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Community Rallies Around Sterling Family Who Lost Home, Cars In Overnight Fire
Authorities still aren't sure what sparked a Worcester County fire early Sunday morning, Sept. 24, but the repercussions are clear. A family of four has "lost everything," and their community is coming together to help, a fundraiser for them said.
The fire began at 45 Chace Hill Road in Sterling just before 3:30 a.m. Crews were delayed in reaching the scene because of poor cell phone reception in the area, WCVB reported. But when they arrived, they did so in force. Fire departments from multiple cities — Leominster, Clinton, and West Boylston — joined in the fight to douse the flames, and…
Covid-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates
Keeping with the trend of declining COVID-19 infections, Central Massachusetts has only 2 “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 Central Massachusetts for the week of March 4 are:
Blackstone, 26.1 new incidents per 100,000 people,
And Clinton, 29,9.
Both communities experienced increases in COVID-19 incidents, according to state data.
Statewide, the average daily incident rate was 21.3 new cases per 100,000 people…
Plumbing Business Was A Front For Large-Scale Marijuana Cultivation
A man who created a fake plumbing business as a front for an illegal, large-scale marijuana growing operation has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
On Tuesday, March 2, Thomas Laverty, 40, of Clinton, was sentenced on prior drug, money laundering, and fraud convictions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts, said.
According to court documents, Laverty, along with co-conspirators, created the phony plumbing business Chuck Laverty & Son Inc., as a cover to grow weed. Laverty and others used the plumbing business’ bank accounts and locations to facilitate growing, storing and dist…
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, …
Covid-19: 9 New Central, Western Mass Communities Turn 'Red' - Local Data
Nine more Central and Western Massachusetts communities have been added to the state’s COVID-19 “red” list as infection rates climb across the state and nation.
This week, Nov. 27, there are 31 Central and Western Massachusetts communities in the red - meaning that they are at the highest risk to spread the virus.
Last week, Nov. 19, there were 21.
The week before that, Nov. 12, there were 9.
This week, the Massachusetts average daily COVID-19 rate per 100,000 people was 34.9.
Newly added to the red list are Belchertown, East Longmeadow, Leicester, Millbury, Monson, Paxton, Rutland, Sutt…
Covid-19: 'Red' Communities More Than Double In Central, Western Mass - Local Rates And Trends
The number of COVID-19 “red” communities has more than doubled in Central and Western Massachusetts since last week, according to the most recent state data, Thursday, Nov. 19.
Last week there were 9 Central and Western Massachusetts communities in the red.
Now there are 21: Blackstone, Chicopee, Clinton, Douglas, Fitchburg Hampden, Holyoke, Lancaster, Leominster, Ludlow, Lunenburg, Milford, Northbridge, Southbridge, Southwick, Springfield, Sterling, Templeton, Uxbridge, West Springfield, Winchendon.
To see local rates and trends, scroll to the end of the article.
Among the red communitie…
Covid-19: Number Of Red Communities Triples In Central, Western Massachusetts
The number of COVID-19 “red” communities has tripled in Central and Western Massachusetts since last week, according to the most recent state data, Thursday, Nov. 12.
Last week, Nov. 6, there were 3 - Fitchburg, Ludlow, and Springfield.
Now there are 9 - Chicopee, Clinton, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Leominster, Milford, Springfield, Uxbridge, and West Springfield.
In a bit of good news, the COVID-19 rate in Ludlow dropped low enough to get the city removed from the red list.
However, the rates in Fitchburg and Springfield went up.
Massachusetts has changed the system for local COVID-19 rates…
Covid-19: Town-By-Town Rates And Trends For Worcester County
A little more than one-third of Massachusetts cities and towns are “red” and considered high-risk for the transmission of COVID-19.
Of the 122 red Massachusetts communities, 18 are in Worcester County: Athol, Auburn, Bolton, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner, Hubbardston, Leicester, Leominster, Mendon, Milford, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Webster, West Boylston, Westborough, and Worcester.
As of Thursday, Oct. 29, there are now 122 red municipalities reporting high numbers of new COVID-19 cases every day for the past 28 days. The “red” refers to the color-coded system Massachusetts i…
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…
