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Monday, apr 29
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MassLive
Obituaries
'A Fighter Til The End': Community Mourns 5-Year-Old Who Died Of Cancer In Western Mass
Brittney Bliss, the 5-year-old South Hadley girl whose story inspired birthday cards from across the nation, died June 6, about a year after doctors diagnosed her with cancer. It all began last year when Brittney complained of an earache. Her parents — Elena and Brian Bliss — assumed it was nothing more than an ear infection and took her to see a physician, but after some tests, doctors came back with a devastating diagnosis. Her treatment began right away. And despite the rigorous chemotherapy and radiation sessions over the next year, Brittney never gave up or gave in to her illness, h…
News
'My Heart Is Shattered': Former New England Patriots Safety Malik Gant Dead At 25
An NFL player and former member of the New England Patriots has died, according to reports. Malik Gant, a former defensive back for the Patriots, was found dead on Thursday, May 25 in Miami, FL, MassLive reports. He was 25 years old. "My heart is shattered," Gant's mother Sirraya Gant said in a Facebook post. "My faith in God will see me through this and I will trust in him with all my heart. I truly thank God for blessing me with a beautiful, talented and humble son." My heart is shattered… my faith in God will see me through this and I will trust in him with all my heart. I truly t…
Police & Fire
'Mass Casualty': 2 Airlifted After Serious Head-On Crash In Western Mass
Two helicopters were needed to transport victims of a serious head-on car crash in Western Massachusetts this weekend, authorities said. Greenfield Fire responded to the crash on the Mohawk Trail near Long View Tower around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March, 12, the department said on Facebook. Upon arrival, crews found that they "were quickly outnumbered with multiple patients." The crash was declared a "mass casualty incident" and additional ambulances were called to the scene. At approximately 3:30pm we were dispatched to a head-on collision on the Mohawk Trail near Long View Tower. As ou…
Weather
School Closings: List Grows As Massachusetts Prepares For 'Hazardous' Snowfall
New England's subzero temperatures and heavy snowfall predictions have caused schools across Massachusetts to close for the day on Tuesday, Feb. 28. A winter storm warning calls conditions in New England "hazardous," according to the National Weather Service. Snowfall in parts of Massachusetts may reach up to eight inches overnight, creating hazardous conditions for commuters, according to a Tweet made by the National Weather Service Boston. Snow spreads into southern New England tonight & continues through Tue. Heaviest snowfall late tonight into early Tue AM. Will result in a h…
Police & Fire
Teacher Charged With Raping Springfield Student Decade Ago: Reports
Multiple outlets reported that a 44-year-old teacher is accused of raping a student at New Leadership Charter School more than 10 years ago. David Weremay of Florence, Northampton is accused of four counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child, five counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over, two counts of accosting or annoying another person, and intimidation of a witness, according to MassLive. Western Mass News received a copy of the investigation report that said the crimes happened on Sept. 1, 2011. Calls to the Springfield Police spokesperson…
Schools
School Closings: List Grows As Subzero Temperatures Approach Massachusetts
As dangerous wind chills and subzero temperatures are expected to move through the state, many Massachusetts school districts are closing for the day on Friday, Feb. 3. The National Weather Service predicts the lowest wind chills could be between -15 and -45 degrees Fahrenheit from Friday night into Saturday morning. Isolated power outages and snow squalls are expected and the risk for frostbite will also be high. Dangerous Wind Chills Fri-Sat across southern New England. Isolated power outages possible due to strong winds. A few isolated snow squalls possible late tonight into early …
Schools
Threat Made Against Longmeadow School Causes Friday Closure: Report
Administrators at Glenbrook Middle School in Longmeadow canceled classes on Friday, Jan. 27, after they received a threat against the school, MassLive reported. Related: Threat prompts Longmeadow’s Glenbrook Middle School to close Friday Superintendent of Schools Martin O’Shea said in an email to parents that the threat was written on a bathroom wall and discovered Thursday afternoon. Though he didn't believe it was credible, O'Shea asked for a thorough police investigation before allowing students in the building. “Despite purposeful and tireless efforts by the Longmeadow…
Police & Fire
Westfield Dad Who Admitted To Beating His Infant To Death Gets 17 Years: Report
A 32-year-old Westfield man who pleaded guilty to beating his 8-month-old baby girl Lily to death will serve 17 years in prison, MassLive reported. Related: Westfield man gets 17-year prison sentence for beating infant daughter to death Daniel A. Torres admitted to the killing on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and struck a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid his trial, which was set to start this week, the report said. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, though a grand jury indicted him on second-degree murder charges. Torres was watching Lily on July 28, 2018, while her mother was at w…
