BOSTON—Governor Maura Healey announced Wednesday she would submit one of the furthest-reaching pardons of marijuana convictions in state history to the Governor’s Council. Barring Council opposition, the move could wipe out potentially hundreds of thousands of convictions for simple possession dating back to the dawn of the War on Drugs.
WESTFIELD—January 14, 2020 was an eternity ago. Yet, to the untrained eye, then-Rep John Velis’ first kickoff for Senate looked much like his reelection launch on Tuesday night. No one in 2020 knew Velis’ special election would be moved and the only celebration of his victory would be a coronavirus-safe gathering in a backyard here.
SPRINGFIELD—With no prelim of its own this year, the general election for municipal races in Springfield is taking off after all other Western Mass preliminaries conclude. The lack of a preliminary here has not happened in two decades.
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
UPDATED 5/20/19 10:08AM: To clarify that the scholarship is for Springfield residents. Friends and family of the late Dave Vigneault, a former state representative and mentor to pols and activists, have laid out plans to carry on his legacy. On Friday, they announced a scholarship
SPRINGFIELD—Hampden County Sheriff Michael Ashe may have retired, but some of his traditions, if in a different form, live on. What would have been Ashe’s 40th clambake had he not retired was, in fact, not a clambake. But his successor Nicholas Cocchi has not allowed
For the City of Springfield, 2016 proved notable on multiple fronts. It briefly saw itself as the center of attention in the presidential contest. MGM evolving complexity dodged for at least another year a threat from Connecticut. A bevy of police controversies throttled City Hall
There are, on our regional ballots this year a number of competitive races. Not all are created equally. Some of these races include candidates of third parties and in still-quite Democratic Hampden County others are not such that fuller, separate explanations of our opinions are
SPRINGFIELD—This is not like previous elections. As Senator Eric Lesser launches his reelection bid Thursday night, it will be a unique experience. Historically, when officials he helped elect sought reelection, he had moved on to other things. In 2014 during his first bid for office,
LUDLOW—After a rollicking primary, Assistant Superintendent Nicholas Cocchi seized the Democratic nomination for Hampden County Sheriff, setting him on a path to succeed, Michael Ashe, the nationally recognized 42-year incumbent. Cocchi triumphed over Springfield City Councilor Thomas Ashe and Governor’s Councilor Michael Albano in a