Whistle Stops is an occasional series of shorter hits from the legislative campaign trail. by Michael Lachenmeyer Correspondent-Intern For the past four months, a pandemic has ravaged the country leaving more than 100,000 Americans dead and plunging the economy into depths unseen since the Great
UPDATED 4:32PM: To include reaction from AG Healey’s office. SPRINGFIELD—In an abrupt reversal, Mayor Domenic Sarno apologized for the reinstatement of five cops charged with lying to investigators looking into the 2015 fracas outside Nathan Bill’s Bar & Restaurant. In a late morning press conference
SPRINGFIELD—Despite the novel coronavirus’ sudden economic upheaval, which has pummeled government tax revenues, the City of Springfield has prepared a budget without layoffs or cuts to services. Yet, the city’s first coronavirus fiscal year will be hard. A spending and hiring freeze dating to March
This is the second of two assessing how the outbreak has altered top-ticket Bay State races. HOLYOKE—Standing in a grove of trees off Route 5 and framed by Providence Behavioral Hospital, a senator seeking reelection lent his voice to staff unions protesting a reduction of
UPDATED 5/26/20 4:17PM: To include addition comment from labor and city officials. SPRINGFIELD—With Governor Charlie Baker’s green light, city officials have announced how services will slowly but surely return to normal as the COVID-19 surge subsides. Restrictions and distancing measures will change how residents interact
WESTFIELD—For a few hours in the western Pioneer Valley Tuesday, humans walked the earth much like they did only a few months ago. Polling places throughout the region seemed almost normal, save the masked sign-holders. Voters—or their mailed ballots—were there too, selecting the region’s next
The race for the 2nd Hampden & Hampshire Senate seat is quite unlike any other for both the region and the candidates. Campaigning under the shroud of the novel coronavirus has voided rallies, standouts, debates and almost every visible element of the race, save yard
SPRINGFIELD—On Wednesday, United States Representative and House Ways & Means Chair Richard Neal spoke at the Federal Courthouse to extol the virtues of the $3 trillion COVID-19 package House Democrats expect to pass this week. However, with COVID-19 more transmissible indoors and federal buildings less
SPRINGFIELD—A relatively straightforward Council agenda experienced some delays due technical difficulties rather than legislative loquaciousness. For example, the meeting paused briefly as one councilor’s connection to Zoom was severed. Then there were the pauses between recognition of councilors. Overall, though, the meeting proceeded with little
Before sufficient procedures and protective equipment were introduced, the outbreak of COVID-19 had been spreading to officers of the Springfield Police Department. Those infected or exposed were sidelined. Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood would later claim that put pressure on staffing and would be used as