Lifestyle
Central Mass Bar Opens To Combat Shortage Of Lesbian Spaces
A lesbian bar is opening in Worcester, becoming the 28th such venue in the whole of the US. Femme Bar advertises itself as a queer women's bar, but welcomes a wide audience of "all LGBTQIA+ Community and their friends," according to the bar's Facebook page. The queer bar will inhabit the building that previously held Buck’s Whiskey and Burger Bar at 62 Green Street, according to Worcester Magazine. Events, hosted and performed by LGBTQIA+ people, will include drag shows, live music, and game nights. View this post on Instagram A post sha…
Police & Fire
State, Local Police Search For Missing 35-Year-Old Massachusetts Woman
Local and State Police are seeking the public's help in finding a missing 35-year-old woman who was last seen almost a week ago. Brittany Tee, of Brookfield, was last seen leaving a house in Brookfield around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, according to Massachusetts State Police. Her family reported her missing to Brookfield Police the following Friday. Update on the investigation into the whereabouts of Brittany Tee, 35, of Brookfield. Anyone with information about... Posted by Joseph D. Early Jr., Worcester County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Tee is des…
News
Distracted Driver Slams Into Tractor Trailer On Route 20 In Central Mass: Police
A distracted driver somehow walked away from a crash Wednesday night, Dec. 20, after they smashed into the back of a disabled tractor-trailer truck on Route 20, Auburn police tweeted. The truck was broken down on the side of the road near St. Mark Street and waiting for a tow, authorities said. Thankfully the airbags deployed and prevented any serious injuries for the driver of the 2006 Toyota, police said. MassLive reported the driver had pulled out of a nearby driveway and drove over a road warning triangle before colliding with the 53-foot truck. Route 20 at St. Mark’s St. Air b…
Police & Fire
Retired State Police Captain In Western Mass Indicted On Child Porn Charges: AG
A retired Massachusetts State Police detective captain was indicted this week on multiple child pornography charges, authorities announced. Francis "Frank" Hart, 62, of Amherst, faces seven counts of possession of child porn and one count of disseminating the offending material, the Massachusetts Attorney General announced on Thursday, Dec. 22. Police began investigating Hart in January 2021 after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an email registered to him had uploaded a file containing numerous images of suspected child p…
News
Man Pleads Not Guilty To Killing 18-Year-Old Whose Body Was Found In Connecticut River
A 21-year-old man accused of killing an 18-year-old man and dumping his body in the Connecticut River pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with his killing, reports said. Elijah Melendez, of Holyoke, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in connection with the murder of Elis Vizcarrondo, also of Holyoke, on Monday, Dec. 19, MassLive reports. Melendez was indicted on several charges including murder, carrying a firearm without a license and possessing a firearm without an FID card, the outlet continued. Vizcarrondo was found in the Connecticut River in Chicopee after appearing…
Police & Fire
Judge Rejects Guilty Plea From Amherst Dad Accused Of Killing Infant Son: Report
Isaac Villalobos admitted on Monday, Dec. 12, to killing his 4-month-old son in 2019, but a judge rejected his plea, saying the prosecution hadn't presented enough evidence to make a manslaughter charge stick, reports said. Villalobos, who also goes by the name Angel M. Carattini-Rivera, is accused of using an infant syringe to give his baby boy a lethal dose of adult sleeping medication, the Northwestern District Attorney said. The former Amherst resident pleaded not guilty in July to charges of manslaughter, assault and battery on a child causing substantial injury, reckles…
Police & Fire
Police ID 62-Year-Old Chicopee Man Killed In Hit-And-Run Crash: Report
Authorities announced this week the identity of the man killed in a hit-and-run crash last month in Chicopee, a report said. Though, the person responsible for his death remains at large. Gary Turcotte, 62, of Chicopee was identified by investigators as the man killed in the Nov. 30 crash in the 950 block of Chicopee Street, MassLive reported. Police found Turcotte on the ground with serious wounds when they arrived at the scene around 5:30 p.m., Chicopee police said. Responders rushed him to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries days later. Investigators are st…
Police & Fire
16 Displaced By 3-Alarm Fire At Central Mass Triple-Decker: Officials
Sixteen people are displaced after a three-alarm fire ripped through a Worcester home, officials said. Worcester Fire responded to the fire at 57 Coral Street around 7:33 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21, Deputy Chief Adam Roche tells Daily Voice. Upon arrival, crews saw flames coming out of the third floor of the triple-decker as well as two sides of the building. Couple unedited images from a 3 alarm fire in Worcester earlier this evening on Coral Street. Heavy fire showing on arrival. Fire was knocked down quickly. Posted by Paul Shea Photography on Monday, November 21, 2022 The blaze was…
Obituaries
