfield School in Harvard No. 4 - Shrewsbury Senior High School No. 5 - Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough All five high schools earned an overall grade of A+, receiving top marks in the academics, t…
Massachusetts Named Best State To Live In (But Not The Cheapest), Study Says Massachusetts Named Best State To Live In (But Not The Cheapest), Study Says
Massachusetts Named Best State To Live In (But Not The Cheapest), Study Says Massachusetts residents can sit comfy knowing that their state was ranked the best place to live by a new report.  A new study by WalletHub studied 51 factors that impact livability and compared the results for all 50 states and found that the Bay State won out over all others.  Massachusetts led the pack with a score of 61.67, narrowly beating out the second-place state, New Jersey, which scored 61.48. New Hampshire followed closely behind in third place, scoring 59.32 points. At the opposite end of the spectrum were Louisiana, Alaska, and New Mexico, which ranked 48, 49, and 50, respect…
Child Porn: Ex-Preschool Teacher In Central Mass Gets 5 Years In Prison: Feds Child Porn: Ex-Preschool Teacher In Central Mass Gets 5 Years In Prison: Feds
Child Porn: Ex-Preschool Teacher In Central Mass Gets 5 Years In Prison: Feds A 48-year-old Worcester County man who had worked as a preschool teacher in Sweden and admitted to having child porn was sentenced to more than five years in prison, authorities said.  Oliver Smith, of Sutton, pleaded guilty in March to one count of possession of child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. A federal judge sentenced him to 66 months behind bars, followed by 10 years of supervised release last week.   Reports after his arrest said investigators in Sweden, where Smith has dual citizenship, found videos of his students urinating that he had fi…
Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say
Legacy At Stake: Harvard Admissions Perk Under Federal Review, Reports Say Harvard University is under federal scrutiny for its preferential treatment of donor and legacy candidates, reports say.  The US Department of Education announced this week it had opened an investigation into the prestigious Massachusetts university's admissions practices for undergraduate applicants, according to Harvard's newspaper, the Crimson.    Related: End Of 'Legacy': Wesleyan University Halts Admissions Perk The investigation will seek to determine if the legacy or donor admissions discriminate on the basis of race, the Crimson reported. If so, the university m…
Beloved Western Mass Educator Dies Days After Car Crash; Parents Seriously Wounded Beloved Western Mass Educator Dies Days After Car Crash; Parents Seriously Wounded
Beloved Western Mass Educator Dies Days After Car Crash; Parents Seriously Wounded Donna Woodcock, a former Greenfield teacher, principal, and coach, died this week after being critically wounded in a car crash on Friday, May 5. Her parents, who were in the car with her, are still recovering from their injuries at Baystate Medical Center.  Woodcock crashed on Mohawk Trail in Shelburne near Dragon Hill Road around 6 p.m. Paramedics rushed her and her parents (Courtney Woodcock, 92, and Barbara Woodcock, 87) to Baystate Medical Center, where she later died, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said on Thursday. She turned 65 on the day of the crash.  Woodco…
'We're A Family': Central Mass Town Rallies Around Teen Seriously Injured In Accident 'We're A Family': Central Mass Town Rallies Around Teen Seriously Injured In Accident
'We're A Family': Central Mass Town Rallies Around Teen Seriously Injured In Accident Vickie St. Francis says one of the worst moments of her life has shown her why she is so happy to live in Auburn.  Earlier this month, St. Francis' 13-year-old son Cameron was seriously injured while playing with friends at the Pappas Recreational Complex. Since then, she says she's had endless support from the community and even some strangers who want to help.  "I can't speak more highly of this community (Auburn)," she said in a phone interview on Monday, April 24. "... The amount of calls of people offering help or kindness has really shown me we're a family." A GoFundMe for …
Former Central Mass Asst Principal, Harvard Grad Dies From Medical Emergency While On Vacation Former Central Mass Asst Principal, Harvard Grad Dies From Medical Emergency While On Vacation
Former Central Mass Asst Principal, Harvard Grad Dies From Medical Emergency While On Vacation A 74-year-old former Worcester Public Schools teacher and administrator died last week after suffering a medical emergency while on vacation in Mexico, a fundraiser said.  John McFadden, of Paxton, died Friday, March 3, after being airlifted from Cancun to UMass Medical Center in Worcester, his family wrote in a GoFundMe. They wrote McFadden suffered a stroke and took a hard fall, causing a traumatic brain injury. He underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.  They wrote he died surrounded by his family after returning to the United States.  The …
New Families May Flock To Mass For Child Rearing Perks New Families May Flock To Mass For Child Rearing Perks
New Families May Flock To Mass For Child Rearing Perks Raising children anywhere can be a challenge, but certain US states make it harder than others, while others are especially suitable for child rearing. A new study identified the states with the best combination of qualities that are important to parents and children, and Massachusetts ranked first out of 50, according to Wallethub.  The study analyzed 51 key factors, including median annual family income, housing affordability, COVID-19 vaccination percentages, and unemployment rates, and the bay state came out on top.  The key factors analyzed for the study were sorted into fiv…
These 4 Massachusetts Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners These 4 Massachusetts Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners
These 4 Massachusetts Schools Named 2022 Blue Ribbon Winners Four Massachusetts schools were named 2022 National Blue Ribbon winners. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, a part of the United States Department of Education, announces hundreds of award recipients each year. The award was created to recognize schools that are considered outstanding, and the winners are honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where schools receive plaques and flags. The following Massachusetts schools won awards this year (click on the school name to see the Blue Ribbon review): Edith C. Baker Elementary School in Chestnut Hill Luther Conant Scho…
Americans 'Self Silencing' In Record Numbers, New Study Reveals: Here's What It Means Americans 'Self Silencing' In Record Numbers, New Study Reveals: Here's What It Means
Americans 'Self Silencing' In Record Numbers, New Study Reveals: Here's What It Means If you’ve ever found yourself hiding your true opinion just to avoid ruffling feathers, you’re not alone, according to a new study from the think tank Populace. Researchers wanted to find out how prevalent self-silencing, or preference falsification, is - defined as saying what you think others want to hear rather than what you truly believe. What they found is a tendency for people of all demographics to succumb to social pressures to have the “right” opinion when it comes to hot-button issues like abortion, mask wearing, and discussing gender identity in schools, despite their true feelin…
Boston Outdoor Enthusiast, 22, Killed By Lightning While Camping In Wyoming Boston Outdoor Enthusiast, 22, Killed By Lightning While Camping In Wyoming
Boston Outdoor Enthusiast, 22, Killed By Lightning While Camping In Wyoming A Massachusetts family is mourning the loss of their 22-year-old son who was struck by lightning and killed during an outdoors course in Wyoming.  John "Jack" Murphy was struck by lightning while camping in the Absaroka Mountains on Tuesday, Aug. 2, according to a release from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).  Murphy was attending NOLS' Wilderness First Responder expedition when he and another student were struck. Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene and both were flown to a Jackson hospital where the second student received treatment.  "This is a very sad day for NOLS, o…