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Weather
How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region
How Much Snow Did You Get? A Look At Totals Throughout Region Much of the region saw the first significant snowfall of the season from a fast-moving winter storm that swept through the region overnight Thursday, Jan. 6 into Friday, Jan. 7. Here are some totals from the National Weather Service and other reports. If you don't see your hometown, leave the total by posting a comment below. New York New York City Central Park, 5.5 inches Nassau County East Williston, 8 inches Elmont, 6.6 inches Jericho, 7.1 inches Massapequa, 7 inches Syosset, 8.3 inches Suffolk County Islip Airport, 5.6 inches Manorville, 6 i…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food
Local Meal-Delivery Service Dad's Keto Kitchen Gets Rave Reviews For Flavorful, Healthy Food A home-based “keto bakery” has moved into a professional kitchen and started a meal and baked goods delivery service specializing in healthy foods that fall within the scope of a high-protein, low-sugar diet — in fact, it is 100 percent sugar-free. Dad’s Keto Kitchen in Oxford is a delivery-only service for Southern Worcester County that is similar to other meal-box subscription plans. The menu is based on the “ketogenic” diet which seeks to reduce inflammation and unnecessary weight gain through proper food selection. The menu is high-protein and low-carb with no gluten and reduced sugar.…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer
Man With History Of Assaulting Police Arrested On 16 Charges - Including A&B On An Officer A 34-year-old man with a history of fighting police officers was recently arrested on 16 charges after allegedly stealing a snowblower, ramming a van into a snowbank, hiding from the police, and attempting to steal a cop’s weapon. The scuffle between officer and suspect took place on Saturday, March 6, as police attempted to break up an alleged burglary. On Saturday around 6:15 p.m. police officers were dispatched to the Goldthwaite Road area in Worcester for a report of two men attempting to steal a snowblower from an apartment building’s shed, police said. When they arrived on the scene…

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by Kristin Palpini
Schools
COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates COVID-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates
Covid-19 Cases Spike In 2 School Districts; See District-By-District Incident Rates Two local school districts experienced COVID-19 flare-ups over the last week, according to the most recent state data. On Thursday, Jan. 28, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released how many COVID-19 incidents were reported by students and staff from Jan. 21-27. Most of the Central and Western Massachusetts, as well as the Berkshires, had school districts where no COVID-19 incidents were reported that week. However, Shrewsbury and Hampden-Wilbraham school districts each reported 12-15 students and faculty that had become il…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map COVID-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map
Covid-19: How Many Miles Will You Travel To Get Vaccinated? Check This Map A new map of where you can get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Massachusetts shows 20 locations in Central and Western Massachusetts. If you’re eligible to get a vaccine, Mass.gov has created an interactive map of vaccination sites you can use to learn more about the facilities and how to book appointments.  It appears that most people live within 10-12 miles of a vaccination center, but for the more far-flung communities, including North Adams and Sutton, the trek could be 20 miles or more. The closest vaccination center to Williamstown, which is located in the most northwest…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From COVID-19 Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From COVID-19
Behind The Data: Meet The Local People Who Died From Covid-19 COVID-19 reporting can focus on numbers and trends, but there are local people behind those data points - including the cofounder of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, a marine who fought at Okinawa, and a lifelong newsman. The following is a closer look at the victims behind the numbers - the local people who lost their lives too early to COVID-19 in January 2021. As COVID-19 surges across Massachusetts and the vaccine slowly rolls out, virus-related deaths persist. As of Tuesday, Jan. 19, about 13,700 people in Massachusetts had died since the start of the pandemic in winter 2…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests
Small Town's Crack Down On New Year's Drunk Driving Leads To 3 Arrests Police in a small Central Massachusetts town cracked down on drunk or drugged driving on New Year’s making 3 OUI arrests between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. In a town of 11,000 people, Dudley Police responded to three reports of “erratic operation” on New Year’s Eve/Day.  The first was on Dec. 31, at around 11 a.m., police went to Oxford Avenue where they saw a vehicle allegedly driving on the wrong side of Chase Avenue, police said. Police conducted a traffic stop and then arrested the driver Kerri Larson, 47, of Webster, on the charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of li…

