The High Sheriff in America This post is the first in a series about the end of Michael Ashe’s 42-year tenure as Hampden Sheriff. PHILADELPHIA—Imposing, 30-foot walls separate the Gothic Eastern State Penitentiary from the charming, adjacent residential neighborhood. When built nearly two hundred years ago,
Events rocked the Hampden Sheriff’s race once again Friday as Jack Griffin, a retired substance abuse specialist with Connecticut’s prison system, abruptly withdrew from the Democratic primary race and endorsed Springfield City Councilor Thomas Ashe. Councilor Ashe’s entry alone shook the race up creating a
SPRINGFIELD—At-large city councilor Thomas Ashe had been positioned to do well here in the Hampden Sheriff’s race. A sitting councilor who has appeared on residents’ ballots no fewer than eight times in the past fifteen years—including topping the at-large council vote once or twice—a decent
UPDATED 2:58 PM: To add additional details of Monday’s night Hampden Sheriff debate. SPRINGFIELD—More than two years after the race for Hampden Sheriff began with the retirement announcement of Michael Ashe, the five candidates for the office appeared for their first debate Monday night. After
Campaigns are not static. As the field gels they change, but even after it is set, elections can remain fluid. Look no further than this year’s presidential race. Republicans are in chaos, having abandoned their post-2012 reboot, and, while Hillary Clinton’s nomination seems near-certain, her
UPDATED 12:28PM: To reflect a correction. Albano was elected to the Governor’s Council in 2012, not 2010. It finally happened. Michael Albano, ex-Springfield mayor and current 8th District Governor’s Councilor, after resting on the pot for some time, announced on Rep. Ben Swan’s radio show
UPDATED 1/14/16 10:40AM: To reflect an update in endorsements and to reflect a correction. Candidate James Gill is running as an independent, not, as previously reported, as a Democrat. With the slow gel of Democratic primary for Hampden County Sheriff is finally starting to firm
By default, almost any NIMBYism should be approached with suspicion. There will always be facilities, services and outlets that are not desirable neighbors. The best we can do is try to place them as equitably as possible to serve the intended population. Nevertheless, the opposition of
SPRINGFIELD—Shortly after longtime Sheriff Michael Ashe announced that his current six year term, slated to end in 2016, would be his last, the County’s correctional facility was abuzz. Ashe, a towering figure both at that Ludlow facility and in area politics, had systems that worked
If your ear was to the ground, you probably suspected the announcement by Sheriff Michael Ashe that he would not seek another term in 2016 was coming. The earliness of Ashe’s declaration of his intentions may have caught a few off guard, but his reasons