Fair 54°
Tag:

Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA

Police & Fire
Western Mass Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Alleged Drunk-Driving Crash Western Mass Man ID'd As Victim In Fatal Alleged Drunk-Driving Crash
Andrew Wilkins Accused Of Crash That Killed James Menard Police have identified a 59-year-old Hampden County man as the victim in an alleged drunk driving crash last week.  James Menard, of Chicopee, was killed on Thursday, July 25, after another driver crashed into his car along Memorial Drive in Chicopee, pinning him inside, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said. A passenger in Menard's car suffered minor injuries in the crash. Related: Driver Was Drunk When He Caused Crash That Killed Chicopee Man, Police Say Firefighters cut him from the car and rushed him to an area hospital, but doctors could not save Menard's life. …

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police
Driver In Fatal Chicopee Crash Under Influence At Time Of Wreck: Police A Hampshire County man was drunk when he crashed into a vehicle in Chicopee, killing the driver and injuring the passenger, authorities said in an update.  Andrew Wilkins, 37, of South Hadley, was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, Chicopee police said on Tuesday, July 30. Police were called to a two-car crash on Memorial Drive Thursday night, July 25. Wilkins was attempting to leave the scene when they arrived, authorities said.  An officer stopped him while another helped the driver of the second vehicle, who was trapped inside the wreckage.  Firefight…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
Obituaries
Found Dead After Two Years: Western Mass Man Disappeared in 2021 Found Dead After Two Years: Western Mass Man Disappeared in 2021
Found Dead After Two Years: Western Mass Man Disappeared in 2021 A 63-year-old man who disappeared in Hampden County two years ago was found dead last week.  Gary Belder, of Springfield, was found on Memorial Drive in Chicopee on March 23, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office said. Police do not believe he met with foul play. Belder told friends he planned to go to Smiley's on Boston Road in Springfield on July 5, 2021, but never returned. Police have fielded dozens of calls about the potential whereabouts since then, but none panned out until someone stumbled across remains.  Officials did not release his cause of death, but the…

SHARE

by Josh Lanier
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…

SHARE

by Kathy Reakes
Business
DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations
DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations In January, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fined 8 local businesses for failure to comply with previous enforcement orders. The DEP issued 79 enforcement orders statewide in January, according to the department’s database. Only 8 of those orders resulted in fines for Western Mass companies. There were no fines assessed in January for Central Massachusetts or Berkshire's businesses.  All of the Western Mass businesses that were fined were disciplined for the same alleged violation and were issued the enforcement orders on the same day (Jan. 22). The violation w…

SHARE

by Kristin Palpini
News
AAA Forecasts Fall Gas Prices - Where To Get The Lowest-Price Gas Now AAA Forecasts Fall Gas Prices - Where To Get The Lowest-Price Gas Now
AAA Forecasts Fall Gas Prices - Where To Get The Lowest-Price Gas Now With fewer people traveling due to COVID-19 restrictions, the price of gas has dropped to under $2 per gallon at gas stations across Central and Western Massachusetts. On average, national gas prices are 50 cents less than they were at this time last year, according to AAA.  And the national auto club expects this downward trend to continue through the fall. Further decreases are predicted despite people planning to travel more for fun this season, AAA said, because of the major decline in commuting to work and school brought on by COVID-19.  “As demand remains low,” AAA said in …

SHARE

by Kristin Palpini
News
Benefit Planned For Popular BBQ Chef Battling COVID-19 For 100-Plus Days Benefit Planned For Popular BBQ Chef Battling COVID-19 For 100-Plus Days
Benefit Planned For Popular BBQ Chef Battling Covid-19 For 100-Plus Days Friends are planning a fundraiser for a barbecue chef who has been on a long road to recovering from COVID-19. Chef at Damn Yankees BBQ, Richard Daviau, 49, has been attempting to recover from COVID-19 for more than 100 days, according to benefit organizers Jackie Elfman-Constantine and Wayne Constantine. Daviau first spent more than 80 days in the Bay State Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and then another month at a rehabilitation facility. “Richard is now home with his family, but has a long road ahead of him,” organizers said. “Richard has ongoing medical concerns that he will be dealin…

SHARE

by Kristin Palpini