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Spencer, MA

Speed 'Obvious Factor' In Central Mass Crash; Driver May Have Been Escaping Earlier Wreck: Cops Speed 'Obvious Factor' In Central Mass Crash; Driver May Have Been Escaping Earlier Wreck: Cops
Speed 'Obvious Factor' In Central Mass Crash; Driver May Have Been Escaping Earlier Wreck: Cops A 31-year-old Massachusetts resident was seriously wounded on Christmas morning after he lost control of his car and crashed, authorities said.  The Worcester County man, from the town of Spencer, wrecked just before 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 25 at Paxton and Thompson Pond roads in Spencer, officials said. Authorities do not believe his wounds are life-threatening. They did not release his name.  Spencer investigator said speed was an "obvious factor" in the crash, and police believe he may have been running from a hit-and-run crash in Worcester earlier that morning, Spencer …
Lawrence Man Charged In Fatal Worcester State University Shooting: DA Lawrence Man Charged In Fatal Worcester State University Shooting: DA
Kevin Rodriguez Charged In Fatal Worcester State U Shooting A Lawrence man has been charged with the killing of a 19-year-old man at Worcester State University in October, authorities announced Thursday, Dec. 21.  Kevin Rodriguez, 18, was indicted on Wednesday and charged with murder, possession of a loaded firearm not at home or work, and possession of a firearm not at home or work, the Worcester County District Attorney said.  US Marshals and Mass State Police tracked Rodriguez down to New York City, where he was arrested last month.  Kevin Rodriquez Worcester County District Attorney's Office Worcester State Uni…
Lottery Jackpot: Man Wins $10K A Month For 10 Years In Central Mass Lottery Jackpot: Man Wins $10K A Month For 10 Years In Central Mass
Lottery Jackpot: Man Wins $10K A Month For 10 Years In Central Mass Randy Whitney of Spencer just earned a six-figure salary for the next 10 years from the Massachusetts State Lottery.  Whitney will receive a monthly stipend of $10,000. Whitney chose to take the first year's prize money in a lump sum — $120,000 before taxes.  He won playing the "Decade of Dollars," a $5 scratch-off ticket game.   Whitney purchased the winning ticket at Xpress Mart at 94 Main St. in Spencer. The store will receive a $12,000 bonus for selling the lucky ticket. 
(WATCH) Church Steeple Falls In 5-Alarm Spencer Blaze (WATCH) Church Steeple Falls In 5-Alarm Spencer Blaze
(Watch) Church Steeple Falls In 5-Alarm Spencer Blaze Firefighters in Spencer were unable to save the steeple at First Congregational United Church on Main Street as a four-alarm fire tore through the building, authorities said.  Video from the scene shows the dramatic moment when the steeple fell on top of the church building.  The steeple is gone and the fire rages on in Spencer MA. This is the Congregational church at 207 Main Street. pic.twitter.com/hPAKhI0PzG — Kim Ring (@KimRingReporter) June 2, 2023 Firefighters called a fifth alarm just after 4 p.m. as the fire rages on.  Police are asking drivers to stay away from the area.  …
Child Porn: Spencer Man Who Admitted To Having Videos Of Kids As Young As 2 Gets 2 Years Child Porn: Spencer Man Who Admitted To Having Videos Of Kids As Young As 2 Gets 2 Years
Child Porn: Spencer Man Who Admitted To Having Videos Of Kids As Young As 2 Gets 2 Years A Worcester County man who admitted to having child porn that featured children as young as toddlers will spend the next 27 months behind bars, federal authorities said.  Joseph Michael Smith, 60, of Spencer, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in November and was sentenced this week, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Police began investigating Smith in November 2021 after receiving several tips that a messenger account attached to his address had shared child pornography, the prosecutor said. Agents raided his home and found a driver that had 35 …
House Fire: 1 Person Hospitalized, Others Displaced After Central Mass Blaze House Fire: 1 Person Hospitalized, Others Displaced After Central Mass Blaze
House Fire: 1 Person Hospitalized, Others Displaced After Central Mass Blaze One person was hospitalized, and others were displaced after a Brookfield house fire on Thursday, Feb. 16. But fast-working firefighters were able to rescue several pets from the inferno.  The call came in just after 1:30 p.m. that a house near the intersection of Common Street and Post Road was in flames, the Brookfield Fire Department said. Putting it out became a group effort as fire crews from East Brookfield, West Brookfield, North Brookfield, and Spencer all helped stop the blaze before it consumed the home.  Brookfield firefighters battled a blaze at this home on Thursday, Feb. 1…
Spencer Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge: Feds Spencer Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge: Feds
Spencer Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge: Feds A 60-year-old Spencer man who admitted to having child porn of children as young as 2 years old potentially faces decades in prison, federal authorities said.  Joseph Michael Smith pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography this week, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. A judge will sentence him in March, where he faces up to 20 years behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release, authorities said.  Police arrested Smith last year after they received several tips that he'd shared child porn online through a messenger account, federal authori…
