SPRINGFIELD—Horses are in the streets. Fireworks are flying through the air—and more than a few houses. Mayoral chicanery is afoot on the Police Commission and Council unanimity reigns on steps to produce racial progress. Such was the nearly five-hour virtual meeting Monday. The remote nature
SPRINGFIELD—City Councilors voted Tuesday to accept legal counsel from a pair of Northampton-based lawyers in the ongoing dispute with the mayor over the Police Commission. Some 42 months after the body revived the Commission over Mayor Domenic Sarno’s veto, it remains in limbo. Sarno has
SPRINGFIELD—Amid the ever-growing national demonstrations following the death of George Floyd at police hands in Minneapolis, residents here again took to the streets to demand redress for systemic racism in law enforcement. Unlike this past Wednesday’s protest, however, this past Saturday protesters focused on issues
In a controversial move during a global health pandemic, Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood announced the reinstatement of five still-charged police officers tied the Nathan Bill’s case. The relevant officers were not the alleged off-duty perpetrators of an assault outside the East Forest Park watering
SPRINGFIELD—As the economic devastation from the COVID-19 outbreak sets in, city councilors here met—remotely—for the first time since public health restrictions made its traditional gatherings impractical. Freed of some open meeting law requirements by Governor Charlie Baker’s executive orders, the body met via the web
SPRINGFIELD—Though less than 200 nanometers in size, the novel coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic now casts a pall large enough to cover even Springfield’s iconic 300-foot Campanile. In the adjoining City Hall on Monday, the Council held its last live meeting in chambers for the
As the threat and infections from the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has swept the country and the commonwealth, cities and towns in the Pioneer Valley have not been immune. The 413 more broadly has already seen some cases and a few scares, including ones
UPDATED 1/28/20 11:27PM: A prior version of this post incorrectly omitted Rep Jose Tosado from Sen. Markey’s endorsements. SPRINGFIELD—In a swing through the Western Mass last Sunday, Newton Congressman and US Senate candidate Joseph Kennedy, III snapped up the endorsement of six members of the
UPDATED: 1/1/2020 3:53PM: To note the passing of the mayor’s father. Cities around the Pioneer Valley inaugurated their governments elected in last November’s election. For many communities, it heralded a new start. On Monday, Chicopee and Westfield both took on new mayors with varying degrees
At the beginning, 2019 felt like it had all the fixings of a great year for the City of Homes. The Council was resurgent. The East-West rail study was (finally) moving. The region’s congressman ascended to one of Congress’s top posts. MGM was entering its