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Gardner, MA

Police & Fire
Cold Case: 2 Charged With 30-Year-Old Killing Of Teenager In Central Mass Cold Case: 2 Charged With 30-Year-Old Killing Of Teenager In Central Mass
Cold Case: 2 Charged With 30-Year-Old Killing Of Teenager In Central Mass Two men have been charged with the fatal shooting of a teenager in 1993 in Worcester County, authorities announced on Monday, March 25.  Robert D’Lucca, 49, and Lawrence Calafell, 51, of Gardner, were indicted on one count of murder in the death of 15-year-old Deondray Atwood, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said.  They were also indicted on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of ammunition without an FID card. The duo are accused of shooting into a parked car on…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Car Slams Into Dump Truck With Snow Plow In Central Mass; Driver Seriously Injured Car Slams Into Dump Truck With Snow Plow In Central Mass; Driver Seriously Injured
Car Slams Into Dump Truck With Snow Plow In Central Mass; Driver Seriously Injured A 20-year-old man was airlifted to an area hospital after his car crashed into a dump truck with a snow plow attached in Worcester County, authorities said.  The crash happened just after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, on Route 2 East near mile marker 90 in Westminster, Massachusetts State Police said.  A Gardner man, 20, was behind the wheel of a 2004 Toyota Camry when it collided with a Peterbilt dump truck with an attached plow, officials said. Investigators believe the car's speed and poor road conditions because of the weather contributed to the crash, but the investigation is…

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by Josh Lanier
News
$1M Lottery Win: Central Mass Man Wins Massive Payday With Grandson's Help $1M Lottery Win: Central Mass Man Wins Massive Payday With Grandson's Help
$1M Lottery Win: Central Mass Man Wins Massive Payday With Grandson's Help A Worcester County grandfather may have to tip his grandson for his lucky $1 million windfall after he collected the winning ticket on his way back from his hockey game.  Thomas Ruble of Ashburnham won his seven-figure windfall playing the "777" scratch-off game.  Ruble chose to take the lump sum of $650,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity. He didn't say what he'll spend the money on.  Ruble bought the ticket after watching his grandson play hockey.  He bought the ticket at Town Convenience, 3 Pine St. in Gardner. The store will get a $10,000 bonu…

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by Josh Lanier
News
$650,000 Lottery Ticket Sold At Central Mass Store $650,000 Lottery Ticket Sold At Central Mass Store
$650,000 Lottery Ticket Sold At Central Mass Store A convenience store in Worcester County has sold a $650,000 winning lottery ticket.  The "777" $10 scratch-off ticket was purchased at Town Convenience at 3 Pine Street in Gardner.  Five $1 million prizes remain, and two $4 million grand prizes are still in circulation for the "777" game, according to the lottery.  Nearly 700 people claimed prizes worth more than $600 on Tuesday. The Massachusetts State Lottery compiles those winners and publishes where they were purchased here.   Town Convenience will receive a bonus for selling the ticket. That is usually 10 per…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
Study Finds 10 Safest Places To Drive In Mass Study Finds 10 Safest Places To Drive In Mass
Study Finds 10 Safest Places To Drive In Mass Icy roads make driving hard during winter, but a new study revealed the safest places to drive in Mass, with Marblehead taking the top spot. The study by Boston-based Jason Stone Injury Lawyers looked at 218 locations from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and found places that had at least 500 crashes between 2019 and 2023. Marblehead landed in first place with 1,117 crashes with only one being fatal. Williamstown took the second spot with 603 crashes and 83 of them having non-fatal injuries. The town also has the lowest number of people injured in a crash at 171, according t…