59-Year-Old Worcester County Man Accused Of Possessing Child Porn 59-Year-Old Worcester County Man Accused Of Possessing Child Porn
59-Year-Old Worcester County Man Accused Of Possessing Child Porn A 59-year-old Massachusetts man is facing charges after being busted with dozens of child pornography videos that included some depicting children as young as 2 years old, federal authorities announced. Worcester County resident Joseph Michael Smith, age 59, of Spencer, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of child pornography. Prosecutors said that investigators received multiple tips that child pornography was shared from a messenger account tied to Smith’s address. During a search of Smith’s Massachusetts home on Nov. 10, 2021, a USB drive was seized by investigato…
Man From Region Nabbed On Child Porn Charges Man From Region Nabbed On Child Porn Charges
Man From Region Nabbed On Child Porn Charges A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. Worcester County resident Joseph Michael Smith, age 59, of Spencer, was arrested for one count of child pornography on Wednesday, Nov. 10, said the U.S. Attorney's Office. According to the charging documents, a search of Smith’s residence revealed 35 videos depicting child pornography on Smith’s laptop. Smith also admitted ownership of three email addresses associated with usernames that uploaded child pornography to Kik Messenger groups between October 2020 and May 2021, the documents said. The charge…
Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA
Who Got The Most Snow? Snowfall Totals In Central, Western, Berkshire, MA A passing Nor'Easter left about 3-17 inches of snow across the region with snowfall totals varying greatly in communities all over Central or Western Massachusetts. The National Weather Service has put a winter weather advisory into place until Tuesday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. Before the late afternoon, people can expect to see light snow showers and pockets of freezing drizzle. A glaze of ice developing on top of the snow is possible. Wind gusts may reach as fast as 40 mph. Below are snowfall totals from the Monday, Feb. 1 winter storm. The totals are reported as inches are as of 8 a.m. Tuesday,…
COVID-19: Eight Central Mass Communities Added To 'Red' List - Town-by-Town Rates, Trends COVID-19: Eight Central Mass Communities Added To 'Red' List - Town-by-Town Rates, Trends
Covid-19: Eight Central Mass Communities Added To 'Red' List - Town-by-Town Rates, Trends Eight new Worcester County communities have been added to the state’s COVID-19 red list and two have come off of it, according to data released Thursday, Dec. 3. The communities that lowered their COVID-19 infection rate to the point that they were removed from a list of the state’s riskiest places are Templeton and Winchendon. The communities that were added to the red list are Blackstone, Charlton, Holden, Mendon, North Brookfield, Southborough, Spencer, and Sturbridge. There are now 36 Western and Central Massachusetts communities on the red list, including 27 cities and towns in Worces…
UPDATE: 18-Year-Old Boy Charged With Murdering 17-Year-Old UPDATE: 18-Year-Old Boy Charged With Murdering 17-Year-Old
Update: 18-Year-Old Boy Charged With Murdering 17-Year-Old Police are charging an 18-year-old boy with murder for the killing of a 17-year-old boy earlier this year. On Friday, Nov. 20, police arrested Messiah Amankwah, 18, of Worcester and charged with murder in the shooting death of a boy in October, police said. *A second man has been charged in connection to the killing. On Saturday, Nov. 21, police arrested Lopez Carrasco, 23, of Spencer, and charged him with accessory after the fact to murder, police said. The shooting happened on Oct. 24 around 8:30 p.m. Police were called to the Wendy’s on Park Avenue and found a boy who had been shot. The…
Police Seek Suspect In 'Sai Sword' Attack, Victim 'Punctured' Police Seek Suspect In 'Sai Sword' Attack, Victim 'Punctured'
Police Seek Suspect In 'Sai Sword' Attack, Victim 'Punctured' Police are seeking a suspect wanted in connection to an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Spencer Police notified the public that they are searching for Brendon Jay Unrich, 31, of Bixby Road, in Spencer. Unrich is a suspect in a Wednesday, Oct. 28, stabbing incident, police said. After receiving a call, police reported to a residence around 1 p.m. where they found Nicholas Rudolph, 26, of Lowell, suffering from a puncture wound to the back, police said. He was transported to the hospital for treatment. Police said Rudolph was initially uncooperative, but ev…
8 Fire Departments Needed To Knock Down Raging House Fire 8 Fire Departments Needed To Knock Down Raging House Fire
8 Fire Departments Needed To Knock Down Raging House Fire It took eight fire departments to put out a raging house fire over the weekend. On Saturday, Sept. 19, around 11:30 p.m., Spencer firefighters responded to a report of a fire on Sheppard Road. The fire had started in the attic, firefighters said. The flames quickly spread and the town called in back up from Southbridge, Brimfield, Holland, Charlton, Brookfield, East Brookfield, and Auburn. The cause of the fire is under investigation. People sustained minor injuries in the blaze, firefighters said. 