Western Mass Homicide Victim Amber Carpenter Was 'Joyful, Passionate Soul'
A woman killed in Western Massachusetts this week will be remembered as a devoted member of her community and loyal companion. Amber Carpenter, age 39, of West Springfield was found dead inside the home of Jose Hernandez, age 30, on Riverdale Street in West Springfield on Friday, Oct. 21, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office reports. Carpenter was the victim of the first reported homicide in West Springfield since 2017, MassLive reports. According to her Facebook, Carpenter was from Northampton and worked at Touched By An Angel Health Care. She was also h…
News
39-Year-Old Woman ID'd As Victim Of Western Massachusetts Homicide: DA
Authorities have identified the victim of a homicide in Western Massachusetts. Amber Carpenter, age 39, of West Springfield was found dead inside the home of Jose Hernandez, age 30, on Riverdale Street in West Springfield on Friday, Oct. 21, the Hampden County District Attorney's Office reports. Hernandez was arrested and charged with Carpenter's murder the same day, as previously reported by Daily Voice. This is the first reported homicide in West Springfield since 2017, according to MassLive. Jose Hernandez is being held without bail after he was arraigned in Springfield Dist…
Police & Fire
MA Driver Charged With 5-Year-Old's Murder Was Apparently Grabbing Money
A Worcester driver charged with the murder of a 5-year-old girl said he was grabbing money when he struck the girl and her mother earlier this year, MassLive reports. Christopher Remillard said he reached in his "pocket and pulled out a $20 bill to get gas," when he allegedly struck Candice Asare-Yeboah and her mother Asha Nyarko-Asare in April, the outlet reports. Police responded to a report of a pedestrian crash in the area of 91 Stafford Street around 9:36 a.m. on Monday, April 18, Worcester Police said. Upon arrival, officers found Candice was unconscious wh…
Police & Fire
New England MMA Fighter Dies After Debut Fight In Western Mass
A mixed martial arts fighter from Connecticut has died following his debut bout. Christian Lubenga, age 27, who trained in New Haven County at the Black Wolf MMA, a gym in Orange, died on Monday, March 14, two days after the fight that was on Saturday, March 12, at AMMO 10 located in Hampden County in West Springfield, Massachusetts, according to the New England Mixed Martial Arts. According to a blog post from the organization, "the ending of the fight didn't seem very violent, and there is no word on what caused Lubenga's death, but regardless of what was the attributing factor in his pas…
News
Covid-
19: Vaccine Rollout Called A 'Success,' A 'Flop,' And 'Racist' - Which Is It?
It’s been called “racist” and a “flop,” but according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Massachusetts’ COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan is one of the best in the nation. According to the CDC’s Vaccine Data Tracker, Massachusetts is among 16 states with the highest vaccination rates. Other states in the top 16 are Vermont, South and North Dakota, Arizona, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. States with the highest vaccination rates have administered more than 20,000 vaccine doses per 100,000 people, according to the CDC as of Wednesday, March 3. Meanwhile, conservative…
Police & Fire
Nearly A Dozen Police Have Left City Department Amid National Wave Of Quitting Cops
About 10 police officers have departed from a Western Massachusetts city following "defund the police" budget cuts over the summer. And another 11 officers have put in an application for employment in other departments. The exodus marks a problem with morale at the Northampton Police Department in the wake of calls to “defund the police,” subsequent budget cuts, and protests against law enforcement, Chief Jody Kasper told MassLive. Cuts were announced in June when city officials were hammering out the annual budget. The police department’s proposed $6.7 million budget was reduced by 10 p…
News
Covid-
19: Massachusetts Curfew To End Soon
Massachusetts is lifting its curfew on businesses as well as its stay-home advisory due to a drop in COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, Jan. 21, Gov. Charlie Baker said that the 9:30 p.m. curfew for table service at Massachusetts restaurants and other businesses will be lifted starting Monday, Jan. 25, according to MassLive. Baker, who delivered the news during a daily press conference, said that with vaccines being doled out to the community and more on the way, plus a drop in COVID-19 cases encouraged the decision to rollback the curfew. The curfew was first imposed about two months ago. Al…
Police & Fire
City Man Accused Of Raping 2 Victims Was Out On Bail For Rape Charge At Time Of Arrest
A Springfield man who has been accused of rape and kidnapping on multiple occasions was recently arrested for allegedly raping two children. Christian Barbee, 35, of St. James Avenue in Springfield, was arrested at around 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at the intersection of Buckingham Place and Buckingham Street in Springfield, police said. An investigation by the Springfield Police allegedly revealed that Barbee had sexually assaulted two underage victims in the fall of 2020, police said. Barbee was out on bail for the rape of a child with force and other similar charges filed in 2019…
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