Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates COVID-19: Two 'Red' Central Mass Cities At High Risk, Town-By-Town Trends, Rates
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…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
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
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Staff Death At Massachusetts Elementary School Is Under Investigation Staff Death At Massachusetts Elementary School Is Under Investigation
Staff Death At Massachusetts Elementary School Is Under Investigation Police are investigating a death discovered at a small Central Massachusetts elementary school. On Thursday, Feb. 11, a member of the Templeton Elementary School’s psychology team was found dead at the school, according to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. News of the death was first circulated by Narragansett Regional School District Superintendent Chris Casavant in a letter home to the school community. No students were present or otherwise involved in the situation, the superintendent said. Friday, Feb. 12, was a remote learning day for all students. NRSD has five mental health sp…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Nearly 5,000 OUI Central Mass Convictions Could Be Retried Over Unreliable Evidence Nearly 5,000 OUI Central Mass Convictions Could Be Retried Over Unreliable Evidence
Nearly 5,000 OUI Central Mass Convictions Could Be Retried Over Unreliable Evidence Nearly 5,000 people in Central Massachusetts convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol may be able to get a second trial. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said it would be notifying people convicted of OUI between 2011 and 2018 that they may be entitled to a new trial based on unreliable breathalyzer results. Statewide, about 27,000 cases could be retried. In Worcester County, 4,700 people will be getting such notices, the DA said. Each district attorney in Massachusetts is responsible for contacting qualifying OUI convicts in their regions. …

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Lifestyle
Valentine's Day: Local Romantic Restaurants That Deliver Valentine's Day: Local Romantic Restaurants That Deliver
Valentine's Day: Local Romantic Restaurants That Deliver A fine dining experience is a part of any good Valentine’s Day. With that in mind, the Daily Voice compiled lists of some of the “most romantic” restaurants in Central Massachusetts, according to Yelp reviewers. Everyone is looking for something different on Valentine’s Day, so we’ve compiled several lists in the categories of most romantic restaurants - overall, on a budget, doing delivery, and when money is no object. Restaurants listed here were among the best-reviewed on Yelp. Enjoy! 5 of the Most Overall Romantic Restaurants in Central Massachusetts Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant, Ve…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Weather
Forecast: Multiple Snow Events Expected This Week Forecast: Multiple Snow Events Expected This Week
Forecast: Multiple Snow Events Expected This Week On the heels of a snowy weekend, the National Weather Service is predicting more snow later this week. Anywhere between 2 inches and 5 inches of snowfall is anticipated for parts of Central and Western Massachusetts on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and possibly into Wednesday, Feb. 10, according to the National Weather Service. Expect the snow to start falling early on Tuesday, between 6 and 7 a.m. in the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley and more towards 9 a.m. for Worcester and Fitchburg. For the most part, the Pioneer Valley, Southern, and Central Berkshires can expect about 4 inches of snow.  Tow…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Business
DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations
DEP Fines These Local Businesses Over Alleged Environmental Violations In January, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fined 8 local businesses for failure to comply with previous enforcement orders. The DEP issued 79 enforcement orders statewide in January, according to the department’s database. Only 8 of those orders resulted in fines for Western Mass companies. There were no fines assessed in January for Central Massachusetts or Berkshire's businesses.  All of the Western Mass businesses that were fined were disciplined for the same alleged violation and were issued the enforcement orders on the same day (Jan. 22). The violation w…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Business
COVID-19: Beloved Performance Space For Sale - Local Orgs Lost $55 Million To Pandemic COVID-19: Beloved Performance Space For Sale - Local Orgs Lost $55 Million To Pandemic
Covid-19: Beloved Performance Space For Sale - Local Orgs Lost $55 Million To Pandemic On the heels of news that cultural organizations and artists west of I-495 have lost $80 million since the start of the pandemic, an art space for well-known local acts is closing. On Sunday, Jan. 31, Director Brain F. Hale said that The Bing Arts Center’s building in Springfield has been put up for sale. The asking price on the more than 10,000-square-foot property on Sumner Avenue is $175,000, according to LoopNet. “Unfortunately the cessation of income was not matched by a corresponding end of facility costs,” Hale said. “Our capacity to continue paying the bills is rapidly diminishing…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Weather
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA
Updated Snowfall Forecast - Up To 15 Inches Predicted For Parts Of Western, Central MA When this Nor’easter is over, some communities in Central and Western Massachusetts are expected to be covered in more than 1 foot of snow. A Winter Storm Warning by the National Weather Service is in effect until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Heavy snow is expected with total snow accumulations of 7 to 15 inches and winds gusting as high as 45 mph. The communities that are expected to see the most snow are across the Worcester Hills and the east slopes of the Berkshires. The following are forecast snowfall totals including the smallest amount predicted, the most likely amount to fall…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
News
Check It Out: The Hungriest Truck-Eating Bridges Of Central And Western Massachusetts Check It Out: The Hungriest Truck-Eating Bridges Of Central And Western Massachusetts
Check It Out: The Hungriest Truck-Eating Bridges Of Central And Western Massachusetts It doesn’t matter how many signs some cities and towns put up, people keep feeding Massachusetts’ truck-eating bridges. On Thursday, Jan. 28, the most recent example of a too-tall 18-wheel truck being shredded by a low bridge happened in Westborough. The city’s East Main Street railroad bridge is notorious for tearing the roofs off of semis trying to squeak by. “I drove close to that bridge every day for 3 years,” said Vanessa Saez on a photo posted by the Westborough Police to Facebook of a TT truck stuck under the bridge. “There are signs up and down that road warning drivers. They are …

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
News
COVID-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA COVID-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA
Covid-19: Advocates Win More Vaccines, New Vaccination Sites For Central, Western MA In a turn of events, Central and Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires will be receiving thousands of more COVID-19 vaccine doses - and establishing more vaccination sites -  than previously scheduled. On Thursday, Jan. 28, Sen. Jo Comerford and Rep. Mindy Domb said in a joint statement that Western Massachusetts would be receiving 3,000 additional COVID-19 vaccines per week starting Feb. 1. In a Jan. 21 report of vaccination distribution, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health doled out COVID-19 vaccines to counties in the following amounts: Worcester - 69,825 Hampden - 34…

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by Kristin Palpini
Worcester, MA
Weather
Update: Expect A Polar Vortex, Snow, And Fierce Wind Over The Next 5 Days Update: Expect A Polar Vortex, Snow, And Fierce Wind Over The Next 5 Days
Update: Expect A Polar Vortex, Snow, And Fierce Wind Over The Next 5 Days Break out your best Bernie Sander's style knitted-mittens and extra-thick jackets, a polar vortex is about to descend on Massachusetts and much of New England. A blast of cold wind from Canada is expected to drop temperatures to as low as 20 degrees below 0. The oncoming polar vortex may also bring snow to Central and Western Massachusetts starting on Friday, Jan. 29. In these conditions, frostbite could start to form after 30 minutes outside. The National Weather Service has issued a “hazardous weather outlook” for the region between northern Connecticut and North Worcester County. The fo…

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by Kristin Palpini