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Woman, 65, Killed In Western Mass House Fire ID'd
State fire officials have identified the woman who was killed in a Franklin County fire as a 65-year-old Orange woman, authorities said.
Debra Marini died several hours after she was seriously burned last week in a blaze at 99 West River Street in Orange, the State Fire Marshal's Office said on Tuesday. The homeowner, Vicki Kennedy, was also seriously hurt in the fire, but authorities said she is expected to recover.
Related: Woman Dies From Injuries In Orange Fire, Second Woman Remains In Burn Ward
The fire began just after 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, and tore thr…
Drug Ring Bust Leads To 20 Convictions In Western Mass
Authorities in Western Massachusetts are celebrating as two men, busted as part of a drug ring in 2021, pled guilty on Thursday, June 8. That makes 20 felony convictions since investigators began dismantling the operation in 2021, officials said.
Jason Nadeau, 42, of Ludlow, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of trafficking cocaine and one of conspiracy, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.
David Gallegos, 30, of Deerfield, will serve a year of probation after a judge continued without a finding a charge of conspiracy, the prosecutor said. …
Violent Kidnapping: 5 Busted In Central Mass Held Victims For Hours, Beat Them, DA Says
Five people are expected to be arraigned Friday, Feb. 17, that they took part in a violent assault and kidnapping at an Athol home earlier this month, authorities said.
The five were arrested in connection with a Feb. 1 kidnapping where two victims were held at a house for four hours against their will, robbed, and assaulted, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. One victim reported the incident to Athol police the following day.
This week, investigators arrested multiple people in the case. They are:
Franklin Payne, age 46, of Athol. He is charged with armed…
Western Massachusetts Man Killed After Losing Control Of Vehicle, Police Say
A 59-year-old man was killed after he lost control of his car negotiating a curve and collided head-on with another vehicle in the opposite lane, according to police.
The crash took place shortly before 8:30 p.m., Monday, July 5, in Worcester County, near 49 South Main St., in Athol, said the Northwestern District Attorney's Office.
The man, from the Town of Orange in Franklin County, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, the DA's Office said.
The driver of the other vehicle was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Athol firefighter…
Covid-19: Four 'Red' Western Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates
Keeping with the trend of declining COVID-19 infections, the Pioneer Valley has only 4 “red” communities - cities and towns with the highest risk of virus transmission.
On Thursday, March 4, Massachusetts unveiled its latest weekly update on COVID-19 incidents by the municipality.
Red communities in Western Massachusetts for the week of March 4 are:
Chicopee with a rate of 33.4,
Hadley, 32
Ludlow, 33.4,
and Springfield, 40.3.
Springfield was the only city out of the four that was in the red but experienced a decline in COVID-19 incidents, according to state data.
Statewide, the…