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by Kristin Palpini
Business
New England For Trump Stores Closing, Consolidating - Ware, Worcester, Somerset New England For Trump Stores Closing, Consolidating - Ware, Worcester, Somerset
New England For Trump Stores Closing, Consolidating - Ware, Worcester, Somerset As the end of Trump’s presidency inches closer, and his chances of overturning an election are dashed, New England For Trump stores are shutting down. On Monday, Dec. 28, a Facebook post by the shop's owner said the Somerset location will close on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Stores in Webster, Middleborough, and Falmouth already closed on Monday. On Saturday, Dec. 26, store owner Keith Lambert said he was consolidating the Ware location with other New England for Trump shops he owns in the area. He spread the word of the closing on social media and is promoting a “YUUUGE SALE,” deep-discounts o…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result COVID-19 Test Kits At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result COVID-19 Test Kits
At Least 26 Central, Western Mass Schools Get Free, Rapid-Result Covid-19 Test Kits Rapid-result COVID-19 testing is coming to 134 public Massachusetts School Districts and facilities in December to help stop the spread of the virus. Among the 134 districts and schools receiving testing, at least 26 individual schools and full districts are from Central and Western Massachusetts (not including the Berkshires). For a list of districts and schools getting the tests, scroll down to the end of the article. Due to the limited number of tests, districts that will get the equipment are those that meet certain criteria and offer in-person education. The 2 million tests provided…

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by Kristin Palpini
Business
COVID-19: Businesses Forced To Close - Again - In 13 'High-Risk' Communities COVID-19: Businesses Forced To Close - Again - In 13 'High-Risk' Communities
Covid-19: Businesses Forced To Close - Again - In 13 'High-Risk' Communities Some businesses that opened just a few weeks ago will be closed as 13 Massachusetts cities and towns take a step back in reopening their local economies. COVID-19 rates that have spiked over the last several weeks are forcing 13 cities and towns to rollback their local economies to Step 1 of Phase 3. The closures and restrictions are temporary until the community can bring its COVID-19 positive test rate down. There are 26 other Massachusetts municipalities that were sent back to Step 1 of Phase 3 earlier. In total, that's 38 cities and towns with additional economic restrictions due to COV…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: Nearly 80 Massachusetts Towns Are 'High-Risk' For Infection COVID-19: Nearly 80 Massachusetts Towns Are 'High-Risk' For Infection
Covid-19: Nearly 80 Massachusetts Towns Are 'High-Risk' For Infection Nearly 80 Massachusetts communities are at “high-risk” for the spread of COVID-19, according to the most recent state data. COVID-19 incidents have spiked across the state leading to clusters of coronavirus incidents in nearly every corner of Massachusetts. The overall daily average infection rate is 1.4 per 100,000 residents as of Friday, Oct. 22. Among the 77 communities that are high-risk or “red” (so-named due to the state’s color-coded incident map), there are 19 in Hampshire, Hampden, and Worcester counties. Communities newly added to the high-risk category include Holyoke, Hudson, a…

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by Kristin Palpini
News
COVID-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk COVID-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk
Covid-19: These 15 'Red' Cities And Towns Pose Highest Infection Risk More than 50 Massachusetts cities and towns are now considered to be at “high-risk” for spreading COVID-19 infections, according to the most recent state data. Among the communities where the risk is highest - 8 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, per day - are 15 Western and Central Massachusetts municipalities. The community with the highest daily incident rate is Marlborough - 19.9 new cases per day per 100,000 and going up. Though the risk is still high, infections in Amherst, Southborough, Springfield, and Sunderland are decreasing. On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Massachus…

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by Kristin Palpini