Northwestern Assistant DA convicts Worcester ICE protester
A crowd of supporters gathered around a courtroom door in Northampton on Wednesday, awaiting the six-person jury’s verdict in the trial of former Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj. Steven Gagne, the Northwestern District’s first assistant district attorney, popped open the door just enough to look at a group of...
Report: Massachusetts renters rely on Section 8 housing vouchers
New data shows Massachusetts renters rely heavily on federal housing choice vouchers — sometimes called Section 8 — compared to the rest of the country. Around 10% of renters in the Bay State rely on a housing choice voucher to afford their rent, nearly double the national average of 5.6%.
Massachusetts lowers flags to half-staff to honor fallen soldier Robert R. Arnold
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert R. Arnold, 27, of Roslindale, Massachusetts, passed away suddenly on February 1, 2026. Born on February 15, 1998, he was a resident of the Roslindale neighborhood in Boston. Arnold served as a Lance Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years before joining the...
After 27 years without violence, convicted murderer in Mass. granted second chance
After shooting three men in the head at the age of 19, a Massachusetts man has been granted parole after refraining from violence for the past 27 years. On May 25, 1994, 18-year-old Carlos Araujo, his brother, 19-year-old Manuel Araujo and 25-year-old Kepler Desir drove from Boston to Brockton to pick up 19-year-old...
State police helicopter, drones assist in search for person in crisis in Clinton
CLINTON — Shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, the Clinton Public Safety Dispatch Center received a report of an individual in crisis in the area of Lancaster Road, Fox Run and the grounds of the International Golf Course. Clinton police officers arrived within minutes of receiving...
Identity Coffee Company Expands Franchise Footprint with New Worcester, Massachusetts Territory
The family-owned specialty coffee brand is continuing its strategic growth across the Northeast and beyond, landing a new location in the iconic Kelly Square. , a New England–based, family-owned specialty coffee roaster focused on organic, ethically sourced coffee and community impact, has announced the sale of a new...
Connected from the start, this Shrewsbury couple has been married for 31 years
SHREWSBURY – They were together from the beginning. When Kym Dufault was a six-month-old infant, her mother frequently convened with a very nice – and very pregnant – stay-at-home mom friend, Mary, who lived in an apartment across the hall. During an otherwise uneventful get-together, Mary’s water broke, and with...
Worcester Public Schools Adding 75 Full-Day Pre-K Seats for 2026-27
WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester Public Schools will add 75 full-time preschool seats at five schools and launch a new targeted special education support program for 108 preschool-age children in a cost-neutral expansion designed to better serve the district’s youngest learners. The added seats will bring full-day Pre-K...
Worcester just lost its last chance to avoid paying $35M in sewage legal dispute
The state’s highest court denied Worcester’s request to review an appellate court decision ordering the city to pay Holden more than $35 million for overcharging the town for sewer services. In August, the Appeals Court upheld a prior ruling from Superior Court Judge James Manitsas, who in 2023...
Worcester Taxpayers to Pay Holden Nearly $30 Million
WORCESTER – The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the state, has declined to review a case between the Town of Holden and the City of Worcester related a 1999 contract for sewage disposal. The Supreme Judicial Court’s refusal to review the case leaves Worcester with a...