CVS Developers At Odds With Small Town Seeking To 'Save' Its History CVS Developers At Odds With Small Town Seeking To 'Save' Its History
CVS Developers At Odds With Small Town Seeking To 'Save' Its History A proposed CVS with Drive-Thru has irked some residents of a small Massachusetts community enough to start a petition to “save” downtown. Arista Development is proposing to build a 12,850-square-foot CVS with a drive-thru on four lots bounded by High, Main, and Pleasant streets in Spencer. The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on the proposal Sept. 29, in the Town Hall on Main Street at 7 p.m. The meeting will be conducted in-person and remotely to accommodate for COVID-19 distancing. A petition against the development was placed on Change.org months ago in an effort to s…
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County, Sept. COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County, Sept.
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County, Sept. COVID-19 positive test rates are down in most Worcester County communities - including the City of Worcester, which had its fourth straight week of declining cases, according to the most recent state information available. The 14-day positive test rate in Worcester is down to 0.8 from a high of 2.5 just about a month ago (Aug. 5). There are some other communities that saw significant declines while others shot up. Barre had a positive test case for the first time in weeks. Test rates are up in Blackstone, Douglas, Holden, and Northbridge. Northbridge has the highest rate of the four with 1.…
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County (Aug.) COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County (Aug.)
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Trends, Rates - Worcester County (Aug.) Town COVID-19 positive test rates changed dramatically in Worcester County communities this past week with some of the biggest increases seen in Athol, Brookfield, and Fitchburg. Communities that saw the largest decline in positive test rates included Blackstone, Dudley, Leominster, and North Brookfield. Cases in Worcester and Spencer continue to steadily decrease. Athol’s 14-day positive COVID-19 infection rate went from 0 last week to 2.1 percent this week; 11 more people contracted the virus. Brookfield has the highest positive test rate in the county with 3.1 percent of tests showing …
Worcester Performance Venue Seeking All-Alcohol License Worcester Performance Venue Seeking All-Alcohol License
Worcester Performance Venue Seeking All-Alcohol License New Tradition LLC, a performance and event venue, is seeking a restaurant all-alcohol license from Worcester. The owners of New Tradition opened a cafe, New Tradition Co., in summer 2019. The cafe and venue are at 7 Jackson St. Local entrepreneurs Joe Weiss, of Worcester, Jason Roche, of Spencer, run the cafe and are the managers listed on the company’s business registration. The Worcester License Commission is holding a public hearing on the application, Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held remotely and live-streamed on the city’s website…
TOWNS ADDED Where Are The COVID-19 Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester, Aug TOWNS ADDED Where Are The COVID-19 Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester, Aug
Towns Added Where Are The Covid-19 Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester, Aug A few Worcester County communities - Brookfield and Sturbridge - that had been seeing a surge in COVID-19 positive test rates have gone done significantly; Worcester is also seeing a decline, according to the most recent information from the Baker Administration. This week, the update contains new communities that were previously missing from the report. Worcester’s positive test rate went from 2.5 percent last week to 2 percent positive this week. Testing in Worcester has ramped up over the last week with new testing locations and free tests. Unfortunately, the positive test rate for COVI…
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester County, August COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester County, August
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Worcester County, August Positive COVID-19 test rates continue to spike in North Brookfield and Brookfield, as Worcester’s rate gets closer to a high-point in July, according to the most recent information from the Baker Administration. Worcester’s positive test rate went from 2.2 percent last week to 2.5 percent this week - just shy of a July high point of 2.6. After seeing positive test rates rise in Fitchburg and Spencer over the last few weeks, the most recent numbers show a decline in infections. Meanwhile, Webster’s positive rate carries on with a three-week trend of decreasing positive tests, the 14-day COVI…
COVID-19, Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County COVID-19, Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County
Covid-19, Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County Positive COVID-19 test rates are surging in Brookfield, North Brookfield, and Spencer, while Worcester's positive test rate is below the month's high in the city, according to the most recent information from the Baker Administration. Meanwhile, in West Brookfield and Webster, the 14-day COVID-19 positive test rate is going down. In Massachusetts, the goal is that by December the state will have less than 5 percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive. On Aug. 1, Gov. Charlie Baker reported the state’s 7-day positive test rate was at 2.1 percent, up from a low of 1.7 percent earlier this mo…
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County In a bit of good news, the City of Worcester's positive test rate for COVID-19 infections took a nosedive compared to last week. The 14-day rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Worcester dropped from 2.6 last week to 1.7 this week, the Baker Administration reported July 22.  Meanwhile, in Worcester County, Spencer has become the municipality with the highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests, countywide, over the past 14 days (2.3 percent for Spencer), followed by West Brookfield, Westborough, and Worcester. The state economy is now in Phase 3 of a four-phase reopening plan. The fourth phase …
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town-by-town Infection Rates And Trends - Worcester County Positive tests for COVID-19 continue to stay under 2 percent in Massachusetts. Massachusetts' seven-day positive test rate for COVID-19 has been below 2 percent since the beginning of July. On Friday, July 17, Gov. Charlie Baker said the positive rate for the past seven days is 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, in Worcester County, Worcester has the highest rate of positive COVID-19 tests countywide over the past 14 days (2.6 percent), followed by Clinton and West Borough. 14-day, COVID-19 Positive Test Rate Per CommunityKristin Palpini on Infogr.am The state economy is now in Phase 3 of a four-…