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by Khier Casino
Police & Fire
(Update) Is Aaron Pennington Dead? Divers Searching Lake For Man Accused of Killing Wife (Update) Is Aaron Pennington Dead? Divers Searching Lake For Man Accused of Killing Wife
(Update) Is Aaron Pennington Dead? Divers Searching Lake For Man Accused of Killing Wife Update: Police have called off their search for Aaron Pennington on Friday, Oct. 27. They have not found the man.  Original: It's been five days since anyone has seen Aaron Pennington, the 33-year-old Worcester County man accused of killing his wife and mother of his four children on Sunday, Oct. 22, at their home in Gardner. Her family has created a GoFundMe to help provide for those kids.  Police have focused their attention on Camp Collier, where hunters found Pennington's abandoned BMW earlier this week. On Friday, state police announced they've brought dive teams to search&nb…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Husband Accused Of Shooting Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass Eludes Capture For 4th Day: DA Husband Accused Of Shooting Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass Eludes Capture For 4th Day: DA
Husband Accused Of Shooting Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass Eludes Capture For 4th Day: DA It's been four days since a Worcester County mother of four was found shot to death in her bedroom on Sunday, Oct. 25. It's also been four days since her husband was last seen, but police believe they are closing in on him.  Aaron Pennington, 33, is believed to be somewhere in the 400 acres of wood at Camp Collier in Gardner near the Ashburnham border, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office said. The prosecutor filed murder charges against Pennington on Wednesday.  Breanne Pennington was shot in the face on Sunday in her home on Cherry Street in Gardner. Police learn…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Find Dumped BMW Linked To Husband Accused Of Killing His Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass Police Find Dumped BMW Linked To Husband Accused Of Killing His Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass
Police Find Dumped BMW Linked To Husband Accused Of Killing His Wife, Mom of 4, In Central Mass The manhunt for a 33-Worcester County man stretched on into its third day, but searchers said they've found his car and plan to search the area where it was located Tuesday morning, Oct. 24.  Aaron Pennington is wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Breanne Pennington in their home on Cherry Street in Gardner on Sunday, Oct. 22, Massachusetts State Police said. Officers knew something was amiss when the couple's four young children walked to a neighbor's home because they couldn't find their dad, and they could hear their mom crying in her room, authorities said.&n…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
(Update) Woman Killed In Central Mass ID'd; Husband Remains On Run: Police (Update) Woman Killed In Central Mass ID'd; Husband Remains On Run: Police
(Update) Woman Killed In Central Mass ID'd; Husband Remains On Run: Police Update: Police identified the woman killed in Worcester County on Sunday morning, Oct. 22, and continue to ask the public for help to track down the suspect in the case.  Breanne Pennington, 30, of Cherry Street in Gardner, was IDed as the woman killed at her home over the weekend. Aaron Pennington, her husband, is a suspect in the slaying, Massachusetts State Police said.  Troopers said he is likely driving a 2013 BMW 320 with a Massachusetts veterans plate 8A30, but Aaron Pennington may have changed the license plates to: Texas: DTZ3103 California: 6CWN728 Original: Polic…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Man Stabbed At Central Mass Gym In Random Assault; Police Bust Alleged Attacker Man Stabbed At Central Mass Gym In Random Assault; Police Bust Alleged Attacker
Man Stabbed At Central Mass Gym In Random Assault; Police Bust Alleged Attacker A 43-year-old man was airlifted to a Worcester County hospital after he was stabbed in the bathroom of a Planet Fitness gym Wednesday morning, authorities said.  Related: Man Stabbed Gardner Planet Fitness Speaks Out: 'It's Just Shocking' Nunez Lennox, 28, of Revere, was arrested in Leominster shortly after the attack, Massachusetts State Troopers said. Authorities charged him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the allegedly random incident. Lennox was being held on a $50,000 bail, authorities said. The attack happened at Planet Fitness on Victoria Street i…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Moped Rider Killed In Gardner Crash Identified As 38-Year-Old Central Mass Man Moped Rider Killed In Gardner Crash Identified As 38-Year-Old Central Mass Man
Moped Rider Killed In Gardner Crash Identified As 38-Year-Old Central Mass Man State police released the name of a 38-year-old Worcester County man killed on Thursday, July 6, in a Gardner crash when he was pinned underneath a car, authorities said.  Bradley Arsenault, of Baldwinville, was hit just after 8 p.m. by a Honda Pilot at 591 West Broadway near Pete’s Tire Barn in Gardner, the Worcester County District Attorney's Office announced Monday. Arsenault died at the scene.  The Templeton Honda driver and her child, who was also in the SUV, were not injured. Authorities did not release her name.  Police closed the road for more than four hours on…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Missing Central Mass Teen Could Be Traveling With Unknown Man, Police Say Missing Central Mass Teen Could Be Traveling With Unknown Man, Police Say
Missing Central Mass Teen Could Be Traveling With Unknown Man, Police Say The Fitchburg Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a missing teenage girl who could be traveling with an unknown man.  Vivian Higgins, age 15, was last seen at 21 Village Inn Road in Westminster on Thursday, June 29, Fitchburg Police said on Facebook.  Please Share: Missing Person Update: 6/29/2023 6:20 PM As with all investigations they are fluid in nature. We have... Posted by Fitchburg Police Department on Thursday, June 29, 2023 Vivian is described as standing 5-foot-3, weighing 120 pounds with straight brown hair, police said. She was last wearing a black…

