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Police & Fire
Woman Driving Drunk Crashes Into Pole In Western Mass, Police Say Woman Driving Drunk Crashes Into Pole In Western Mass, Police Say
Woman Driving Drunk Crashes Into Pole In Western Mass, Police Say An allegedly drunk driver was hospitalized overnight after losing control and crashing into a telephone pole in Western Massachusetts, police said. First responders in Hampshire County, in Northampton, responded to Florence Road near Old Wilson Road when a neighbor in the area reported a loud crash, followed by a woman crying and yelling for help shortly after midnight on Friday, May 21. Police said that upon arrival, they found that a driver had driven off the roadway and struck a telephone pole, which had snapped in half. However, despite airbags going off in the vehicle and live wires i…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Two Injured In Western Mass Rollover Crash Two Injured In Western Mass Rollover Crash
Two Injured In Western Mass Rollover Crash Two people were injured in a single-vehicle, rollover crash in Western Mass. The crash took place around 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 11 in Hampshire County, on Old Springfield Road in the Meadows area of Northampton, said the Northampton Police Department. Police said the two occupants were able to free themselves and were evaluated on the scene for minor injuries.

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
COVID-19: Popular Western Mass Eatery Back In Business After Months-Long Closure COVID-19: Popular Western Mass Eatery Back In Business After Months-Long Closure
Covid-19: Popular Western Mass Eatery Back In Business After Months-Long Closure A popular Western Massachusetts restaurant is back in business and ready to serve some great meals after closing in December last year due to the COVID pandemic. Sylvester’s Restaurant in Northampton reopened on Saturday, May 1, with a tag sale, to help those in need as they served food to many customers who had been waiting for the spot to reopen. The iconic restaurant, opened in 1983, is known for its coffee and espresso, as well as baked goods, waffles, omelets, and well, the list goes on, said it was delighted to be back in business. Sylvester’s Restaurant is known for its coffee.Y…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Victim Not Cooperating After Stabbing In Western Mass, Police Say Victim Not Cooperating After Stabbing In Western Mass, Police Say
Victim Not Cooperating After Stabbing In Western Mass, Police Say A man who was found walking down a Massachusetts street bleeding is not cooperating with police after they discovered he was stabbed. The man was found by Northampton Police around 1 p.m., Friday, April 30 he officers responded to the area of 386 Pleasant St., for a report of a male walking down the street bleeding, said the Northampton Police. When officers arrived on the scene they located the man and observed his injuries to be consistent with multiple knife wounds, police said.  Officers secured the location and attempted to locate a suspect in the house.  "However, at this …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Bicyclist Injured After Being Hit By Car In Western Mass Bicyclist Injured After Being Hit By Car In Western Mass
Bicyclist Injured After Being Hit By Car In Western Mass A bicyclist was hospitalized after being struck by a car in Western Massachusetts. First responders were dispatched to the intersection of Pleasant Street and Wright Avenue in Northampton at 12:48 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27, where there was a report of a pedestrian that had been struck in the middle of the roadway. The bicyclist was treated at the scene for minor injuries and transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for additional evaluation. Police said that the incident remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the accident and has information has been asked to contact th…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: College In Western Mass Latest To Require Students Get Vaccinated COVID-19: College In Western Mass Latest To Require Students Get Vaccinated
Covid-19: College In Western Mass Latest To Require Students Get Vaccinated Students returning to campus at Smith College next fall will be required to get vaccinated before heading back to the classroom. With its intention of fully reopening the college to full in-person learning in the fall, the college, located in Northampton, announced that anyone returning to campus for the 2021-2022 school year must be vaccinated, barring specific religious or health concerns. According to President Kathleen McCartney, the move comes after the College secured sufficient doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to vaccinate all undergraduate and graduate students who are participa…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread COVID-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread
Covid-19: New List Released Of Western Mass Zones At High Risk For Spread More communities in Western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, April 8, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the latest…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Western Mass Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Western Mass Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong
Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Western Mass Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong Not many Northampton restaurants can say they were part of the funky city before it was cool. But as they come up on 50 years in the business, Fitzwilly’s Restaurant can claim a hand in its renaissance. Opened in 1974, Fitzwilly’s on Main Street near the Truck-Eating Bridge, serves updated-takes on classic American dishes for lunch and dinner. The restaurant was part of the vanguard in Northampton's 1980s transformation from a depressed suburb to the thriving art, dining, and entertainment destination that it is today.  During COVID-19, Fitzwilly’s is opening daily for indoor dining …

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by Kristin Palpini
Lifestyle
Popular Western Mass Market Hailed As Nice Alternative To Whole Foods Popular Western Mass Market Hailed As Nice Alternative To Whole Foods
Popular Western Mass Market Hailed As Nice Alternative To Whole Foods Forget what you thought you knew about grocery store co-ops. River Valley Co-op in Northampton isn’t your hippie grandma’s groovy grocer. The ethics of fair trade, fair wages, and shopping local are the same as they were when co-ops started to take off in the 60s and 70s. But the variety, presentation, and freshness available separate River Valley from its profit-sharing ancestors. Yelp foodie Jessica S. of Greenfield said she usually avoids co-ops; they can feel snobby, but not River Valley. “I adore this place which is saying a lot since normally I loathe co-op style health food groce…

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by Kristin Palpini
Lifestyle
Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Northampton Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Northampton Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong
Still 'Hip' After All These Years: Northampton Restaurant Nearing 50 And Going Strong Not many Northampton restaurants can say they were part of the funky city before it was cool. But as they come up on 50 years in the business, Fitzwilly’s Restaurant can claim a hand in its renaissance. Opened in 1974, Fitzwilly’s on Main Street near the Truck-Eating Bridge, serves updated-takes on classic American dishes for lunch and dinner. The restaurant was part of the vanguard in Northampton's 1980s transformation from a depressed suburb to the thriving art, dining, and entertainment destination that it is today.  During COVID-19, Fitzwilly’s is opening daily for indoor dining …

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says COVID-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says
Covid-19: These Five Western Mass Communities At High Risk For Spread, DPH Says Five communities in western Massachusetts are in the COVID-19 “red zone,” while nearly two dozen more have also seen an uptick in cases and have been placed into “yellow zones.” The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released its weekly COVID-19 health report on Thursday, March 25, highlighting the areas of the state that have seen an increase in new cases in relation to the area's population. Under the state’s new criteria, the Department of Public Health is taking population size into account when determining which are deemed “high-risk,” “medium-risk,” or “low-risk.” In the lates…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal
These Massachusetts Communities Among Best Places To Live, Brand-New Rankings Reveal A new poll appears to suggest Massachusetts residents should move East. All the best places to live in the state are in or around Boston, according to Niche’s 2021 Best Places to Live survey. The ranked list features 486 Massachusetts cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Overall, the best places to live in Massachusetts, according to Niche are Brookline, The Port, Cambridgeport, and East Cambridge neighborhoods in Cambridge, and Peabody. If you aren’t in Boston, the best place to live outside of the metro region is Pelham, a little hamlet of 1,280 people over by Amherst. Pelham was ranked the…

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by Kristin Palpini