Just over four years after the City of Springfield, the Springfield Police Department and the federal government reached a court-monitored settlement, the pact may be coming to an end. Springfield and the feds jointly have filed a motion to terminate the agreement. If the court agrees, it will end a saga that has cast a pall over Pearl Street and City Hall for years.
Hampshire College, which ran a non-traditional baccalaureate program for undergraduates, is not representative of the 413’s higher education institutions. Yet, the closures of colleges do happen. Hundreds of layoffs will follow Hampshire’s demise. Just as important, the episode underscores the stakes for the wider Western Mass region.
On April 13, the Springfield City Council took a few forward actions that could have significant implications for two neighborhoods. It granted a zone change to Temple Beth El’s property on Dickinson Street, which could yield significant housing development. Meanwhile, the body authorized funding for a new branch library for East Springfield.
In his opening remarks at a hearing with US Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., Springfield Congressman and Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal alluded to their shared, if indirect history. As a young man, Neal supported Kennedy’s father, the OG Bobby Kennedy. Twelve years later, Neal was a delegate for Senator Edward Kennedy.
The Springfield City Council brought fury to a procedural debate and waxed meticulous on the details of a food truck ordinance this week. During a rare Tuesday meeting, the body confronted a relatively simple agenda. Yet, it was debate over a motion that led to shouting, threats of expulsion and accusations of censorship.
From the moment educator Johnnie McKnight came less than 250 votes of unseating 11th Hampden State Rep Bud Williams in 2025, it seemed highly like he would try again. Indeed, last December, he announced he would do exactly that. What may have been more surprising was that a small crowd would join him to take on the longtime fixture of Springfield politics.