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by David Cifarelli
News
Community Rallies Around 91-Year-Old Central Mass Man Who Lost Beloved Dog After Fire Community Rallies Around 91-Year-Old Central Mass Man Who Lost Beloved Dog After Fire
Community Rallies Around 91-Year-Old Central Mass Man Who Lost Beloved Dog After Fire A fundraiser for a 91-year-old Worcester County man has raised enough money to help him rebuild his life after a fire destroyed his home and took everything he owned, a fundraiser for the man said.  Leo Lafreniere of Petersham could do little to stop the inferno that began in his kitchen and swept through the rest of his home in late May. He lost "all his clothing, hearing aids, (and) personal belongings," a GoFundMe created for him said.  However, the most important thing to Lafreniere was his dog, Kate Murphy. Kate suffered smoke inhalation in the blaze and sadly succumbed …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Nurse Stabbed: 76-Year-Old Charged In Central Mass Emergency Room Attack Nurse Stabbed: 76-Year-Old Charged In Central Mass Emergency Room Attack
Nurse Stabbed: 76-Year-Old Charged In Central Mass Emergency Room Attack A nurse at Heywood Hospital in Gardner was rushed to UMass Worcester for treatment after an elderly man stabbed them on Monday night, June 12, authorities said.  David Nichols, 76, of Greenville, New Hampshire, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and attempt to commit murder, Gardner police said. Nichols is being held on a $10,000 bail, officials said. The attack happened around 8 p.m. in the emergency room of the Gardner hospital. Police have not said what Nichols allegedly used as a weapon during the attack or the extent of the nurse's injuries.  He…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Child Porn Conviction: Central Mass Man Who Had 500 Videos, 1,000 Images Gets 10 Years Child Porn Conviction: Central Mass Man Who Had 500 Videos, 1,000 Images Gets 10 Years
Child Porn Conviction: Central Mass Man Who Had 500 Videos, 1,000 Images Gets 10 Years A 46-year-old Worcester County man who admitted to having hundreds of images and videos of child porn and using social media to solicit nudes from children will spend a decade behind bars, authorities said Michael Irons, 46, of Gardner, pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. A judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison last week, the prosecutor announced on Tuesday, May 23.  Police searched Irons' home in July 2020 and found two cell phones in his bedroom that c…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Parking Bans In Effect For Central, Western Mass Cities, Towns Parking Bans In Effect For Central, Western Mass Cities, Towns
Parking Bans In Effect For Central, Western Mass Cities, Towns As much as 2 feet of snow fell overnight Monday, March 13, through Tuesday morning, leaving some roads impassable and knocking out power to thousands.  Because of the nor'easter's damage, several cities and towns in Central and Western Massachusetts have implemented parking bans.  Editor's Note: This list will be continually updated.  Franklin County Greenfield — A parking ban is in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday  Hampden County Chicopee — A parking ban is in effect from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. That includes main and secondary roads.  Holyoke — No parking is allowed…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
(UPDATED) 'They Will Be Missed': Police ID Two 23-Year-Olds Killed In Central Mass Crash (UPDATED) 'They Will Be Missed': Police ID Two 23-Year-Olds Killed In Central Mass Crash
(Updated) 'They Will Be Missed': Police ID Two 23-Year-Olds Killed In Central Mass Crash Police in Worcester County identified two 23-year-olds as the victims killed in a head-on collision over the weekend, officials said.   Jasmine Colon, of Winchendon, and Nikolas Guzman, of Gardner, died in a two-car collision in Gardner just before 6 a.m. on Green Street in Gardner, authorities said. Investigators believe Colon was driving, and Guzman was her passenger. Gardner firefighters had to cut them from the vehicle, and both were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.  Paramedics rushed the driver of the other vehicle to a hospital in Worcester with serious injuries. Autho…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
Mass Starbucks Employees Join More Than 100 Stores Nationwide On Picket Lines Mass Starbucks Employees Join More Than 100 Stores Nationwide On Picket Lines
Mass Starbucks Employees Join More Than 100 Stores Nationwide On Picket Lines Workers at more than 100 Starbucks locations across the country — including several in Boston — went on strike Thursday because they say the company will not negotiate in good faith and is trying to stop more stores from unionizing. The workers say they are striking in an effort to force the coffee giant to discuss better staffing at stores and other concessions, according to the Starbucks Workers Union website. The group also says Starbucks is fighting efforts for more stores to unionize.  #redcuprebellion pic.twitter.com/9ujttws0uu — Boston Starbucks Workers United (@BostonSBWU) Novem…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Bomb Threat Prompts Early Dismissal At Fitchburg High School Bomb Threat Prompts Early Dismissal At Fitchburg High School
Bomb Threat Prompts Early Dismissal At Fitchburg High School Students and staff were let out of school early after a bomb threat was made against Fitchburg High School, school officials said.  The school got word of the threat around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, school officials said on Facebook. The school was evacuated as a precaution and everyone was safely outside. UPDATE: Authorities currently sweeping the building. Everyone is outside and safe. Main entrance is blocked off to allow... Posted by Fitchburg Public Schools on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 Fitchburg Fire and Police swept through the building and students were dismissed ea…

