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Lifestyle
Blind Massachusetts Native 'Harnessing Sight' On Service Dogs & Disabilities Blind Massachusetts Native 'Harnessing Sight' On Service Dogs & Disabilities
Blind Massachusetts Native 'Harnessing Sight' On Service Dogs & Disabilities A visually-impaired Canton native is using her college experience with a service dog to spread corresponding education, disability awareness and diversity and inclusion.  Isabella "Bella" Scott said her dog O'Hara motivated her to attend class, go to the dining hall and get outside in general during her four years at Curry College.  “I'm such an introverted person that without O'Hara I probably would have sat in my room 24/7,” she said. “I would have just been overly isolated." Although, helping O'Hara focus on her training was incredibly challenging. “[People] see a dog and they automatic…

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by David Cifarelli
News
Ex-Teacher In New England Found Guilty Of Raping Fifth-Grader Ex-Teacher In New England Found Guilty Of Raping Fifth-Grader
Ex-Teacher In New England Found Guilty Of Raping Fifth-Grader A former Massachusetts elementary school music teacher has been found guilty of raping a fifth-grade student multiple times inside the classroom more than 10 years ago. Hampshire County resident Stephen Jaszek, age 66, of South Hadley, was found guilty on Thursday, May 12, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. After a three day jury-waived trial, Worcester Superior Court Judge William Ritter found Jaszek, a former music teacher at Julia Bancroft Elementary School, located in Auburn, in Worcester County, guilty on all charges including: Two counts of aggravated …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
CT Music Instructor Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student CT Music Instructor Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student
CT Music Instructor Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student A Connecticut music teacher has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting one of his students. An investigation in New Haven County into the assault began in January after police in Wallingford responded to a complaint of a sexual assault of a minor.  After a lengthy investigation by the Wallingford Police Detective Division, Adam R. Romo, age 36, of Meriden was arrested on Thursday, March 17, authorities said. Through investigation, it was found that Romo had established a sexual relationship with a minor who was one of his music students, said Sgt. St…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Student At Prestigious Northern Westchester School Dies By Suicide, Police Say Student At Prestigious Northern Westchester School Dies By Suicide, Police Say
Student At Prestigious Northern Westchester School Dies By Suicide, Police Say This story has been updated. A 17-year-old student at a prestigious academy in New York has died by suicide, authorities said. The incident took place in Westchester County around 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 17 at the EF Academy in Thornwood, according to Chief Paul J. Oliva, of the Mount Pleasant Police. Police were notified of a suicidal person by a 911 call from the academy, Oliva said. The first responding officers were directed by school staff to a dormitory room attached to the main building. Upon entry to the room, the officers discovered a deceased 17-year-old male student…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Hudson Valley Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Hudson Valley
Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Hudson Valley The 21-year-old SUNY Potsdam student from the Hudson Valley who was killed just off-campus was fatally shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting, according to new information released by police. Putnam County resident Elizabeth Howell, age 21, who was a senior at SUNY Potsdam, was struck by three bullets that were fired from a grey, four-door Honda Civic at around 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, investigators from the Potsdam Police Department announced. Original story - Brewster HS Grad Killed In Upstate Shooting Was An Aspiring Educator Police said that her alleged shooter, St. Lawrence C…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
College Student From Hudson Valley Killed In Upstate Shooting Was An Aspiring Educator College Student From Hudson Valley Killed In Upstate Shooting Was An Aspiring Educator
College Student From Hudson Valley Killed In Upstate Shooting Was An Aspiring Educator A female college student from the Hudson Valley who was shot and killed on a street just off-campus in upstate New York is being remembered  as an aspiring educator and talented musician. Putnam County resident Elizabeth Howell, age 21, was a senior at SUNY Potsdam, where she was a music education student at the college's prestigious Crane School. At about 5:50 p.m. on Friday, Feb.18, police in Potsdam, New York, located in St. Lawrence County, responded to a report of an unconscious female on College Park Road near the entrance to SUNY Potsdam. Responding patrols located Howell, of t…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
Two Students From New England Advance To Finals Of Regeneron Competition Two Students From New England Advance To Finals Of Regeneron Competition
Two Students From New England Advance To Finals Of Regeneron Competition A pair of school students in New England were among 40 nationally that were chosen as finalists in the prestigious 2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). This year, approximately 1,800 students entered the Regeneron STS, where they “submit original research in critically important scientific fields of study.” The organization said that the search is “unique among high school competitions in the U.S. and globally, Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation's most promising young scientists.” Judges narrowed the field to just 300 semifinalists, based on the…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
State AG Announces Run For Governor State AG Announces Run For Governor
State AG Announces Run For Governor Massachusetts’ top law enforcement official is set to make a run at the state’s top office. Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, age 50, announced on Thursday, Jan. 20 that she will be launching a campaign to run for the governor of Massachusetts, replacing outgoing Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. 
“We need a governor who sees everyone, who can bring people together, and who can harness our tremendous potential as a state,” Healey stated. "That’s the kind of campaign we're going to run, and it’s the kind of governor I will be." The two-term AG, who was elected as the first openly gay …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Here's Percentage Of US Workers Who Plan To Quit Their Jobs This Year, New Report Reveals Here's Percentage Of US Workers Who Plan To Quit Their Jobs This Year, New Report Reveals
Here's Percentage Of US Workers Who Plan To Quit Their Jobs This Year, New Report Reveals A new survey found that nearly one-quarter of workers in the United States plan to find a new job this year. ResumeBuilders.com said in a report on Monday, Jan. 3, that it surveyed 1,250 American adults who are currently employed, and found that 23 percent plan to find a new job in 2022. Nine percent of those respondents also said they had already secured a new job. The survey found the turnover will be the highest among the following fields: Retail Food and hospitality Education Office and administrative support The website reported that 31 percent of retail workers and 26 percent of fo…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning COVID-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning
Covid-19: 'Omicron's A Different Animal,' Says Expert, Sounding Alarm Over In-Person Learning A pediatrician who is an expert on disease and vaccine development is sounding the alarm about the ability of schools to resume in-person learning during the height of the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic sparked by a surge of cases from the highly contagious Omicron variant. Connecticut native Dr. Peter Hotez is the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. "Here's the problem," Hotez said in an interview on MSNBC Wednesday morning, Dec. 29. "We're kind of going off ol…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Man From Fairfield County Admits To Paying Bribes For Contracts At Colleges In NY, MA Man From Fairfield County Admits To Paying Bribes For Contracts At Colleges In NY, MA
Man From Fairfield County Admits To Paying Bribes For Contracts At Colleges In NY, MA A Connecticut contractor admitted to securing deals at colleges in New York and Massachusetts in exchange for a kickback fee over the course of several years, federal officials announced. Fairfield County resident Stephen Dinapoli, age 42, of Wilton, the principal of a Connecticut environmental consulting firm in Norwalk, pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield in Hampden County for his role in paying bribes to procure consulting contracts at educational institutions in Massachusetts and New York. Specifically, federal prosecutors said that Dinapoli pleaded guilty to one count of con…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Former CT Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of Minors Former CT Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of Minors
Former CT Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of Minors A Connecticut social studies teacher and coach has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting minors. New London County resident Craig McCue, age 31, of North Stonington, was arrested in Windham County on Tuesday, Oct. 12, by Plainfield Police following a months-long investigation. The investigation began after a concerned parent alerted authorities in May regarding alleged inappropriate text messages on their child’s cellphone, said Plainfield Chief of Police Mario A. Arriaga. Arriaga said McCue, a former 8th-grade teacher at Plainfield Central School, sent messages that alleged…

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by Kathy Reakes