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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…
New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection
A 60-year-old Massachusetts man is the latest to be charged for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, federal officials announced.
Worcester County resident Vincent Gillespie, of Athol, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 18, and charged for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers during the riot and breach at the Capitol.
According to court documents from at least 4:11 p.m. to at least 4:25 p.m. on Jan. 6, Gillespie was among rioters in the Lower West Terrance of the Capitol who engaged in pushing, shoving, yelling, and fighting with law enforcement…
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…
So Far, No Cause Found For Fatal Crash On Route 2
Police are investigating an inexplicable, fatal single-car crash on Route 2 Monday, Nov. 16.
On Tuesday around 10 p.m., Massachusetts State Troopers responded to a report that a vehicle had struck an abutment of the Otter River Road Bridge along Route 2 in Templeton, police said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2103 Mazda 3 sedan was traveling east on Route 2 when, for reasons still under investigation, the car drove off the roadway to the left and struck the concrete structure supporting the bridge, police said.
The driver, a 36-year-old man from Athol, was pronounced dead at …
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…