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by David Cifarelli
Schools
Ashburnham, Gardner Among 20 Schools To Receive Bomb Threats, Officials Say Ashburnham, Gardner Among 20 Schools To Receive Bomb Threats, Officials Say
Ashburnham, Gardner Among 20 Schools To Receive Bomb Threats, Officials Say As many as 20 schools were said to have received bomb threats on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 27, according to Gardner Mayor Michael J. Nicholson. However, that number has not been confirmed by authorities.  This morning, Gardner High School was one of 20 schools across the state to recieve a bomb threat. All students were... Posted by Michael J. Nicholson on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 The initial threat was made against Oakmont Regional High School and Overlook Middle School, the Ashburnham-Westminster School District said in a release.  Both schools were ordered to shelter in place…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
Gardner Woman, 28, Killed In Motorcycle-Involved Crash In Winchendon: Police Gardner Woman, 28, Killed In Motorcycle-Involved Crash In Winchendon: Police
Gardner Woman, 28, Killed In Motorcycle-Involved Crash In Winchendon: Police A 28-year-old woman from Gardner has died following a motorcycle-involved crash in Winchendon, authorities said. Police responded to a crash between a 2002 Toyota Tundra and a Honda motorcycle in front of the Irving Gas Station on Gardner Road just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, Winchendon police said on Facebook.  Megan Bower, the motorcyclist, was taken to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries, police said. Meanwhile the driver of the Toyota, a man from Winchendon, was left uninjured.  This is the second fatal accident in Winchendon in a week, acco…

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by David Cifarelli
Obituaries
Young Men Killed In Central MA Car Crash Were 'Jokesters' Who Strove For Change Young Men Killed In Central MA Car Crash Were 'Jokesters' Who Strove For Change
Young Men Killed In Central MA Car Crash Were 'Jokesters' Who Strove For Change “They were both jokesters,” a grieving basketball coach tells Daily Voice about two of his former players who lost their lives in a recent car crash. “We stress family,” said Lamont Hicks, a coach and president of Future Hoops basketball club in Gardner. “We become a family.” That family lost two of their own when Nickolas “Nick” Roy and Scott “Scotty” Laverdure were killed in crash that occurred in Templeton on Sunday, July 31. With great sadness ☹️I have to announce the passing of Nick Roy & Scott Laverdure ☹️These young men were Future/Murdock Alums please keep their familie…

