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…
Is The Drought Over Yet? Southern Part Of State Drier Than The Rest
The downpour that soaked the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 29-30, deposited 1.5-2 inches of rain, but still, much of southern Massachusetts is experiencing extreme drought.
According to state data released Thursday, Oct.1, nearly 30 percent of the state is experiencing “extreme” drought - the second highest degree of drought tracked by the state. The worst degree of drought is “exceptional.”
The ranking goes, from least to most drought-like conditions, are None, Abnormallly Dry, Moderate Drought, Severe Drought, Extreme Drought, and Exceptional Drought.
In…
Gun Shop Owner Admits To Selling/Owning Illegal Firearms - Including Homemade Machinegun
The co-owner of a local gun shop has admitted to owning and/or selling illegal machineguns and other banned firearms.
Max T. Gaj, 29, of Belchertown and co-owner of Dark Horse Gunsmithing in South Hadley, pleaded guilty on Friday, Sept. 25, to receipt and possession of unregistered firearms, receipt, and possession of National Firearm Act (NFA) firearms not identified by serial number, making a firearm in violation of the NFA, selling firearms in violation of state and local laws, as well as making false entries and properly maintaining records, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Massac…
Covid-19: Where Are The Hot Spots? Town Infection Rates, Trends - Hampshire County, August
Positive COVID-19 test rates in Amherst, Easthampton, Granby, Northampton, South Hadley, and Williamsburg are at the highest they’ve been over the last four weeks, according to new state data.
Meanwhile, Belchertown’s 14-day COVID-19 positive test rate is going down. The rate went from 3.6 percent to 2.7 percent in one week.
In Massachusetts, the goal is that by December the state will have less than 5 percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive. On Friday, Aug. 7, Gov. Charlie Baker reported the state’s 7-day positive test rate was at 1.8 percent, down from 2.2 percent just a week ago. (…
National Grid: Power To Return To All Western Mass Customers By Saturday, Aug. 8
About half of National Grid’s customers in the eastern portion of Western Massachusetts may be without electricity until the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 8.
As of Thursday, Aug. 6, 14,223 Hampden County National Grid customers were without power in the wake of the Tuesday Tropical Storm Isaias.
Here are how many customer outages there are in your town:
Belchertown: 1,683
Brimfield: 1,006
East Longmeadow: 3,129
Hampden: 976
Monson: 2,096
Palmer: 1,839
Wilbraham: 3,000.
