SPRINGFIELD—Tucked between passage of the House’s budget and the Senate’s introduction of its version was a briefing on Beacon Hill happenings from the legislative delegation for the commonwealth’s third city. Last Tuesday, Springfield’s five reps, one senator and staff for the other, took turns describing their priorities.
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
As abruptly as the race for Springfield mayor shifted in May, it took another jolt Monday morning. Linda Matys O’Connell, the former teacher, journalist and newsroom executive suspended her campaign for mayor. Alongside community activist Yolando Cancel, O’Connell had entered the race in days before
SPRINGFIELD—In the last few weeks, the race for mayor has formally entered a new phase. Both of incumbent Domenic Sarno’s new challengers, Yolanda Cancel and Linda O’Connell held their respective kickoffs at different points in the city. The mayor’s election plans remain as opaque as
UPDATED 6/1/19 12:01AM: Since this posting went live, Yolanda Cancel has been certified for the mayoral ballot. Four days after pulling papers, Linda Matys O’Connell, a journalist, activist and former League of Women Voters official, has made the ballot. Her certification for Springfield’s autumn mayoral
In the twilight of the signature gathering-phase of Springfield’s election, two women have stepped forward to consider a challenge to Mayor Domenic Sarno. On Thursday, Linda Matys O’Connell, an advocate, activist and journalist in the city, announced she was pulling paper for mayor. She follows
SPRINGFIELD—For whatever reason, Hampden County has a number of missing people—at the polls. Data from 2012 indicates that the county, which contains the commonwealth’s third largest city, falls well below the state’s turnout level. The problem is particularly pronounced here—though not unique countywide—but efforts are
This is the fourth in a series of posts on the new 189th Massachusetts General Court sworn on January 7. SPRINGFIELD—Three and a half years after Jose Tosado suffered a devastating loss in 2011’s mayoral election here, the reserved, former councilor’s decision to reenter the political