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
26-Year-Old Woman Killed In Central Massachusetts Rollover Crash: Police 26-Year-Old Woman Killed In Central Massachusetts Rollover Crash: Police
26-Year-Old Woman Killed In Central Massachusetts Rollover Crash: Police A 26-year-old woman from Gardner has died in a morning rollover crash in central Massachusetts, authorities said.  Massachusetts State Police responded to the single-vehicle crash on Route 2 in Fitchburg just before 6 a.m. on Friday, July 8, MSP said.  Upon arrival, troopers found several bystanders attempting CPR on the victim, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Their efforts, as well as efforts by State Police, were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the scene.  No other vehicles are believed to be involved in the crash and no other injuries were reported, …

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by David Cifarelli
Police & Fire
K9 Trooper Tracks Suspect In Woods After Vehicle Stop In Massachusetts K9 Trooper Tracks Suspect In Woods After Vehicle Stop In Massachusetts
K9 Trooper Tracks Suspect In Woods After Vehicle Stop In Massachusetts A newly graduated Massachusetts State Police K-9 trooper and his handler made their first find by tracking down a suspect who fled from a vehicle stop. The incident took place in Worcester County on Tuesday, Feb. 22, when  Trooper Benjamin Siok and his partner Zigo, helped track down a suspect who fled from a vehicle stop in Templeton. Shortly after noon on Route 101 north, Trooper Timothy Desmarais stopped a 2018 Toyota RAV4 occupied by a passenger, Shane Hickey, age 33, of Gardner, whom the trooper knew to be the subject of several outstanding warrants.  During the stop, Hickey…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Defective Exhaust Leads To Drug Trafficking, Gun Charges For Duo In Massachusetts Defective Exhaust Leads To Drug Trafficking, Gun Charges For Duo In Massachusetts
Defective Exhaust Leads To Drug Trafficking, Gun Charges For Duo In Massachusetts Two men are facing charges after a traffic stop led to the discovery of a firearm, ammunition, and various drugs.  Massachusetts State Police reported that a trooper was in his cruiser in Worcester County on Route 2 in Westminster at 12:20 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, when a Ford SUV with a defective exhaust passed him. Police said the defective exhaust caused excessive and unnecessary noise. The trooper followed the Ford and turned lights on to pull it over, and the Ford "sporadically swerved" before it came to a stop in Gardner, police said. Authorities said the trooper approached the …

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by Nicole Valinote
Weather
How Much Ice Did You Get? Local Accumulation and Power Outage Update How Much Ice Did You Get? Local Accumulation and Power Outage Update
How Much Ice Did You Get? Local Accumulation and Power Outage Update Ice covered much of Central and Western Massachusetts Tuesday, Feb. 16, morning, creating dangerous road conditions, but few power outages. The ice is thickest in the Berkshires where 0.21-0.23 inches of ice has accumulated, according to the National Weather Service. In Springfield and Worcester, 0.5-0.6 inches of ice accumulated overnight. Northward, in Greenfield and Fitchburg, ice accumulation was between 0.17 and 0.21 inches. About 300 of Eversource's hundreds of thousands of customers lost power momentarily and sections of Westfield were also without power for about an hour st…

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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
COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Infection Rates Down In Most Central/Western MA Big Cities COVID-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Infection Rates Down In Most Central/Western MA Big Cities
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Infection Rates Down In Most Central/Western MA Big Cities COVID-19 rates went down in 7 out of 10 of Massachusetts’ largest cities west of I-495. The COVID-19 infection rates per 100,000 people went down in Worcester, Springfield, Chicopee, Leominster, Fitchburg, Amherst, and Shrewsbury, according to town-level data released by Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health on Thursday, Jan. 21. All of these communities, except for Amherst, are in the “red” - meaning they are at the highest risk for the spread of the virus. Amherst is in the yellow category. Massachusetts's color-coded risk system has four levels. They are, from most to least risk, …

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by Kristin Palpini